A Really Good Day: A Chore & A Shopping Trip

On the agenda for Saturday:

~ 1 difficult shared chore of clearing off the deck with Cat so that the guy she hired to tear apart and re-build it can actually reach the darned thing!
~ 1 longer trip to buy a couple of things on discount that cost too much in the Seattle area.

It took almost 2 hours to get the first thing done. In addition to being humid (around 50%)  and hot (88 to 92 degrees F), it is also hazy with smoke. The 3 together make any sort of physical exertion a monumental chore! Yet Cat and I had to get it done.

We managed to do this, but it took 2 hours because we had plenty of resting breaks and also tried to make the yard area pleasant and organized so we’d have a place to hang out while the deck is being done. We even set up an umbrella to my outdoor table and chair set, which is needed, but so much of a hassle we hadn’t bothered yet this entire summer!

It was almost stupidly difficult, and I actually became nauseous and weak at one point, so drinks and a longer break were required. Yet we persisted and managed to finish (Cat and Sharn have a large deck with far too much crap on it!) And afterwards I was happy to note that there was no malaise (a tired, sick feeling when I’ve over-exerted myself that often leads to flares, or keeps flares around longer.) Apparently, slow and steady really does win the race!

Next, we hopped into her car and headed south towards Tacoma. She had a discount game to get on clearance from a brick & mortar book store, and I needed camping equipment on sale without a mark-up for being sold in “moneyed territory”! (For example, many groceries here cost almost twice what I can find in more modest areas. Same with other goods– and I don’t believe in wasting my modest funds!)

After Cat found her game, we went out to eat at a family diner, and then headed to a sporting goods store. There I found a roomy (as in can walk around upright– no stooping!) tent– almost a portable CABIN really, it is so big– that is normally $400, on sale clearance for only about $250! I also found a ‘no-issues’ sleeping bag (not hard to roll or zip) and a small backpack with a stool attached for $20. That was pretty much the sum total of all the money I’ve saved most of this year (and Patreon is a major contributor to that!!) in order to actually be able to get out and camp comfortably– which is likely the only way I can do much outside my home on my budget, since overnight stays at motels are pretty much out of range for me for the foreseeable future. Yet, having this ‘out’ that allows for participation in festivals and events and stays out-of-doors and adventures of various kinds and so I’m willing to spend money on it. Everyone needs an out, if they can possibly find one!

Pleased as punch, though back down to next to no funds again, I rode back to our yuppie neighborhood nestled between lakes and forested hills. I realized it has been a good long while since I spent that kind of money as an adult… Gerick really did keep a tight fist on all our funds. It was also a major treat. A luxury. A decadence! I can’t bear to crawl around in a low, cheap, tent anymore. My back just can’t deal with it. Not to mention I really want to have a comfortable living arrangement when camping, able to sit at a small table or atop a bed to do things hanging out– especially when the weather turns sour, which happens quite a bit early summer and early fall, when it is otherwise still perfect to go camping.

Best of all, I came home, tired but still functional, which feels like a triumph. I pushed myself today and there were no repercussions!  (Knock on wood!) I feel so far behind here lately that getting my goals for the day actually completed in THAT DAY makes me feel like Superwoman!

Cat seemed in a similar good mood. She didn’t complain endlessly while we drove, but kept up a steady stream of friendly banter, and was excellent company all day long. She and I both remained happy from our good day the rest of the evening.

Sometimes, shit actually goes right. =^D