Fun with cars, cats and plants.

The current Liver transplant waiting list for my hospital as of Friday April 25th is below:

There are five blood type A’s in categories 19-24 and 25+, and another 49 A’s in the 11-18 group, although not all of those will be ahead of me. Looks like I’ve still got a wait yet.

I had fun with my Prius over the weekend. I’m currently getting about 47 mpg with it (it has an instantaneous reading that tells you how you’re doing gas-wise, as well as a running calculator for how you’re doing on the current tank of gas). I’m still feeling a little bit guilty for buying this car, since I shouldn’t be shelling out huge amounts of money right now for anything. Still, the Socialist put it in wonderful perspective for me. “Either you live a long life and you’ll have this car for a good, long time, or you’ll live a short life, and at least you’ll have had the chance to enjoy the car you really wanted.” He’s right, of course. I can’t stop everything in its tracks because I’m sick. I need to grab what I can and enjoy what I can. I think I’m doing that.

The sisters came over Sunday morning to help me set up this year’s garden. We raked stone away from the enclosed garden fencing, put in decorative edging to help hold the soil in place, and then dropped in about 200 pounds of topsoil. Yesterday evening I cleaned the turtle tank and then went outside to plant a mixture of morning glory seeds all around the fencing. I also got a packet of moonflower seeds, and interspersed those at regular intervals among the morning glories. Now I just need rain and sun and patience. Patience is the hardest part. I want to see my baby seedlings popping through the soil now!

After I was done my planting, I cleaned out the hanging candleholders in the enclosed area, lit some new candles, and read outside by the light fixture outside the kitchen door while the summer day eased into dusk. Once the cherry trees have finished shedding their blossoms, I’ll probably move to the patio out back to do my evening reading, but right now sitting out there for any period of time will get you covered in light pink petals.

Friday evening, after I got home, I went outside to water my primroses. I’d been putting it off because the forecast had been calling for rain for several days, but the rain consistently failed to materialize and my primroses were looking a tad wilted. I left the glass doors open to the kitchen, with just the screen door in place, so the cats could enjoy some of the sights and smells of the evening. Kitten knows how to open the screen door, so I was keeping half an eye on the door as I watered the flowers. I should have known better, but my back was just turned for five seconds. I turned around, and both Kitten and O’Beast had wandered out through the now wide-open screen door (drat that Kitten!) and were looking furtively for a way out of the walled enclosure. I erupted with a hearty “Get yourselves back in there NOW!” and Kitten spun about and dashed back into the kitchen. O’Beast, however, headed for the fence, and ducked through the foot-high gap between the bottom of the fencing and the ground. I ran and closed the screen door, praying that Kitten wouldn’t pull the same trick twice within minutes of being yelled at, and then took off after the O’Beast, who was surprising quick considering his girth. He’d run as far as three apartments away, and each time I approached him he’d run down to the next apartment in line. I finally just stood there until he ignored me and began to graze. Yes, this stupid, over-fed and yet always hungry cat lusts for grass. Once he began stuffing his face he was apparently oblivious to my presence, and I was finally able to nab him and carry his sorry carcass back to our apartment. Fortunately Kitten hadn’t taken it into her head to open the door again, and so everyone was recaptured. Because of this escapade, my current plans are to plant something high and unforgiving along the base of the fence, so that certain low-IQ critters aren’t tempted to repeat this weekend’s performance.