I had to buckle my virtual office chair seatbelt yesterday and finish filling out paperwork to do with retirement benefits. The process of retiring seems to be one of gathering as many revenue streams as possible, and one of them needed some adjustment (updated address) so when it kicks in it won't be misdirected due to an obsolete post office box. I have another set of similar paperwork to fill out and dispatch today. I set a goal to finish all of this by the end of the month.

This morning I cut up some red onions to freeze on a tray and later bag for convenience in cooking. I'd forgotten how very strong those things are! I wasn't wearing gloves so now the onion smell is wafting up from my keyboard. There is a large sweet potato baking in the convection oven to use for several meals, and I have a couple more waiting to be baked soon, but then I should be to the point of harvesting a few of my own garden potatoes soon—and they're usually giants. I'm having to be careful how much I make ahead now because I've resumed the alternate-day fasting (today is a 500 calorie day) and food gets old before I get to it if I get too far ahead of myself. Motivation comes from recent weight gain and the consequences for my arthritic knee (it hurts more).

Yard work this afternoon ahead of the predicted rain tomorrow. Lately it isn't just that there is rain in the forecast and I might get some, now it seems to be there is rain in the forecast and one must prepare for a deluge. I know, however, that my deluge is ice and snow for many of the rest of you (this is apparently a robust front covering much of the middle of the North American continent), so batten down the hatches, all!

As to the bed bugs, fingers crossed none of us ever have to go there. A friend had to bag up everything he owned that wasn't affected by them then get a new bed and have exterminators in and use the steam, etc. It took several months before he could unpack.