Overadvertised and underfunded

I slept wrong. Actually, what I think might have happened was, I didn't move all night. This morning I'm sore and stiff and I can't find my heating pad. I do, however, know where the IcyHot patches are and I'm going to use up about half a dozen.

I have most definitely hit an unpacking plateau. I can't summon the spoons to even consolidate another box, even though I can think of two separate candidates without even trying. This is not great, because I really do want to set up the living room chairs with the throw pillows and soft blankets and cat beds so the cats have soft places to sit other than the bed (which, honestly, is probably where they'd spend the bulk of their time anyway.) I especially want to get the domed beds up off the floor, because I think they'd made spectacular actual beds now that it's winter and it's fricking freezing at night. There's the one up on the highest shelf in the makeup room, and Merry usually commandeers that one.

I still have a cat tower to assemble. It's just over 5 feet tall with a sturdy base and two boxes, a sling, and 3 platforms with padded ledges. I don't kid myself that all four would be able to be on there at the same time harmoniously, but if Merry and Pippin grab that one, it leaves the one set-up not-on-the-floor Dome for Ari to curl up in.

The downstairs is open-concept, and I'd love to put an open shelving unit in the middle as a room divider-cum-storage because I can always use more storage space. I've found what I want at Ikea, but (of course) the color that I want is sold out online. I don't feel like schlepping 300+ km to the one store that has it in stock, so...I'll wait a bit more and see when/if my desired color comes back in stock. (Dammit.) I don't know if it would make the room look smaller or not, but I could definitely use the extra storage. I've already filled all six of my bookshelves, and one does not stop buying books simply because one has run out of bookshelf space.

My mattress was a year old when it was given to my by my parents. My back was acting up, I couldn't sleep comfortably on my futon any more, and mom had a wild idea about putting a twin size bed in the guest room to give guests...well, more room. (That lasted less than nine months, and they got another queen-size bed.) I've used said mattress and box spring for nearly two decades. They've had a good life. So I did some homework, went to the local mattress store, tried out my first and second choice, and made the purchase. It was delivered this morning, so I get a brand new bed for day-after-solstice. I put a new set of sheets on the bed, and I learned that Merry LOVES flannel sheets. LOVES-loves-LOVES. Sprawl, wriggle wriggle writhe squirm squirm wriggle. I ran to get my camera and capture his adorable joy on film...

...and he decided that it was the absolute perfect time for him to clean his butthole. Thanks, Merry. Way to kill the vibe. I am not sharing this with the family.

 I'd planned a new organization-wall for my back bedroom. I wanted something that would store everything I needed stored, but would still give my cats their high perches.

Originally I thought: oh, okay, I can have the two Alex units down at one end, as "stair-steps" up to a point where they can somewhat easily get up onto the topmost shelves. Then I'll be able to put their smaller pet beds up there. Not as good as their favored great-big-orthopedic-bed with high sides (which is 5 inches deeper than the shelves) but still good.

I miscalculated. There's more horizontal space than I thought.

Instead of one set of "stairs" at one end with room enough for one tall and one short Alex unit, I have space to put two taller Alex drawers and one shorter Alex unit in the center, and the larger shelving units at either end. It'll look like an inverted ziggurat, and two cats can have their very own "up-high" platform with a cat bed. Maybe not as fun for the orange boys, who like being near each other on occasion; but still good.

Maybe I'll put the orthopedic bed in my room on top of the chest of drawers, and move the Winter Palace somewhere else...?