Thursday's PODA - updates

Not too bad for almost 2 hours. 

Get breakfast for both of us (oatmeal w/bananas) - done (though P didn't have much...)
Get us both dressed - done
Pick up/declutter floor - done so I could vac
Collect any garbage that needs collecting
Wash dishes
Flip washer & dryer
Water plants (P loves this :-)) - next
Teach P to blow his nose - working on it.  Right now he just looks at me like I'm crazy
Convince P to take a nap - next hour

Thursday's PODA

Here's how behind and out of it I am....even though I know that yesterday was Wednesday because D had her last concert (which I had to miss, boo hoo :-(...) of 5th grade (and her first playing her clarinet), I couldn't remember what day today is, LOL!!! 

I've had the most success getting myself a PODA, so I'll try a small one.  I've been out of sorts because I just haven't been getting to bed as I should---and then when I actually try to get to bed at a decent hour (11:30), P's in the middle of a nice crying fit because the poor little guy is miserable because he's sick :-(  I'm not totally sure what he has---he's got a bit of a fever (the worst was the second night he had this, he had a temp of 102, and I said to myself he's going to the doc!!!), he's got some congestion, and he looks horrible when he's not all drugged up!  LOL (on the drugged up part, not on looking horrible).  Oh well, that's my job as mommy, to nurse him back to health!  Unfortunately, we are still breastfeeding and his nose is so stuffed he can't have any!  He pops on and off...I'm going to attempt to teach him to blow his nose, since he WON'T let me suction it out.  That didn't help the crying fit last night.  I'm also going to see if I can get some oatmeal in his belly...he hasn't been eating as well as he usually does (he's got a pretty good appetite), but man did he inhale the spaghetti last night.  His butt's not the most comfortable either.  :-\

Anyhow, a mini PODA, and let's see how much I can get done of it before big sis gets home....

Get breakfast for both of us (oatmeal w/bananas)
Get us both dressed
Pick up/declutter floor
Collect any garbage that needs collecting
Wash dishes
Flip washer & dryer
Water plants (P loves this :-))
Teach P to blow his nose
Convince P to take a nap

Long time no see.....

It's been over 2 months since I last wrote here. Things have been going, which is the least that could be said. Unfortunately, that same old midnight monster has struck again, and seems to be working hard to derail everything for me. My dishes aren't washed (though I was going really well for a while there, every night, and it won't take long to get them all taken care of :-D), but my floor is mostly picked up, my futon is clear, my living room is decent, my trash has been taken out, our clothes are caught up on, and everyone has been fed and bathed. I think all in all that makes it a really good day :-) I got a short walk when at WalMart to fill P's 'script (lil guy's sick, running a bit of a fever, and seems to have a bit of fluid in one ear), even though it wasn't what I wanted.

I am now at 37.8 pounds lost. That means that I have 2.2 more to go until I get to my previous weight loss, and this time nothing --- no emotional blow, no decrease in money (because I will always find a way to make sure that $39.95 is in the bank!), nothing will derail me from getting as far as I need to this time. Even a SMALL loss (and we have all had one of those!!!) is still a LOSS. :-) That's all I'm looking for! I've changed my life, changed my diet, and plan on being able to manage those and the periodic cravings I get for things that don't fit into them. No more eating whole bags of Doritos all the time --- unless they cost 99¢ --- No more multiple bowls of whatever dinner is every night. I might do that with a Core meal here and there, but not on a regular basis. Heck, tonight was the first time I've made one dinner for the majority of the house, and a different one for me. Because I REFUSE to eat pasta that is not whole wheat if I can help it!!! Heck, I can't tell you the last time I had full fat and/or milk cheese. I actually have grown to LIKE soy cheese!!! My favorite is STILL cheddar flavored!!! :-) Also, while I was getting the 'script, I wandered through the clothes. And I TRIED SOMETHING ON. In size 22/24. The one thing, a shirt dress, was a bit tight in the usual areas---but the usual areas didn't stress it out as bad as 38 pounds ago. The outfit (a nice shirt and pants) felt GREAT, and didn't look all that bad either. And who knows---maybe I'll find $11 to buy a pair of those pants. Nice and comfy!!! So, my next goal weight is my street address (which is kinda funny but kinda embarrassing, especially if you know my street address :-S), and my next body goal is to make 22/24 LOOSE!!!!

Something I have not discussed before now...I've started to search for the lay of my spiritual path again, this time much more involved and exact than I had before. I had all those pagan books, but I never really read them. Something about them did not feel right. I have returned to my roots, and some time ago convinced myself that I am actually a Christian. While it said somewhere in the Bible not to hide your light under a bushel---it's not something I'm publicizing either! :-\ But I have so many books I got off of PaperBack Swap, and I've started reading one of them. I will eventually read The Purpose Driven Life, as that's one of the books I got from PBS. Heck, it will probably be my NEXT book. I'm eager to read it.

So, what all brought this on? I'm not totally sure. Maybe some of it is knowing the blessings our former neighbors have received by leading a life in Christ, and having ZHOP. Part of it is finally being honest to myself that what I need spiritually is something I can be honest to everyone else about. Sure, I'm not supposed to worry about what others think---but, thing is, it's uncomfortable to have this "secret." Maybe it's just time for me. I also found a verse that I LOVE, and speaks to who I really feel I am. Proverbs 31: 10-31. It talks about a good wife, something I strive to be for my husband, though I do admit I often falter. But it led me to a great site, Proverbs 31 Ministries. This path, however, does not mean that I have left all my "alternative" views behind. By no means have I. But it means that I am looking for what's best for me, the best fit, the truth.

So, what have I done so far? Well, I made a donation to those same neighbors. It might sound a bit selfish, but considering the pressure I feel about finances, I prayed for some help/relief in that area. And I made a realization today.

I was thinking about my friend who died 7 1/2 years ago, and how we will see each other again once that day comes. And it hit me---that whole concept does not simply apply to those who have already passed on---sometimes it applies to those we have removed ourselves from in this life, who still live. And I was filled with some peace. The reason I had such a problem with WW the first time, after a while, was because of the emotional blow I received when my ex best friend and I quit being friends. Recently, she's tried to contact me again. I didn't have as much of a problem with it this time---but it still left me unsettled. It hit and hurt pretty bad the first time, it gets rehashed each time somehow she comes into my life again. Always on the computer.

And something else has happened. I don't care if she reads this (because I know it's possible). I just don't think she realized how bad I was hurt, and to what extent I was hurt. I don't know if she ever will. And it's not just because of the final conversation we had---there was a lot more involved than that. But, I forgive her. Forgiving her (you?) is not for HER (YOU), it's for ME, it's something I need in order to go on with my life and FULLY recover. I have come a long way, I think this is the last thing I need, and I will leave it behind me. Don't expect me to talk to her, I just won't throw a fit inside, if ykwim.

So, for my candle biz you can check that blog. For crochet updates, you can check that blog too. For writing, go right ahead and see over there. This is life. Real life. My life.

Til I write here again...

Later Days! :-)

Ground work...

Because without a foundation, you can't have a stable structure!!!

It's been over 2 months since I last posted about this. I'm happy to report that I have been doing SOMETHING, and I have many plans to do more. Sometimes, you know, a person can get to a point where they really don't feel like they've done much in the way of anything to get anywhere. So I will take this time to chronicle what will perhaps end up being my groundwork :-D

Well, the first thing I did was finally go COTM. I had planned on being able to do it at the beginning of this month, but we were lucky enough to have just enough extra from a loan for our car repairs (which only ended up being replacing tires---everything else we fixed was taken care of by the warranty---if only we could get that kind of "insurance" for our bodies instead of our car!!!) to start it midway through May :-)

To go COTM, I got myself a Penny Saver route---I live really close to an office, and I was able to get the route my house is on!!! This will pay for the Candle of the Month shipment each month, with some extra left over for maybe another shipment of things I will need here and there. As always, I have other things in the works that can help with that too ;-)

Next, one of the shipments I ordered right after first getting to COTM status included two of my FAVORITE candles---Bella Buns!!!---and 2 sets of catalogs. The first bundle is GONE, and I broke into the second today!!! Now I have to make up more scent samples and staple those onto more catalogs, and stick the labels with my name and numbers on the backs :-D

As for footwork...

I have handed out all those catalogs. Most of the candles from the first COTM shipment went as free samples---which is fine because even though I ended up having to burn the jar candle because I dropped and broke it (it has a nice wrapper so very little escaped, and it can still hold the candle---when hard. It oozes out a bit when lit, LOL!!!), I'm not the biggest fan of that smell. Oh well, I'm sure someone else is!!! :-D Any one of the people who I handed catalogs to could end up being my next customer---all it takes is them having a need and seeing my catalog still sitting on their desk or in their purse, or in their car :-) I've handed out several business cards...I printed up maybe 30 several weeks ago, and I'm down to about 3 now. I also had the 20 or so I had printed up before that, and those have been gone for weeks. I'm waiting on new business cards, ordered from VistaPrint :-) I also have postcards through there that will be coming in, with my OWN DESIGN, that I plan to send out to realtors in the area. These candles would make EXCELLENT housewarming gifts, open house items, or closing gifts. In that vein, I'm also planning to send some off to local car dealerships (we got cookies when we got our Grand Am, and I would have MUCH rather had a candle!!!!!), RV dealerships and local prefab home companies! Several catalogs also got handed out when I went yard saling this weekend!

I've sent about 5 fundraising packets off to different local organizations---schools so far, though I plan very soon to branch out to other organizations! I also met up with a girl at the Weight Watchers meeting today, and gave HER a catalog to pass on to her teacher at her dance class. I saw her jacket, and thought "well, why the heck not???" :-D I then ended up talking to 2 other ladies at the meeting who I had not yet talked to before about the biz, and gave both of them catalogs. I left the house today prepared to give them to people!!!!!

Spring has Sprung

All sorts of new things, including my first ever business (ad)venture! I've been pondering making this move for just about a year now (I can hardly believe that!), and now just seemed like the time to make a jump for it.

I am so sorry this is going to be so minimal, especially considering I AM a prolific writer, and I AM incredibly chatty, but I wanted to establish this site so I know what I want for it!!! Soon I will detail my reasonings for it.

Until then, Later Days!!!

(Originally posted on my Candle Blog)

I haven't been totally out of it. Thanks to the prompting of a couple of the ladies on my Flying list, I have been writing pretty regularly. Some times it is every day, sometimes it's here and there, when the ideas hit, sometimes it's not at all. But my mind is on it. I've also got SOOOOO many other things going on....crafting of all kinds, a candle biz I'm trying to launch, family, housework, life. It all gets too crowded in my head sometimes. I need the feeling I get creating SOMETHING to clear it all out. And yet I still think I spend too much time in front of the computer. Stupid computer games!!!

But, I was still able to submit a piece to a writing contest. My first. Yay!!! I won't know until the end of April (I believe) if (and I still always think WHEN first :-D) I place, but I won't sweat it. I'll just start looking for other contests, and see if I have stories in the works or can come up with ones to fit the bill!

Wish me luck!!!

Later Days!

Update & my week so far

List from the other day:

Lunch - done
Dishes - done (well, a few got left over :-\)
Floor - done
Vac - done
Post story (it's all written, just gotta write out a short bit of biographical information, and I'll be done :-) Oh yeah, and send it!) to contest - done
Go for walk - done

So far, this week has gone pretty well. I went for a walk on Monday---since it was so nice out, I decided to go outside at about 11 with P, and since D was home from school, she was out too. P decided he wanted to go for a walk, so we (he :-S) started down the sidewalk, holding mommy's hand. D came along with, and I joked to her about how daddy must be thinking "where are they?" since I had asked him if he was joining us, and he had yet to come out. Well, we got halfway to the corner, and her friend was outside playing at her house. D stayed there for a little bit while P and I headed back to the house to get his stroller so we could walk the rest of the way to the corner and go to the playground that wasn't too far away. We stayed there for a bit, then P and I went home to get lunch and get ready to get him down for his nap. A little while later, D and dad came home. It ended up just being a nice day all around.

Then we went outside again for a little while yesterday after P's nap. I went to Weight Watchers while they stayed home and played outside some more with the neighbor girls that have been D's friends since we moved in. I also had a couple other errands. I lost another 1.8 pounds this week, making it 17 so far! :-D Go me.

I plan on us going for a walk or playing outside sometime after P gets up from his nap, and probably about the time D gets home from school. The troubles we had been having getting to bed seem to have mostly gone. As long as I keep consistent with our sleep schedule---1-1:30 for naps, and between 8 & 9 for bed. Then he gets up anywhere from 6:30 to after 8. Which means he gets at least 12 hours a day, mostly at night, sometimes as much as 14 depending on how quickly after we lay down he falls asleep and when he gets up. His naps average about 2 hours. I'm very happy about that :-D

I've got a few other things I need to get done today---so far I've already vacced once (will have to again) flipped laundry (folded T's clothes, put the towels in the dryer and mine in the washer), done some dishes, picked up his toys so I can get the vac back out and clear up all that popcorn, and cleared the rest of the floor, plus sort some things out of a bag that I had started because of clearing off the couch to find my cell phone (there wasn't much, just a few things that had accumulated while I was sitting there. :-)).

So, here goes the list:

Dishes
Order more catalogs
Write
Go for walk/go outside
Vac
Fold clothes
Sort out P's to retrieve spring wear
Dinner

Things I'd like to get done this week:

kitchen floor - sweep & mop
sort bills (special attention to looking for treadmill user's manual & find odds and ends I've kept for it)

Who said anything about day of rest???

Okay, that's probably sacreligious, but....

I'm not doing any "resting." I take those times during my regular day to just do something for me. Now I'm going to come up with a list of things I would like to get done today...

Lunch
Dishes
Floor
Vac
Post story (it's all written, just gotta write out a short bit of biographical information, and I'll be done :-) Oh yeah, and send it!) to contest
Go for walk

Not as big of a list as I thought I was going to have. Good, it can get accomplished :-)

Weight loss and progress

As of yesterday I hit 15 pounds. I'm really proud of me! :-)

My next weight loss goal is 20 pounds by the end of April. You might think that's too little----and you might think that's too much. 5 more pounds by the end of April?? It's 5 weeks away....you can do better than that if you did 2 pounds in one week.

Well, that's what makes it so perfect :-) I can lose at least 1 pound a week, and anything over that is icing.

So, to lose weight I found 2 things are the most effective for me: drinking milk each day and walking. I haven't done much walking yet---it's a bit difficult here in Western New York, since we're infamous for being a very cold winter region. I think what's made my weight loss possible so far is upping my activity at home and making sure to hit the Healthy Eating Guidelines :-) But, it's getting warmer now, since it's Spring :-D, and I walked several times last week. I'm looking forward to popping my headphones on, putting the little guy in the stroller, and dragging the oldest out for a walk once she gets home from school :-)

I'm also making a committment to working on the home business. I've filled out my reasons/contract with my sponsor. Now I have to hear back from her. And I've got to recommit myself to writing again. I was going along really well, then I hit a bit of a snag on the stories. Now I have one that's progressing to it's end, and I'm still a bit stuck on the other one. I just have to write through the hard times. I think that's what I will attack after I get off here, and work on typing more up. :-)

I also started reading Body Clutter. It's helped some. I've recognized some problem foods. I'm half way through chapter 5. I'm going to restart reading that one, and then do that journal.

Hmm...so now I need a slight PODA. Here we go, the things I want to accomplish today:

Write bills for this week
Write
Type up some of some story
Look for 1GB storage
Read Body Clutter and journal
Eat lunch (Split Pea Soup)
Go on walk when oldest gets home
Bring out garbage
Wash towels
Fold clothes

I think that's good for now. I have confidence I can accomplish a good number of those :-D

Waxing and Waning

Things aren't going too bad right now. At the beginning of the month I was in a bit of a funk, now I'm doing better. I managed to go to bed at midnight last night, and it felt pretty good---considering I was going to bed at 1 or later for a while before that. It looks like I'm going to get to bed about the same tonight, but I should go to sleep right off. I just wanted to check in and sorta cement my 4 of 5 goals for 2007. I don't know how exactly it became 5, but that's the reoccurring theme of the goals, so I'm going to stick with it. :-)

1. Submit 5 pieces to contests/magazines/etc
2. Lose 50 pounds.
3. make enough to have 5 bills paid off: 4 small and 1 big
4. Visit church 5 times---2 holidays and 3 nonholidays. Easter and another here, Christmas and 2 more when we move to Colorado.
5. Start and work on 5 stories beyond the ones submitted.

Been around...

All right, all right. I'm sorry, I haven't been putting much up here lately...I've been BUSY!!!

I said I got the whole Flylady thing before, but now it's really pretty much clicking. Even right now, despite the fact that I've been in a funk the last few days, I've managed to do pretty good. Soon as I'm done here, I'm going to get up and wash the rest of my dishes. And I'm growing another little flybaby. She's definitely got a lot of brat in her (gotta find mine, because I have to give in to the fact that there's one in there!!!), but she's not doing too bad, and she wants to do it. :-) I feel good that I've been able to :-D What has helped me the most is .....

FINALLY HAVING A CONTROL JOURNAL.

Right now it's sitting...heh heh...to the right of the monitor. I did a little note taking in the folder before I sat to write this out. I haven't been doing so well with it the last few days, even though I did work from it for my shopping list this week. That's one of my biggest accomplishments---I've kept a basic menu this week, which I've pretty much worked from the whole time---and I've been able to have a little wiggle room as well. For instance, instead of the original hamburgers and baked beans I had planned one day this week, we had BLT's. T wanted them, I took stock of what I had and what we needed, and figured "sure, we can do it!" :-D I just got another head of lettuce and more bacon later in the week to make sure :-D we had what we needed---and that we will have what we need for the hamburger and beans this week :-D On Tuesday to be exact!

For good reason....it's interesting, it worked out really well. I keep the list of what I'm going to have for dinner each week in the control journal. The way I got the files for it, it looks like someone...the writer of the pages, or Flylady, I don't know...want it to be much more detailed. Maybe one day it will get there, who knows? I'm still growing :-D But, the way I wrote the list out while I was coming up with it (I work on it over the week until Thursday, when I start with the grocery list, etc, cause then I have the money), it turns out it works out well for how we're going to have the meals. And, well, Tuesday's perfect for having the hamburger and beans...

See, another big thing lately is that I started Weight Watchers again. Go me! :-D I am starting off just about where I did the first time around, but I really want it to be a lot bigger in the end than last time. And I think I can do it too!!! But, the meetings I go to are on Tuesdays, so having the hamburger and beans on Tuesday allows me to not count the points that night. Sneaky, underhanded, maybe, but oh well. It's life just the same! :-)

I'll let you know how it goes.

I have also become a distributor for that candle company I talked so much about so long ago. Another of my goals this week is to get stuff started moving with that. I know I can do it, I just have to pull myself up by my boot straps and get motivated again!!!

This week's additions - updates

Dishes (isn't it always?) - M, T, W
Clothes
- Monday - kid's - D
- Tuesday - mine - P's is in - done (just need to fold)
- Wednesday - T's - mine are done, just need to fold
- Thursday & Friday - collect up anything else
Dinner
- Monday - pork chops in the crockpot - done
- Tuesday - cream chipped beef (buy a toaster first. Long story) - changed to crockpot chili - will get the toaster and make this maybe Friday
- Wednesday - Friday - gotta figure this out - had chili, hamburgers and hot dogs, a chicken/boxed side mix mix, tonight maybe the cream chipped beef as now I have money to get a toaster
Prep rent check - done
Post office prep
- fix/make any swaps that still need to be packaged - done
- hope that I finally get the payment for the stuff I'm going to send T3 so I can send all I need to - should be in PayPal soon!
- drop stuff off at the post office
Phone calls
- P's 2 yr - made
- Eye appointments for everyone (mine 1st because I NEED new glasses - and now we have vision coverage. REALLY GOOD vision coverage!!! :-D) - all 3 made - at the doctor I've gone to since i was a kid!!!
- Gyn appt. - just as I thought, with the problem :-( guess I need to get on the paper work :-(
- GP about event monitor/palpitations (I've had very FEW since I used that thing!!!)
Paperwork
- candle biz - filled out and enveloped!
- college loan consolidation - filled out and enveloped!

Dishes (isn't it always?) - M
Clothes
- Monday - kid's - D
- Tuesday - mine - P's is in
- Wednesday - T's
- Thursday & Friday - collect up anything else
Dinner
- Monday - pork chops in the crockpot - done
- Tuesday - cream chipped beef (buy a toaster first. Long story) - changed to crockpot chili - will get the toaster and make this maybe Friday
- Wednesday - Friday - gotta figure this out
Prep rent check
Post office prep
- fix/make any swaps that still need to be packaged
- hope that I finally get the payment for the stuff I'm going to send T3 so I can send all I need to
- drop stuff off at the post office
Phone calls
- P's 2 yr - made
- Eye appointments for everyone (mine 1st because I NEED new glasses - and now we have vision coverage. REALLY GOOD vision coverage!!! :-D) - all 3 made
- Gyn appt. - just as I thought, with the problem :-( guess I need to get on the paper work :-(
- GP about event monitor/palpitations (I've had very FEW since I used that thing!!!)
Paperwork
- candle biz
- college loan consolidation

Christmas list - final update

The items that are done were all done in more than enough time for Christmas. Christmas went very well, too. We went to my parents', had a nice time with my dad, sister and brother in law, and everyone came away happy. Pretty much. Long story---but what did go 'wrong' got smoothed over very quickly. :-)

Make candy - in progress - done
Make fudge - done - 3 kinds!
Make cookies D and B like - done
Prep lasagnas for Christmas - tonight - done

Shop for Christmas dinner - done
Wrap dad's gift from my mom - done

Wrap mom's gift - done
Wrap DD's last gift - done
Wrap dad's afghan - done
Make snowflakes - in progress - still in progress. I'm thinking I'll starch them and hang them tonight. :-) - not finished---maybe for next year or something. They're not even dry yet...:-S
Make bear for P - probably after Christmas...it doesn't have to be for Christmas. The kids will take what I make at anytime, LOL!!!! - done and he likes it a lot :-)

Starting off the year.

I'm going to start off the year with a list for this week. That way, I've got an idea of where I want to go! :-)

Dishes (isn't it always?) - M
Clothes
- Monday - kid's - D
- Tuesday - mine
- Wednesday - T's
- Thursday & Friday - collect up anything else
Dinner
- Monday - pork chops in the crockpot - done
- Tuesday - cream chipped beef (buy a toaster first. Long story) - changed to crockpot chili - will get the toaster and make this maybe Friday
- Wednesday - Friday - gotta figure this out
Prep rent check
Post office prep
- fix/make any swaps that still need to be packaged
- hope that I finally get the payment for the stuff I'm going to send T3 so I can send all I need to
- drop stuff off at the post office
Phone calls
- P's 2 yr
- Eye appointments for everyone (mine 1st because I NEED new glasses - and now we have vision coverage. REALLY GOOD vision coverage!!! :-D)
- Gyn appt.
- GP about event monitor/palpitations (I've had very FEW since I used that thing!!!)
Paperwork
- candle biz
- college loan consolidation

Christmas list - updates

Make candy - in progress
Make fudge - done - 3 kinds!
Make cookies D and B like - done
Prep lasagnas for Christmas - tonight

Shop for Christmas dinner - done
Wrap dad's gift from my mom - done

Wrap mom's gift - done
Wrap DD's last gift - done
Wrap dad's afghan - done
Make snowflakes - in progress - still in progress.  I'm thinking I'll starch them and hang them tonight.  :-)
Make bear for P - probably after Christmas...it doesn't have to be for Christmas.  The kids will take what I make at anytime, LOL!!!!

T's working on the last batch of candy right now.  I'm going to go in the living room, so we can all weed through my recordings of Good Eats, and we'll wait for P's godfather to show up.  He's supposed to (when T went back to the union Christmas party to pick up the gift certificate from Quality that we won, he said he was going to.  I'm going to have him call J soon to see when he might show up.  He was a bit tipsy when he said he would).   We ran into J's wife at WalMart when we got a couple things while D was out with my dad, and she told us he was back.  We thought he was already in Iraq---turns out he just left for some training, and he will be going to Iraq soon.  He's in the Army Reserves.  I'm looking forward to seeing him, and D was a bit disappointed to find out he had left already, cause he had said at the going away party his coworkers had thrown for him (way back in like September....that's the Army for ya, hurry up and wait!) that he'd come visit us before he left.  I hope he does show up, that's the whole reason I insisted we try to get my dad to watch the kids for just a little bit after he and D came back. 

Well, I'm going to watch my hubby make the last batch of hard candy :-)

Christmas list

This is what I have left to do before Christmas. It comes from an email I wrote to the Flying group :-) Half of what I have left to do I will do Christmas eve. But it will all be fun :-)

Make candy
Make fudge
Make cookies D and B like
Prep lasagnas for Christmas
Shop for Christmas dinner - done
Wrap dad's gift from my mom - done
Wrap mom's gift - done
Wrap DD's last gift - done
Wrap dad's afghan - done
Make snowflakes - in progress
Make bear for P

This week's addition - updates

Figured I'd go over this and see what I have done (yesterday) plus what I have to do before I start getting discouraged!!!

Breakfast - done (TW)
Shower, brush hair, dress "presentably" - done (TW)
(In no particular order)
Start dinner if in the crockpot
 - Tuesday - split pea soup - done (T)
 - Tuesday, take out chicken for next crockpot night (Thursday) and ground beef for
Wednesday - (done T)  Gotta figure out if the chicken will fit in my smaller crockpot, as my slightly larger one seems to have bit the dust.  It did NOT cook the pea soup like it's supposed to :-(
 - Wednesday, take out pork chops for next crockpot night (Friday)
Vac
Wash
  - my clothes - w,d
  - towels - w,d
  - T's clothes - gotta collect, when P gets up
  - crocheted items - collecting, just have to finish the bear and the angel scrubbie if I decide to make it.  It's a fairly quick project to do.
Dishes - in progress
Counter - nearly done
Table - clearer than it was yesterday
Desk - cleared/organized
Bring Padraic to doc appt. - done
Make dinner if not crockpot night 
- Wednesday - ground beef (goulashlike?) mix
 - Saturday - Spaghetti
Bucket - sorted a bunch out
Sort boys' clothes for J, so I can give them to B on Christmas
Look over bills - this week's have been written and prepped for paying.  I've also figured out how I will take care of the nonrent bill next week (as long as I can hold on to my savings)
Answer letters - T2's the only one I have to answer as of right now, and that's started.  I'll finish it tonight, about when I pack the box for them :-)
Figure out how to send receipt (before New Year's)
Pack T2's box
Finish making kid's stuff
Walk once a day - treadmill or outside
Drink water

Bed about 11 pm - okay, so last night it was by 12am.  I've definitely got to get to bed by 11/11:30, I feel better then!

This week's additions - updates

Breakfast - done
Shower, brush hair, dress "presentably" - done
(In no particular order)
Start dinner if in the crockpot
- Tuesday - split pea soup - done
- Tuesday, take out chicken for next crockpot night (Thursday) and ground beef for Wednesday d0ne
- Wednesday, take out pork chops for next crockpot night (Friday)
Vac
Wash
- my clothes - w, d
- towels w
- T's clothes
- crocheted items - next "big thing"
Dishes - some done
Counter - done some
Table - done some
Desk
Bring P to doc appt. - done
Make dinner if not crockpot night
- Wednesday - ground beef (goulashlike?) mix
- Saturday - Spaghetti
Bucket
Sort boys' clothes for J, so I can give them to B on Christmas
Look over bills
Answer letters
Figure out how to send receipt (before New Year's)
Pack T2's box
Finish making kid's stuff
Walk once a day - treadmill or outside
Drink water
Bed about 11 pm

This week's addition....

I can't believe it. December 19th is tomorrow. I can get rid of this stinkin' event monitor. Some of the times it auto recorded really made me crazy---one night it recorded 3 different times, two while I was sleeping. Okay, I have to admit that I'm not the best when it comes to going to bed when I should. But geesh! Then there are perfectly normal times for my heart rate to go up---like when I was going up the stairs this afternoon. Or when I was hurrying around WalMart getting the kid's Christmas presents today. Both times the thing went off, though it hadn't before. I also hadn't drank much water by either of those times, so that probably helped. :-S I'm proud of myself, I went to bed by 11 last night, and I was asleep soon after. :-D I'm going to go to bed soon here too. I'm taking a bit of a break from weffriddles (too addicting!!!). I've hit a bit of a rough patch, level 51 just isn't working for me, so I'll come back to it in a week or two, so I can give it some time again.

I've got to talk to my brother in law to set up what we are doing for Christmas dinner. And I need to know by Wednesday, 'cause dad's going down to see mom Christmas Eve, and he needs to know what's what so he can make his plans for coming back home accordingly. I figure, even if we don't have the oven, we'll use the crockpot for the meat. Sure, there might be side dishes that we need the oven for....but we'll talk it over. :-)

Well, it seems to help when I have a list to go by. Several of them I want to get done tomorrow, but while writing it, I think it turned into a week thing :-D I figured I'd sit down and work it out now, so I can hit the ground running in the morning. :-)

Breakfast
Shower, brush hair, dress "presentably"
(In no particular order)
Start dinner if in the crockpot
- Tuesday - split pea soup
- Tuesday, take out chicken for next crockpot night (Thursday) and ground beef for Wednesday
- Wednesday, take out pork chops for next crockpot night (Friday)
Vac
Wash
- my clothes
- towels
- T's clothes
- crocheted items
Dishes
Counter
Table
Desk
Bring P to doc appt.
Make dinner if not crockpot night
- Wednesday - ground beef (goulashlike?) mix
- Saturday - Spaghetti
Bucket
Sort boys' clothes for J, so I can give them to B on Christmas
Look over bills
Answer letters
Figure out how to send receipt (before New Year's)
Pack T2's box
Finish making kid's stuff
Walk once a day - treadmill or outside
Drink water
Bed about 11 pm

I'll add more later :-)

Re: Thursday's Adventures

Breakfast - done
Dressed to the socks - done
Put in a load of T's clothes - done
Put some crushed tomatoes, pork chops and some spices into crockpot - done
Fold the towels - done
Fold my clothes
During P's nap
 - 5 minutes of walking on treadmill and/or some Tai Chi (DVD) - the warm up portion of the Tai Chi DVD
Lunch - done
Dishes - in progress
Sweep kitchen floor
Finish addressing family/friends Christmas cards
Fold T's clothes - 1st basket worth folded, second in the dryer :-)
Continue cycling through the loads of T's clothes - doing this.

I also managed not to flip out on the kid here in the trailer park that I can't stand about using our shovel and rake in the snow.  He kept going "well, D said" and "well, G had them".  It doesn't matter, they belong to us.  My daughter's not going to know everything we have, and G has a bad habit of just taking stuff out of our glass enclosed entryway.  If her mom can't even keep her from getting up on counters to get into the cupboards....*ugh*....

I got through the warm up portion of the Tai Chi video.  I'd also like to get into yoga again.  But I'm going to start with Tai Chi.  A fellow high school classmate of mine's dad (may he rest in peace) was a teacher for this.  All you had to do was tell him you wanted to do it, and he'd teach you for free.  He was a jail officer over at Lakeview.  He could sense things blindfolded, etc.  It was real cool.  I got the DVD some years ago, I just only used it once or twice.  I'm hoping to do this every day, then advance further as I get better.  I was able to make it through the learning portions of the Warm Up and a bit of the Form...then I said forget it, and hope to progress to the Form portion next week.  The theme song for The Biggest Loser keeps running threw my head when I think about this.  It's definitely a motivator for me.  That and these crazy heart palpitations :-(

Thursday's Adventures

We'll see if we can keep this up :-)

Breakfast
Dressed to the socks
Put in a load of T's clothes
Put some crushed tomatoes, pork chops and some spices into crockpot
Fold the towels
Fold my clothes
During P's nap
- 5 minutes of walking on treadmill and/or some Tai Chi (DVD)
Lunch
Dishes
Sweep kitchen floor
Finish addressing family/friends Christmas cards
Fold T's clothes
Continue cycling through the loads of T's clothes

Wednesday's Adventures - updates!!!

Breakfast - done
Dress to socks - done
Fold P's clothes - done
Wash my clothes - done
Gather towels - done
Toss garbage that has collected - done
Reclaim Christmas cards - done
Fold my clothes - tomorrow
Go to Parent's Orientation for Project Know one way or another - done---dad was able to get out of Buffalo in more than enough time to get here just after 6:30 :-)

Looks like I did good today :-D  I'll have one up for tomorrow shortly :-)

Wednesday's Adventures

Well, since it seems to have worked so well for me today, I'm going to set one up for tomorrow while I'm thinking about it. :-)

So, tomorrow I intend to....

Breakfast
Dress to socks
Fold P's clothes
Wash my clothes
Gather towels
Toss garbage that has collected
Reclaim Christmas cards (long story short, P got ahold of them yesterday. Took them out of their envelopes. Only managed to rip one envelope. The card to T's grandma!!!)
Fold my clothes
Go to Parent's Orientation for Project Know one way or another
That looks about it for now. Now to get my butt to bed!!!

Tuesday's PODA

Lunch for P and I - done

P's clothes - in the washer - in the dryer
My clothes - not yet, but I did fold up all T's clothes (the washroom had started to look like a shambles because of the. Long story short, with P sleeping when he's usually getting ready for work, T just started putting his uniforms and shirts in the washroom so that he didn't wake P up), and collected his together to wash them tomorrow. No need to gather mine---I've already got them in all in my hamper. I'm the only one who's internalized that idea. :-| (moved to tomorrow)
Trash out - after I get D from G S (moved to tomorrow)

Finish mail prep - probably this evening - only did this and some dishes. :-| I've got to get P to bed, so hopefully before I go to bed I can get his clothes to the dryer, T's clothes in the dryer folded and the dishes finished. - finished mail, dishes, and folded T's clothes in the dryer :-)

Just gotta dump the liquid left over from the chicken in the crockpot, then take my shower and go to bed. I'll start up a PODA for tomorrow. :-) Take care!

Direct to you from thetruth.com (and me....)

This email may contain words like, "hi," "bye," and "how are you?" It may even contain a few smiley faces. But it doesn't contain formaldehyde, which is used to preserve dead people. There isn't any methane either, which is in cow farts. No, none of those ingredients are in this email, but they are in cigarettes and/or cigarette smoke.

How long did it take you to read the above email? 15 seconds? 30 seconds? Yep, time is money. Especially if you're Big Tobacco which spends $42 million every day on advertising. So in the time it took you to read this, Big T. just dropped around $14,580. That's some serious moolah.

This email may contain confidential information that is solely for the use of the intended recipient. In other words, it's top secret. And since we're on the topic of secrets, Big Tobacco has a few crazy secrets of their own. One that we came across in a 1993 tobacco document said, "Would disclosure of urea as a tobacco additive have a negative effect on consumer perception, given that it is a constituent of urine?" MMmmm... urine.

Spreading some TRUTH

While (finally) browsing through thetruth.com, I found a very interesting little fact that shot my eyebrows up (not that I'm surprised by much, even when it comes to smoking...).

I don't know if you heard about this Russian spy that recently died, but the same radioactive material that's supposed to have poisoned him, Polonium-210, is also in cigarettes!!! Considering it's history, it's interesting that it's supposed to have killed this spy. But, think of the hundreds it kills each year as well.....

http://www.thetruth.com/

Fwd: Just checking in....

Just checking to see if this works....it will add lots of fun to my emailing/posting pleasure if it does!!! :-D

30 and I've reached my limit??

Well now, a lot has happened in the last week.

I've been having heart palpitations for a while, I really can't remember how long. It may have started as recently as April...I don't remember them happening before then, and there was a very stressful event that started then. I told my doctor about them at my monthly check up, which was almost 2 weeks ago. He ordered a stress test, echo, and an event monitor. He was really great, and I was able to have the stress test be a non-nuclear one so I could keep breastfeeding. It went well. I didn't have the heart palpitations after that, but then I didn't expect to either. :-| But I have of course had them since.

Our Thanksgiving went just fine. Didn't expect it not to. No real drama, unless you count my husband and I bumping around each other in the kitchen doing the last bit of prep for it. LOL. That's what happens when you have two cooks in a smallish kitchen :-D Many of our recipes come from either the Good Eats episode "Romancing the Bird" or from BHG.com. Everything turned out just GREAT. Especially the turkey. Alton's recipe's the only way to make it!!!! :-D My daughter helped with the pie crust for one of the pies---I had grabbed the wrong can of pumpkin, and we ended up being able to make 2 pies. She made one of the pie crusts :-D It was a bit tough, but she's new at it too :-D

The next day, our friends C and D stopped by. C's mom and dad live in town, so they came by to see us. Her 'rents and the 4 of us are the only reasons she says she has to come to town anymore---kinda sad because this is her hometown, and where she went to college, but then her other classmates have all gone home/moved away (one's dad is our mail carrier, so I've talked to him a few times about her :-)), so it's not much of a surprise. Many people I went to high school with are out of town too. Not as many as I would have thought, LOL!!!!

Thing is, after I brought the last of the veggies from T day in and C and I polished them off, I started feeling horrible. I'm now really starting to think it WAS (is?) the flu. That's about the only thing that the symptoms fit. I felt horrible all that evening, spent at least an hour, probably 2 on the couch (my husband had Thursday and Friday off, so he could be dad and take the load off of mom for a while), and my event monitor kicked in 5 times that evening---3 when I was about ready to faint, and 2 when I had gotten up after being on the couch for those 2 hours to get something to eat. Then once at 2 in the morning, and then this morning at 5. I also sent in one this afternoon, but that was the regular palpitations that I originally started complaining about. I don't like the monitor because it doesn't record on its own when I have my own problems, then when I'm just dealing with normal life, boom....?? I don't like the heart palpitations because they are bothersome, and occur when I'm friggin' trying to RELAX!!!! Not when I'm up and moving, which I would understand---when I'm sitting on the couch, at the computer, when I'm going to bed. I can't see any other reason than stress or being fat.

I can't do much to reduce my stress. I've got money stress----that's "normal" I've got to find a way to get rid of that problem. And I have. I've got life stress....kids, husband, a house, etc. Normal, just gotta go with it. I've got outdoor life stress. Can't kill anyone, just gotta deal with that too. So, about the only thing I'm left with is losing weight. Which I intend to do whatever my doctor tells me. :-|

So I think I need to sit down with a bit of paper and do somethings an email from Flylady talked about today. And maybe some more deep thought with my journal again.

But now I have to get some sleep. So off I go :-)

11 years today

We've been married 11 years today, yippee. We went on a "date" and it went well. We saw Flushed Away then went to a local restaurant Ellicott Brewing Company West(Click on the Menu, it will give you the address to the one here in town :-)). Great food, it smelled awesome just as soon as we went in. And my husband loved the beers he had there. :-)

The only thing I don't like about today, really, is the fact that I now share an anniversary with a famous Tom---Tom *friggin* Cruise I can't stand the guy---haven't been able to since he broke up with Nicole Kidman, and what's more, most of his last few movies have been flops. I mean, have you SEEN War of the Worlds??? Gag me with a spoon, PUHLEASE!!!

Checking up on me?

It's been a while since I wrote here, and the last really shouldn't count because I just posted a link.

I've been working my tail off still. I've almost got my inner entryway to my liking. My living room pretty much is, though it would be nice if people would stop putting things on my mantel all the time (really only one person...). My kitchen is really good, though right now my counter seems to be over populated by containers (for uncooked macaroni, marked down Halloween candy, other food containers, my oven mitts, the re-enameled microwave, etc etc. Maybe I should put the food containers in the lazy susan with the others...what a *great* idea! LOL!). My dishes are washed--frankly, the only way I will *shine* my sink! My table is cleared off and, a new feature, positioned in the almost middle of the floor. Works well there, too! :-) We've eaten dinner at the kitchen table as a family almost every day for most of the last month plus. We used to eat in the living room, in front of the tv. I can't say it always ends well, but most of the time we get along and have an okay time. :-) My computer room still needs a little work, but I've got it pretty good really. My futon has been cleared off for a few weeks. I've got things that need to go upstairs and things I'm going to need to bring down and bring out.

But I think things are going really well. I wouldn't LIKE bringing the people who are going to be doing the park inspection later in the month in with the house like it is, but I would let them. I want to get it so I feel better about that idea.

My only problem is getting to better at a decent time. I'm going to go take a shower and then go to bed as soon as I'm done here. Okay, maybe a little computer time, but not much!!!

Religion is...

Before you have a fit about me about it, read something the very articulate Barack Obama wrote in his book. It expresses a lot of how I feel...

Barack Obama's Book Excerpt published in the October 23, 2006, issue of Time.

Thanks mil!

Keeping things up...

It's never perfect, but I'm keeping things up around here. My dishes are washed---lunch has been taken care of, dinner will be shortly after we eat it. The floor looks decent...there are toys on it right now, but they will be picked up soon enough. Our clothes are washed, though I have to do my husband's---but it's just the beginning of the week, he has MANY uniforms, and just about as many shirts, socks, and underwear! :-| Garbage gets picked up regularly and, thanks to the WHB, is not ever overflowing again.

I'm going to work hard at getting myself to bed at a decent hour. I can't keep these late late hours. Part of it is the computer---fine, I'll just turn it off soon after dh goes to work. Part of it is watching the tv. Well, I went to pay the cable bill yesterday, and decided to ask about how much more getting our old set up would be, as well as adding a DVR. Not much at all, considering. So, we've got a DVR now. I'm going to LOVE it. We can record the stuff Tom wants to watch and watch it when he gets up (already did that with one show :-D), and I can record what I want to watch at night and watch it the next morning. I'm looking forward to THAT tomorrow---I LOVE Craig Ferguson (I know, crazy me likin' strange actors), and I LOVE to listen to the Late Late Show when I'm up that late. Well, I programmed that in earlier. I've also set the tv to go off at 9pm. That way, we can do that last little bit of my Bed Time Routine :-D and not have to worry about anyone vegging on the couch.

The washroom got taken care of Friday afternoon. The guy came, took a look, and sure enough it was leaking in the wall. He dug a small hole in the wall around it, and just replaced the pipe from where I had originally thought it was leaking to the edge over the bottom step on the stairs to the basement. After that I mopped the washroom. I'm not totally sure, but I think I will be changing the mop head. P's lead count was a bit high (a 6, the doc mentioned that they prefer it be a 2. It's an old house, and the kid is developing fine), so I don't want to drag that in. Of course, I do have to take care of the other concern points in the house. :-|

Finally, I think I'm going to finally take a very big step. I thought I had mentioned this before, but in my quest to contribute to the household monetarily without going out of the house to do it, I found a company I like quite a bit. It's a candle company, and I'm going to keep stuff quiet until I'm sure I'll do it (as in I've paid the money, ha ha). But, I've already gotten one sample, and I LOVE the candle. Just as they claim, the scent is amazingly strong. Even after the candle has been burned a couple times. I moved the candle around, and there was no soot on the edge of the candle holder, like I have seen on a couple other candles I've burned lately. I was right next to the candle, so that might have helped in my smelling the strength of the scent, but I haven't smelled that strong of a scent standing that close to other ones in the house at other times. Every time I've seriously considered selling these candles, I've got a really good feeling about it. There are only 2 other things I can remember off the top of my head feeling this good about---getting married and going to college. I've just got to open an account, and get the forms to start the whole thing up. It will be $50 a month, but I can work hard at selling them, and I think I can do it. I've got LOTS of places to sell them---my mom would even buy them!!! I could probably peddle them to my best friends (one, C, has already said she'd buy them, that she loves candles!), and to other friends online. I want to have a candle party with my sister and her friends, but we'll see about that :-) It just feels right. And this month I even have the money for it! Hmm, maybe I'll make that candle party my sister's birthday party/Halloween/Fall themed! That's an idea!!!

Now sleepy....

 

Now I'm feeling sleepy. Because I haven't gone to bed by 11:30, my cut off time, in about 2 days. But I was going to bed about then for the week that I was busting my butt. So, soon I will be getting off here and going to bed.

It's interesting how with a few carefully placed choices in a quiz, you can bend it to get the result you want..... 

For once, peaceful....

 


Right now, I feel peace. The only sounds I hear are the tapping of the keyboard, and the refrigerator. And my daughter's alarm clock, because she's using it to put herself to sleep. I know my floor is picked up, my dishes are washed, my son will sleep most of the night, and I will be able to get a good night's sleep as well. I will be going into the living room soon, watching some late night news, then turning in. I'm getting projects done, of all kinds...crochet, and cleaning :-)

The only problem weighing on my mind is the washroom, and of that I have no control. This weekend I discovered a large wet spot on the carpet between the kitchen and the washroom. At first I thought it was my basket of towels, because at that time it was just a pile of towels sitting on the floor, and there was at least 2 very wet items in the pile from washing the floors. I moved them into an available basket, and discovered after another run of the washer, it had gotten worse. I took a harder look at it, and discovered that the water was not coming from the basket, or the washer, but from what now looks to be the wall. At first I thought it was a pipe coming out of the wall leading to the washer, but our resident manager took at look at it, and he's pretty sure it's in the wall. That makes me concerned---especially since he hasn't been able to get the plumbing company over in aboout a week. I don't know how long it's gone on and gotten to the point it's at now, but I definitely don't want it to get any worse!!!

But as soon as I get up from here, and after I'm done watching tv, I will go to bed, and hopefully this will all be solved in the morning. :-)

I plan on using my new mop possibly first in the washroom. I hope someone comes soon, so I know how soon I will be able to use it in there. It needs it!!! 

Working hard.

Things are looking better around here. For the last week, I've been able to keep stuff together, though I had a small decompression towards the dh. I've been keeping from stinkin' thinkin' some, but not as much as I'd like.

But I've been working like you wouldn't believe. I sorted his tools, got my futon mostly cleared off, sorted and organized the closet in the wash room, scrubbed my bathroom and kitchen floors....vacced, picked up all his clothes and they are (mostly) done.

Of course, then we had to find yesterday that it seems one of the pipes in the washroom, to the washer, is leaking. Hopefully our resident manager can convince someone to come and take care of it quickly. The pipes probably will need to be replaced, but we'll just have to wait and see. Right now is probably the longest I've sat here without jumping up and doing something else (Maybe because if I got up and left the computer, my husband would take it over. OH well...I'll probably get up soon).

We have a decent working computer back. We were using one we borrowed from my dad, that he had gotten from his dad, but it was real slow. My husband bought a motherboard off of ebay and, while I thought last night we were going to end up with exactly the same problems with that one as we did with this one, it's been working pretty good :-)

So, to get up and do other things......

Busy life...

Wow, life has just been...full. Not busy as I'd like it, the house isn't getting much better---though P's sleeping is. One small blessing. It helps that I put him down at pretty much the same time---8-9pm most nights. Later if things get in the way.

With all this Bucky (ugh!!!) stuff, and living downstairs from his daughter, it's been emotionally exhausting. And I'm trying to distance myself, but you can't help being scared with all the stuff they're putting out. It's certainly scaring my mom (and mother in law, frankly), and she's 2 states away now!!! :-| I think with my mom, she's reading a lot of junk that's being put out in the paper, and suffering from a lot of blind faith. There's nothing wrong in believing----but, you've got to question EVERYTHING as well (I think my daughter's getting to the age where at some level she understands that!! "Why mommy?"). I put up for her about the kids, but that's the last I will do (unless I need my phone---"hello, 911.").

On a lighter note---an interesting thing came to mind this evening. I ran into the mother of a girl I graduated from high school with while going into the store this evening. She knew I was going to college, and what I was planning on going for, so while we were talking, she pointed out that there's a listing in the county for a position that sounded to her (and to me :-D) to be right up my alley...so I looked it up. Then I looked up the practice tests (test question examples, from what I could see---my Adobe Reader on this computer [since it's the one we've been using since ours bit the dust and it's INCREDIBLY SLOWER] is only a 3, and doesn't read all the awesome stuff our old hard drive/processor can handle, so I couldn't see ALL the stuff in the information "packet"), and they seem pretty easy. Is it arrogant to think that clerical work is simple? Is there more to what my sister went to school for? Don't know, I went to a totally different school for something totally different. But it at least looks like I can do the stuff in the practice tests. If that translates to the actual test being...not too hard...and the tests in Colorado are similar to the ones here....maybe an entry level county or state job when we go out to Colorado isn't out of the question! :-) That would be nice. I'd have to ask T what he would think of something like a construction job...and boy wouldn't that be a nice thing to suggest to R(of R&J)??...my dad does a clerical job there with the VA. Heck, there's even an idea to look into. I'm starting a compilation of Colorado Job searches...the link to the Larimer job listing site is the first one (well, the first one I marked as such---I did have another one I found when we were out there. I should file that in the same folder...boy it would be nice to simply be a literary critic....*sigh*)...

Well, sleep and a shower call. I'll answer the second first, and the first second. Maybe I do a little crocheting inbetween. I've got to post some of the things I've made, if I can get this computer to transfer for me....

We're baaaaaaaaack...

Actually, we've been back for about 3 weeks. But, now we're back online too. Our computer decided to finish biting the dust when we were away, so we haven't been able to get online at home. We've been going to the library and using the internet there. Now, we've borrowed my dad's "extra" tower, the one he got from his dad (he got one from us too, which is the one he uses), and we got a Road Runner modem. So, we're cooking with gas. We just have to wait until Tom can get ahold of a motherboard like the one we had (isn't ebay just the bee's knees?), and he installs that, then I can really get back to business.

Oh well, I guess that just gives me the extra time to work on the rest of the house. Cause now it really needs it. And since we plan on moving next year, I need to consolidate a lot of things. I'm hoping to find a bunch of things around to sell on ebay, so I'll be doing a lot of ebay stuff myself. Or things to get rid of by returning to WalMart. We'll see. Let's hope, huh?

Colorado, on vacation

We're in Colorado (well, Wyoming) right now.

The plane trips went decently. Didn't feel like getting my tooth pulled----hey, wait a minute, it did!!! Ha ha. It felt like forever, especially when we went home, flying in that last plane. It was a small one, so it didn't help any, and these weren't too small, though we were in the row right over the engines/wings this time.

P did well, especially after he nursed a little bit. Then he was out, for an hour at least, closer to 2 each time :-)

Well, got stuff to do, so I will probably check in again when we all get home and get internet access again!!!

Tuesday's Fun Markoffs

Okay, today went well so far. The last MAJOR thing I have to do is fold my clothes---but ya know, I've been eyeing them, and I KNOW they will get done TODAY. :-D Haven't gone out to the store yet but - gasp! - the cake is ALL DONE, frosted and made up for my lovely hubby. How? you ask...I MADE the frosting. I figured, I'm feeling good, adventurous, the clean up will be quick, why not? So I looked up vanilla frosting recipes and found a GREAT one. Of course, my first (well, second, but that's because I thought what I did eventually do the sugar and water in was too big, and the directions are a bit shotty) attempt went molasses (very hard molasses...uh, yeah...), but I figured out when was the right time, and poof now I have enough frosting. I swear, I can never get store bought to go that far. And it's so easy to add other things to it...you know, like coloring (got that), flavoring (added vanilla and chocolate---wonder what that raspberry syrup would taste like? Hmm, maybe I'll make a cake for myself next week....it is after all MY birthday...and EXPERIMENT!!!), etc, and get it how you want it. I think it turned out very well. Took pictures too :-D I think I'm sold on making my own frosting!!! It's my second favorite kind (my first being the Light and Creamy over at Tops/Martin's). I'll post the pictures sometime, definitely on my blog later :-D

Breakfast - done
Dressed - done
Fly Mission
Fold T underwear and the sheets - done
Wash & Fold my clothes - half done
Get out a 3 ring for my "How Harry Met Sally's" (connections of who, what, where, when, why for stories) - done, just gotta fill it, LOL!!!
Kage Baker info for "obit" - done, first draft was today's writing, even worked with it a little more earlier
Make cake - done
Get frosting - done (made it)
Dinner = something for T---maybe steak? we'll see - next thing I'm going to tackle :-D - ended up being his hamburgers :-D

Monday's Milage Markoff 2 and Tuesday's Fun

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway) - done (swept the kitchen too)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL) - pretty much done
- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D - done
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm - yup, just had to find the windex!
Fold/wash more of T's clothes - almost done
Declutter my desk - done
Go to teeth cleaning appt. - done
Change sheets - done
Fold T & P's clothes - done
Dishes - done

Enough with the alliteration. :-P Yesterday went fairly well. I even did the Mission. I made today's list last night. But, I've got more than the usual stuff---I'm also going to make my husband a birthday cake. So I'm going to have to run to the store to get the frosting that I forgot yesterday :-\ Oh well. :-) Today's list....

Breakfast
Dressed
Fly Mission
Fold T underwear and the sheets
Wash & Fold my clothes
Get out a 3 ring for my "How Harry Met Sally's" (connections of who, what, where, when, why for stories)
Kage Baker info for "obit"
Make cake
Get frosting
Dinner = something for T---maybe steak? we'll see

Monday's Milage Markoff 1

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway) - done (swept the kitchen too)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL) - pretty much done

- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D - done
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm - yup, just had to find the windex!
Fold/wash more of T's clothes - 1 load in the washer (gotta reboot), socks and underwear are next!
Wash P's clothes (today's the day :-D) - yup, just gotta fold!
Declutter my desk - done
Go to teeth cleaning appt. - done

And I got a page of writing in. I went through and just did did did the stuff, and then sat down and worked on my story. I might try to work in another few words, so I can get started on my entry for this month's "assignment" in the InkWell thing in the Writer's Digest :-) I've got what I want to do, I just have to sit down and do it. :-) It's something I'm going to need to sit in front of the computer (with my notebook) for! :-)

Monday's Milage

Okay, yeah, that sucks, but it's all I could come up with right now. Didn't look at the thesaurus. :-P

So, today's a day to get back on track. The last couple nights have been a bit difficult---P seems to have some congestion or something, and he feels a bit warm this morning (though that could be because he had just woke up from a short nap, and he had his pjs on just before I felt his head). I've given him some Dimetapp to work on the congestion, we'll see how it works later on today. He's not been wheezing at night, more a really good snore, but it's got me a bit worried---since it means I'm up half the night with a guy who is just barely asleep half the time :-( Oh well, time to work on it is all :-) Otherwise, he's so adorable---he's getting better at standing without holding on to anything :-D

So my list for today...I'll just list the stuff, instead of explaining what I need to do. Otherwise, this email would go on forever, LOL

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL)
- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm
Fold/wash more of T's clothes
Wash P's clothes (today's the day :-D)
Declutter my desk
Go to teeth cleaning appt.

I don't know if I will get in even 5 minutes of writing, but I will try. Maybe make that my goal or reward for doing all the rest :-D

P, buddy, you're comin' with momma!! :-D

Saturday's Siesta

If you take a look at my link (click on the title), you'll find that today's title's actually a bit appropriate. I feel like I COULD take a midday nap right now, LOL. Last night was a bit difficult cause someone kept waking up. But we got through it. No big deal, we just have to get to bed earlier tonight. I think we can do that :-D

It feels good knowing that my house is looking better, on its way to being out of the CHAOS. :-D The bathroom looks so much better---I did the last two missions for the zone this week, which was the bathroom and another room. I didn't do the other room, but I did the bathroom---the floor and the tub and sink. It looks 100% better. T and I were taking our shower, and remarking how much better the floor and tub looked. It made me feel good that he was impressed :-D I'm probably not doing it just how FLYlady does, but I'm doing it my way and the best I can. And I'm getting it done. That's the important thing. And it feels good. I don't have anything today that I feel I have to get done cause I didn't do it during the week. Well, maybe I could do some of the WHB, but that's okay too. I'm not in a hurry to get it all done. I'm happy how it is right now. And I'll feel better as things go along. And I got a page of writing in yesterday---nothing's better than that :-D I'll probably not do any writing today, but only because we're all home :-D

Friday's Frolic updated

Bathroom Missons (did the medicine one last week anyhow, but I could do a few others. Like the floor :-|) - half done. I will get the rest (the tub and the floor) done when D gets home
Fold/wash T's clothes - 1 load folded, and one each in the dryer and washer (which need to be rebooted)
Post yesterday's emails on blog - done

Dinner= ? (something with ground beef---beef broccoli casserole that I found online? would need to pick up a few other things, I don't think I have the philo dough in the freezer anymore, so maybe not) - might talk to T. I need to check about the philo/pastery sheets in the freezer. I'm pretty sure I ditched them because I didn't foresee a time I'd ever use them, but you never know.

And the most important thing---I got one good page of writing done. I'm not the kind of writer who can sit and compose on the computer. There are some advantages to that---for instance, a delete button---but I know that I would spend more time playing online games than I would writing, so it's not an option. Plus, there's just something about writing your work out long hand. I like penpalling too, and I can't stand writing letters out all the time on the computer. There's only one penpal I'll do that for, and it's cause she's autistic and can't read my handwriting. Otherwise, my penpals get one typewritten letter---the intro letter---and that's it. My next goal with writing is to look into freelancing and/or contests. I know I want to make a Writer's Digest contest at some point---I wanted to try for the short shorts one they had some months ago, but never did sit down and write anything out. I'll have to look through my copies of Writer's Digest and my Writer's Market. :-)

Friday's Frolic

Yeah, I really need to get my thesaurus out. Ha ha, and today I plan on doing that for more than one reason. I rushed through a few things---picking up a little, folding what of T's clothes are in the dryer, filling up the sink, and I'm not going to spend too long on here either. I want to sit and write, so I can have at least 15 mintues (oh, that's one thing I will go more if I can, LOL) of doing SOMETHING. I'm going to look over the old stories I have in my notebook, and see if the one story, that I've been thinking about again, has more gas to it. Otherwise, I'll open one of my text books from my Creative Writing classes, and see what comes out. I had one exercise, where you pick 10 letters and write a sentence with those letters, and it was fun. I'll see about others :-D

So, today's list...

Bathroom Missons (did the medicine one last week anyhow, but I could do a few others. Like the floor :-|)
Fold/wash T's clothes
Post yesterday's emails on blog

Dinner= ? (something with ground beef---beef broccoli casserole that I found online? would need to pick up a few other things, I don't think I have the philo dough in the freezer anymore, so maybe not)

Thursday's Time Out

Yeah. Today I'm not feeling too well...I was miserable all last night, and I've got a nice little cough. I'm not feeling well all over. So, today I'm going to take it easy and just rest. Sometimes we need that. I've done so well over the last few days, it's not going to hurt to take a little time out :-)

Any time P goes down for a nap, I'm going to too. And I'm not going to do any major cleaning, I'm not even going to work on T's clothes. I'll just do the minor stuff---the dishes, getting ready, and I've got to go out to the post office. That's it. No more. Dinner too of course....but I'm not going to stretch myself out. I'll mainly work on my current project, the flowers for my friend's wedding this summer :-)

Wednesday's....Wanderings???

I've got to get that thesaurus out. I'm running out of synonyms for adventure.

Here's my list. It's early enough, I haven't started it yet...unless you count the item that I didn't put on but had to do, namely alerting the resident manager about the toilet and basement. Yeah, I mentioned that last night....so, I did, and he made the call. All done...well, they're not here yet, but I'm no longer worried...

Garbage
Vac floor
Check Zone
Fold blue and yellow baskets
Finish with T's clothes
Make Spanish Rice (start about noon)

Yeah, looks good. Not too much. :-)

Tuesday's Time Out

Vac Floor
Fold blue basket
Wash T's clothes (in the washer as we speak!) - there's a load in the dryer, and more to come. I don't like the smell coming from the basement. Put it this way---the bathroom's been dealt with upstairs. But I don't have anyone living under me, so....*eww*....And you have to think, whoever did a roughshod job on the toilet upstairs put the one down here in too. I'll catch the resident manager when the kids get on the bus in the morning.
Bills (shred some) (find old electric bill----or the current one!!) - found the electric bill, the check's written, the gas bill's been counted---they will go out (one electronically, the other in an envelope) on Thursday :-D

Shopping list/go shopping - done

I've not done too bad. T has been leaving his clothes, washed, in baskets in the wash room. Cause he'd get admonished to not turn on the light when P was sleeping when daddy got ready for bed, and it's hard to see the difference between good dark blue shirts/pants and holey ones. I ended up folding all his shirts and pants and "under" shirts. I'm not going to do the same with his underwear, LOL. But I wanted his clothes looking better in there. Didn't fold the blue basket, and added another basket to it. I found one with my clothes, washed, that had been in the bags from the car, and they are clothes I've been looking for. Now I know where they went. :-|. I've got fixin's for my mom's Spanish Rice, so my dad's coming over for dinner tomorrow. It sounds like it's an all day prep thing. Which is good, now I can do that!!! :-D

P had his first plate of spaghetti with us tonight. Wow, he just sucked that stuff down!!! He loved it!!! Too cute. I have a few pictures. Then of course he got tossed right into the bath. Well, he loves that too. Yup, pictures. He's figured out how to splash. I love that. Of course, there will be a day I don't, but it's cute now, huh? :-)

Okay, almost time for bed. I'm going to have some chocolate---in the form of chocolate milk---then brush my teeth and go to bed.

Oh, and I've already got my list for tomorrow. You get to see that then.

Tuesday's Trek

I'm getting creative here....I'm not just giving the emails one sort of subject title. Something tells me I'm going to be taking out that notebook soon!!! :-)

Well, I'm still a bit tired today. I'm not getting to bed as soon as I'd hope, but that's just another thing we have to work on. I have to say, though, I think overall the house is coming together. Not perfect, not exactly how I want it, but it's coming together. :-)

I like how my bedroom looks now. I want to keep that going. Today I think I'm just a bit tired though. I'll keep to the basics---that which I need to do, and that which I have listed. :-) So, my list...I prepared today's last night, again. :-) I'm going to add one thing to it, though, that I don't already have on there, cause it needs to be done as well. :-)

Vac Floor
Fold blue basket
Wash T's clothes (in the washer as we speak!)
Bills (shred some) (find old electric bill----or the current one!!)
Shopping list/go shopping - done partly (I can go to the Quality website and draw up a list. Is that a good thing? :-\)

Okay, gonna tote the box of bills into the living room. Take care all :-)

Fold P's and my clothes was also on the list, but I did that last night before I went to bed :-D

Monday's Journey's high points...and low

Garbage (so happy to find out this is part of WHB) - done
Bedroom (? - cause I didn't know if Tom would want to) - done
Check Zone (yeah, I'm going to clean around my toilet later in the day :-)) - checked it, didn't do it --- yet! I'll do it when I go take my shower. I can only fit that in at night. Otherwise, he and I get up in the morning and we go go go. Well, we sit sit sit, but I have to watch watch watch. On the days I HAVE to take a shower in the morning, someone always watches him --- his sister, his dad. My dad a couple times.
Fold blue basket - not yet, on tomorrow's list
Wash P's clothes (as well as mine if I get the chance, which has become Tom's too....) - washed, not folded, neither are T's clothes
Bottom of stairs (frankly, the worst part of this is just all the STUFF that has accumulated to be brought upstairs. That's T's job---he's the big strong man in the family, so...I've already told him exactly what I want brought upstairs) - yeah, it's T's job, so I'll wait until he does it and then I'll address it. He's been working on putting door stops on the kitchen cabinets (okay, maybe I guilted him into those :-|), so I won't try to "guilt" him into the stuff at the bottom of the stairs.
Bills (shred some) (I've got to sort these. I think they become part of tomorrow's list) - gotta go through them, and if I can't find the current electric bill (it's not in the sorter. Why's it not in the sorter?!?!?!?), I will call and do it over the phone cause I'm pretty sure you can.

I seem to remember a mention about Flylady doing a "Price Book". I've looked all over the site where I think it might be. I'd like to do one (the notebook I want to use is right here next to the computer).

Now, I need to go knock my kid out with nursing. This might take a half an hour to do right, or it might take all evening. I'll try it in the bedroom, instead of the couch, cause I really don't want to have to keep bringing him back out, but....:-\ This is all trial and error.

I need chocolate...

(When this was posted in an email to the group I subscribe to in this area, someone commented to me that it was entertaining to read :-))

Mother's Day and Monday's Adventures

Mother's Day went smoothly. I ended up deciding that we'd go out for dinner---it's my day to begin with, so why do I NEED to be the one to cook?? We went to the local chinese buffet---cause I had a desire for it...? Before that, my daughter had her last concert of the year for the group that she's a part of. She'd not going to be doing it last year, even though my parents offered to pay for it as part of her birthday present, because we have no idea right now if we're still going to be living here next school year. I haven't even renewed her Girl Scout membership here because of that. That's okay, I'll just find out where the council is out in Colorado or Wyoming, wherever we decide to light, and get her into it there :-D It was really sweet what they did. Because it was on Mother's Day (the one lady said they didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, LOL), each of the kids in each group went out at the end of their set and gave their mothers carnations. Mine's a real CARnation cause it's still out in the car, but I'm going to add it to the floors my husband gave me on Friday "just because." Then, for the first level (that D's in), the director gave gift certificates for those kids who had perfect attendance. My daughter was one of them (duh. She's been "tardy" to that---and school---a couple times this year, but she nearly always gets perfect attendance at school. Even my sister's wedding won't end it for her at school. It's not much, I think, other than for this special, because it's what's expected. :-| Health issues don't count.) The gift certificate is for a local book store. Which I think is kinda funny---I finally found the gc that she got from her godparents several years ago that I had lost (oops), and she got one from school for something---reading, or getting a 100% on her spelling test, which she is now doing again cause we're putting the time in for it (blush...bad mommy and daddy)---so now she has $17 in gift certificates to use there. And I might get her a couple books for her birthday over and above that! LOL!!!

Next---Yeah! The bedroom is done. By that I mean---I finished the "cushion" for under the bed, so I could put just the mattress and box spring on the floor (the last time that was done, with the old mattress set, was cause the frame had broke. This is to prevent serious injury to P in case he might fall off the bed at night or when I'm asleep and he wants to be mobile and he's spent the night in with mommy), last night. I presented it to T (well, told him), and he said we might as well do it then. So, it got done. The floor got picked up (ugh---so much stuff!), swept, the sheets got changed (gotta get the WHB hour in more!!! Double UGH!), the bed, crib and night stand got placed (those are the only things that could be/had to be moved). Now my husband is happily napping in there. I've got wash to do now (like I didn't before, ha ha....but now it's all of his clothes that were on the floor :-(( Double triple UGH!!!!! But, I'd rather wash them....). And I've sorted through the rest of the garbage that came up off the floor. :-D Now I just have to get the last of the things to their places, and we're done :-D

So, here's the list I made (last night) for today.

Garbage (so happy to find out this is part of WHB)
Bedroom (? - cause I didn't know if T would want to)
Check Zone (yeah, I'm going to clean around my toilet later in the day :-))
Fold blue basket
Wash P's clothes (as well as mine if I get the chance, which has become T's too....)
Bottom of stairs (frankly, the worst part of this is just all the STUFF that has accumulated to be brought upstairs. That's T's job---he's the big strong man in the family, so...I've already told him exactly what I want brought upstairs)
Bills (shred some) (I've got to sort these. I think they become part of tomorrow's list)

The floor could use another vac again, so I think that might end up being on tomorrow's list. No one said that everything has to be done on the same day---and I know some people don't do it all on the same day for their own various reasons. Now that I feel well, I need to get this stuff going :-) That way, when I feel like crud again I'll know it's not all that hard!!! LOL!!!

I really don't know what's gotten into me with this though. I don't know if it's "Spring Cleaning" or what. I've often wondered, while I was thinking about all of it, if I'm just feeling that much better, or if there's more. Like, one thing I've wondered is if the universe is trying to tell me something---and I get the feeling it's something big. Like the landlord coming over for an inspection. He hasn't done that in a while .... I don't know what emoticon to put for that ... and if I get into this and get the whole house better, and get my routines down, then when he shows up, I won't have to do much work.

Saturday's Adventures

Bible verse presently commanding my attention:

Proverb 31:10-31

I'm going to work on cleaning again today. I've got so much energy now to just go go go go go. I want to get this place into gear!!!

So far I've started the sink for dishes, and I've cleared the fridge of a bunch of old stuff, got together a garbage bag because of it and put that outside with the others for when my husband comes home (which should be any time now). I also washed down 2 of the shelves and have the drawer soaking right now. I don't know what it is...I'm even doing this through a cold I thought for sure would make me want to sit all day. :-| Yesterday I thought for sure I'd just spend all day on the couch, watching tv and crocheting, along with occassionally pulling someone up on my lap to eat, but then I was walking by the futon for some reason or another, and I started sorting through the basket and boxes there. Then, last night when I got off the phone from my mom, instead of going to bed like I wanted to, I did a bit more cleaning. Part of that was putting the first set of garbage bags out for my husband, but then I did other things too. And I'm not nearly as tired as I think I would be. I must be sick, ha ha ha...:-|

Anyhow, here's my goals for the rest of today....

Fold P's clothes
Vac the floor
Sort the basket with papers/envelopes/etc
Sort thru the box of pens and markers and toss the dead ones
Wash the basket of laundry on the futon
Dishes
Fling through my purse
Stock diaper bag (wipe out pocket from jars of baby food that were in there too long :-S)

That should take me most of the day. Oh yeah---also, I want to get a walk in...so....

Take a walk with family!!

Wanting to clean or not, I should get to bed at a decent hour. Padraic's going to sleep fairly easily for at least 4 hours at night, then when I come in he comes over with me. I don't like that---cause I'm coming in at the end of those 4 hours. I want it where I'm going to sleep as soon as I lay him down or shortly after. I guess it's just a habit I've got to start!!! I was going to sleep when he did for the first few months after he was born. Let's see if I can get back into that!

Oh, and too cool---my stitches are now out. I pulled one out last night, then 2 more today. I thought he had put 4 in, so either my count was off, or I swallowed the other one, LOL!!!

Lookin' up

Things are starting to look better around here. Okay, so my husband only really sees that I'm moving stuff from boxes to baskets and back again---but I'm not going to be doing much more of that, especially after I get said baskets sorted out tomorrow.

Of course, I have to go and get sick once I start feeling better. My daughter had a sore throat (not terribly bad, but enough to mention it) last week, and now my husband and I are miserable, and my son doesn't sound all that great with his coughing sometimes. I'm not taking much of anything for it---maybe a spritz of nasal spray here and there, because of breastfeeding---but my husband is still miserable on the nasal decongestant. And I've got the little guy on some nasal stuff too.

Speaking of breastfeeding....

Things are still going great for us. He's always eager when he sees the source of his lunch (snack, breakfast, dinner, midnight snack, etc). I'm so proud of us for going so long. And I'm not going to stop until he's ready---or we absolutely have to! I'll try for the pump again, if I ever have to go to work, and we'll just see from there :-D

Getting back on track!!!!!

Things are coming back together now. :-D

On Monday I had my tooth pulled. I feel SOOOOOOOOOOO much better now!!! I've already started working on cleaning out around the house. Today I managed to get 2 bags of garbage ready, post 4 listings on Freecycle, and run to the credit union to transfer some funds to make sure that things don't bounce. I'm concerned some things might end up hitting a bit sooner than I expected, and the LAST thing I need is to get a bounced check!!! :-(

But, my tooth feels a whole lot better. A bit odd at the moment, but better none the less. :-) I was a real chicken when we were waiting for the thing to numb. I know I felt the nerve let go when it did, but it could have been worse. I wasn't as numb as I eventually got when we tried for the root canal, but I wasn't as numb as I wanted to be. :-\ But, my mom and I talked after, and she pointed out (again) that she was always a chicken when it came to getting her teeth done, and I had been thinking about that. I told her that I was really clucking!!! Cause I was. I was SOOOOOOOO close to just aborting it, because I wasn't comfortable with how numb it wasn't, but it's a good thing I didn't. :-D

My goal with this apartment is to baby proof it! I know it might seem a little late---the kid is now 11 months after all---but it still needs done!!! And it's getting there bit by bit!!! :-D

Slipping, sliding, and falling behind...

It's been a very long time since I've been on here, much longer since I posted---certainly longer than I thought I had. I haven't logged on to my blog since late March---which is when I thought I had posted last....

A-Nope...I haven't posted an entry since January!!! Can it really be that long? Hmm...now that I think back, maybe.

I don't post so much cause I no longer have time to myself....uh, yeah....EVER!!! Well, I suppose I asked for it, huh? Wanting a new little guy, and all the wonderful stuff that comes with it....

I wanted to sit and mention why it is that I'm not posting, besides little guy taking up all my time.

My tooth has gotten REAL BAD. I went in for a root canal at the end of February, but she didn't do the work. The lady just numbed me up (you do know women can be dentists too, right?). Then, I called the endodentist they gave me---I'd have to give them 3 checks of $250 a piece, and wait for my dental insurance to send me the money to reimburse me. Um, no thanks. I need that money! Then I tried the one up in Buffalo I keep hearing about on the tv and radio. $350 with insurance, when I can get $150 down here for getting it pulled. I was going to let the other dentist in the office I go to try the root canal, but I feel so like crud, and the appointment was on the 10th...I figure I'll just pay to have it pulled. Better for all of us!!!

Food for thought....

Hathor