Diane, congrats on getting that balance between work and home. And it's good you have a doctor appt for the growth. Let us know how it goes. I'm also glad that your Molly is still peeing for you. Cleaning pee from a loved one is better than no pee to clean. :)
My storage unit is 10' by 15' by 8'. But since I'm 5'2" I won't be stacking too high. It's enough room to store some things and to sit there and sort. My daughter told me not to store papers there with personal info especially financial. So the boxes of legal stuff are leaving the unit and going to get moved to her house. I didn't even think about that. Too bad because I have a lot of paper stuff I wanted to put there.
Karl, I must miss a lot of your interesting news because I don't go to chats but it sounds like you've got a great balance too of work on your home and social time with good friends.
Thanks Roxie, for looking for the tv show. I watch some youtube but have no computer speakers. Those pbs shows sound pretty cool.
Today I am making a dump run, catching up on chores in the house and tonight an O's game. No playoffs for us this year (Wash Nats are out too) so Laura and I will see Toronto tonight and Red Sox twice this weekend. This year has flown by again.
Tillie
Posted: 25 September 2013 - 12:21 PM
Good morning :)
Hi Dianne :)
Hi Diane :) Keeping our fingers crossed that your flooding issues will be all gone now that you have been reinforcing the areas. WAY TO GO! for all you have accomplished! :D So happy you will be having that skin problem looked at soon. (((HUGS)))
Hi Karl :) So happy for you having 2 get togethers in a row! :D Hope you are feeling a little motivated to get back to work on the rooms.
Hi Roxie :) Thank you (((hugs)))
Cats were all insistant that I feed them NOW!!! as soon as my feet hit the floor. Noticed that HE forgot to put the big green wheelie trash bin out at the road for today's trash pick up. :( It is very hard for me to drag it through the sandy yard but I did manage to get it out there. Since I was angry I also tossed some other crap laying around the yard out there with it. ;) (evil grin) Windy & cool here today but I will still need to get out and water some things. The trees are all turning yellow & red & orange. But they still need watering. Weather report says it will be upper 70s again by the weekend. :D TTYL :D
Tillie
Posted: 25 September 2013 - 11:20 AM
This is the latest thing I have watched on youtube. There are 3 episodes.
Karl, glad to hear you made progress AND had a good time!
Tillie, I think about you often. I hope you continue to do things for yourself, to make your life better and more of what you want it to be. You deserve it.
Diane, it seems to me that your getting out of the house to work has been a good thing for you. Right? And you are becoming a little more social, which is wonderful. We can all take a leaf from Karl's sociability.
Dianne, I'll see if I can scout out that tv program where they empty the house. Different approach and interesting.
I've been on youtube a lot lately. I just watched the whole pbs series called "Regency House Party." It was great. I love the Regency period. These were a group of people from now who agreed to spend 9 weeks living the Regency lifestyle. Quite entertaining. There are also other pbs series which are interesting: The 1900 House, Manor House, Frontier House, Colonial House, Edwardian Country House. PBS does such a great job.
I'm out of canned cat food again, so need to go soon. Also need to set up a doctor's appointment so I can get someone new to prescribe my meds since the other doctor has left the area.
Karl
Posted: 25 September 2013 - 04:32 AM
The follow-up social event also went well, though one guest had a longer traffic delay than expected. The visible rooms were still adequately clean, so no additional work required there. I'll need to get back to work on the remaining rooms now.
diane
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 08:33 PM
Great reading all of your posts. Some heavy rain yesterday and today and no problems yet. It took all weekend to barricade the steep back yard to prevent another mudslide flood, so far so good. Worked on bedroom past 2 mornings, some was fun, some was torture, but kept at it. Washed all blankets and towels Molly peed on today. Have been keeping dishes done, helped when billie talked about her clean up. Tomorrow I go to a small little town that I enjoy,, with a friend I enjoy, for work. Thursday is a really long day. Have actually enjoyed the grey weather, got more done inside. I still am having trouble letting go of clothes and fabric. Way too many of both. This winter it will be so much fun sewing and crafting now that i know where things are, for the most part. Called and made appt. with doctor, have a suspicious skin growth that is getting bigger, will see her Monday. Thanks for the prayers Dianne. Looking forward to updates on moving into storage unit. What size did you get? I had one years ago and it was $75 a month, painful to pay to store stuff that we don't have room for. Since you can afford it, it might be just what you need to finally feel refreshed and energized to go through a box at a time until it is all gone. Hugs
Dianne
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 07:16 PM
Oh Tillie, thank you!!
That is VERY encouraging to hear!!!
Tillie
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 02:39 PM
I watched a program on youtube where the people's items were all removed from the home all except the very basics. The people then cleaned their home and did some repairs. After one month the people were taken to a big warehouse where all their stuff has been being stored. There they are helped to sort through it all. After living in their clean empty homes for one whole month, their thinking, emotions and other issues that had them frozen in place were all changed. They had a different and better outlook about their stuff. They liked the clean & clear home now and were able to let a whole lot of the excess stuff go. O.K. there was one woman who still had way too much stuff but most of the people did a FANTASTIC job letting lots & lots of stuff go.
The video was removed from youtube but if I can find it again I will post the link here. ;D
Dianne
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 12:55 PM
Good for you with the clothes Tillie. Consequences of his actions.....
I was very resistant to a storage unit for a long time. I figured it would allow me to get/keep even more. Buffy told me to think of it as a transition. Instead of stressing about *making decisions and getting rid of* it's basically a big shuffle to get things clear in the house. Harder decisions can come later.
What I'm seeing is that the stuff in storage that's building up is nothing I need (except some divorce papers). And getting things more open in the house is really nice. And to bring all the crap back here would literally be to make big piles again.
My intention (I say intention because it's more powerful and committing than hope) is that when my home is finally clear and clean I will be able to let go of what's in storage rather than junk up the house again. The first junking up was many years and gradual. A second junking moving everything back would be more sudden, jarring and depressing. Literally like going into a pretty, clean room and trashing it.
I haven't heard from insurance so maybe I will get a break.
Tillie
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 12:11 PM
Hi ;) We slept in today, was nice :) Cats have all been fed now. Need to scoop litter boxes, sweep floor near the box, put down fresh water & fill kibble bowls. Cold front moving in. Will be lots of high winds blowing dust & sand. Snow in the higher elevations. Want to do some sewing with my new sewing maching and hoping Scooter (the kitten) will allow me to without attacking and hanging from the fabric like he always does with anything like that.
Why I don't have a clothes dryer. This house is very small. There is room for a washer in the bathroom so that's where it is since it would freeze outside in the winter. The garage is HUGE and a clothes dryer could be installed in there, no problem. I have been given two clothes dryers over the years. Nice new ones. One was a gas model and the other was electric. HE would never allow me to install either one in the garage. Would take away a small amount of space from his hoard. He gave them away. To reward him for doing this, in the winter I put clothes drying racks filled with his wet clothes in his bedroom. Balance them up on his piles of assorted stuff and hang lots of his wet clothes over the closet doorway. Takes about 3 days for it to dry in there. He hates it! ;D
Tillie
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 11:54 AM
Good morning :)
Hi MayMay :) Was WWZ any good?
Hi Karl :) WTG! :D Have fun with your company today!
Hi Dianne :) Happy your back was better yesterday and that it was a beautiful day at the beach. :D My biggest worry about the storage unit.... Once there is clear open space in the home please work very very hard not to allow it to fill up. Make "No Clutter Zones" and defend them every day. Take a mental inventory of what you have and find contentment in knowing that you have all you need and a whole heck of a lot of what you really, truely want. :D
Dianne
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 11:06 AM
Having a hard time getting going today. Insomnia, headaches. Yesterday I went to beach to clean up from weekend people. In the off season now that will be my job instead of summer maids. It was a stunning day, my back was pretty good.
The bursts of energy are followed by an equal or more amount of time being down. A balance is hard to keep. Maybe it's very mild bi-polar. Or maybe just age.
Anyway as I lay in bed before falling asleep (which can literally be hours) I think of and pray for each of you. Lots of other people in the world too.
Tillie do you mind me asking why you don't have a dryer?
It's noon. Laura did morning animals chores. I'm going to do some deeper cleaning with them. Washing, refilling litter boxes. Brushing, trimming nails. Then get some more stuff together for storage.
Karl
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 04:35 AM
There were six of us, total. Leftovers were less than expected. Tomorrow I'm having a couple other friends over.
MayMay
Posted: 24 September 2013 - 01:24 AM
Hi everybody! :D
Today I went to work; and took Snuggles, Matt, and Cory with me. Then when we got home, we watched "World War Z" on pay per view. :)
Thanks Roxie! :)
WAY TO GO Karl! :D
Hi Tillie! :D
Tillie
Posted: 23 September 2013 - 04:46 PM
Got all my cleaning tasks completed. Easy to do since the house is so tiny and I have all but his bedroom totally decluttered and I just keep his door shut. Resting up and rewarding myself with a little computer time. :D Keep up all your great efforts and some day your house cleaning will be easy too. ;D
Tillie
Posted: 23 September 2013 - 10:42 AM
Good Monday morning :)
YEA! Karl :D WAY TO GO! Happy the chat challenges went so very well! :D Have fun with your company. ;)
Hi Roxie :)
This morning I have two wash loads drying on the line. This will be the warmest day of this week and soon it will be very hard to get heavier laundry dry on the clothes line. Wish I had a clothes dryer for the winter months but that is another sore spot in my life.
Cats have all been fed. Planning to clean the bathroom, sweep floors & porches, wash the floors & vacuum the carpet, dust, eat lunch then shower & shampoo my hair.
Busy day. :D
Karl
Posted: 23 September 2013 - 12:27 AM
We had a couple of buddy cleanup sessions at the end of the Sunday chat. During the first one, I cleaned the bathroom sink and half the floor. During the second one, I loaded and started the dishwasher, and cleaned half of the kitchen floor. I expect those are both dry by now, so I can move stuff across each room and do the other half before going to bed.
I also need to get some groceries for tomorrow's event. I'll do that first, right now.
Roxie
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 04:43 PM
I was up at something like 4 am, fed cats and noodled around. I lay down for a few hours nap at noon. Feeling better. For the first time since summer I was actually chilly, so I napped under a blanket. Love that feeling.
Tillie, stomp your foot some more, dear. Hand him 3 or more large garbage bags and insist he fill them with his junk and get it to the garbage. You go, girl!
MayMay, way to go on settling back in after your journey.
Diane, what's up for you now?
Karl, put on a good piece of music and dance through 15 minutes of cleaning.
Dianne, you start dancing, too. It's physics. A body at rest tends to stay at rest, a body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Hugs all around.
Tillie
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 04:15 PM
Today I did all the cat related tasks. Then got out flour & yeast & a bunch of other ingredients and made myself 3 loaves of my favorite bread. Ate 1/4 of one loaf fresh out of the oven all warm. Washed dishes & cleaned up the kitchen. The other 2 loaves of bread are in the freezer till I need them.
Dianne
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 11:40 AM
Yes I read it awhile ago along with every other hoard book on Amazon I could find.
Of course I've forgotten what I read and the books are somewhere in my piles in the bedroom.
It's kind of interesting that I was aware I had a problem back in the 80's when I bought all the books I could find on housekeeping. There were some great reads and ideas. Back then it was called clutter, being a pack rat and organizing a family.
Tillie
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 11:08 AM
Hi Dianne :) WAY TO GO! asking for some help from your family. :D Have you read "Buried In Treasures"? Please read it. It can help you with your thoughts, feelings and emotions about your possessions. (((hugs)))
Dianne
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 10:53 AM
Yesterday I broke down and rented a storage unit. The idea of paying money to store my junk was always something I thought I'd never do.
But as I walked out I felt about as light as if I'd actually gotten rid of a lot of stuff. Just knowing it wasn't going to be in the house anymore.
So that was kind of an eye opener; That I really will feel a lot better when things are cleared out. I'm not going to burden my mind right now with all the negatives of shuffling and paying for it or that I have to deal with getting rid of it sooner or later (obviously later).
First thing out today will be thousands of books Laura got together from her room. She worked solid for 3 hours. I haven't seen her that active for that long literally in years. Her mood perked up, she was excited about clearing/cleaning. Her bookcases in the hallway are still full but they look good.
I just asked my brother and nephew for some time to help this week and Buffy can give me some time tomorrow. That feels ok since it's moving things and not throwing out.
This solution feels like a quickly grabbed rag to stop massive bleeding but right now I'm good with that.
Tillie, good luck on prodding your hoarder into action. He's up and moving and that's a good start.
Happy Autumn everyone!
Karl
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 04:36 AM
Roxie, if you want something simpler, you might consider Esperanto. It's estimated to be 4-5 times easier to learn than a typical national language, and a free call to 1-800-ESPERANTO will get you an information packet that includes the first lesson of a free postal course.
Tillie, can you put your foot down and insist that he has to accomplish certain chores each day before he's allowed to play computer games?
I had three social events this week that I ended up not going to, but I did finally get out of the house on Saturday. I'll get some cleaning done yet tonight so that I'll have progress to report for the Sunday online chat session.
MayMay
Posted: 22 September 2013 - 12:45 AM
Today I went to work. Then after I got home from work, I washed my bedding. And right now I just finished giving Snuggles, Cory, and Matt all baths. So now I have 3 clean dogs and a nice clean bed to sleep in. Yay! :D
Tillie
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 05:00 PM
O.K. This morning I was feeding the cats, scooping litter boxes, filling water & kibble bowls, washing dishes, watering all things in the yard, washing & hanging out 6 loads of his laundry, taking out the trash, monitoring the burn barrel as it burned, sweeping & tidying up around here all the while he sat at the computer. So.... I quit biting my tongue and spoke up. :D He has been slowly walking around outside, pretending to do some work. I told him to get out there and gather up all his trash. Fill all trash cans full. Maybe by sundown he will have accomplished something. ;D
Tillie
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 10:27 AM
Good morning :) The interwebs can be quite a sticky place to waste time. So many interesting items to read. It is so easy to develope an internet addiction. I limit my online time so I don't end up spending 24 hours a day here. I use online time as a reward for getting up and experiencing RL (real life). I never play any games on my computer because by watching my hoarder I can see how very very addictive they can be. It is mind numbing and there is some sort of brain chemical release when playing them that works in the brain pleasure centers. And that is what is addictive, just the same way as crack cocaine works.
My ToDos for today... Laundry Dishes Watering outside Trying to kick start my hoarder
Enjoy today! This is the very last day of Summer :(
Tillie
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 10:15 AM
Hi Karl :) Your LLs seem to be reasonable and patient people. Can you ask for an extension? An other two weeks? Tell them that other things and life in general have slowed you down. Let them know that you have made some progress but haven't finished the job yet. (((HUGS)))
Dianne
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 08:59 AM
Karl, I'm sorry you're depressed too. I don't sleep well either and surfing has become my daily addiction.
You've done so much work and done it in such a good way ~ small, manageable bits at a time with a good balance of exercise and good times with friends.
Like Roxie gave me a list of the most important things, can you make a list of the absolutes that need to be done before Doomsday?
Can you get in a few cartons of your very favorite ice cream? Maybe that reward will carry you thru. When I get too stressed to function I go for some major comfort food. Warm casseroles with lots of melty cheese settle me down. Then even if I'm depressed it makes me feel safer, take a big sigh and dig in to some mess.
Whatever works.
Roxie
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 08:19 AM
(((Karl))) I am sorry you are depressed and feeling out of it. I can relate. But please do a 10 minute chore today, okay? Let us know what you can manage.
Good morning everyone! I was up way early after going to sleep at some sort of normal hour. Still waking up hours later. Coffee being mainlined.
(((Dianne))) Yes, let the insurance company do what they need to do. You can deal with any fallout as it comes. You are strong enough. Meanwhile, concentrate on combustibles! :D Also, yes please get back on track with the teeth. It pays off.
I've been online a lot, too, trying to educate myself on various world issues, posting comments, etc. I also spent half an hour learning Russian, of all things. What a difficult language that is. I should probably go back to Spanish or French or even Urdo. LOL
I still haven't set up the photos I took onto my computer but I did purchase the connection I need. I think I left it in the car. Dawdle, procrastinate, ...
Hugs all around.
Karl
Posted: 21 September 2013 - 04:13 AM
I was up late on Thursday, mostly Web surfing. Friday I was lying in bed, not fully rested but not asleep either, when I heard the chime of my computer calendar, so I got up. It turned out to be for the unofficial Friday chat session, but I couldn't get the connection to work, so I gave up on that.
All of Friday likewise wasted in Web surfing. One week left until the Doomsday inspection.
Yes, I'm depressed.
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 08:44 PM
Thanks Tillie. :)
Tillie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 04:54 PM
WAY TO GO!!! Dianne and Roxie :D You both are doing GREAT!
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 03:51 PM
Roxie great work with your teeth and gums!! Congratulations!! I have dropped off with mine, will get back to it tonight.
I wanted to run away today and lose myself in a movie. Didn't want to be around the roofers or think about an inspection.
But Laura and I agreed it was best to just deal with stuff head-on.
So I'm doing regular cleaning and catch-up stuff. I haven't heard anything more from the insurance company. But I'm beginning to feel like this is just something I have to let happen. Bummer.
Roxie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 03:31 PM
Tillie, I also admire your spirit, and I feel badly when you are disheartened about your hoarder. All I can do is encourage you to make the best life you can for yourself, as I see you doing. (((Tillie)))
Diane, Tillie's advice is always good and helps so many people here. It is good to hear your good cheer when you talk about having the right clothes, knowing where your shoes are, and having a clean sink when you wake up. You have come so very far.
Dianne, you know the head in the sand doesn't work. On the other hand, no decision is also a decision. Were it me, I would say go along with the inspection and hope for the best. You can always try to negotiate time and a list of minimal changes. You do NOT want to go without insurance.
It sounds to me like you have a lot of the checklist already done. Look around now for fire hazards and maybe target that in your projects? That would be things like stacks of papers (including magazines and books), stacks of anything highly combustible. Yes, go ahead and get those fire and carbon dioxide alarm things you stick on the ceiling. Change the batteries whenever there is a time change. Get as many as you can. Even study online as to the best places to place/have them.
I also need to buy and put some of those up.
Yesterday I went to the dentist for cleaning and checkup. I have to go back for one cavity. However, the dentist said he can see a difference both in number of cavities and in the condition of my gums. While the numbers for my gums have not changed much, the hygienist assures me that with continued effort they will. YEAH! Haven't missed a day since July 2. Now I need to consider upping to two times a day. I also have a sonic toothbrush I need to set up for myself, which ought to help.
Everybody check in, please!
Tillie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 12:05 PM
Thank you Dianne :D (((hugs)))
Tillie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 12:04 PM
AAWWW Dianne (((HUGS))) Please let your daughter help you. I know you will have to let go of some of the control but you really need others with you to get this under control. A fresh persons perspective really helps you to make good/better decisions. Is there one of type item that you could be ok with someone else making the decisions about? Something easy like plastic drink cups or recyclable bottles & cans? Starting slow and easy would help you to get used to the idea of another person helping you make these decisions. Please accept that you really do need help. You are in pain. They could do the hard lifting/moving for you and you would be able to get more accomplished.
(((HUGS)))
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:59 AM
Ah Tillie, I SO admire your sense of survival and ability to do what's best for you even in difficult circumstances!!
Glad that little Scooter is coming along so well! He's a very lucky kitty. :)
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:53 AM
Forgot to mention the shredded, chewed up furniture. I have a vague awareness that we have gotten so used to things that we don't quite see it. I know it affects me and Laura on a deeper level which comes out in depression and fatigue.
Strange feeling. It's like, I know, I know......
Then why don't you change? I don't know, kind of glazed over.....
Repairmen and workers have been in but I dealt with the stress of that. Very different when someone wants to come in with the express purpose of checking things out and TAKING PICTURES for their files.
I just can't do it.
Tillie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:53 AM
Good morning :) What am I doing today??? I have no set plans yet. Fed the cats and will scoop litter boxes & put down fresh water & kibble. Have a fresh pineapple all cut up ready to eat in the fridge. !!!rant alert!!! There is so much around this dump that I wish he would deal with this weekend but have given up all hope he will ever pry his butt out of that chair in front of his computer and actually do anything around here. Rant over ;) Scooter (the kitten) is coming along very nicely. He no longer hunts me down and attacks me which has helped my skin begin to heal from all the kitty wounds. He also has learned the word "NO" and no longer bites me or claws on the couch and drapes. :D Did a quick mental check list of what I have here in the house and we have enough food to last another week without needing to grocery shop. I got my winter clothes all unpacked & ready to wear. It all still fits and is in good repair and I still like it. I have enough plastic to cover the windows to help keep out the cold winds of winter. Will wait till October before I cover windows though. Don't need to get any dishes, linens, cleaning supplies, toiletries or other misc assorted household items. Have enough sewing, painting, crafting supplies to get me happily through the long dark winter.
It is a good feeling to look around at what I have on hand and know that I do not need to shop for a very long time. :D
HAPPY FRIDAY! ;D
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:44 AM
Weird ending there.
I just meant to put a sad face.
:(
Dianne
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:42 AM
Tillie it occurred to me that if I let this policy be cancelled I'd have to let someone else in to get a new policy anyway. Rock and a hard place. I'm sorry you had to go thru that.
Roxie, great advice thank you! All door exits are easily used. The one exit that was a tight squeeze has been cleared. No paper or fire hazards. There are no working fire or alarm systems. I cancelled the service awhile ago. But it would be easy enough to get the fire alarms that stick to the ceiling, right? Some outlets don't work. Having electrical work done is on my to do list hopefully for this winter. But the main stuff works. No wobbly rails or soft floors. Everything is structurally sound as far as I know. Water damage in walls for sure but they can't see the worst of it. I hope.
I'm actually having some roof repairs going on today. Long story but not bad. The outside is in pretty good shape. Bushes are trimmed, everything was painted a few years ago. No places for critters to live (unless they decide to camp out in some of the doghouses for a few nights.)
I guess my main concern is the condition of the inside. In the kitchen, as puppies, the dogs shredded wallpaper and I figured, oh well, let everything get trashed at once (there were 4 of them) and I'll make repairs down the road. They dug a hole right thru the drywall into a closet. A plumber cut a hole in the ceiling to check for a possible leak from an upstairs bathroom but told me ahead of time I would need to get another repairman for that. The cats have shredded sheer curtains (I leave those so the cats won't mess with the more expensive custom draperies.)
And of course the general huge mess. Mounds of clothes, papers, books, blankets and animal beds tucked all over, Dozens of multiple gallon water containers for when we needed the clean drinking water. Some rooms totally shut off because there is so much stuff thrown in there and I didn't want the animals messing with that or, God forbid, get trapped and die.
What scares me too is that I couldn't hustle and get all that pretty much done even with my family helping. I was very, very discouraged that it took me the better part of 5 days to get my one bedroom beach condo cleaned up from summer and ready for winter rentals. My back was in severe pain and I had to keep laying down and popping pain pills all day.
I was crying today to my daughter Buffy. Thank God I have a very supportive family. She said, Mom I don't care that you're a hoarder, I know you've been thru a lot and I love you no matter what. If you and Laura want to live that way it's ok. It hasn't been an outside problem. But when you're willing to let go of your insurance because you don't want outsiders in the house that takes it to a whole new level. Do you get that?
I know it does and because my health isn't great it's a bottoming out time. I agreed to let her be more involved in helping me but I agreed last month to let my brother help too and backed out of that. She said she would go to my shrink with me and be truthful about my situation but I said no way. I've been trying to work my way out of therapy, I sure as hell don't want to have to go to more. That's out of pocket and to me, a waste of money. Especially since I've been saying everything is hunky dory. I only go to her to get antidepressants which she won't give without talk therapy. And I've been too lazy to find a regular MD who will write a prescription w/o therapy.
So I'll continue with my routine cleaning and dejunk when I can and pray that the problem just goes away. Pretty classic bad, head-in-the-sand, hoarder behavior. ?ΒΌ:(
Tillie
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 11:31 AM
Hi Diane :) Happy you are enjoying your work. :D So nice to wake up to a clean kitchen! A pleasant place to make a cup of coffee or tea to start your day. Glad you now know where your clothes and shoes are. :D lol Makes it so much easier to get dressed. Good that you are taking it easier on yourself as you adjust to the work schedule. We are not superwoman and can only do so much in a day. Getting the basic maintenance tasks done is doing FANTASTIC!
diane
Posted: 20 September 2013 - 12:05 AM
I had another fun day at work today. Did dishes before I went to work so was nice to come home to clean sink. Put garbage out, not full 2 weeks in a row. I will see if I can fill it for next Friday. I don't work until afternoon tomorrow so plan to clean up some stuff I have left out. Supposed to rain this weekend so hopefully I will make some progress in here. I have dressed great so far, nice to know where clothes and shoes are, saves time. Still waking up too early, but dealing well with lack of sleep so far. Hopefully will sleep until 7 am tomorrow, since don't have to get up, can relax. I appreciate your advice tillie, take two weeks to adjust to working, and not feel guilty for being less productive at home.
Tillie
Posted: 19 September 2013 - 12:21 PM
Good morning :) Moving slow today. Cats are all fed. So cold in here this morning. :( Today I will get out a warmer blamket for my bed. Yesterday I washed the drapes, 2 sets, and rehung them so today my back & neck are stiff and I have a headache. But at least they are now clean & fresh smelling. :) Still have the danger of more wildfires but I am trying to think positive thoughts. Still need to wash all the other curtains but they are physically easier to do and I want to swap them out for the ones I like to use in the Autumn & Winter. I want to start playing with my "new" sewing machine. All my tasks, chores and To-Dos are all caught up. Sunday is the Autumnal Equinox.
Tillie
Posted: 19 September 2013 - 12:09 PM
YEA! Karl! :D WAY TO GO!
Karl
Posted: 19 September 2013 - 12:16 AM
Internet fixed. (One computer problem solved, five more to go.)
This is the last trash night before the event I'll be hosting, so I should make sure I get as much as possible out to the curb. I have a couple of magazines that I wasn't ready to toss just yet -- I'll plan to read whatever article it was that I was interested in, and then toss it tonight. Maybe I can finish a first pass through another stack of papers, too.
Roxie
Posted: 18 September 2013 - 10:44 PM
Tillie, I am just so sorry to hear that story. Can you insist that he and you go to counseling together? Maybe somebody else can wake him up?
Dianne, I'm no lawyer, but I think you may have a legal right to refuse entry. However, I suspect the insurance company can refuse to cover you any longer. Tough either way.
Do a little googling on it. It seems with interior inspections they are concerned with a few things: (1) fire hazards; (2) contamination such as mold; (3) unblocked exits; (4) unsafe conditions.
You can do some work meanwhile, being sure no exits are blocked. Making sure outlets have proper covers. Make sure no paper is located near furnace, fireplace or other possible fire hazards. Make sure fire and O2 alarms are installed all over. Make sure stains that might indicate leaks are dealt with. Check on railings on porches, any missing porches or missing rails, any wobbling or unsafe rails or stairs. Find your receipts for any work you've had done on things like water heaters, etc.
Make sure your electrical system is okay (no knob and tube wiring; enough wiring for normal loads, etc)
Outside they'll look at roof, siding, cracks, garages, any exterior buildings including storage sheds.
Outside you can make sure gutters and downspouts are clear and properly in place. You can clean up the exterior, especially removing things like Ivy growing onto structures. Again, remove anything that might attracts bugs or varmints or mold. Trim bushes and trees to they don't threaten the house or garage and so they don't provide coverage for burglars. Make sure all windows are unbroken and sashes okay. Make sure locks on doors are okay.
There's more you can pick up on the internet. I'm not saying I've got all that done, myself, but just throwing out ideas and writing my own master list again. Sigh.
It's possible they'll inspect and give you a checklist and timeline for corrections in order to keep insurance. size]
Tillie
Posted: 18 September 2013 - 07:19 PM
I took out home owner's insurance on this place when we first bought it about 20 years ago. It was very good insurance at a good price.
About 8 years ago my hoarder decided that he could get a better rate from some dude he knows who is in the insurance business. I said please leave the insurance alone! He got all nasty at me and said "why do you always have to be so #$@*%!& negative".
Well, he cancelled the insurance I had and started a policy with this other company. This new company sent a man around to check out the property. He took one look at this outside hoard and cancelled the policy immediately.
Now we have a pitiful police with extremely high payments at some 3rd rate company because nobody else would cover us.
Dianne
Posted: 18 September 2013 - 05:43 PM
Karl thanks for advice. I never thought about a spammer/burglar. She was legit though because my insurance agent emailed me to say hey this woman has been trying to reach you, give her a call.
And you're right. I won't say I'm a hoarder. I always say too much so I'll see if I can handle all this through emails.
Thanks again.
Karl
Posted: 18 September 2013 - 05:33 PM
Dianne, the first step is to confirm that this really is not just some spammer/burglar trying to get inside your house. Did you confirm by contacting your insurance company directly?
Even if it's legit, be careful what you say to them. I suspect that if you admit to having a hoard, your insurance rates will go up.
