Thanks Tillie!!!!!!

WAY TO GO! Bonnie :D

Done, Done, and Done!! Took it to the post office and off it went. I cannot believe how expensive it is to mail stuff. Certified from NY to IL cost $6.41!!!! Whatever, the main thing is it is done!! And, I have to admit, if I had not posted it earlier this morning I probably would not have gotten it done today!!

Hello All!

I woke up this morning with a wicked headache. Also, something that I did yesterday did my back in so my day is just getting started. I have one goal for today and that is to get my mtg modification paper work in the mail.

Oh, and I caught a mouse in one of the traps I set - EWWWWWWWW.

Good morning :)

My To-Dos for today....
Clean the bathroom.
Sweep floors & porches.
Wash the floors.
Vacuum the carpet.
Dust.
Wash my hair.
Water the trees & bushes.

Monday, the start of a whole new week. :)

WAY TO GO! Dianne :D

Wow Dianne that is wonderful and inspiring... maybe I will tackle a few drawers myself this week. Still fighting being so tired but getting some better. I think I am adjusting to the new medication increase, it makes me drowsy so coupled with the fatigue.. well.

I hope to see everyone in the meeting in just a few minutes!

Hello gang!

Tillie I think I will not watch them if they are that scary... living alone and already spooked out too often haha... thank you so much.

Hope everyone is alright today, still thinking about you Janie and hope you come back.

Ready for the meeting tonight... looking forward to seeing you all there.

Hi everybody :D

Hi Dianne :)
He got the new faucet installed. Don't know if it leaks yet because he messed up the drain pipe down under the sink and it leaks real bad now. He put some stuff on it and I have to wait for it to dry before testing it all out. :(
WAY TO GO! on asking the installation men to repeat the explaination and making a big effort to understand them. Technical stuff is never easy. :D

Hi Roxie :)

More (((HUGS))) for Janie :)

Hi Mare :)
Those movies have big very scary monsters in them.

Hi everybody else who reads here! :D


What am I doing today?
Got up and fed the cats, filled water & kibble bowls, scooped litter boxes, made my bed, got dressed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, brushed & braided my hair, put on sandals and a wide brimmed straw hat, grabbed my shopping list, went into town to the grocery store, came home & put all the food away, stuck to my list and did not buy any junk, cats all went out into the garden and played while I stood guard, grabbed a bite to eat, sat down and turned on my computer. :D
Will now just tinker about in here till
5:00pm PST online support group. :D

Janie, so sorry to hear about your brother. We're here if you need us. ((hugs))

Dear Janie

(((HUGS)))

Please take care and come post here to let us know how you are doing. (((HUGS)))

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - incapable of doing anything. It's important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!"

Ohmygoodness, Janie... so sorry to hear about your brother... do come back soon (here, I mean) and lean on us for support and encouragement for anything and everything...

Hi MayMay, big congrats Karl, yes indeedy... 15 minutes at a time is working for me, too, thanks to the chat, the buddy system and everyone here.

Ohyes Tillie I had forgotten you saying about the blurays and DVD's. I have many but no player at the moment so I watch them on TV or the internet, depending, right now I have all the movie channels for free so am trying to take advantage of it, in fact I just recorded The Thing, is it good? Is it overly scary? Prequel?! Is it any good? I have to be careful not to spook myself too badly as I just learned (from the doctor) that I am in hyper-vigilance mode because of brain chemical activity... go figure, but it does explain a lot of the anxiety.

Yes the getting out was huge for me, first time alone in I-don't-know-when, very exciting and it tells me its possible and I can do it again.

That is so good Diane... I can so relate, congratulations and remember how much we love and think about you, you are a far cry from incompetent, stupid, or a baby! A FAR cry!

So good to hear about your daughter and the cleaning up, the beds... wow.

Today still fighting fatigue so decided to just give in and slept yet again, ahwell... doing what I can!

YEA! Karl! WTG! :D
There are some good strong products on the market to remove mildew and hard water build up.
And bleach works to kill mildew and whiten/brighten the gray stain left behind.
Where mildew is a constant problem, spraying or applying a little bleach to the prone areas weekly helps keep it in check
One way to remove hard water stains from a toilet is...
Turn off the water to the toilet then dump in a bucket of water to make the water level as low as possible.
Then place paper towels saturated soppy wet with vinegar over the inside of the bowl.
Leave this in place for a good long time.
Remove the paper towels, don't flush them.
Turn the water back on, fill the bowl with water then use a pumace stone to scour the now softened water marks.
You can buy pumace stones at the grocery store found where the toilet cleaning supplies are.

Remember every body, to NEVER mix any chemicals or commercially prepared cleaning products. Make sure to rinse all previous chemicals off before applying anything new.
Even organic things like vinegar.

Hi MayMay :) bet you are as relaxed as noodles. ;)

Hi Mare :) Thank you.
Right now I am watching one of my Bluray movies the new prequil of "The Thing".
I own about 200 DVDs & Bluray movies. We also have Netflix and I watch a LOT of stuff from that. :D
The local pawn shop sells movies for 1 to 2 dollars a piece and you can sell it back 2 for 1 so that is a good deal too and you never end up with too many movies laying around. :D

He decided that the kitchen faucet was worn out and went and bought a new one. I am waiting for him to install it now.

Inspection is done -- the landlords were OK with the maintenance rooms and the hallway and closet, but they said more work needed to be done in the bathroom; some of the crevices still have gunk that they say is mildew. There were also some hard-water stains in the toilet. I'll have to try out some new cleansers, or maybe hire a cleaning crew this time.

I've got extra time for the next (final?) inspection, but I'll need to finish up the bathroom and also the two most cluttered rooms in the house. Fifteen minutes at a time...

Hi everybody! :D

I just came back from getting my monthly massage; so I will probably just relax for the rest of the day. :)

Hi Karl,
I'm glad you had fun last night. Good luck with the inspection! :)

Hi Tillie and Mare! :D

Gosh Tillie... hang in there. If you want to chat just let me know I will be in and out the rest of the day and night.

I am planning to go through some bags today... I am not feeling that motivated but perhaps I will once I get started.

The room doesn't look like I have made a dent in it but I know I have gone through several boxes already. I need to move things around a bit and put them in the order I want but maybe I will just grab them however they are.

Feeling tired but if I move around that may improve... I snoozed all morning, then took the dog out. Going to make some coffee and get going, watching a movie as I work, too, Tillie Are you watching movies on TV or do you have them?

OMG! It's the 10th already! :O

Good morning :)
Where does the time go?
What am I doing today?
I have absolutely no idea.
The cats are eating their breakfast.
Guess I should get dressed.
He has lots of plans and stuff to do.
About three years ago the phone company came through, dug up my garden area and put in fiber optic cables to the house.
They never hooked them up.
Friday my hoarder scheduled for them to be hooked up so he could have faster internet speed.
They need a power source and want to connect to the circuit in his room but my hoarder says that one is already over loaded with all his computer stuff, TV and other electronics in his bedroom.
So he is planning to do some major electrical wiring this weekend. I'm scared.
He also promised to fix that leak under the kitchen sink that he "fixed" several times before.
I can't do anything around here because he always complains that I'm getting in his way.
So maybe I will just sit on the couch and watch movies.


WAY TO GO Karl! Good luck with the inspection. :D

I'm so glad. It was really fun planning everything with you I almost felt like I was there! Thank you for the chat last night, too. Between you and Sally (thank you Sally!) I had a lot of company and good conversation all night.

I hope you do make it a regular thing, hosting dinners and games at your house. And I hope the inspection goes well for you to today, do keep us informed.

I am just getting up and its fairly early for me but I slept well. I plan to get back to tackling my boxes and bags today... ughughugh! I can see a little progress but it seems like slow going.

I got a package in the mail yesterday - 2 books, one is Buried in Treasure and it looks really great... will start reading it today.

It went quite well! We socialized as people arrived (and those who'd seen the place before were impressed at the improvement). Around 7pm I moved to kitchen duty, and when the last guest arrived around 7:45, I served the food. It was a little bit cramped with five people at the small table, but it worked out. After everybody had finished dessert, we moved back to the living room and played a game; everyone enjoyed that, too.

I ended up using some of my bedroom as stash space for stuff that still needs a "home" location. That's not good. I think I'll leave it there until after the inspection, and then make a decision.

Karl I am in the chat where, come baaaaaaack. I see you in there!

How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go How did it go?!

Three of the guests aren't going to make the early arrival, so I figured I should phone the 4th one and tell her she might as well delay, too. Then I got caught up in multi-tasking, and suddenly noticed the time! She was already on her way when I called, and it wasn't worth going back, but she said she had a couple of other things she could do along the way.

I still have some stuff in the living room that needs to go back into the linen closet; I'll do that next.

Ohyes Karl... thinking about you and sending good vibes your way for the dinner party and clean-up for the landlords, I have enjoyed talking to you so much this week and Kara as well.

Sorry I missed the chat today, I was out.

Hello everyone! I enjoy reading what everyone is doing and finding similarities hehehe. I watched Project Runway last night!

Love the link, Tillie, thank you.

I posted more about what I am doing in the Depression where as it had a lot to do with that and other mood stuff.

I went to the doctor today and it went really well and I was so proud of myself for going, and especially for driving myself with no one with me.

I cleaned the kitchen today and put draino in the tub which is stopped up for some reason, I hope it unclogs good grief what an unpleasant situation. If not I will ask my son-in-law to take a look at it or my plumber son if he comes to town anytime soon.

Took care of the dog as usual, he hates it when I leave him here alone and is always so excited to see me come home! Too funny.

I have still been fighting fatigue and general malaise but am hoping to get better soon, it usually comes in 3 or 4 day spurts. Still trying to do SOMEthing every time I get up even if its just to find a piece of yard trash to throw away and count for the August Challenge, so fun.

I vacuumed yesterday and did the kitchen floor during a 15 minute buddy system with Karl, I think that was Wednesday early morning I am not sure if I already posted about that it was so good to get that done.

This evening/tonight I am watching Hoarders, several episodes will be on maybe I will see Cory. He stopped in for the chat again for just a few minutes yesterday and left us some encouraging words and hurrahs for accomplishments, he was busy with office work.

Tally Ho and Happy Trails!

I think dinner party and inspection on the same weekend is less stressful than the sum of their parts; the theory is that I only have to clean once.

Bad day yesterday. I went grocery shopping for the final items for the party, but I managed to misplace my shopping list just before going out the door (I later found I'd accidentally combined it with the bit of trash I'd been holding in the same hand), so I had to go by memory. Then the store was out of two of the things I'd planned on buying. After I got home, I was feeling down and I spent hours in the youtube rat hole instead of cleaning. I decided to go with Jell-O for the salad course, and I remembered to prepare it before going to bed so that it could set overnight.

I'll make at least an appearance for the Friday chat (which starts in 15m), but I'm going to make a second try at the missing grocery items first, so I'll be late arriving.

Packing Checklist Packing stocking up packing and more packing. Oh drat I forget the food. checklist checklist ..... Got a logo design job offer .... buying plastic bowls....... caahhput!!!

AND relax.

Good morning :)

Hi Karl :)
WTG! on all your maintenance and getting ready for guests. Yes, I did suggest the blankets under the mattress storage. ;)
Great idea for storing the 3D glasses! :D

Hi Kara :)
Have a wonderful time!

Hi Barb :)
So wonderful that you are having your teeth fixed! :D

Hi Mare :)

Hi Diane :)
All that hard work sounds like it really made that area so pleasant and useful now.
WAT TO GO!!!! :D

Hi MayMay :)

Hi Roxie :)
WAY TO GO! for getting groceries. :D

Hi Dianne :)
Thank you ;D

Hi to anyone I missed and to those who read hear but don't post too.

My To-Dos for today...
Water stuff outside.
Tidy up inside.
Get ready for the weekend when my hoarder will be here. Maybe, just maybe he will do something positive around here. Maybe he will really fix the leak under the kitchen sink. Maybe I am just fooling myself.

TGIF! :D

Hi everybody! :)

WAY TO GO Barb! :D

GREAT JOB diane! :D

HAVE FUN Kara! :D

Hi Roxie,
Yes I live in Ohio. I don't know any pro cleaners or organizers in Indiana though. I didn't know that you could just go in and ask about doing a police ride along. That's cool! :)

HAVE FUN at your party Karl! :D

Hi Mare! :D

Hi Tillie! :D

Hello hello hello everybody! :)

Have had no internet all day today.
I used to handle all the finances, pay all bills, budget out all expenses.
Never had any late payments or added on fees.
But my hoarder didn't like that he could not just buy anything he wanted at the drop of a hat. That we had to budget in the more expensive purchases and that took time and thought.
So he quit depositing his pay check into the bank account and instead took his check to the casino and cashed it there.
Since he was in the casino he would gamble.
I could not pay the bills because there was no money in the bank account.
So I took all the statements and banking stuff and dumped it all on him.
He has had to deposit his pay checks and now has automatic deposit for it.
Some of the bills he pays online, some he has to pay by mail or in person.
He always has a huge stack of bills on his desk.
He always waits till we get a call that services will be cut off if payment is not received by sundown that day.

Anyway,
When he came home from work today and discovered we had no internet here all day he got back in the truck and drove into town shortly before the phone company closed for the day and paid the bill.

So, my being off line today is hoarding/squalor related, again. :(

TTYL :)

I meant to mention this earlier. Some weeks ago on the chat, I mentioned that I had a pair of red/blue 3d glasses that I don't use very often; I was wondering about a logical place to keep them. The consensus was that near the TV would be best (though I'm at least as likely to want them at the computer, or maybe even for a 3d comic book). I was worried that they're likely to get moved around even if the TV tray is their designated "home".

This week I realized that I could make a more specific home for them. My original thought was to make a pouch out of paper or cardboard, but then I realized that I could just use an envelope instead; there were several reply envelopes in recycling just from opening the day's mail. I picked one of the right size, taped it to the side of the TV set, and put the glasses inside. Perfect! Now they have an exact home, and they're not taking up space that could be used for anything else.

Roxie said: Mare, if you have CFS (CFIDS) or the like, yes, there are definitely days in which there is little to no energy. That is one reason the slow and steady approach is better than the enthusiastic "let's jump in" approach, although there is sometimes space for that, too. I am glad you continue to post and read and share with us.

Yes, I do have CFIDS and also FM but I have more good days than bad, thankfully. I like the slow and steady yes, have to be careful not too push too hard or I will relapse, you are right.

Thank you, I really appreciate everyone here, the boards and the chats, so helpful and encouraging... it has really made me feel welcome and not alone.

Congratulations to all for the recent progress; I won't go through individual names... I didn't get to bed until 5am, was a bit restless, but didn't get up until 2pm. Not fully conscious yet.

I posted the official invite saying the party would begin at 4pm, got a response from one guest suggesting that for a dinner party as opposed to a pot luck style event, I probably should have said what time dinner will be served.

I still have some (hopefully minor) maintenance decluttering to get done, and vacuum the carpet / wash the tile floors and other surfaces. My idea here is that if I end up not getting everything done by party time, it'll be good enough for friends at least, and I'll still have a bit of time to work on it more before the landlords inspect it on Saturday.

Was in Chat room for a number of hours yesterday, just in case anyone wanted to pair up and do 15 with me. Karl joined for two 15 mins sessions.

Today I awoke late and needed to get a shower at the local Salvation Army charity store (also know as Sally Anne's). I washed my hair before going away at the weekend with the girls.

Packed my clothes and charged up the batteries for camera and checked my list kit list.

Spent 2 hours people watching at local outdoor cafe before browsing a store for cheap furniture to use as a storage facility in the bedroom. Was good as I didn't give in to buying on the spot.

Now back home and ready to de-hoard with someone. Music is optional.

Away over weekend to next tuesday, so no support in chat room from me til wed at the earliest.

Dianne, loved the long post about the junk you got rid of, how are you doing today? You are so kind to everyone, hope you are that kind to yourself. Guess I should take that advice and take a shower today!!!! Sure appreciate all that you share on her, you have a good, loving heart Dianne

Good morning everyone. No lake yet Tillie, supposed to have thunderstorms every afternoon, so just here working away. Cleaned and painted the end of the little room where green toilet lived for 20 years. I pulled up the gross carpet and a board under it, and there was squalor or should I say SQUALOR there. I almost thought I could just put storage rack there then said, no better pull carpet up, and so glad I did it the right way. Carpet was full of mouse pee and droppings, not the way I want my life to be anymore. You have taught me I deserve better. This room had never been painted and was stacked with stuff, every square inch, almost to ceiling, wow, how did I let it get so bad. Took 2 and 3 coats of paint. The ceiling is just all kinds of boards, some brown, some grey, so now all white. Now have access to the water shut off, need to finish insulating those pipes today. There are two windows in that little room, I discovered. Now there is daylight, just hoard before. Hope none of you let it get this bad. Last night I painted some boards for fun. Love those empty paint cans. Think I will have the 95 gallon garbage cart full for pickup tomorrow, fun day, on a hunt for junk to fill it to brim. Going to try to match bins with lids today, no small task, they are all clean and ready to go. Scared to use them until I make clear decisions what will go in, and label so only that goes in, don't want to label any "junk" ones without lids or in poor condition will be filled with donations, which I will have plenty of!!!! Already getting warm, so hot yesterday while working, but was determined to get that section of room done. Hope all goes well for all of us today, your posts tell me how much you all want to improve, yippee.

Yesterday I couldn't do much. I spent most of the morning in the dentist's chair getting one of my back teeth drilled and a temporary crown fitted. The whole left side of my face was numb and I was tired. I had not slept well the night before worrying about the procedure. It went much better than expected, but was still tiring. I could not eat solid food until 7:00 p.m.
Like most of you, I do not have dental insurance. But my dentist is good about letting me pay for it in increments.
I am a little anxious today. My vacation is coming to an end. I start back to work at 7:30 on Monday morning.
As usual, I had overly ambitious plans for cleaning the clutter over my vacation. There is still a lot left to do.
But I did get to the dentist and eye doctor. I did get the kitchen and bathroom really clean and have kept both rooms clean. I have stayed current with laundry (clothes, underwear, towels, etc. that I need for every day use) It feels great to have a clean, well-organized kitchen to prepare meals in and eat in. It feels good to be able to take a shower and brush my teeth in a clean bathroom without clothes all over the floor.
My first priority is to keep those rooms clean and uncluttered. My second priority is to do all the daily and weekly tasks of laundry, cooking and cleaning, garbage removal, and vacuuming.
This weekend, I will review my goals and try to set realistic expectations for maintenance and decluttering each week. There are little projects that need to be done--like caulking the shower. There are big projects that I need to hire out to a plumber, electrician and drywall specialist. But I can't hire them until there is room for them to work.
All this can be overwhelming unless I break each task down into small increments. Procrastination is also a big temptation.
I really like this forum. It helps me focus on the plan. It keeps me moving forward. Instead of climbing back in bed and pulling the covers over my head, I can get one thing done. Then another. Even if I only get a few things done, it feels so much better than falling backwards.
I'll check back in later today and let you know what I accomplished.