I finished my performance evals at 1045. Not proud of that. One of them, I couldn't get my rhythm on it. On the other one, the person was inconsistent and but luckily ended on a good note. I tried not to read their self evals because they both think they are tops and they are not. One could be but I don't trust the person. At all. The other just phones it in and wants to be praised all the time. So I had to avoid being aggravated. We will see what the person above me says and whether she sends any of them back to me for revision. I think the ones I did on Friday should be okay.

I did get out. Went to the grocery store and walked around some of the other stores for a while. Got the garbage out which was good. Now I need to go to bed. Due back in office tomorrow.

SubC I just needed to check in with you. Didn't mean to be so dramatic. I was having trouble last year. I will say that now that my mother has passed, I feel better. I was under terrible stress.

I also need to lose weight, ladies. I'd lost 40 lbs then BF left and the mom situation so I'm ready to lose weight again. Plus I plan to go overseas in Sept to see BF so I better be back to where I was! I miss wearing my clothes most of all. My pretty blue clothes. Blue and white.

Hi Tatoulia!

Did you go out?

Hi everybody!

I'm realizing how that could have sounded. I'm not saying Dh would be better off without me (although a case could possibly be made that he had better options.) I'm just saying his life would be easier. Sometimes I feel bad about that and wish I was less trouble.

My life would be easier if I didn't teach. Not better. Just easier.

Good luck on your performance reviews. I empathize.

I am doing pretty well today. Yoga, shower, brushed teeth, clean clothes, washed and dried a load of laundry, unloaded the dishwasher, healthy lunch, and even had a dance party with Bean. And Bean and I cleaned up our toys and dishes before he went home.

Dh is making dinner. I will probably just relax tonight after I finish chores.

Hi everyone. This is a tough time of year. Not enough light, too cold, etc. I'm glad you watched a movie with your husband. He would never, ever be better off without you. You are his glue and his anchor.

Had a good time with friend yesterday. Today I slept in way too late and now it's 215 and I'm in my pjs, just had breakfast, and there's a cat in my lap, purring away.

I do need to get out today. I cannot wait for the sun to go down and use that as my sorry excuse. I cannot forget it's trash night, either, and I'll have to clean everyone's litter boxes.

I have two performance evaluations to do. I did two on Friday and have two more due. I do not want to do them in the office because we've consolidated from three floors into two and I no longer have a management space. So I just need to start and finish those today. No excuses. One will be easier to write than the other.

Okay everyone I am grateful you are here. I'll get dressed, go out, and report back.

The dark and cold are definitely issues. Mostly the dark. The sun did come out yesterday.

I got through three sections of evaluations yesterday. Total of 8 left to go - I'll do those tomorrow then polish them up on wed and Fri.. Dh invited me to watch a movie last night (we have a projector that hooks to our computer and a big screen we made from a sheet during the pandemic.) so I stayed up too late.

I eat dairy and eggs. (I have goats and chickens remember) my weight problem is too many carbs, not enough exercise. Sitting for hours doing evaluations doesn't help. And I use up all my willpower making myself do it.

I didn't snack during the movie.

I don't really sub anything for meat, I just don't eat it. I eat a lot of vegetarian Indian food and pasta and soup dishes. Also "ingredients". Dinner last night was rice, steamed broccoli and walnuts. Not together. Only the rice and broccoli made it to a plate. I actually don't eat much cheese right now because I have an allergy to A1 cow milk and the goats are dried off. I've recently learned it's only the A1 and been buying A2 at the store for my cereal instead of almond milk - which is probably a bad choice.

5 degrees out this morning and I need to go do chores and pick up Bean. Brrr. You'd think I'd lose weight keeping warm...

Hang in there, ladies...

Other than going to vigil Mass Saturday evening, I have done nothing but veg during this bitter cold spell. Didn't even change out of jammies today. And I'm not even going to feel guilty about it. One more day, and then the temperature will moderate. I played the keyboard this morning and I've been reading the final Harry Potter book. I don't like cabin fever at all, but it is too cold to go out.

This has been a special report from the Boredom News Network.

oh SubC, you sound pretty low. You sure have a lot on your plate right now, and do you think the long dark cold winter gets you down?

Maybe we could start posting on the Declutter Your Waistline thread again. I too have regained weight, probably 10 pounds. I am quite disappointed in myself but continue cramming food in my face as an avoidance of doing other things.

I also want to cut more animal products out. SubC, you are vegetarian too, right? Do you eat dairy and/or eggs? I myself just a year and a half ago cut out meat at my doctor's urging, but I have continued to eat dairy and eggs. I switched to almond milk for cereal and cooking, and Silk half and half for my coffee, but I eat cheese, sour cream, yogurt. I also eat fish once in awhile, maybe twice a month.

I would love to hear how you and possibly others sub out healthier options for eggs and cheese, sour cream, etc.

Cutting out "junk" would go a long way too... sugary things, processed things, fried things.

I did not decluttering today. I needed a break.

I did do 2 loads of laundry though, and got Son to vacuum and take out trash, so that is something.

Good afternoon.

I have "finished" two sections of evaluations. (Actually I'm a little stressed about the extent of the additional information I need from the kids on Friday). My lesson plans are "conferences and independent work on finishing projects or free sculpt" as in "don't expect me to help you with anything today because I'm going to be meeting with you individually to try to finish your evaluations."

I'm making notes to try to build in more of this as I go next year.

Right now I need to take a break and do something different.

All I really want to do is eat sugar and carbs. I am so fat. I have never been this fat before in my life. Even when I was pregnant I weighed less that this when I got home after giving birth. My joints hurt. I'm keeping Dh awake snoring. I hate it. I don't seem to have the energy to make healthy choices and still keep up with everything else. Except I'm not even keeping up with everything else.

And like, the stove - I'm just like "I don't know. Dh cleans the stove." Sometimes I think about how easy his life would be if he didn't have me to take care of.

SubC, I'm sorry you woke up sad. The cold air surely does make up snap out of it a bit, in some way, even if still struggling.

Hope, this hoard has been massive. My house is probably 3000 square feet and most of it was full of stuff. Every closet and spare room crammed to the brim and spilling out. Ex's den was full to the top with a teeny pathway from door to bed. I went back last night and scrolled through the topics and in 2016 I used to post as "wife." You can see them by looking at who started the thread. And 3000 square feet does not include the shed and the two car garage that was stuffed full of junk.

Three yard sales, countless trips to the donation place, giving away big things online, I mean it has to be like 1500 square feet of junk that has come out of here already.

Totsfam is moving in with us this week, and there are 5 of them (3 kids) and although I am clearing, I still have my furniture and functional stuff and have no idea where they are going to put everything like pots and pans. One of us will probably pack up or stay packed... we'll see. I plan to buy a smaller home and move out in a year or so. They are definitely displacing the hoard. I have two small kids bedrooms still pretty hoarded up with toys and random junk that I will keep working on.

Hope, when the mail comes in, ALL the junk and ads go into the trash, and never get set down. The rest, if I have time, get opened... envelopes in trash, bills and action items in my action tote, the rest in a box to be filed if I am keeping it. However I admit I often don't have time, and after I throw out the junk I toss the rest on the bar/counter in the kitchen. It piles up. I am working on the habit.

Stove grease: Dawn Powerwash spray is great for the outside/top!! Just spray it (soak) and let sit 10 minutes, then wipe off with paper towels and scrub with a scrubber. I really like Scrub Daddy sponges for this but use what you have that has a scrubby side. Then, wipe it with paper towels and spray with Dawn Powerwash again and let sit 10 min, repeat.

Somewhere in there if needed you can use Bartender's Friend powder to scrub more. I also bought a razor blade scraper which gets all the burned on stuff off a glass cooktop.

I hope this helps... for inside the stove I use the self cleaner when I am home. I don't like the chemical stuff but if needed you can use that.

Having coffee, will start on the hoard again soon.

Thanks for letting me vent and for support guys. Still catching up on posts replying to what I read so far.

SubC - glad to see that your day is beginning to look up and that you got out to get some air and love the advise that you gave on the categories. Also, great job on pressing through the evaluations. Living life while dealing with the hoard is a job itself.

Lila - seems that you are making wonderful progress. Your consistent purge is an inspiration. When are totsfam coming again? Also, what impact if any will they have on the hoard?

Tat - great job on dishwasher and laundry. I count it all because it matters. Today, I had to tidy the front porch (again) and I packed up books I got stuck on yesterday morning but I counted it progress because i got something done. I'm also glad that your friend is coming. Everyone has something that they are not proud of/great at. I understand the anxiety of your friend coming. The main thing is that you remain proud of the progess that you are making because only you know all the details about what you are going through and what it takes to dig out.

In addition to the above, I told a close family member about my situation. They want to help. I was close to saying yes but realized how cold it is in here at times. I'm having trouble focusing on this post. Really struggling through all of this. I will post again later or tomorrow.

I also appreciate any tips on how you handle mail and for cleaning a stove with grease build up.

Good morning.

I woke up sad and miserable today.

But now the sun is out and I have ventured into the crisp (7F) air to do chores and am feeling a bit better. Feeling hopeful about cranking through these evaluations, although the ones today will unfortunately be more incomplete than yesterdays - upside, I have been making lesson plans for each class that will allow me to finish off their evaluations as I go so my Wednesday is completely prepped.

Lila, I know this is easier said than done, but try not to keep things that make you sad.

Tatoulia, good to see you. I hope you feel rested after your day of sleep. Taking care of yourself is important.

SubC, the categories are a good way to look at some of these things. Especially the toys and dress up clothes and such. Thank you.

I do have a lot of sentimental 'stuff' even though I got rid of a LOT of it. Papers my kids wrote or drew, artwork of theirs, things that they loved as little kids.

And things that were my parents or grandparents.

All of those things make me acutely aware of the passing of time. It is a very uncomfortable feeling.

Lol Tatoulia - I don't feel active. I spent most of the day moving between my low work table and the couch. I did chores twice and put away a load of laundry. But I have finished the fourth section I set out for myself.

I have the same number to do tomorrow, but I may cut myself some slack. I can "finish" them on Tuesday, add attendance and any final, project details to the Wednesday class ones on Wednesday, do the same thing Friday, and then turn them in and not let them ruin my weekend next weekend.

Tatoulia, I hope you get done whatever you feel like you need to get done, but please don't beat yourself up. Grief takes it's own time and it's own path.

Hi everyone!

I'm not caught up on posts. Sorry about that. Everyone is being active and that's great! Hope I noticed you had to post about an upset. I'm so sorry. I'll read all posts in a little bit.

I slept all day. Nearly all day. I. Got up at 7, fed the cats, talked to BF on the phone (our time difference made for a good time to talk), went back to bed, then got up around one to feed the cats and make some coffee. Talked to BF some more, then fell asleep. Now it's 9 PM and I'm running the dishwasher and doing laundry, which you know I do not count (for me and me only) as doing something because it comes naturally to me.

I'm writing more thank you notes with respect to my mother's passing. In total, I've written probably 25. Still more to go.

My neatest friend is coming over tomorrow. I need to show some progress from last time she was here. For me and her.

Ah! They are grandkid clothes that belong at tot's house!

Which will be your house next week. lol!

I have finished the third section of evaluations. And eaten dinner.

Here is what I think about the "special" things - there are three categories:

1) actually this isn't so special - it's not good enough for the grands to use and/or it makes me sad.

2) this is special and I want the grandkids to use it and now is the time!

3) everything else.

Category 3 is complicated (it is more than one category really.) bin it up.

Category 2 is easy! Put it out - while you are putting it out, look for things that can go because they are being replaced - the special thing fills the same spot in the dress ups or play kitchen or dollhouse, or now there are too many blocks/stuffed toys/games/art supplies/cars/blankets and the special one is better. Get rid of those instead.

Category 1 is harder, but bite the bullet and let those go. (If a category 1 isn't in good enough shape for the grands but it makes you happy, move it to category 3.

Hopefully you'll be able to get rid of some stuff even if it is different stuff.

SubC, they are TotsMom's clothes (belong to her) but fit the grandkids! She had brought them over when I was watching them for a few days, but they were in my dirty hamper. I washed them and put them in the playpen which is silly but they have been in there awhile. So I finally folded them up and put them all in a bag to give back to her.

I don't know what time TotsDad is coming today but it is maybe the final push to get those 2 rooms completed. I decided that if I am really struggling on that last bit, I have permission to bin it up and deal with it later. I would guess the huge room has about 3 bins worth of things I was keeping. But the catch is, it is where I keep all the "special" stuff. I dunno, maybe as I look at it, it won't feel so special anymore. I have issues, I know it. There are toys and clothes and blankets and all kinds of stuff that triggers memories from 20 years ago. It would take a lot of time and anxiety for me to just get rid of a bunch of it today. So we will see how it goes.

Hope, I am so sorry about your relationship. I don't know if you want to fix it or end it, but I will say that like the hoard, you are not going to be happy if it stays where it is.

Dh and I have had our moments, and the hoarding has been a big part of that. It took us years to realize we weren't actually communicating and more years to really start trying, and we are STILL working on doing it well. But I am fortunate that there was never a moment when we didn't know we loved each other and wanted to make it work.

Also good job on getting three bags out!

Lila, why do you have totsmom's clothes?

Second section done. Dh left with the thrift stuff. Going to do something that involves moving around.

SubC, that's great that things are leaving your house! And, you are getting evaluations done too.

Hope, I can feel your anger on this. It is so hard being with someone who really doesn't care. I would be upset too if plaster etc was being knocked down on stuff. Who gets to clean that up? Well, my ex was similarly unhelpful/pretending. I remember years ago I posted an angry rant on here because a pipe had leaked in the storage room where all his hoard was contained. I was super excited because he had agreed that he needed to take everything out and get rid of the ruined things! Yay, right?? Wrong. He took the stuff out and laid it all over the yard for WEEKS. Did not throw anything away, and then, eventually, he put it all in the garage! Filled it halfway up with his boxes! and then of course began to hoard up the storage room again.

So that is the stuff we have been sorting. Moldy boxes of 25 year old receipts, junk mail, and burned out light bulbs. Sigh.

If you think the relationship is dead, it probably is. I used to post on here fantasizing about him moving out or being gone so I could be rid of his hoard. Try not to let it eat you up inside. I know it hurt me emotionally to swell on that for so long. Being alone is better.

Good job on the books, Hope! And the other things too. You are doing a great job working through the clutter.

Today I took almost everything out of the playpen. I bagged up clothes that belong to TotsMom, laid mine on the bed to put away, folded the blankets, threw out a bunch of papers, donated a few things. Still working on it but taking a short break.

DISCLAIMER, Have to get this out as a reminder to me. Need to recenter myself then I'll return to read and reply to your prior posts.

CAUTION -- NEGATIVE RANT.

Got up very early, couldn't sleep so decided to try to clear more of the hoard. I was so determined and engaged in my decluttering that I lost track of time. I managed to sort through 7 of 10 bins of books as well as another 4 bins of basically junk. Ended up tossing another 3 bags of garbage. Was Feeling great and still progressing through the hoard UNTIL the partner/other half (which I will refer to as TPOH going forward) wakes up and angrily states that they are hungry. Nervous as hell, I apologetically state I was trying to clear the hoard but I will make something. To their credit they worked yesterday. However, I only recently became unemployed and have always worked longer days than Tpoh.
I did not create this hoard alone but I accept responsibility for it because it's mostly mine (as I already cleared most of Tpoh's hoard). Anywhoo, after Tpoh eats, they try to act as if they are going to help. They start tearing down plaster that has begun falling in the family room without covering anything (including the books that I was sorting). I know the expectation was for me to say about their stupidity so they would stop "helping" BUT instead I just sat motionless while the idiocrasy continued. I wanted to see how long the idiot would continue faking help. Just as I thought almost 10 minutes later - NOT A SECOND MORE, the IDIOT grabbed a jacket and proceeded to leave the house. Again, I was supposed to ask where they were going but at that point I really didn't care. When Tpoh returned, they asked what do you want me to help with. LOL, I wanted to but I didn't. Instead, I just looked at them with a blank stare and swallowed every bit of profanity that welled up in me. A few minutes later I reminded them of the trash that I had already stacked and advised that they could discard. They went and looked at it (again) and I told them they didn't have to do it now so they would get the hell out of my face. I couldn't take the sight of them a second longer PRETENDING TO HELP OR CARE.

My entire life has been spent genuinely helping and rescuing others so this fake help x*@*!!!! I can't be bothered with it. Frustrated because if I had done to others what they are doing to me now, my house would probably be spotless.

Of course I had a melt down (in private) because of this. So to answer a prior question, I don't live alone but I'm alone in this journey. It's painful but I'm going to keep allowing this pain to fuel me to dig myself out of this mess of a house and relationship!!

it's better to act like you don't see the hoard or not offer to help than to pretend you are going to help, then don't!!!

Lila, you are doing really, really well!

I am so glad you are burning up the logs and enjoying the fire instead of storing something that might be a fire hazard!

I have mad3 a start on evaluations again. I broke what I want to ge5 done today into 4 sections and I have finished the first section.

Dh is still working on his sound system and has been putting around moving things and interrupting me to ask questions.

The car is loaded with that chair, it's matching ottoman, my box of donations, some things Dh is ready to get rid of, and a small occasional table (also a Dh belonging - from mil). I don't count Dh things in or out, but I am happy to have the box going so I can't second guess.

Ok, back to work!

SubC, that is an interesting thought, sable. I will look around and think about that as well.

I agree on the toys, another hard thing. I might bin up one bin of things the girls are not fans of, for the boys when they come to visit. But one bin, not 10 bins like I used to do. I still have a plastic trash can full of my stuffed animals from my childhood, and I need to either give them to the kids who want them or let them go. It is pointless really.

This morning I am home and it is 1 degree. I have a big fire going in the fireplace. I found about 6 boxes of Duraflame logs in the garage from about 20 years ago when I was scared my heat would be shut off again... then later I found that those don't put off much heat like a real wood fire. Anyway, I have a wood fire going now but we are about out of firewood, so I plan to throw those logs on the fire this morning to keep it going a bit and take the edge off the cold in the living room. Plus I just like a fire. When TotsDad comes I will let it go out and we will work.

I never would have believed, 10 or 15 years ago, that I would be able to get so many things out of my house. I mean, I have had several yard sales over the years and given a lot away and sold things. But there is this "base level" hoard that never moved, do you know what I mean friends? The stuff that just stays... the stuff you don't touch or deal with? Aside from ex's stuff, that baseline stuff is what we are doing now. Furniture. "Special" things. Stuff I have always thought I "needed." This is the hardest part of the hoard and I don't know how I would have done this without TotsDad. I may have done it but it would have taken at least 5 years instead of a month or two.

Good morning.

Snow on the ground, high winds, temps in the 20s all day.

Today's goal will be banging out evaluations.

Lila, I think once the littles are there and playing in the room, you will have more clarity about what should be in it. Particularly on some of the stuff you are "saving for them" too many toys is overwhelming. It is best to just keep the favorite ones.

This week I discovered a new term "sable" "stash accumulated beyond life expectancy" this is definitely an issue for me. I am unlikely to live long enough to use up all of my craft materials and finish all of my project ideas. Maybe CM can relate.

It also applies to things like my children's books though. If I read Bean 5 or 6 books every week, and he wants his favorites over and over again, I simply won't have time to read them all to him before he is too old to enjoy the story. We only read half the Christmas books this year.

hi SubC! Glad to see you. I've been posting on the Daily Tally to help my anxiety about what we are doing. We are down to the stuff that has not been touched, hard stuff. But we are doing it.

TotsDad mainly needs those two rooms and the garage to be done so he can move in. He will have their beds and such in the huge room, and is bringing his exercise equipment and a wall mount tv for the family room, and then whatever he brings that doesn't fit in those rooms will go in the garage.

This does affect the rest of the house because anything moved but not donated/thrown out is migrating to other spaces. I probably also need to make space for some of their things in the kitchen.

And I am sorting the smaller bedrooms upstairs so the kids can play and I can keep some things, but that can continue on after they move in.

They want to move in this week, which is why the big push. The furniture did get picked up. I really almost wanted to keep it. But that was emotional, not practical.

Conversation with TotsDad:

me: This is getting really hard.
him: why?
me: I dunno, it's just hard.

Then we got to work.

TotsDad came for an hour and a half, and we:

- moved all the tools and related items to the storage/tool room
- he organized the laundry room shelves and I threw out several old things and we moved cleaners out of the family room
- sorted the remaining boxes
- put an office chair in my room to try with my desk in there
- got rid of extra cords
- donated a bunch of dog toys
- swept the floor
- took the bin of fragile items that we took off the big desk, and brought it upstairs to keep under my bed
- got rid of a bunch of dowels, trim, rods, etc from the corner

So we got a lot done.

Hi all!

Lila, I was teaching, and then I was staying after for two hours to fire the kiln and grade stuff. Great job on the tank tops!

Did the furniture get picked up?

Totsdad sounds ambitious! You have been getting an amazing amount done though. By "done" does he mean just those two rooms? How empty is "pretty much empty"?

Hope, I also think that cleaning half the living room is very impressive. And that it is nice that you could meditate by the fire. I'm currently sitting on the floor in front of the woodstove eating cold pizza out of the box.

Did you go for a walk?

Where are all my peeps???

I am working hard as TotsDad is coming back over shortly and he is hoping to be "done" today. I don't know about THAT but I am trying.

I posted the big huge computer stand/desk combo from the family room online and someone is supposed to be picking it up shortly! To do this I had to take everything off it and dust it and put stuff somewhere. I did that!

I also sorted stacks of books and videos that were on the floor into keep, donate, and trash (some were moldy because they got wet at some point).

I have been going through the last of ex's bins, mostly just consolidating books and getting them ready for TotsDad to put them in the garage.

Part of this is so hard because it is stuff I have had forever, like the furniture. Some of it I do NOT want to look at or deal with or think about, but I have to. It is somewhat stressful.

But the goal is just to get ex's room and family room pretty much empty for Totsfam to move in.

It is exhausting but getting done.

Hope, wow, half the living room is amazing progress! How wonderful that you had someone willing to support you on the phone through that. I too have a fireplace and it is so relaxing the few times a year I use it! It sounds like you live alone, Hope. Wondering if you have kids or grandkids that are part of the equation? My kids are all 18 and up, two live with me, and I think the reason I've been able to keep the main house areas functional all these years is them. But it's still embarrassing how cluttery it is. Teen (who is 18) says to me, "you're a hoarder!" and it makes me feel bad. My son who is father to my grandkids who I call Tot, Acorn, and Star, is very very supportive but jokes and says I'm a hoarder too. Like when I hesitate to get rid of things, he laughs a little and says that... but it is very good natured, and so, I try to prove him wrong! I'm in my mid 50s by the way.

I'm separated for a year and a half, from my ex who was also a hoarder but maybe more deeply entrenched than I. He grew up in poverty so he saves everything. When sorting I found piles of used paper towels, every bit of junk mail for 18 years, every receipt since the 80's and I mean even receipts where he paid cash for milk or bread. He saved burned out light bulbs, wrapped in used paper towels, drained batteries, pens that stopped working and have no ink, pencil stubs. So this is why it has been difficult sorting his tubs and boxes which I HAD to sort as mice got into the boxes. I believe I sorted about 40 large bins/boxes and what is left is about 25. The rest was trash. He would never have allowed me to do this with him here, but when we were married, if he went away on a trip and I cleaned/purged a bit he never complained much. Only if he was present would he get enraged if I threw out a scrap of paper or old light bulb.

Anyway. There's a bit of me.

Today I will continue to work on boxes and bins in his room, my room, and the family room. Let's update each other as we progress!

Thanks Lila and SubC.

I appreciate your transparency and advise. It helps to know that you are not alone and someone understands. Made a lot of progess yesterday or at least I'm proud of what I got done. I cleaned 1/2 of my family room. I discarded 2 bins and 3 trash bags of junk. I can see the walls and was able to use my fireplace. I rewarded myself at the end of the evening by meditating in front of the fireplace. Felt good but also painful because it made me remember how beautiful my home used to be. I had support person (relative) on the phone with me for almost 4 hours which helped me get through. I don't call the person much (for support) because I don't want scare them off. I call when I really need help and yesterday I used that lifeline and made progress. Like yesterday, not going to commit to anything other than making some type of progress. the goal is to throw away more junk. Wish I could do better but right now this is unfortunately my best.

Lila - congrats on getting through the dresser and for pivoting when you got stuck. I love SubC's advise on the tanks and the fact that you were able to donate 8 tanks!!! Great job.

SubC - congrats on getting through the evaluations and getting the tree down and decorations away. Also, thanks so much again. My hygiene has never really been an issue but lately I've struggled to take care of myself like I used to. Most days just trying to survive. I'm drained from the jobsearch and closed doors. I am however getting out and staying out of bed daily. I also make my bed daily. I am still isolating but may force myself to go for a walk. I did meditate again this morning.

ok off to the hoard....I'll circle back with my progress.

Good work getting the tree out, SubC. And the evaluations. I dislike paperwork myself.

I took all those tank tops and tees out of the drawer again, and this time I donated 8 of them!! Thanks for the help with that. I have space in the drawer now for something I wear and like.

I am inspired by the desk in my room and the lack of dust and hair in that corner. But, imagine all those tubs and piles I talked about before... and now most of them are ON my bed or surrounding my bed! I don't think I can even get TO my bed. And it's evening. So, I do need to go back in there and find room for all the displaced stuff. Maybe that will help me get rid of more. I do feel good about it.

I am clean and in my pajamas.

Lila, I forgot to say that I hope you like your new room. I hope the change helps you see it with new eyes and inspires you and makes you happy.

Good evening.

Lila, I'm glad if I can help you. You guys are a lot of help to me.

It's not the teaching. It's the paperwork. I would gladly teach four days a week if I didn't have to fill out forms, grade things, and write evaluations. Every course I teach literally has an extra 20% of it's classroom time that I have to spend on that outside of class. Ok, I just did the math on that three times, and it's true. And it's depressing. For every five hours I spend in the room with my kids, I spend an hour doing paperwork. Not lesson planning, just paperwork.

Bleh.

Anyway, the tree is down (it's lying in the yard with the stand still attached. I'll deal with that the next time I'm home and it's light outside.)

The ornaments are put away. The floor is swept and vacuumed. The laundry is rewashed.

I moved both rabbit hutches into the barn.

Dh has a guitar lesson tonight. He promised me a pizza little after 8. So i had a light snack and I'm going to do my chores, take a shower, and then work on evaluations if I have more time before pizza.

oh SubC, thank you so much! Your thought process helps me so much! I feel like I can do that with the tank tops, at least some of them can go if I look at it that way! I appreciate you.

Good job getting your work done. Teaching does sound like a lot. But I hear how rewarding it is, too, when your students appreciate you. You are making a difference.

TotsDad is here and I am taking a break, how exhausting. He took all the trash bags to the bin.... enough trash to fill the whole bin! He took about 10 totes out to the garage that I had sorted, and two boxes of donations to the car.

And... he single handedly carried that desk up the stairs and put it in my bedroom!! I am excited, and also have this weird feeling. Like... it is a big change to have a desk in there. My bedroom has been the same for 18 years. It is very weird to have a dresser in a different place and a desk in there. But it will be nice... and I will have a nice spot to do Zoom meetings now. I hope I like it. If not, I can always give the desk away and I'll still have the cleaner room.

TotsDad is organizing bins and such.

He started asking me about this bin and that bin and I got a little overwhelmed so came for a break.

But we got a whole lot done! I have a lot more work to do. Will update the daily tally.