Second to last load of laundry for today in washer

Most Christmas decorations except tree are in the den - mostly packed up. I am leaving some red bows, white lights, and a couple of snowmen up through Feb/March.

Kids are bringing Bean and dinner shortly. I will start taking the tree down in a minute while we wait and hopefully finish before bed.

By tomorrow night only "winter" decorations will be not in the basement.

Bean and I are feeding the tree to the goats tomorrow.

Hi all,

I am about halfway through catching up on the thread. Hope everyone is well and hanging in there.

Tatoulia, do you need a hormone check? I don't remember you talking about crying a lot before. Or is it just current circumstances?

It's mid Jan and I still haven't once used my bright light thing... I don't feel particularly down but usually by February I'm about to go berserk.

I have been working on packing up Christmas and started going through clothing bins in the basement. It was just a few months ago that I was trying to wrap my head around "dealing" With the basement (e.g. emptying out most of it) and now I am starting to DEAL. How about that. As I theorized (for years), I am starting with easiest categories to minimize stress and learn "letting go" techniques. I have been gradually reducing the long neglected laundry room backlog pileup, but still some to go. And now I have started going through the Clothing bins in the back corner of the storage area. I think there are about 10 or the equivalent of 10 large bins. I thought most of it was 5, 10, 15 years old so it would be 90% get rid of, but I am finding some more recent stuff that the H must have put there helping me on some previous occasions and since I am not the one who placed it there didn't remember what was back there. But I am done with one bin, almost done with an XXL bin, and starting the next XXL. So far, I have washed everything and have 2.5 kitchen garbage bags of donations. A couple pieces of garbage. Actually some of the donations are probably rag/garbage but I will let them decide just how bad they are. And I have saved some stuff. My criteria is it can't have stains, need repair, fit weird, look ugly or be too small. Actually, now that I've lost 30 lbs, I have a few things that are too large. What?! This is a new phenomenon. I like it. I had just the right amount of clothing for the Small closet and small dresser And rediscovering all my "lost clothing" is going to screw that up so I will have to do another phase of reducing/selecting when I've gotten through all the bins. Since I Basically only wear jeans and tee shirts and buy a lot at the thrift and discounted discounts on clearance, I don't sweat getting rid of something because of its value. I don't have that much invested so I am not attached into it. Also because I am cheap and fat, I tend to shop for the cheapest thing that will fit me and buy all the purple things generally. So that also makes it easier to let go of than if I was shopping for fashion. As I have gotten older I have tried harder at figuring out what I like and occasionally buying something good that I love but that's rare. If you looked at my Pinterest boards Of feminine body con vintage and haute couture fashion, you would never put it with me. As I get rid of all the extra stuff in my house, I imagine I may get to the place where I will want to make myself over and would buy some new clothes at that point, but for now I am basically dealing with discount kohl's and target mass produced stuff. Anyway! I think I have bagged up a few (5?) cubic feet of clothing leaving the house.

Also worked on 4 baskets piled up in my room of clean and dirty laundry, sorting things, picking up the s5uff that hit the floor while I was still not wanting to bend over, and folding and putting away the clean stuff...

As for Christmas, I am. Mostly done packing up. I got all the "folk art" ornies off the primitive tree and packed up, and 4 or 5 other bins packed up. I still have 2-3 oddball bins to pack up and then the tree with the vintage glass. That takes a while because you have to pack carefully. When I started decorating I did go through some bins cleaning, sorting and purging a little . Very little. I did a little more during the season, and plan to do some more once all the bins are downstairs. Unlike clothing , Christmas decorations is a hard category for me so it's more of a desensitizing project at this point. I think my goal is to reduce a little, consolidate some more, and move the bins back into the corner where the clothes are coming out of, keeping the 4-5 essential bins toward the front in case I keep things simple next year.

I had a few phone appointments with people regarding the "adulthood" documentation for my son and set up a few other appts. I could be in better shape, but I am keeping on top of it for the most part.

Also went to two post op follow up appts last week. That type of adulting is very challenging for me but I got it done and feel good about it. Still not sure about this new doctor but he's ok for now. The main thing I have GOT to get done this month is schedule an appt with nephrologist and reschedule appt for my son we had to cancel in dec due to Covid.

Did a little year end reconciling of my stitching hobby - writing up some plans, tallying spendies for 2022. Ugh! It's about what I was guessing and just a little worse. Have to give some thought to what to budget for 2023. I really want to take a trip Or three this year so... gotta find a way to make that happen.

Alright guys, that's my biweekly TOME. HUGS out to all y'all.

The ornaments and lights are off and packed up in their bins.

I took a deep breath and threw away a sentimental one that was broken. I alsosetasideone to donate.

The bins are all in the den.

The tree is in the yard.

Bean is sleeping.

Dishwasher is running.

Chores to do and one last load of wash to start.

Way to go road!

Good job on the basement and the clothes!

Also proud of you for adulting!

I did the three evaluations, plus mostly the other six - if one kid is there tomorrow, I will ask him for a missing assignment. If he is not there or doesn't have it, I will mark it missing.

Then only twelve more to do!

Then I have to convert them to PDF, upload them, and stick them in the correct files on a shared drive. This takes about 3 minutes each, so about 5 hours of that. 🙄

I returned the pottery form and left my project drying on my shelf.

Ate dinner. Did chores. Now it is bedtime.

Oh that will be great fun feeding the tree to the goats! Wish I could join.

Great job working on Christmas. I have a few things left to put away.

It was good seeing my brother. We had lunch and I gave him his Christmas gifts. He was pretty good. Very funny. We had some laughs and it was very good. Apparently his tv broke a year ago and he said he wants a new one. I told him instead of Amazon, he should pick one out at a local store and I'll get it and drop it off for him. I will make him give me the money (which he has) because this week I surprised him by ordering and paying for the phone he was trying to get on his own. Unfortunately, i kept getting a glitch every time I went to pay for the phone so now I have three phones coming my way. But the company is being good about it and telling me not to worry. In the meantime, he's having trouble getting the phones delivered. A bit of a problem but I think ultimately will work out.

So since I surprised him by paying for the phone, I won't pay for his new tv. He can do that.

So we had a good time. After I got home, BF came downtown and took me grocery shopping for mom. Mom was pretty good tonight. Thought someone had broken in and stolen a chair. This did not happen.

Now im showered and just fooling around.

I really think that the bedding is the problem right now. I normally do not sleep with any synthetic fabrics and the heated throw is synthetic. I'll stick with just my usual of layers and layers of thin cotton quilts and see if I can get up easier.

Got rid of some stuff this week!

Roommate and I made a run on Tuesday afternoon to the recycling place, dropping off plastics and cardboard. There is one temptation there - they have shelves of free books... I'm able to resist a lot more than I used to, but someone who was a writer like me apparently had belonged to the Writer's Digest Book Club or something. There were a couple of shelves of how-to-write books. Now, I realize I know a lot of the stuff that is in these books, but some of them are specific to writing craft matters pertaining to my writing that I'd like to learn more about.

So, I went through them and was very discerning as to whether they would be truly useful. I put quite a few back. I also resisted grabbing a bunch on how to write a murder mystery because that sounds like fun and we've been watching Agatha Christie's Poirot shows in the evenings. You know, the creative person's kryptonite, the "maybe someday I'll try that" vague notion, which as we all know is very dangerous - Justin Case territory! But I left them there.

I ended up with three writing books, and then in another section I found a Catholic hymn book to replace one I really like that had that got water damaged some time back. (One motivator for decluttering is to be able to get to my keyboard to play again.)

In years past, I might've carted home a couple of grocery bags full of books. So for me four is pretty darn good.

And, I've been getting rid of books in general. Took about 8 to the senior center yesterday, along with those jigsaw puzzles. About 1-1/2 cubic feet of stuff gone there. And there will be more books and who knows what.

SubC, you had mentioned that January is hard - and I think I know what you mean. I'd been on this initial roll of being relieved the holidays were past and 2022 was behind me. But in some ways I have had trouble getting going - things like the computer work, especially the file directory overhaul which still isn't done. Because of junk piled on top of my new computer! How stupid is that! It's hard not having a real desk and office space - I sit on the sofa and the computer is on a small desk just big enough for it and the mouse. Stuff that is pending either gets piled on the sofa or the computer/desk that the computer is on. I just can't get through it fast enough just yet.

Also, as I mentioned, I was battling anxiety the end of the year, so getting out when I need to is coming along but somewhat slowly - and things like going to the gym are in my mind but I'm not quite executive functioning at my best (which is a neurotypical person's mediocre, probably). I'll get there, poco a poco... I feel so fat and sluggish and I need to push through to reverse that pattern and feel energy and start to see the weight coming off.

Just want to do everything good all at once and there are only 24 hours in a day, and fewer than that actually useful; some things need to be done in daylight which I realize is increasing but not fast enough! Other things around the house get bogged down sometimes - there are ways in which what I can do is inextricably connected with what my roommate needs to do in the same time or space I need to use, which is frustrating. I'm trying to find workarounds as best I can.

So - things aren't bad, yet I just want them to be really great, and I have to be patient.

Quick response to Lila re Cubic Feet - I just sorta eyeball it. You could get a cardboard box that is roughly 12x12 inches to get an idea.

But really, any method that works for you is A-OK. Perhaps instead of limiting the thing to cubic feet, we could just have a Daily Tally Thread or something, wherein each person is free to use their preferred units of measurement.

I'm off to the library to do some computer stuff, and will drop off the last dozen or so quilting magazines while I'm there. One of those how-to-write books I got the other day, I didn't really get much out of, so it's already in the category of "to go away." I think I'll take it to the used bookstore, though, because it's a hardcover and I can probably get some trade credit for it. I'm not buying tons of books, don't worry, but on the infrequent occasion that I find something, it's nice to have a bit of trade credit on my account with them.

The other two writing books I think will really jibe well with the stage I'm at with some of my novels. So I don't feel bad about keeping them.

Hey, had an idea 💡

Would anyone else like to have a Cubic Feet Gone Thread in this Daily Chat section of the boards? I'm not one for challenges where I have to make promises ahead of time, but I sure do like noting accomplishments after the fact. Maybe it would be a user-friendly thing to spur us on.

Tatoulia, I'm glad the visit with your brother went well. Good luck with the tv.

Had fun with Bean today. He definitely enjoyed watching the goats eat the tree. He also cleared some snow off my sidewalk with his bulldozer, and we baked bread, read books, and got out his plastic animals.

I took him to the library and got some groceries after his daddy met us there and picked him up.

Didn't sleep well last night though, so I'm starting the week really tired.

I'm going to carry the 4 bins of Christmas stuff down to the basement in a minute and throw the tree "skirt" (it's a sheet) into the wash.

Then chores and bed. Lots to do before I go to school tomorrow, but I don't think tonight. Dishes are a disaster.

Good morning.

I'm a bit in pieces this morning, so please forgive me if they are jagged, I don't mean it.

CM, your thread idea sounds nice, but I don't have the bandwidth. I still want to get back to the creative stuff thread some day.

I'm really impressed with what you accomplished though. And books! Free books would do me in.

January is dark. The days are getting longer, but they are still too short, so my energy deficit isn't getting smaller, it's getting bigger more slowly.

January is cold, and wet, and muddy.

January is full of evaluations. (I have 12 left to do - 3 or4 hours, plus the 5 hours of uploading)

Yesterday, January brought me a box of baby chicks in which a third of the chicks had been killed in shipping. (I don't think the post office handles them properly. I never had this problem before our little, local p.o. was closed. Now this is the second time I have had chicks show up dead.)

Yesterday I failed to carry through on a (minor, but it mattered) promise to a kid because I forgot something.

Yesterday I had to drag two teenagers down to the guidance counselor. The situation had gone beyond my ability to handle it, but I don't have a lot of faith in the guidance counselor.

Yesterday my sil asked if she and her adult child could come visit next weekend, and Dh said yes and I lay on the couch and cried because it was my only free weekend all month.

My house is a wreck. I dropped the mail in the middle of the floor last night.

My car needs gas. My soul needs gas.

I'm taking the live chicks to school today.

Good to recognize that you don't need one of the books, CM!

SubC, that sounds like a nice day. We received some snow today, which was very pretty.

I slept a lot better last night with just cotton on top of me.

My dishes are also a disaster. I will do them soon.

Awww, hugs, SubC. Too much to contend with at once, winter, the chicks, the students, and needing that me time on a weekend and then knowing you won't get it just yet. It's hard to keep our spirits up under such circumstances.

Privacy for work requiring concentration is my biggest challenge, especially with the weather being cold and the days short, and fewer places that I used to go feeling comfortable - parts of the city just seem more desolate and creepy than they used to, and some hangouts are no longer in existence from the pandemic times or even before. This new computer, I realized, has one drawback - because it is so powerful, it consumes battery rapidly so I probably will need to be places where I can plug in. The one I had a decade ago I could use in my car. I'll check power saver settings on this one, and maybe that'll give more options. And for some work I definitely will need a table to spread out more than just the computer itself - books, papers and such.

But perhaps some times I can snatch time in different settings. I was reading a blog post someone had written about where to go to write when you don't have privacy at home, and found a couple new ideas. They mentioned the zoo, which I realized could just be the zoo parking lot so I wouldn't have to spend money, but I'd be away from the creepy urban vibe. The senior center is another place. The library is still good - but I realized things like lunch and restroom breaks are hard to take there because I can't just leave the computer sitting unattended. The zoo idea also reminded me of the botanical garden, another place where I could sit in the parking lot and feel pretty safe. Once in awhile, too, I could even spring for admission to one of these places and have a different sort of creative experience.

For now, it's just an ordinary day at home today. Doing what I can. May do some computer stuff. Yesterday roommate and I made an errand run which started out with hopes of efficiency and brevity, and ended up with occasional confusion and took longer, though it could've been worse I suppose. We did at least get several things done. Bad weather is coming in over the weekend it looks like, hopefully more annoying than actually stressful. I'll monitor the forecasts. And hope it comes and goes and frozen stuff melts off quickly, etc. So this morning I got a few grocery items and filled the gas tank.

Hang in there!

My school is closed tomorrow due to impending weather.

I am going to try to take the day as a gift, but I am sad because now my littlest kids won't have a chance to finish their projects before the art show.

Good morning.

CM, it sounds like you have good location choices.

I am finding I get more done when I stay late in my classroom.

I put gas in the car.

I put my Friday class work and information into a portable file - a small thing, but it should pay dividends in time.

I have six evaluations left to write.

The chicks did well at school and are still doing well.

My daughter texted that she is in line to register Bean for preschool next year.

Off to start laundry and grind out these last evals.

That is too bad, SubC! I'm sure the kids will be disappointed!

We are expecting some weather tomorrow, too. Snow then rain. I have to go into the office which is fine by me

I'm just out of the shower. I saw mom tonight and she was coming down with a cold, which is too bad because the pianist she likes was going to be at her place tonight. He comes about once a month, so she'll be able to hear him again. He's a student at Berklee College of Music, which is down the street from her.

Determined not to stay up too late tonight.

Wow the time flies. I worked all week, some days for 12 hours with a small break in the middle. Getting things done for a trip next week.

Thank you SubC for the perspective on the shoes. I do want someone else to enjoy them. I was so busy this week I did nothing about those shoes, but it is my day off and I will make a decision about which ONE pair to keep, and donate the rest, today.

I did return the 3 amazon items I had and have not ordered anymore clothes. I had to start hiding the clothing ads on my fb feed because I was getting them constantly and they were triggering me to buy more. I refuse. No more clothes I don't NEED. What I really need to do is lose 20 pounds and I would have a whole new wardrobe in my closet to wear.

Tatoulia, haha, I wrote the above before I read your note about you also needing to lose 20 and things would fit! I guess we have a goal, then, right? 20 pounds. Let's do it.

omg, your words are a perfect quote to help us declutter! You said-
"I cannot let bad feelings clutter up my home. I don't need a home of bad decisions or foolish money spending stay here to remind me."

Wow! I love this and will think of it as I work.

CM, aww thank you! I hope you do win the lottery, lol. I think a huge part of my hangup is having been in poverty a good part of my life (even while working. Single mom stuff, abusive ex, lot of kids, etc). I learned to hoard when my first husband left. I had so much need and my kids were little. I have some kind of subconscious emotional wall to getting rod of things I might need and be unable to afford again. Even when I think logically about it, my body turns anxious. I realized what this was when I was hoarding instead of donating because then I could sell the things for food money if I was broke. Or have a yard sale if I needed to pay the power bill. I figured this out and worked on it mentally and came to this: If someone would pay me X dollars for all my unneeded stuff, I could easily box most of it up and give it to them. If a truck came and said "put all your unnecessary stuff in this truck and we will pay you $5k for it" I could do it. I would put the 5k in a safe deposit box and then if I am super broke and about to lose my house or get my power shut off I could go there and get cash to pay it instead of selling stuff. Does that make sense? I could do it.

But then I think the next step: is living a life of clutter and disarray worth $5k? For your life? And I know it is not. But I have not gotten past it yet.

CM I see you are in the 'lose some weight' club as well. We need to get on that! Thank you for the good tips and ways to think differently and objectively about decluttering. I will try that!

Road!! Good to hear from you! You have so much on your plate. I am sending positive and energetic vibes to you for all you are trying to accomplish. Do try the bright light. It made a huge difference for me when I had seasonal affective disorder. And you are the one who has lost weight here so thanks for leading the way!

You all have gotten so much done! It's inspiring me to do things today. I have not totally caught up on your posts - just through Road's. I will come back and read more after I do some stuff! Will report back.

Good morning.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry your mom is sick.

The weather did not show up. We got a little rain. It is above freezing outside.

My body appreciated the extra sleep though. I think I am coming down with Bean's cold.

I meant to respond to Lila about the debt a few days ago. I hate interest too! How is the not buying things going? I hope you are still making progress on the debt. Did the shoes leave?

I am having a lazy morning with my stuffy nose, but in a bit I will put on my warm clothes (it's still close to freezing) do my chores, and then get out all my garden stuff and put my seed order together. I'm very late on that this year.

I'm thinking about how easy this would have been if I had gone through the seeds at the end of the season before tucking them away. I lose so much time to not being organized, but then I am so disorganized I can never find the time to get ahead on the organization.

This is what I mean about trying to focus on the areas that will pay off like paying down debt does.

Ok, I would normally be leaving for school in ten minutes. I used some of the extra time for sleeping (which is not a bad thing. I need more sleep especially with this cold.) but if I get moving, I can have my chores done by the time my first class would be starting.

Yep, if I could lose 20 it'd help a lot. There's more than that I want to shed, but the 20 would at least get me to the point where I was when I had lost the 30 a few years back and felt so good. And it would let me buy pants again and not feel icky about trying them on. The challenge of it was that that point was my plateau point, which made me vulnerable to the regain. So... if I get the 20 off again, I'll have to reckon with the plateau once more. Yikes. But first things first, let's get the 20 off!

It's cold and wet outside. So far precipitation is is in a liquid state. Looking at the radar I see that our area is maybe not going to get as much of the frozen stuff as further north will. It remains to be seen how it will play out. Basically this is more of a nuisance than a serious storm, but a good day to be snug and cozy indoors.

Lila, I totally understand what you mean about poverty. I've had different circumstances - never married or had kids, though I had wished to very much. Being a single woman is just hard insofar as making ends meet unless one is a successful career person which my anxiety and ADHD tended to preclude ever being. Things/stuff have served as a buffer against loneliness and also as something to enjoy and keep my mind occupied. The problem comes in when there is just too much, and it gets harder and harder to separate the important from the unimportant. But I'm learning.

Here's a little tip just off the top of my own head; later I'll find some of the ones from books to share. Lately, I've been making a concerted effort to be more mindful when looking at my stuff. It has been so easy for years and years to become sort of blind to it. I'm trying to spot an object, like a hawk spots prey, and swoop down on it and pluck it from the surroundings and carry it off to get rid of. The object will be something that I've taken for granted but that in this newer state of mindfulness I suddenly look at differently and go, Why have I kept this?

It's a habit that seems to be growing more... habitual! The more I do it, the more I do it. I think it's a good way of easing back into decluttering when, especially in 2022, I'd gotten so burnt out and just drifted along in survival mode and didn't do very much. And when the thought of making a Big Decluttering Push is desirable yet sounds too intimidating. This little hawk swoop thing works at the moment, it fits where I'm at.

So. I'm very bad at this.

I didn't actually finish my chores until 11. 😮

Then I decided that since my second class starts at 11, I would spend that class period catching up on stuff. Took care of submitting the info for my chick refund, unloaded the dishwasher, put some of the dishes in it, started putting laundry away, and registered for my March class.

I meant to stop at 12:15 - which is my lunch - to chill online and have some tea. It's almost 1:30. There are three more baskets of laundry to put away and my tea is steeping.

I still haven't given up on the garden stuff.

CM,

Anything that can be measured in cubic feet is worth bragging about! Nice job!

I'm staying at school and working on evaluations today and then meeting Dh for dinner on the way home.

I'm actually doing stuff today! I had a second cup of tea, which I think helped. I've been packing up Christmas stuff, just made and ate a salad, and I'm folding last night's laundry.

All in all, pretty good. Going to put the music back on (I was reading a book while eating) and continue on. I also need to get recycling etc out tonight.

Oh! I bought something terribly overpriced at Christmas and it turned out to be a royal disappointment. So rather than look at it and think about the money I wasted, I'm going to package it up and donate it. I cannot let bad feelings clutter up my home. I don't need a home of bad decisions or foolish money spending stay here to remind me.

I did really well today.

This morning before school I finished yesterday's evaluations. I also remembered to put the laundry in the dryer. I brushed my teeth and took my vitamin.

I also dropped off trash and got gas.

My friend stood me up.

I finished checking most of the notebooks.

I stayed after and finished seven and almost an eighth evaluation - (which is not nine but not awful.)

The restaurant was closed due to power outage.

We tried another place, which was meh and kind of expensive. I lost my phone in Dh car (we drove together from one restaurant to the other, then back to my car) realized it was gone after he drove away, went back to the restaurant, didn't panic, came home, called it and found it under his seat.

Did chores. Took shower. Might do another evaluation.

Carry on..

Lila, if I won the lottery I'd pay for Cory and some of his team to come help you through the process! 😉 I think what we all kind of have to do, especially if we don't have a lot of disposable income, and perhaps are self conscious about letting someone else see (that would be me for sure), is gradually learn to be our own life coach.

Learn the principles in the abstract, as if we're someone else (so we can be detached from the emotions and able to take in the information with our prefrontal cortex rather than with our primitive brain that makes us anxious and depressed). Then, still in the rational mind and with compassion, begin to impart the knowledge and give the support to our bewildered and sometimes discouraged self as one would to a friend.

It's easier to do once you get the hang of it a little. My explanation sounds more clunky and mechanical than I intend. I actually like the decluttering books myself - these days I don't read that many new ones because it begins to get repetitive, although once in awhile there is a gem. If I find (or remember) anything good from a book, I'll make a point to share a brief summary here. I've found that certain one liners or little mnemonic lists are useful. That way you wouldn't need to read the whole book but might be able to get some benefit from it.

In my own little world right now, my big accomplishment is that I deep cleaned the bunny cages and litterboxes, a task that has been overdue. The weather here today was very good for January, and I'd had this planned, and I stuck to my intention and saw it through.

Doing pretty well on my minimal-buying thing. I think that's the best wording for it. And really there's been very little of the "not 100% necessary" - mainly at the grocery store, which at least means it will be eaten (slowly, because I don't want to overdo!). So not like a bunch of bric a brac or excess art supplies, books, etc., or my usual temptations. Clothes are definitely not a temptation now until my weight gets down some. Which I would like to get some newer-to-me jeans at the Goodwill as my current ones are getting worn. But it may be that I hold off and spring comes and I won't need to shop for long pants until the fall, by which time I better be thinner.

Hope to move forward this week in several areas, including exercise. Oh, and yesterday I had just a few more quilting magazines to flip through, got that done and they are out in my van to be dropped off. A few other things including recycling are in there as well.

I'm doing better on driving, after feeling more agoraphobic the last quarter of 2022 due to stress overload. Still have much to conquer in that battle but the few small wins are refreshing and encouraging. 🙂

Hello ladies! Thank you for your support I appreciate your kind words. Thank you so much.

Cubic feet! Amazing, CM! SubC you did a good job rolling with the punches and getting things done!

I got upset tonight about work and was crying and plus my sister is making me cry and BF is making me cry and then I thought BF was being mean to me and so I cried and then left my phone off the hook and closed the iPhone and then eventually put it back on and he texted me that he's going to shower and come downtown so we took took bags of donations from my house to the car (yay!) and then we visited mom. So I too gained some space, ladies!

My Christmas stuff is in my dining table. I need to put it away tomorrow.

I cashed in ten vacation days from last year so I'll have a double paycheck tomorrow. Usual two weeks plus the cashed in two weeks. Will put the extra step into savings.

I'm on no spend January btw, and it's going just fine. I never want to buy stuff again.

Thanks for being here for me. I appreciate you all so much.

Tatoulia, very good job moving the thing on! I'm sorry it was disappointing.

CM, you are doing very well! Bunny cages, magazines, sticking to plans! Especially the planning the thing and then carrying through on it.

I dropped the ball on my evaluations yesterday. It's not too bad, because I did well on the weekend, but I am a bit disappointed in myself.

Bean had a cold, and he was very clingy, and I had things I had to go out and do yesterday evening, and I just couldn't face work during his nap.

I did take a shower while he was napping.

I have ordered chicks and they are supposed to ship this week. Actually they are supposed to ship yesterday or today, so any morning including this one I could get a call to pick them up. I need to prep their home.

I have class tonight, so I will get home late and need to turn around quickly tomorrow to teach all day. It's going to be a full week. I bought bread.

My Christmas decorations will come down Saturday.

I have not been making progress, but I have not been losing too much ground. January is always hard.

Tatoulia, I do not like all these people making you cry! I hope you are feeling better today.

I am crashing a little bit this morning. But not as bad as it has been. I am still trying to hydrate regularly and appreciate not having a headache. I didn't realize how often I was getting headaches until I thought about it Tuesday when I had such a bad one. Rest and water!

I did not do that last evaluation last night. I went to bed. I am trying to be less tired. I thought I might do a couple of evaluations this morning, but instead I have been drinking coffee, eating breakfast, and reading chat boards. I did take my vitamin.

My brain has felt a little less frozen this week.

I don't know if I will stay after today to work on evaluations. It would be a good choice, but also, it is Friday. Dh is working from home today, maybe he will make dinner?

Okay my Christmas stuff is not away but most of it has been packed. I need to empty the dishwasher and I'm doing a load of delicates that I have to hang.

So here's the deal. It's 10:30p and I can stay up only if I'm doing stuff. If I'm following around on the iPad, then I have to go to bed.

Going to make the last hour of the day count.

That is an upsetting situation, SubC. I'm so sorry you had to do that.

I am more emotional than mathematical which is a hoot because (job hint) I work with math a lot.

So i used to enjoy getting rid of student loans by the numbers rather than by the dollars. But you are correct, in both the short and the king runs!

Cleaners came today. I'm going to clean the cat box, shower and get ready for bed. Back to office tmr. My stomach is somewhat better. I did have a ginger ale tonight. So far so good on the nausea.

Well hello friends. A whole new thread - has it been that long? I actually sat here and read it all and caught up on all of your lives. I feel your pains, your sadness, your victories and disappointments. I feel your fears and joys. There is too much to address each one, but know I care and did read and feel like you each shared your lives with me.

I had a very difficult couple of weeks. The summary of difficult is that my ex from decades ago, father of my sons, just showed up IN my house. In. Uninvited, did not knock, brought his kid from his new marriage. I guess he heard about my dh leaving so felt he could just walk right in and no one could stop him. I wish my dog had not been crated in back because he NEVER would have gotten in here. It was terrible. He was abusive when we were married. I felt traumatized. He did not "do" anything but walk in and make himself at home during our adult son's birthday party to which he was NOT invited. I had guests, I was shocked, I was so taken aback I could not speak or put him out. I cried about it for days. I am changing the locks and told all my children he is never to be in my home again. Aside from that, I had cousin here for a week which was a nice visit but crowded. I still have my other two house guests and I adore them as friends. It is just hard having every square inch of space taken up with their things and having very little time alone. But I do enjoy them very much and it is no hardship, but a gift. I will miss them when they go, but will be glad to have room.

The good: I got to have Tot and Acorn over a few times. I went to visit them as well and volunteered in Tot's pre-k. I am excited about the new teeny surprise coming at the end of summer!

Also my tv broke/died a couple weeks ago and I finally found one on clearance and had it delivered today. This meant I did some good things!

- gave the dead tv to Cousin to either fix or dispose of
- took everything off the tv stand (this has not been done in YEARS) and dusted it
- moved the tv stand and vacuumed/dusted behind it. The amount of dust and dog hair was astounding!!
- cleaned the wall behind it
- put it back so it is ready for the new tv to go on it when Son gets home.

I guess this means my living room is the cleanest it has been in years! Behind the tv stand were cords and plugs and wires all coated in hair and dust. I have everything separated out and before anything goes back on the stand, it will be wiped down.

More to come! Looking forward to posting more regularly this year.

I did some of what I said I would. But definitely not all. Some Christmas things put away, delicates hung, and now I'll get dishwasher ready. I am hungry tonight. I did not eat enough today

I am glad that I did what I did. I feel less icky about myself.