more of the Lila show...

- dried and put away my clothes
- put my towels and jeans in the dryer
- baked the leftover cookie dough from the fridge
- brushed the dog who never stops shedding

I am tired of doing stuff and want to be lazy.

Tatoulia, covid!! ugh, I am so sorry you are sick! Get better soon! SubC, I will have to look up all those holidays. Except groundhog day, I know that one. I'm sorry you were alone a lot this week but glad CM came and posted. I'd like to make a goal of posting more often. I work very long days Tues and Weds, and some Thurs. And Sun. But, I would like to come post if I get home before 9pm.

I am so tired I am going to bed soon.

This morning I got freed from one meeting so instead, I stayed home longer and did the things I would normally do the morning of my day off:
- dishes
- stove
- counters
- trash
- consolidate laundry

I got the kitchen rather nice but when I came home from work Teen had spilled stuff all over and left dirty dishes out. I cleaned it again.

TotsDad and Tot came over tonight and brought some things. He says they are not sick anymore and will be moving in this weekend! Wow, big changes!

I'm off tomorrow so will post more and will catch up on a few older posts. My kitchen table is 2 - 3 feet deep. Goals..

The Sun came out above Wichita this afternoon! And right now it is still somewhat light outside. It's kind of cute, my cousin who moved here is like me in that she hates winter too, and we text back and forth our grumbling about it. So we shared the joy of the moment when the clouds started to dissipate.

This past week has not been everything I would have wished. Times of great annoyance, like when I struggled to do that mail merge. Or the morning - grossness alert - I was in a chipper mood then stepped barefooted in cat vomit. (We have an ongoing problem with frequency of cat vomit, and the vet can't find anything definitive; most likely it's nerves because each of them would've done better as an only cat, but here we are.)

So I'm hoping and praying next week will be less aggravating.

Lila, I'm intrigued by your hour idea. Might be I could adapt it to my schedule somehow. Even if just as a check in with myself.

SubC, I couldn't remember until I looked back whether you had been with us as long as Tatoulia and I have. Glad you're here though.

Everybody keep plugging along, Poco a Poco!

Hi everyone! Great work today, Lila! Wow! SubC I'm sorry your daughter is sick!

Cm I could not open the link. Upon reflection, I believe I started her in 2014, because I got rid of my storage space as of Nov 28, 2014. That summer, I had set a goal of Dec 31 so imagine my joy when I did it!

I'm going to out on some music and do some stuff around here. I need to get through these bags! I picked up my rug and then stopped by a shop to say hello to a friend of my Swiss friend. Then I stopped at grocery store and bought seltzer. I had probably just enough time to drop off at goodwill but I became nervous about getting the zip car back and decided I didn't have enough (a half bag) to justify chancing it on the traffic. So I'm going to force myself to go through my stuff now. Mom's stuff.

I did stop by mom's on my way back from dropping off the car. Old habits. Nice to see some people! Then I made lunch and fell asleep.

Okay I'm making decisions. Going well.

heyyyy people! Nice to read your posts! I am jealous of having sun but not of the struggle. Isn't that how it always is?

I burned right out. The last few things I got done were:

- get second load out of dryer and put everything away
- heat up a potato and put broccoli soup over it for dinner
- pick up a couple more things

I am too done, and the table and chair are still piled with 80% of the junk. I did not work on my bedroom except for putting away the washed clothes. But the kitchen is quite a bit better.

I work tomorrow. I need to call TotsDad and find out why they have not moved in yet.

Good morning!

Dh and I had a nice time at the concert last night.

It is not my Dd who is sick, Bean was sick (his fever is gone this morning) and my Dd has been staying with us so she didn't get his fever because she is newly pregnant and has had two miscarriages in just over a year. They are trying to be super careful this time.

They don't have tv at her house, so she will probably go home tonight after the ravens game (we don't have tv either, but we have a projector and can stream the game onto a big screen.)

Lila, you got a lot done yesterday - slow and steady. It's hard when other people set you back.

CM, it makes me happy that you have your cousin now.

Tatoulia, I'm glad you are making progress on your bags. CM's link is missing a ":" if you open it in a new window you can edit it.

I apparently never introduced myself in welcome and I have no idea when I showed up. Nony and Joan were still active back then. I think of Tillie every full moon. (And other times)

I miss road. And I hope Hope did not leave.

We have an event at school today for the kids to show off projects. I told people I was coming, but none of my kids asked me about it, or told me about what they were going to do, the weather is really grey, and my daughter is here, so I think I will stay home.

Dh is in a cleaning up mood, so I guess I will go help him.

Sorry for the poor reading comprehension, SubC! Yes keep your daughter safe. You are lucky to be near each other.

Lila, I'm not surprised that you burned out. You've been doing a lot

I had a miserable night's sleep. I was clenching my teeth and had a terrible headache. No good. At one point, I thought I had a fever because I was freezing. I may be on the cusp of coming down with something.

It's either raining or snowing out. Hard to tell. I am going to try to get to grocery store. My friend Emiko is coming for dinner tmr night and she'll get things organized here.

It is snraining here too.

Dh and I cleaned up the kitchen and he made a huge batch of heavy winter vegetable stew. I brought in wood and he made a fire. All I've done so far this afternoon is sit in front of the fire with a belly full of stew.

Hi,

Just waiting for the day to start. Lunch Tuesday was yummy, a bit of a splurge (smashburger, fries, and a bit of root beer) but not a big amount. I may tend go for the meat and potatoes options more than you all, but I don't like huge portions of food that leave me uncomfortably stuffed. Like at this place on the menu it starts with double burgers, but way back when they opened I asked, and singles are available so that's what I got. Some places I get the kid's meal, lol.

While we were sitting there, the fire alarm goes off and two fire trucks come, but nothing seems obviously amiss in the restaurant. Turned out it was the vacant space next door. Looked like maybe a frozen pipe burst because there was no smoke but a bunch of water pouring out the door. Ever since I've been dealing with clutter and hassle in my own life, I feel bad for anyone like that property owner who is now going to have a mess to deal with.

We went swimming yesterday, and that was good. Hopefully a reboot for my energy and focus and motivation. Roommate's laptop didn't want to boot either but we got it going; wonder if the power outage did something to it but it seems okay now. I held my wrist against the hot tub jets and that seems to have helped.

Need to do laundry today, I realized. And hoping to get my box of small donations and the large craft tote gone asap. I will post on Daily Tally when I have done that.

I know this post is kind of boring and rambly but I'm not completely awake and with it yet, haha.

Good morning CM.

I enjoyed your post. It's nice to see someone posting in the morning. Sometimes I get lonely because you guys are in different time zones or are night owls.

I'm a big fan of splurges. I think if you are going to have a treat you should really go for it so you feel like you had a treat and can move on. Not for me are the moderate, sensible "one cookie as a reward" systems! I would rather wait longer and be like "this is the day that I eat all the cookies!"

There are a couple of restaurants I like to go to with Dh. One has a giant loaded black bean burger with fatty sauce and fries, and the other has a deep fried spicy bite appetizer (I get the 16 piece as a meal) when I go, I'm sure I eat a lot more calories, but overall I think it is a small net, because I eat really healthy early in the day knowing I'm going to splurge, and then the next day all I want is salad - lol. And I feel like I really had a treat.

Good luck on laundry and getting your stuff out.

I am struggling today because it is one of those days where the seams on my clothes are driving me insane. I have stripped three times and changed once down to the skin trying to find whatever is crawling around in my clothes, even though I know it is the seams. Sadly it is too cold to run around naked and Dh is expecting a delivery and I have to go get feed. I need to find something to work on that I can really get absorbed in so this stops.

Good morning.

I did ok yesterday. Mostly treading water, but things did not get worse. Christmas is put away except for two strands of outside lights Dh says he will take care of when it is not (unprintable) degrees outside.

We are going to have a snow day today. This is a problem for me because I was counting on today to finish off project assessments and conferences for evaluations, but I will do the best I can. There are going to be some creative generalizations and a lot more active verbs than past tense on some of these. ("Shows good applications technique" for glazing rather than anything about results for example) lots of "good" and "well" and "is doing" and "good start". Otoh, attendance is done now, so I can finish them by 9.

Then I think I'm going to work on my garden planning and do some pottery. Maybe clean up the basement a little. It is getting out of control again.

Hi SubC,

It's hovering around unprintable degrees here too, with a rather unprintable wind chill.

And of course it would be the day that roommate and I said we'd go do computer work at the bunny rescue.

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.

Good evening all.

Hope, are you still here?!

Tatoulia, are you doing ok?

I did not get to the pottery - the thought of trying to warm up the studio was too overwhelming. And I didn't really clean up the basement - put a few things on a shelf.

But I did plan my seed order list (I have to choose where to order them from and do that tomorrow) and I cleaned out the fridge a little and made biscuits (using the already cooked squash and then using up the last spoonful of jam in three different jars when we ate some of them.)

And of course the evaluations are turned in.

And I recycled a lot of old notes and order slips and catalogs when I was planning my seed order. I'm just not ever going to get that stuff in any kind of order that is going to be useful to me. Better to just start with keeping track neatly this year and move on.

Dh and I are going to watch a movie again. Carry on.

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. Dh and I stayed up very late last night and I slept until after 8 a.m.!

The livestock didn't complain as it was still only 4F and they were not eager to go outside. The heat lamps had kept the water thawed, and I've been over feeding them to help them stay warm.

I definitely needed the sleep.

It's supposed to be sunny and mid 20's tomorrow, so Bean is coming out to sled. Dh has plowed the driveway and gone off to pick up another stereo bit (have I told you that his project this winter is upgrading all the music systems in the house?) He keeps rearranging my furniture and borrowing bits and bobs from people to try out. So far he has purchased one set of speakers - display models, half price, and a couple of ikea cubes to adjust the height of his existing speakers. He's been doing sound tests and taking samples and graphing things - all very techy. Sometimes it is fun because he plays dance music with lots of base or rhythm, and sometimes it is annoying because he plays one pitch at a time over and over.

Anyway, he is going to stop at the grocery store while he is out, which is good because I have gotten out of my overstocking habit so well that we were down to one partial roll of TP in each bathroom.

I have ordered most of my garden seeds, but still need to get about 6 packets plus my various potatoes and some strawberries.

I've been struggling with the strawberries year after year, but I am going to try something new this year. I might also order some raspberry canes.

I've gotten a load of laundry done and need to go out and work in the pottery studio. Dh has turned the heat up because he has to roast coffee when he gets home.

We have a concert tonight.

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.

hi SubC and CM. I have caught up on about half the posts but will read the rest shortly. I have a bit of a headache. Tatoulia, we miss you!

I worked and worked. I took today off and TotsDad is here doing the final touches on the two big rooms they will move into. It is hard for me to see this!! I went in and took a shelf and stuck it in the shower and sprayed it with cleaner, scrubbed it and rinsed it so we can use it in the bathroom. TotsDad cleaned off another shelf unit and put it by the front door for all the shoes we will be seeing.

Then he was asking me questions and I got a bit overwhelmed... are you keeping this bookshelf? what about this cabinet? where do you want these things? and I was not ready, but was able to donate 2 items and have him move the rest into the garage til I decide. Only a few items. Then asked me what to do with ex's gross old mattress. I emailed ex to see if he wants it kept. For now, we moved it to the garage.

Now he is down there vacuuming the big room, wiping off all the built in shelves in the wall and closet, and then will mop. He already brought some totes today from his house and put them in the garage. I assume he is going to start bringing over furniture and stuff to move in. I assume the last thing will be their beds, because once those are here, so are they! Probably tomorrow or the next day!

I am very excited to have all the littles here and to have my son here and my dil as well. She is very sweet and I love her, very easygoing. It will be fun having them here. But I also am a bit nervous because I am such an introverted loner. Is it going to be overwhelming to have FIVE more people here, three of them very loud little people?? I do have that desk in my bedroom now in case I need to work in quiet. I wonder what this is going to be like! A blessing, I surely hope.

My dining room table and counter/bar are so piled you cannot see an inch of surface. So are my couches, chairs, coffee tables etc. Argh!

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...

I'm here! Thanks for missing me! That means a lot. Also someone said earlier in the week (SubC) that you'll afraid I'll leave. Never! You are my friends and I need you.

I am not caught up on posts. I read some earlier this week and I just read Lila's recent post. I can totally relate to feeling overwhelmed, most recently having people help me with mom's stuff and me having to go into ostrich mode and just let people make the decisions without me. I couldn't have done it otherwise. I cannot believe what a good person you are with respect to exH mattress but I understand since he is paying you. I would've trashed it for sure. Clarification to SubC: I never feel like someone would be better off without me, I was looking at the broader sense and I was definitely struggling with whether the world is too much for me! All is well as I settle into things.

Okay the neighbor taking my car asked to see it. His daughter has her license straightened out. This means I need to deal with the stuff in the car. Some is mine and some is boyfriend's. I will swap with the trunk. I have to. I have to get this stuff out of my life ASAP. Also I need to find the title to the car so I can sign it over to her.

I made a to do list today and I had to count laundry as a thing. I went to the hardware store and bought books since I need to hang a large etching of my mother's. I had to count taking the recycling out as a win, too. Tonight I just write more thank you notes. If I could do 10 that would be great.

That's the news. Oh and I'm fat. Haha

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.

I'm bragging. It took me under five minutes to find my car title.

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.

Tatoulia, as my dad always quotes Dizzy Dean "it ain't bragging if you can do it."

Very nice!

Are you going to give up the garage? I remember that you were storing some things besides the car there? Is that right?

I support counting laundry. Also, I know you meant "hooks" but I can totally see myself going to the hardware store and coming home with books. - lol!

Lila, why is it hard for you to see your son doing the final prep of the room?

I too would have thrown out the mattress.

I think your desk will be a good thing - try to respect the surface.

I believe you will get your surfaces cleared off again. Poco a poco. Your son is there to help. Maybe the dining table first so you can all eat together? ("Do I want this thing, or do I want family dinners with my grands?") and if you have to keep the thing, maybe you can find a different thing somewhere else to get rid of to make space for it?

I have started to think about rearranging some rooms and maybe changing out some furniture. Just thinking for now, but the disruption from the rearranged audio system has been sort of a poke.

Also, I am still picking at the books, but I won't report those until they go.

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.

I am giving up the garage. A monthly expense I don't need. I'm not storing anything in the garage other than my car, which I use as a giant storage bin. So I have to clear it out. It has leftover stuff from BF's house and some old Christmas stuff of mine that I can probably just donate. So it will take a full day next weekend to decide and get things to goodwill. But I can do it. And then I'll have the car off of my mind. The trunk is full but again, I will deal with it. It helps the idea that I need to deal with mom's stuff here even more pressing.

Reducing these things is very useful. Getting rid of the car is very useful. I'm also back to eating appropriately in terms of amounts and cutting out sweets, which means my clothes will fit me again. I have nothing that fits but that beautiful closet full of clothes is calling me

This is all a good thing to clean out and clear out. I'm really happy with what I am accomplishing. I know I will feel less stress. Fewer things: less stress.

Good morning.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry to hear that you were struggling! We only see glimpses of your life through your eyes, but it seems like you are important to a lot of people. I am 100% sure that you are important here. Sometimes I worry that you will get totally organized and stop showing up. We need you and we care about you.

I turned off my alarm and went back to sleep this morning. Then when I got up I have just been reading online. Dh apparently forgot to set his alarm, and by the time I realized how late it was and woke him up, he does not have time to drive to work before a meeting, so he will be working from home this morning.

He has to drive in later though.

It is still 9 degrees here. Mr. Kitty refuses to go outside. I don't blame him.

I am trying to find the energy to finish off my evaluations this morning. I know I will feel better when they are done. "Done" I have attendance to add to each of them and probably a note or two on about half. There are six of them I really can't turn in as is. I will have to at least look over the kids' shelves and hopefully meet with them and talk about their work - about another hour outside of class on those. I'm hoping to finish The ones that just need attendance and possible tweaks during classes. I am worried because there is snow predicted overnight Thursday and on Friday. If we have a snow day I won't be able to meet with my Friday kids. I think I better check out their shelves on my own after school on Wednesday just in case. - look at me planning ahead!

I will check back later.

I'll have to do a catch up again with reading posts as well as posting more thoroughly, but just wanted to wish everyone a happy Sunday afternoon. Our weather here is still windy with a bite, not as bitter cold but not nice either. I was going to go someplace but now I'm thinking more of a nap, after I make lunch.

Yesterday I went to fix my little fan (I like to have air circulating year round in my room so it doesn't get stale and stuffy). It hopefully just needs stuff cleared away that is keeping the motor from turning the blade properly. The 4 screws that hold on the cage part were impossible to get loose by myself. So I took it to the hardware store, and the nice young man got them off in a jiffy with his drill and screwdriver bit. I bought some bolts that are a slightly smaller size so that I won't have to put the super tight ones back on. But I still need to clean it, because I got busy with this and that. I will. I hope it still works, because I haven't had it that long. Don't get me started on planned obsolescence!

Okay, off to cook and perchance to rest. Later!

My evaluations are done*, my lesson plans for tomorrow are done, and I did yoga today.

I have put away two loads of laundry and now I am eating lunch.

Dh worked out not having to drive in to work this afternoon, so maybe he will quit at a reasonable hour and we will have an evening again.

I read an article where a woman talked about struggling with housekeeping with executive function and all the "stuff". She said it helped to see it as there only being 5 things in any room: dishes, laundry, trash, things with a place, and things without a place. I think our problem is that we have too many of that last category. For me, that means I don't get to the others. Also I'd say at my house it needs to be seven. I would add recycling (because like laundry it has a place but needs to be clean first and like trash it needs to leave regularly) and dirt. Because if I don't focus on it, I don't see it. "Things with a place" is my easy category.