Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!! for working on that furniture.
I tend to eat more lately too.
The trick is to have lots of "healthy" type stuff around to munch on.
My favorite is nuts, all & any kinds of nuts. 😀
But I also need to have some sort of chocolate for when that craving crops up.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
So, what are you thinking about cooking?
I boiled some potatoes, carrots, onion & cabbage in broth.
Already had some cooked & sliced corned beef in the freezer to go with it.
It's all in the fridge and I just heat up a dish whenever I get hungry.

Knew that I would need to get out early today and water trying to beat the heat.
So, last night I went out and watered.
Today I don't need to venture out there.
Problem with watering after dark is trying not to step on any snakes.
I have 2 rolls of that nice "Contac" shelf liner, the kind that is not so sticky.
Thinking today I will reline some pantry shelves.
Also a good time to sorta dust, evaluate and arrange the shelf stuff since it will be moved around anyways.
Thinking of quiet, easy & cool things to do inside instead of vegging out watching Youtube/Netflix all day. 😀

Yay for vacuuming!

Our cat hates the shredder noise.

Tillie, I am so sorry about your bathroom! Trees? Ug!

Most of my daily triage list is focused on avoiding situations like that. So many turn up on a farm.

I filled the back of my car with recycling and dropped it off. Also took three plastic grocery bags of garbage to various places I shopped today (I toss them in the parking lot cans - I buy the trash at the stores, I take the trash back to the stores.)

Class, quick grocery run, and I bought a divided tray at the thrift store to sort and store some of my tools. That's an in, but I resisted it last time I was there and then regretted it when I was organizing, so I bought it today.

Short because I'm trying to get to bed by ten!

Hi all,

Tatoulia, I think vacuuming is just one of those clumsy hot stressful things to do. Maybe it'd be okay if one lived in a place with nothing but large empty rooms. But the dragging the machine out, navigating around furniture, wondering why either a) it doesn't seem to be picking up well, or b) what that acrid burnt rubber stench might mean - I exaggerate a little but I can tell you vacuuming sure isn't my fave pastime either!

Tillie, you're so right about how we hoarders procrastinate and let problems get out of hand. Even though I'm working against my own inertia, it's still a battle at times. He is definitely hardcore so I can see how it escalated to such an extreme over time. Keep fighting for your right to a functional toilet.

Subclinical, good work on several fronts there. And great the kids are on board with it.

I'm feeling better after my weekend mental crash. Got some sleep and am starting on my resolution to clear the backlog of several months - projects that wouldn't have taken much time at all but life kept pulling me away and the projects kept stacking up.

The good news is that the projects don't take that much time apiece. I just had to decide which one to start with. Got one all done today! On to the next one.

A fair amount of the projects are entering information from paperwork into the computer then the paper can go away. I'm cramped for space and have a backache. It started from not properly warming up for swimming Friday. I didn't want to get in the warm pool and stretch first; it was such a hot day I just wanted right in the cool pool. Bad idea. Then I think I slept on it wrong. Anyway, it motivates me to figure out a more ergonomic way to do the computer stuff.

I'm standing firm about being committed to not getting overcommitted.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WTG! getting trash & recycling out!
I think that's the easiest task with the greatest results around here. 😉

Hi Subclinical 🙂
WTG! for getting trash and recycling out! 😀
It was good that you didn't buy the divided tray the first time, but after careful consideration returned and got it because it was exactly what you needed. 😀

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
WTG! tackling those little neglected tasks!
I find it amazing how doing just a few of them really adds greatly to my mood and general outlook. (((HUGS)))

Yesterday it was 100 degrees and the heat brewed up an early evening thunderstorm.
Very few drops fell here but it made it cool enough that I went out and watered everything.
Today it's supposed to get even hotter.
Doing laundry right now. Dries almost as fast as I hang it out. 😀
Plan for today is to just lay low inside with the cats.
Hoping for a thunderstorm with LOTS of rain drops here.
If it does rain, I will go out and stand in it. ;D

Nice reading all of your posts--keep up the good work.

Tillie my heart breaks. I am so sorry about the abuse and foul language. All I can offer is my friendship and support. You are a loving presence in my life. I had no idea re your toilet situation and naturally I am distressed.

I haven't done anything beyond two loads of laundry this AM, changing my sheets then napping. Now I'm catching up with you and I have a kitty purring by my side.

Will write more later. Glad to read your posts.

CM, I'm glad you're feeling better!

And good for you for tackling your projects! I feel like mine just keep piling up. Also today I committed to a thing that involves getting up very early so I can do my chores, drive a long distance, and volunteer all morning in a place full of people before driving another long distance to my next class. I will be working with kids though. It's not until July.

Also in July I will be painting our addition because the drywall is supposed to be done next week.

Tillie, I definitely think the recycling is the easiest. I found another box full working in the studio today. The box would hold 40lbs of clay (about a 5 gallon sized box.)

Did you get your rain? We get plenty of rain here in June and I don't really like to be wet unless I'm swimming, so I would not stand in it.

Dh had the hvac guy come to talk about changing some ductwork today. I'm going to have to move a lot of stuff I just organized in the basement. It's discouraging.

Porter how are you doing?

And everyone else, but I'm amazed by the move and furious for updates.

Greetings everyone. It's been a hard time to get focused is why my posts have been further apart. But I love coming back and catching up on yours.

Porter - keeping your wits about you in the midst of chaos. Grasping your way inch by inch, tub by tub, balancing relationships like sorting mixed-together laundry. Deciding not to let alcohol add further chaos. You are climbing this mountain and you're a wounded warrior hero in my book.

Tillie - brilliant idea about the candles. Sorry he is being so difficult, angry, and stubborn. There is something that his hoard represents in his mind, whether it's a brain injury or miswiring or an emotional woundedness. Not your circus, but too bad the monkeys got loose and you have to fend them off from attacking your peace. Thinking of you and hoping for resolution. Every day you carve out your own peaceful space is a victory. And even on those days when it doesn't go so well, we're here for you 100%.

Subclinical, sorry to hear your kids have had to go through crazy trauma and drama with others. Hopefully the sorting associated with those events will have a finite end to it. It's great that you're working on setting an example with the child that has inherited the hoarding gene. I love hearing about your studio progress! My dream is to have space to work on my art, sewing, Steampunk, etc. Someday . . . and decluttering my supplies will help even if that dream workspace is not a reality at the moment. Thanks for the example to follow.

Anonymoniker, I so understand that love-hate relationship with Facebook! About 4 years ago I was ready to pull the plug. And so many times it still annoys me. But it's my only way to know what's going on with my extended family, and now some community things I'm involved in, such as my rabbit rescue group. So it's a necessary evil in my life. But I envy those who don't have the time suck it causes. I bet you'll get a lot more done!

I pray for all of us fighting this insanity.

Hi Joan, glad you had some relief from your movement disorder. Hope you get even more good days.

And now for my status report. It's kind of blah still. Even painful. I've been fighting off burnout and frustration. Today things kind of came to a head. I'd been going to go to this expo downtown on housing - hoping I could get some info on where I might move that I could afford on my Social Security but not feel like I was in a scary ghetto/trashy place. Not planning to move out from where I am until I build up some money again, and that's going to take awhile. Just fact finding. And my roommate had been given tickets for a music theater production in the afternoon. Both of us are introverts and it has been HOT here, but it was nice of the friend of hers to give us the tickets so we were going to go regardless.

So I get downtown, pull into a parking place by the expo and the library (was also thinking about going in the library for a few minutes) - and it hit me: I'd forgotten to put my cell phone in my pocket when I got up. Now you have to understand - as an agoraphobic, I think of my cell as my lifeline. It and my container with my meds. Finding myself out in public without either causes an immediate panic attack.

I was able to keep my wits about me enough to get into the library and use a courtesy phone to call a friend to "rescue" me. She followed me driving back home. By then I was crying but relieved. The thing is, I have been so strung out by stress and overcommitment (as defined by introvert standards, not "normal people" standards, LOL) that I had almost forgotten my phone a couple of other times within the past month. That is not me. Even with ADHD I usually remember my phone! A definite red flag that something's not right.

Back at the house, I was asked by my roommate if I was going back downtown. I said no, I'd just have to turn around and come back again to dress for the music theatre. So we went and ate and did an errand, and came back to get ready. Long story short, she couldn't find the tickets, so we ended up not going. I pointed out that there are soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and places carrying full gear in the 120 or whatever degree heat so ours are "first world problems" and we should just absolve ourselves of guilt over losing track of a set of tickets. Perspective. Her life has been full of stress lately too. I figure the whole day may have been God's way of saying "Chill. Don't sweat the small stuff."

Anyway, I'm going to pull back, refuse any extraneous commitments. If I need to, I will employ the phrase "I'm not feeling well." Because I'm not. I've been in the mental ward, decades ago, and I have no desire to return, and if this crap doesn't let up, I'll be in danger of ending up there. I intend to start right here in this house, in my room and the part of the family room where I have some stuff, and go inch by inch, item by item, until every last bit of it is Dealt With. Because otherwise it is making me sick.

I've also been aware of the emotions that are probably going to hit tomorrow as our priest who's been pastor of our parish for 7 years has his last Sunday Mass with us before transitioning to a different parish. It's going to be weird; we've known for a few weeks but for me it's just barely beginning to feel real. Our new priest won't arrive till the first of August - fortunately we know him, he filled in some for our current one and he's a great guy, so that will ease the transition. In the meantime it'll be kind of odd with substitutes but they'll probably be familiar faces as well.

Forget the storage unit across town for now, unless I get to a point of readiness for dealing with, say, more boxes of photos to be scanned or something, then I'll go fetch whatever. The move to a closer storage unit can wait until fall when the weather is cooler. It's going to happen, but not at the cost of a heat stroke which would fry even more brain cells I can't afford to lose.

In short, CriticalMass has reached critical mass yet again. And she's drawing a line in the sand. Whether that is a mixed metaphor or not. Fighting back. So there!

Good morning everybody.

Tillie, I hope things are better today. It amazes me that you can live in that situation and continue to be so warm and supportive towards us and our setbacks and little victories.

Joan, I missed you yesterday, but I am also glad that you were feeling better.

CM, I'm sorry you are losing your priest. Change and transition are hard. It is good that you recognize when you need time to step back and regroup. (I hid in my bedroom for three hours after I got home from jury duty)

You have made a lot of progress on your storage area. You will move it when you are ready.

My son in law's family breaks my heart sometimes. He's a really good guy. He does have a batch of great aunts and uncles on his dad's side, and he and his sister are close, but the stuff he has gone through with his parents the last few years! Anyway, dd grew up with me, so she is very good at being patient with the people she loves. They take care of each other and he makes her happy.

They are coming over today. The girls are going to cook dinner for dh, so I have to clean the kitchen. This will be son in laws 3rd Father's Day without his dad. Last year the kids were away on their honeymoon. Dh worries about how to approach his role, he wants to be there for both of them, but he doesn't want to make sil feel like he is trying to take his dad's place. For me it's easy - your mom is a nightmare, I love you, you are mine now.

His mom came to me during the wedding reception (before the cake was cut) and asked "can I go now?" I wanted to say "sure. You're done here. I got this." But I told her that whatever worked for her son was fine with me.

Anyway, back to the hoard. I got a magazine yesterday along with the regular mail that I've been falling behind on. But I found more recycling in the studio. The magazine pile is still less than 8" tall. (I keep it in an 8" tall space)

It is supposed to rain all day today, so after the kitchen and some laundry, I will go back to my studio.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

TO PORTER AND CORY CHALMERS 😀

Yes! Happy Father's Day!!!!

CM thank you for your descriptive post--I could picture your struggles and I am glad you had a friend there yo help you out. I'm also pleased to see that you recognize that you need to take a step back and give yourself a break. You'd be able to tell a friend to just find some relaxation and it's good to see that you are able to tell yourself that.

As to me, I have done precious little other than sleep. I feel so rested. Did laundry this AM and now about to go see mom.

I know I do a lot of laundry, bearing in mind I have an apt sized washer and dryer,

Sheets & pillow cases = 2-3 loads each week
Cat blankets/sheets= 2 loads each week
Towels = 2 loads each week
Pjs= one load
General clothing=. 2 loads

Now that I've learned to fold & put away, I don't have to look st piles of laundry.

The dishwasher I need to run at least twice a week.

Cat box is completely changed out twice a week.

The above are my bare minimums each week and I do it. I need to expand:am doing a good job on gifting the bedroom but not as diligent with the vacuuming.

Thanks Tillie!
I am just heading home from New York, so hope to spend a few hours with family today.

Happy Fathers Day to everyone else it applies to 🙂

We had a nice dinner with the girls and our son in law.

I hope everyone else had a good day.

Yesterday I emptied and rinsed out three mostly used quart bottles of casting slip. I tossed them in the recycling. I also handed dd1 a stack of cards from when she was a kid and she sorted them in the spot. She took 2, I kept 3 post cards for the international stamps (I have a stamp collection box and it isn't full) and the rest went in the recycling. I did not save them for scrap paper or to use the pictures or anything!

The girls agreed that I can get rid of all the playdo, and any accessories except the barber shop. Dd2 really wants to keep the barber shop. So that will empty a couple of two gallon pails, plus whatever else I find as I clean out the cabinets the playdo is in.

Today I have class and I am going to haul away the recycling and some garbage so I should be able to see more improvement.

Good morning SubC, Cory, Tillie, Joan, Anony. Porter, CM and everyone else! Hope I didn't leave anyone out!

Great work SubC!!

I took one item to consignment shop yesterday. The shop was very, very full and was difficult for mom to navigate. They have not sold the piece that is similar to the big piece I want to get out. One of the workers suggested I use Craig's List to get rid of the item--will likely sell better in an urban environment rather than out in the suburbs where the shop is. I'll have to see if I can move it to the common area for a short period of time as I will not want people coming into my home.

I am hoping, despite the terrible humidity, to dust the bedroom and vacuum it today. I have so many excuses on the vacuuming which is ridiculous since it is at most a ten minute endeavor.

I need to get a bag of ice today and switch to iced tea. No more coffee during these hot terrible days.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Cory 🙂
Hope you had a wonderful family time (((HUGS)))

Hi Subclinical 🙂
WAY TO GO! on getting things sorted out and reduced!
Great that the kids are helping with the letting go too.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
About the resistance to vacuuming...
Is there a bad memory of past vacuuming keeping you stuck?
Is there something you must do first before you vacuum that you hate doing?
Is it the vacuum it's self that you don't like?
Is it the cat encouraging you not to vacuum?
I know why I resist regularly vacuuming my room
it's the cats who all love my room and are always in there.
About coffee/tea...
I never drink hot things any more since "the change".
I brew enough tea for three days and keep it in the fridge.
It's a gallon of chai masala and a gallon of green tea with fresh squeezed lemon.
You could also brew a batch of coffee and keep it in your fridge.
I also bought ice cube trays at Dollar Tree and now have lots & lots of lovely ice cubes in a large baggie right next to all my freezer pops.
We must do whatever it takes to survive the Summer heat. (((HUGS)))

Friday I left a short letter sitting on his computer keyboard about the toilet issue.
He did not speak to me all weekend.
But he did take all his old nasty dirty bug infested scraps of carpet to the dump.
Then he filled the newly cleared out space with an assortment of random clutter.
I will continue the fight for a flushing toilet.

Warning...
unpleasant rant coming...
He is so very resistant because years ago the wax seal failed on the toilet allowing water to constantly seep onto the flooring.
The linoleum tiles lost their stickiness and fell away leaving the bare wood exposed.
The wood flooring has rotted from the constant water.
There is a large deep crack running along side the toilet in the flooring.
Trees sometimes grow through there.
The wood is squishy and the toilet rocks.
Someday it will fall through.
We had lots of fights when the wax seal first failed.
He would not lift out the toilet so I could replace the seal.
I can not lift a toilet, he can.
He has wax toilet seals in his hoard and kept saying he wanted to keep them in case we needed them someday.
I kept saying that this was the day.
He did eventually use one of his precious wax seals but all the damage was already done after so many years.
Now the floor and sub flooring all need to be fixed/replaced and he can't do that so we need to hire a contractor for the job.
All because he was saving the 2.50 wax seal for "some day".
Hoarding is expensive when things can be put right for pennies but are left so long that it takes hundreds/thousands to fix them later on.
Rant over...
Thanks for listening...

This is why I am so resistant to cleaning the bathroom.
There are lots of other issues with the bathroom too.
Why bother 🙁

Hi Tillie--so so sorry about the toilet situation. I am so sorry. Your 'rants' are so tame compared to where my rant level would be. I am so sorry.

I blame miss kitty for my lack of vacuuming butbtruth he told, she hasnt been in my bedroom all day. She's been here with me, sleeping in her carrier. Her carrier has a mesh top and the little thing has been sleeping in it since her return from BF's house. I don't have the heart to put it away. She must feel safe and cool in it. She's never been a box cat but this thing thrills here.

I did get a bag of ice and I took my recycling out. I will see if I can just pull out the vacuum and get it done. There is nothing on the floor to prevent me from doing it/don't need to pick up anything.

Thanks for helping me analyze the situation. The only thing stopping me is ME.

Vacuumed the bedroom! Took NO time. What is the matter with me?

Funny, cat woke up and ran into bedroom, but as I brought the vacuum into bedroom, she scooted back to her carrier. Dingdong.

WAY TO GO! Tatoulia 🙂

See how the cat tried to thwart your vacuuming plans?
HaHaHaHa ;D

Thanks Tillie! I was smarter than the cat.... This time!

Got all my trash out. I need to do major paper shredding this week. Once again it is out of control. Maybe Wednesday--I'll be working from home and likely can find some time to do it. Cat-permitting, of course!

Hi, everyone!
Just last night, my main procrastination distraction; my main facebook page, got yanked from me cuz i kept refusing to sign their consent to access every bit of my privacy away to them. Theyve been bugging me for a few years with alerts, and it finally 'expired.' Well, that eliminated a main failure in my self-discipline. I now have a better opportunity to focus on this disgusting mess. Its weird. Id decided not to go to an out of state event, with the pact with myself that itd be worth not going if i got enough done here to make a difference...then 'poof', a major barricade just evaporated!!! Im kinda freaked, and kinda relieved!!! It almost seems like a secret answered prayer....i just hope i can make good use of the opportunity?! I still have a second facebook, but im not going to add anymore sites, but my 2 favorites, so itll just be a brief treat to read it....(sigh)
~☆♡☆~

Good morning!

Tillie I'm glad you are feeling better and that the weather is improving. SubC great work on getting rid of the octopus.

Yesterday's heat made me crazy and I started just taking things out of my drawers and putting into donation bags. Even though frustrated and miserable, that five minute burst was good for me. I will not be looking in the bags before moving them to car.

My weather is much better today so I have windows open and ceiling fans on. Am working from home and hoping to visit mom for a few minutes today.

In the corner of the studio (there is only one corner because it is in the corner of the barn) there are three 3ft wide shelves side by side, and another 3ft long shelf at 90 degrees. I have not totally organized the shelves, but I have decided what should be on each of them, and I can see everything that currently is on each of them.

One thing that is very clear is that there are way way too many nearly empty bottles of glaze! (I'm working on orange right now)

But the really exciting thing, is that the 27 square feet of floor edged by these shelves is empty except for the double sheet of cardboard I put there to cushion my feet from the concrete!

On the side of the cardboard across from the three shelves is a very messy work table. But soon, this will be my glazing area! And it will be organized and professional!

I am working my way out from the corner.

I did amazing stuff in the studio barn today.

I have to tell you guys because it looks like somebody picked up the barn and shook it. - no credit here!

I generated only a small grocery bag if recycling and half that of trash, but there was a huge amount of sorting and organizing and planning and making decisions. Decisions! Hard!

I took apart all the "creations" my son and his friends had made out of K'nex (very big step) and put the K'nex away neatly and sorted and was able to empty FOUR containers. Instead of two plus shelves, they now take up just over one shelf.

I talked to The drywall guys (kinda big step) and claimed some of their scrap to line my wire rack shelves in the studio (drywall makes excellent ware boards, wire is a problem - I've been contemplating new shelves) and now I have space to put the molds that are piled on the floor. And don't need new shelves! (boards are finished for 3 of 8 shelves and rough cut for the other 5)

And I used some empty bins to sort and organize my firing cones and kiln furniture on an existing shelf and emptied an entire rolling cart (8 drawers, paper ream sized)

I had to take a shower - I had spiderwebs and dead bugs and drywall dust in my hair.

Anony,

We cross posted. Stick with it! It will be worth it!

Slowing getting things done. A work in progress.

yes I'm concerned about my daughter . But she has a lot of friends . I refuse to allow her to become isolated.
I engage all her family .

but I don't tolerate being undermined in decisions I make for her... I don't even want hear emotional opinions. Where im being told I'm making mistakes.

Not saying I'm hearing that here. To be clear her family aunts and uncles have sting opinions based on my wife telling how much of creep I am over the 20 years she's been with me and very little chance to redeem myself of even explain my side of the issues.

So if they start in with discourse I eliminate them from open discussions and make that very clear. I will not, I refuse dwell in past on things that I can not change.

My plan for is for her to be in the high school she has chosen .
to have the friends that she loves and the respect and love her. To give her a university education and assist with getting in into a house ownership and pass her my boat and truck .

I don't know if I will fall in love again and live with a woman in warm and friendly relationship. And for her to have a step mother. If that happens . It won't because I can not afford to live in our home on my own income.

if we don't die suddenly, then it's a sickness that may slowly diminish us until can't get out of bed. Its sad to watch it happen to our loved ones as we continue on. I wish i was more poetic and could say something beautiful about it.
but our marriage was not worthy of such poetic beauty.
We became parents in a life of co existence. But . Its still hard to lose such a close friend.

I strongly believe life is what we make it.
My home is filled with memory, music , art, food and drink.
comfortable places to rest and rejuvenate. Its warm .
and in a capital city with access to everything.

My daughters knows she may choose whom she wishes to live with for her high school years. But she also know I love her. And will do all I can for her. Even be parental as needed.

in this difficult time , I make sure she has NORMAL time.
and she doesn't have to be attention seeking to deal with her issues.

ok .
back to the hoarding.
I had everthing organized. But when I moved alot of it got mixed up. And is now like as if all got thrown on the dryer and mixed up . Reds whites darks intimates, even coats linens And swimming gear and just mixed up with no rhyme or reason . Just giant mixture of clutter in many many boxes.

so finding what I need .when I need it. Slow going.
but I'm getting the hallways clear. And the it's getting better everyday. I know it will be a great place whether my daughter stays or not. Its a four bed room two story with basement and small yard. A grill and picnic table.
a coffee nook.
more kitchen tool than most men know how to use.
large screen tvs in all bedrooms
I'm searching for a new cat.
basement fill with poets
And eight person Mahogany dinning table.
a dressing room with a 7 x 3 full mirror
a drumming area
an art area
7 large closets filled with lots and lots
an 10x20 covered porch.
caring nieghbors.

So considering everthing . I'm fine.
we're fine.
Just a few ducks to put in order.
I have four friends that I could pour my heart out to and one a can get drunk with in fun way if I ever wanted to.
but I'm a koala. I'm technically an alcoholic, but I've been sober 7 months and have only started drinking in social situations, BUT NOT until I'm sick on the floor.
I'm not ever going to return to drinking. Its not fun for me anymore. And I have diabetes, so it's got to be worth it.
but when I look at my daughter. I rather see a sober and stable father than a selfish drunk. So .

I've purged alot.
ALOT
TODAY
the living room only has what going to stay in it and nothing else.
tommorrow the dinning room.

feeling better . About moving on without them.

Porter, great job on your living room! A room a day is really ambitious!

Your plan for your new home sounds amazing, and what you are working to offer your daughter is impressive. I hope you know that I just want you both to have as much support as possible, which is what prompted me to bring up grief support groups. If you already have that elsewhere, then that is terrific. I'm a firm believer in recruiting GOOD, SUPPORTIVE help in raising kids (not people who want to "help" you follow their agenda!)

Also, I think you are more of a poet than you realize.

I should be working on my garden and stuff for my class today, but I have my teeth in this studio project and I don't want to stop.

I have started moving the stored toys from the studio barn to the basement. This is going to make the basement crowded and messy, but it's already not good space. I want to ask the kids if they can give it a few of these toys, and also my ds is talking about buying a house in the next year. If he buys a house, he has to take about 8 of these bins. They are full of star wars stuff that I don't want to store.

The baby won't move out for at least a year, and then probably into a small apartment. I'd rather have a crowded, hoarded basement for a few years and a nice, functional studio NOW.

Just checking in.

Jim is out for ten days for health reasons. I brought home 3 boxes from the food bank.

I have jury duty today. I don't mind the jury part, but the being trapped in a chair surrounded by people part will be tough.

Quick drive by. Very tired these days. Have been getting good sleep, which is an unusual thing for me--very pleased for the good sleep.

Will endeavor to leave the office by 7:30 tonight. I like to stay late on Fridays. Today I feel too tired to get myself home. But I will.

Good morning, everybody!

We had a few nice days here--meaning not hot and not humid but the humidity has crept back in. I need to stay hydrated and accomplish this weekend as I have done precious little beyond my usual laundry and dishes.

Being Saturday, I have my brother to take care of but he hasn't called me yet so I'm doing a quick load of laundry and might just change my sheets now. I have the back window open for kitty's fresh air and I can feel how heavy the air is.

What are you doing today? Love hearing from you all. This is a great support for me.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Keeping up with the laundry, dishes and kitty stuff can at times be exactly what needs to be done to keep from falling backwards.
At least things aren't getting worse, just dustier. (((HUGS)))

Hi Subclinical 🙂
How was jury duty?
Hope Jim is feeling better (((HUGS)))

Hi Porter 🙂
Keep on being the great Dad you are for your Daughter. (((HUGS)))

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Hi Joan 🙂

Things here are not going very well.
He keeps dragging in more & more stuff every week.
He is being very mean, nasty and abusive.
Does nothing to clean up, fix or repair necessary things.
A vast majority of the stuff he drags home is home repair & improvement stuff that sits around the property getting destroyed and made useless.
He NEVER does any home repair or improvements. He really sucks at that kind of thing anyways.
A few weeks ago he brought me a candle making kit from the thrift shop.
I had my fill of candle making way back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
I did not want to make candles, still don't.
Couldn't put it in the trash because he searches all the trash and removes lots of things.
Couldn't donate it because he would just buy it again.
Didn't want to store it anywhere here, just more clutter.
So I used it all up and made two tall pillar candles, scented and colored a deep mahogany.
Tossed all the remaining bits & pieces.
Now I will burn the candles and make them go away. 😀

Warning... Rant coming.....
The toilet has not properly flushed for several years.
The plumbing/septic sewer system is fine, rebuilt only a few years ago.
The toilet is very old and the thing is full of hard water deposits so the flush water doesn't swoosh out properly.
I Have done EVERYTHING I can think of to make it flush right but nothing is working.
We desperately need a new toilet.
After all these years of having to use a bucket of water to flush it I am sick and tired of this.
Whenever I mention the problem he angrily says
"Well then we just won't have a f****** toilet".
End of discussion.
This house is a disaster area and getting more & more uninhabitable by the day.
Rant over. Thanks for listening...

I'm still focusing on my pottery studio. The studio is starting to take shape, but there are clearly too many toys. I *can* move them all to the basement, but it is going to be completely non functional down there. Just stacks of bins....

I want to keep the toys for them. I want the studio, I want to be able to use the basement. I am frustrated.

And most of the toys I would really like to get rid of are things that the child who is living with me is attached to.