Ps road I wasn't putting you down. I agree it can feel awful treading water and making no progress! Some days just not back sliding is a major accomplishment for me. So please know that I speak lovingly and not with any insult or disagreement, etc. we are all in this together!

Tatoulia, no worries - I'm not overly sensitive. I may have misinterpreted subC's comment thinking she was frustrated when she wasn't.

Well, I stumbled into some productivity today. I had been missing the main Halloween box and the H ended up bringing all 5 bins into the living room so we went through all the costumes and decor and got rid of about a third. Then he reclaimed some to take to school which is fine. Tossed some, and the rest went into a donate bin. I still have to go through the party goods. I got a few more decorations up and a few more to do. This was connected with swapping the locations of two trunks, Putting new pads on both pieces, and fixing the curtains. So all of that got done and the floor got swept again - a mere one week after the last time it got swept. That's probably a record, but I'm not looking to keep that up. Haha. Also folded and put away most of the clean clothes. Dance at the high school tonight. My son is so excited. They're having it out in the courtyard and looks like the weather is going to be perfect so I'm happy about that. That's my report for today. Hope you all are having a great weekend,

SubC, your packing tape basket would be of great interest to our black kitty. 🐈‍⬛ She likes to lick the glue of packing tape. Considers it a delicacy.

House project still stalled out because gas company is slow to get out and inspect. This house has so many jerry rigged things from previous owners that we're finding out about and having to fix one by one.

They tapped right into the gas line from the meter to run a line underground for a BBQ grill. 😳 Gas co. wants to be here when our Mr Fixit caps and bleeds it to ensure he does it properly. Which he knows how to do but they have to see it happen. But they are not recognizing how urgent this is. How would they like to live with a sewer that keeps slowly, inexorably collapsing? It backed up this week again and each temporary fix lasts a shorter time.

I did have a fun day today though. Went to the annual doll show (last year's didn't happen because of Covid). So fun to be around other doll people. And the hotel had lovely clean functional restrooms!

I may or may not post again until the Neverending Repair is actually done. Just depends. I get so tired of the topic, yet it permeates my and roommate's existence.

Either way, take care.

Eeeek CM! I panicked when I read your sign off! I nodded with a raised eyebrow when I read your triple word score word "inexorably"... you know how sometimes people will get asked (during an interview or whatever) what is their favorite word? I think inexorably might be on my top ten list. It ticks a lot of boxes. Lol

Glad you had fun at the doll show. So do they have classes like at other shows - repair how tos and "history of" and "how to spot a fake" ? I guess if I was going to go to a collectibles show I'd go to an antique ornament show or antique Christmas. I don't even have anything that's valuable but that would be fun. I've been to a couple quilt shows and those are really fun.

Goal for tomorrow is reclaim/hold my ground on my floor space and night table cause I'm looking around and it's piling up a bit. Also want to get through the rest of the Halloween stuff, finish decorating and put away the Bins. Hopefully from 5 down to 4 or maybe 3, it could happen.

Over and out,

Happy Friday,

Big accomplishment for yesterday was not blowing off my measley 2 appts, even though I definitely considered canceling both... First I had a video chat with my sons speech pathologist. Got flooded (emotionally) and unfortunately started blubbing. I feel like I went to therapy for two years to stop crying in school meetings. I think I figured why it happens, but never figured out how to stop it. Lol - oh well. Embarrassing and frustrating. After that my BFF came over, as requested, to help me with some medical appts. We talked so much we ran out of time but she did help me get a couple wheels in motion... I'm going to try hard to follow through with what I wrote down to do. Hopefully my notes will be understandable because I remember nothing... son is home tomorrow so I am aiming to structure parts of the day so he's not bored out of his mind. I think I found someone to take him to games... which if it works out would tick off another item on my big list.

Hope everyone has a good day,

Good job roadster!

Treading water here. Kids arrive before I get home tonight. Dh jury duty was cancelled. (Did I say he had jury duty?) he got a new job with the same company - starts in a week or so and seems pleased. Itty bitty raise, but a raise is a raise. (The "raise" from him not driving to work has been much bigger)

My new canning jar lids arrived in the mail, my weight is holding steady at "most of my fat clothes fit" which is a significant improvement. I'm still enjoying the class I'm taking and using clay I already had stashed in my studio.

Today I teach my resource/environment focused class how to make a basket out of used packing tape and plastic bags. That should be fun!

I have not done any of my five minute sessions on my counter.

SubC, that treading water is no fun. How much do canning jar lids go for this year? I'm so curious now about this basket of packing tape and plastic bags. Is it coiled? Braided? Woven? Inquiring minds.

We started out strong this am with a breakfast picnic at my brothers, with grandma and grandpa there - and all the dogs. Then it wenT downhill in the boredom department. Now I'm wrangling social anxiety b.s. trying to figure out how to get my son to the football game while remaining invisible to the crowds especially anyone I might have known 30+ years ago...

Nothing to report in the land of clearing other than I lugged a.very heavy basket Of clean clothes up from the basement. Excitement!

Treading water means no losing ground! I'm waiting for my third load of laundry to finish then will run errands. I've started priming my new headboard. My friend stopped by to pick up keys for my car as she will be going away for a few days. I've showered. And that concludes my accomplishments for today so far.

Very humid so I will be very unhappy, I'm afraid.

I'll talk to you later! Setting a goal of getting all the primer on the headboard today.

Oh roadster, I am pulling for you and your brother!

CM, I am so sorry about the random bags and boxes.

Tatoulia, my hair is actually barely past my bra strap. Hair has a genetically predetermined length. Once each strand of hair reaches that length, it falls out and the follicle starts over. Roadster, I don't know about everyone, but I can feel my hair moving against my scalp when someone cuts it, and it makes my skin crawl.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry about your summer watch, but good job tossing. I'm glad you have a nice one you can wear.

I finished my first jar cozy and did my five (actually nine) minutes on the counter. I also ordered more reusable canning jar lids. And when I put my shorts away, I dumped out the whole drawer and chose two pairs that I just don't really like to give away. I got by without them all summer.

Off to grab the last load of laundry off the line and put some more away!

Wow! Great progress, Ladies!

Cm I'm so sorry about all that churning, etc. the good thing is that you recognize that you don't want to handle things this way any more. I do hope your situation improves soon. Is your bathroom situation sorted?

It felt good to let the summer watch go. I bought them eight years ago. White leather straps, one with an aqua face and one with an orange face. At work I should be wearing better watches, anyway. I will look for my other everyday good one. I wore it a lot in the past few years and I enjoy wearing it. But, I have one up and running and it'll work. I also have a nice dress watch he bought me many, many years ago. I should have a battery put in that one, too, even though we aren't going out anywhere these days.

I got my mother only the grocery basics, moved her bedspread into the dryer, and one of the aides said she'd take it to mom afterward. So I came home and showered.

I've looked at my to do list and it's looking pretty good. I took care of stuff today.

I will get up early to get a jump on my work day. I do not want to work tonight after all.

It's getting dark out earlier but still not as cool as I'd like it to be. It'll get there I am sure.

I am having one of those evenings when I am tired and overwhelmed and feeling inadequate.

Accepting reminders that I will make it through the week and whatever I do will be fine.

Heart daughter gets married on Monday!
My son and dil are coming Friday night, my girls and Bean and his daddy are staying over here. Dh has jury duty. I told Dd I will provide beds with clean sheets and she is in charge of food and cleaning up after making the food - I will help, but there cannot be 7 bowls and three cutting boards and half the knives left at bedtime like last time.

SubC, you WILL make it through the week and whatever you do will be FINE. So there.

Tuesday greetings, everyone... well, early Wednesday I guess now...

My updates for today are: caught up a bit with my calendar... things are approaching a more semi normal schedule at school and since I'm gaining some steam on the train of functionality at the moment, I am creating more items that have to be scheduled... it's all good. Visiting a friend tomorrow who's having surgery this week - she wants to try English paper piecing so I'm going to bring her some things. I implored her not to buy any supplies but she did... I still don't have my standing desk usable again but I did sort some stuff over there today and got some electronics stuff consolidated from all over the room into one bin. This task gets repeated every time I making a cleaning Push so I know I will have to do this multiple times before I get to the bottom of it all but that's ok. I did kind of force myself to go into the garage to get a box that had four genealogy binders in it and I looked around for a Halloween box I am missing. I was overwhelmed with what I saw but I did feel an impulse to dive in and organize something. I cleared out a big drawer of old leap pad stuff from my room, binned it up and pointed it in the direction of the garage. I probably won't try to streamline (purge) the educational stuff until I get it ALL in one place but I know it won't go in my room anymore. I made that decision. All school supplies For my son will have to fit in the cabinet downstairs. I'm going to try to limit stuff up in my room to clothes, some collectibles and books, a severely edited amt of creative/craft supplies, and my genealogy paperwork. So even though things are progressing at a very slow pace, they are progressing. And I know at the point where I really give it time and prioritize it, it will start moving faster.

Well, I'm nodding off so I will stop rambling on...see you tomorrow,

You are doing great SubC and you will make it thru the week. Okay, going to read the posts now. Goodnight, everyone and I'm grateful for your friendships.

You are doing great, road, and you, too will make it through the week!

Congratulations on your pound Tatoulia! You are moving in the right direction.

I got a spam email telling me I can loose 90lbs in 90 days. Now, I could probably lose 90lbs of stuff in 90 days, but if I lost 90 lbs of body, I would probably die.

But it made me play with the math. If I lose one ounce every day, that is almost two pounds a month. So by the start of next school year, I would be in really good shape! It seems like you could loose an ounce a day just by making slightly better choices. So I am going to remind myself that I just need to keep an eye out for opportunities to make slightly better choices.

The dish robot is almost done with it's second round. I broke a glass while trying to figure out how to optimize the new racks. It was 25 cents at a yard sale.

The washer is going and there is a load on the clothes line.

I made biscuits for breakfast, and I have a batch of custard cooling to go in the ice cream maker later.

So i'm pretty sure I've forgotten something important.

Ds and ddil are coming in to spend the night on Friday, but they won't stay long because they are traveling through.

Tatoulia, I didn't see your last post when I posted. The last time anybody cut my hair was when my friend Dawn leveled out the ends 18 years ago this past August.

I have sensory issues with haircuts and have decided that they are unnecessary.

I did dye it blue temporarily for graduation this past May, but that washed right out.

I made frozen custard and unloaded the dishwasher and hung the third load of wash and taught myself how to crochet a circle. I'm going to use a bunch of the random yarn in my basement to make little bags for my half pint jars so that I can freeze pesto in them and put them in the deep freeze without having them get broken.

18 years! Wow! How long is your hair?

I got some things done today so I'm feeling better. 8 jus5 stopped here to eat something before moving on.

I wrote out three checks and went to the post office to mail them. I took one of my watches to the watch guy and had a few links put in and changed the battery. BF has bought me several nice Swiss watches over the years. The one I wore most frequently is misplaced. I haven't worn it since March 2020 and I don't know where it is. But when my friend was here and organizing, I found the extra links to a different one. I haven't been able to wear this watch in years due to weight gain. I like my watch looser and even though he put in two links, I wish he had done three. He initially put in one but I asked for a second. I should've held out for a third link. I like it looser. Oh well. Let's see how I feel as the week goes on. I just hate the feeling that my wrist is being strangled.

One of my cheap summer watches broke the other day. It was the white one with the aqua face. The crystal fell out and when I looked at it, part of the face was ruined so I tossed it right then and there.

I have been to mom's twice. I am on my third laundry load for her but I needed to get away. I got a bag of her donations out to my car. I brought her muffins. I brought her waters. I ran errands for boyfriend and I bought paint brushes for my project. I've ordered the paint. Now I need to do mom's groceries and head back there and finish up the laundry.

I also need to do at least an hour of work. I'd love to do some of my own laundry. I'll go check on the downstairs situation.

Well, the rocket launch analogy re the BIGBUT project was somewhat premature. I think tectonic plates move more swiftly than this.

I've been all over the charts moodwise, right now I'm holding steady and very neutral. So that's pretty much it until further notice. I'll do what I can to deal with little things.

Had to shove a whole bunch of stuff into random bags/boxes/my van because of another sudden need to clear a space for my roommate to sleep on the couch since she couldn't sleep in her room because she in turn had had to shove a bunch of crap from a closet to her bed so workmen could get underneath the house.

I just hope the stashing won't mean worse losing of things and delays on my own decluttering; alas, some delay seems unavoidable.

I'm looking to see if there are any options for free or very low cost studio space in my town. It would be cheaper than therapy, methinks.

Hi all,

Tatoulia, I feel the same about wrists (and necks). I don't work so I usually just wear shorts or jeans and tee shirts and no jewelry at all but when. I wear some, it's a silver ring and earrings. Occasionally, I'll wear a loose charm bracelet but I think the jangles would bother me right now. Talk about sensory issues. Just when I noticed there was a trend in commercials to amp up annoying background sounds (like water lapping and dogs slurping, etc) I got my dna thing about misophonia (which I already knew I had but this was confirmation!) and ever since then it's been worse! SubC I always wondered if people who are sensitive to haircuts have that aversion because they can kind of feel it or if this more of a sound sensitivity thing? I have to admit I am just too cheap and dysfunctional to keep up with haircuts. If money was no object I'd definitely get it cut and colored and do all the spa things on a regular basis. Especially now. I used to have pretty luxurious hair... but I've lost a lot of it, and it's gotten super frizzy and a lot more gray - and oh my gawd. What a mess most of the time. My son is an alopecian though so I shouldn't complain, his comes and goes as it pleases. Last fall he had the fullest head of hair he's had since he was a baby. Now he's totally bald with salt and pepper fuzzies growing back in. It's always an adventure here in the hair department.

So I had a busy cleaning day yesterday and today. Since my parents moved out of their house I've been meaning to start hosting family things every week or two. This ended up being the first one and my sister, niece, and her boyfriend actually came which was nice. They are always a wildcard so I can never tell my son they're coming until they're actually here. But anyway, I got all the kitchen cleaned up. Groceries put away, dishes done with only a few items hidden in the oven. I swept the entire first floor which was disgusting. Lit a candle to improve dank/musty/puppy smells... I made cookies, I made extra ice, I had clean dishes and forks ready for the pies my sister brought over... I washed out another drawer of the fridge yesterday, tossed a bunch more rotten fruit and vedge... And took the garbage out again, anyway, The whole first floor was completely picked up except for my son's tv room thing. So that was very good. If we can keep having these get togethers it will certainly help me to keep it going. It's kind of stressful for me to be honest... a few years ago it would have been nothing, but now I admit I kind of dread it and am glad when it's over. Covid didn't help probably. But it's important to try to keep connected - especially for my Ps and my son.

So today yet I want to just put some clean laundry away and I think that will be it. Oh, and my bro actually suggested he'd like to get his place to the point where he could also host. I was stunned! Great development.

Well, the almost nine hours followed a night when I got less than six hours, so things balance out..

Dh installed the new dish robot today and it has done its first round of dishes. It took most of the day to put it in and I had to stand by to assist, so I got nothing done on my fantasy list during the process. However, the dish robot lives in the room with THE counter, so I picked at the counter all day.. it is now half shorter pile of random mess, half distinct piles of sorted out mess. It actually looks better enough that Dh said I did a good job. It was tedious though. It is basically a thousand one to three minute jobs. I am going to try to spend five minutes on it every day. Please check up on me.

After I got the robot put to work I did get to make three half pints of ground cherry jam.

My skirt did come, but unfortunately it is too small - I think I got confused by US and UK sizing because I was between two sizes and ordered down (because I'm loosing weight) but when I looked at the size chart again for the exchange, I should have ordered down and still gotten a size larger than I got. So anyway, it zipped, but barely and it was too tight, so I'm exchanging for a size larger. And I can't wear it on Tuesday.

Hello everyone!

That's a shame re your new skirt, SUbC. I loved your description of a teacher's skirt! Wonderful. Tell the new dish robot that I say "hey."

I was overslept today, then around 2:30 went with BF to his house. I finished a book I was reading then worked for a while (I had brought my computer with me). He had another funeral to go to. Then we ran errands and I made a nice spaghetti sauce. Really tasty.

I'll see mom tmr and work on her place. I think that the lighter of the two paint samples will work. Just need a sunny day to confirm before buying the paint and primer. The farrow and ball paints look different in every light so just waiting for some sunshine. We had some this afternoon but I didn't have enough time to move the headboard around my bedroom. The color I am considering is Skimming Stone.

Road, I've always been a cat person so I have no experience with dogs. I know I'd never be able to train a dog. I'm just not disciplined enough.

I lost another pound. I am grateful for that. I need to keep at it.

Well it's 10 AM so I'm doing a bit better with respect to waking up. So much to do. Unfortunately the washer is already in use so no laundry for me this AM. It is a bright sunny day.

I need to switch from my summer tote to something more fall appropriate. I also need to find my main watch when I go to work. I am a bit nervous because my friend cleaned out all of my drawers and didn't come across it. I really should concentrate on this during the AM before I head to mom's and once again need to look for her wallet.

Did I mention I got my hair cut this week and now there is no color left? It's all my color and of course the grey. It looks really good. I can tell my hairdresser resents the fact I'm not coloring it. He always makes sure that when he styles it that the maximum amount of grey is showing and mentions that I should color it. He also told me it would take me five years to grow out my color but it took 18 months. I last had it colored in March 2020. So I think he's hating on me a bit.

Hello Road! Has the buddy cleaning started yet? I hope so!

Cm I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed. Forgive me; I thought yin confided in us that the Big But was due to not having working plumbing? Please correct me if I'm wrong and also let me know if the plumbing has been fixed. I can't remember if it was just a bathroom issue or all household plumbing.

Good to hear that your heart grandson tested negative, SubC. Big relief, I am sure.

I'm in training these days, which takes up a lot of my time. I took Monday off to get my new chair and run other errands. Was pretty stressed at work yesterday but doing very well tonight.

When my cleaners were here, I asked them if they wanted my bed. There was a lot of talk and they will get back to me. I hope they decide yes.

I received the two paint samples I'd ordered and I'll test them out tmr on the back of the headboard. I bought brushes tonight.

My friend said she'll help me clear mom's place, which is pretty exciting news for me. And mom.

CM, fingers crossed for,the big but. I am going to visualize the desired outcome . I get you on the anti-jinx code word tactics... "So much for ... rational prefrontal cortex..." agh, that was hilarious. I love this group.

Tatoulia and SubC, the H took a r@re day off today for dr. Appt and running errands. I had forgotten so this ended up coming as unpleasant news to me which wasn't very nice. But we had a good day together and were able to cross quite a few things off the list. It was pretty Feckin' annoying that he was so productive - mainly because it seemed so easy for him and it also always feels like he's trying to stick it to me. Aware that sounds paranoid but things are actually that toxic around these part.s. But important point is a lot of stuff got done.

Hit my brother up on another thing... asked if he'd be willing to barter some cleaning or organizing services in exchange for doing so,e paperwork I've been avoiding for 14 years... he was up for it. We've done this a few times in the past with some success (I don't have any issue with cleaning and organizing OTHER people's stuff...) It I'll admit I've been avoiding offering this time because the pet hair in his house is epic. I'm. Breaking out in dermatitis right now just thinking about it.

A lot of 9-11 viewing for me the last few weeks. I had started researching an info graphic project I have been kicking around for years - a way to depict how many people escaped twin towers and how they did it. So I've been watching a lot of survivor stories. I'm in the Midwest but we have a handful of connections to people who were involved in one way or another. My Ps attended a memorial service for a woman who was a former student of his, then the next night, coincidentally, they were seated for dinner with a couple whose son had died in that event. And then one of the guys on #93 was from our town also.

Tatoulia,what ar you in training for? Running? Marathon? Or something work related?

Saw this in a friends FB tonight and it seemed like the perfect inspiration for me right now...

"Don't worry about what's ahead. Just go as far as you can go ? from there you can see farther."

Good morning everyone!
Coffee clinks!

Tatoulia, I will look forward to/hope for good news from the organizing mom project. I hope you get a good resolution on your bed.

Roadster, I'm sorry things are so stressful with your Dh. I have that same experience with looking at mine and wondering how he gets so much done. I think it's because he focuses really well and tunes out everything not tied to the job at hand, and because he also is happy with 80-90% of what I would do.

Good luck with the pet hair. Wear a mask?

I forgot to confess to ordering another school skirt last week. I don't know when it will arrive though, maybe in time for spring - lol! I have to toss in a load this morning or I won't have a skirt for Friday.

The new robot was delivered and is sitting in it's crate in the garage.

I've been working on using up the clay I have stockpiled in my studio for my class instead of buying more. Yesterday I started rehydrating another batch.

I also signed up for the second fall session - I bit the bullet and became a studio member, so I get a class every session. I'll be doing alternative firing, so I'll have to get some work done ahead. Seems like I'm always operating around 50% no matter how much pressure I put on myself, so I guess more is good?

One nice thing about the membership is that you don't have to meet the deadlines on the class projects. Also, they give you extra storage space..

Good news on the decluttering my body front - I have hit another weight milestone. 🙂 turns out what I needed was to be on my feet all day walking around a classroom, climbing up and down stairs, and never having time for snacks or lunch.

Yesterday I took a snack for after school (knowing I wouldn't get lunch) and I was so frazzled at the end of the day I left it in the fridge. I got home almost an hour later, and Dh told me the (very healthy) dinner he was making would be ready in 15 minutes, so no spoiling it with snacking. (I did cheat and pop a few cherry tomatoes into my mouth when he sent me out to the garden for fresh basil.)

SubC! Silly rabbit, eating cherry tomatoes is not a cheat! Chocolate covered cherries are a cheat, despite my protestations that they are fruit.

I like the idea of bartering tasks, Road! Great idea. I also like the quote at the bottom of your post.

SubC you did mention a skirt recently and quite frankly, you need it so no guilt!

I need to sample the paints today to make a decision in which one will work in the new-to-me headboard.

I'm in management training at work. It takes you time but is extremely useful and I'm enjoying it.

Greetings!

Dropped son off at school and instead of waiting for grocery delivery tomorrow ( that's another story) decided to hit the store and shop for groceries. Bad choice. I was in a fog and felt like I couldn't see with my mask and reading glasses situation and took 15 minutes to make every decision and in the end I think I left with half of everything I needed for each recipe and a half gallon of melted ice cream. Then I went to pick up some rx and they had a new whiz bang jetsons delivery system and I couldn't reach it being vertically challenged. Also I pulled up too far from it even though it's a robot and can't breathe on me. I social distanced from a robot! Then when I walked in the house it appeared as though a tornado had swept through the room... puppy prison break! Stuffing and foam and feathers from the old sofa had been distributed, as had shredded cardboard and assorted toys... and naturally, a nice big ole puddle on the hearth. So I just finished cleaning most of that up and dealing with groceries and feeding the older dog, etc. and ** washed out the bottom drawer of the fridge and the bottom of the fridge.** Whoohooo me.

SubC, my mom (Teacher) stayed normal sized despite her genetics by being on her feet 10+ hours a day. Coffee for breakfast, apple for lunch, and Then regular dinner. Pretty sure she avoided the lounge snacks too. I call that 30 years of deprivation but she's in her 80s and in better shape than me so there you go. What exactly *is* a teacher skirt?

Quick pop in.

It was cheating because he didn't want me to eat before dinner and I used the garden instead of the kitchen.

A teacher skirt is a skirt that fits at the waist and is full enough not to cling to anything else. Long enough to squat down or sit on the floor or a table modestly, short enough to not trip you on the stairs when you go up in a hurry, easy to wash and ideally with pockets. Often patterned in ways you might not normally wear (I have one printed all over with books and another with shiny silver pin stripes)

Good morning!

I am being ever so lazy today. Slept almost 9 hours, but still have that dull hint of a headache that tells me I need more sleep and more water.

I got an email this morning that my teacher skirt will be delivered today. It is black with a bright rainbow of stripes that should match several of my new school tees.

Tatoulia, what did you decide about the paint?

Roadster, I am VERY impressed with your fridge washing!

I too would social distance from a robot.

I understand your mom's experience. I do try very hard to eat a good solid breakfast so that I will have energy to get through the day, but I get so busy and focused at school that I don't miss lunch at all. There is always something more important to me than eating to do when I get a break. At the end of the day I am very thirsty, so I fill my mug from the water cooler repeatedly while I clean and prep my classroom and my stomach gets full, so it's not until I get home for dinner that I notice I am really hungry. And my wonderful Dh has been doing a great job providing me with healthy food. (Also I am tired enough that if I sit down on the couch first thing, it's just too much effort to get back up for nuts or bread or whatever hand to mouth food is around.)

So I have this lovely open unscheduled weekend ahead of me and as I sit on the couch finishing my coffee hours after my chores should be done, I'm thinking of the dozens of things I could do. In a few minutes I'll dress and get going and run head on into the reality that at best I can probably hope to do four of them.

CM, still crossing my fingers!