Another week – another post – but not much done during the week.
Last week, as mentioned, I hurt a muscle in my stomach and husband would not let me do anything heavy so I would heal. This meant that I could do computer work, some cooking (not “heavy” pots) and such. He carried the laundry bag downstairs so I could do the laundry and then carried the basket of clean items upstairs (twice as I did clothes one day and towels the next) for me. The basket of clean clothes that I carry upstairs on one hip with one hand normally, he can barely lift. Unfortunately after feeling better, today my back was hurting – I could not even twist to see the office phone to dial as I had to lean around the file holder stack on my desk – I had to go to the kitchen to call our bank to see if something coming into the account had arrived. So not much done again this last week.
I will say that we were very pleasantly surprised after using up most of our available time last week to prepare for the reenactment event I mentioned that it was much easier to do than we had figured how it had been explained.
Rather than hand everything over the fence, we were allowed to drive right to the space set aside for our unit. The people from the museum that was having the event were the nicest people we have ever met running an event – and we started doing craft shows in the 1980s. They bent over backwards – if we wanted the space set a different way, they were glad for us to do it and helped us. They were helping us unpack. They had tables out for us to use – one less thing for us to have to take out and set up. When we had finished unpacking I asked one of the men to help me back the van out of the museum grounds. He sent me up the road about a block to a school that was letting them use their parking lot - okay, a small bit of disorganization, the lot was small and full – there was a children's soccer game going on. There were no spaces. The fellow (not from our unit, but a friend) who was the blacksmith followed me in – he had a regular car and told me he as going to park between the two rows as another car had done. I luckily saw a father and son heading to their car and got that space. Not sure what later cars did – demonstrators, volunteers, and the public.
Despite my back I held up one of the tent poles (this is a reproduction tent – not a modern popup tent) for the unit set up as our members put it up. We had table next to the tent with plenty of room for the wooden drying racks we were using as display for the scarves husband had woven. After we set up I found a space between our table and the unit's setup to sit and embroider. Other members set up across the aisle from us in a group.
I talk about this in this column as organizing a setup for a display – whether a craft show, a reenactment event, a flea market, or a display setup up involves advance planning and then one has to hope that all goes as expected. We have learned to carry a variety of setup items that we do not normally need or use – just in case. Even if one knows the space that one will have it may be different than it was last year or otherwise expected. If the person that the next space is reserved for does not show up, one may be able to expand into their space. One may have to deal with uneven ground – or even a large puddle or flooded area. This time we were lucky. The venue's employees were nice and accommodating and the space well situated and not limited. We have gone to craft shows where we are supposed to have the same space as the year before – a corner space with 2 sides to display on – and found that the setup had changed or an error was made and one had different space in a different area midaisle with one side to work with. As we did this when we brought more items for setup than we needed, one has to be prepared for anything.
Think of trying to organize your home – you have plans to clear out the closet in the spare room and then find items there that you had not remembered. You are not ready to deal with those items – maybe not enough garbage bags (or the bags you have are too small) or you need help to move what you find. Or maybe you have to sort a lot of very small items and have no where to sort them. One has to be ready to deal with situations that one did not expect when organizing.
As to the event we did – very nice. Husband has been weaving for about 3, maybe 4 years and has tried to sell his scarves and table runners online. No sales of same at all. He has been despondent about weaving and no one buying. Our thought was that if the pieces could be seen in person it would be different and hoped that to be true. Craft shows around here for the most part are buy and sell junk shows – no chance of selling an actual hand woven scarf if commercial scarves for $8 each are being sold, which is why he jumped at this chance to sell, especially in the fall (okay, it did not feel like fall, it was in the upper 80/lower 90Fs) but he sold a scarf partway through the day and then near closing, 5 scarves to one woman. Yippee. He is again happy to weave.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Plan for everything you can think of for a specific organizing chore. There will be things that happen out of your control, but try to anticipate what you will need and the time you will need to do it. Then “play it by ear” if something not anticipated pops up!
Showing posts with label chores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chores. Show all posts
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Thursday, June 13, 2019
THE SIDE PORCH
I actually got something done this week - last Saturday when we got home I ended up dealing with the porch. We have a small enclosed entryway to our kitchen door which in the most technical sense is our “porch”. It is aluminum with screens on the top half of the walls. It has a shelving unit with cabinet doors on the bottom of it on the wall between the door to the outside (facing the street) and the door to the kitchen. On the back wall there is my husband’s boyhood work bench. This has a shelf under it the top which holds a box for recycling of cans and bottles - just stick my hand out the kitchen door and toss in and I stack the newspapers on top of it for same. There is a small garbage pail between the house wall and the table where I toss the soda bottles for return for deposit. It also has some other storage items. The rest of the porch is filled with stuff. There is a narrow pathway from the door to door.
What is in it which takes up so much more of the space? Well, I tossed the plastic chair which was in the far corner years ago so that’s gone. I admit that much of this mess is mine. I keep empty cardboard boxes to use to put out the recycling. Our township gave out special green plastic square boxes to put the recycling in (cans and bottles) when the program first started. When we bought the house the box came with it. I would dutifully put it out with our cans and bottles weekly and put the newspapers, tied in a stack (sometimes two stacks or more if I had been clearing out papers or it had been raining heavily or snowing the week before) either next to it or in it every week. If we have a lot of snow it is a problem putting it out as where it goes cannot be reached if there is mounds of snow - sometimes I will leave it in our driveway cut, sometimes I hold onto it for the next week. Nice and easy.
I am pretty sure that I mentioned that we live on a main, 4 lane road. The sanitation workers did not neatly place the box back where it belonged on our property, they would drop it in the road. Cars would hit it. Eventually it was in pretty bad shape - even taped back together and it disappeared - my assumption being that the sanitation workers took it. I called the department and they told me to come and pick up a new one. So I drove down - about half an hour each way - to get a new box. In the interim they had made the box larger. The new box did not fit in the work bench. Big problem - it did not fit anywhere usable and we could not figure out what to do with it. Shortly after my sister-in-law was selling her late mother’s house and I had an idea. My in-laws never believed in recycling so they had their box as originally given to them sitting in the garage. I took my large one and exchanged it for their smaller one. Worked well for us and the people in the house would probably have children and need the larger box anyway. Well at some time since this box also was destroyed by being thrown in the street and disappeared I had to come up with a new idea. (In the interim the sanitation department had dropped off the new, even larger, full garbage can sized recycling can which sits tossed behind the garage ever since as it would hold 2 months of our cans and bottles. What really annoyed me about them leaving this can was it was left on the driveway, in front of the house - if only they did that with the boxes when I was using them - at the start of July that year - when people like us are away and it stands there as beacon that the house is empty.)
My solution has been to use cardboard boxes that come into the house to hold the recycling. The box itself is recyclable so they just take it all. To do this I hold onto cardboard boxes as we get them - small ones such as cereal boxes are good when I just have 4 soup cans and so on up to larger size boxes which can take a couple (few?) weeks worth when I have not have not been able to put out the recycling. (Really big ones can be cut in half to use for 2 weeks.) They were all just tossed and a mess.
I have not had a chance to return soda bottles and cans since doing so at the start of December. Weather, things that needed to be done, etc. after my embroidery guild meeting had stopped me from me from doing so. I had 3 large clear garbage bags with same floating about the porch.
There are also several large spray bottles for poison ivy, killing weeds, etc. floating on the floor of the porch. A couple of them are empty - but we were not sure how to dispose of them as they are “hazardous substances” and cannot go in the garbage. (Since clearing the porch out a bit last weekend I have checked and they can only be returned at “STOP” events (stop throwing out poisons). So we have to make a note and get out early enough to get to one - hopefully the July one as the June one is not near us and the July one is.
Using a small plastic bag I was going to throw out I moved these into the far corner of the porch after I cleared out a full large garbage bag that was sitting there, I then put the plastic bags of soda bottles behind the bottles so both are out of the way. The cardboard boxes which were kept were put on top of the same bags. We had a large garbage bag in the middle of the porch to toss, well, garbage into. That was moved further into this corner.
We have a short office paper sized garbage pail in the porch. I put our spare, sealed bag of snow salt in it and then put the started bag on top of it. (The other spare bags are in the snow blower shed outside this porch.)
We have a kitchen sized garbage pail in the porch which holds some of the assorted, brooms and shovels in the porch - I added some more of the lighter weight ones into it. The three snow shovels should go into that same shed until next winter.
Well, the porch is not really cleared out (I did not go through the large shelving unit, but much, if not all, of what is on the open shelf areas is needed and I did fell like going into the doored section - especially since I had not intended to do any of this) but it is so much better. We can easily walk through it.
The garbage bags were put out by the garbage pail that actually holds garbage outside the house - next to the snowblower shed. Garbage pick up would be Monday and it could not go out to the curb before Sunday night. I had 2 large black bags of garbage and a smaller white kitchen can sized one also. I also had two relatively small filled bags with pieces of our driveway in them. (One area of our driveway is falling apart and we can keep picking up the pieces as we are afraid that in winter if we use the snow blower it will send the pieces flying.) So I put those two bags out also. Sunday night when I put all this at the curb I also added the usual kitchen garbage bag.
I am also taking smaller bags of the soda bottles - one put in the car as one bag of bottles is returned to get them rid of them in small amounts. Husband hates the entire process (see the comment about his family not recycling in the body of this post) and I had been saving them up to take monthly. This has become a problem this year and I would not have a chance to do so again until September. I plan to get rid of the bottles a small bag at a time. Once we are caught up the same bag or less will be returned weekly.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometimes when one never has time to do something, it suddenly becomes “oh carp, we have to do this NOW.” If that happens do what needs to be done. If you can prevent yourself from reaching that point - do it before it reaches that point. Oh, and of course, the snow shovels still have not been put into the snow blower shed.
What is in it which takes up so much more of the space? Well, I tossed the plastic chair which was in the far corner years ago so that’s gone. I admit that much of this mess is mine. I keep empty cardboard boxes to use to put out the recycling. Our township gave out special green plastic square boxes to put the recycling in (cans and bottles) when the program first started. When we bought the house the box came with it. I would dutifully put it out with our cans and bottles weekly and put the newspapers, tied in a stack (sometimes two stacks or more if I had been clearing out papers or it had been raining heavily or snowing the week before) either next to it or in it every week. If we have a lot of snow it is a problem putting it out as where it goes cannot be reached if there is mounds of snow - sometimes I will leave it in our driveway cut, sometimes I hold onto it for the next week. Nice and easy.
I am pretty sure that I mentioned that we live on a main, 4 lane road. The sanitation workers did not neatly place the box back where it belonged on our property, they would drop it in the road. Cars would hit it. Eventually it was in pretty bad shape - even taped back together and it disappeared - my assumption being that the sanitation workers took it. I called the department and they told me to come and pick up a new one. So I drove down - about half an hour each way - to get a new box. In the interim they had made the box larger. The new box did not fit in the work bench. Big problem - it did not fit anywhere usable and we could not figure out what to do with it. Shortly after my sister-in-law was selling her late mother’s house and I had an idea. My in-laws never believed in recycling so they had their box as originally given to them sitting in the garage. I took my large one and exchanged it for their smaller one. Worked well for us and the people in the house would probably have children and need the larger box anyway. Well at some time since this box also was destroyed by being thrown in the street and disappeared I had to come up with a new idea. (In the interim the sanitation department had dropped off the new, even larger, full garbage can sized recycling can which sits tossed behind the garage ever since as it would hold 2 months of our cans and bottles. What really annoyed me about them leaving this can was it was left on the driveway, in front of the house - if only they did that with the boxes when I was using them - at the start of July that year - when people like us are away and it stands there as beacon that the house is empty.)
My solution has been to use cardboard boxes that come into the house to hold the recycling. The box itself is recyclable so they just take it all. To do this I hold onto cardboard boxes as we get them - small ones such as cereal boxes are good when I just have 4 soup cans and so on up to larger size boxes which can take a couple (few?) weeks worth when I have not have not been able to put out the recycling. (Really big ones can be cut in half to use for 2 weeks.) They were all just tossed and a mess.
I have not had a chance to return soda bottles and cans since doing so at the start of December. Weather, things that needed to be done, etc. after my embroidery guild meeting had stopped me from me from doing so. I had 3 large clear garbage bags with same floating about the porch.
There are also several large spray bottles for poison ivy, killing weeds, etc. floating on the floor of the porch. A couple of them are empty - but we were not sure how to dispose of them as they are “hazardous substances” and cannot go in the garbage. (Since clearing the porch out a bit last weekend I have checked and they can only be returned at “STOP” events (stop throwing out poisons). So we have to make a note and get out early enough to get to one - hopefully the July one as the June one is not near us and the July one is.
Using a small plastic bag I was going to throw out I moved these into the far corner of the porch after I cleared out a full large garbage bag that was sitting there, I then put the plastic bags of soda bottles behind the bottles so both are out of the way. The cardboard boxes which were kept were put on top of the same bags. We had a large garbage bag in the middle of the porch to toss, well, garbage into. That was moved further into this corner.
We have a short office paper sized garbage pail in the porch. I put our spare, sealed bag of snow salt in it and then put the started bag on top of it. (The other spare bags are in the snow blower shed outside this porch.)
We have a kitchen sized garbage pail in the porch which holds some of the assorted, brooms and shovels in the porch - I added some more of the lighter weight ones into it. The three snow shovels should go into that same shed until next winter.
Well, the porch is not really cleared out (I did not go through the large shelving unit, but much, if not all, of what is on the open shelf areas is needed and I did fell like going into the doored section - especially since I had not intended to do any of this) but it is so much better. We can easily walk through it.
The garbage bags were put out by the garbage pail that actually holds garbage outside the house - next to the snowblower shed. Garbage pick up would be Monday and it could not go out to the curb before Sunday night. I had 2 large black bags of garbage and a smaller white kitchen can sized one also. I also had two relatively small filled bags with pieces of our driveway in them. (One area of our driveway is falling apart and we can keep picking up the pieces as we are afraid that in winter if we use the snow blower it will send the pieces flying.) So I put those two bags out also. Sunday night when I put all this at the curb I also added the usual kitchen garbage bag.
I am also taking smaller bags of the soda bottles - one put in the car as one bag of bottles is returned to get them rid of them in small amounts. Husband hates the entire process (see the comment about his family not recycling in the body of this post) and I had been saving them up to take monthly. This has become a problem this year and I would not have a chance to do so again until September. I plan to get rid of the bottles a small bag at a time. Once we are caught up the same bag or less will be returned weekly.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometimes when one never has time to do something, it suddenly becomes “oh carp, we have to do this NOW.” If that happens do what needs to be done. If you can prevent yourself from reaching that point - do it before it reaches that point. Oh, and of course, the snow shovels still have not been put into the snow blower shed.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
CATCHING UP - THREE STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK
I have been trying hard to catch up this week on everything since, I guess, the beginning of March. Things are getting done, but then, of course, new things pop up.
I actually have the stuff on my desk down to 2 piles - to do and to scan. The to “enter” pile is gone - yay!
I managed to lower the to scan pile today - I scanned in the tables of contents for 5 issues of a history magazine I read. (I scan in the table of contents of magazines we keep for research. This allows me to either search all of the tables of contents in a file to see if there are any related articles to a specific subject or to “page” through all the tables of contents without having to take out all the magazines.) I also quickly scanned in the instruction manuals for the two new outdoor light fixtures that we bought and installed. Again, easier to find the instructions in a scanned file than by going through all the instruction books. I deleted the instruction manual of light fixture that one of these replaced as it stopped working right and was tossed out after being replaced. The other is a light in a place where we never had one before. I marked the instruction books with the year and will put them in a file to toss at the end of next year, so I will have them for now if anything comes up and they have to be returned. The replacement light is next to the side entry garage door and I scanned an enlarged copy of how to adjust the light (it is motion triggered), which husband sealed in plastic and we have put it in the garage for convenient access if needed.
My embroidery chapter is in the middle of the renewal period so I have that out in the “to do” pile as I will have to forward the dues collected for our National and our Region to them at the end of the month. I also have not finished dealing with the renewals for our reenactment unit (also in the “to do” pile) - I have a few new members who I have to add our to our list (already sent their dues to the National of same so if they went to a National event they will be on the list of unit members). I then have to make the membership lists for both groups for our members to use. This is especially important for the reenactment unit as we have events coming up, as well as our monthly meeting and the unit commander needs the new members info so they receive their notices.
I renewed medications for myself and my husband - we need to do so quarterly. I waited a bit longer than normal due to everything else going on and our weekly boxes when filled by me last Saturday night were short some pills, that have now been added. (I keep an additional week of pills laid out in our travel pill boxes so I could have pulled the needed pills from same if we had a problem getting them. I keep the travel boxes filled as it makes it easier if I have a cold or such and husband has to fill the regular boxes that we use in the house for our pills - they are counted and sorted and he just needs to put them in the house boxes. Houses boxes are in individual boxes - a weekly box by day for each of us for morning bills - in our bedroom - an lunch and dinner box for each of us in the kitchen, and a bedtime box for husband in the kitchen. The travel boxes are one set of boxes with separate sections for the times of day and can be removed from the tray which holds it. I put all of the pills for both of us in each day’s box so that pulling out the box has all our pills for the day - as opposed to the boxes we use in the house where each box has a week’s worth of pills for one of us for a certain time of day. (I hope that makes sense.)
We are also in the middle of dealing with insurance for our reenactment unit. One is an accident policy for our members (we do have black powder guns being used as well as an open fire at events) which, after discussion with the rest of the board during the year, we checked and we are increasing the very low coverage we had before. That bill should be here soon as it is due this month. The other policy is a liability policy for the unit. We have been looking for a new insurance company. The one we had up to last year is no longer writen in our state as of last year. We found this out at the last minute last year. We found an alternative last year when we needed to find one extremely quickly. We wanted to see what else was out there now that we had a chance, plus we figured that additional companies might now be writing policies in our state now that the company we used to have was no longer doing so - and they would have had time to start doing so. Much effort and time has been put into this - mostly by husband - and after all this, the policy we found last year, is still the only alternative.
We did have a call from mom the other day asking us to come and do a favor for her. She had gotten a delivery of a new paper shredder. It had been left in front of her front door - so she could not open the door, so could we come and please bring it in for her. We did so and husband also set up the shredder for her and made sure it worked - that took just over an hour.
Husband also had us finish dewinterizing the RV water tanks. This takes time to fill the tanks repeated times - first time with bleach added to the water and which is run the water lines of the RV, then let sit and then let out through the clean water let out (as opposed to having to let it all into the dirty water tanks and then dump those tanks - which cannot be let run into the street, as clean water from the clean water let out can be done). The tanks are then refilled with plain, clean water and let out the clean water let out several times to get rid of the bleach taste/smell. Wet job and time wasting, but needs to be done.
Today husband had a new project for us to do. We siphoned out the gasoline in the snow blower into a gas “can”. That gas and the gas left in the other can were poured into our cars for use. The snow blower was then allowed to run to use up the gas in it. If this is not done the gas in the snow blower goes bad over the summer and it cannot be started in the fall/winter for checking that it works and for us.
But these odd tasks are getting done and the piles on the desk are going down.
I also paid our business credit card bill today - out in the mail tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon our will pay our main credit card bill and it will go out in the mail on Friday - when we will also transfer money from savings to checking to cover it. (The money to the business checking account to pay the business credit card was transferred last week.) All bills are paid in full every time. (Well 2 exceptions over the decades which had specific reasons not to pay in full.)
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
If you fall behind - slow and steady will get you caught back up even if new things pop up that have to be done.
I actually have the stuff on my desk down to 2 piles - to do and to scan. The to “enter” pile is gone - yay!
I managed to lower the to scan pile today - I scanned in the tables of contents for 5 issues of a history magazine I read. (I scan in the table of contents of magazines we keep for research. This allows me to either search all of the tables of contents in a file to see if there are any related articles to a specific subject or to “page” through all the tables of contents without having to take out all the magazines.) I also quickly scanned in the instruction manuals for the two new outdoor light fixtures that we bought and installed. Again, easier to find the instructions in a scanned file than by going through all the instruction books. I deleted the instruction manual of light fixture that one of these replaced as it stopped working right and was tossed out after being replaced. The other is a light in a place where we never had one before. I marked the instruction books with the year and will put them in a file to toss at the end of next year, so I will have them for now if anything comes up and they have to be returned. The replacement light is next to the side entry garage door and I scanned an enlarged copy of how to adjust the light (it is motion triggered), which husband sealed in plastic and we have put it in the garage for convenient access if needed.
My embroidery chapter is in the middle of the renewal period so I have that out in the “to do” pile as I will have to forward the dues collected for our National and our Region to them at the end of the month. I also have not finished dealing with the renewals for our reenactment unit (also in the “to do” pile) - I have a few new members who I have to add our to our list (already sent their dues to the National of same so if they went to a National event they will be on the list of unit members). I then have to make the membership lists for both groups for our members to use. This is especially important for the reenactment unit as we have events coming up, as well as our monthly meeting and the unit commander needs the new members info so they receive their notices.
I renewed medications for myself and my husband - we need to do so quarterly. I waited a bit longer than normal due to everything else going on and our weekly boxes when filled by me last Saturday night were short some pills, that have now been added. (I keep an additional week of pills laid out in our travel pill boxes so I could have pulled the needed pills from same if we had a problem getting them. I keep the travel boxes filled as it makes it easier if I have a cold or such and husband has to fill the regular boxes that we use in the house for our pills - they are counted and sorted and he just needs to put them in the house boxes. Houses boxes are in individual boxes - a weekly box by day for each of us for morning bills - in our bedroom - an lunch and dinner box for each of us in the kitchen, and a bedtime box for husband in the kitchen. The travel boxes are one set of boxes with separate sections for the times of day and can be removed from the tray which holds it. I put all of the pills for both of us in each day’s box so that pulling out the box has all our pills for the day - as opposed to the boxes we use in the house where each box has a week’s worth of pills for one of us for a certain time of day. (I hope that makes sense.)
We are also in the middle of dealing with insurance for our reenactment unit. One is an accident policy for our members (we do have black powder guns being used as well as an open fire at events) which, after discussion with the rest of the board during the year, we checked and we are increasing the very low coverage we had before. That bill should be here soon as it is due this month. The other policy is a liability policy for the unit. We have been looking for a new insurance company. The one we had up to last year is no longer writen in our state as of last year. We found this out at the last minute last year. We found an alternative last year when we needed to find one extremely quickly. We wanted to see what else was out there now that we had a chance, plus we figured that additional companies might now be writing policies in our state now that the company we used to have was no longer doing so - and they would have had time to start doing so. Much effort and time has been put into this - mostly by husband - and after all this, the policy we found last year, is still the only alternative.
We did have a call from mom the other day asking us to come and do a favor for her. She had gotten a delivery of a new paper shredder. It had been left in front of her front door - so she could not open the door, so could we come and please bring it in for her. We did so and husband also set up the shredder for her and made sure it worked - that took just over an hour.
Husband also had us finish dewinterizing the RV water tanks. This takes time to fill the tanks repeated times - first time with bleach added to the water and which is run the water lines of the RV, then let sit and then let out through the clean water let out (as opposed to having to let it all into the dirty water tanks and then dump those tanks - which cannot be let run into the street, as clean water from the clean water let out can be done). The tanks are then refilled with plain, clean water and let out the clean water let out several times to get rid of the bleach taste/smell. Wet job and time wasting, but needs to be done.
Today husband had a new project for us to do. We siphoned out the gasoline in the snow blower into a gas “can”. That gas and the gas left in the other can were poured into our cars for use. The snow blower was then allowed to run to use up the gas in it. If this is not done the gas in the snow blower goes bad over the summer and it cannot be started in the fall/winter for checking that it works and for us.
But these odd tasks are getting done and the piles on the desk are going down.
I also paid our business credit card bill today - out in the mail tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon our will pay our main credit card bill and it will go out in the mail on Friday - when we will also transfer money from savings to checking to cover it. (The money to the business checking account to pay the business credit card was transferred last week.) All bills are paid in full every time. (Well 2 exceptions over the decades which had specific reasons not to pay in full.)
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
If you fall behind - slow and steady will get you caught back up even if new things pop up that have to be done.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
WHAT EATS UP MY TIME THESE DAYS?
Do you have control over your time? How much of you time is governed by other people who need you or make plans which involve you - and are not the king of people you can say no to?
When my husband worked full time at his job all of my time during the day on weekdays was my own. Yes, I had to go to work and I went to my embroidery meetings, but I could easily plan what I was doing when back then.
Husband and I were in what is called a rotational art exhibit - okay, we were each in two of them. In this type of exhibition (run by two different township park departments) the artist, after having his/her work reviewed and approved, goes to a showcase. Different venues - town offices, libraries, local businesses... sign up with the program also and come to the showcase. They select which artist’s works they would like to have in their venue and they and the artist agree on which month (or two month period) the exhibition will be for. There would be months when we had 3 shows at 3 different venues (he had work in 2 different media in the show). Since he was working full time I was allowed to represent both of us - I also set up and took down the exhibitions. I could schedule the exhibitions, set them up and then take them down. When husband quit his job and worked part time from home we would do all of this together and there was always a problem with him as to when we were doing it, why we were doing it (we only sold 3 small pieces over the time he exhibited, my work was not for sale, so I did not sell any). It amazed me how much easier it was when I did this all alone, then when we did it together. Due to the fact that one of libraries may be where we got bedbugs, we stopped doing the shows - and it was relief to stop - although before he started coming along, this would not have been true.
When he first quit his job we had an agreement that we would each go our own way during the day - and we did for awhile. Then gasoline prices went up and up and up and husband pointed out that we were wasting money at the high price of gas for me to drive to the supermarket and him to drive separately to the Home Depot in the same parking lot and we started sort of car pooling for errands like this. Before I knew it, we were together all day, every day (except the days I went out to work and the days I went to my embroidery meeting).
Clients of mine, older senior citizens, had to shut down their business due to the economy and gradually I ended up with only one monthly business client. I used to go out to clients at least 8 days a month - some days to multiple clients - and had no problem scheduling them - now the 1 client is a problem to schedule.
I am not the world’s best house cleaner. I had a schedule - on Wednesdays I would clean - First Wednesday of the month I would dust, vacuum & wash floors, and clean the toilet upstairs. Second Wednesday of the month I would do the same downstairs. Third week I would do the upstairs - except the toilet - again. Fourth week I would do the same as the second, but would clean the kitchen instead of the bathroom. On the occasional fifth Wednesday I would do another chore that had not been done and needed doing. Now - forget it! It is hard to clean toilets or wash floors when as soon as one is mid cleaning one’s husband appears and says “I have to go in NOW.” And there is always a reason that the other bathroom is not where he wants to be. It has gotten so bad that I ended waiting until he fell asleep at night and then cleaned the upstairs bathroom - at 3 in the morning!
This comes up right now as the past 2 weeks I feel like screaming! Last week on Tuesday he decided it was time to put up the Christmas lights, and then looked at the bushes and the piles of fallen leaves and said “We can’t put up the lights with all these leaves here - there will be a fire.” Okay, so we are going to suddenly clear up the leaves. He found online at a home store near us a rack to hold the garbage bags and it was in stock at the store. We go there - I really don’t think we need the rack - without even knowing what it was. The store does not have any, even though the company website says that they do - and, while it is still November at that time, they don’t have it because it is a “fall” item and the main office therefore took all of them back! Oh, and according to them the website saying they have something does not mean anything - good thing husband did not buy it online and go to pick it up at the store. We lost an hour and a half of limited sunlight (remember we get started late and had already run errands) on that fool’s errand. We come home and we start clearing the leaves. Over the years husband has come up with a variety of methods to do this - vacuum them, shred them with a vacuum, and I don’t know what else - my system is a snow shovel - yes, a snow shovel. First I quickly rake the leaves out from between the bushes onto the driveway in a line of leaves. I shovel them into the garbage bag in the garbage pail, stop periodically to tamp them down with the shovel, then when the bag is full (probably overfull) I close the bad with a bag tie, drag the garbage can to by the curb, lay the pail down on it’s side, stand it up again with the open end down, pull the can off the bag and there it is - a bag of leaves where it needs to be for pickup. I am doing the work due to the pain that is still healing in his left arm and shoulder. He has to help (you know, like small children have to help). He wants to hold the rake for me to push the leaves against when shoveling, this is not needed as there is a line of leaves to push against and at the end I use the pail. Then he decides that too many leaves are falling and puts the rake over the leaves - resulting in almost all of the leaves falling off. I convince him to go and get more bags and bag ties to keep him busy. We eventually end up with about a dozen or more bags sitting at the curb - they were picked the next day as Wednesday is yard pickup. Wednesday we run errands and then go to clear the last of the leaves - these are leaves around the driveway where he is worried that mice will nest - he is shocked that new leaves are where we cleared the day before! Now, if I was involved in planning this ahead of time - we would not have had errands to run - I would make sure they were otherwise scheduled - and we would have eaten a quick lunch at home to give us enough time, instead of our daily half hour plus leisurely lunch at Wendys.
We had checked the light strands ahead of time, as we had not had a chance to check them when we took them down (I made a reminder in my cell phone for the middle of October about this, as well as about the 2 strands that went out while out last year and had purchased replacement lights. We had to wait after clearing the leaves for a day that was not below freezing and it was not raining. Over the weekend we put out the lights. I am, again, doing the work. We did a little bit different setup as he had some ideas, All was going well. We have a holly tree and the lights have to be (literally) thrown onto the upper part of it as neither of us likes to go on a ladder. I was trying to figure out how to put the higher lights on it - figuring a ladder will be needed - and he grabs the strand and throws it - and then is reminded of his shoulder and arm - and was back in pain like a few weeks ago! (Yes, the lights are up, look nice - one of his ideas I thought was terrible works very well.)
We spent yesterday evening taking apart his computer as it had stopped working - believe it or not it as the battery that keeps the time and such going as this is his desktop computer. So the time I would have spent washing dishes - I was lifting his computer (because even before he threw the light strand he should not have lifted it) as well as clearing off my desk for him to work on. I did some of my magic - “It needs a CR2032 battery, I guess we will have to buy one.” I go to our bag of button batteries (travels with us on trips) and find one, still sealed in the package. Then I did the dishes after we changed the battery, put the computer back on his side of the office on the floor and he had restarted the computer.
I have to take 20 hours of classes to do tax returns next year - I took 2 hours of them the other evening and I should have much more of them done by now - only 26 days to go - 6 days of which we will be involved in reenacting, two days of which will be Christmas Eve and Day, that leaves 18 days left! And Christmas decorations, shopping for one of his nieces (other is finished) and regular housework is left - oh, and he is still trying to fit in a one day trip to Lancaster, PA.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
It is hard to make our time our own to be able to schedule what work needs to be done, but we have to do it. This time of year, especially, we have to make time for what we need to do as well as what we have to do.
When my husband worked full time at his job all of my time during the day on weekdays was my own. Yes, I had to go to work and I went to my embroidery meetings, but I could easily plan what I was doing when back then.
Husband and I were in what is called a rotational art exhibit - okay, we were each in two of them. In this type of exhibition (run by two different township park departments) the artist, after having his/her work reviewed and approved, goes to a showcase. Different venues - town offices, libraries, local businesses... sign up with the program also and come to the showcase. They select which artist’s works they would like to have in their venue and they and the artist agree on which month (or two month period) the exhibition will be for. There would be months when we had 3 shows at 3 different venues (he had work in 2 different media in the show). Since he was working full time I was allowed to represent both of us - I also set up and took down the exhibitions. I could schedule the exhibitions, set them up and then take them down. When husband quit his job and worked part time from home we would do all of this together and there was always a problem with him as to when we were doing it, why we were doing it (we only sold 3 small pieces over the time he exhibited, my work was not for sale, so I did not sell any). It amazed me how much easier it was when I did this all alone, then when we did it together. Due to the fact that one of libraries may be where we got bedbugs, we stopped doing the shows - and it was relief to stop - although before he started coming along, this would not have been true.
When he first quit his job we had an agreement that we would each go our own way during the day - and we did for awhile. Then gasoline prices went up and up and up and husband pointed out that we were wasting money at the high price of gas for me to drive to the supermarket and him to drive separately to the Home Depot in the same parking lot and we started sort of car pooling for errands like this. Before I knew it, we were together all day, every day (except the days I went out to work and the days I went to my embroidery meeting).
Clients of mine, older senior citizens, had to shut down their business due to the economy and gradually I ended up with only one monthly business client. I used to go out to clients at least 8 days a month - some days to multiple clients - and had no problem scheduling them - now the 1 client is a problem to schedule.
I am not the world’s best house cleaner. I had a schedule - on Wednesdays I would clean - First Wednesday of the month I would dust, vacuum & wash floors, and clean the toilet upstairs. Second Wednesday of the month I would do the same downstairs. Third week I would do the upstairs - except the toilet - again. Fourth week I would do the same as the second, but would clean the kitchen instead of the bathroom. On the occasional fifth Wednesday I would do another chore that had not been done and needed doing. Now - forget it! It is hard to clean toilets or wash floors when as soon as one is mid cleaning one’s husband appears and says “I have to go in NOW.” And there is always a reason that the other bathroom is not where he wants to be. It has gotten so bad that I ended waiting until he fell asleep at night and then cleaned the upstairs bathroom - at 3 in the morning!
This comes up right now as the past 2 weeks I feel like screaming! Last week on Tuesday he decided it was time to put up the Christmas lights, and then looked at the bushes and the piles of fallen leaves and said “We can’t put up the lights with all these leaves here - there will be a fire.” Okay, so we are going to suddenly clear up the leaves. He found online at a home store near us a rack to hold the garbage bags and it was in stock at the store. We go there - I really don’t think we need the rack - without even knowing what it was. The store does not have any, even though the company website says that they do - and, while it is still November at that time, they don’t have it because it is a “fall” item and the main office therefore took all of them back! Oh, and according to them the website saying they have something does not mean anything - good thing husband did not buy it online and go to pick it up at the store. We lost an hour and a half of limited sunlight (remember we get started late and had already run errands) on that fool’s errand. We come home and we start clearing the leaves. Over the years husband has come up with a variety of methods to do this - vacuum them, shred them with a vacuum, and I don’t know what else - my system is a snow shovel - yes, a snow shovel. First I quickly rake the leaves out from between the bushes onto the driveway in a line of leaves. I shovel them into the garbage bag in the garbage pail, stop periodically to tamp them down with the shovel, then when the bag is full (probably overfull) I close the bad with a bag tie, drag the garbage can to by the curb, lay the pail down on it’s side, stand it up again with the open end down, pull the can off the bag and there it is - a bag of leaves where it needs to be for pickup. I am doing the work due to the pain that is still healing in his left arm and shoulder. He has to help (you know, like small children have to help). He wants to hold the rake for me to push the leaves against when shoveling, this is not needed as there is a line of leaves to push against and at the end I use the pail. Then he decides that too many leaves are falling and puts the rake over the leaves - resulting in almost all of the leaves falling off. I convince him to go and get more bags and bag ties to keep him busy. We eventually end up with about a dozen or more bags sitting at the curb - they were picked the next day as Wednesday is yard pickup. Wednesday we run errands and then go to clear the last of the leaves - these are leaves around the driveway where he is worried that mice will nest - he is shocked that new leaves are where we cleared the day before! Now, if I was involved in planning this ahead of time - we would not have had errands to run - I would make sure they were otherwise scheduled - and we would have eaten a quick lunch at home to give us enough time, instead of our daily half hour plus leisurely lunch at Wendys.
We had checked the light strands ahead of time, as we had not had a chance to check them when we took them down (I made a reminder in my cell phone for the middle of October about this, as well as about the 2 strands that went out while out last year and had purchased replacement lights. We had to wait after clearing the leaves for a day that was not below freezing and it was not raining. Over the weekend we put out the lights. I am, again, doing the work. We did a little bit different setup as he had some ideas, All was going well. We have a holly tree and the lights have to be (literally) thrown onto the upper part of it as neither of us likes to go on a ladder. I was trying to figure out how to put the higher lights on it - figuring a ladder will be needed - and he grabs the strand and throws it - and then is reminded of his shoulder and arm - and was back in pain like a few weeks ago! (Yes, the lights are up, look nice - one of his ideas I thought was terrible works very well.)
We spent yesterday evening taking apart his computer as it had stopped working - believe it or not it as the battery that keeps the time and such going as this is his desktop computer. So the time I would have spent washing dishes - I was lifting his computer (because even before he threw the light strand he should not have lifted it) as well as clearing off my desk for him to work on. I did some of my magic - “It needs a CR2032 battery, I guess we will have to buy one.” I go to our bag of button batteries (travels with us on trips) and find one, still sealed in the package. Then I did the dishes after we changed the battery, put the computer back on his side of the office on the floor and he had restarted the computer.
I have to take 20 hours of classes to do tax returns next year - I took 2 hours of them the other evening and I should have much more of them done by now - only 26 days to go - 6 days of which we will be involved in reenacting, two days of which will be Christmas Eve and Day, that leaves 18 days left! And Christmas decorations, shopping for one of his nieces (other is finished) and regular housework is left - oh, and he is still trying to fit in a one day trip to Lancaster, PA.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
It is hard to make our time our own to be able to schedule what work needs to be done, but we have to do it. This time of year, especially, we have to make time for what we need to do as well as what we have to do.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
AMAZING WHAT HAS GONE ASTRAY IN A MONTH AND A HALF
When one thinks that one is sort of keeping up, well... one is not.
We received the new carbon monoxide monitor today - it looks right. We ordered a different propane monitor - same company as made the carbon monoxide detector and will send the one we have back - not comfortable with it not indicating that it is working properly.
So far the leak under the sink has not returned - might have been because husband washed hair in kitchen sink. We will see.
Spent much time trying to find a new policy for our reenactment unit. Today we found an agency that gave us a “maybe”, instead of a “no”. The company they use has written some policies for reenactors, not sure if they still are doing so. In doing the paperwork for them, I found an ad we received several years ago from a company that did these policies - husband contacted, they no longer carry these policies.
Yesterday I had a chance to do some of those bank recs which are sitting and waiting. Again, I started with the more important ones. I did the April one for our reenactment unit first and then same for my embroidery chapter. I could not find last month’s bank recs for them. In a panic I looked through the papers I previously set aside to deal with later. I checked the file drawers. I looked in my “to file” section in the stack of holders that sit on my desk (amazingly that has mostly been kept up through all this). I looked in the stack on desk. I looked in the financial folder for each in their slots in their sections in the same holder. Not there! Finally I remembered! Boy was I stupid. I don’t file bank statements into the file drawers when I reconcile them. I put them into my “grab and go” emergency folder and at that time file the one from the prior month. This is such an automatic repeating thing - how could I forget? So the ones I was missing were in the grab and go. Well, the one for our reenactment unit was. The one for my embroidery chapter was still missing. I finally remembered that it was set aside in the notebook I use to keep track of the money received for the group. I had forgotten (until I did this month’s reconciliation) that suddenly the statement shows a calculation of the monthly fees due on the account - all zero so far - and this account is not suppose to have monthly fees. I set it aside to take with me next time I go to that bank to ask what is going on and forgot. I will be going in to make a deposit for the group and will ask about the fee calculation.
I also had a chance to reconcile our business banking accounts for April. They go fairly quickly - very little business. This time I remembered where last month’s statements were - since I had just done the other two statements. I even had a chance to do both months of our lesser bank accounts (small savings accounts and a checking accounting to transfer money out of that bank easily). I did not get to the statements for our IRAs. They are quarterly statements and came at the beginning of April and are next to be done.
I still have not had a chance to post the breakdown of the bills I paid last month to the computer. I had posted them quickly when they were paid, entirely to “uncategorized expenses”. This way I us the program to double check my arithmetic - my balance and the computer’s balance for any account should be the same, but it saves the time of breaking down the expenses on a busy credit card statement. These statements are in the folder to have their posting fixed. By posting them to the “uncategorized expenses” category, one which I did not set up, but is place for the program to post expenses which were not posted by me, I know that when I have the program make me a statement for reference, if there is anything in that account - it was done and I better do it!
I also did not have a chance to backup my computers last month. I should have done the monthly and a quarterly backup of each (on two different external hard drives). So yesterday I did a back up on each drive for my main computer. I had been having a problem syncing my older mobile phone with the computer - it would not attach and I thought it was a peculiarity of the phone which sometimes happen - it is “old” and a pre Iphone or Android. I decided not to panic and set it aside. Then when I tried to attach the first external hard drive - it would not attach. I tried again in a different port - then tried a port on the back of the computer instead of the front as I have a hub attached to the back and the disks on same were fine. Did not work. Why should it - nothing else seems to work right.
I still did not panic and did what one does when nothing works right. I shut down the computer and rebooted. That did it and it worked. So I made both backups. Today I did same to my work laptop. I have to go back and backup some flash drives of data and then this computer will be backed up.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
To paraphrase a saying about setting aside projects partially done - . “If you don’t have time to finish it now and you set it aside, when will you have time to finish it?”
This is what has happened to me. New problems keep popping up which are mostly beyond my control.
Try to get things done in full - or get back to them right away - don’t set them partially aside. If by some chance you have no choice (as I did not) make sure you keep all of what has to be done together in a logical way so you can go back and remember what has to be done and how to do it.
We received the new carbon monoxide monitor today - it looks right. We ordered a different propane monitor - same company as made the carbon monoxide detector and will send the one we have back - not comfortable with it not indicating that it is working properly.
So far the leak under the sink has not returned - might have been because husband washed hair in kitchen sink. We will see.
Spent much time trying to find a new policy for our reenactment unit. Today we found an agency that gave us a “maybe”, instead of a “no”. The company they use has written some policies for reenactors, not sure if they still are doing so. In doing the paperwork for them, I found an ad we received several years ago from a company that did these policies - husband contacted, they no longer carry these policies.
Yesterday I had a chance to do some of those bank recs which are sitting and waiting. Again, I started with the more important ones. I did the April one for our reenactment unit first and then same for my embroidery chapter. I could not find last month’s bank recs for them. In a panic I looked through the papers I previously set aside to deal with later. I checked the file drawers. I looked in my “to file” section in the stack of holders that sit on my desk (amazingly that has mostly been kept up through all this). I looked in the stack on desk. I looked in the financial folder for each in their slots in their sections in the same holder. Not there! Finally I remembered! Boy was I stupid. I don’t file bank statements into the file drawers when I reconcile them. I put them into my “grab and go” emergency folder and at that time file the one from the prior month. This is such an automatic repeating thing - how could I forget? So the ones I was missing were in the grab and go. Well, the one for our reenactment unit was. The one for my embroidery chapter was still missing. I finally remembered that it was set aside in the notebook I use to keep track of the money received for the group. I had forgotten (until I did this month’s reconciliation) that suddenly the statement shows a calculation of the monthly fees due on the account - all zero so far - and this account is not suppose to have monthly fees. I set it aside to take with me next time I go to that bank to ask what is going on and forgot. I will be going in to make a deposit for the group and will ask about the fee calculation.
I also had a chance to reconcile our business banking accounts for April. They go fairly quickly - very little business. This time I remembered where last month’s statements were - since I had just done the other two statements. I even had a chance to do both months of our lesser bank accounts (small savings accounts and a checking accounting to transfer money out of that bank easily). I did not get to the statements for our IRAs. They are quarterly statements and came at the beginning of April and are next to be done.
I still have not had a chance to post the breakdown of the bills I paid last month to the computer. I had posted them quickly when they were paid, entirely to “uncategorized expenses”. This way I us the program to double check my arithmetic - my balance and the computer’s balance for any account should be the same, but it saves the time of breaking down the expenses on a busy credit card statement. These statements are in the folder to have their posting fixed. By posting them to the “uncategorized expenses” category, one which I did not set up, but is place for the program to post expenses which were not posted by me, I know that when I have the program make me a statement for reference, if there is anything in that account - it was done and I better do it!
I also did not have a chance to backup my computers last month. I should have done the monthly and a quarterly backup of each (on two different external hard drives). So yesterday I did a back up on each drive for my main computer. I had been having a problem syncing my older mobile phone with the computer - it would not attach and I thought it was a peculiarity of the phone which sometimes happen - it is “old” and a pre Iphone or Android. I decided not to panic and set it aside. Then when I tried to attach the first external hard drive - it would not attach. I tried again in a different port - then tried a port on the back of the computer instead of the front as I have a hub attached to the back and the disks on same were fine. Did not work. Why should it - nothing else seems to work right.
I still did not panic and did what one does when nothing works right. I shut down the computer and rebooted. That did it and it worked. So I made both backups. Today I did same to my work laptop. I have to go back and backup some flash drives of data and then this computer will be backed up.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
To paraphrase a saying about setting aside projects partially done - . “If you don’t have time to finish it now and you set it aside, when will you have time to finish it?”
This is what has happened to me. New problems keep popping up which are mostly beyond my control.
Try to get things done in full - or get back to them right away - don’t set them partially aside. If by some chance you have no choice (as I did not) make sure you keep all of what has to be done together in a logical way so you can go back and remember what has to be done and how to do it.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
TOO MUCH TO DO AT ONCE
Well Christmas is closer than I thought - and so is Chanukah (which is already here). But only a small part of my efforts have gone towards the indoor decorating.
Last Friday we took a day trip to, yes, Lancaster, PA. For once the trip went well. Even though it was a day trip we went in our tiny RV. Why? Well, after my problems with our car last month (stalling when I stopped and having to be restarted and our service guys found nothing), the RV not getting enough driving due to our few trips this year, and the fact we wanted to buy some local foods from there for the winter - we decided to take the RV. We left early (for us) and we were there by noon.
Husband had wanted some additional attachments for his loom and the wool store he buys loom things at is there - he called ahead and the stuff was waiting. The ladies there are very nice and chatty - as are we normally - but we made our apologies and explained that we were on a very tight schedule and paid for the items and left.
We actually went backwards a bit and went to one of the large farmer’s markets there that we like to go to. It was rather cold and we would have had a problem eating the submarine sandwiches we buy from a local place as the seating is outside - but we had the RV! We went back, turned one front seat around, pulled the table out - took out the cold can of soda we had brought in the fridge and had lunch. When finished, we turned the seat back to the front, put away the tables and took the garbage to toss in a bin. Most of the day vendors - the ones who come and set up tents and tables by their vehicles - were not there due to the weather, but there are still buildings and buildings - and outdoor stands - of vendors. We always enjoy just walking around and we have been going there together for over 40 years together so it feels like home - some vendors even know us by sight and they feel like friends - of course in all that time a lot of them have retired or passed away and we miss them when we pass by their spaces - of occupied by new vendors. One vendor (not sure if I have mentioned this) is consolidating her stores from the 3 large markets in the area and the one she has at home - two of the stores are now closed. She had been selling out her very discounted items at 50% and this year went down to 60% off. I always think that I have bought everything she might have had that we would want - and find something different (I won’t say new as nothing is new - not used, just there a long time.) I have added greatly to my Christmas bear village and my bear collection in general since she started consolidating.
When we went to leave the market it was 4:30. We had hope to get to the local butcher whose ham and (lunch/dinner) sausages we love - and husband loves their chicken salad - but we thought it too late to get there while they were open. I pulled out my cellphone and found out they were open until 7 pm - and we knew they were on the way to where we planned to eat dinner. We bought a ham section, sausages, and chicken salad for him to have for dinner one night. We would have bought another ham section - but a tiny RV has a tiny fridge and it would not fit with the rest.
On to dinner at a local supermarket which has a buffet in an restaurant in the building (and nice looking other dishes on their menu also) and had dinner. We even got a seat in our favorite area of the restaurant. (Although to be fair, it was the waitress who was in this section that made it our favorite and she had a baby last year and is mostly not there when we go.) After dinner we started home.
Now, on and off the report was that it was suppose to snow or rain when we would be coming home. It then changed to snow the next day. Just in case the first report was right, we brought a day’s worth of medications and a change of clothes - we could have stayed if needed, but the weather held. As we left the restaurant husband turned to me with a smile and said “We got it all done. How great!”
Tuesday I went to my accounting client to do her books. Wednesday (today) is the 13th and she has a major fear of 13 and will not let me come on the 13th (I don’t even call on the 13th for an appointment) and Thursday we are suppose to have snow. A bit of confusion while I was there - but in the end everything worked out - finally - thank goodness. All the past problems are resolved. Coming home - the darn car had the same problem as last month. This time they were able to find some “codes” which were not right and they replacing solenoids which hopefully will fix it. Having dealt with this last month, I did my best not to stop - just roll slowly when a stop was coming if I had room - and tried to pick roads that I would have the least problem with constant stops (during rush hour) for one of the last parts I took a local street as I knew that it was not heavily traveled - drivers were much nastier this time than last - much horn beeping at me - last month none.
I think I have mentioned that I have to take 20 hours of classes to keep being able to prepare tax returns and represent clients at IRS each year. I signed up (again) with an online company one course at a time (varying from 1 to 4 hours) I have completed all but the big 6 hour course which has a 3 hour, timed, exam. Tonight was when I finished the last of the smaller courses. I have next Wednesday night marked on my calendar to take the big exam. I have until the end of the month to take it - and I get 3 chances, I am hoping to only need 1 chance to pass it.
I was so busy with everything that I almost forgot Chanukah (remember, despite the Christmas decorating I am Jewish). Good thing I had a reminder in my cell phone and Tuesday night I pulled out my menorah (traditional candelabra) and stuck in a candle for the first night and a candle for the “worker candle” (one is suppose to light this candle and use it to light the other candles) for the first night. Tonight I lit 2 candles plus the worker candle.
I did more work on the few decorations in the dining room. Tonight before sitting down to write (while taking the laundry downstairs to start the first load) I pulled out assorted soft items - mostly bears - that sit around in the living room - and “Rodney Reindeer” who sits in the hall on the top of our clock/door bell mechanism. When I go down to switch loads, more will be done in to finish the dining room decorations. Lots more decorating to do and I have to figure out when and how to get it done - somehow I always do, even if some go up on Christmas Day!
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Take time to breathe and rest as you are getting ready for the holidays. Don’t go over budget on shopping. Stop and enjoy what you are doing. (I actually talk to the decorations and ornaments when I put them out welcoming them back as old friends - ok, I know that I am a bit looney.” Maybe send a card with a quick note in it to an old friend you keep meaning to contact.
Look at the decorations of others and take time to enjoy them. (Thank goodness, when they finished putting out their Christmas decorations, my neighbors actually finished taking down their holiday decorations - no more witch looking at me - I really enjoy that.) If there is a drive or walk through light event - especially if you have children - maybe go and see it (and around here I know, help out a good cause).
Remember those less fortunate then you at this time of year.
Last Friday we took a day trip to, yes, Lancaster, PA. For once the trip went well. Even though it was a day trip we went in our tiny RV. Why? Well, after my problems with our car last month (stalling when I stopped and having to be restarted and our service guys found nothing), the RV not getting enough driving due to our few trips this year, and the fact we wanted to buy some local foods from there for the winter - we decided to take the RV. We left early (for us) and we were there by noon.
Husband had wanted some additional attachments for his loom and the wool store he buys loom things at is there - he called ahead and the stuff was waiting. The ladies there are very nice and chatty - as are we normally - but we made our apologies and explained that we were on a very tight schedule and paid for the items and left.
We actually went backwards a bit and went to one of the large farmer’s markets there that we like to go to. It was rather cold and we would have had a problem eating the submarine sandwiches we buy from a local place as the seating is outside - but we had the RV! We went back, turned one front seat around, pulled the table out - took out the cold can of soda we had brought in the fridge and had lunch. When finished, we turned the seat back to the front, put away the tables and took the garbage to toss in a bin. Most of the day vendors - the ones who come and set up tents and tables by their vehicles - were not there due to the weather, but there are still buildings and buildings - and outdoor stands - of vendors. We always enjoy just walking around and we have been going there together for over 40 years together so it feels like home - some vendors even know us by sight and they feel like friends - of course in all that time a lot of them have retired or passed away and we miss them when we pass by their spaces - of occupied by new vendors. One vendor (not sure if I have mentioned this) is consolidating her stores from the 3 large markets in the area and the one she has at home - two of the stores are now closed. She had been selling out her very discounted items at 50% and this year went down to 60% off. I always think that I have bought everything she might have had that we would want - and find something different (I won’t say new as nothing is new - not used, just there a long time.) I have added greatly to my Christmas bear village and my bear collection in general since she started consolidating.
When we went to leave the market it was 4:30. We had hope to get to the local butcher whose ham and (lunch/dinner) sausages we love - and husband loves their chicken salad - but we thought it too late to get there while they were open. I pulled out my cellphone and found out they were open until 7 pm - and we knew they were on the way to where we planned to eat dinner. We bought a ham section, sausages, and chicken salad for him to have for dinner one night. We would have bought another ham section - but a tiny RV has a tiny fridge and it would not fit with the rest.
On to dinner at a local supermarket which has a buffet in an restaurant in the building (and nice looking other dishes on their menu also) and had dinner. We even got a seat in our favorite area of the restaurant. (Although to be fair, it was the waitress who was in this section that made it our favorite and she had a baby last year and is mostly not there when we go.) After dinner we started home.
Now, on and off the report was that it was suppose to snow or rain when we would be coming home. It then changed to snow the next day. Just in case the first report was right, we brought a day’s worth of medications and a change of clothes - we could have stayed if needed, but the weather held. As we left the restaurant husband turned to me with a smile and said “We got it all done. How great!”
Tuesday I went to my accounting client to do her books. Wednesday (today) is the 13th and she has a major fear of 13 and will not let me come on the 13th (I don’t even call on the 13th for an appointment) and Thursday we are suppose to have snow. A bit of confusion while I was there - but in the end everything worked out - finally - thank goodness. All the past problems are resolved. Coming home - the darn car had the same problem as last month. This time they were able to find some “codes” which were not right and they replacing solenoids which hopefully will fix it. Having dealt with this last month, I did my best not to stop - just roll slowly when a stop was coming if I had room - and tried to pick roads that I would have the least problem with constant stops (during rush hour) for one of the last parts I took a local street as I knew that it was not heavily traveled - drivers were much nastier this time than last - much horn beeping at me - last month none.
I think I have mentioned that I have to take 20 hours of classes to keep being able to prepare tax returns and represent clients at IRS each year. I signed up (again) with an online company one course at a time (varying from 1 to 4 hours) I have completed all but the big 6 hour course which has a 3 hour, timed, exam. Tonight was when I finished the last of the smaller courses. I have next Wednesday night marked on my calendar to take the big exam. I have until the end of the month to take it - and I get 3 chances, I am hoping to only need 1 chance to pass it.
I was so busy with everything that I almost forgot Chanukah (remember, despite the Christmas decorating I am Jewish). Good thing I had a reminder in my cell phone and Tuesday night I pulled out my menorah (traditional candelabra) and stuck in a candle for the first night and a candle for the “worker candle” (one is suppose to light this candle and use it to light the other candles) for the first night. Tonight I lit 2 candles plus the worker candle.
I did more work on the few decorations in the dining room. Tonight before sitting down to write (while taking the laundry downstairs to start the first load) I pulled out assorted soft items - mostly bears - that sit around in the living room - and “Rodney Reindeer” who sits in the hall on the top of our clock/door bell mechanism. When I go down to switch loads, more will be done in to finish the dining room decorations. Lots more decorating to do and I have to figure out when and how to get it done - somehow I always do, even if some go up on Christmas Day!
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Take time to breathe and rest as you are getting ready for the holidays. Don’t go over budget on shopping. Stop and enjoy what you are doing. (I actually talk to the decorations and ornaments when I put them out welcoming them back as old friends - ok, I know that I am a bit looney.” Maybe send a card with a quick note in it to an old friend you keep meaning to contact.
Look at the decorations of others and take time to enjoy them. (Thank goodness, when they finished putting out their Christmas decorations, my neighbors actually finished taking down their holiday decorations - no more witch looking at me - I really enjoy that.) If there is a drive or walk through light event - especially if you have children - maybe go and see it (and around here I know, help out a good cause).
Remember those less fortunate then you at this time of year.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
IT'S NOT MY TIME ANY MORE
I know that I have mentioned that getting organized and my work - job work, house, and club treasurer work - done was much easier when my husband went out to work. Monday to Friday was basically my own time. I could do all my work in a couple of days if I wanted and relax the other days (never worked out that way though) or work a bit every day (more like most of every day) and so on.
I was/am self-employed so I have no boss to answer to. As long as I get my job work done by its due dates and accommodate my clients with times that are convenient for them, I could decide when to work at my job. This still applies, but I have to deal with husband and what he wants to do and work around that.
We share a home office - sit at desks across from each other - so I miss sitting there and making telephone calls for any of the various types of work I do with no one watching me, listening to me and often telling me what I am doing wrong, as well needing to make him at least mute the TV (I taught him to have the TV on while doing things, so this is my fault I guess) so that I can hear who I am talking to on the phone and they don’t hear Capt Picard loudly talking in the background (he keeps the TV on rather loud, to say it politely). I end up making telephone calls from bed instead, balancing paperwork and/or alternate PDAs on my lap so I can talk on my cell phone and still easily consult a calendar or bring everything down to the kitchen to use the table and still have to juggle what I am using. Even worse, there are calls I have to make that I don’t want him to hear and he doesn’t want to hear (mostly the doctor to make appointment for us as he does not like to know in advance) and to correct problem related to same. He commented to me that I had to make a couple of phone calls, in reference to picking new medical insurance for me for next years, and I pointed at a stack of papers - spread out in smaller stacks - and told him - “yes, as soon as I make all these other calls that are ahead of them”. A discussion followed on the problems I have making telephone calls - the above and also the fact that we spend too long outside every day running “errands”. I went a bit too far and had to apologize as I made him feel really bad - and I didn’t want to do that.
We wake up late (and stay up late) which is a problem and I am worse than him at this as I am used to waking up slowly and alone. We go out for lunch - despite my telling him before he quit his job that life is not a continuous vacation and we can’t eat out all the time - because he likes it and our lunches at Wendys cost no more than lunch at home - maybe even less. Now, if we went and ate and left that would be okay, but we sit there and watch CNN on the TV, well he does, I sort of hear it above me while I watch a European sports channel on the TV at the other end of the room. Then if it was up to me, we would go home, unless it was the day to food shop or some other needed errand. He does not want to go home and therefore we spend time in stores “Where can we go today” walking senselessly around the stores. We spent 2 hours yesterday buying food items to make dinner because I had mentioned a dish he used to cook and he decided to make it (I was trying to talk him into cooking). He could not find the kind of cheese he needed...
Now this week I had a bunch of problems hit me at once. A client I have had a problem with her credit card processor (I am sure I have mentioned this). I had called and dealt with it while she and I were both away. This week she is home and I need to go to her for the regular monthly accounting stuff. I had been told that the amount which was credit to her account was about $500 less than the sale that was being credited. So I telephoned on Monday (after the discussion above about telephones) to find out the breakdown of charges taken out - I was going to reimburse her for any fees resulting for my error and was told the amount I was told before was wrong and only the monthly fee that had also bounced back had been charged. I let out my breath - I didn’t have $500 to give her and was glad I did not have to. But, I was told, it looks like a sale she made is being held. Huh? It is a much larger sale than she normally makes and they need information to pay it. I got a list of the info and planned to get the info when I went in to her this week. I telephoned her Tuesday about it - she had telephoned me while I was out about it also. She had a telephone call that there was a problem with the sale - she was positive that she would never get the money for it from the processing company and there is a problem with IRS about it - because I had filled in a form wrong when she signed up with this company. Huh? She gave me the name and phone number of the man who called and I must talk only to him according to her - his number was a switchboard and she had no extension number or department name. I left a message with customer service at the number to call me. Today I called the department I spoke with about the sale on Monday, hoping it was the same department although a different phone number and the woman I had spoken with, very nicely tracked down how to contact him. I spoke with him and he needs a simple form. I know I did not fill in the original form and will deal with her about it. Tomorrow I will take care of all this, hopefully, when I go there.
I missed this month’s meeting of my embroidery group as we were away. Next month’s meeting is being led by a member and kits or part of kits and own material are needed for the meeting. It was mentioned at the meeting I missed to the members and a list was made for her to order for members. It occurred to me that not everyone was there who might want to do the project next month, and I contacted her about my sending out an email. I then did so with her info. The person who ran last month’s meeting, then sent me additional info about the supplies and I sent out another email to everyone - this one, for some reason, bounced back from one member because of what it said(?).
Our reenacting unit is doing an event midweek next week for a school. Suddenly the school needs paperwork - some I have to get from 3rd parties - including an invoice. We are not sure if the event will be on one day or the next (in case of rain the first day) and we are having trouble getting members who can come midweek. So I had to call the unit’s insurance company for part of the paperwork , do a form from IRS, and write 2 invoices (one for each day, just in case) and get them out.
Oh yes, the medical insurance I need to pick and sign up for? Well, after my call to the doctor on Monday I decided which one to take and we started to sign me up for it on the computer. Despite the fact that the signup period started November 1, the computer sign up was not yet working on November 11 and would start on the 15th (today), so we still have to go back and sign me up.
If my time was own as it used to be all this would be so much easier. Of course in addition to all this, I have had to reconcile bank accounts for us, our business, and both clubs, pay bills, juggle money in the bank so bills could be paid, plus all of the housework I could do. Due to weather and the fact that on Halloween when we went away, the recycling had not been taken, I put out 5 weeks of recycling this week. Similarly we had not been able to put out garbage last week - and the office garbage does not go out every week, only if the pail is full, I put out 5 bags of garbage for one pickup, instead of the usual 1.
Tomorrow I will drive for at least an hour, ride a subway for 15 minutes, then ride subway back 15 minutes and drive home for two - three hours (in is off peak, home is rush hour - sort of, 3 pm is rush hour these days) after working for 3 hours at client and it will not be fun this visit as I have to resolve the problems and make her understand what is going on with everything. Well, at least I get away from husband for the day and get to drive.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
One has to work with the time one has. Limits put on one’s times by someone else are just one more thing which has to be dealt with. Problems are not something which can be foreseen and planned for. We can only do what we can do.
Oh, and husband just came down and told me he made a sale on his online business and now, at 1:25 am, we have to get it ready to go out - and I do the paperwork.
I was/am self-employed so I have no boss to answer to. As long as I get my job work done by its due dates and accommodate my clients with times that are convenient for them, I could decide when to work at my job. This still applies, but I have to deal with husband and what he wants to do and work around that.
We share a home office - sit at desks across from each other - so I miss sitting there and making telephone calls for any of the various types of work I do with no one watching me, listening to me and often telling me what I am doing wrong, as well needing to make him at least mute the TV (I taught him to have the TV on while doing things, so this is my fault I guess) so that I can hear who I am talking to on the phone and they don’t hear Capt Picard loudly talking in the background (he keeps the TV on rather loud, to say it politely). I end up making telephone calls from bed instead, balancing paperwork and/or alternate PDAs on my lap so I can talk on my cell phone and still easily consult a calendar or bring everything down to the kitchen to use the table and still have to juggle what I am using. Even worse, there are calls I have to make that I don’t want him to hear and he doesn’t want to hear (mostly the doctor to make appointment for us as he does not like to know in advance) and to correct problem related to same. He commented to me that I had to make a couple of phone calls, in reference to picking new medical insurance for me for next years, and I pointed at a stack of papers - spread out in smaller stacks - and told him - “yes, as soon as I make all these other calls that are ahead of them”. A discussion followed on the problems I have making telephone calls - the above and also the fact that we spend too long outside every day running “errands”. I went a bit too far and had to apologize as I made him feel really bad - and I didn’t want to do that.
We wake up late (and stay up late) which is a problem and I am worse than him at this as I am used to waking up slowly and alone. We go out for lunch - despite my telling him before he quit his job that life is not a continuous vacation and we can’t eat out all the time - because he likes it and our lunches at Wendys cost no more than lunch at home - maybe even less. Now, if we went and ate and left that would be okay, but we sit there and watch CNN on the TV, well he does, I sort of hear it above me while I watch a European sports channel on the TV at the other end of the room. Then if it was up to me, we would go home, unless it was the day to food shop or some other needed errand. He does not want to go home and therefore we spend time in stores “Where can we go today” walking senselessly around the stores. We spent 2 hours yesterday buying food items to make dinner because I had mentioned a dish he used to cook and he decided to make it (I was trying to talk him into cooking). He could not find the kind of cheese he needed...
Now this week I had a bunch of problems hit me at once. A client I have had a problem with her credit card processor (I am sure I have mentioned this). I had called and dealt with it while she and I were both away. This week she is home and I need to go to her for the regular monthly accounting stuff. I had been told that the amount which was credit to her account was about $500 less than the sale that was being credited. So I telephoned on Monday (after the discussion above about telephones) to find out the breakdown of charges taken out - I was going to reimburse her for any fees resulting for my error and was told the amount I was told before was wrong and only the monthly fee that had also bounced back had been charged. I let out my breath - I didn’t have $500 to give her and was glad I did not have to. But, I was told, it looks like a sale she made is being held. Huh? It is a much larger sale than she normally makes and they need information to pay it. I got a list of the info and planned to get the info when I went in to her this week. I telephoned her Tuesday about it - she had telephoned me while I was out about it also. She had a telephone call that there was a problem with the sale - she was positive that she would never get the money for it from the processing company and there is a problem with IRS about it - because I had filled in a form wrong when she signed up with this company. Huh? She gave me the name and phone number of the man who called and I must talk only to him according to her - his number was a switchboard and she had no extension number or department name. I left a message with customer service at the number to call me. Today I called the department I spoke with about the sale on Monday, hoping it was the same department although a different phone number and the woman I had spoken with, very nicely tracked down how to contact him. I spoke with him and he needs a simple form. I know I did not fill in the original form and will deal with her about it. Tomorrow I will take care of all this, hopefully, when I go there.
I missed this month’s meeting of my embroidery group as we were away. Next month’s meeting is being led by a member and kits or part of kits and own material are needed for the meeting. It was mentioned at the meeting I missed to the members and a list was made for her to order for members. It occurred to me that not everyone was there who might want to do the project next month, and I contacted her about my sending out an email. I then did so with her info. The person who ran last month’s meeting, then sent me additional info about the supplies and I sent out another email to everyone - this one, for some reason, bounced back from one member because of what it said(?).
Our reenacting unit is doing an event midweek next week for a school. Suddenly the school needs paperwork - some I have to get from 3rd parties - including an invoice. We are not sure if the event will be on one day or the next (in case of rain the first day) and we are having trouble getting members who can come midweek. So I had to call the unit’s insurance company for part of the paperwork , do a form from IRS, and write 2 invoices (one for each day, just in case) and get them out.
Oh yes, the medical insurance I need to pick and sign up for? Well, after my call to the doctor on Monday I decided which one to take and we started to sign me up for it on the computer. Despite the fact that the signup period started November 1, the computer sign up was not yet working on November 11 and would start on the 15th (today), so we still have to go back and sign me up.
If my time was own as it used to be all this would be so much easier. Of course in addition to all this, I have had to reconcile bank accounts for us, our business, and both clubs, pay bills, juggle money in the bank so bills could be paid, plus all of the housework I could do. Due to weather and the fact that on Halloween when we went away, the recycling had not been taken, I put out 5 weeks of recycling this week. Similarly we had not been able to put out garbage last week - and the office garbage does not go out every week, only if the pail is full, I put out 5 bags of garbage for one pickup, instead of the usual 1.
Tomorrow I will drive for at least an hour, ride a subway for 15 minutes, then ride subway back 15 minutes and drive home for two - three hours (in is off peak, home is rush hour - sort of, 3 pm is rush hour these days) after working for 3 hours at client and it will not be fun this visit as I have to resolve the problems and make her understand what is going on with everything. Well, at least I get away from husband for the day and get to drive.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
One has to work with the time one has. Limits put on one’s times by someone else are just one more thing which has to be dealt with. Problems are not something which can be foreseen and planned for. We can only do what we can do.
Oh, and husband just came down and told me he made a sale on his online business and now, at 1:25 am, we have to get it ready to go out - and I do the paperwork.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
A QUICK TRIP AND I CAUGHT UP ON MY PILE OF STUFF TO DO
Well, I had a bit of a chance to catch up this past week. The pile on top of my desk which has to be done before I get to the folder of things to do, is down to scanning in articles from various issues of a magazine related to reenacting that I convinced my husband that we don’t need to keep in full. Much of these magazines are ads for items related to “the hobby”. There seems to be 3-5 articles of varying length that he wants to keep. He has gone through the magazines and circled in the table of contents those articles he wants. I am scanning in the articles here and there as I get a chance - luckily they are not in color so they scan a lot faster.
We did go away for the day last Saturday to the state sheep and wool festival. We have never been there before. It went as our trips go. The ride there was suppose to be 2 hours. Husband printed the directions from Googlemaps. He also turned on the GPS app in his cell phone. They did not always agree. The road both sent us on for most of the trip is a picturesque limited access road that curves around and through mountains. It was so curvy that husband was getting motion sickness, even though he was driving. We were pretty sure we could not go home the same way as he could not deal with the curves again - especially in the dark with no street lights. When we were towards the end of the trip there the two sets of directions varied from each other. The Googlemaps version had us get off the main road sooner than the GPS. We decided to go with the GPS and stayed on the road. All of a sudden the GPS froze. (We eventually figured out that there was no cell service there!) Now we had a problem. As we kept driving and tried to remember where the GPS said to get off the road, I saw a sign to the fairgrounds we had to go to and we exited the road. 10 miles to the fairgrounds and no further signs appeared. I had out the Googlemaps directions and kept looking for roads that were listed on it. We were approaching one and I had to calculate quickly - turn right or left? Luckily I guessed correctly and we turned right and not much further on came to the road the fairgrounds were on. Fair was okay - not a worth a trip back in the future. (Very limited weaving related items - other than wool, of course, which we could not afford - and weaving items were why husband wanted to go.) Talk about disorganized - I noticed that people had a small booklet with map and vendors in it. I walked back to the gate and asked for one - I was told that they hard run out “3 hours ago”. This means that 3 hours into the first of two days of the event (which ran 9 hours the first day) they were out of their handouts - not good planning to me. After we drove to a, yes, another Golden Corral about an hour from the fairgrounds and vaguely on the way home. Dinner was another bust and I will not bother you with the details unless someone writes and asks. Now we had to get home. I looked at the (paper) map and found that an Interstate road near the restaurant headed in the general direction of home, that connected to another major road and that just left figuring out how to get to one of 3 bridges after those two roads to get us home. I have a mapping/GPS program in my other laptop (the good one) which I had brought with me (I generally take it on trips for something just like this) and I am able to find a place by looking at and moving the map and then adding a start, end, or via point there. I did that with several points so that the route would stay where I wanted it and it had no problem getting us home. It was much a quicker trip home than the one getting to the area and straight road - no curve after curve.
Just for fun - and my luck, I did get a mailing from Equifax that I am, of course, included in their latest security breach. I tried to find out how to do all the things I need to do with them as a result, by mail as I will not put my information online and don’t trust doing it by phone. I sort of got an answer from their recorded info phone line and have sent in to them about this. Now I will also send in a request for husband as our credit info is mostly joint. Then I will be calling Trans Union and Experian to do the same with them. And I have such a unique name that I have been sure that I am the only one with it in the world - now there may be many of me if my identity is being used by others. What will happen to my 843-850 (it varies some months) credit rating now?
I wrote the newsletter for my embroidery chapter in only one afternoon - first time since we changed to this new format I was able to do so, it was common before. One member’s email is suddenly bouncing back and she did not return my phone message, so I mailed her a printed copy and asked for her new email.
I am packed, my laptop is charging, and I am going to a client tomorrow. I have written checks for bills to go out in the mail on Friday. I have calculated how much I need to transfer from savings to checking to pay the bills and have cash for a trip next week (we hope). The needed papers are in my “Friday errands” envelope. I have a deposit slip with these papers as I am due to get a check from my client tomorrow and will deposit it Friday also.
Laundry is in washer. First load about to go to the dryer when my cell phone alarm rings that it is time to go down again.
I did so well that rather than take a shower tonight in a rush at the last minute and go to bed with wet hair, I was able to take a leisurely shower before dinner. Ahhhh.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Work at what is piled up little by little, try to keep more from being added and there will be less left in your “pile” of todos.
I know my stack of todos will be piled up again soon - especially if we take a short trip next week - but sooner or later it is gone again.
Don’t eat all the Halloween candy - and check what your children eat before they do. Have a safe Halloween.
We did go away for the day last Saturday to the state sheep and wool festival. We have never been there before. It went as our trips go. The ride there was suppose to be 2 hours. Husband printed the directions from Googlemaps. He also turned on the GPS app in his cell phone. They did not always agree. The road both sent us on for most of the trip is a picturesque limited access road that curves around and through mountains. It was so curvy that husband was getting motion sickness, even though he was driving. We were pretty sure we could not go home the same way as he could not deal with the curves again - especially in the dark with no street lights. When we were towards the end of the trip there the two sets of directions varied from each other. The Googlemaps version had us get off the main road sooner than the GPS. We decided to go with the GPS and stayed on the road. All of a sudden the GPS froze. (We eventually figured out that there was no cell service there!) Now we had a problem. As we kept driving and tried to remember where the GPS said to get off the road, I saw a sign to the fairgrounds we had to go to and we exited the road. 10 miles to the fairgrounds and no further signs appeared. I had out the Googlemaps directions and kept looking for roads that were listed on it. We were approaching one and I had to calculate quickly - turn right or left? Luckily I guessed correctly and we turned right and not much further on came to the road the fairgrounds were on. Fair was okay - not a worth a trip back in the future. (Very limited weaving related items - other than wool, of course, which we could not afford - and weaving items were why husband wanted to go.) Talk about disorganized - I noticed that people had a small booklet with map and vendors in it. I walked back to the gate and asked for one - I was told that they hard run out “3 hours ago”. This means that 3 hours into the first of two days of the event (which ran 9 hours the first day) they were out of their handouts - not good planning to me. After we drove to a, yes, another Golden Corral about an hour from the fairgrounds and vaguely on the way home. Dinner was another bust and I will not bother you with the details unless someone writes and asks. Now we had to get home. I looked at the (paper) map and found that an Interstate road near the restaurant headed in the general direction of home, that connected to another major road and that just left figuring out how to get to one of 3 bridges after those two roads to get us home. I have a mapping/GPS program in my other laptop (the good one) which I had brought with me (I generally take it on trips for something just like this) and I am able to find a place by looking at and moving the map and then adding a start, end, or via point there. I did that with several points so that the route would stay where I wanted it and it had no problem getting us home. It was much a quicker trip home than the one getting to the area and straight road - no curve after curve.
Just for fun - and my luck, I did get a mailing from Equifax that I am, of course, included in their latest security breach. I tried to find out how to do all the things I need to do with them as a result, by mail as I will not put my information online and don’t trust doing it by phone. I sort of got an answer from their recorded info phone line and have sent in to them about this. Now I will also send in a request for husband as our credit info is mostly joint. Then I will be calling Trans Union and Experian to do the same with them. And I have such a unique name that I have been sure that I am the only one with it in the world - now there may be many of me if my identity is being used by others. What will happen to my 843-850 (it varies some months) credit rating now?
I wrote the newsletter for my embroidery chapter in only one afternoon - first time since we changed to this new format I was able to do so, it was common before. One member’s email is suddenly bouncing back and she did not return my phone message, so I mailed her a printed copy and asked for her new email.
I am packed, my laptop is charging, and I am going to a client tomorrow. I have written checks for bills to go out in the mail on Friday. I have calculated how much I need to transfer from savings to checking to pay the bills and have cash for a trip next week (we hope). The needed papers are in my “Friday errands” envelope. I have a deposit slip with these papers as I am due to get a check from my client tomorrow and will deposit it Friday also.
Laundry is in washer. First load about to go to the dryer when my cell phone alarm rings that it is time to go down again.
I did so well that rather than take a shower tonight in a rush at the last minute and go to bed with wet hair, I was able to take a leisurely shower before dinner. Ahhhh.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Work at what is piled up little by little, try to keep more from being added and there will be less left in your “pile” of todos.
I know my stack of todos will be piled up again soon - especially if we take a short trip next week - but sooner or later it is gone again.
Don’t eat all the Halloween candy - and check what your children eat before they do. Have a safe Halloween.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
TRIP OUT OF STATE FOR DINNER
Last Thursday we finally took a trip to Golden Corral in Freehold, New Jersey. Now, if you have never heard of same, Golden Corral is a chain of family oriented reasonably priced (depending on the location around $14-$15 for adults). It is not a destination restaurant. But, there are none near us and the two restaurants here from a similar chain closed over a year ago - and this is one of the two closest ones to us. This is not a cheap trip - in addition to gas it is over $20 in tolls round trip.
I am not sure if I posted about this when it happened, but we tried this trip in July and ended up spending 5 and half hours going and coming with no dinner. We had gotten stuck in traffic and the anticipated hour and forty minute trip (per the GPS with traffic considered) ran a bit more - we had been driving for 4 hours and for the last two hours had steadily been half an hour from the end of our trip sitting in traffic. What finally turned us around and sent us home was the fact that by the time we got to the restaurant it might be too late for dinner and there were warnings that the occasional showers due late night, were now dangerous thunderstorms, hitting within the hour with two tornadoes so far and we were sitting in traffic in the open. So we had worked our way off the road and turned around and spent an hour and a half driving home.
What does this have to do with organizing? Well, in addition to having to organize everything for the week around this day and have to organize for the trip (we even over pack for a day trip), it is a loss of an afternoon and evening when other things could have been done.
I normally do our banking on Fridays - and we were short on money to pay bills and had to make a withdrawal from husband’s IRA accounts (hopefully the last of the year as it is the last of the planned money from same for the year). But, in anticipation of going away - and in need of some pocket cash for the trip, we went to the banks on Wednesday. I paid the bills on Wednesday night so they could go out on Friday (this was all the bills that were due by Sunday of the following week as I pay all bills a week before they are due). I did whatever else was sitting around waiting to be done.
I plugged in my other (smaller and a tiny bit newer) laptop to charge in the kitchen before going to bed on Wednesday night. I had our “travel zipper bag” downstairs with the laptop - this has a spare wallet with spare cash and a credit card (and some affinity cards for restaurants etc when we travel - other cards are in the car and the RV) and I add our checkbook just before a trip. Our logic in having extra cash and a credit card that neither of us is carrying is that if we were robbed or other similar problem, we would have cash and a credit card to use. I packed my old Palm Centro in its case - spare info of what is in my cell phone and easy to reach in the car to keep track of tolls paid, etc. We put out rain jackets and sweatshirts - weather was iffy. This way when we woke up Thursday all we needed to take was together in the kitchen on our way out.
Last time we had left after lunch at 3 pm and thinking that was the problem as we were traveling during evening rush hour, we planned - well I planned and he agreed - to eat lunch along the way. I was pretty sure that there were a couple of Wendys in NJ and I knew about one in Staten Island. So we set off.
In New Jersey I did see a Wendys on the road - just as we passed it. We kept going. We had a couple of basically time wasting stops along the way as we would (hopefully) otherwise be at the restaurant for dinner about 2 or 3 hours too early. Before I knew it we were at the first place to stop - there was a Costco with a gas station there and a Hobby Lobby craft store (we just got got our first Hobby Lobby here so that is still a place to stop for us). Since we had not eaten we went to Costco and had lunch and took a quick walk through - looking for some items they no longer have at the ones near us and didn’t have here either. We then gassed up the car (in New Jersey no self-serve allowed) and drove to the Hobby Lobby.
Now, the Costco is on the north bound side of the road we were headed south on. It is north of an intersection and the Hobby Lobby is on the same side, but south of the same intersection. How the roads in New Jersey are designed, one can generally not make a left turn on a main road. One gets off the right on an angle or something known locally as a “dog leg” and then turns left on the cross road to do so. So, to get back to Hobby Lobby we had to go out on the southbound main road, turn right at the next corner, then attempt to turn left onto the cross road - a four lane road with no additional traffic light to help, which we were able to do only by the kindness of a stranger who let us in. Then we had to turn left from that road onto the main road. We then had to turn right off the main road at the same place we did before and turn left - but into the right lanes - of the cross road we had turned left onto, to get to Costco. We gave up on trying to turn left onto the crossroad and turned right, then went up about a block, turned left into a parking lot, drove around in the parking lot, drove back out and turned right onto the same crossroad. We drove across the main road and about a block up turned right into the shopping center that Hobby Lobby is in. This trip from Costco to what is more or less the next shopping center took us 15-20 minutes.
We walked around awhile in Hobby Lobby - I went through their large Christmas department looking. No buying done though. And then we left. Now, to get back on the road we had to head back to the exit that led back to that same cross road and turn left onto the cross road - luckily there was a traffic light to help - and then turn left from same onto the main road headed south again.
So basically we drove in 3 circles to go to these two stores.
Our next planned stop was a Walmart we knew about. (We come to this Golden Corral for dinner about twice a year when we go to the woodworking show and the quilt show we go to in late February and early March so we know what is around it and on the road to it. These two attempts were our only ones to go there just for dinner - I guess I cook that badly that he wanted to go.) The jeans that husband wears has been discontinued at our local Walmarts and we hoped that other ones might still have them, plus some other items we had not found in our local ones, as well as it is a larger one than the ones near us. It is off to the west of the road we were on. I knew how to get there by turning right just before we got to the restaurant, but found a shortcut to it by following the signs and, I admit, the GPS. Nothing there we were looking for, but husband did find a DVD to buy. By the time we were done it was getting late to go to dinner so we hurried off after buying the DVD.
Yes, we made it the Golden Corral. He was so happy. I don’t particularly like the chain, but he does. Dinner and then we drove home. Of course to head back north we had to drive south, turn right onto a cross road, then turn left on the cross road and then turn left onto the main road north.
Now all the time we are driving and going places, my mind was thinking “I could be cleaning the bathrooms.” “I could be scanning the magazine articles.” “I could be doing laundry.” and so on. But his happiness at having the meal was worth the trip. Then again, when we got home he told me - “Next time I say I want to go to dinner there, tell me I want to go to dinner at the Casino in Connecticut instead.”
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes time wasted is worth it if it gives happiness to someone else or to you.
I am not sure if I posted about this when it happened, but we tried this trip in July and ended up spending 5 and half hours going and coming with no dinner. We had gotten stuck in traffic and the anticipated hour and forty minute trip (per the GPS with traffic considered) ran a bit more - we had been driving for 4 hours and for the last two hours had steadily been half an hour from the end of our trip sitting in traffic. What finally turned us around and sent us home was the fact that by the time we got to the restaurant it might be too late for dinner and there were warnings that the occasional showers due late night, were now dangerous thunderstorms, hitting within the hour with two tornadoes so far and we were sitting in traffic in the open. So we had worked our way off the road and turned around and spent an hour and a half driving home.
What does this have to do with organizing? Well, in addition to having to organize everything for the week around this day and have to organize for the trip (we even over pack for a day trip), it is a loss of an afternoon and evening when other things could have been done.
I normally do our banking on Fridays - and we were short on money to pay bills and had to make a withdrawal from husband’s IRA accounts (hopefully the last of the year as it is the last of the planned money from same for the year). But, in anticipation of going away - and in need of some pocket cash for the trip, we went to the banks on Wednesday. I paid the bills on Wednesday night so they could go out on Friday (this was all the bills that were due by Sunday of the following week as I pay all bills a week before they are due). I did whatever else was sitting around waiting to be done.
I plugged in my other (smaller and a tiny bit newer) laptop to charge in the kitchen before going to bed on Wednesday night. I had our “travel zipper bag” downstairs with the laptop - this has a spare wallet with spare cash and a credit card (and some affinity cards for restaurants etc when we travel - other cards are in the car and the RV) and I add our checkbook just before a trip. Our logic in having extra cash and a credit card that neither of us is carrying is that if we were robbed or other similar problem, we would have cash and a credit card to use. I packed my old Palm Centro in its case - spare info of what is in my cell phone and easy to reach in the car to keep track of tolls paid, etc. We put out rain jackets and sweatshirts - weather was iffy. This way when we woke up Thursday all we needed to take was together in the kitchen on our way out.
Last time we had left after lunch at 3 pm and thinking that was the problem as we were traveling during evening rush hour, we planned - well I planned and he agreed - to eat lunch along the way. I was pretty sure that there were a couple of Wendys in NJ and I knew about one in Staten Island. So we set off.
In New Jersey I did see a Wendys on the road - just as we passed it. We kept going. We had a couple of basically time wasting stops along the way as we would (hopefully) otherwise be at the restaurant for dinner about 2 or 3 hours too early. Before I knew it we were at the first place to stop - there was a Costco with a gas station there and a Hobby Lobby craft store (we just got got our first Hobby Lobby here so that is still a place to stop for us). Since we had not eaten we went to Costco and had lunch and took a quick walk through - looking for some items they no longer have at the ones near us and didn’t have here either. We then gassed up the car (in New Jersey no self-serve allowed) and drove to the Hobby Lobby.
Now, the Costco is on the north bound side of the road we were headed south on. It is north of an intersection and the Hobby Lobby is on the same side, but south of the same intersection. How the roads in New Jersey are designed, one can generally not make a left turn on a main road. One gets off the right on an angle or something known locally as a “dog leg” and then turns left on the cross road to do so. So, to get back to Hobby Lobby we had to go out on the southbound main road, turn right at the next corner, then attempt to turn left onto the cross road - a four lane road with no additional traffic light to help, which we were able to do only by the kindness of a stranger who let us in. Then we had to turn left from that road onto the main road. We then had to turn right off the main road at the same place we did before and turn left - but into the right lanes - of the cross road we had turned left onto, to get to Costco. We gave up on trying to turn left onto the crossroad and turned right, then went up about a block, turned left into a parking lot, drove around in the parking lot, drove back out and turned right onto the same crossroad. We drove across the main road and about a block up turned right into the shopping center that Hobby Lobby is in. This trip from Costco to what is more or less the next shopping center took us 15-20 minutes.
We walked around awhile in Hobby Lobby - I went through their large Christmas department looking. No buying done though. And then we left. Now, to get back on the road we had to head back to the exit that led back to that same cross road and turn left onto the cross road - luckily there was a traffic light to help - and then turn left from same onto the main road headed south again.
So basically we drove in 3 circles to go to these two stores.
Our next planned stop was a Walmart we knew about. (We come to this Golden Corral for dinner about twice a year when we go to the woodworking show and the quilt show we go to in late February and early March so we know what is around it and on the road to it. These two attempts were our only ones to go there just for dinner - I guess I cook that badly that he wanted to go.) The jeans that husband wears has been discontinued at our local Walmarts and we hoped that other ones might still have them, plus some other items we had not found in our local ones, as well as it is a larger one than the ones near us. It is off to the west of the road we were on. I knew how to get there by turning right just before we got to the restaurant, but found a shortcut to it by following the signs and, I admit, the GPS. Nothing there we were looking for, but husband did find a DVD to buy. By the time we were done it was getting late to go to dinner so we hurried off after buying the DVD.
Yes, we made it the Golden Corral. He was so happy. I don’t particularly like the chain, but he does. Dinner and then we drove home. Of course to head back north we had to drive south, turn right onto a cross road, then turn left on the cross road and then turn left onto the main road north.
Now all the time we are driving and going places, my mind was thinking “I could be cleaning the bathrooms.” “I could be scanning the magazine articles.” “I could be doing laundry.” and so on. But his happiness at having the meal was worth the trip. Then again, when we got home he told me - “Next time I say I want to go to dinner there, tell me I want to go to dinner at the Casino in Connecticut instead.”
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes time wasted is worth it if it gives happiness to someone else or to you.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
NO TIME TO WRITE TODAY - POOR ORGANIZATION
Again I am sorry to have to start my post with my hope that any of you in the areas hit by Hurricane Harvey are faring well and I must also add my hope that any of you in the path of Hurricane Irma stay safe.
We did have a nice trip the end of last week and returned safely home late Friday night (okay, really 1 am on very early Saturday morning). Since the trip was rather short - only 2 nights - and we did not go crazy shopping while away (the Walmarts there are so much larger and better than the ones here) we had the RV unpacked by 1:30 am.
At that point I ran upstairs to my computer. While away I had received an email from the president of my embroidery chapter that when I emailed out the (new and revised format) newsletter, I had left her message out and there was a large blank area on the front page. When I read her email I wondered if I only imagined that I had added her message - but then remembered it as a bit long for the space and I had to make the column area longer and also adjust the adjacent column listing our meetings for this year to be a bit longer to match. I apparently sent out a the copy I printed out to check the newsletter before I received her column to make sure that it and the other 7 attachments I had to send with it went out (to me) without a problem. Much embarrassed I quickly sent out the correct edition to the members and others who get it. In my apology I pointed out that either the readers were so polite not to mention the large empty space on the front page to me - or no one bothered to read it!
I actually managed to catch up to the point that my desk was clear! Not that there was not other paperwork to deal with - we are trying to get a discount on our general and school real estate taxes that is allowed for those who own their home and are 65 (as husband now is). There are 4 forms to fill in that I can find, plus we have to give them either our deed, birth certificates and something else - or copies thereof, I cannot tell which from the instructions. We have until the end of December to file these papers - but I know me, I better get them done now. I filled in one form today and have already requested a “receipt” for the medical insurance we paid in 2016 (paid bills not sufficient). I found out that the county holds events to help people with this paperwork and have marked the dates of the most local ones on my calendar (computer and cell phone - entered separately) so we can go to one. I found I was missing our deed - well, I know it must be somewhere, since it is not with any of the house papers in the files or lock book in the house, it must be in our bank lock box - which of course I went to today to switch those offsite backup drives I have mentioned before. I guess we will be going back in the next few days again to check for and hopefully find the deed.
I had my embroidery chapter meeting today and we did a good bit of stitching - then the visit to the bank (above), as well as a deposit to our reenactment unit’s bank account (at a different bank), returned soda bottles (for 3 months since I have not been out on my own since the beginning of June) for recycling, and bought something to start making a gift for my husband (I will not say what in case he reads the post).
I decided to call my mom tonight after dinner - and we do go on - well she does and as you might imagine from my posts, I go on a bit also. By the time I was off the phone with her it was well past the time we normally finish talking when we do at night and past when I should have started evening chores. And I had extra chores tonight.
During the past week husband and I bought a frame and framed an embroidery piece I finished and am entering at the county fair. (Technically it is a tricounty, county fair as it is the official fair for 3 counties. It is held in the style of a late 19th century fair at the same restoration village I have mentioned before.) I know where that piece is - the dining room table. I also am entering the Christmas ornament I made of husband weaving last Christmas and, of course, had not thought of entering it when I packed the Christmas stuff away and I had to find it in the basement. Luckily the “Box 1 ornaments” (the nicest ones which go on the tree first) was the 3rd box down and I found it quickly.
The same cannot be said for the ornament husband made - a handwoven Christmas tree - and plans to enter. Last time I saw it, it was hanging from a lamp in the living room, err, “the loom room”. It is not there. So I ended up having to pull all of the Christmas boxes out and look in them - it is the sort of thing that would be on the top of a box to protect it. I did not find it and do not look forward to mentioning this to husband. I am sure it will be “my fault” that it is missing. Luckily in the time between I wrote this and posted it - husband came down and he had his ornament safely tucked away.
And I also had to do laundry tonight. Last week’s laundry was done a night early so there are an extra day’s clothes and I have towels and bed linens from home and the RV. I was unsure if I should strip the bed or leave it for our final expected trip at the October or clean the sheets and go through the mess of making up the bed again - my decision was made as there were tiny bits of dirt in the bed from it sitting made up - the day after we came home I went in and stripped the bed and took it apart (which has to be done to strip it and also to remake it up).
So, while it probably will not be noticeable to any of you as my posts go out in the middle of the night anyway, this post is going out - more quickly written than normal - about 2 hours late.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometimes it takes a bit longer to get to do things than normal - but as long as they get done in the end - that is all that matters. And talking to one’s mom - mine is 89 - is always more important than getting work done.
We did have a nice trip the end of last week and returned safely home late Friday night (okay, really 1 am on very early Saturday morning). Since the trip was rather short - only 2 nights - and we did not go crazy shopping while away (the Walmarts there are so much larger and better than the ones here) we had the RV unpacked by 1:30 am.
At that point I ran upstairs to my computer. While away I had received an email from the president of my embroidery chapter that when I emailed out the (new and revised format) newsletter, I had left her message out and there was a large blank area on the front page. When I read her email I wondered if I only imagined that I had added her message - but then remembered it as a bit long for the space and I had to make the column area longer and also adjust the adjacent column listing our meetings for this year to be a bit longer to match. I apparently sent out a the copy I printed out to check the newsletter before I received her column to make sure that it and the other 7 attachments I had to send with it went out (to me) without a problem. Much embarrassed I quickly sent out the correct edition to the members and others who get it. In my apology I pointed out that either the readers were so polite not to mention the large empty space on the front page to me - or no one bothered to read it!
I actually managed to catch up to the point that my desk was clear! Not that there was not other paperwork to deal with - we are trying to get a discount on our general and school real estate taxes that is allowed for those who own their home and are 65 (as husband now is). There are 4 forms to fill in that I can find, plus we have to give them either our deed, birth certificates and something else - or copies thereof, I cannot tell which from the instructions. We have until the end of December to file these papers - but I know me, I better get them done now. I filled in one form today and have already requested a “receipt” for the medical insurance we paid in 2016 (paid bills not sufficient). I found out that the county holds events to help people with this paperwork and have marked the dates of the most local ones on my calendar (computer and cell phone - entered separately) so we can go to one. I found I was missing our deed - well, I know it must be somewhere, since it is not with any of the house papers in the files or lock book in the house, it must be in our bank lock box - which of course I went to today to switch those offsite backup drives I have mentioned before. I guess we will be going back in the next few days again to check for and hopefully find the deed.
I had my embroidery chapter meeting today and we did a good bit of stitching - then the visit to the bank (above), as well as a deposit to our reenactment unit’s bank account (at a different bank), returned soda bottles (for 3 months since I have not been out on my own since the beginning of June) for recycling, and bought something to start making a gift for my husband (I will not say what in case he reads the post).
I decided to call my mom tonight after dinner - and we do go on - well she does and as you might imagine from my posts, I go on a bit also. By the time I was off the phone with her it was well past the time we normally finish talking when we do at night and past when I should have started evening chores. And I had extra chores tonight.
During the past week husband and I bought a frame and framed an embroidery piece I finished and am entering at the county fair. (Technically it is a tricounty, county fair as it is the official fair for 3 counties. It is held in the style of a late 19th century fair at the same restoration village I have mentioned before.) I know where that piece is - the dining room table. I also am entering the Christmas ornament I made of husband weaving last Christmas and, of course, had not thought of entering it when I packed the Christmas stuff away and I had to find it in the basement. Luckily the “Box 1 ornaments” (the nicest ones which go on the tree first) was the 3rd box down and I found it quickly.
The same cannot be said for the ornament husband made - a handwoven Christmas tree - and plans to enter. Last time I saw it, it was hanging from a lamp in the living room, err, “the loom room”. It is not there. So I ended up having to pull all of the Christmas boxes out and look in them - it is the sort of thing that would be on the top of a box to protect it. I did not find it and do not look forward to mentioning this to husband. I am sure it will be “my fault” that it is missing. Luckily in the time between I wrote this and posted it - husband came down and he had his ornament safely tucked away.
And I also had to do laundry tonight. Last week’s laundry was done a night early so there are an extra day’s clothes and I have towels and bed linens from home and the RV. I was unsure if I should strip the bed or leave it for our final expected trip at the October or clean the sheets and go through the mess of making up the bed again - my decision was made as there were tiny bits of dirt in the bed from it sitting made up - the day after we came home I went in and stripped the bed and took it apart (which has to be done to strip it and also to remake it up).
So, while it probably will not be noticeable to any of you as my posts go out in the middle of the night anyway, this post is going out - more quickly written than normal - about 2 hours late.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometimes it takes a bit longer to get to do things than normal - but as long as they get done in the end - that is all that matters. And talking to one’s mom - mine is 89 - is always more important than getting work done.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
TREADING WATER
Last Saturday we actually got away for the day - despite prior weather reports of heavy rain Friday and Saturday. (We did not go Friday due to the heavy rain, but it cleared up for Saturday. Nice day for an outdoor event. It was a reenacting market - we didn’t buy anything, but it is always nice to look. The fair was near Allentown, PA and then we drove down to Lancaster for dinner and then home.
This week I looked forward to a quite week. Nothing other than ordinary household chores to do. Start of month is always quiet for bills and such. Then heck broke loose.
On Monday, we found out a friend’s mom died. Wake was yesterday and today. Funeral tomorrow. We went to the wake today, and I thought we should go to the funeral, but we cannot.
Due to trips and when money is coming in to our bank for bills from third parties, we have been off our normal banking schedule. I have to be careful as we can only make 6 transfers/withdrawal a month from savings. (I keep the money in savings for the small amount of interest it earns and normally transfer to checking on Friday what is needed for the coming week.) In addition husband has some IRA CDs coming due on Friday and we need to rearrange how long money will be in new CDs. So Monday we went to the bank. The idea was that we would tell them what to do with the CDs when they come due (something I have done at our main bank - they take the information and put it into their “tickeler” file and take care of it on the day it needs to be done), as well as make a deposit for our reenactment unit and activate my ATM card for same - I am the treasurer. We made the deposit. The ATM machine was down. After a 40 minute wait we found out that they cannot take the info at the branch in advance for the CDs. We then went to the bank my embroidery chapter has its accounts at, and made a deposit for them. Afternoon gone.
Tuesday we went to our regular bank to transfer money as money came in from sources then - had to pay the real estate taxes - they went out in the mail same day as did a couple of smaller bills.
Husband has had tooth that has been loose for awhile and he has been waiting for it to fall out on its own. It reached the point where it still will not come out. It moves too much. It hurts. His dental partial plate is shifting with the tooth and hurting his gum. So Tuesday morning I called the dentist - no appointments until Thursday (closed Wednesday) so he has been miserable and we will be going to the dentist tomorrow. So we won’t be going to friend’s mom’s funeral. We may need to go a second dentist as our regular one does not do extractions and if the tooth does not come out when he takes the impression, it has to come out - we hate to spend the money on same when the tooth is so loose. We have been having a lot of soft food this week. He only wanted a “little bit of spaghetti when I made for me”. Somehow I managed to make twice as much as normal instead of only 3/4 as much! We have cold spaghetti in the refrigerator to use as needed.
President of my embroidery chapter wants to meet - at my house - to go over changes to two items I am writing for the chapter. We don’t let anyone in the house since the bedbugs and I am trying to find when and where we can meet. I explained about the horrors of what is going on this week and suggested that if she has her copy of the original examples and her notes and I have my copy of the original examples - can we do it on the phone? So after we come back from the dentist I have to call her with my copies out and see what she wants done - presuming I can do it.
Then Friday we have to go back to the bank and deal with the IRA CDs. The bank has a tiny parking lot and we try not to go there on Fridays when it is busy, but have no choice.
How did a week so empty fill up so fast and so completely?
I have been changing some things in the house. After we had mice a few years ago husband did not want me drying dishes in the rack on the counter. When the dishwasher died, I started drying the dishes in same. We plan to buy a new dishwasher, but it is expensive, the one I liked (which was rated so poorly we decided not to buy it) along with the concept of washing dishes automatically for 2 hours instead of washing them by hand in the same 15 minutes it takes to load the dishwasher, seems a waste of electricity. So I have been washing the dishes (and pots and such) by hand since then. Husband is not happy as I have to clean the dishwasher periodically as water is dripping in it. (He would love for me to buy a dishwasher as he figures some day I will be sick and he will have to wash the dishes.) The dish rack I used to use is very icky. I like it as it does not use a mat under it - the dripped water goes right back into the sink. I saw a new version in Costco last week and we had a discussion that it was okay to dry the dishes in the rack again as a result. I soaked and washed my rack - it is still icky - just not as much. Sunday when we go to Costco (cheap lunch and somewhere different to walk around for awhile) we will buy the new rack and see if it fits.
I am trying to put back extraneous items in the dishwasher. I tend not to unload it. I take out what I need, use it, wash it, and put it back. Some items not used regularly have ended up in it and not been put away. In anticipation of the new rack, I am trying to get all the extra items put away.
I have redone where food items are stored in our kitchen closet pantry. It is now easier to deal with some items, but it is a bit odd. When I open a box of pasta, for example, I put the pasta in a jar. I realized that the jars would fit on the shelf I keep my cans on - and I have less cans than I used to (mostly soup, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes) and moved the jars up to that shelf. Great, except I keep the spaghetti (I break it in half when I open the box before putting in the jar) is in a slightly taller jar (it has a wider neck, which is why it is different) so it has remained where it was. It all fits in better.
I am also still copying and pasting the contact listings from my computer Organizer software into the new cell phone. I really need to get it done. In addition to not having the Chinese takeout number last week when we were on the road, when I went to call the dentist, I did not have his number in it easier. I turned on one of my old phones and copied the number by hand into the new phone - the rest of the listing will follow.
Hopefully I will finish up this week even on time and things to do, so I will start next week with no remaining things from this week. Once the publications from my embroidery chapter are fixed, I will have one printed and mail them out. That should not take long - an afternoon and evening at most. The other will be emailed out a week before our September meeting.
How is YOUR summer going? How is YOUR organizing going? I’d love to hear from you.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes one just has to “go with the flow”. A quiet week became overcrowded and there is nothing which can be done about it. It is what it is.
This week I looked forward to a quite week. Nothing other than ordinary household chores to do. Start of month is always quiet for bills and such. Then heck broke loose.
On Monday, we found out a friend’s mom died. Wake was yesterday and today. Funeral tomorrow. We went to the wake today, and I thought we should go to the funeral, but we cannot.
Due to trips and when money is coming in to our bank for bills from third parties, we have been off our normal banking schedule. I have to be careful as we can only make 6 transfers/withdrawal a month from savings. (I keep the money in savings for the small amount of interest it earns and normally transfer to checking on Friday what is needed for the coming week.) In addition husband has some IRA CDs coming due on Friday and we need to rearrange how long money will be in new CDs. So Monday we went to the bank. The idea was that we would tell them what to do with the CDs when they come due (something I have done at our main bank - they take the information and put it into their “tickeler” file and take care of it on the day it needs to be done), as well as make a deposit for our reenactment unit and activate my ATM card for same - I am the treasurer. We made the deposit. The ATM machine was down. After a 40 minute wait we found out that they cannot take the info at the branch in advance for the CDs. We then went to the bank my embroidery chapter has its accounts at, and made a deposit for them. Afternoon gone.
Tuesday we went to our regular bank to transfer money as money came in from sources then - had to pay the real estate taxes - they went out in the mail same day as did a couple of smaller bills.
Husband has had tooth that has been loose for awhile and he has been waiting for it to fall out on its own. It reached the point where it still will not come out. It moves too much. It hurts. His dental partial plate is shifting with the tooth and hurting his gum. So Tuesday morning I called the dentist - no appointments until Thursday (closed Wednesday) so he has been miserable and we will be going to the dentist tomorrow. So we won’t be going to friend’s mom’s funeral. We may need to go a second dentist as our regular one does not do extractions and if the tooth does not come out when he takes the impression, it has to come out - we hate to spend the money on same when the tooth is so loose. We have been having a lot of soft food this week. He only wanted a “little bit of spaghetti when I made for me”. Somehow I managed to make twice as much as normal instead of only 3/4 as much! We have cold spaghetti in the refrigerator to use as needed.
President of my embroidery chapter wants to meet - at my house - to go over changes to two items I am writing for the chapter. We don’t let anyone in the house since the bedbugs and I am trying to find when and where we can meet. I explained about the horrors of what is going on this week and suggested that if she has her copy of the original examples and her notes and I have my copy of the original examples - can we do it on the phone? So after we come back from the dentist I have to call her with my copies out and see what she wants done - presuming I can do it.
Then Friday we have to go back to the bank and deal with the IRA CDs. The bank has a tiny parking lot and we try not to go there on Fridays when it is busy, but have no choice.
How did a week so empty fill up so fast and so completely?
I have been changing some things in the house. After we had mice a few years ago husband did not want me drying dishes in the rack on the counter. When the dishwasher died, I started drying the dishes in same. We plan to buy a new dishwasher, but it is expensive, the one I liked (which was rated so poorly we decided not to buy it) along with the concept of washing dishes automatically for 2 hours instead of washing them by hand in the same 15 minutes it takes to load the dishwasher, seems a waste of electricity. So I have been washing the dishes (and pots and such) by hand since then. Husband is not happy as I have to clean the dishwasher periodically as water is dripping in it. (He would love for me to buy a dishwasher as he figures some day I will be sick and he will have to wash the dishes.) The dish rack I used to use is very icky. I like it as it does not use a mat under it - the dripped water goes right back into the sink. I saw a new version in Costco last week and we had a discussion that it was okay to dry the dishes in the rack again as a result. I soaked and washed my rack - it is still icky - just not as much. Sunday when we go to Costco (cheap lunch and somewhere different to walk around for awhile) we will buy the new rack and see if it fits.
I am trying to put back extraneous items in the dishwasher. I tend not to unload it. I take out what I need, use it, wash it, and put it back. Some items not used regularly have ended up in it and not been put away. In anticipation of the new rack, I am trying to get all the extra items put away.
I have redone where food items are stored in our kitchen closet pantry. It is now easier to deal with some items, but it is a bit odd. When I open a box of pasta, for example, I put the pasta in a jar. I realized that the jars would fit on the shelf I keep my cans on - and I have less cans than I used to (mostly soup, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes) and moved the jars up to that shelf. Great, except I keep the spaghetti (I break it in half when I open the box before putting in the jar) is in a slightly taller jar (it has a wider neck, which is why it is different) so it has remained where it was. It all fits in better.
I am also still copying and pasting the contact listings from my computer Organizer software into the new cell phone. I really need to get it done. In addition to not having the Chinese takeout number last week when we were on the road, when I went to call the dentist, I did not have his number in it easier. I turned on one of my old phones and copied the number by hand into the new phone - the rest of the listing will follow.
Hopefully I will finish up this week even on time and things to do, so I will start next week with no remaining things from this week. Once the publications from my embroidery chapter are fixed, I will have one printed and mail them out. That should not take long - an afternoon and evening at most. The other will be emailed out a week before our September meeting.
How is YOUR summer going? How is YOUR organizing going? I’d love to hear from you.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes one just has to “go with the flow”. A quiet week became overcrowded and there is nothing which can be done about it. It is what it is.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
HOLIDAYS AND TAXES - UNRELATED SUBJECTS
Hello again.
We did not go away for my husband’s birthday due to, yes, rain again. There is no point in going to outdoor market when a good chunk of the outdoor vendors will not be, especially if one is going to travel 3+ hours each way and pay over $20 in tolls to go there.
I have been busy finishing up client’s tax returns and have only one left to do and I am waiting for the information to do it. So I started on our personal and business returns. Money goes back and forth between us and the business - something is on our credit card for the business or vice versa, so the first thing I have to do is make sure what the business owes us is the same amount on the business’s books and on our books. Sometimes I post something on one set of books and forget to post it on the other. That took 2 days to work out - and the end of 2015 I got it to match, so the differences were all last year - finally both the business and our books agree.
Next week is holiday time - Monday night is the start of Passover and next Friday is Good Friday, followed, of course, by Easter Sunday. If you are having people in for the holidays - do you have your house ready? Now is the time to start. Try to do better than throwing everything in that extra room with door that stays closed when people are over. - You thought I didn’t know about that? I started doing this when I was a kid - cleaning my room meant throwing everything in the bottom of the closet - this would result in my finding the leftover Halloween candy sometime the following August - luckily I never had bugs or other little visitors as a result of that. Try to actually toss out some items - or take them for donation. (I took 5 suitcases today for donation - one hard side rolling bag and the rest were soft bags that I managed to fit into the rolling bag. - a little more room in a closet for other stuff.) Plan out your menu if you doing the cooking or assign who will bring which dish if you have an arrangement where everyone brings part of the dinner. I keep my recipes for the holidays on the computer. They used to be in a cooking program (technically they still are, but it needs a parallel printer to print them out and that means running cables...) I printed them out and scanned them (remember I posted last October about how great and important it is to have a scanner and a printer - this is one example) into the computer. Now I can print them out when needed. I print the recipes I will use and throw them out as they are finished with - easy to see what still needs to be done. Even if you not are not going to be responsible for the hosting or cooking - make sure that everyone’s clothes will be ready for them to wear for the holidays.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Income taxes (here in the U.S.) are due April 18, a week from this coming Tuesday. There is still time to get them finished. If you find that you will not have them done - whether because you are too busy to do them, can’t find info, or did not get info from someone needed to prepare them, you can file for an extension of time to FILE. It is not an extension of time to pay - so make sure you have paid in enough for your taxes - from withholding or by filing estimated taxes - to be at least as close as possible. If your income is the same as last year as far as you know -then make sure you have paid in at least the same in taxes as your taxes were last year - 110% of last year’s if you have a high income.
There is a form from IRS to file to get the extension - it is automatic and you will have until October 15, 2017 to file. Depending on your state you might also have to file a form for an automatic extension or it might just be automatic. Again, this is an extension of time to FILE the return, not to pay the taxes.
If you do get an extension try to prepare and file your returns as soon as possible so if you do owe additional taxes you will pay as little in possible in any penalties and interest for paying late - and if you are getting a refund, don’t you want the money as soon as possible?
If you have not filed your taxes in the past - get them filed also. The April 18 date may be important for you too. If a return is filed more than 3 years late you will lose any refund due you and if you owe money on the returns you are adding penalties and interest to what you owe - every month and if you have not filed a return - then IRS (and the state’s) 3 years to go after you for taxes owed does not start to run and they can come after you until you file a return (then they have 3 years) or forever.
If you get a large refund you might want to change the amount withheld for taxes or pay less in estimates - a refund may be exciting, but IRS and your state is using your money. If you can pay less in advance without underpaying the taxes that is money in your pocket (or even better your bank account) during the year on which you can make (the current tiny rate of) interest or you can pay down a bill and pay less interest.
If you owe money - file your returns even if you cannot pay the amount due. Pay as much as you can and attach a letter explaining. Depending on how much you owe, a payment plan from IRS (state) maybe easier than you think to get - but you are paying interest (and will pay penalties for underpaying your taxes) until the amount due is paid off.
Another reason for paying your taxes is that there is a scam in which someone calls you and rather threateningly tells you that they are from the IRS (state) and you owe taxes - which won’t worry you if you know you don’t owe any taxes. In case you haven’t heard this - IRS (state) will not call you for payment of taxes without having mailed something to you first. Don’t fall for this scam. (Or similar ones claiming that if you do not pay immediately with a gift card your utilities will be shut off.) One thing to remember is that IRS, states, utilities will never tell you to buy gift cards to pay off an amount owed - especially not Apple gift cards. They will not want you to wire money to them. (There are postal laws that can be used against fraudsters, so they want they want the money otherwise sent to them - by wire, UPS, FedEx, etc.- to avoid the postal laws.) They will want payments by check. (They may also take credit cards and charge you a fee for using same.) Also if anyone ever calls claiming to be from the government or a utility and threatens you for payment. If you are unsure, ask if you can call them back - a refusal to allow you to do so is another indication that they are not legitimate. Call the government agency or the utility directly and ask them if this was a legitimate call. If you have a tax preparer - you should be able to call them for help. But again - if one is not delinquent, then one knows that one does not owe the money. Personally I do not talk to anyone who calls. We have our answering machine on all the time and we screen our calls (originally as we did not want to have to tell all the people who thought we were a pizza place, a doctor, or an eyeglass store that they were wrong, but now it is so we don’t talk to any of these con men). IRS has a link on the first page of their site to information about current scams.
I do have to give you a bit of disclaimer. I am not a CPA, just a garden variety of accountant and tax preparer. The information I have given (other than the fraud warnings) may or may not apply to you. It is always a good idea to use a legitimate tax preparer (IRS has a directory of tax preparers who meet certain education standards and have a good history of no problems with returns on their website). You can also find free help depending on your return and circumstances through various programs - check at your local library for these programs. IRS’s website is irs.gov
And don’t forget - it is never too early to start preparing for next year’s returns.
We did not go away for my husband’s birthday due to, yes, rain again. There is no point in going to outdoor market when a good chunk of the outdoor vendors will not be, especially if one is going to travel 3+ hours each way and pay over $20 in tolls to go there.
I have been busy finishing up client’s tax returns and have only one left to do and I am waiting for the information to do it. So I started on our personal and business returns. Money goes back and forth between us and the business - something is on our credit card for the business or vice versa, so the first thing I have to do is make sure what the business owes us is the same amount on the business’s books and on our books. Sometimes I post something on one set of books and forget to post it on the other. That took 2 days to work out - and the end of 2015 I got it to match, so the differences were all last year - finally both the business and our books agree.
Next week is holiday time - Monday night is the start of Passover and next Friday is Good Friday, followed, of course, by Easter Sunday. If you are having people in for the holidays - do you have your house ready? Now is the time to start. Try to do better than throwing everything in that extra room with door that stays closed when people are over. - You thought I didn’t know about that? I started doing this when I was a kid - cleaning my room meant throwing everything in the bottom of the closet - this would result in my finding the leftover Halloween candy sometime the following August - luckily I never had bugs or other little visitors as a result of that. Try to actually toss out some items - or take them for donation. (I took 5 suitcases today for donation - one hard side rolling bag and the rest were soft bags that I managed to fit into the rolling bag. - a little more room in a closet for other stuff.) Plan out your menu if you doing the cooking or assign who will bring which dish if you have an arrangement where everyone brings part of the dinner. I keep my recipes for the holidays on the computer. They used to be in a cooking program (technically they still are, but it needs a parallel printer to print them out and that means running cables...) I printed them out and scanned them (remember I posted last October about how great and important it is to have a scanner and a printer - this is one example) into the computer. Now I can print them out when needed. I print the recipes I will use and throw them out as they are finished with - easy to see what still needs to be done. Even if you not are not going to be responsible for the hosting or cooking - make sure that everyone’s clothes will be ready for them to wear for the holidays.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Income taxes (here in the U.S.) are due April 18, a week from this coming Tuesday. There is still time to get them finished. If you find that you will not have them done - whether because you are too busy to do them, can’t find info, or did not get info from someone needed to prepare them, you can file for an extension of time to FILE. It is not an extension of time to pay - so make sure you have paid in enough for your taxes - from withholding or by filing estimated taxes - to be at least as close as possible. If your income is the same as last year as far as you know -then make sure you have paid in at least the same in taxes as your taxes were last year - 110% of last year’s if you have a high income.
There is a form from IRS to file to get the extension - it is automatic and you will have until October 15, 2017 to file. Depending on your state you might also have to file a form for an automatic extension or it might just be automatic. Again, this is an extension of time to FILE the return, not to pay the taxes.
If you do get an extension try to prepare and file your returns as soon as possible so if you do owe additional taxes you will pay as little in possible in any penalties and interest for paying late - and if you are getting a refund, don’t you want the money as soon as possible?
If you have not filed your taxes in the past - get them filed also. The April 18 date may be important for you too. If a return is filed more than 3 years late you will lose any refund due you and if you owe money on the returns you are adding penalties and interest to what you owe - every month and if you have not filed a return - then IRS (and the state’s) 3 years to go after you for taxes owed does not start to run and they can come after you until you file a return (then they have 3 years) or forever.
If you get a large refund you might want to change the amount withheld for taxes or pay less in estimates - a refund may be exciting, but IRS and your state is using your money. If you can pay less in advance without underpaying the taxes that is money in your pocket (or even better your bank account) during the year on which you can make (the current tiny rate of) interest or you can pay down a bill and pay less interest.
If you owe money - file your returns even if you cannot pay the amount due. Pay as much as you can and attach a letter explaining. Depending on how much you owe, a payment plan from IRS (state) maybe easier than you think to get - but you are paying interest (and will pay penalties for underpaying your taxes) until the amount due is paid off.
Another reason for paying your taxes is that there is a scam in which someone calls you and rather threateningly tells you that they are from the IRS (state) and you owe taxes - which won’t worry you if you know you don’t owe any taxes. In case you haven’t heard this - IRS (state) will not call you for payment of taxes without having mailed something to you first. Don’t fall for this scam. (Or similar ones claiming that if you do not pay immediately with a gift card your utilities will be shut off.) One thing to remember is that IRS, states, utilities will never tell you to buy gift cards to pay off an amount owed - especially not Apple gift cards. They will not want you to wire money to them. (There are postal laws that can be used against fraudsters, so they want they want the money otherwise sent to them - by wire, UPS, FedEx, etc.- to avoid the postal laws.) They will want payments by check. (They may also take credit cards and charge you a fee for using same.) Also if anyone ever calls claiming to be from the government or a utility and threatens you for payment. If you are unsure, ask if you can call them back - a refusal to allow you to do so is another indication that they are not legitimate. Call the government agency or the utility directly and ask them if this was a legitimate call. If you have a tax preparer - you should be able to call them for help. But again - if one is not delinquent, then one knows that one does not owe the money. Personally I do not talk to anyone who calls. We have our answering machine on all the time and we screen our calls (originally as we did not want to have to tell all the people who thought we were a pizza place, a doctor, or an eyeglass store that they were wrong, but now it is so we don’t talk to any of these con men). IRS has a link on the first page of their site to information about current scams.
I do have to give you a bit of disclaimer. I am not a CPA, just a garden variety of accountant and tax preparer. The information I have given (other than the fraud warnings) may or may not apply to you. It is always a good idea to use a legitimate tax preparer (IRS has a directory of tax preparers who meet certain education standards and have a good history of no problems with returns on their website). You can also find free help depending on your return and circumstances through various programs - check at your local library for these programs. IRS’s website is irs.gov
And don’t forget - it is never too early to start preparing for next year’s returns.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
SNOW?
We have had mild weather this winter - especially the last month or so. Normal temperature is in the 40 degrees Fahrenheit and we have been that or warmer - some days in the upper 60s or even once in the 70s - something to lull everyone into thinking winter was gone.
We have spent much of the last week preparing for a huge snow storm which was to hit here yesterday (Tuesday). Since the area was hit by 2 major hurricanes - Irene and Sandy - a year apart each of which caused us to lose electricity for about a week, and Sandy was followed by a nor’easter just after we had our electricity restored,which put out our electricity again, my husband has become what he calls weather phobic. Every time we have a storm threatening our area which has a decent chance of putting out our electricity, he gets terrified. Plus when it is a snow storm, we have to clear the snow from our driveway and we are getting old.
So as reports of this storm heading towards us got worse and worse he became more and more afraid of it. The storm was not only to have huge amounts of snow, but also blizzard conditions with winds and gusts up to 60 miles per hour. I kept reassuring him that it would not be as bad as we were being told. At the point this storm was first mentioned one storm was on the west coast and the other somewhere around the Gulf of Mexico and they were expected to meet up near us (in the northeast U.S.) for us to have a huge storm.
Now understand, the day before the storm was to hit us one part was still in the midwest and the other part off of Florida. How it could be predicted where or if the two would meet up, I have no idea. Depending on the weather report we listened to and when we listened to it we were told -
We would get 6-10 inches of snow 12-18 inches of snow 6-18 inches of snow
Storm would start midnight Monday 2 am Tuesday 3 am Tuesday
Storm would end Wednesday morning Tuesday night early Wednesday am (2 am)
Storm would be worse north and west of NYC south and east of NYC
Sometimes the differences would be in the same report. One reporter told us that we would 6 inches of snow, and when he summarized what he had said at the end of his report he said that we would get 12-18 inches.
All of this was making him worse and worse. We went out last weekend and bought emergency supplies - canned soup and such. We went out again on Monday and bought enough cold cuts for 4 days (if we ate lightly) so that if we lost electricity we could put it outside (temperature expected by all reports to be in the lower 30 degrees Fahrenheit) in plastic boxes to keep it cold and safe and have it to eat without cooking.
I paid all the bills and dealt with all the other mail in the house which needed to go out this week and it all went out on Monday. Monday we also plugged in my laptops, our cell phones, and his tablet computers to charge. Also the rechargeable unit of a Coleman electric lantern (we bought it to use in the RV, but bring it in for storms) and he found a device which charges two units and each can recharge a cell phone, so these were all plugged in and charging also. These are all left plugged in until we know that we will not need any of them.
I overrode the turn downs of the temperature on our thermostat so the heat would stay on. This would keep the house warm longer if we did lose electricity and due to same. I did the opposite with the refrigerator. I set the freezer to maximum cold. I set the refrigerator colder, but not to maximum as we have insulin we have to keep in a certain range of temperature.
We brought in the hanging solar lamps to the porch and put the garbage can where it would not blow around or away. We also took away our front door mat and put it in our porch. Last time when I tried to shovel snow off the front steps it was in the way - this made it much easier to push the snow off the sides of the steps.
I also cleared the middle of the living room - everything back against the edges - and around the dining table so that we could walk through either room without needing light and not walk into anything. This is a idea from earlier periods called “putting the room to rest”. The room would have the items needed for something moved to the center of the room for use. When what one was doing was finished - everything would be moved back against the wall. It allowed one to easily use rooms for multiple reasons and also to walk through the room with little or no light - candles were expensive.
As you can see - we have been through this before.
As we got closer the reports got better - then worse - then better.
When we woke up the next day after the storm we found out that we were lucky. The storms met up further west than they thought they would. This was still to the south of where we are - not terribly far away, but enough to give us a good deal of rain and sleet which kept the amount of snow that fell down (and dissolved part of it) and the worst of the storm to the north and west. The storm was just about gone by 1 pm (maybe earlier, I slept in). When we went out to clear what was there it was wet heavy snow as it had so much rain and sleet mixed in, but only maybe 5 or 6 inches at most. Where my mom lives - to the southwest of us and closer to the water - they had mostly rain and sleet. To the north of us - there was more snow - but in this general area east of NYC it was not too bad. To the north of NYC and the west, as well as a good part of New England - they got the brunt of the storm. It dropped up to 30 or so inches in some areas. We were lucky.
We cleared the snow - he used the snow blower and I used a broom to get the snow off the car - we have learned to do this before clearing the snow on the ground around the car - and a shovel to clear what could not be blown, mostly due to location.
So, we have reversed most of our preparations - the lamps are back outside, we have unplugged things, etc. Tonight I will fix the thermostat settings. The rest will be done soon.
I have kept up with basic house chores - the laundry was done (always before a storm so we know we have clothes, etc.). The dishes washed when used - you really don’t want dirty dishes when you have no electricity to deal with them. And so on. I did cheat on the bedding. I normally strip the bed Tuesday morning and remake it Tuesday night before going to sleep - I only changed the pillow cases. The rest can be used another week.
And now we are eating the cold cuts. We don’t normally buy same as they expensive and not the healthiest thing to eat. We buy them when there is a reason we won’t be able to cook or need to carry a lunch with us somewhere. So we had ham sandwiches for lunch. Deli turkey for dinner. Tomorrow we will have turkey sandwiches for lunch and the ham for dinner.
We went out today to the post office. We have a mail box there and wanted to check what had come in. I had to walk in the busy street from where we were parked to where there was a cut through the snow to the cleared sidewalk (about half way between the car and post office. Just about no mail, but we went out and had some are. Temperatures continue in the 30's Fahrenheit and will continue to be so. We had a problem starting on the driveway - the car had frozen to the ground! Once we got started we had no problem.
See, we worried for nothing - well almost nothing.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Just because something is free does not mean you have to take it.
No, really - you don’t.
Some decades ago I was opening a new bank account for us. There was a choice of gifts when one did so at the bank where the account was being opened. The employee who was opening the account, as the finish to the process of opening it, took me to a table and told me to pick which item I wanted. I looked at the small airline type bag and the other assorted items with the name of the bank on them and said “Thank you. I appreciate it, but I don’t want anything.” She was shocked. “But it’s free!” I went on to thank her again and explain that there was nothing there we had a use for and therefore I was not going to take anything. For sometime after I was known at the bank branch as “she’s the one who didn’t take a gift”.
I go to trade shows and do not take the free bags, etc. - I don’t need them.
It is okay to consider what the item(s) offered is and whether it is of any value to you. You do not have to take something just because it is free. Free things just pile up in the house and make more clutter. I don’t know how many bags we have gotten because they are free and husband says “but we might need it and - it’s free”. Almost all of them have now been donated to get rid of them.
These applies to food samples also. There are many times I walk around in Costco and do not take any of the free samples. When I do take a sample it is something I like (or might like if I try it) and something which is not something I should not eat due to medical conditions. If I take a sample I take one - not every sample on the tray (yes, people do that). While the food samples will not pile up in my house - they will pile up in me.
One can also make a contribution to a charity without accepting the gift that is being given for make the contribution.
Think about how many free items have piled up in your house.
Next time you are offered something for free - think about what you will do it with it - do you need it? Do you like it? Or are you just taking it because it is FREE?
We have spent much of the last week preparing for a huge snow storm which was to hit here yesterday (Tuesday). Since the area was hit by 2 major hurricanes - Irene and Sandy - a year apart each of which caused us to lose electricity for about a week, and Sandy was followed by a nor’easter just after we had our electricity restored,which put out our electricity again, my husband has become what he calls weather phobic. Every time we have a storm threatening our area which has a decent chance of putting out our electricity, he gets terrified. Plus when it is a snow storm, we have to clear the snow from our driveway and we are getting old.
So as reports of this storm heading towards us got worse and worse he became more and more afraid of it. The storm was not only to have huge amounts of snow, but also blizzard conditions with winds and gusts up to 60 miles per hour. I kept reassuring him that it would not be as bad as we were being told. At the point this storm was first mentioned one storm was on the west coast and the other somewhere around the Gulf of Mexico and they were expected to meet up near us (in the northeast U.S.) for us to have a huge storm.
Now understand, the day before the storm was to hit us one part was still in the midwest and the other part off of Florida. How it could be predicted where or if the two would meet up, I have no idea. Depending on the weather report we listened to and when we listened to it we were told -
We would get 6-10 inches of snow 12-18 inches of snow 6-18 inches of snow
Storm would start midnight Monday 2 am Tuesday 3 am Tuesday
Storm would end Wednesday morning Tuesday night early Wednesday am (2 am)
Storm would be worse north and west of NYC south and east of NYC
Sometimes the differences would be in the same report. One reporter told us that we would 6 inches of snow, and when he summarized what he had said at the end of his report he said that we would get 12-18 inches.
All of this was making him worse and worse. We went out last weekend and bought emergency supplies - canned soup and such. We went out again on Monday and bought enough cold cuts for 4 days (if we ate lightly) so that if we lost electricity we could put it outside (temperature expected by all reports to be in the lower 30 degrees Fahrenheit) in plastic boxes to keep it cold and safe and have it to eat without cooking.
I paid all the bills and dealt with all the other mail in the house which needed to go out this week and it all went out on Monday. Monday we also plugged in my laptops, our cell phones, and his tablet computers to charge. Also the rechargeable unit of a Coleman electric lantern (we bought it to use in the RV, but bring it in for storms) and he found a device which charges two units and each can recharge a cell phone, so these were all plugged in and charging also. These are all left plugged in until we know that we will not need any of them.
I overrode the turn downs of the temperature on our thermostat so the heat would stay on. This would keep the house warm longer if we did lose electricity and due to same. I did the opposite with the refrigerator. I set the freezer to maximum cold. I set the refrigerator colder, but not to maximum as we have insulin we have to keep in a certain range of temperature.
We brought in the hanging solar lamps to the porch and put the garbage can where it would not blow around or away. We also took away our front door mat and put it in our porch. Last time when I tried to shovel snow off the front steps it was in the way - this made it much easier to push the snow off the sides of the steps.
I also cleared the middle of the living room - everything back against the edges - and around the dining table so that we could walk through either room without needing light and not walk into anything. This is a idea from earlier periods called “putting the room to rest”. The room would have the items needed for something moved to the center of the room for use. When what one was doing was finished - everything would be moved back against the wall. It allowed one to easily use rooms for multiple reasons and also to walk through the room with little or no light - candles were expensive.
As you can see - we have been through this before.
As we got closer the reports got better - then worse - then better.
When we woke up the next day after the storm we found out that we were lucky. The storms met up further west than they thought they would. This was still to the south of where we are - not terribly far away, but enough to give us a good deal of rain and sleet which kept the amount of snow that fell down (and dissolved part of it) and the worst of the storm to the north and west. The storm was just about gone by 1 pm (maybe earlier, I slept in). When we went out to clear what was there it was wet heavy snow as it had so much rain and sleet mixed in, but only maybe 5 or 6 inches at most. Where my mom lives - to the southwest of us and closer to the water - they had mostly rain and sleet. To the north of us - there was more snow - but in this general area east of NYC it was not too bad. To the north of NYC and the west, as well as a good part of New England - they got the brunt of the storm. It dropped up to 30 or so inches in some areas. We were lucky.
We cleared the snow - he used the snow blower and I used a broom to get the snow off the car - we have learned to do this before clearing the snow on the ground around the car - and a shovel to clear what could not be blown, mostly due to location.
So, we have reversed most of our preparations - the lamps are back outside, we have unplugged things, etc. Tonight I will fix the thermostat settings. The rest will be done soon.
I have kept up with basic house chores - the laundry was done (always before a storm so we know we have clothes, etc.). The dishes washed when used - you really don’t want dirty dishes when you have no electricity to deal with them. And so on. I did cheat on the bedding. I normally strip the bed Tuesday morning and remake it Tuesday night before going to sleep - I only changed the pillow cases. The rest can be used another week.
And now we are eating the cold cuts. We don’t normally buy same as they expensive and not the healthiest thing to eat. We buy them when there is a reason we won’t be able to cook or need to carry a lunch with us somewhere. So we had ham sandwiches for lunch. Deli turkey for dinner. Tomorrow we will have turkey sandwiches for lunch and the ham for dinner.
We went out today to the post office. We have a mail box there and wanted to check what had come in. I had to walk in the busy street from where we were parked to where there was a cut through the snow to the cleared sidewalk (about half way between the car and post office. Just about no mail, but we went out and had some are. Temperatures continue in the 30's Fahrenheit and will continue to be so. We had a problem starting on the driveway - the car had frozen to the ground! Once we got started we had no problem.
See, we worried for nothing - well almost nothing.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Just because something is free does not mean you have to take it.
No, really - you don’t.
Some decades ago I was opening a new bank account for us. There was a choice of gifts when one did so at the bank where the account was being opened. The employee who was opening the account, as the finish to the process of opening it, took me to a table and told me to pick which item I wanted. I looked at the small airline type bag and the other assorted items with the name of the bank on them and said “Thank you. I appreciate it, but I don’t want anything.” She was shocked. “But it’s free!” I went on to thank her again and explain that there was nothing there we had a use for and therefore I was not going to take anything. For sometime after I was known at the bank branch as “she’s the one who didn’t take a gift”.
I go to trade shows and do not take the free bags, etc. - I don’t need them.
It is okay to consider what the item(s) offered is and whether it is of any value to you. You do not have to take something just because it is free. Free things just pile up in the house and make more clutter. I don’t know how many bags we have gotten because they are free and husband says “but we might need it and - it’s free”. Almost all of them have now been donated to get rid of them.
These applies to food samples also. There are many times I walk around in Costco and do not take any of the free samples. When I do take a sample it is something I like (or might like if I try it) and something which is not something I should not eat due to medical conditions. If I take a sample I take one - not every sample on the tray (yes, people do that). While the food samples will not pile up in my house - they will pile up in me.
One can also make a contribution to a charity without accepting the gift that is being given for make the contribution.
Think about how many free items have piled up in your house.
Next time you are offered something for free - think about what you will do it with it - do you need it? Do you like it? Or are you just taking it because it is FREE?
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