And here I am again. Been intending to post all day, but you know what they say about good intentions paving the road to h-e-double hockey sticks. Anyway, here's last week. Not classified and not in any sort of order, but posted nonetheless.
1. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I worked on and finished the January family newsletter. Will mail tomorrow.
2. Cleaned house and did daily chores throughout the week. My dryer broke on Thursday, and the only repair service that could fix it won't be here until Tuesday -- February 7! Yikes. Drying clothes on clothes rack in the spare bedroom and using a friend's dryer until then.
3. Attended writers group meeting Saturday morning. Looks like the anthology is a reality. It's going to be a bit of work for me, but that's okay. I will have four pieces in it. And everyone seems excited about it, which is great.
4. Walked Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the gym. Still not up to 5 times a week, but getting there.
5. Reached my goal of getting rid of 50 books! Sold 25 to a friend and donated the rest to the library. Have decided I will get rid of 50 more. Want to make some space on my shelves.
6. Continued to work on the spare bedroom. It's looking so much better. I wish I taken a photo of it before I started this project. I'm pleased. It's not Home & Garden, but it's also not Trash & Clutter anymore. Baby steps, ya know.
7. Did all of this with the black dog hanging on my ankle, dang it. It sure is an annoying creature. I need that big cat to come and gobble it up.
8. Sold two more subscriptions to the newsletter and sold two birthday cards. Every little bit of money helps.
9. Got all my tax material gathered up. Intend to work on my taxes this week.
Speaking of this week, I plan to:
1. Do my taxes.
2. Format the submissions to the anthology. Should be mostly cut-n-paste. I hope.
3. Keep the house clean and my laundry done. Laundry should be interesting until the dryer is fixed.
4. Walk at least four times.
5. Write something -- anything -- even one single dang word -- on Murder by the Mile.
6. Catch my personal blog up on posts.
7. Continue to de-clutter the spare bedroom. There's a chest that needs to be emptied. That's my target.
8. Start on the February newsletter and get it out on time for once.
9. Keep my head up, my body moving, and my face to whatever sunshine we receive.
And that's this post. Have a great week!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Helper against the black dog
Since it's winter and we've all dealt with the black dog, I decided we needed a mascot. Here's a big white cat we can send to eat the black dog.
Oh, look! He likes you!
Oh, look! He likes you!
Wendy's Half Week
The last few days have been fairly productive. Today, not so much.
Good stuff:
Good stuff:
- The laundry is pretty well done, including the fabric I bought.
- The suitcase is put away. Can't say the same for the carry-on bag.
- Found some research books free on Amazon and have been reading. By the time I finish this book I'll know more than the average person would want to about the Jacobite Rebellion.
- Logged all my food and stayed under my point allowance.
- I blogged the other day about increasing my work hours (writing when I'm not at the day job) so it won't be a shock to go back to work. I realized yesterday that it's not so much about getting used to working again as it is about getting used to focusing on work again and not getting distracted by household stuff. The plan is to start work by 9 every morning, and work 25-30 hours a week.
- Started free writing a few minutes a day again. I'm going low-tech; Word doc with light gray font and the spell checker turned off so the little squigglies don't distract me.
Not so good stuff:
- Even though it's been a very mild month, I got used to FL weather too fast. I've been cold just about constantly since I got home, except for each night around 3-ish, when I wake up roasting, usually with Eric plastered to my back and Ryan holding the covers down in front of me. It's nice to be missed, but come on!
- Haven't been doing very well taking supplements this week, and I can feel it today.
- Spent most of the day on the couch watching stuff that was DVR'ed while I was gone. I did get some knitting done, and I organized music for one of the gals in the praise band at church, so it wasn't a total loss.
- Haven't gotten anything concrete, on paper, at least, for my additional story line, but the story has been perking under the surface all week. It's going to take a major rewrite but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to salvage a good chunk of it.
This week:
- Get to work by 9 Monday through Friday. Put in a total of at least 20 hours. (I did 11.5 since Wednesday. That looks so pitiful until I point out that I don't have 40 hour work weeks. I have 40 hour work months.)
- Put away rendezvous gear.
- Gather up one bag each of donations and trash and get them out of the house.
- Find my kilt pattern and check local fabric stores for wool tartan. (I'm making Eric a period correct kilt for a rendezvous that we're hoping to go to in September, and since I need wool, I need to be shopping for it now.)
Given the new work schedule, that's probably enough to get me started. Hopefully I'll have more to report next week.
Tam's Week Four
Oh boy.
The Good Stuff:
- Quilt top is done, folded, and put away until I decide to have it quilted
- Finished reading another book (5th this month??) and have sent the analysis to Jean. Next up is A Darker Place by Laurie R King.
- Cooking. Cleaning. Whee!
- Lost 2 lbs. May have put them back on today, tho, because I've been eating all day. :(
- Had a lovely date night with Bill. :)
- Actually slept for 5 or 6 hours straight one night. Was blissful.
- Blogged every day. Woot!
Not So Good:
- Me. Richard Simmons. Still incommunicado.
- Desk still a mess
- Sewing room a disaster zone.
- I pulled the back of my neck/shoulder on the right side by CARRYING A BANANA FROM THE KITCHEN. Yes, I meant that to be in caps. It's slowly loosening up and is quite aggravating, especially since it's not the side I usually lock up, which I can ignore since it's so 'normal'.
That's really about it, it's been a pretty good week. :)
Plan for Next Week:
- Work on Stain.
- Finish A DARKER PLACE and write an analysis.
- Start pitch lines and concepts
- Clean my !(@*# desk!!
- Exercise. Just once. Dangit.
That's it for me. See you all next weekend! :)
Closing Out January
We're into the final week of January, and we'll be prepping for February. At least, I will. I'm guessing you will be, too.
The Good Stuff:
- I got everything done I went down to San Antonio to do -- initial service on the truck, hair cut, new glasses lenses installed (I love them!), and dinner with friends I haven't seen in a year and a half.
- We got approximately one-third of the back hedge pruned down to about four feet in height. We could have easily gotten it all, but we had no place to put the trimmings. We'll get the rest over the next couple of months in approximately two or three increments as trash pick up permits. Yes, we have wonderful trash guys in Alamo Heights.
- I'm nearly finished with El Narco. I'm not sure if I'll finish it before I leave on my trip, but I'm going to give it a try.
- I had no trouble driving the trailer up here, and it backs like a dream (but I wouldn't try threading it between two parked cars unless there were at least two spaces between them)
- The trailer is emptied from the trip up here, swept, and I'm putting my few things in it for the trip -- a cot, mattress, and a box of puzzles I'm bringing Mom, Dad, and Grandma.
- I'm gathering my emergency road kit just in case. I hope I won't need it, but I'll have a couple of MREs, my sleeping bag, winter clothing, a few other snacks, and plenty of water on board. That will be in the truck with me. (The weather should be good all the way up, from what I can tell.)
- I plan on stopping just North of OKC the first night and near the MO-IA border the second night.
- I love road trips.
- I found hubby's great grandmother's quilt and am taking it with me, because Mom wants to make us a quilt and hubby would like a replica of this one (it's a Texas Star pattern in beautiful blue, pink, and white). I contacted Mom to see if she'd be able to take a break from moving long enough to get dimensions and pictures of this quilt to help her with the project, and she responded she'd LOVE to do anything other than moving for a little bit. So, I think this will provide a nice break for them. (Yes, Tammy, you will be able to see it, too.)
- Weight has been coming down this week. I hope this is a new trend.
- I have all the entries for 30 Days of Me scheduled.
- Changed downstairs air return filters (they're under my desk and get dirty really fast)
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Um, I won't be able to go outside in short sleeved T-shirts for the next two weeks. Well, at least, not comfortably.
- I accomplished nothing on Polar Bear on the Loose
- I probably won't accomplish anything on Polar Bear on the Loose for the next two weeks (but I'll have it with me "just in case."
- When I told Natasha this morning that I was going to be gone for two weeks, she growled at me. When I assured her I would return, she growled at me. I assured her Daddy would take good care of her. She growled at me. We're both a little worried how Natasha will handle me being away, but I think she'll be just fine.
- I forgot to wait for the held mail to get her, and I called Black and Decker about the shipping label for the lawn mower. She arranged to send another one, but the original was in the mail. (insert sheepish look here) We trekked down to Rockdale and caught the UPS truck across the street from the shipping location and gave him the box. We'll see what comes back.
- Hubby pulled a muscle in his upper left arm moving a heavy saw this week, and after a couple of days, you should see the bruising. Impressive. Lots of purple, turning to black, turning to yellow. Poor puppy.
- As you can see, nothing really bad this week, and a lot of pretty good stuff
The Week Ahead:
- Drive to Wisconsin and arrive safely
- Help Mom and Dad move to their new house
- Spend some quality time with my sister -- maybe playing a board game
- I know I'll get a few games of Scrabble with my grandmother
- Develop a plan for the quilt Mom wants to make us, using hubby's great grandmother's quilt as a guide
- Work on my Sweet Spot maps in the evening on the drive up.
- I should have internet access to post as planned next week, assuming Verizon works in Wisconsin (not a given -- Wisconsin is strange, and the area outside of Madison has a lot of dead zones to major carriers, because a local provider (US Cellular) has the towers locked up and charges a fortune for roaming to major carriers)
- I'm going to miss my nutty kittens and my grouchy snugly cat
- After doing the 30 Days of Me thing, I'd like to develop a series of blog post prompts to help people keep going. I may begin working on it over the next few months or so. (Note: The Daily Meme may be useful.)
The Good Stuff:
- I got everything done I went down to San Antonio to do -- initial service on the truck, hair cut, new glasses lenses installed (I love them!), and dinner with friends I haven't seen in a year and a half.
- We got approximately one-third of the back hedge pruned down to about four feet in height. We could have easily gotten it all, but we had no place to put the trimmings. We'll get the rest over the next couple of months in approximately two or three increments as trash pick up permits. Yes, we have wonderful trash guys in Alamo Heights.
- I'm nearly finished with El Narco. I'm not sure if I'll finish it before I leave on my trip, but I'm going to give it a try.
- I had no trouble driving the trailer up here, and it backs like a dream (but I wouldn't try threading it between two parked cars unless there were at least two spaces between them)
- The trailer is emptied from the trip up here, swept, and I'm putting my few things in it for the trip -- a cot, mattress, and a box of puzzles I'm bringing Mom, Dad, and Grandma.
- I'm gathering my emergency road kit just in case. I hope I won't need it, but I'll have a couple of MREs, my sleeping bag, winter clothing, a few other snacks, and plenty of water on board. That will be in the truck with me. (The weather should be good all the way up, from what I can tell.)
- I plan on stopping just North of OKC the first night and near the MO-IA border the second night.
- I love road trips.
- I found hubby's great grandmother's quilt and am taking it with me, because Mom wants to make us a quilt and hubby would like a replica of this one (it's a Texas Star pattern in beautiful blue, pink, and white). I contacted Mom to see if she'd be able to take a break from moving long enough to get dimensions and pictures of this quilt to help her with the project, and she responded she'd LOVE to do anything other than moving for a little bit. So, I think this will provide a nice break for them. (Yes, Tammy, you will be able to see it, too.)
- Weight has been coming down this week. I hope this is a new trend.
- I have all the entries for 30 Days of Me scheduled.
- Changed downstairs air return filters (they're under my desk and get dirty really fast)
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Um, I won't be able to go outside in short sleeved T-shirts for the next two weeks. Well, at least, not comfortably.
- I accomplished nothing on Polar Bear on the Loose
- I probably won't accomplish anything on Polar Bear on the Loose for the next two weeks (but I'll have it with me "just in case."
- When I told Natasha this morning that I was going to be gone for two weeks, she growled at me. When I assured her I would return, she growled at me. I assured her Daddy would take good care of her. She growled at me. We're both a little worried how Natasha will handle me being away, but I think she'll be just fine.
- I forgot to wait for the held mail to get her, and I called Black and Decker about the shipping label for the lawn mower. She arranged to send another one, but the original was in the mail. (insert sheepish look here) We trekked down to Rockdale and caught the UPS truck across the street from the shipping location and gave him the box. We'll see what comes back.
- Hubby pulled a muscle in his upper left arm moving a heavy saw this week, and after a couple of days, you should see the bruising. Impressive. Lots of purple, turning to black, turning to yellow. Poor puppy.
- As you can see, nothing really bad this week, and a lot of pretty good stuff
The Week Ahead:
- Drive to Wisconsin and arrive safely
- Help Mom and Dad move to their new house
- Spend some quality time with my sister -- maybe playing a board game
- I know I'll get a few games of Scrabble with my grandmother
- Develop a plan for the quilt Mom wants to make us, using hubby's great grandmother's quilt as a guide
- Work on my Sweet Spot maps in the evening on the drive up.
- I should have internet access to post as planned next week, assuming Verizon works in Wisconsin (not a given -- Wisconsin is strange, and the area outside of Madison has a lot of dead zones to major carriers, because a local provider (US Cellular) has the towers locked up and charges a fortune for roaming to major carriers)
- I'm going to miss my nutty kittens and my grouchy snugly cat
- After doing the 30 Days of Me thing, I'd like to develop a series of blog post prompts to help people keep going. I may begin working on it over the next few months or so. (Note: The Daily Meme may be useful.)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wendy's Week (and a half)
I'm back! Well, sort of. I'm back physically. The mental part is a little fuzzy. Vacation hangover.
Good stuff:
Good stuff:
- Hung out with Dad and Linda (his girlfriend, aka Primary Supervisor). We spent a fair amount of time at the rendezvous, and hit a big flea market and a gun show.
- Got Dad out walking several times. Weight control is part of his recovery from back surgery as well as prep for shoulder surgery in a few months.
- Eric had a great time at the rendezvous. Dad found a dirk that Eric bought which, apparently, was such a great deal they're both still giddy about it!
- Had a tin type photo taken with Eric, and another with Dad and Linda. I'll post those on my blog later, after I find where I packed the CD we scanned them to.
- Played Putt Putt for the first time in at least 20 years. Lost badly, but it was fun!
- Kicked butt playing Farkle.
- Eric bought Vicky's car when he got back. The two of them are proud co-owners of a red 1994 Cutlass Ciera. (Eric's name is on the title to prevent her from trading cars with the BF because her's gets better mileage, and he works in North St Louis. Yes, he's still around. Can you feel the love?)
- Restrained myself to 4 pieces of fabric from my favorite fabric vendor. There have been years I've come home with my suitcase groaning from the fabric stuffed in it!
- Vicky went out the other day to follow up on the job applications she'd put in without being told. My baby is growing up!
- Didn't do too badly maintaining my weight; only gained a couple of pounds, despite my best efforts at polishing off fry bread, pie, fries and other not-good-for-me foods.
Not so good stuff:
- Laundry, although I don't have nearly as much this year as usual.
- E-mails. In 10 days, I got 1,470. 28 were relevant. Fortunately, I've cleared them out already.
- It's raining and cold. No ice, though. Yet.
- Read through what I have on "Honor" so far. Found it to be shallow and, frankly, boring in spots. Lots of work to do on it, and I think I need to delve deeper into the history of the Rising so I understand motivations better.
This week (or what's left of it):
- Find more research material for Honor.
- Develop an additional story line with Highland characters to show why they rebelled and that they were far from blameless. Not that they deserved all the brutality following their final loss, but show why the Duke of Cumberland felt it was important to put the Rising down once and for all.
- Wash clothes.
- Put away luggage.
- Get back to logging food and eating right.
That looks like enough to get me through the weekend.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Happy St. Francis de Sales Day
Wendy posted on this sometime last fall. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do about it, but I made a note on my calendar. Lo and behold. Today is the day. St Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists.
I'm all for supporting writers, but the idea of a patron saint is foreign to me. Interestingly, because he created a sign language to share the Word of God with a deaf man, he is also considered the patron saint of the deaf. Note the story is he created an entire language to communicate with one deaf man.
I don't remember what Wendy had in mind for today, and I fear a lack of response put her idea on the back burner. I'd like to take a moment to note someone is looking out for us. Hang in there.
I'm all for supporting writers, but the idea of a patron saint is foreign to me. Interestingly, because he created a sign language to share the Word of God with a deaf man, he is also considered the patron saint of the deaf. Note the story is he created an entire language to communicate with one deaf man.
I don't remember what Wendy had in mind for today, and I fear a lack of response put her idea on the back burner. I'd like to take a moment to note someone is looking out for us. Hang in there.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tam's Week Three
My life is insane, but not in a bad way.
Here's my list. :)
The Good Stuff:
- Almost finished the quilt top. The piecing is done, just have to put on borders. Not sure yet if I'll quilt it myself, or send it out since it's roughly twin-sized.
- Finished another book - Night Road. Did not like it much. It was well written but totally rubbed me the wrong way.
- Wrote analysis for Night Road.
- Laundry's caught up and the kitchen is clean.
- Shoveled about 6" of snow off our back patio and sidewalks. I think that counts as exercise. Right?
- Kept up with the 30 day blogging challenge
- Found out my issue is with bread. At least it seems that way. Not sure what part of bread - the yeast? Some preservative or additive?
- Had lunch out with Laura at Tanya's quilt shop
- Bought some Magnesium and Glucosamine to add to my daily vitamin mix
- Wrote about 1700 words on Stain.
- Vacuumed. De-cobwebbed.
- Sang and danced to Adele while cooking - I can really belt out Rumor Has It. ;)
- Cooked every night this week and tried a couple of new recipes, including Polenta which was pretty much AWESOME!!
Not So Good:
- No date with Bill this week. He's just been working too much overtime.
- Weight is still up from where it should be. Down another couple of pounds but I'm still 2 lbs high. :(
- Richard Simmons and I never got together. Need to work on that. Still.
- Desk? I have a desk? You sure? It looks like a mass of paper and notebooks.
That's really about it, it's been a pretty good week. :)
Plan for Next Week:
- Write another scene on Stain
- Read Sarah's Key and analyze it. Try not to be snarky.
- CLEAN MY FREAKING DESK!! !(@*#&%^ It's been like this all month! ARRGH!
- Stay on top of laundry and vacuuming.
- Continue to blog daily for the 30 day challenge
Have a great and productive week, everyone!
Unexpected Week
The week has had its ups and downs. Mostly, it's been a good week, except for the unexpected passing of Millie on Wednesday. I'm okay, but I'm really not on my game after finding her gone and burying her.
The Good Stuff:
- I've done well with riding the recumbent bike every other day (I rode both Wednesday and Thursday, because I knew I would be traveling on Friday).
- I have been varying my work on the Wii -- some days I just don't want to do balance stuff or yoga stuff. For instance, Thursday, I felt like doing Boxing, so I did 20 minutes of boxing. I think the goal is for 20-30 minutes of activity, and I'm not going to worry too much about which activity it is. In fact, I think a variety will keep it interesting.
- I finished the preliminary work on Polar Bear on the Loose. I began work on Lesson 16. That's where I pull out the manuscript, my focus cards, and my worksheets and begin writing new words, cutting dead words, pasting words in new places, and generally making the book meet my vision. This lesson will go very slowly for me. Holly says it will take four weeks. I'm sure it will take a lot longer. Also, I don't plan to work on it while I'm traveling, so that will slow it down even more. Even so, it's pretty exciting.
- I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but it looked like hubby and I would only see one another for six days and some odd moments here and there during the first three months of this year. He has managed to make enough excuses to adjust his schedule so we've been able to spend more time together. I think it's cute.
- The Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train is in San Antonio this weekend, so I came down a day early so we could visit it. We really enjoyed it, and Amtrak did a very nice job on this train. We're both getting very excited about our trip in May.
- Reading has been going well.
- I didn't think I was doing very well on points, but weight was okay this morning, and measurements were better than last week.
Not So Good Stuff:
- After the dog dies, I guess other things look a little better, so I don't see much not so good this week.
For Next Week:
- I'll do the prep work I came down to San Antonio for -- take truck in for service, get hair cut, and get my new lenses installed in my glasses. I may get to see an old friend who's in town visiting his brother.
- I'll do various yard work chores, and that will comprise the bulk of my exercise this week.
- Hubby was going to head to Central Texas after his rehearsal tomorrow. Instead, he's coming back here, and we'll head back up together on Thursday. That will allow me to finally drive with the trailer, which I really want to do before I begin an 1200 mile trip with it.
- I may get some work done on PBOTL this week. I brought it with me, but I'm not going to push it.
- I'd like to finish El Narco and get my review up on LibraryThing before I leave on the trip.
The Good Stuff:
- I've done well with riding the recumbent bike every other day (I rode both Wednesday and Thursday, because I knew I would be traveling on Friday).
- I have been varying my work on the Wii -- some days I just don't want to do balance stuff or yoga stuff. For instance, Thursday, I felt like doing Boxing, so I did 20 minutes of boxing. I think the goal is for 20-30 minutes of activity, and I'm not going to worry too much about which activity it is. In fact, I think a variety will keep it interesting.
- I finished the preliminary work on Polar Bear on the Loose. I began work on Lesson 16. That's where I pull out the manuscript, my focus cards, and my worksheets and begin writing new words, cutting dead words, pasting words in new places, and generally making the book meet my vision. This lesson will go very slowly for me. Holly says it will take four weeks. I'm sure it will take a lot longer. Also, I don't plan to work on it while I'm traveling, so that will slow it down even more. Even so, it's pretty exciting.
- I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but it looked like hubby and I would only see one another for six days and some odd moments here and there during the first three months of this year. He has managed to make enough excuses to adjust his schedule so we've been able to spend more time together. I think it's cute.
- The Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train is in San Antonio this weekend, so I came down a day early so we could visit it. We really enjoyed it, and Amtrak did a very nice job on this train. We're both getting very excited about our trip in May.
- Reading has been going well.
- I didn't think I was doing very well on points, but weight was okay this morning, and measurements were better than last week.
Not So Good Stuff:
- After the dog dies, I guess other things look a little better, so I don't see much not so good this week.
For Next Week:
- I'll do the prep work I came down to San Antonio for -- take truck in for service, get hair cut, and get my new lenses installed in my glasses. I may get to see an old friend who's in town visiting his brother.
- I'll do various yard work chores, and that will comprise the bulk of my exercise this week.
- Hubby was going to head to Central Texas after his rehearsal tomorrow. Instead, he's coming back here, and we'll head back up together on Thursday. That will allow me to finally drive with the trailer, which I really want to do before I begin an 1200 mile trip with it.
- I may get some work done on PBOTL this week. I brought it with me, but I'm not going to push it.
- I'd like to finish El Narco and get my review up on LibraryThing before I leave on the trip.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Wacky week 2
Except it wasn't that wacky, but I liked the alliteration.
So what did I do last week? Hmm. Seems I was busy every day, but now it doesn't seem like I did that much. How about a list?
A LIST
1. Made my bed every day. Yes, I know, it doesn't seem like I should brag about it, but go here for more.
2. Kept the house clean and the dishes done and my laundry washed and the house dusted and vacuumed and the kitchen floor mopped.
3. Went to lunch with a friend. It was my regular Wednesday lunch with a good friend.
4. Went out to dinner with two friends. We were celebrating a friend's divorce. It was okay, although a bit sad because she has some regrets but believes the divorce will let her get on with her life.
5. Cooked dinner several times. When I do cook, I cook too much. Going to work on cutting down the amount I make. I make enough for four or five, which encourages my roomie and me to eat too much.
6. Went to the gym and walked three days. Meant to walk more, but have been slightly under the weather. Well, actually the weather has been fairly nice for this time of year. I have the beginnings of a cold and have been fighting it.
7. Discarded a big box of stuff from the spare bedroom and boxed up 26 books for a friend. The bed in the spare bedroom can at last be used! And now I just have to reduce the clutter more so that it doesn't look like a visitor could be buried by the piles on one side of the room. (And donate or sale 24 more books to reach my goal of getting rid of 50 books.)
8. Posted several times on Harbor Street, including two excerpts from and a possible cover for Murder by the Mile.
10. Attended the local writers group meeting yesterday morning before our guests arrived. The person who was supposed to give the program didn't show up. Annoying. We discussed our anthology. I guess I'm in charge of it, but told them that I only knew how to produce in the book in one way. If anyone else wanted to do it, I would be delighted, but I wasn't going to work for a committee. No one volunteered, which I think, on reflection, might not be best for me. We'll see.
11. Had the final 2011 Christmas celebration yesterday with my roomie's daughter and her family, including the marvelous Mikey. The kids opened presents and played outside. We went to eat a local Mexican restaurant. Afterwards, we came back and played more baseball and video games until they had to leave. House sure seemed empty after they left.
12. Started putting away the inside Christmas decorations, but still have to take the tree down and put away my Christmas village. Hate to put away the decorations, but have other guests coming this week so need to get them cleared away.
13. Battled the black dog until exhausted, but sunshine the past couple of days has really helped.
14. Got my hair cut, which it needed. I was getting shaggy. Well, shaggy for me, but definitely not romance book cover man hair.
And that was my week. Notice the general lack of writing. Sigh. Well, it's on my list for this week. Speaking of which:
ANOTHER LIST
1. Write five pages on Murder by the Mile.
2. The usual household chores.
3. Exercise at the gym least three times.
4. Continue to fight the black dog until it runs away.
5. Continue to eat fruits and veggies each dang day.
6. Upload a Christmas card to Oakleaf Harbor.
7. Upload a birthday card to Oakleaf Harbor.
8. Work on a role-playing scenario, The Jerosah Legacy, that I'm going to produce this weekend.
9. Clean house for guests coming this weekend.
10. And lots of other things, but those are the major ones.
So what did I do last week? Hmm. Seems I was busy every day, but now it doesn't seem like I did that much. How about a list?
A LIST
1. Made my bed every day. Yes, I know, it doesn't seem like I should brag about it, but go here for more.
2. Kept the house clean and the dishes done and my laundry washed and the house dusted and vacuumed and the kitchen floor mopped.
3. Went to lunch with a friend. It was my regular Wednesday lunch with a good friend.
4. Went out to dinner with two friends. We were celebrating a friend's divorce. It was okay, although a bit sad because she has some regrets but believes the divorce will let her get on with her life.
5. Cooked dinner several times. When I do cook, I cook too much. Going to work on cutting down the amount I make. I make enough for four or five, which encourages my roomie and me to eat too much.
6. Went to the gym and walked three days. Meant to walk more, but have been slightly under the weather. Well, actually the weather has been fairly nice for this time of year. I have the beginnings of a cold and have been fighting it.
7. Discarded a big box of stuff from the spare bedroom and boxed up 26 books for a friend. The bed in the spare bedroom can at last be used! And now I just have to reduce the clutter more so that it doesn't look like a visitor could be buried by the piles on one side of the room. (And donate or sale 24 more books to reach my goal of getting rid of 50 books.)
8. Posted several times on Harbor Street, including two excerpts from and a possible cover for Murder by the Mile.
10. Attended the local writers group meeting yesterday morning before our guests arrived. The person who was supposed to give the program didn't show up. Annoying. We discussed our anthology. I guess I'm in charge of it, but told them that I only knew how to produce in the book in one way. If anyone else wanted to do it, I would be delighted, but I wasn't going to work for a committee. No one volunteered, which I think, on reflection, might not be best for me. We'll see.
11. Had the final 2011 Christmas celebration yesterday with my roomie's daughter and her family, including the marvelous Mikey. The kids opened presents and played outside. We went to eat a local Mexican restaurant. Afterwards, we came back and played more baseball and video games until they had to leave. House sure seemed empty after they left.
12. Started putting away the inside Christmas decorations, but still have to take the tree down and put away my Christmas village. Hate to put away the decorations, but have other guests coming this week so need to get them cleared away.
13. Battled the black dog until exhausted, but sunshine the past couple of days has really helped.
14. Got my hair cut, which it needed. I was getting shaggy. Well, shaggy for me, but definitely not romance book cover man hair.
And that was my week. Notice the general lack of writing. Sigh. Well, it's on my list for this week. Speaking of which:
ANOTHER LIST
1. Write five pages on Murder by the Mile.
2. The usual household chores.
3. Exercise at the gym least three times.
4. Continue to fight the black dog until it runs away.
5. Continue to eat fruits and veggies each dang day.
6. Upload a Christmas card to Oakleaf Harbor.
7. Upload a birthday card to Oakleaf Harbor.
8. Work on a role-playing scenario, The Jerosah Legacy, that I'm going to produce this weekend.
9. Clean house for guests coming this weekend.
10. And lots of other things, but those are the major ones.
Tam's Week Two
January is half over! How is that possible?
Here's my list. :)
The Good Stuff:
- I actually sewed. Twice. Call the newspapers, it's big news. lol
- Finished another book - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I liked it gobs better than Girl with a Dragon Tattoo.
- Wrote analysis for both books.
- Got totally caught up on laundry and mostly cleaned the kitchen (didn't manage to mop, but did everything else)
- Took a walk with Bill
- Had a fabulous date night with Bill
- Kept up with the 30 day blogging challenge
- Have, once again, cut out wheat so that I can lose this bloat. I love bread and pasta, but it isn't good for me.
- Made an appointment to get my highlights touched up.
- Bought more special (and pricey) cleanser because I'm worth it - and it helps my Rosacea
- Attended my quilt guild meeting - I haven't been to one since last April.
- Goz and his stitched are all better
Not So Good:
- Weight is still up. Down about a pound from last week, but I'm still 5 lbs above my low. :(
- Richard Simmons and I never got together. Need to work on that.
- Desk is still a mess.
- Too much paper clutter!
- No Stain notecards
- Still struggling to vacuum like I should
That's really about it, it's been a pretty good week. :)
Plan for Next Week:
- Write some notecards for Stain
- Finish Night Road and analyze it for POV, character, pacing, tense, voice, etc.
- Move on to the next book in the stack. Finish and analyze it as well.
- CLEAN MY FREAKING DESK!!
- Stay on top of laundry and vacuuming.
- Continue to blog daily for the 30 day challenge
Have a great and productive week, everyone!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
We're on to the Slog
With the excitement of the first week out of the way, we're on to the Long Haul Slog. It's not quite that bad yet, but, well, I think you know what I mean.
The Good Stuff:
- I've gotten my riding on the recumbent bike done according to plan. I got about half the Wii stuff done.
- I've done terrible on WW this week, but I did manage to come in almost a pound down. Not sure how. I must do better.
- I purchased Life Balance and have enjoyed playing with it and getting the program configured.
- I'm staying caught up with reading and am still knocking out tasks around the house.
- We got a light rain this week, and it seems as if the modification the roofing people did has taken care of the problem. We will reserve judgement until we have a more vigorous rain.
- Hubby had an unexpected trip up for the weekend, and we've unloaded nearly a hundred buckets of dirt and gravel in the yard and at the store building.
- I made good progress on "How To Revise Your Novel" and Polar Bear on the Loose. I finished Lesson 13 and pushed on through Lessons 14 and 15. I'm now working on Lesson 16. I found some potentially good changes during the "card" games in Lesson 15. If I decide to use them, I have a different beginning and a different ending using scenes that were in the story but in their original location were kind of ho-hum. Moving the cards to other places made them stand out.
- The box for the mower arrived from Black and Decker, but I'm still waiting for the shipping label to arrive. The support person said the box would arrive first. I'm just not sure when to expect the label. I hope it arrives soon.
- I got the Bonus S spread.
- I got most of the document shredding completed.
- The pear tree is trimmed.
- Insurance company address changes were super easy and are done.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Hubby is a devotee of Lotus Smartsuite, which, if you know what it is, you also know it is no longer supported by IBM. It stopped working on his laptop, and he cannot get it to reinstall. His databases and his newsletter are all done in Approach and WordPro. If he can't get access, he's in deep do-do, and he's very angry right now. So far, it all works on his desktop, and he'll be home Monday night, so this is a short term immediate problem, but it's symptomatic of what he ultimately has to deal with. And, I think that may be why he's particularly grumpy at this moment.
- I'm not sure this fits here, but the changes are going slowly at FM -- probably because Zette has been ill.
Plan for Next Week:
- Once again, do a better job of staying on Plan
- Continue with the Wii and recumbent bike riding
- Continue reading
- Finish shredding documents
- Pack for trip to Wisconsin
- Prepare for the run to SA to get truck serviced, hair cut, new lenses for my glasses, and a couple of other things that I'm not thinking of right now.
- Finish reading El Narco and write my LibraryThing review.
- Continue work on Polar Bear on the Loose. Try to get most of the way through Lesson 16 before I have to leave for Wisconsin on the 28th. I won't work on the book specifically while I'm on the trip, but I may do some research. (Yes, I'm getting ahead of next week. Sorry.)
The Good Stuff:
- I've gotten my riding on the recumbent bike done according to plan. I got about half the Wii stuff done.
- I've done terrible on WW this week, but I did manage to come in almost a pound down. Not sure how. I must do better.
- I purchased Life Balance and have enjoyed playing with it and getting the program configured.
- I'm staying caught up with reading and am still knocking out tasks around the house.
- We got a light rain this week, and it seems as if the modification the roofing people did has taken care of the problem. We will reserve judgement until we have a more vigorous rain.
- Hubby had an unexpected trip up for the weekend, and we've unloaded nearly a hundred buckets of dirt and gravel in the yard and at the store building.
- I made good progress on "How To Revise Your Novel" and Polar Bear on the Loose. I finished Lesson 13 and pushed on through Lessons 14 and 15. I'm now working on Lesson 16. I found some potentially good changes during the "card" games in Lesson 15. If I decide to use them, I have a different beginning and a different ending using scenes that were in the story but in their original location were kind of ho-hum. Moving the cards to other places made them stand out.
- The box for the mower arrived from Black and Decker, but I'm still waiting for the shipping label to arrive. The support person said the box would arrive first. I'm just not sure when to expect the label. I hope it arrives soon.
- I got the Bonus S spread.
- I got most of the document shredding completed.
- The pear tree is trimmed.
- Insurance company address changes were super easy and are done.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Hubby is a devotee of Lotus Smartsuite, which, if you know what it is, you also know it is no longer supported by IBM. It stopped working on his laptop, and he cannot get it to reinstall. His databases and his newsletter are all done in Approach and WordPro. If he can't get access, he's in deep do-do, and he's very angry right now. So far, it all works on his desktop, and he'll be home Monday night, so this is a short term immediate problem, but it's symptomatic of what he ultimately has to deal with. And, I think that may be why he's particularly grumpy at this moment.
- I'm not sure this fits here, but the changes are going slowly at FM -- probably because Zette has been ill.
Plan for Next Week:
- Once again, do a better job of staying on Plan
- Continue with the Wii and recumbent bike riding
- Continue reading
- Finish shredding documents
- Pack for trip to Wisconsin
- Prepare for the run to SA to get truck serviced, hair cut, new lenses for my glasses, and a couple of other things that I'm not thinking of right now.
- Finish reading El Narco and write my LibraryThing review.
- Continue work on Polar Bear on the Loose. Try to get most of the way through Lesson 16 before I have to leave for Wisconsin on the 28th. I won't work on the book specifically while I'm on the trip, but I may do some research. (Yes, I'm getting ahead of next week. Sorry.)
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wendy's Week
It hasn't been a full week, but this is my last chance until I get back. My mind is so scattered right now I don't even know if it will make sense. I expect to be thoroughly overstimulated by the time we get to Dad's tonight, which will be late because of our 3 hour lay over in Atlanta. I know you're all crying crocodile tears over that, aren't you? ;-)
Good stuff:
Good stuff:
- I wrote! Not a lot, just a few hundred words. I did, however, get SimpleNote installed on my iPad, so I can take my manuscript with me to review and mull over.
- Took Vicky with me to the pool, and when we got in there, the pool was empty! That's never happened to me before. So nice to have the whole thing to ourselves for a while.
- I got all the cooking and baking done that I needed to do. Not all that Alex wanted, but he's happy to have what I did get done.
- Laundry was caught up, for one day, anyway. That never lasts.
- It looks like we've found a reliable car for Vicky, and it's well within our price range, which was not a lot to start with.
Not so good stuff:
- I only swam twice. My schedule was just too crazy at the end.
- It snowed on the day I planned to run a gazillion errands. Go figure. It's still snowing, on and off, but so far it's not messing with my flight.
Goals for this week:
Keep a handle on my eating so I don't gain weight while I'm away, and track points as much as possible.
So that's about it. As usual, the good outweighs the bad. I'll be back the 24th, although you may see sporadic FB posts. Y'all try to behave while I'm gone!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wendy's Week One
I do love alliteration. I've been checking internet stuff on the iPad, so it was a bit of a shock this morning when I realized it's Sunday and I haven't been on my computer at all since Friday afternoon.
Good Stuff:
Not So Good Stuff:
Interesting Stuff:
I found out Thursday that my boss is retiring and closing the restaurant in April. We've been waiting for that shoe to drop for a while, but it was still a jolt when she told us. Now that I've had a few days to process it, I agree with her that it's time. It's been a great run. We're closing just shy of our 7th anniversary, so we've out-lasted the average, and it's been a lot of fun, but it's time to move on to other things. My timeline is as follows:
Now through mid-March: Get the house as organized as possible and polish my resume. Network with people I know for a job and for a possible buyer for the restaurant.
Mid-March: Send out resumes, check want ads for something administrative, preferably 25-30 hours a week. A 401k would be nice, but it it's not offered for part time employees I can do more or less the same thing with an IRA.
I'm not worried about the job hunting. I've been very blessed with jobs and have always found one when I'm looking for one. Of course, to this point I haven't been picky about what job I take. It would be nice to get back into an office and work some regular hours instead of working my schedule around Eric's. Retail and food service are jobs of last resort at this point.
This week:
Good Stuff:
- FINALLY saw progress on the decluttering. Alex made a Good Will run for me.
- Put away Christmas decorations.
- Swam three times.
- Had another Vitamin D test; haven't gotten the results yet, but at least I got it done before I go on vacation.
- Started gathering costume pieces and other miscellaneous bits to pack for the rendezvous.
- Went back to work after being closed the week between Christmas and New Year.
- Had dinner at Olive Garden with the family Friday night (my FIL sent us gift certificates for Christmas). While we were waiting for our food, I realized I wasn't tired, nor was I caffeinated. It looks silly, written like that, but having been in a state of fatigue to some degree for a lot of years, it's really something to realize.
Not So Good Stuff:
- No writing. I opened my document to see where I am, but that's as far as I got.
- Got laundry washed and folded, but not put away.
- Watched more TV and played more solitaire than I wanted to.
- Didn't keep up on the kitchen the way I would have liked; too many dishes on the counters, especially when no one gets around to emptying the dishwasher.
- Forgot to call the repairman about the oven not lighting.
- Forgot to get the oil changed in the van except when I got in it to go somewhere. I'm hoping my personal hero and sherpa will take care of that for me this week. ;-)
- Went to a wake for a young man. He was a month younger than Alex and drank too much on New Year's Eve. From what I've heard, he passed out and never woke up. His younger brother plays guitar in our praise band at church, and they were close. It's hard to see someone you care about hurting like that and not be able to do anything to help.
Interesting Stuff:
I found out Thursday that my boss is retiring and closing the restaurant in April. We've been waiting for that shoe to drop for a while, but it was still a jolt when she told us. Now that I've had a few days to process it, I agree with her that it's time. It's been a great run. We're closing just shy of our 7th anniversary, so we've out-lasted the average, and it's been a lot of fun, but it's time to move on to other things. My timeline is as follows:
Now through mid-March: Get the house as organized as possible and polish my resume. Network with people I know for a job and for a possible buyer for the restaurant.
Mid-March: Send out resumes, check want ads for something administrative, preferably 25-30 hours a week. A 401k would be nice, but it it's not offered for part time employees I can do more or less the same thing with an IRA.
I'm not worried about the job hunting. I've been very blessed with jobs and have always found one when I'm looking for one. Of course, to this point I haven't been picky about what job I take. It would be nice to get back into an office and work some regular hours instead of working my schedule around Eric's. Retail and food service are jobs of last resort at this point.
This week:
- WRITE SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
- Get all the laundry caught up and put away
- Pack for Florida. We fly Friday! In the afternoon! I don't have to be at the airport at o'dark thirty this year!
- Clean my office
- Transfer grocery and gas money to Alex since he's heading back to school this week
- Check with Vicky about what she'll need for groceries (if anything) while we're away. Make sure we have plenty of cat food and litter
- Keep working on the house
- Swim three times; try to get Vicky to go with me one day
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Stephen's Week One
Very impressed by everyone's progress thus far. Y'all rock! Here's the roundup on my first week of 2012.
Productive things
- My project for the next few days is to remove everything from my fridge that's out of date. So far, cleaned two shelves and threw away a lot of old food. Intend to clean one shelve a day until it's clean. Then I will start on the freezer.
- House still has Christmas decorations up inside, but the outside lights and inflatables are ready to go into the backyard storage building. Intended to put away the inside decorations tonight and this coming week, but still have one more Christmas gathering to host next Saturday. That's okay. I hate taking down my Christmas village anyway, and the house always seems bare when the decorations are gone.
- Filed and worked on getting a pile of paperwork reduced.
- Started gathering receipts and docs for taxes. Should be interesting this year.
- Worked on Murder by the Mile. Not as much as I should have, but I did make progress. I "un-killed" the mother of Benjamin Rivers, and that seems to have really opened things up. She's an odd lady, bitter and vengeful. She also thinks she's psychic. And maybe she is. (At least one time.) I did not make my five pages a week goal. In fact, with editing and changes, I lost ground. It's okay, though. I knew beginning again would be rough. Next week, I will advance again.
- Made it to the gym two times this week. Illness and soreness kept me away. Next week, I will do better.
- Ate at least one fruit (banana, apple, banana, banana, strawberry, apple, orange) and one green veggie a day (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, etc.). And had a salad five times this week.
- Started using my Daily 20 list again and aimed for getting at least 10 items done a day. Averaged 17 items today. Pleased about that. Will continue to use the Daily 20.
- Continued to read the New Testament. On Acts now.
Nonproductive things
- Ate things I shouldn't. Including doughnut holes and a creme-filled doughnut. Also, drank two regular Dr Peppers. No excuses. I craved them, so gave in. Will do better next week.
- Watched TV too much. Annoyed at myself about this. Kept me from being as productive as I wanted to be. Will cut back next week.
- Beat myself up over bills and the slow book sales. Hard to remember that I can only control the things I do, not what happens after that. In other words, I can write and publish and promote, but I cannot control sales. I can only do my part.
- Black dog has been stalking me. Hate the way it steals energy from me. Makes everything hard. Hate this time of year with the cold temps and short days. Ready for spring.
- Still fighting the insomnia. Seems to be a little better. Just got to go to bed when I feel tired and not work through it until I wake up again. Often, I want to finish what I'm doing when I should recognize the sleep cycle has come around.
That's my first week.
Next week:
- Exercise 5 times a week.
- Write 5 new pages for Murder by the Mile.
- Continue to use the Daily 20 for decluttering, cleaning, and daily chores.
- Promote my book sales 5 times a week on Facebook, Twitter, 51313 Harbor Street, etc. I mean, 5 times total, not 5 times each. There's a lot of overlap on all of them, and I don't want to burn my audience out.
- Upload a new Christmas card to Oakleaf Harbor.
- Create a birthday card section on Oakleaf Harbor and upload a birthday card.
- Read three books.
That should keep me busy. Hope next week is great for all of us!
Productive things
- My project for the next few days is to remove everything from my fridge that's out of date. So far, cleaned two shelves and threw away a lot of old food. Intend to clean one shelve a day until it's clean. Then I will start on the freezer.
- House still has Christmas decorations up inside, but the outside lights and inflatables are ready to go into the backyard storage building. Intended to put away the inside decorations tonight and this coming week, but still have one more Christmas gathering to host next Saturday. That's okay. I hate taking down my Christmas village anyway, and the house always seems bare when the decorations are gone.
- Filed and worked on getting a pile of paperwork reduced.
- Started gathering receipts and docs for taxes. Should be interesting this year.
- Worked on Murder by the Mile. Not as much as I should have, but I did make progress. I "un-killed" the mother of Benjamin Rivers, and that seems to have really opened things up. She's an odd lady, bitter and vengeful. She also thinks she's psychic. And maybe she is. (At least one time.) I did not make my five pages a week goal. In fact, with editing and changes, I lost ground. It's okay, though. I knew beginning again would be rough. Next week, I will advance again.
- Made it to the gym two times this week. Illness and soreness kept me away. Next week, I will do better.
- Ate at least one fruit (banana, apple, banana, banana, strawberry, apple, orange) and one green veggie a day (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, etc.). And had a salad five times this week.
- Started using my Daily 20 list again and aimed for getting at least 10 items done a day. Averaged 17 items today. Pleased about that. Will continue to use the Daily 20.
- Continued to read the New Testament. On Acts now.
Nonproductive things
- Ate things I shouldn't. Including doughnut holes and a creme-filled doughnut. Also, drank two regular Dr Peppers. No excuses. I craved them, so gave in. Will do better next week.
- Watched TV too much. Annoyed at myself about this. Kept me from being as productive as I wanted to be. Will cut back next week.
- Beat myself up over bills and the slow book sales. Hard to remember that I can only control the things I do, not what happens after that. In other words, I can write and publish and promote, but I cannot control sales. I can only do my part.
- Black dog has been stalking me. Hate the way it steals energy from me. Makes everything hard. Hate this time of year with the cold temps and short days. Ready for spring.
- Still fighting the insomnia. Seems to be a little better. Just got to go to bed when I feel tired and not work through it until I wake up again. Often, I want to finish what I'm doing when I should recognize the sleep cycle has come around.
That's my first week.
Next week:
- Exercise 5 times a week.
- Write 5 new pages for Murder by the Mile.
- Continue to use the Daily 20 for decluttering, cleaning, and daily chores.
- Promote my book sales 5 times a week on Facebook, Twitter, 51313 Harbor Street, etc. I mean, 5 times total, not 5 times each. There's a lot of overlap on all of them, and I don't want to burn my audience out.
- Upload a new Christmas card to Oakleaf Harbor.
- Create a birthday card section on Oakleaf Harbor and upload a birthday card.
- Read three books.
That should keep me busy. Hope next week is great for all of us!
End of Tam's Week One
It might take me a while to get used to the new (and, frankly, better) format, but here goes. :)
The Good Stuff:
Plan for Next Week:
The Good Stuff:
- Organized parts of my fabric stash and made up patterns to use up scraps so I'll have plenty to do at the quilt retreat.
- Got the kitchen clean. Keeping it that way hasn't been easy, though. ;)
- Got a new, lighter vacuum for the downstairs since my back does not appreciate lugging the big one up and down all the time. It does a great job on the wood floors!
- Had a lovely phone call with my agent to discuss the future of my writing.
- Have reached the mid point on Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. It's good, but not something I normally would have chosen.
- Received my replacement iPod Nano in the mail and it's a Brand New 8GB one, not a refurbished first generation.
- Found a super recipe for Rump Roast which was on sale this week. I think it needs to cook a little longer (ours ended up a bit more rare than we liked ) but it was very tender and tasty.
- Only had fast food once, on my super crazy nuts errand day. Yippee!
- Deb from the quilt guild has a copy of a magazine I'm missing and she's going to let me borrow it so I can photocopy the pattern I need. That I had. But misplaced. Woot!
- Fruit. I have been eating fruit. I do not like fruit, but I even managed to eat a whole apple. I really dislike apples, so this was quite an accomplishment.
- I blogged every day for the 30 day challenge, mostly by writing the posts early and scheduling them to appear just after midnight on their due date. This has worked very well for me.
- Weight went up about 6 lbs. I've lost two of those, but I have a lot of ground to cover.
- Bill gave me his cold. Sore throat, sinus gunk. It should all be gone in about a week, though.
- I have a freaking MOUNTAIN of reading to get done this month, all fiction. Once I finish Dragon Tattoo, I have a book by Gloria King on deck, then Sue Grafton's latest. How am I gonna find time for all this reading?? Doesn't matter, I have to do it.
- Did not hit my exercise goal, but I sweated with Richard Simmons once. That is better than not at all, right?
- Desk is still a mess despite being on every day's to-do list. :(
Plan for Next Week:
- More notecards for Stain
- Finish Dragon Tattoo and analyze it for POV, character, pacing, tense, voice, etc.
- Move on to the next book in the stack. Finish and analyze it as well.
- CLEAN MY FREAKING DESK!!
- Gozer to the vet to get his incision looked at
- Stay on top of laundry and vacuuming.
- Blog daily for the 30 day challenge
And...They're Off!
The first week of 2012 is in the bag. I think we've all gotten off to a running start.
The Good Stuff:
- According to plan, I've gone to the shop every other day since I got back to Central TX, and I've done my fifteen minutes on the Wii (balance games), 30 minutes on the bike with enough effort to break a sweat, and ten to fifteen minutes on the Wii (Yoga, and I did some aerobics today). That's two days this week. Every other day will result in three to four days a week, which should be a good effort.
- I put myself back on the WW plan. The break was nice. I stayed relatively stable while on maintenance -- at least weight-wise. I missed recording points a few days while on maintenance, but, generally, I stuck with it.
- I've been experimenting with a program called Life Balance as a potential replacement or augmentation for Things. Things is great for a number of things, but I'd like something that will help me track my effort toward accomplishing my primary goals. Life Balance creates a pie chart based upon my top level goals. I can adjust the pie slices to approximate approximately how much effort I need to put into each goal, and the program, based upon the items checked off on my ToDo list, will track where my efforts lie. I downloaded the 30 day trial and after getting it pretty well set up, I took the plunge and purchased it today. There is a Windows version available. I'm not absolutely certain it's the best thing, but I'm going to work with it and see. I like it so far. The manual is helpful. If you download the trial, I recommend opening the manual before you install the program. I recommend that, because it's easier to find when you do that.
- I've accomplished several tasks around the house I'd been procrastinating on: Mowed weeds, installed backer rod in the baseboards in the front bedroom (to stop drafts), sorted paperwork, generating even more shredding to do, and crawled under the house to install new insulation where we're pulled it off to repair pipes that froze last winter.
- I'm getting caught up on my reading (Durant and Federalist papers)
- Supposedly, the roofing people came and worked on the downspout problem at the shop while we were out of town. Hopefully, they fixed the problem of "dribble back" that was resulting in some terrible leakage at one point.
- I unloaded 11 buckets of gravel at the store in preparation for hubby to put it down in front of the pull down doors to create a leveled approach. While there, I pulled out the ladder and swept off the debris from the gutters. I put the pole chain saw in my truck and brought it back to the house in preparation for trimming the pear tree before the end of the month
- Paid the last of the property taxes as well as the rest of the bills for this month
- At the last minute, I decided to participate in the 30 Days of Me meme. If you want to check it out, I'm posting it on Philosophical Meanderings.
Not So Good:
- I think I use work around the house to procrastinate on getting writing related work done. Working on PBOTL has been on my To Do list all week, yet it seems to not get done. So has shredding. If the shredding piles up really bad, I can box it up and take it to a document shredding service (not my preferred method, mind you), but PBOTL? Only I can do that.
- Why am I resisting? I'm not sure. If I haven't started by next week, I'll conclude there's a problem. (I put it on the kitchen table tonight -- kind of a little push.)
- My plan was to do my to do list first, then get on the internet and play. I've sort of done that, but not quite as effectively as I'd hoped.
- I didn't begin work on the ProGear in the closet. I went in there, realized stuff hubby wanted out of the blue room was stacked in there in front of my books, got discouraged, and left.
- I didn't begin working on the stuff in the office, but I still dealt with the filing. I'll need to continue working on it throughout the year, but I got the essential year-end work done.
- After I mowed the back yard to level out the weeds, I got the charger to plug the mower in and charge it, but the charger (transformer) had split it's casing since the last time I used it. I looked for a replacement on line, and it's been discontinued and no longer available. The silver lining is the mower has been recalled, so I called the number. They're sending me a box, and I may get a replacement mower.
Plan for Next Week:
- Spread Bonus S
- Trim pear tree (if not this week, by the end of the month)
- Get some traction on PBOTL
- Continue fitness efforts
- Do a better job of staying on Plan (I look at this week as being a transition week, and I anticipate next week will be a little better)
- Hubby should be here Thursday through Sunday (or so) to drop off full buckets before heading back to SA to fill more buckets
- Work through the FM site changes -- Zette is back on board, so there's little for me to do
- Begin shredding documents
- Continue reading
- Change a couple of addresses with insurance companies
- Continue working with Life Balance and Things
The Good Stuff:
- According to plan, I've gone to the shop every other day since I got back to Central TX, and I've done my fifteen minutes on the Wii (balance games), 30 minutes on the bike with enough effort to break a sweat, and ten to fifteen minutes on the Wii (Yoga, and I did some aerobics today). That's two days this week. Every other day will result in three to four days a week, which should be a good effort.
- I put myself back on the WW plan. The break was nice. I stayed relatively stable while on maintenance -- at least weight-wise. I missed recording points a few days while on maintenance, but, generally, I stuck with it.
- I've been experimenting with a program called Life Balance as a potential replacement or augmentation for Things. Things is great for a number of things, but I'd like something that will help me track my effort toward accomplishing my primary goals. Life Balance creates a pie chart based upon my top level goals. I can adjust the pie slices to approximate approximately how much effort I need to put into each goal, and the program, based upon the items checked off on my ToDo list, will track where my efforts lie. I downloaded the 30 day trial and after getting it pretty well set up, I took the plunge and purchased it today. There is a Windows version available. I'm not absolutely certain it's the best thing, but I'm going to work with it and see. I like it so far. The manual is helpful. If you download the trial, I recommend opening the manual before you install the program. I recommend that, because it's easier to find when you do that.
- I've accomplished several tasks around the house I'd been procrastinating on: Mowed weeds, installed backer rod in the baseboards in the front bedroom (to stop drafts), sorted paperwork, generating even more shredding to do, and crawled under the house to install new insulation where we're pulled it off to repair pipes that froze last winter.
- I'm getting caught up on my reading (Durant and Federalist papers)
- Supposedly, the roofing people came and worked on the downspout problem at the shop while we were out of town. Hopefully, they fixed the problem of "dribble back" that was resulting in some terrible leakage at one point.
- I unloaded 11 buckets of gravel at the store in preparation for hubby to put it down in front of the pull down doors to create a leveled approach. While there, I pulled out the ladder and swept off the debris from the gutters. I put the pole chain saw in my truck and brought it back to the house in preparation for trimming the pear tree before the end of the month
- Paid the last of the property taxes as well as the rest of the bills for this month
- At the last minute, I decided to participate in the 30 Days of Me meme. If you want to check it out, I'm posting it on Philosophical Meanderings.
Not So Good:
- I think I use work around the house to procrastinate on getting writing related work done. Working on PBOTL has been on my To Do list all week, yet it seems to not get done. So has shredding. If the shredding piles up really bad, I can box it up and take it to a document shredding service (not my preferred method, mind you), but PBOTL? Only I can do that.
- Why am I resisting? I'm not sure. If I haven't started by next week, I'll conclude there's a problem. (I put it on the kitchen table tonight -- kind of a little push.)
- My plan was to do my to do list first, then get on the internet and play. I've sort of done that, but not quite as effectively as I'd hoped.
- I didn't begin work on the ProGear in the closet. I went in there, realized stuff hubby wanted out of the blue room was stacked in there in front of my books, got discouraged, and left.
- I didn't begin working on the stuff in the office, but I still dealt with the filing. I'll need to continue working on it throughout the year, but I got the essential year-end work done.
- After I mowed the back yard to level out the weeds, I got the charger to plug the mower in and charge it, but the charger (transformer) had split it's casing since the last time I used it. I looked for a replacement on line, and it's been discontinued and no longer available. The silver lining is the mower has been recalled, so I called the number. They're sending me a box, and I may get a replacement mower.
Plan for Next Week:
- Spread Bonus S
- Trim pear tree (if not this week, by the end of the month)
- Get some traction on PBOTL
- Continue fitness efforts
- Do a better job of staying on Plan (I look at this week as being a transition week, and I anticipate next week will be a little better)
- Hubby should be here Thursday through Sunday (or so) to drop off full buckets before heading back to SA to fill more buckets
- Work through the FM site changes -- Zette is back on board, so there's little for me to do
- Begin shredding documents
- Continue reading
- Change a couple of addresses with insurance companies
- Continue working with Life Balance and Things
Sunday, January 1, 2012
20 for 2012
Here are my goals for 2012, at least the ones I'm able to share.
Writing
1. I will finish and publish Murder by the Mile. To this end, I have committed to writing one page per day five days a week. I hope to do write more, but that's the baseline.
2. I will publish Tales from Bethlehem. Mostly I just have to be pull it together, write two more Tales for it, and create a cover.
3. I will continue to work on Debt Free At Last! A Beginner's Guide to Money Management. I'd like to publish it this year, but it's not as high a priority as the other two are.
4. I will continue to add Christmas cards to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available before November next year.
5. I will add a birthday card selection to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available this year.
6. I will continue to send Dragons Gather and Darkness, Oklahoma to agents and publishers. Because each rejection moves me closer to an acceptance.
Health
7. I will walk at the gym 4-5 days a week, depending on health and holidays.
8. I will improve my diet and eat more veggies and low carb foods.
9. I will arrange for a colonoscopy. I have to figure out how to pay for it, but with the cancer history in my family, I need to do this this year.
10. I will continue to look at holistic health solutions and ways of life.
Declutter
11. I will remove 50 books from my book collection and sell or donate to the local library.
12. I will have two garage sales.
13. I will remove 50 items from my closets and sell or donate them or trash them.
14. I will try to remove an item when I add an item to my house.
Misc.
15. I will continue to seek a job, full time or part time, even though I'm very discouraged about this. However, as my health improves, other jobs that I can't physically do now will be possible. I can do this and will.
16. I will read 75 books this year.
17. I will continue to read the New Testament and finish it this year. I will also read Psalms and Proverbs.
18. I will pray daily and give thanks for my blessings.
19. I will remember that honesty can cause pain and remember that I can never completely know what another person is going through and thus should not judge. In other words, I will keep my mouth shut when my opinion hasn't been asked for -- and sometimes even when it has been.
20. I will try to be more forgiving of myself and others. We're human and frail in many many ways. We all need a break.
Well, there are my goals for the New Year. I probably won't obtain all of them, but I will some of them and will make progress on the rest. What more could I realistically ask?
Writing
1. I will finish and publish Murder by the Mile. To this end, I have committed to writing one page per day five days a week. I hope to do write more, but that's the baseline.
2. I will publish Tales from Bethlehem. Mostly I just have to be pull it together, write two more Tales for it, and create a cover.
3. I will continue to work on Debt Free At Last! A Beginner's Guide to Money Management. I'd like to publish it this year, but it's not as high a priority as the other two are.
4. I will continue to add Christmas cards to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available before November next year.
5. I will add a birthday card selection to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available this year.
6. I will continue to send Dragons Gather and Darkness, Oklahoma to agents and publishers. Because each rejection moves me closer to an acceptance.
Health
7. I will walk at the gym 4-5 days a week, depending on health and holidays.
8. I will improve my diet and eat more veggies and low carb foods.
9. I will arrange for a colonoscopy. I have to figure out how to pay for it, but with the cancer history in my family, I need to do this this year.
10. I will continue to look at holistic health solutions and ways of life.
Declutter
11. I will remove 50 books from my book collection and sell or donate to the local library.
12. I will have two garage sales.
13. I will remove 50 items from my closets and sell or donate them or trash them.
14. I will try to remove an item when I add an item to my house.
Misc.
15. I will continue to seek a job, full time or part time, even though I'm very discouraged about this. However, as my health improves, other jobs that I can't physically do now will be possible. I can do this and will.
16. I will read 75 books this year.
17. I will continue to read the New Testament and finish it this year. I will also read Psalms and Proverbs.
18. I will pray daily and give thanks for my blessings.
19. I will remember that honesty can cause pain and remember that I can never completely know what another person is going through and thus should not judge. In other words, I will keep my mouth shut when my opinion hasn't been asked for -- and sometimes even when it has been.
20. I will try to be more forgiving of myself and others. We're human and frail in many many ways. We all need a break.
Well, there are my goals for the New Year. I probably won't obtain all of them, but I will some of them and will make progress on the rest. What more could I realistically ask?