October and the Lack of Monthly Goals.

So last month's goals, as listed here should have been easy-peasy.

Short version of long story- they mostly didn't get done. Dad had several massive setbacks and I just plain couldn't cope with much of anything. The Shady-cuddling is about the only thing that I managed.

I'm not setting any goals for October. It's just not working right now. Actually, I take that back- my sole goal is to make it through October without checking myself into the local psych ward.

Happy Labor Day & New Monthly Goals

So last month's goals were set relatively low in the hopes of actually getting them accomplished. They're here if you need a reminder of what they were.

*hangs head in shame*

I only managed to get one thing done. We went to the tea parlor on my birthday. The rest of it? Zip, zilch, nada. I got some trash taken out and made piles of junk in the living room, but didn't actually get any cleaning done...or the DVD's watched. How bad do you have to suck to not manage to watch a freaking DVD?!?

I'm blaming the stress of dealing with family and Daddy's surgery. And getting sick again.

So this month's goals- hah hah hah- are:

1. Watch Thor:Dark World, Only Lovers Left Alive, and the Nut Job if it kills me. (You'd think a Hiddleston binge would be a no-brainer, but this is me we're talking about here)

2. Get 3 baskets of laundry put away.

3. Work on the Halloween & Christmas cross-stitch ornaments for the exchanges I've signed up for. (in a moment of lunacy blind optimism)

4. Cuddle Nightshade every chance I get. (I miss my cuddlebug Malkin)

5. Cook a real meal at least once a week.


Let's see if I can't manage to get something right!

Monthly Goals- Utter Failure

So here were the July-recycled-from June goals


1. Move back into the main bedroom

2. still trying to excavate Laundry Mountain

3. clean out current bedroom

4. create order out of the 5 boxes & innumerable bags of stitch stash

5. take another box of books to Half Price Books

6. Finish the birthday card I started stitching for Uncle John LAST year so I can give it to him THIS year.

7. take 3 bags of culled wardrobe items to Goodwill



I didn't get a single damned one of them done.



Attempting a new list for August:

1. Watch Thor:Dark World

2. Get main bedroom vacuumed

3. Tidy living room

4. Watch Season one of Grimm

5. Go here: on/near my birthday

Monthly Goals- sigh

These were the June goals:

1. Move back into the main bedroom

2. still trying to excavate Laundry Mountain

3. totally clean out my poor car

4. clean out current bedroom

5. create order out of the 5 boxes & innumerable bags of stitch stash

6. take another box of books to Half Price Books

7. Finish the birthday card I started stitching for Uncle John LAST year so I can give it to him THIS year.

8. take 3 bags of culled wardrobe items to Goodwill

9. create a packing list for the July family reunion trip (summer in the swamp...joy...)

10. get the window unit a/c re-installed in the living room.


What did I manage to accomplish? Next to nothing. I did numbers 3, 9, and 10.

So, the July goals are to work on the 7 items I didn't get done in June. And to start job hunting again.

June Goals

1. Move back into the main bedroom

2. still trying to excavate Laundry Mountain

3. totally clean out my poor car

4. clean out current bedroom

5. create order out of the 5 boxes & innumerable bags of stitch stash

6. take another box of books to Half Price Books

7. Finish the birthday card I started stitching for Uncle John LAST year so I can give it to him THIS year.

8. take 3 bags of culled wardrobe items to Goodwill

9. create a packing list for the July family reunion trip (summer in the swamp...joy...)

10. get the window unit a/c re-installed in the living room.

What a Month!

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I didn't make most of the April goals. Here's a list of what has been going on:

1. Laundry Mountain is still alive & well and un-excavated. I put up a curtain rod and screened off the utility room when Chad & Mel came to visit.

2. The spare bedroom was MOSTLY cleaned out. I couldn't get some of the boxes & totes up to the attic alone and didn't have anyone to help me do it, so they got stacked in one corner of the room with a sheet thrown over them. There was plenty of room left for the airbed, the guests, and their luggage, so it all worked out.

3. Ditto for the living room. In fact, I had forgotten how big both rooms were without all the piles of crap I'd let accumulate.

4. LOTS of trash got taken out. In fact, my cans were full to overflowing for the last 4 pick-ups before the cousins arrived. The trash guys asked if I was moving and seemed heartened by my assuring them I was not.

5. People will take anything. I had put an old floor lamp that no longer worked out next to the trash cans. It was gone by morning.

6. Cleaning binges give my cats nervous breakdowns. They had no idea what was going on.

More later...

March Goals, final chapter

Well, I succeeded in making a positive post on Facebook every day this month! YAY ME!!!

I got the trash out at least once every week.

I cooked at home a couple of times, but not as much as I should have. However, I did buy fruit, yogurt, and sandwich fixings to keep at work for lunches/snacks instead of going out to get fast food, so I'm counting this as a win.

Made some slight progress on house cleaning but not nearly enough. Still working on this with just over a month to go.

No progress on Laundry Mountain.


All in all, not too bad! Now for the April goals:

Continue the FB posts, but only once a week. To be honest, I was stretching for some of those positive posts.

Continue with the trash goal.

Continue with the cooking goal.


THE HOUSE MUST BE CLEANED.

LAUNDRY MOUNTAIN MUST BE FULLY EXCAVATED.

Wish me luck!

March Goals, so far

Not a whole lot to report. February ended with a bang as Daddy had to be rushed to the hospital again. Fortunately he was suffering from a fairly easy to correct issue, but the symptoms were enough to scare the bejeezus out of us all. At one point, the poor old coot was vomiting blood, Mom was just vomiting (sympathetically at first, and then the doctor checked her out and found she had the flu), and I was banished to the ER hallway before I started. While I was out there, I started inquiring about group rates & rooms, because it looked like we were ALL going to be admitted at the rate we were going.

Didn't get the trash out for the first March pickup as we had a foot of snow fall over 3 inches of ice and I didn't have the energy to fight with the can & driveway Sunday night. Just as well, since they didn't pick it up on Monday. Didn't get it out for the Thursday pickup either, because I was sick in bed. Seems one of the deteriorating discs in my spine is inflamed/infected, so I'm on painkillers & antibiotics again/still.

I HAVE managed, so far, to do a daily positive post on FaceBook. Much to the amusement of friends who have apparently formed a betting pool on how many days I'll do it. We'll see who has the last laugh.

Laundry Mountain? *whimper*

Cooking? Made a huge batch of enchiladas. Made the mistake of using a new-to-me brand of enchilada sauce. Have spent the last few days eating the innards out of the enchiladas. Am going to try for a lasagna this weekend. Also plan to try a Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Hash. It sounds odd, but the picture looked really good and I'm one of the random weirdos who actually likes sprouts.

So there you have it. More later...

February Goals, Update 2

Well, the month is almost over. I didn't do as well on my goals as I'd hoped to. I DID succeed in taking out the trash at least once a week. I washed some of the laundry, but didn't get anything folded or put away. Came nowhere close to getting Mom's present stitched (maybe by Mother's Day?) or cooking at home as often as I wanted to. We won't even discuss cleaning house.

So, March Goals:

1. 1 positive post of some sort on FaceBook everyday. (I can't get on the blog every day or i'd do it here, and it seems like cheating to schedule 31 posts in advance)

2. keep up with getting the trash out at least once a week.

3. the whole cooking thing (I did put a soup in the crockpot for tonight, so maybe it's the turning of a new leaf. And if it's good, I'll post the recipe for it here tomorrow))

4. Start AND finish at least one small cross stitch piece.

5. Tackle Laundry Mountain in earnest. I'm tired of hunting for socks & underwear.

6. Start cleaning. Seriously. I have just under two months before Chad & Mel get here. Yes, my house is THAT bad. I blame my CFS mostly, but have to start sucking it up and getting my flabby butt in gear.

7. try to blog a bit more.

Let's see how well I do this time!

February Goals, update 1

Well, I made a start on laundry mountain. Washed & dried several loads, but didn't get as far as putting them away properly. Sigh. Baby steps...

I filled the trash can Sunday and rolled it out to the curb for the Monday pickup. So of course we got a snow/ice storm. They hadn't come to pick it up by the time I was leaving for work. However, the considerate West Buechel snowplow drivers had blocked every drive (and consequently every trash can) on the block with their customary wall of slush. Not only did I dig out my driveway, I cleared the trash can to make it easier for the sanitation guys. Who never showed up.

We got more ice & snow over the last 2 days. I chipped the can open a couple of times to add to it. Today, in a moment of optimism, I salted the base of the can while I was out salting the driveway. Note: I am the only person on my street who has done anything like this.

They picked the trash up today. I heard the truck when I was putting on my shoes for work. I also heard the grunts and curses as they had to chip cans loose up and down the block...until they got to my house. Then I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it to find the three guys from the trash truck on my porch. They were so tickled that I had dug my can out and salted around it that they actually parked the truck and came to thank me!

It's the little things in life...