Anti-Procrastination Wednesday

[LadyMaverick]

Okay. Making progress.

Christmas plans have been modified. Plan B implemented. We had to scratch Plan A off the schedule. We had made plans to travel to DSon home and celebrate DGD6 birthday and Christmas. However the weather forecast for the next 7 days has made us change that plan. They are forecasting up to 2' of snow/ice with temps being below zero and high temps in the 20F. We made this trip to Dson home during bad winter storm once and have no intention of repeating that mistake. We learned the hard way what happens when our state gets overwhelmed with clearing snow off the roads. With no warning, they decide to shut the interstates down allowing no one to get on them.......but that leaves all the people already on the interstate stranded in place. We spent hours sitting bumper to bumper on the interstate at a dead stop because the snow drifts. Even the 4 wheel drive vehicles and semi trucks couldn't get through the huge drifts. Yellow snow happened because there were zero options!

[Nancy]

It was me that needed to make made a phone call got the answer I was hoping for re J & C request. Yea!
I have washer twins going.
Spiffed up zone and worked on the counter in laundry.
A lite went out over a bed so will do that when h. Can help move the bed.
Found 2 things I needed 2day yea!
Could not sleep got up early got on ex. Bike at 6 a. m. yea me then headed out to the coop and fed hens at day break.
Getting on track with winter schedule.
Put some Christmas stuff away.
Red white & green dish cloths and hot pads for office gals where h works glad to find a place for them to go.
I need to do some desk day stuff.
I got stuff out of the deep freezer for dinner.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

<Kathryn returns from checking fridge AND the large pantry between the counter and the fridge!>

All clear!

Apparently we are leaving later because of dh's conference call. We cannot afford to rush today, the high winds have polished black ice where the roads were wet yesterday from our above freezing temps.

I have a list of things I need to get out the door.

I'm dressed but not happy with my outfit. I'm fat and I'm upset about how I look these days.

As Helia says, something has to give and for me it is diet AND exercise.

I'm further ahead than I expected partly because we haven't been invited to any parties this year. There are 3 that we usually attend but that frees up 9 - 12 hours. Whether they are happening without us or others are cutting back on their entertaining, I don't know or, to be honest, care although I'll miss seeing some of the old neighbours.

Dh being under the weather has cut 3 items as well from our schedule. He's preserving his energy as best as he can.

[Harmony]

Trying to organize my day. Had a plan that evaporated into thin air.

Computer woes. We got our new one back yesterday afternoon. They installed the anti-virus finally correctly. NOT! I've been on phone calls and remote assistance off and on all morning. The program keeps unattaching itself and they keep putting it in and saying it's fixed but it's not. I'm just waiting, if it does this again, at this point I don't know what I'll do. SO frustrating.

It appears we are all running double speed trying to keep up and get ahead. Unexpected company all around. I am just shaking my head at all the things we are all dealing with.

The extra company we're having is not entirely unexpected. I had ok'd the 3 I knew would be asked to come, though I was less than enthusiastic about it. I understand why DH felt he wanted to ask them. This guy has helped DH do all this work in his house, working all day for 3 months. Even the wife has pitched in. Course, he's saved himself a ton of money, as he got extra things done in exchange for doing things... so it's all good...but when DH asked them, they asked if their 2 daughters could come too which surprised me.

It'll all work out. Last evening I made 4 kinds of cookies so that much is done. I need to make 1 more batch of something dairy free. For a while I had DH washing dishes and helping. His feet hurt when he stands too long in one place, and last night his hip was hurting too. I honestly don't know how he's working; so much is wrong with his joints. But I intend to use him with the vacuum and mop later.

Was going grocery shopping first thing this morning till this computer thing happened and took up hours of my time. Then I had to deal with papers and get DH out the door. Then I had to move the car so DH could pull his pickup into the garage...which now needs a fix...because the water pump just broke and at least now he knows where he's been losing the water all along. How's that for a run-on sentence? He kept checking the hoses and nothing was leaking, but now at least he knows what the problem is. Water pumps are not easy fixes. I suspect this afternoon we will be under the hood.

I need to win a couple new vehicles. Seriously.

So nice to hear from Sunny. I was wondering how she was doing. know you're disappointed to not be seeing DS3 at the holiday.
And Helia, been missing her, also Sadie.

(LadyM and DSon). Sorry about the health thing from yesterday's post and the trip/bad weather thing. I honestly don't know how you do everything you do each and every day. I know I don't get half as much done as you and don't deal with as many problems.

Ok, I'm off to the store.

[Nancy]

My ear is bothering me, got an alert from the ddog bs was up in to ack land! I flipped laundry, have cooked eggs, got some things out of the zone closet took down stairs to be with the rest of spinning equipment. Got drawstring replaced with elastic in legging type jeans. Got paper in a disc planner took out old stuff. Did coloring w marker for a reward. Time to get going again pasta to cook up for pasta salad for h lunches.

[Twins' Mom]

I have fallen off the wagon. I decided to leave errands for tomorrow. When I called back and got the obit I needed I went off on a tangent, obviously.

Will start at TOTH and work 45 min, I promise.

[LadyMaverick]

CRAZY. That is my description of my decision to cook non-stop for 6 hours. I didn't start with that in mind, but it just happened.

I started by deciding to cook 4 lbs of bacon and package it in meal portions. That went well so I decided to continue

Since the pans were dirty, I decided to cook 3 lbs of bacon and package it in meal size portions too. Now I had all that bacon flavoring in the pans so

I decided to try to imitate some roasted green beans I ate this past week. They were sooooo incredibly delicious. I had some long beans frozen so I cut open 3 bags of them and put them on the bacon pans. The filled to overflowing pans were returned to the 450 degree oven in hopes I wasn't making a huge mistake.

That turned out sooooo good that I was encouraged to try it again with Cauliflower. I had 2 bags of frozen cauliflower that were cut into chunks. I dumped those onto the bacon flavoring pans and put them into the 450 oven.

That worked too so I went with the frozen chunks of broccoli onto the bacon flavored plan. I was amazed and excited about all this vegetable goodness that I decided to try another vegetable.

I cut up onions and put them on the bacon flavoring pans. Into the hot oven they went. Would that work as well as the other roasted vegetables?

YES! But I still had bacon flavoring left so I continued the experimenting. I dumped 2 bags of frozen corn onto the pans. They came out awesome as well. I didn' know roasted corn kernel would be so tasty.

In between all that cooking, I was making icing and covering 2 gingerbread houses. DS9 and DGD6 will do the decorating of the houses but I wanted to put the remote control lights inside of the houses and get the houses covered with the base coat of icing. I was just finishing up the base coat of icing when DH and the kids walked back into the house.

My "alone time" was over and i hadn't even left the kitchen. ARGH! Oh well. I did enjoy myself with the food experimenting and am thrilled with the multiple successes.

[lucylee]

(((Nancy))) -- hope you're feeling better by the time you read this!

Oh, (((Harmony))) -- I know that computer mess is driving you CRAZY. It would me. When c r a p happens with our computer, I am mad and depressed and frustrated all at once. I'm so glad you're able to post here and keep us all informed, at least!

Ditto what Harmony said to LadyM --

I honestly don't know how you do everything you do each and every day. I know I don't get half as much done as you and don't deal with as many problems.

I think that so often. Applies to the rest of you too! I'm always thinking about someone on here -- "She's got all THAT to deal with and she's still getting a million times more things accomplished than I do."
I guess we all have * stuff * that comes up sometimes, like Harriet's unexpected 4 hour visitors today, or sickness in families, or whatever... and I guess we all tend to minimize our own accomplishments in our minds, b/c we all WANT so badly to do MORE. I mean, we wouldn't even have FOUND each other if we didn't each have a twinge of that perfectionism thing that makes us think we can and should be doing MORE with our homes and families and everything.
I don't want to just say about myself, oh well, it's all good... LOL... but I am trying to realize that when I do have to switch up my normal day for a day with dgrands, that is NOT an "interruption" in my mission for the day -- that IS my mission for the day. I may be serving a much greater purpose and doing much more good for everyone in my life by spending that time with them, than I would be by vacuuming a floor or cleaning a shower stall.
There's no "may be" about it -- I know that is the greater good, and much more appreciated by my family.

OTOH -- today, even before seeing our topic for the day -- I guess I decided to "kick up the effort" anyway.
After talking with dmom while I ate my breakfast (at lunch time, yes) I
* called drug store for dh
* took my allergy shots
* s2s
* cleaned dh's shower and s/s master bath
* went to drug store with dh
* called bank re: savings due next week
* stripped the bed & got the sheets in the washer (they are now in the screeching/squeaky/scraping-sounding dryer... the better for dh to hear it...)
* called credit card company so dh would know how far we are into next month... shaking my head...

I was also awakened by man who cuts our hay. He was bringing us a (VERY) large ham and gift card to his family farm/produce stand. It seems more logical that we would give HIM a gift, but we do not. He cuts the hay at no charge to us, and in return he takes the hay. It's a win-win for us, b/c it prevents our pasture from getting overgrown and turning into a brush pile, and it never costs us a cent. And as a bonus, we get this huge ready-to-eat ham and an abundant supply of strawberries, peaches, etc next summer. I guess he appreciates the hay.

I know the kitchen desperately needs vacuuming/sweeping, but if one doesn't walk around barefoot in there, one can ignore it awhile longer.

That dryer though, is hard to ignore. I wonder that dh doesn't hear it. I'm surprised Kathryn can't hear it!

I'm fat and I'm upset about how I look these days.
As Helia says, something has to give and for me it is diet AND exercise.

(((Kathryn))) -- IKWYM soooo soooo much. I am inspired by LadyM saying the 15 minute walk helps her physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I've just GOT TO re-commit to that. November and December have been such a massive failure for me in the exercise department.
AND I am very sporadic with my food posting in My Fitness Pal.
I saw that it really helped in October... and then I just lost my momentum in November.

LadyM, I hate that you will miss the trip to ds's for Christmas, but I certainly don't blame you with the weather forecast you're facing.

I was sorry to hear about your shoulder, too, helia -- and glad to see you back with us. I so well remember the end of the grading period/Christmas season. It's just awful. Maybe you can take a breath soon!

Harriet... just no words for the unexpected visitors... why do people DO that???
Fortunately they DON'T here -- not very often at least. DH had a couple of aunts who would sometimes come by like that, and my uncle will drop in unannounced VERY occasionally, but usually when he does, there is some purpose to the visit and he leaves as quickly as he came.

Hope the weather clears soon for y'all, Harriet & Twins. It seemed to pass through here quickly last night. Still very muggy here. More rain coming Saturday, looks like.

Eating out certainly sounds good to ME. (I know, I did eat out last night.) I have suddenly hit a wall with this diet of dh's. As ddil pointed out last night, we have 4 items in our rotation, and none of them are just wonderful things that I would cook if I were having guests... soooo boring and bland... I am just suddenly feeling so tired of it I could SCREAM.
OTOH -- dh is doing sooo well. He definitely does not want to change anything at this point. * sigh *
Cathy, your pasta and homemade sauce sounds soooo good!
And oh my goodness... I could probably eat all four pounds of bacon right now, LadyM...

BookSaver, I could not function without my lists.

Oh, and LadyM -- thank you for your comments re: journals last night. That makes me think ds would really treasure anything like that I saved.

[helia]

Thank you for the kinds words, everyone. It is good to be back! I still can't properly cuops, but from what I gather from skimming,
you ladies are still a busy, clever, caring, and articulate crew!
LadyM, I can't believe you just did ALL that cooking! How did you end up with 7 lbs. of bacon in your house?
I'm with Kathryn; the diet AND the exercise have both gone. I was at a very low weight before my nephew's wedding in October. That was right after I did the half marathon too. I'm up probably 4 - 5 lbs. since then.
Sounds like a great deal with the hay man, lucylee!

To relieve concerns about my shoulder, it's not too serious. I actually hurt it over a year ago when I helped dh move the sofa into the storage pod for our remodel. I knew I was hurting it at the time -- but the sofa needed to be moved. However, my shoulder didn't actually bother me much until last spring when I started that yoga class. Then, during the summer, I discovered my longer runs aggravated it. It seemed to be getting worse; putting my left arm through a sleeve became painful -- SO I decided to bite the bullet and get it taken care of. If I had known I'd get in so fast and that sessions would be 3 hours/week, I would have waited until January to call. Oh, well. The improvement is quite dramatic after just 1 week. I do my exercises at home religiously too. Anyhow, I didn't really fuss about it, so I may not have even mentioned it here. It hasn't been a huge life-changing thing. I stopped mentioning it to dh b/c he eventually just got irritated that I wasn't getting it treated.

X 1. Jog
X 2. Payroll
3. Laundry - 1 lol folded and put away; 2nd load washed and dried
4. Grocery Store -- Next!!

We're also skyping with ds tonight.

Next:
- make groc. list
- update menu plan
- groc. store

[Nancy]

Watched a movie on new flicks vicroy house ir some thing clothe to that had Hugh in it from Donton Abby. I enjoyed it. Waljec ddog around the block . Got an alert bs is back dien in fairly normal range. Yea. Coat is through the wash now. H is home. Poofers...