Working Wednesday PWYC

[Twins' Mom]

I'm getting frustrated with dh interrupting me on a day that I wanted to "work." He had me call dcousin for lunch but she's not feeling well today. So I'm going to lunch with him.

I wasn't able to get into dd's tax return. It wants to do two-factor authentication and by the time I get the code from her it's not working. And keeps timing out anyway because I'm interrupted.

Sorry for vent.

[Costumelady]

Cathy I bet your refridge feels emptier. The guys did this the other day and dumped a bunch of old things stuck in the back. We tend to collect sauces of various kinds.

It is time to do a full inventory and create meals from what we have. I use AI for this (Gabe) and I do a detailed inventory, I use the voice mode and take inventory of pantry, refridge and freezer and then I give him parameters and ask him to suggest some meals we can make. I put the list on the fridge with a pen to check off and we have to eat out of stores - only allowed to shop for what is needed to complete a meal. I once did this for a SNAP experiment. We wanted to see if we could live on foodstamp budget but it took 6 weeks to eat us out of everything. Ended with half bag of flour and a half bag of rice. At that time you got $3 per person per day so $21 a week per person and there were 5 of us so we budgeted 105 dollars. Took cash, scoured grocery ads and did all of the coupons if they were helpful, went to 4 groceries. Now given, most people on foodstamps do not have the luxury of shopping at different groceries - we mostly used Aldi and Kroger but we had a discount grocery we used for a few items and at the end of the month we could do the health food grocery. First week we spent 104.95, Ended up with 2 meals left due to buy one get one sales. Second week we spent 80 something and had 4 meals left at end of week. Third week we only spent $50 and still had some meals left. That allowed us the 4th week to buy some of the foods we missed or had given up. I made all 3 meals for my husband and I and we assumed if we were on foodstamps our kids would get free breakfast and lunch so I paid for those for them that month. They didn't normally eat breakfast at school. I started something though and they kept eating breakfast at school after that. We were really glad we did that but I must say I needed my masters degree in education and good math skills and executive functioning ability and I know how to cook from ingredients. I don't think we could live on that amount now. We spend like 300 or more each week on groceries now with 4 adults living in the house and the boys buy many of the junk food items they like themselves. But we do have a stock pile and I think we could eat out of our house for several weeks.

KK thank you for all the rose hints. I really hope these are the ones I found in England, I took a picture and told where I found it and asked AI and bought that plant. Cross fingers it smells as good. I could just take out the grass and till up the earth there and put a few stones around border, I just can't picture how it would look if slanted. I think I would like it a bit raised. I will get some planters to use if this takes too long.

I only have a month till taxes due- I need to set a date to do that with DH, we do our own taxes but it take several hours.

[Twins' Mom]

And I'm back. We had a nice lunch out - ate outside on a casual patio. I ate a burger - way too much lunch for me but I'll eat lightly tonight. I don't know if I'll feel like eating tonight!

I explained to dh that I was trying to work downstairs today but that he kept interrupting me and I never got into dd's return. I've sorted all the the papers in my box - some paid bills, a few tax records, and I'm going to start on our tax return. I texted dd. who has meetings this afternoon, to let me know when she's available to retrieve codes.

Here's where I stand:
-Amazon return
-pick up meds from drugstore (probably tomorrow)
-place to stay in Washington DC if I'm able to get there
-review dd's tax return for her - I need to do something every year because she pays tax in NY and NJ to get the credit for tax paid to another state.
-which reminds me it would be nice to have our tax stuff together before I go away on the 21st. (Eeeeek! ten days!)
-Activate a credit card, I keep getting email about it, would be nice to do before I need it.
-clean out my box of papers etc. on the kitchen counter. (Dh has more stuff in his, but mine is overflowing too.)
-HOA and temple cemetery treasurer duties, and I never sent out the financial statements for last year?
-what else? Now that I'm sitting down thinking, there will be a lot popping up I hope.

[Harriet]

Chalk me up as another being frustrated by interruptions. Lighting a fire under HRH to double-check me on a response by email took so long that another email crossed with mine without my knowledge, so now it looks as though I was responding to opinions I'd never heard. It sounds as though I'm disagreeing with that email. Auuuuggghhh. Another conference call with lawyer re dear aunt's bequests is in my future, btw, and I intend NOT to be misunderstood while speaking. Emails are at once the stupidest and most helpful of things. I am SO OVER formally stating things that could have been casual and making the doing of quick things as slow as Christmas.

We had a plan for our day that we discussed first thing. I'd actually gotten up in the night with "next-ups" on my mind and written them down. Almost nothing has gone the way we planned. Phone rings for him and that's another half-hour of not knowing whether to change tack or wait for him. He needed to ask to use the computer I was working on to get info for that call, etc., etc.

By now, I need to start thinking about when ds' children get home from school because I expect one or both will drop in here.

Groceries did get ordered.

[MysteryWoman]

Good afternoon! It’s fun to hear everyone’s goings-on. Here, the sun is finally out after raining most of the day. (We had thunderstorms in the morning; it was really pouring when DH went to work.)

I am working on revising my cards today. It’s not hard work, but it’s tedious. I keep track of how long it takes me to do things, and I take averages when I redo the cards and adjust the estimates. I also keep track of when the cards are done to know what my actual routines are. My morning routine is solid, but my evening routine needs some tweaks, and I could really use a clue about midday. We’ll see what the numbers reveal.

I thought DH might be home early today. It was spring testing day, which he coordinates for his school. (I think this is PSAT day, which dictates the date, and they have the other grades taking other tests.) Testing should have been over by about lunchtime, I think, but I guess there’s a lot to do after.

Oh, drat, I forgot to take the salmon out to thaw for dinner. I’m running out of menus in the rotation that don’t require either thawing something or starting a crockpot. I I should probably thaw something for tomorrow, but I think DH will be out tomorrow night.

Well, I’m going to get back to my cards. Have a great day, everybody!

Oh! Twins, might it be possible once your DD’s home from work for her to pull it up and share her screen with you over Zoom or such, and you could tell her what to do?

See ya!

[Nancy]

Good news dgs is sheeting his new house.
Ggd has the 6 mo and last we think for a yr. on her apt. after surgery.
Got my order yea! shirts fit books and journals & comp. note books are fun to recipes and see.
I have been redoing a crochet pattern I'm trying to get the way I want. It's definitely a process.

[Twins' Mom]

My head is spinning with dd's tax return. I started out own and got pretty far through it (imagine papers strewn everywhere) and had to drop it when she was free. So I got into the return but can't figure it out and my head is spinning right now. I told dh it's like I have 100 tabs open and music is coming from one of them and the computer is about to lock up and quit. I had to tell dd I'd circle back to it to check. I have a refund for her that would make her happy but I don't want to commit unless I know it's right. So I'm laying all her papers out on the table to keep them separate from ours and trying to tidy up.

The dh shirt that has been soaking is into the washer. The plan earlier was to add it to a load of laundry but when I dropped everything and went to lunch I just started washer so that load would get done. Can you tell I'm not good with spontaneous?

Dh took dog for walk both am and p.m.

Interrupted again by dd calling to "check in."

I need to straighten up here and get my mind on p.m. routine and dinner. Never made it upstairs....

[Harriet]

Cornbread is in the oven, so I have 20 mins to regroup.

HRH offered me a pickle from the plate he made up, but wasn't fast enough to warn me. He had just gotten the hot, spicy ones I didn't know were even in the house. I had to sit down while my eyes watered. I'm not a candidate for those.

The makings for a pie for ds are here on the counter, so that will be an occupation tomorrow.

Bought a new-to-me brand of vanilla because the reviews were so good. HRH instantly gave me a textbook explanation of how the flavor of the vanilla bean will be richer in extract products without alcohol added because it doesn't dissipate as much. So, my intention of reading to him from the back of the package was not interesting anymore. I did still know that WMart sells 2,000 bottles of the more familiar Mc Cormick vanilla in a day. whoa.

Both children came by after school. HRH spoiled them. DgsW told about his study group - they have attendance of 20 most times. I would have loved to reach that many when I taught a group somewhat older than he, college age. I was always assured they were glad when they came, but their lives were just too busy. Of course, at dgsW's age group, only a few are driving themselves yet, which makes a difference, too. DgdC wanted to look at the quilting with me, but time got away from us.

Ding, ding, ding, bbl