Managerial Monday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Managerial style: dictator (both to myself and my workers!) Specialty: marketing.

Before we had our company, when I asked what I did for a living, I would say I ran a small home-based business with revenue of X (dh's salary) handling the accounting, asset & infrastructure maintenance and acquisition, and day-to-day management of the workers. That really impressed people and they'd want to learn more. Which is sad because saying I was a homemaker made their eyes glaze over yet I was describing the same job.

What is interesting is that after we had the company my job description didn't change one iota I just had more accounting and managing to do. But I then had business cards that say President and if you google the company, the government website points to me as a President (so it ain't just me saying it!)

Now I carry three business cards. My first just has my name, address & email on it. I got that before the company and used it as a calling card or when people need to copy my contact info onto a form. The second is our company card and it says President, has our logo and is very impressive. The third is recent and it says Itinerant Preacher (and is also very calming and impressive if I do say so myself!)

When I'm just handing one over to identify myself (and not specific to the business or church work) I pick the one that I know will get the reaction I want. For business respect it is President; for moral authority, it is Preacher; for being a peer or someone that is approachable when the receiving person has self-esteem issues, it is the unmarked one. It is sad that I can make people respond differently to me by simply handing them a card with a title on it.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dee if you are dressed, you've done more than me!

I'm up now but didn't get out of bed until after 9. There is a load on in the washer but that is the sum total of my accomplishments. Bed's not touched, dishwasher not emptied, none of the little things I putter at in the morning are done.

I have asked dh that we commit to packing 10 boxes a day for the next 7 days and that we work together in each room rather than separately so that we'll each have a vague recollection of where things are.

And today will be outside work. It is actually cool but sunny so that means the bugs will be sluggish and we'll have a fighting chance to do the work without getting all hot and bothered. We are thinking of doing that before we shower.

Dh is slightly ahead of me in that he's exercised. But aside from that, it is 10 and we have nothing to show for the day.

On the other hand, it is a stat holiday in Canada so that gives us an excuse.

(It just occurs to me that I don't have 70 empty boxes here so maybe we won't succeed with that goal, although I'll loosen it to mean 'prepare an item to be loaded onto the truck' so it could be in plastic bags (well marked linens, for example) or simply wrapped with padding and ready to pick up.

[DeeClutter]

I am dressed, Kathryn and now have made the bed and put away the rest of yesterday's laundry. But I'm no dynamo today, for sure! I've been meaning to ask and maybe I already know the answer, but where are your dd/dsil now? I knew they were staying with you but somehow missed them leaving there. Are they still looking for a rental?

[OKay]

Kathryn - 70 boxes is most impressive goal!

Dee - your DD & DGD are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope it goes smoothly.

Developing & updating an inventory spreadsheet is part of my weekly deep cleaning/decluttering focus. This week I am working in our bedroom. My inventory spreadsheet shows 31 items documented for the bedroom with 22 of those items having a picture taken and added to digital notebook (onenote). I check to make sure each item is still there (and needed) then add more inventory items each time I work in a focus area. this Inventory spreadsheet is quickly becoming invaluable for many reasons. If an item isn't worth documenting, then it isn't worth keeping. It makes giving the item away an easy decision.

[Lilac]

Good morning all!

Dbil finally had his heart surgery Friday evening. He is doing really well and was moved to a regular room last night. The artery between his heart and kidney is blocked so they will need to take care of that by putting in a stent before he can leave the hospital.

I have a quick errand today and other than that, I will be home. I hope to get some cleaning done.

Dh is still planning his motorcycle trip for this weekend. He will be going by himself. Which is just as well. He can be a grumpy old man. He is getting so impatient. Last night he grilled steak. They were large and he wanted to cut one in half. The knives and forks were at the table. He wanted to know just what he was suppose to cut them with. I suggested another steak knife that was in the drawer, right in front of him. Grrr he was just crabby all weekend. We are suppose to have chance of rain for at least 4 days starting Thursday. I asked him if it was raining, would he still leave. He said he wouldn't leave while it is raining but would be ready to leave when it let up. Luckily, they are saying the chances are for rain in the afternoon. I am ready for him to leave on this trip. Our girls can't believe that he likes to take the trips alone. I don't know why, he could easily be a hermit in a cabin in Montana and be happy as a clam.

Dd2 had an open house yesterday and 2 couples came. Just as time was up, she received a text from the lady with the chandelier in her basement, that she was on her way and to please wait. She brought her dh and children. Dd2 is getting nervous. The couple who had made the low ball offer on another house, must have gotten it, because the for sale by owner sign is no longer in that yard. When dd2 bought that house, it had only been on the market 2 days and including their full price offer, there were 3 offers on the table. This time, no offers yet. All of a sudden nothing seems to be selling. Hopefully it will change soon.

Guess I better shower and get busy before the day gets away from me.

[OKay]

Funny from yesterday. Writing it down before I forget it. LO sits in the center row of seats in our SUV. That row of seats has a large center console where LO stores all his travel items. Yesterday on the way home ...
LO announced "I'm all out of tennis shoes!"
HUH? DH and I looked at each other in total confusion for a few seconds..
Then DH asked - "Do you mean you are out of tissues?"
LO laughed and said "Yes, that is what I meant!"
I never thought of tennis shoes and tissues having similar sounds, but I guess they do.

I took our bed apart, cleaned underneath it, wiped the rails down, recentered the supports., flipped the box spring and rotated the mattress then vacuumed the mattress. I'm always a bit shocked how much STUFF the vacuum pulls out of what appears to be a clean mattress. Comforter, shams, pillows, sheets, and mattress protectors are all in process of being washed/dried/returned.

[BookSaver]

Good morning, villagers ~
I've been writing this post off & on for over 3 hours.

I've been enjoying cuop from Fri-Sat-Sun. In between pages, I have dealt with some Emails, washed dishes, scrubbed a toilet, took a bag out to the garage, and then gathered/rinsed/drained enough 2L pop bottles from the mountain in DH's mancave to fill 4 big black trash bags. (Yes, I'm in the part of Iowa that says pop instead of soda. ) Hmm, that doesn't look like much progress for 3 hours.

I have tried to pull bottles from the pile that I think the machines at WM will accept. I don't want to have to wait in line at the CS counter. The people are totally nice there, I just don't want to have to spend that much time on 5cent bottle returns.

I've been trying to convince DH that a soda stream machine will be worth the investment for convenience to save shopping time and not have these bottles piling up everywhere (none of which are from beverages that I drink ). He is not convinced that the decaf diet cola syrup will taste good enough.

The free trial antivirus software on our new PCs has timed out, so I will look at WM while I'm there returning bottles. If they have one that will license 3 machines (to take care of my desktop, DH's desktop, and my netbook) it will be a lot less expensive than renewing online direct with the company. Go figure. WM only had the version for a single PC when I checked there a couple weeks ago. If I had been more on top of this, I could have ordered from Ama zon -- but now I just want to get it taken care of today so I can cross something relatively easy off my Monday list.

DH was finally able to start mowing the yard Saturday and yesterday. He still has quite a bit to do, but the timing has been tricky between rain showers. Wish we could send some of this rain over to Okay.

Has Sadie been in since Friday? I sure hope her DS's procedure went well.

Exciting mystery at Okay's DM's garage but looks like she has good neighbors to help solve it.

CathyS ~ Everything you listed that Mike brought home from Cuba sounds like it all would make your dining room smell wonderful. Unlit cigars, rum, coffee, sugar, carvings, baskets, honey ...

Twins'Mom ~ I think you are wise to make ds sometimes wait for his ride. Poor DMacs, is he feeling better today? Maybe instead of calling it the cone of shame, we should refer to it as his fancy architectural collar accessory.

I need to adjust the programming on my dvr for tonight because Dancing with the Stars will run longer, Castle is not on tonight, and it will be the series finale for Warehouse 13.

[Harmony]

Hello! I've been here a long while but phone keeps ringing...y'all must think I just sit here forever each time I log on!

Nancy I hope you get your furnace fixed with no cost since the last fix didn't seem to stay fixed.

I'm an awful manager. Firstly, DH hates when I try to change any of his routines (which is to spread every paper all around) and run around like crazy forgetting everything and asking me umpteen times a day what's next, etc. And I've never been good at delegating anything, it's always easier to do things myself. So I guess I don't manage. I just DO. I do manage the finances, but there's not much to do except keep track of things...nothing ever left to actually manage...

I hit a valley after the funeral service Saturday and we both needed naps again. Sun I woke with headache and I just felt lousy so didn't go to church (having just had one session of church social stuff). Really didn't do much of anything except clean up a bit and get the recycling and garbage out.

This morning was early apt. I went with DH while they fixed his neck. Long drawn out affair. 2 sets of stitches. Stitches go up into his hair line and make patching it hard. I had to get something for him and take to jobsite and when I got there his patch was all filled up and dripping and needed changed which I did when I could get him to stand still. He was told to take it easy and not lift. Ha, he'll do that. Right.

So, back home and had breakfast. Starting the day over. I need to run to the bank and try to get something else done around here.

[CathyS]

Hi everybody!

I had a great sleep last night. We woke up around 10 and just stayed in bed for an hour talking about all kinds of stuff. Cuba, Mike's mom, what we are doing today, what's for breakfast.... now it's noon and we are no closer to breakfast than when we were talking about it. We are also trying to figure out what we really want to keep from what I've brought home over the past month. The major problem is where are we going to put it all. Most of it is crystal or those old Corningware blue flower pots and pans and square casserole dishes. One piece of Royal Doulton and a small Lladro figurine need to go somewhere.

I guess I'm managing the storage and organization department. I would rather be the CEO in charge of sleeping and assorted naps as needed with "I'm just resting my eyes" as a quote at the bottom of the card. Mike manages to move all items from any flat surface to the floor to do his part in cleaning the house.

I've sorted out his laundry from his trip. Suitcases are almost away. They are in the room they get stored in, but not stored.

[Ivy]

I "try" to manage my cat, DH, myself, & writing stories. I try to manage good self-care, because if Momma's not happy, nobody's happy. I try to manage our home, some days I do great, some days are a struggle, but by managing to baby-step & use that timer of mine, it helps so much. I try to manage to keep my pen pals straight, not confuse any with some other one. I do pretty good at that. I manage to get snail mail done in time, stories done in time, & get the house company clean (with DH help) in time, too. When I look at this "Managerial Monday," opener, I think about all those things I DO manage & it gives me a good feeling about myself. Being a Sidetracked Home Executive, means, yep, sure, occasionally we may be "sidetracked," but we're STILL a "Home Executive." That's a managerial position, actually. It's so important, whether you have kids at home or are Empty Nesters. Managing a home takes work, creativity, & humor. We need to take breaks, we need to laugh at ourselves, & enjoy life & our pets, & families, if we have them living with us. A managerial position takes a lot of responsibility, but it's so rewarding & yet challenging. If we do it, how we think we're doing it right, it's good for our ego, too. Oh, Harriet, the opener was WONDERFUL! Thank you, so much, for such a good one! It gives food for thought!

Today, I' m VERY HAPPY!!!! Our Dson was born at 12:07 p.m. 40 years ago today! We "needed" a son, to carry on the family name, because for 6 generations there had only been 1 son to carry on the family name. We had DD first. So we prayed we'd get a son, we did & now HE has SIX sons, to carry on the family name! We experienced the reverse curse, but then surprise dgd came along! So it's a Happy Day for us today.

Have a GR8 day managing details & everything you need to do, Everyone!

My Ta-Dah is short"
- s2s, dressed, jewelery on, fixed hair
- breakfast, pills, supplements
- peak flow meter (will do QVAR next)
- started a lol
- fixed coffee for DH & me
- emailed Dson about Happy B-day & when we'll phone him tonight, after work.
- QT & Journals
- Watching TV morning news