So here it is, Thanksgiving week, my favorite holiday. It is my favorite because it requires the least amount of work on my part. If I simply cook dinner on Thursday, everyone is happy and I can pretty much do nothing the rest of the long weekend.
Down side: now that I am hosting not only my husband and son, but my parents as well, there is an extra level of cleaning involved. Now, my house is not filthy, but there is clutter. I'm a working girl and things tend to get behind, especially during the busy period of school starting to this first real time off.
So, I've found that if I get really, really pissed off about my situation of having to clean because no one else helps do anything the rest of the time, it goes much faster. That is where I am now on this Thanksgiving Eve Eve. I am hoping this is going to spur on my organizational aspirations. I hope that is the word I mean. as in to aspire, not to suck snot out of the baby's nose with an aspirator. Although I do feel like I am aspirating a lot of junk out of my house so, maybe it fits that way too.
This is my pissed-off cleaning mode and welcome to it!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Organization still isn't happening.
Well, another month has gone by and I have fallen off the organization wagon. In trying to get back on, I have gone through many emotions, the most prominent being anger. Anger over why am I the only one who seems to worry about my crappy lack of organization and why does my family not help.
And so, the chore chart was born. It all happened because my dishwasher is leaking, rendering it useless. And although I am busy doing stuff all weekend, like painting my house and going to class, no one else around the house seems to think dishes need to be washed in my absence. My husband and son also think the laundry fairy comes and puts their clean clothes away. They haven't yet figured out that I am the Laundry Fairy.
I decided to let the cat out of the bag. It was kinda like finding out there is no Santa Claus. I didn't have the heart to actually sit them down and present their new "chore chart." So I just simply posted it. Imagine my surprise when my husband actually completed his chores. He accepted that there is no Laundry Fairy.
My next goal, now that I am not the only one cooking dinner, is to make a menu and shopping list to eliminate extra shopping trips and having to figure out what I am cooking when I get home. Looking for cheap and easy recipes, feel free to leave me a comment with your ideas.
And so, the chore chart was born. It all happened because my dishwasher is leaking, rendering it useless. And although I am busy doing stuff all weekend, like painting my house and going to class, no one else around the house seems to think dishes need to be washed in my absence. My husband and son also think the laundry fairy comes and puts their clean clothes away. They haven't yet figured out that I am the Laundry Fairy.
I decided to let the cat out of the bag. It was kinda like finding out there is no Santa Claus. I didn't have the heart to actually sit them down and present their new "chore chart." So I just simply posted it. Imagine my surprise when my husband actually completed his chores. He accepted that there is no Laundry Fairy.
My next goal, now that I am not the only one cooking dinner, is to make a menu and shopping list to eliminate extra shopping trips and having to figure out what I am cooking when I get home. Looking for cheap and easy recipes, feel free to leave me a comment with your ideas.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Organization is the Key
Well, my son is now 16 and I figure it's time to get my act together. I was very organized before he was born and I still can't figure out how it happened that I became the total opposite of organized. Nonetheless, now it's time to start thinking about college for him, and I know we have a lot of work to do the next year and a half to get ready.
Every bit of my life is in absolute chaos. I'm constantly looking for stuff for me and for everyone else. My family and students included. I'm sick of it. So, where to start? This is really hard when you feel overwhelmed and know there is not one place where organization rules in your life. There is no anchor, no model to follow.
Bills are a mess. Can't find some of the payment books, so I end up having to go to the banks that I owe money to and let them figure out my account numbers. Don't know what to pay when, I just kinda quit looking at stuff and keeping track when husband had a series of lay-offs a couple of years ago and there wasn't enough money to pay everyone anyway. I used to never, ever be late paying a bill. Now, I'm lucky if I can find the bill. Usually they are buried on my kitchen table, in my vehicle, or in my teacher bag. This is the one mess that bothers me the most, and I really feel it has caused a lot of other things to fall apart. I have this opinion because the depression just takes hold when you can't meet your obligations and you finally just give up. This one will probably be the most difficult to recover from.
House is a mess. Laundry is clean but not folded, or if it is folded it's not put away. I have discovered "Wonder Hangers" and they are the BOMB! I love being able to hang up my son's clothing for the week on his door. I figure since he is going to be too lazy to go to his own closet to get it out, I am going to be too lazy to put it in there in the first place.
I also love hanging my husbands work uniforms on hangers for the week. This is because he believes that between the hours of 8-9 p.m. it is his manly duty to go around the house, getting himself organized for the next day of work. Now, this would be great, except that he makes as much noise as he possibly can in accomplishing this. I think he is trying to impress upon me that he is having to look for stuff because of "my" disorganization. He bangs dishes, shoes, closet doors, and dresser drawers. I have figured out that if I have his clothes hanging on our bedroom door, neatly ready to go, there is no need for the closet doors or dresser drawers to bang. So I have scored my first victory of the organizational battle with the Wonder Hangers.
Finally, my professional life is disorganized. I had a wonderful mentor for the past 11 years. She kept me together. Made sure I had assignments ready that I may not be able to find orginal copies of, helped me stay on top of due dates and she never once made me feel like a doofus for being a mess. She retired last year, and I knew right then that I was going to have to get it together. So I started making binders to keep things in during her last year of teaching. I am trying daily to not leave my desk a total disaster. Also trying to keep kids stuff on kids areas. I am trying to do things as my wonderful mentor did, even though I know I will never be half the teacher she was. I am doing better, but geez, I have such a long way to go.
I recently started following "Fly Lady" to help myself get a handle on all this. It is a wonderful help and I was delighted to find that Fly Lady also has plans for financial organization and teacher organization and tons of other stuff. So, maybe there is hope for me. Maybe I will get my life back once the kid goes to college and I will magically return to the organized person I used to be. Not likely, but it's nice to have a dream and a goal.
Why did all this happen?
I think God has allowed me to become this frazzled mess because he wants me to learn the hard way that not everyone is organized and together. Each person has his or her own level of organization and tolerance for lack of it. I would not have learned this if I had not become a mother. I also think God has allowed me to allow my finances to fall apart. He wants me to be a better person by learning to put myself back together and to do it the hard way. He wants me to have an appreciation that not all folks in situations of financial distress were able to control that part of their life. I would never have had an understanding of financial hardship if God had not allowed me to experience it myself.
So even though I may get very frustrated with myself for the way I have run things the past several years, I feel that it is God teaching me things I would not otherwise be able to learn. Even through all of these hard lessons, God has placed people in my life to help me. God has made sure my needs are taken care of. I have learned to "consider the lilies." I have been forced into situations when I had to depend upon God to take care of me. I had no choice but to have faith. God gave me signs that I was supposed to follow a specific path even though uncertainty clouded the way and I had no idea how I was going to get where he wanted me to go.
This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I am still learning it. Even though it is uncomfortable, I am thankful God is pushing me through it because I think I am becoming a better person through this hard times.
Well, it is now 8:30 pm and husband is slamming doors and other stuff. Thus ends today's post because I cannot concentrate with noise at this level.
Now where is that TV remote?
Every bit of my life is in absolute chaos. I'm constantly looking for stuff for me and for everyone else. My family and students included. I'm sick of it. So, where to start? This is really hard when you feel overwhelmed and know there is not one place where organization rules in your life. There is no anchor, no model to follow.
Bills are a mess. Can't find some of the payment books, so I end up having to go to the banks that I owe money to and let them figure out my account numbers. Don't know what to pay when, I just kinda quit looking at stuff and keeping track when husband had a series of lay-offs a couple of years ago and there wasn't enough money to pay everyone anyway. I used to never, ever be late paying a bill. Now, I'm lucky if I can find the bill. Usually they are buried on my kitchen table, in my vehicle, or in my teacher bag. This is the one mess that bothers me the most, and I really feel it has caused a lot of other things to fall apart. I have this opinion because the depression just takes hold when you can't meet your obligations and you finally just give up. This one will probably be the most difficult to recover from.
House is a mess. Laundry is clean but not folded, or if it is folded it's not put away. I have discovered "Wonder Hangers" and they are the BOMB! I love being able to hang up my son's clothing for the week on his door. I figure since he is going to be too lazy to go to his own closet to get it out, I am going to be too lazy to put it in there in the first place.
I also love hanging my husbands work uniforms on hangers for the week. This is because he believes that between the hours of 8-9 p.m. it is his manly duty to go around the house, getting himself organized for the next day of work. Now, this would be great, except that he makes as much noise as he possibly can in accomplishing this. I think he is trying to impress upon me that he is having to look for stuff because of "my" disorganization. He bangs dishes, shoes, closet doors, and dresser drawers. I have figured out that if I have his clothes hanging on our bedroom door, neatly ready to go, there is no need for the closet doors or dresser drawers to bang. So I have scored my first victory of the organizational battle with the Wonder Hangers.
Finally, my professional life is disorganized. I had a wonderful mentor for the past 11 years. She kept me together. Made sure I had assignments ready that I may not be able to find orginal copies of, helped me stay on top of due dates and she never once made me feel like a doofus for being a mess. She retired last year, and I knew right then that I was going to have to get it together. So I started making binders to keep things in during her last year of teaching. I am trying daily to not leave my desk a total disaster. Also trying to keep kids stuff on kids areas. I am trying to do things as my wonderful mentor did, even though I know I will never be half the teacher she was. I am doing better, but geez, I have such a long way to go.
I recently started following "Fly Lady" to help myself get a handle on all this. It is a wonderful help and I was delighted to find that Fly Lady also has plans for financial organization and teacher organization and tons of other stuff. So, maybe there is hope for me. Maybe I will get my life back once the kid goes to college and I will magically return to the organized person I used to be. Not likely, but it's nice to have a dream and a goal.
Why did all this happen?
I think God has allowed me to become this frazzled mess because he wants me to learn the hard way that not everyone is organized and together. Each person has his or her own level of organization and tolerance for lack of it. I would not have learned this if I had not become a mother. I also think God has allowed me to allow my finances to fall apart. He wants me to be a better person by learning to put myself back together and to do it the hard way. He wants me to have an appreciation that not all folks in situations of financial distress were able to control that part of their life. I would never have had an understanding of financial hardship if God had not allowed me to experience it myself.
So even though I may get very frustrated with myself for the way I have run things the past several years, I feel that it is God teaching me things I would not otherwise be able to learn. Even through all of these hard lessons, God has placed people in my life to help me. God has made sure my needs are taken care of. I have learned to "consider the lilies." I have been forced into situations when I had to depend upon God to take care of me. I had no choice but to have faith. God gave me signs that I was supposed to follow a specific path even though uncertainty clouded the way and I had no idea how I was going to get where he wanted me to go.
This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I am still learning it. Even though it is uncomfortable, I am thankful God is pushing me through it because I think I am becoming a better person through this hard times.
Well, it is now 8:30 pm and husband is slamming doors and other stuff. Thus ends today's post because I cannot concentrate with noise at this level.
Now where is that TV remote?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Camper Trouble
So my friend asks me tonight "Hey, you wanna go drive around with me and my camper." That sounds strange. However, knowing it was on the suggestion of my husband that she dump a bag of ice down the camper toilet and drive it around to possibly clear a plugged up sewer system, I said "sure." Besides, it's a friend and who questions a friend's requests, no matter how strange?
So, we load up and hit the open road. Stop at the local mini-mart to buy a bag of ice. Of course we bought the big bag, cause we don't want to "run out," as the bag says right on it. When we go to put the ice in the toilet, we discover that this thing is really backed up. I mean really backed up as in clear to the little flap thing that flushes. So we dump some ice in and to our surprise, it goes down. Well, ok, some of it went down. I suggest sacrificing the flyswatter to try to jam it down. She simply laughs at me.
We gradually work about half the bag in by working the flushie handle. Then we set out to shake things up a bit. Drive about 8 miles, and decide to pull over to see if any progress has been made. No progress, now all we have is a shit slushie in the potty. Put in some more ice, but finally, it will hold no more. Suddenly, my idea of the sacrificial flyswatter doesn't look so bad. So we use it. Still will hold no more ice. Drive about 12 more miles over some curvy and bumpy roads. Returning to her house, we drive it out into a big field.
I tell my friend enthusiastically that I am sure this is the magic moment. With great anticipation, we open the cap, pull the lever . . . . and . . . . nothing. Not even a dribble.
This is almost as bad at the movie "RV." This being a "shared" camper with another family, it is especially nasty because this isn't even entirely her own family's crap.
The moral of this story is. . . . shit happens, so don't waste your time driving a camper around with a dump tank full of poo and ice.
So, we load up and hit the open road. Stop at the local mini-mart to buy a bag of ice. Of course we bought the big bag, cause we don't want to "run out," as the bag says right on it. When we go to put the ice in the toilet, we discover that this thing is really backed up. I mean really backed up as in clear to the little flap thing that flushes. So we dump some ice in and to our surprise, it goes down. Well, ok, some of it went down. I suggest sacrificing the flyswatter to try to jam it down. She simply laughs at me.
We gradually work about half the bag in by working the flushie handle. Then we set out to shake things up a bit. Drive about 8 miles, and decide to pull over to see if any progress has been made. No progress, now all we have is a shit slushie in the potty. Put in some more ice, but finally, it will hold no more. Suddenly, my idea of the sacrificial flyswatter doesn't look so bad. So we use it. Still will hold no more ice. Drive about 12 more miles over some curvy and bumpy roads. Returning to her house, we drive it out into a big field.
I tell my friend enthusiastically that I am sure this is the magic moment. With great anticipation, we open the cap, pull the lever . . . . and . . . . nothing. Not even a dribble.
This is almost as bad at the movie "RV." This being a "shared" camper with another family, it is especially nasty because this isn't even entirely her own family's crap.
The moral of this story is. . . . shit happens, so don't waste your time driving a camper around with a dump tank full of poo and ice.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Shit Happens
A very dear friend lost her husband to cancer this week. You know, the funeral home is probably one of the most awkward places in the world, besides maybe the adult bookstore. Anyway, when I finally took my turn to greet the family, I told my friend "I'm so sorry you have had to go through all this," not being able to think of anything more original. She said "Yeah, me too, but as Gary said 'shit happens.'"
My friend in her grief, was still able to make me feel comfortable in the most awkward situation.
It's so hard to watch someone else go through the pain of losing someone they truly love. And then you start to realize, "Wow, I now have a friend who is a widow. When is my turn coming?" You've all done it as you have watched friends lose their parents. You start thinking about it and realizing that everyone gets a turn at this kind of grief. You know that you will deal with it, but it still haunts your thoughts. I even compare the ages at which my grandparents died with my parents' current ages and wonder if that is really all the time I have left with them. It is very sobering.
Of course, none of us know when our time is coming or how. It just stinks to see someone you care about go through so much pain. I guess all we can do is look for peace in God's love and realize that those we have "lost" are not really lost. They have simply passed beyond the horizon and we are following and will eventually catch up to them.
My friend in her grief, was still able to make me feel comfortable in the most awkward situation.
It's so hard to watch someone else go through the pain of losing someone they truly love. And then you start to realize, "Wow, I now have a friend who is a widow. When is my turn coming?" You've all done it as you have watched friends lose their parents. You start thinking about it and realizing that everyone gets a turn at this kind of grief. You know that you will deal with it, but it still haunts your thoughts. I even compare the ages at which my grandparents died with my parents' current ages and wonder if that is really all the time I have left with them. It is very sobering.
Of course, none of us know when our time is coming or how. It just stinks to see someone you care about go through so much pain. I guess all we can do is look for peace in God's love and realize that those we have "lost" are not really lost. They have simply passed beyond the horizon and we are following and will eventually catch up to them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)