Where's My Machete?

Now that the taxes are out of the way I can get back to cleaning and my timed method of doing it.  It's still working for me although I am taking some liberties with the time.  The key is not to attempt the "whole thing;" just take it in baby steps until the "whole thing" is done.

Yesterday I gave the new vacuum cleaner a go.  My old one was about 5 years old (and inexpensive) and had started making an awful lot of racket when I turned it on...and you could see puffs of dust coming out.  Plus, I was having to line up stuff for it.  You shouldn't have to do that.  So, I picked up a new one a week or so ago, but had to put off using it until I was through with the taxes.  This one is a really pretty red one.  Wayne even commented on how pretty it was.  I thought he was talking about how nice the floor looked, but he was talking about the vacuum.

I had noticed how filthy the floor was behind the television in the living room.  The tv there is kind of tucked under the stairs, so it's not really easy to get to...unless you're a little child.  There were so many dust bunnies back there it looked like a bunny had actually disintegrated. Plus, I had also noticed that the plate that covers the box where the tv cable comes out of the wall had either (a) come undone or (b) never been attached.  So, that area was one of my projects yesterday.

As filthy as it was, I knew I needed a dust mask to keep from inhaling all that crap and I knew where to find it.  It took a couple of trips back and forth while I got distracted by other things, but I finally had the mask.  Except the rubber strap that holds the mask on one's face had broken on one side.  That needed to be fixed before I dove under the stairs.  I ended up poking a hole with an ice pick, threading the rubber through the hole and tying it in a knot.  Problem solved.  Mask on, I headed back to the target area.  I pulled the tv and the cabinet next to it out far enough to allow easier access, but then noticed the tangle of cords:
(1  satellite cable
(2  telephone line connected to the satellite box
(3  power cord to the isobar that everything else is plugged into:
    (a  power cord to the tv
    (b  power cord to the Wii
    (c  power cord to the satellite box
    (d  power cord to the vcr/dvd
    (e  power cord to the clock

I needed something that was going to help me dust under and around all those cords.  I decided a plant holder with wheels was just the thing and picked up the whole knot of cords and plopped it in.  Easy, peasy.  Problem solved.

I had already used the vacuum for the first time and was familiar with the tools including a small turbo brush that fits onto the hose, so I hooked that all up and prepared to suck up some dust bunnies.  There I am, crawling under the stairs, wearing my dust mop slippers and my dust mask.

It took two attempts to get this shot using the self-timer on the camera.  The first shot was all butt!  So, I repositioned and tried again.

It's still not really clean behind the television, but it's certainly much better than it was.  I'll try to do a better job someday.

While I was back there I fixed the cover plate that was hanging.  It took multiple trips to gather supplies...a screwdriver, a small stool to sit upon, screws.  It wasn't easy since I couldn't get right in front of it and had to use my left hand instead of my right.  I guess it's a small miracle I didn't poke holes in the wall or my face.

Oh...I almost forgot...the machete part.  Today I was working in the laundry room trying to clean off the top of the big table that is handy for folding, etc.  A few things had to be taken to the car for a recycling run.  While I was stowing cardboard in the car, I started deconstructing some cardboard boxes that had been sitting in the garage for a while.  One of them was hard to pull apart, but I thought I had just the tool to assist me.  It wasn't hanging where I had last seen it, though and I said out loud (I often talk to myself out loud), "Where's my machete?"  Hearing myself say that made me laugh.  It was just one of those things I never thought I would hear myself ask.

2009 Taxes...Done!

You wouldn't know this since I haven't posted in a few days, but I have finished my tax return organizer and have taken it to the accountant.  Not only that, at the same time I took the tax info for two other entities to him and have already gotten those two back, checked them, signed them and sent out K-1's, etc. to everyone who was supposed to receive them.  The two returns are waiting to be mailed...I hope I don't bury them under a paper stalagmite and then forget them.  But, no!  I won't let my good work arrive at the IRS late.  The returns have been moved to a new area and are now ready to be addressed and mailed. 

For decades I would procrastinate for three months before finally getting to work on the taxes just before the accountant's deadline.  Now, for the past two years I have done them as quickly as I could, and it feels really wonderful!  I would have them to the accountant sooner if I didn't have to wait for the 1099's to check against my figures.  Try it...you'll really like it!

New Wonderful App

You know that the kids gave me a Kindle for Christmas. I really, really am enjoying it. Today, I discovered something that makes it even better. An iphone app that syncs to the Kindle! Okay, maybe you already knew that...but, I didn't.

I was perusing the Kindle User's Guide and saw something about the device syncing to the iphone. So, I searched the app store on my phone for "Kindle" and found it. And it's FREE! As it happened, I was reading a book on my Kindle while sitting with Jax, who was napping. Carolyn had gone into town to eat lunch with Kate at school. The app downloaded to my phone in just a few minutes. I had turned off the Kindle and when I opened the app on my phone, the two devices synced and I was able to continue reading the novel (on my phone) exactly where I had left off on the Kindle. When I got home, I turned on the Kindle and it synced to where I had left off on my phone.

When I'm away from home, I can now read (instead of playing a game) without having either a book or the Kindle with me! I'm ecstatic! Super, super app. And it's FREE!

Off-season Trip to Concan

The deer were undisturbed by our proximity...only interested in the corn Carole tossed out for them.

Wanda, Carole, Dee, Susan

Wanda, Dee and I spent a few days last week with Carole at the Frio River. It's always fun to go there and we look forward to the time we spend together. This is our first time to go at this time of the year. It's usually mid-June when we gather. In June we spend lots of time at the river; either floating, kayaking, or just sitting in chairs in the water chatting, drinking and watching other people go by.

We have had an unusually chilly winter here, and it rained or misted most of the time we were there. We were all fine with that...so fine that we didn't even play any games or make any excursions during the day. We talked about going to Utopia, but never got motivated enough to do more than talk about it. Maybe we'll do that in the summer.

Wanda brought some wonderful steaks and the makings for hamburgers as well as three types of pate and a variety of cheeses. Dee and I stopped in Hondo to pick up just a few things at H-E-B and also at Alvarez Market to get the parisa. Jim grilled the steaks to order on Tuesday night and he grilled the hamburgers at noon on Wednesday.

Monday's evening meal was a delicious crawfish etouffee prepared by Carole. We were all enjoying it a great deal when Carole stepped away from the table to open another bottle of wine. I glanced back and noticed that the cork was not cooperating and I asked her if she had removed the foil. She replied that she had tried to, twice, and the cutter just wasn't getting the job done. Sitting back down, she handed the bottle and the corkscrew to Jim. I saw him study it momentarily and then he discreetly placed the opener on the table and quietly unscrewed the metal top, without comment. At least no comment from him. You know me...I definitely made a comment. It was the start of a very giggly evening. Jim did a lot of the cleaning up and then started a fire in the outside fireplace before he crossed the road to the High Rise. At the outside fireplace, we drew our chairs close to the fire and each other and drank lots of wine and laughed our asses off. I don't think we were ever able to remember what was so funny...but it sure felt good to enjoy the moment!

We made quite an effort to finish all the lovely food before we left, but as usual we couldn't quite do it. We all left about noon on Thursday after a very relaxing few days. Thanks so much to our hosts!

Manic reading

The kids gave me a wonderful gift for Christmas...well, two very nice gifts, but right now I'm going to tell you about the Kindle.

Yes! I got a Kindle. Not that I thought I needed one, or even wanted it. I had decided that I just didn't want to pay for any more books. I have shelves full of books (and I have read almost all of them, thank you very much), and therein lies the problem. I've run out of room for books and I am loathe to toss them. And I seriously doubt that anyone else would want them either. At least, they wouldn't want the ones I'd be willing to give away.

So, for many years I have gotten my books at the library. If they didn't have one I wanted, I either waited till they did have it or I requested that they get it from somewhere else for me. That service costs about $1. Usually, I just waited.

With the Kindle, I'm going to have to buy books again, but at least they will download to the Kindle and I won't have something I need to store or dust.

A few days ago I finally got around to registering it...I will have to think of a name for it...and downloaded a sample (free) of two books that have been recommended to me but have not been available at the library. One, takes place in Sweden and the other is in the U.S. and Germany and possibly Russia. The samples each included a prologue and 3 or 4 chapters which I read. I decided that I would buy the books and that I really needed to read them immediately or else I was going to have to reread starting from the beginning. So, when I take 30 minutes or so to read, one time I'll read a bit of "The Amber Room" and at the next sitting I'll read a bit of "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo."

To complicate things further, I also have 3 books from the library and the one I started before I downloaded the books to the Kindle is all over the place...New York City, underground there, also Russia or some place that I'm not sure is really a country. There are all sorts of things going on in this novel by Robert K. Tanenbaum. I like his stuff. I don't want to have to recheck it so I'm working that one into the rotation, also. Years ago I would occasionally have a couple of books going at the same time, but I think this is my first attempt at juggling three of them.

Anyway, I'm really liking the Kindle. Previously, I would have used the context to assign a logical meaning to a new word...because I didn't want to have to get up and get the dictionary. With the Kindle, you can move the cursor to the word and instantly find out the meaning. There are lots of other very nice options and once I figured out the "magic" (my word, not Kindle's) 5-way controller, it became very user-friendly. Before I figured it out I just stared at the screen, poking at it as if it were a touch screen like the iphone. It's not. The 5-way controller is the key to unlock everything.

It really is very cool. Thank you, my children!

So far, so good

Well, my crazy plan is working so far. I set the timer for 1 hour and get busy. When it chimes, I reset it and either quickly finish up what I'm doing or just move on to something new. I've been doing this for 3 days now and can absolutely see an improvement in many areas.

I'm at the beginning of a new hour and was about to head downstairs to brew a cup of coffee, but decided to steal a few moments to post my progress.

I know my enthusiasm will wane eventually...I just hope to get as much done as possible before I run out of steam!

Turning over a new leaf!

Well, yes...I say that now, when I'm enthusiastically attacking all fronts. Clutter in some of the rooms of our home; dust everywhere!; diet & exercise; paperwork out the wazoo; and the list could go on for quite a while.

What brought about this sudden burst of energy and desire to amend my behaviors? I watched a show on Discovery Health last night about hoarders. These are people who are crippled by their need to save everything. They have many issues which result in the inability to get rid of stuff.

While I'm not nearly as far gone as those poor souls, I don't think I'd be surprised if I were labeled a hoarder. On the other hand, maybe I'm just lazy about cleaning...and, actually, that is more likely the true diagnosis. But, once the clutter gets to a certain point, it's overwhelming and very difficult for a lazy, unmotivated person to handle.

The game room is really the only room that other people see. And to be honest, a lot of that stuff isn't mine. It got deposited there by one of the kids (Robin) for one reason or another and hasn't been moved yet.

The other messy rooms are not seen by anyone else...the laundry room, my bedroom, my office. I want to clean them...really! After watching the television show, I got right up and worked for 30 minutes or so in my bedroom. And I'm motivated now.

I'm setting the timer on my phone and only allow myself an hour on any activity. Not quite sure what that will do, but I'm giving it a try. Maybe it will keep me from getting bored.

I just checked and I have 5 minutes before I have to change activities. In the last hour, I've spent some time in Quicken, on the Wharton County Library website, and on the phone with a librarian. I've folded and put away my laundry and I've read "Mommy, hungry!" and written this post. I was intending to pay a few bills, but now it's lunch time. I'll go steam some veggies and eat a healthy lunch and get back to work activities in an hour!

Wish me luck!