4/27/12

Posted on April 27, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

This section of the day is being entered on my phone. How cool is that? Now I will be able to update on the run if necessary. 🙂

Though typing on it is slow….

 

…so I switched back to the computer. 😉 But it is good to know that it is now a possibility of needed. And I can pop up pictures easier I expect.

I admit, I played hooky today. No real reason, just didn’t want to work today. But I did finish a book I had borrowed so that I can get it out of my house. That’s something.

The calorie counting really seems to be working. My weight last night was the lowest yet. Still have a LOOOONG way to go, but the trend is the right direction still. Sometimes that 1250 calories seems like such a restriction, but my app keeps scolding me for having too many left over at the end of the day, so I guess it isn’t as restrictive as it seems. 🙂

Hoping to get some planting done this weekend. If I do, I’ll let you know. If not, I’ll still pop in. I haven’t missed a day yet this year, and I don’t want to start now. And with the phone app, I shouldn’t have to.

 

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4/26/12

Posted on April 26, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Dishes caught up again. Major outstanding bill taken care of. Back to the Office soon.

Wanted to ask something of those who are readers…would it be a problem to have a widget that links to my books on this blog if they don’t relate to cleaning? I was just reading an article about promotion reminding me that your books need to be everywhere. I don’t want to overstep though. You guys decide. 🙂

Well, I can’t just sit around goofing off any more. I must get back to work. Y’all be sure and weigh in on that question.

UPDATE ONE: Well, still a big pile in there, but it is getting smaller every time I work on it. Plus there are clothes in the dryer. Should go put another load in the washer. Will do that as soon as I finish the update. 🙂

Here are today’s pictures:

     

Some con programs put away, boxes recycled, items put in Garage Sale pile, art supplies moved where they need to be, papers tossed.

Not done yet, but it is moving along.

 

UPDATE TWO: All the clothes piled in the bedroom were washed at the same time for the FIRST time in I don’t know how long. Bad habits are soooo hard to break. But I also did the dishes right after supper so that there would be fewer in the morning. (Snack dishes for tomorrow…) As long as progress is made, right?

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4/25/12

Posted on April 25, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Errands took me out of the house today, so no cleaning got done. Sometimes that can’t be helped. I did get a W-9 mailed off to one of my publishers, which I had been needing to do for ages, and talked to a writer about a submission to Zumaya, another of my publishers. So some of those “writer-ly” things were done.

Plus I went by the T-Mobile store to see if they knew why the ringer kept turning off on my phone. They think I was accidentally pushing the button. 😛 That doesn’t explain why the ringtone choice went from “Phone’s ringing, Dude” from The Big Lebowski (awesome movie — highly recommend it, though there is some language) to silent…but hey. They tried.

Anyway, more determined than ever to get the Office available for working in again. SOO much to do! Tomorrow will be busy.

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4/24/12

Posted on April 24, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Today was such a lovely day, I thought I would start it with some exercise and walk over to Cheddar’s for lunch. One of my favorite places, and somewhere Newell doesn’t like to go, so I go alone every couple of weeks or so. I really like their Shepherd’s Pie, especially since My Fitness Pal told me it was 272 calories! Their version is similar to this one, but not quite as labor intensive — especially for me. 🙂

Of course, when I make Shepherd’s Pie, I use Morningstar Farm’s Crumbles, but punched up with a little teriyaki or Worchestershire sauce, they make a fine beef substitute.

The point of telling you this is that I got home red-faced and worn out. Not ENOUGH exercising lately. I am decompressing at the moment with a bottle of water before getting into my work mode. Will update later. 🙂

 

UPDATE ONE: Did do a little bit more in the Office, but between yesterday’s laundry and today’s walking, I am all worn out. Still have laundry to do, so that may be all of the housework I get done today.

I tried cooking Veggie Kabobs last night for dinner, but it was not a good result. Wonder what I can do this evening? For now, going to lie down on a flat surface for a bit.

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4/23/12

Posted on April 23, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

So far today, I have caught up my dishes and started a load of the sheets needing extra care after cat loving…

Stopped for a quick salad for lunch, and now I am getting ready to brave the Office. It feels good to be moving forward again. So much to do…but one step at a time it will get done!

 

UPDATE ONE: Quitting for the day. I feel like there was visible difference, if not quite as much as I would like to have done. I don’t want to push too far and burn out again. But I will continue to be washing clothes and attempting to get some of the backlog in my OTHER job cleared up. I actually feel like doing some writer-ly related things. 🙂

Here’s the progress for today:

      

Reminds me of the pictures in the Studio as I was working on it. So, I finally see some hope! Tossed a few things, filed some papers, and found some things for the garage sale.

More to do, but better. I think I will do some more in the Bedroom later, and if I do anything that is significant, I’ll let you know. 😉

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I’m So Excited and I Just Can’t Hide It…

Posted on April 22, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming week. No more goofing off. I have a goal, and a plan, and I am raring to get going again. Finally filled with enthusiasm for cleaning again.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and loaded in some salad stuff for lunches so I won’t be tempted to go off with Newell. I have plenty of HEB Diet Coke with Lime on hand. We’re ready to go!

Today has been very laid back, with a marvelous lunch at El Arroyo (warning, these links have irritating music. I think I turned it off, but I’m not sure it will stick…). I had the most marvelous BBQ Chicken Enchiladas…but I wish more restaurants knew the calorie count on their meals. They were to die for…

Tomorrow will be a very busy day, with the washer and dryer going full tilt as I sort and toss. But I am planning on decimating that pile in the Office if it kills me!

UPDATE: Popping in to plug a post I just read on Liz’s blog. This is an area I have a LOT of trouble with. Read here for a way to deal with paper mail and its clutter.

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4/21/12

Posted on April 21, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Today was Mystery Readers, so I spent most of the day in Georgetown. The group, for once, came to a unanimous decision. We thought Lillian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who…series are a bit silly and overrated. But maybe we are snobs…

It was a long day — I went grocery shopping when I got home. Turning in early with my phone and Dungeon Raid. See you tomorrow…

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4/20/12

Posted on April 20, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

I took one last day to relax before I go back into the trenches next week. I know that I have said that before…but the inspiration that I got from Eve has me all pumped up to clean again. It’s mainly those big, daunting piles still remaining in the middle of my problem rooms that have had me stalled out, but she reminded me of a strategy that I’ve seen in several of the myriad clutter books I have bought over the years:

1) Start small — five or ten things to sort through. Until those five or ten things have been completely dealt with, don’t start with anything else.

2) Sort into three piles: KEEP, GIVE AWAY, TRASH. Alternatively, if that feels like too final to start, you can use KEEP, MAYBE, GIVE AWAY.

3) Look at each item and be objective. Do I really need my program from my graduation ceremony? If the answer is a definite “Yes”, put it in the KEEP pile. If the memory is enough, TRASH. If you aren’t sure yet, MAYBE. The goal is a SMALL KEEP pile, a large TRASH/GIVE AWAY (DONATE, SELL, whatever) pile, and no MAYBE. If something goes into the MAYBE pile first time through, look at it again in a day or two and see if you have come to a different conclusion.

4) Look at the KEEP pile. Is there a way to “miniaturize” it? Can you take a picture of the stuffed animal your boyfriend won at the County Fair and give the actual animal to a deserving child who could have some fun with it instead of leaving it on the shelf? Would a scrapbook of those old letters from your grandmother take up less space than the shoebox they are stored in now? (And be easier to read and share.)

5) Get rid of the GIVE AWAY pile as soon as you can. Pass along those games to the nieces and nephews. Sell the duplicate books to a used book store. Hold a garage sale. Donate the clothes that don’t fit to Goodwill.

6) Put the TRASH out for the very next pick up so that you don’t have a chance to change your mind.

I think I will print out a copy of today’s blog to pin up in whatever room I am working in next week so that I don’t forget either!

Happy 4/20 everyone. I’m out of here. 🙂

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4/19/12

Posted on April 19, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

So, tour of the house is done. Eve had some WONDERFUL suggestions that really have me thinking in new directions and excited to get going again. She also had some real insights into some of my decorating choices to date that made me go “Huh…”. So, there is much work to do. But the rest of today, I am going to let things stew in my head while I work on a project for my Mom that I promised would be done before Saturday and so far have been putting off. I need to finish that and my mystery before the meeting, and tomorrow may be busy.

That isn’t much concrete to report, but I really do think that I am almost ready to plunge back into the fray. And that is way more than I have been able to say lately.

 

UPDATE: After I typed the above, I noticed Kathleen was home and went to check on our caterpillar. Well, he’s fully a chrysalis now:

And while we were looking at this one, we found another one on her fence that is just slightly further along, but not as far as the one I found yesterday:

So we’ve had several different pupa stages now.

And then we found this little guy…from the crispness of his wings and the shiny bright colors, he might VERY well be the one who lived in the empty case on my fence:

  

If nothing else, it has been fun watching them. Almost like being a kid again…

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4/18/12

Posted on April 18, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Like I said, today was tied up with doctor appointments, but I am looking forward to tomorrow and my consultation with Eve. I think it will be the kickstart I need to get moving again. A fresh eye always helps.

Spent most of today either reading The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts for Saturday’s Mystery Readers meeting or playing Dungeon Raid on my phone. HIGHLY addictive and so much fun!

But I wanted to share a couple of photographs I took today. I was heading over to Kathleen’s to see how our caterpillar was doing when I spotted this on my back gate:

This is what our caterpillar should turn into.

I went to check on it as soon as we got home this evening:

Somewhere out there is a new Monarch butterfly that used to live in there. 🙂

I’ll report on how tomorrow goes. Till then —

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