2015 Declutter and Get Organized Thread

[Saving4Norway]

<3 Debt <3

[lund]

Debt, make sure that not only your family but also you yourself takes care of yourselves.

If you go out, consider buying and stocking up a little on food that you usually eat.
In case there are interruptions in traffic, frequent ID checks, or other things that take time or impart your daily life, you will at least not have to go out to buy that necessity.

[debthaven]

Lund I have been thinking the same thing, I'll go in a little while. 

[lund]

Checking the basement supply of non-foods, like feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, soap, detergents (laundry, dishes), batteries, spare bulb for torch,  OTC meds, and filling up the car also comes to my mind. It probably has already crossed yours.

[debthaven]

We're good on everything like that ... just stocked up on food. Thanks for the idea Lund. I had thought of it but was feeling tired/lazy. I just got gas 2 days ago. 

DS1 is coming out here soon and DS2 is coming a little later. 

[lund]

I am glad that you are safe and taking care of yourselves!

[plugginaway22]

Reading all the news and feeling so sad and sorry for France, and really all society who is vulnerable to this.
Another reminder to hug your family and appreciate every day.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I don't want to start a new thread nor stir the pot too much, but does anyone know why the thread on YM-Off Topic regarding Paris was deleted?

[Sharon]

Nov 14, 2015 12:24:32 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

I don't want to start a new thread nor stir the pot too much, but does anyone know why the thread on YM-Off Topic regarding Paris was deleted?

The threads were merged together onto/into the one on current events.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

It's an open Saturday for us, mostly. 
We do have dinner plans at friends' house. 

This morning and afternoon, 
I need to do two loads of laundry; DD will fold those clothes. 
Start the deep cleaning kitchen process.  
spend a few hours on school work
clean the toilets
sweep the whole house

I think that's all I want to have on my list today. 

[busymom]

I think the world needs a bit of comfort right now. I was at another craft show today, & bought a quilt that reminded me of growing up with Mom.

I got a thick envelope today of paperwork that needs to be filled out for my relative (he's seeing a specialist). I can't even answer some of the questions, so I'll have to fill out what I know, & they'll have to figure out the rest. (Stupid questions, like when is the last time he had an MRI, or a spinal tap, or a million other tests. If it's not in his doctor's records, how am I to know?)

I'm catching up on laundry & I'll bake something later tonight.  Not much else, besides paperwork, is getting accomplished today.

[debthaven]

Chloe I saw the thread and posted on it without realizing it was on Current Events. I never usually post there. Then I saw GRG's thread on YMOT and I posted there too, but it was difficult to keep up with both threads. The CE thread is too political for me now so I stopped posting there.

Yesterday I shopped twice and cooked up a storm. The boys were all here for dinner but unfortunately DD was working. All 4 kids will be here for brunch today. I also did some laundry. And watched the news. And got a haircut (booked days before).

Busy I'm happy that you got that quilt.

My school will be open tomorrow, with increased security, they said. We have been asked to do a minute of silence for the victims.

Because of my schedule I'm not going to be able to visit the 3 apts for DS1 (he understandably wants the same person to visit all 3) so DH will go with him. On Wed I'm accompanying my friend to her friend's funeral.  

Mon and Tues I'm getting 60 exams which need to be marked this week.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I've done about an hour's worth of school work already today. 
I've planned the dinner meals for the week. 
I need to sweep the kitchen/great room still because I didn't do it yesterday. 
I need to clean our bathroom. I'll probably get half way through that list, and finish up tomorrow. 
I have another hour or so of school work to do to prep for this week. 
I need to go to the gym 

Hmmm...I know there's more. 

[busymom]

Yup. Today was devoted to paperwork. And, DS & I made a run over to talk to the nurses taking care of my relative.

The way this week is shaping up, I don't expect to accomplish much at home.

[busymom]

Well, besides sitting down with my relative earlier & asking him questions, then going back home to pull up information, I think this paperwork is about as complete as I'll be able to get it, without getting additional info from his doctor. Since medical records are supposed to be online nowadays, I don't know why all of these forms need to be done (and redone).

I managed to get some filing done, too, but there's still plenty to deal with.

[snapdragon]

I ended up baking cookies over the weekend. Eggnog chai tea cookies and what were supposed to be molasses cookies and are more like crisps. 

And I had the cat going nuts all over me during the weekend. She got so bad that I had to trim ALL of her front nails. And I have claw marks on my hands, forearms and legs. --- Maybe she had a hidden stash of catnip that went bad? 

[debthaven]

Maybe she likes cookies Snap?

Everyone at school was understandably very low. I had to give 2 tests today which was really bad timing ... everybody needed to talk, not to have a test. But I couldn't change the test date because we have to give them 10 days notice, so I had no choice.

Like all of France, we had a minute of silence at noon.

[startsmart]

Trying to get my head around the work I need to do in the second half of Nov and posting here for some accountability. 

House: 
Keep the guest room clean for Mom and Dad
Wash the guest room bedding
Go through all of the papers in the office
Catch up on filing in the office
Add new pics to pinboard in office
Finish paint and caulk on door frames in master bedroom
Re-caulk baseboards in master bedroom
Create the plan + build list for the built-in bench seating
Finish building door frames by ripping down wood for frames + installing

Work: 
Finish writing 75k words for the new book (up to 30k as of yesterday)
Write all of the Dec/Jan/Feb emails for client #1
Send the next 6 videos to the editor
Book flight to LA for January
Finalize my next 6 blog posts
Edit the article for media partner
Hire graphic designer


That's... a lot of writing ahead of me but all things that need to be done! 

[busymom]

Hiya Kids!

I spoke with some different members of staff at the rehab place my relative is at, and although they can't give me "official" word yet, they're hinting that at the care conference later this week they'll be encouraging him to be moved to a place that offers more care than assisted-living. Since I've got a "head's up", I'm heading over to his apartment early tomorrow morning to do a LOT more purging, & see how much of his stuff I can pile into my car in one trip. He's a hoarder, so I'm bringing along a box of garbage bags to make dragging stuff to the garbage chute easier. I'll see how much stuff I can get cleaned out before DS gets out of school.   

[debthaven]

Several people (students, teachers and staff) at school have lost cousins, friends, etc. The atmosphere is rough. At least I had no tests today so the students and I were able to talk. 

DH is going w DS1 to revisit the last 2 apts tomorrow. I would have loved to go but the visits are at the same time as my friend's friend's funeral and I can't let her down. In any case DS1 prefers the one he saw again yesterday. He took DH and an architect friend. She is giving him a rough estimate on how much the work would cost. If it's affordable it's his first choice.  

Ran and emptied the dishwasher. 

Marking
Wed: 39 exams (might be a stretch)
Fri: 19 exams

[debthaven]

DH and I were offered 2 other PT jobs, one yesterday, one today. I wanted to say no to the one yesterday but DH wants to do it (translating).  

Today's offer is to attend conflictual 4-6h meetings and write up the minutes within 48h. I've finally gotten smarter, I said no immediately, and told DH about it afterwards.   

I also wrote to the translator friend who is retiring and passing on her clients to us. I thanked her but told her we can't take on anymore, and gave her the contact info of another translator friend.  

[busymom]

Well, I put in 4 hours of cleaning at the apartment. I filled my car, & by the time DH finishes unloading my car, my livingroom will officially be a train wreck. Once my relative gets his permanent room, I'll at least be able to move some stuff in with him, but I'll have to discuss with him what he wants done with the rest. And, as he has some hoarding tendencies, I did throw out several yard-sized garbage bags of old clothes with holes, candy that had gone bad, all sorts of useless stuff. I'm not done yet, but I probably now have over 1/2 of his stuff cleaned out.  One or two more trips there, & everything should be done. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I still need to finish the bathroom.
I'm also in need of planning for our Thanksgiving week. 

In other thoughts, does anyone have a roomba? I sweep so much!!! Of our 2000 square feet, 1500 is hard wood floors and the bathroom floors. I know they're $300, but if they last a couple of years, that's around $15/month to have the floors swept at least once per day by not me!

[debthaven]

Marking
Wed:
- Class 1: 20 exams 
- Class 2: 19 exams
Fri:
- Class 3: 19 exams
- MSc: 4 reports

ETA: Made my goal! Now late to pick up DS3 ... 

[lund]

Busy, your relative is lucky to have you!

Debt, "Business as usual" also is valuable for mental health. So do not feel bad about continuing teaching the students as usual.
Of course, let them talk when it is not interrupting your teaching and their learning.

And good that you kept away from over-extending yourself with too much translation!

Chloe, my friend has one. It is not good under very low furniture, close to furniture legs or walls, in corners, or at the edges of mats, so she still vacuums about once a week. She says that as long as she does that, it looks nice almost all the time.
But it keeps the dust bunnies, not to mention the dust snakes (you know, the ones eating the dust bunnies) away.
The Roombing noise level often is loud, so she lets it go when they are not at home, or uses it on the opposite level of the house than the one they are on. They often put their kitchen chairs upside-down on the table when they leave in the morning for the floor to be accessible. The shoes need to be off the floor by the door too. It "remembers" where it needs to go more often, and those areas are much nicer now.


Pat, I think that as long as

• you have room to keep your stuff
• it is in good shape so it can be used
• it is not outdated or otherwise such as to make you not want to use it
  
• it is in good order so you can find it what you need or want when you want it
  

it can be a very good idea to keep it. You enjoy looking nice, and nowadays do not live very close to as many shops as previously.

If you use it up, you can spend less for a while. If you donate clothing that you will not use again, you at least can get the tax deduction.

But you need to reduce inflow. Can you "go shopping" in the basement instead of in the shop?

When you see a nice item, can you change the thinking from "This is a nice item that I would like to use!" to "This item is similar to my item X. Maybe I should fetch and use X for a while, it is nice and seems to be in fashion."?

Please put a a little descriptive inventory in each box with special items and other "family made" nice things (like, blue crocheted blanket with white edges made by name, red knitted blanket made by name). It helps a lot if somebody else needs to go looking for it. It can be enjoyable to have for your son's family.

(I have a knitted Norwegian child-sized cardigan my grandmother made for me. It will stand a third generation. I have kept a few useful hand-made children's garments and items made by my mother and my MIL too.

I also have a little embroidery my great-grandmother, whom I never met, made. I would have liked it anyway, but it gives me special joy since I know that it was made by her.)

You are really doing well, considering all that has been going on in your life!

[debthaven]

Lund how wonderful that you still have those items! 

I went to the funeral with my friend today. There were tons of people. I took her out to lunch first because I wanted to make sure she ate. After the funeral I offered for her to come over but she was invited to the intimate family gathering and she wanted to be with them. They live about 15m from us. 

She crashed her car on the way home. She is fine but the car is totalled. I feel very guilty that I let her go there alone but I really couldn't spend any more time with her, I had to work, I had to pick up DS3. I spoke to her twice while she was there and she sounded fine. I had already cancelled DS1's apt visits so I could go to the funeral with her. But I still feel guilty. Her husband called to tell me. He asked if I could stay with her tomorrow ... um no, I can't, I have to go to work. What a mess.  

I got home from rehearsal at 10.30 pm, folded DS3's laundry (he usually does it but the poor kid has so much work these days), ran and emptied the dishwasher, and did a load of laundry for us. (DH is out tonight.)

The atmosphere was apparently even worse at school today. My friend / colleague told me a lot of the foreign and / or exchange students are flying home, in some cases without even informing the school. The neighbourhood where I work is a target.  

Marking
Wed:
- Class 1: 20 exams
- Class 2: 19 exams
Fri:
- Class 3: 19 exams
- MSc: 4 reports

At least I did most of this week's marking today (I woke up early). 

ETA: I've been trying not to count but after this week there are only 2 weeks left to the semester. I will still be working till Christmas, but on a reduced schedule: just 3.5h of personnel classes a week, a day of proctoring, a day at the main campus, and marking 135 finals. And no 6 am alarm!

[plugginaway22]

What a mess, Debt.  Feel so bad for your situation in general, not to mention the friend!
Been reading the news and glad to see they got more of them.

[debthaven]

Pluggin I barely had time to check the news today but I caught up a bit this evening. Yes thank goodness!

[busymom]

Debt, you are a VERY good friend. And, you just can't be there all of the time.

My main project today was working on Mom's estate.  The process is moving along, but slowly. I had an appointment with Mom's attorney, & he finally got back the paperwork so I was able to set up the "estate" account at the bank.  We're still dealing with some complications, but estates take baby steps.    I keep telling myself that by next Summer, most of this should be over!

I am congested today, most likely because I was "dodging raindrops" as I was emptying my relative's apartment. DH & I were going to go down there tonight, but it's raining again, & I don't want my cold to get worse. Hopefully we can go back on a day when there is no rain (or snow).

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Wednesday evening goals: 
Clean master bathroom
Feed my children and myself leftovers
update gradebook
sweep and swiffer mop the kitchen
pick up dd from dance class
update calendar for the next two weeks

bonuses:
start lists for thanksgiving trip
rotate laundry