2018 Get Organized & Declutter Your Stuff

[startsmart]

I ran away from home 😎

On vacation in Mexico and so far loving the tacos, hate the humidity, love the beach, hate the drivers lol.

I DID find something gorgeous that I will buy in the next few days and then have to add another piece of luggage to transport it home. Worth it. The exchange rate is fairly good right now too, 20 pesos to the dollar. I got my dad a leather tooled belt for $20 earlier today and have promised several friends coffee and chocolate.

Although I didn’t sleep at all on my flight over I got 7 and 6 hours of sleep yesterday to catch up! Budget is good so far and I negotiated the car insurance from $800 (dollars!) down to $250. Only worked because I pointed out I would walk out the door and have a dozen other companies to choose from.

[TheOtherMe]

Thank you NastyWoman    

[Sharon]

Day of flooring installation is done and I am so happy.  I like how the carpet looks, the paint color for the hallway and living room goes perfectly with the carpet.  The vinyl for the bathroom looks great.  The only thing I am not really happy about, and it is a one night thing only, is the flooring guy left the toilet right next to the bed.  Like my covers will be flopping on the toilet over night.

[debthaven]

So happy for you Sharon ! (except about the toilet of course).

Enjoy your vacation startsmart !

Survived the last Terrible Tuesday of the semester, and hopefully of my life. Won't accept more than 4 regular classes per day going forward (+ 1 faculty class). I should mark this evening but we'll see.

 

[TheOtherMe]

I've started filling the box of Christmas decorations I no longer plan to use.  

It will go with me to be dropped off at Goodwill on Thursday.

[debthaven]

I took out the marking, took one look at it, put it away and poured myself a gin and (zero) tonic.

Tomorrow is another day.

ETA: I just found out from DS3 that DH's cousin is again sending in a ton of paperwork to be DS3's guarantor next year, because UK landlords generally refuse to accept foreign guarantors (ie us, DS3's parents). I am SO grateful to them!

 

[Chocolate Lover]

debthaven, one banana for the end of Terrible Tuesdays and one for the cousins from the UK being so helpful!!!

[startsmart]

I’m getting better at negotiating lol.

The thing I wanted was $3000 pesos (about $150 USD) yet when I go get it today, $5500 pesos. Nope! Okay $3500 pesos. Try again, I’m paying cash. $3000 pesos and we’ll package it for shipping. And we have a winner!

Saved about $125 and the hassle of finding a box later on. I really don’t mind being generous, like tipping 30% at the tiny roadside restaurant where I had dinner after almost fainting from the heat. Sure. But I’m certainly not paying 80% more than the price I was told on Sunday.

And I think I figured out a way to shuffle my bags so I only have to check one item, saving about $50 USD.

[TheOtherMe]

I have a box of Christmas decorations ready with more to go through.  There are two more plastic totes in the garage.  One is only lights. 

There is at least a small tree in the spare bedroom.  I haven't decided what to do with that.  I do like it.

[Sharon]

Instead of elf on a shelf my new adventure is where will I find a toilet when I get home from work.  Yesterday the toilet was right next to the bed.  That toilet was re-installed today.  The toilet in the other bathroom was removed to allow for the new flooring.  Tonight I found that toilet in the bathtub.

While I am glad to no longer be sleeping with my toilet it is cold out and I had a very stressful day and wanted to take a long soak in the tub.

[debthaven]

startsmart I'm very curious about what you bought.

Sharon I hope you find your toilet where it belongs!

This week
- mark 37 Final JF reports/Mon+Wed

- mark 4 E reports/Thurs

I finished the 37 reports after school today. I'm hoping to do the 4 E reports during exams tomorrow, then coming home with 35 MSc finals.

[TheOtherMe]

25 Christmas decorations are boxed up.  About to take them to the car so I can take them to Goodwill in the morning.

Two years ago, I was sick.  I just didn't know yet it was my gallbladder.  I put out nothing.  I didn't put out much last year for some reason.  This year, I like the way the house looks.  I know which decorations I no longer want so there's no reason to keep storing them.  

Freed up a plastic tote also.

[debthaven]

Pretty shook up. Don't know if the news has make it to the US but an English university lecturer was stabbed to death at lunchtime today, in front of his school, by a former student who was expelled last year. It's in the UK/Irish media (the teacher was Irish, and on the verge of retirement).

 

One of my colleagues at Job 1 works there too. (Most adjuncts work at several schools.) She had coffee with him right before he left for lunch. Apparently she's a wreck. I was not at Job 1 today.

[Iggy aka IG]

Good job, TheOtherMe!  And so glad you're happy with your house now.

debthaven, that is horrible.  No, I haven't yet seen it on the news.

[debthaven]

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46456841

[finnime]

I'm sorry, debthaven, for such a violent death occurring so close to you and your life. I hope you can take a break for a bit just to absorb this. It would leave anyone reeling.

[debthaven]

I actually used to work PT in that building, but the school I worked for moved to its own premises (there are several schools in that building) and I stopped working for them after they moved.

I have 3 colleagues at Job 1 who either currently work there, used to work there, or whose spouse works there.

Really upsetting. That poor man.

[busymom]

Oh my gosh, debthaven, that is SO horrible!     Any idea if the attacker was one of those students who didn't show up to class, but still expected to pass?  I hope they beef up security on all of the campuses.  

The handyman came yesterday, & finished my last small project.  And now, I've purchased curtains for the back door window, but I'm going to have to take them to a tailor shop to get them altered (which normally I'd keep shopping for something better, but I simply LOVE these curtains.)  I'm going to have to contact the builder, as we're having some problem with floor panels shifting.  Apparently, they weren't hammered in, they're just interlocked, and 2 panels have already slipped enough that you can see the subfloor underneath.  

[debthaven]

I'm guessing he was busymom! Apparently he validated his Sem 1 but not his Sem 2.

Hope you get your floor fixed up soon!

[debthaven]

Just got a text from my friend/neighbor who works at that school. She left 15 min before it happened. Another neighbor's son goes there. It's just crazy.

ETA: Security on my campus is very strict, but this happened after the professor had left the school, he was on his way to get lunch. Not sure what (if anything) security can do about that.

 

[TheOtherMe]

So sorry debthaven  

[TheOtherMe]

NastyWoman  Dropped off the box of Christmas decorations at Goodwill.  The woman said they will be on the floor for sale by this afternoon.  

[debthaven]

This week
- mark 37 Final JF reports/Mon+Wed

- mark 4 E reports/Thurs

- make ophthalmologist appt/Fri

This weekend

- mark 35 MSc finals

- finish and input oral marks

Semester countdown: 15/15 weeks DONE!!!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and support!

I am now on a reduced schedule for a month! I will have several all-day meetings, tons of marking, and my two faculty students, but no regular/student classes till 9 Jan! 

Next semester I'll be teaching 22h/week instead of 25h/week (still over 3.5 days). 3h/week less at Job 2, and trading a regular/student class for another Staff/Faculty class at Job 1.

[TheOtherMe]

Congrats debthaven  

Enjoy what down time you have and the reduced schedule.  You did it!!!   

[NastyWoman]

Dec 6, 2018 11:49:43 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

NastyWoman   Dropped off the box of Christmas decorations at Goodwill.  The woman said they will be on the floor for sale by this afternoon.  

 for the day

[debthaven]

I did indeed TheOtherMe . I can't stop laughing and crying. I'd hoped to mark tonight but I'm too tired and emotional. I honestly didn't believe I would make it through this semester.

Well done for getting that box dropped off before Christmas! 

I was hoping to make a double payment to the kitchen loan this month, which would have gotten it just under 2K. But DS1 asked if I could contribute 1/3 of the price of a new flight so that he could come home 3 days earlier. DS1 NEVER asks for ANYTHING. So of course I said yes.

[Chocolate Lover]

Congrats Debt!!! You made it!!!! 

[Iggy aka IG]

[debthaven]

Thank you friends! I promise, I could NOT have done it without you all. I'm serious. Every week, I would fantasize about getting through the week (especially those Terrible Tuesdays) in order to be able to post my "semester update" here on Thursdays after work. Honestly, that kept me going.

So thank you all again.

[bean29]

So Sorry Debthaven,

Congrats on finishing the semester, and glad to hear DS will be home 3 days early.

Theotherme - congrats on getting rid of the X-Mas decorations. I have to get my tree up so I can purge some of my Christmas decorations too. My Company Christmas Party is Saturday, so hopefully we can do that Sunday, although DH wants to clean the carpets first. Our Carpets are due for a good cleaning, so maybe we can clean the carpets, and wrap presents on Sunday.

I am not getting a lot done this week as I got my nails done Tues eve, and last night DH and I reviewed my in-law's Medicare Advantage Plan Enrollment for 2019.  We decided they were in one of the best plans available for them, so we are just going to let it auto renew.  Tonight I am going to get a pedicure, and hopefully tomorrow I will do a Yoga Class (and Tan) after work again.  Sat Am I have a hair appointment and I asked DS to watch the Dogs while I am at the salon.  The dogs will go to my in-laws while we attend the party, and I did not want them to be there 12 hours (DH works on Saturday mornings).

I am going to try to go to the post office (closes at 10 pm) after my Pedicure and stop to pick up a present for DD at Target. 

I had a cordless computer keyboard in my closet which I never used (purchased in 2016 on a Black Friday special), and I was going to use at work.  Tried to connect it this am and it does not work.  I will try at home, if it does not work, I am going to it, it could be the batteries I put in it.  Start Smart, does your regular auto insurance cover in Mexico?  I think ours does, or you can buy additional coverage.