BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 07:52 PM

I decluttered a REALLY big box today-- OUT. The box itself was quite small, but it contained a NEW SONGBOOK's cover stock and camera-ready originals-- it went to the print shop, is done by now, and ready for pickup Friday. And THAT means I can start printing the rest of the book (at church) for assembly, soon! (The smaller box containing those originals will go to my church cubby, tomorrow!)

HUGE amount of work to prep this-- numerous and major repagination "fun" stints.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 01:45 AM

New monitor on desk--it's huge, but the screen is perfect and it's just one instead of two side-by-side with the need to move stuff to one side or the other. I can have many windows open on this. And my larger monitor that was still working fine has now been handed down to my son.

Emptied my pocketbook, to the extent that this basically takes care of christmas for me.

Turkey was in water this evening, back in fridge now. Brine tomorrow. Picked up one, maybe two extra dinner guests for Thanksgiving. One would have been home alone as her kids had other commitments (she was planning to spend a quiet holiday, but jumped quickly at the offer to come over here!) and another who hasn't had the usual invitation to dine with his kids and ex. We're the backup in case they don't come through. That's okay! You know how Thanksgiving dinners are--there is always enough food to stretch to more diners. The trick is to have enough chairs!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 11:20 AM

I got a new set of cookware. Beautiful stainless steel, copper bottomed pots and pans. They are more curvy than traditional pots which makes them just pretty to see sitting on the stove. However.....before I could use them (I opened the box yesterday), each pot had to soak in baking soda and hot water for a bit to remove a clear coating of tarnish inhibitor from the copper. And then there were stickers on the inside center of each pan that were a total pain in the ass to remove. I spent hours on my new pots yesterday. Today they are in full use, prepping for Thanksgiving. We are keeping it small and very simple this year (in line with Core foods)....Roast Turkey, Butternut Squash (from our garden), Mashed Potatoes (from our garden....made with skim milk and no butter), Cranberry Sauce (sorry, full out sugar in this...Splenda just doesn't cut it) and Mom is bringing her famous German Stuffing. No breads. No appetizers. I'm not interested in any of that. I want to have a healthy, delicious meal with the people I love most and that is exactly what will be happeneing here. We'll probably play cards or something afterwards. Oh..and there will be pie. I make a pumpkin pie that my husband LOVES and he'll be making an apple pie (very low sugar, higher in spice). The pumpkin pie is very rich...I might have a piece or maybe I'll have had plenty of other stuff by the time desert is on. We'll see.

So....today I am cooking, mashing and prepping. Laundry is going, dishes are done, floors are swept, house has been dusted. Mopping will take place tomorrow morning so the dogs won't have a chance of mucking up the floors quite as much. My husband is home for the day and while we will both putter at stuff around the house, I imagine that we will spend a good deal of time just relaxing as well. :) It's going to be a great day!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 02:06 PM

Flow twds upper ofc continues, plus being sure which functions will remain down and which will go up-- incl associated furniture, hardcopies, equipt.

Spent AM helping friend untangle HER home-office nightmare (degoofing, which means attention to/unblocking of her thought process for fixing some serious issues [plus practical task-helps]), so am glad I didn't rush mine-- very glad to have time to think (and not pressure to act)!

A BIGGIE-- I seem to have reached a good process for declutz of a profuse miscellaneana of recliner-side notes-- on the puder but where to PUT the notes so they can be found from upper or lower office. Yup-- Hotmail DRAFTS folder. It's accessible from either location and can be saved to disk from either or both, as needed.

HotCHAHHH!

Speaking of which, a kitchen-basics setup up there is now in great shape-- added crackers and olive oil, DUH, and I am still in the tinest mini-fridge (with larger nearby as needed and oh DUH I just realized where to put THAT (duh, hallway-- has outlet!!!)! A grocery list for that office will next be created. I have the everyday shopping list always ready to print, but needed one for up there.

Also found and will flow up there the originals for a "printing request form" to use with the parish office when adminning parish tasks from home. Avoids a LOT of confoozuns-- mines's and others'.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 02:47 PM

Note to self-- Need the right image for the outbox-- where the work "stuff" particular to MY work actually goes. The small thing that is large in the application, after it leaves my box. The banana-box inbox is right as-is-- what comes in IS usually that big and then I integrate/invent it to one elegant application. The output is usually small and SO powerful-- needs an image that can be made into an outbox. The old wordprocessor box would have been perfect-- maybe find logo to apply to a basic outbox. How small..... a breadbox.

May have one. Out in cold room......? Take out shelf and paint it.

If not find wooden one, rolltop-desk-style?

A Sallie basket..... Bible verses.... Scripture reference dedicating it..... ask Hardi.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 05:13 PM

giant bag of art and craft supplies taken to work today for colleague who leads scouts and girl guides activities. another to go next week.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: maire-aine
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 05:42 PM

Well, things are ready to go for tomorrow. The bathroom & kitchen are clean. Just have some dishes to wash tonight. The turkey breast is in the 'fridge, and the veggies & bread for the stuffing are all cut up. The pots and pans are all lined up & ready to go. All I need to do is pop it into the oven in the morning. I make my mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker, so that'll only take a few minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 07:35 PM

Our is in the roaster we were given 5??? years ago and never used, so we decluttered dust, flies, and disuse. Half the turkey will declut tomorrow to some nearby hungry young men far from home; plus whatever fixings we can pull together before we head off for our own turkey at a local restaurant special to us-- and back home to freezer-pack our halfbird to be ready for Crimmiss Eve/New Year's Day feasting.

Tomorrow we may also (or Friday) have fun with punkin bread, with cream cheese filling dolloped into the batter.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 10:50 AM

It's been a busy morning in the Festre household! We've been up, showered, went to town to pick up a paper, out to breakfast, a little ride in the country and now we are home. The turkey is roasting in the oven, potatoes are cut, pies are made, cranberry sauce is chilling...the only thing left is to set the table and cut up the squash. YAY!

Now it's time to relax and check out the papers....might be joining in the madness tomorrow or maybe not. We shall see!

Happy Thanksgiving Ladies!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 03:52 PM

I'm taking a breather, right before the turkey goes in the roaster. It is in the brine still. We eat late, my daughter and her boyfriend go to his family (two meals, they're divorced and each remarried) and then end here. We just want them here, whether they eat much or not.

Back to the kitchen. . .

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Penny S.
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 04:02 PM

I am a little curious about the brining of the turkey. I've not known that done over here for Christmas.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 05:07 PM

Changes salt ratio in the flesh to encourage the flesh to absorb moisture and thus avoid dry turkey breast. Formerly done by "broth" injection-- now soaking is known to work equally well. Brine can be flavored. The flesh's urge to absorb moisture due to the salt uptake means any flavoring agents are also absorbed into the depths of the meat.

Steps doing it matter-- easy to make bacteria grow if not done properly. Worth looking up and doing it well. (no here time now)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 05:22 PM

Dinner was a huge success and our time together was even better...lots of conversation, laughter and even singing....it's officially Christmas season as Elvis made his debut with Blue Christmas just after we had our pie!!!

Really though, this is the best Thanksgiving holiday that I can ever remember!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope yours was equally wonderful!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 09:38 PM

Ours was subdued. I am on a new med; Morgan was gone for the day, though he's called me three times; and, Rog did all of the cooking. I couldn't get it together enough to make my usual yummy pie and cranberries. Rog did the latter; my brother brought an awful store-bought pie. I told our son to hold off until the weekend before they come over...my house is not fit, nor am I, for company, just yet. Rog will be going to work for a short time in the morning and I am going with him just to get out of this house! It HAS been a better day than I thought it would be. Rog is a good man; he took me for a long car ride this morning during which I slept and another short one this evening.
I am thankfull for him and for you, my friends.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: maire-aine
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 09:39 PM

Everything came together, and all the food was ready at the same time. The meat thermometer hit 170F exactly at 2PM. It may be another 20 years before I do this again, but it was great fun-- just to prove that I still can pull it off. The Lions lost to Green Bay, but no surprise there.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Alice
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 09:49 PM

Had a quiet day alone at home, made small roast turkey breast and dressing. I'm still getting over the pneumonia, so I felt just fine and dandy to stay home and take it easy. My son had an invite to dinner with his friends and he made a chutney from scratch that he took to the party... it smelled SO good.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 02:55 PM

Last year the roaster oven cooked the turkey too fast so this year I put it in later--only to have it cook too slowly. I think it's because it was on the table outside and the air was cold. It was uneven. I ended up taking some of the cooked meat off of the breast and putting the bird back for a while (after moving the roaster indoors).

The house looked better than it has and there was more room for the table. I picked a wine that none of us was happy with--my mistake for reading the labels. I had one in mind but it said "desserts." And yet, that's the one we decided would have been best if we'd each chosen. Next year I'll just get the one I think was right. Meanwhile, I'm going to use this other bottle for some cooking.

Brining is a great way to give the turkey extra flavor and create a generous amount of drippings for gravy. The bird has be be completely thawed, and I have a large plastic (restaurant supply) container that I put into my camping cooler and surround with ice. The brine is 1 gallon of vegetable stock (cooked ahead and chilled), 1 cup kosher salt (I had sea salt, which I think tastes saltier, so I used 3/4 cup), 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns, 1 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries (I had to use ground), 1 1/2 teaspoon candied ginger (I used ground), and 1 gallon iced water.

There are some "aromatics" with this also: In a bowl you place 1 red apple, sliced, 1/2 onion, sliced, and a cinnamon stick. Add 1 cup of water and microwave (or otherwise simmer) this for 5 minutes. Then scoop the solids and put them in the turkey cavity, along with some sprigs of rosemary and a few leaves of sage.

Mix the stock and ice water and pour into the ice chest container, and soak breast down for 1/2 of the time, then turn it. Brine for at least six hours, and as long as 12 (overnight).

This recipe says to start the bird at 500 degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then turn it down to 350 for the rest of the baking, with a double layer of foil. It is written for a smaller bird, but if you add cooking time and uncover at the end to brown, it works fine.

This is called the "Good Eats Roast Turkey" that comes from Alton Brown on the Food Network.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 08:40 PM

Arrrghh! Blue Screen of Death this afternoon! Twice! I think maybe I didn't finish installing the new monitor. I've downloaded the drivers, and scanned everything (it's clean). We'll see what happens.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 09:47 PM

Roaster here = ginormous crockpot, SRS-- yours also, or counter-top oven?

Good brine explix. The one I saw done ohad maple syrup asne of the flavorants.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 11:12 PM

There are lots of formulas for brine. Main thing is to keep bird cold enough all of the time.

I'm running Window's disk check on a couple of drives on the other computer. It's slow, but it is to find any bad sectors and to repair any file damage. Probably not necessary, but since I had that blue screen come up a couple of times a Microsoft window popped up with a message to me since the event was reported back to the Mother Ship. This was one of the possible solutions, and though on computers in the past I've done this routine on occasion, I hadn't done it on this one. It's like putting an orange cone next to a pothole so drivers don't hit it. In this case, the bad sectors are flagged so data isn't written to them and lost. I think in this instance the problem was simply that the monitor wasn't completely installed. There wasn't a disk or box with it.

I just had the best turkey sandwich. Since I ate a big lunch (I made hot turkey sandwiches for my son and myself) I didn't want much. I sliced open one of my homemade rolls and buttered it and put it down on the griddle for a few minutes, then added a nice slice of Havarti to the hot bread, plus a slice of home-grown tomato (yes, I still have a few!) and a swirl of mustard. Heated the turkey a little and put it together. Mmmmm! Washed down with a small glass of wine and I'm ready to finish some work around here.

I had moved a set of shelves a couple of times, but finally decided it had to go on the side of the front room (not up beside the piano, but on a perpendicular wall). That is where I am going to put my VCR tapes as I weed them out and also a bunch of paperbacks. This will clear up some of the new shelves (lumber put in a couple of weeks ago) for books from my office. I took a small bookcase (baker's rack type) out of here and put it in the kitchen (where I already had an identical one--now they're side by side) and I have some books on the floor.

The dining table is back down to it's smallest size and the big living room looks good. The shelf and piano are in the front living room, and I think I can have that looking pretty good fairly soon.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 01:30 AM

I just about filled that set of shelves with VCR tapes; I have a lot of DVDs around here, but the stuff on these tapes hasn't been transferred and I haven't seen on disk. And I don't watch them that often that it's worth going out and buying a new copy. So I am discarding the poor quality tapes, the LP versus SP tapes, etc. I have several more boxes of tapes to go through, non-fiction and various television programs that I taped. I'll put those in a different set of shelves, and will sort through them as I put them in place. The floor in that front room is slowly opening up again.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 02:49 AM

Decluttered the local cash and carry store into my car, lost many pounds from the bank account... other than that, pretty dismal on the decluttering/accountability front. I put back the weight I lost last week, have filled the newly tidied dining room with massive amounts of bottles (water and juice) for our concert next week and have been up since 5.30am cleaning the kitchen. Managed to declutter the sum total of one stray lid.

I think I know what I'm going to be doing on my next free weekend - which at this rate is mid January....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 10:10 AM

Liz, at least all of those bottles will leave the house at some point, right? So the clutter is temporary.

Yesterday I was working on some things that I needed to finish, but I had those blue screen of death episodes, so I spent time trying to clear up any computing shortcomings. I think I'm up to speed so now I need to race through some of those chores.

I didn't try to diet this week, but I have tried to keep the junk food to a reduced amount. I had nuts, not candy, in the snack dish (the one that guests made a beeline for, even though I hadn't put it on the central counter yet--it seems they're conditioned from years past to go look for that little three-section crystal bowl with the hammered aluminum lid). I did eat a couple of pieces of pie (on two different days) and then I sent both sets of pie remains back to the ex's house yesterday so my son and his friends can polish it off over there this weekend. I had a bowl of mashed sweet potatoes for breakfast (no added sugar except for a few marshmallows on top) and I'm going to freeze some of the extra meat today so I don't feel obligated to eat turkey for the next week. I'll start that diet up again on Monday.

There's a lot I need to do, but I don't know if I'll get it all started today.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: maire-aine
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 11:19 AM

I put on a few pounds, but not all from Thanksgiving. It had been creeping back for a while. But I have resolved to do better, beginning today. Most of the turkey went into the freezer, the sweet potatoes had no sugar added (just cinnamon & nutmeg), and the pie went home with my friend. I only keep sugar-free candies in the dish, and I've added peppermints for the holidays.

I have decided not to bake a dozen kinds of cookies this year. I will fix spiced or seasoned nuts, and give those as gifts.

M

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 11:22 AM

Since Rog had to work yesterday, we are running to the store for a couple of items. Other than that, this is a do nothing day with a huge sigh of relief.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 02:11 PM

Another blue screen so I went in and did some more work. Looked at the monitor settings and dumbed it down from a gaming platform (I don't need all of that 3-D stuff) and I also uninstalled the free AVG software (it always fails as I'm clicking on a new page, leading me to believe that AVG is trying to check the site in a way that doesn't conform with how Windows wants to operate). I installed instead a program they use at the university and make available for staff to use on home computers (so we don't infect our office work from home).

Nice day out. I'll try to spend some time out there before dark, taking the dogs for a walk. We all need the exercise! I had another turkey sandwich for lunch, and made some boiled eggs so I can have a chef's salad (with turkey, of course) for dinner.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 02:49 PM

Well, we came back from errands and I could not face another day of being in the house AND doing nothing, mostly due to depression. The meds must be kicking in, because I had Rog help me empty my grandma's trunk, putting some stuff to keep in the other trunk with other keepsakes, then lined the artwork out of the first trunk up on the couch so I can take pix to send to my dau. back East so she can tell me which pieces she wants. Those are her Christmas presents this year. I found a couple of collectible posters in there which I will list on ebay after doing some research. I am cautiously optimistic...it feels as though a fog is lifting off my brain.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 04:26 PM

Ummmmmm................ graaaaay day..... blue........... still got out in bright cloudy-AM to force a few more chainlink parts into place. Blew both shoulders........... edited a ton of Hardi's submissions for a new players' book, together, braindead............. got a whole 15 minutes in on MY project........... all day was 6 steps back, 1 step forward. But I did score a winwinwin on a puder solitaire game on first run-thru, THAT was nice.... it's all good, it just don't FEEL that way...........

Hm.... OK-- Threw out a large yogurt-containerfull of ex-chainlink scrap metal. THAT is an achievement-- it means I can put the rest away where it goes; I also get a trashcan lid back that I needed now that it's not a temp holder! :~)

~S~a

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Penny S.
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 04:39 PM

Got up fiendishly early for the builder - the work will be done the week after next, and cost £700 ish. The surveyor never mentioned the evidence of the leak, which is very obvious, and I would certainly have haggled the house price down a bit if I had known about it. It had a bodged repair, and an attempt to hide it. But a surveyor should have seen it.

And I have pulled my back while carrying stuff up the stairs.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 05:34 PM

UK? In the US we hire an inspector who is certified to find and report issues like that.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 10:49 PM

Tonight I parked my car maybe 1/2 mile from church and walked. After church I walked around town taking lots of photos of the small town Christmas windows. I had some meditation tunes going on my iPod, there was a chill in the air and it was a lovely night for a walk. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: maire-aine
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 12:41 AM

Went to a house concert this evening. There was a brief open-mic at the beginning, then the featured (local) entertainer. There were a lot of very old songs, and we did a lot of singing along. Great fun.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 05:57 AM

Progress.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 08:49 AM

Loads more stuff pulled out of the spare room. Getting stuff together to make a bean bag mattress which can be stuffed into a shaped sac to use as chair. Need it to do double duty when we have guests for Christmas. Folding bed purchased and collected from Argos.

Another lot of crafty bits to be sorted through to go to colleague's girl guides and basket load of ironing today.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 01:36 PM

My husband and I make an incredible team!!! We spent 2.5 - 3 hours totally cleaning out one of the sheds (10 x 16) and rearranging. We also dug out the Christmas gear...took 2 truckloads to get it all down to the house. I think I mentioned before that we haven't really decorated since Veronica was taken....it's been 5 years now and we're ready to really do it up big!

Whew. Lots of work done today in a short amount of time. I feel great!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 01:51 PM

Warm and humid day, overcast. Looks and feels like rain. I'd better get some of my outdoor stuff out of the way soon.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 03:50 PM

Just in from helping to load, unload and stack a face cord of firewood for the week. :) Today is absolutely perfect weather wise!!! Another incentive to get all the outside work finished today is that Deer Season begins tomorrow morning. Our neighborhood, in the middle of nowhere, is ringing loudly with the sounds of gunshot already. The NJ people, who have a cabin down at the end of our road, have arrived by helicopter and have been busy buzzing the mountainside this afternoon looking for deer (which they are scaring away) and giving rides. Between the helicopter flying very low and loud in the sky and all the gas drilling going on around here, I'm afraid the folks hunting nearby are going to be very disappointed. And let's not forget that most people (on our mountain) have now posted their land...HEAVILY. Across the frontage of our property, there are about 15 NO HUNTING/NO TRESSPASSING signs and we are far from being alone.

Anyway, we've had a good day getting things done and now are taking a break...I smell popcorn and hear deep breathing in the near future!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 04:35 PM

I wish I could do the firewood thing, but my fireplace is not well designed and it puffs a lot of smoke into the house. I have the grate in place to support a board and a candle rack. I find the light of candles burning in there gives the same general look to the room, so I buy cheap candles at year-end sales and garage sales.

This afternoon I decided to take down the tomato crop. It wasn't ripening the way I hoped; some of them were going from green to soft without getting red, and there were mites making a home on one part of the wall of green. This fall crop was not a great one; lots of tomatoes, yes, but the snails got all of the early ones and the frost was too soon for the rest to ripen. I'll start the fall crop much earlier next year.

I've pulled out some lights and am working on setting up a couple of shrubs, and then I'll go over to the local garden center to pick up replacement bulbs for one string of the big old fashioned bulbs.

Taking my son out for dinner tonight, to sit down and discuss college options. At home it's too easy for him to be distracted by things. He has to decide to take over the work on this, and I have to be supportive, but I can't do it for him. So we'll talk about what he wants to do and we'll work from there. It has to be finished in the next 3 weeks. He has a full scholarship offered from one school, due to his good grades and national scholar standing. And several others as much as saying they'll let him go fully funded, but the top of the top Tier 1 schools, while they may also have the funding, we have to work harder to get it. But they're in reach. That's what we need to talk about.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 05:25 PM

Hey SRS,

   We haven't used our furnace in 3 or 4 years now...we use a woodstove instead. Last year we added a pellet stove...which I LOVE!

Congratulations to your son for his scholarships..that's GREAT! I think you have a good idea about going out...sometimes it's much easier to talk when you are away from the distractions at home. Here's hoping it goes well!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 12:40 AM

For some reason I can't convince him that it is worth the effort to get the paperwork done to apply to these big schools. He's eligible, they're sending mail by the wheelbarrow full. I am about ready to try the dope slap. Or beg. He has one offer of a full scholarship already, and I think he can get full funding at one of these top 10 schools. He has no plans--that's the problem. So why work so hard on AP classes and tests at all? This is a conundrum.

Lights are up on a couple of the front yard shrubs, one spot left to do later this week.

Busy week coming up. I may not get much else done around here.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 01:19 AM

The bottles of water were bought in such quantity that we have enough for the next two concerts after this one - they don't go 'off' until 2011... so the clutter is not as temporary as I'd like.

Busy day crafting today and then a final clear up before Christmas. Got an awful lot of little bits to tidy.

Did manage to declutter the spare spare Christmas pudding... found a taker for it, but still have one left.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 10:35 AM

Warm-weather clothes went upstairs into the waiting, zippered storage wardrobe today. It all fit in there..... Some of it will be purged in the spring when I get a fresh look at it.

And hopefully the funeral outfits will stay up there for awhile, tho there was another call yesterday. I guess I'll bring down the winter funeral dress. The pore old jacket portion isn't gonna hold up much longer, but I have dark pants and a sweater just back from the seamstress (finally) to go with them.


I'm so frustrated with the whole clothes thing. MY personal program is about making the weight loss as SLOW as possible. It isn't perceptible to others yet, who see me all the time... I don't care about that, but it's so unfair-- the "I'm so fat today" feeling can come as much from skin loosened by weight loss as it does from ADDING a few pounds, and I can't really tell, myself, unless I put on the older (tighter) clothes and see them fit looser.

But it just makes it hard to want to buy new things, tho I am OUT enough nowadays to be wearing out my ancient (or cheap-fabric) clothes again. To buy or not to buy? What a pain in the ass!

I'm hanging up on display, a new motivator-- a blouse I used to love wearing, that may fit again someday. The style is totally outdated but I remember being that SIZE. I'm putting it in my office where a dark corner on the wall needs to be brightened (white blouse).

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 10:36 AM

Rog and I mucked out our bedroom yesterday morning. We'd planned it and it came off without a hitch. It felt so good to want to do it AND to be able to really help. We changed sheets, washed bedding, put away a huge pile of clean clothes, swept the floor, fixed the dog's bed, put stuff away. Morgan came over later. I told him to go take a look as he still will take a little nap back there sometimes. He was pretty funny. He came out with his jaw dropped open, then told me he was going to leave it that way "forever" as he was so impressed!

SRS, I wish there was something I could say which might help with motivating your son. My son was the same way, though, even younger and more so. It came too easily for him and he got bored so why would he want to continue school? That was his thinking no matter. We were going through some rough patches so I don't think we talked about it as much and I know he didn't have as much support from us because of what was going on, but if it's any use, tell your son that my son regrets not pursuing college. He's happy in his chosen profession, but I know he thinks about it and has looked into taking a few classes for his own enjoyment, now.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 12:55 PM

I think he'll go to school, I just want him to realize that he can go to the top if he wants. His counselor agrees. We spoke this morning. This school's number of Tier 1 candidates has been fairly small, but she thinks my son is easily in that group. This really is an exciting time--I don't want to diminish it--I want him to open his eyes. He has an offer for a fully paid scholarship, 4 years at the University of New Mexico. That isn't bad, and if it is all there is, it will be just fine. But I think he can go all the way to the top.

It was very helpful to talk to this counselor, and I'm going to pass that along to my son this evening. We're so close!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 12:56 PM

F now has a dogbed in my office, and I got some WORK done, too. This daily-schedule thing WORKS! :~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 01:37 PM

I wouldn't get anything done if my dogs were in the house. They're house trained re piddling but they're not great because they're so curious and want to look at and sniff everything. Last winter we had a couple of really cold nights, so I put some towels down on the carpet in my bedroom and had the dogs come in. They lay on the carpet and were happy and quiet, but the moment I turned off the light they were up and sniffing the entire room. Like it would have been rude to do this when the light was on? I could hear toenails on the floor and jingling collar tags for about five minutes, and I was lying in bed laughing to myself, the bed shaking, but trying not to encourage them. They abruptly finished, lay down, and were asleep for the night. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 02:18 PM

And I get much more done when F is in and with me-- he's quite the observer/service-minded companion, but S is not yet old enough/settled enough for an indoor doggie. She mostly exercises F. :~) She can be the couch potato when she gets a little older (or I get more allday active).

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Penny S.
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 03:35 PM

I employed a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors surveyor to do a medium value survey on the property - lowest merely acknowledges for the lender of the mortgage that the property exists and is not falling down. Top level guarantees much more, but this was several hundred pounds.

I don't mind him missing the immersion heater and associated problems, not his job to do electricals and plumbing. But the signs of the leak were there to be seen - if he had lifted the board over the rotten cupboard floor, or looked up at the bodged ceiling - I'm wondering where the vendor's daughter was standing, as I was shepherded about carefully.

I shall be writing. I have photographs. He had spotted the roof was soon going to need fixing, and the bottom of the down pipe was damaged.

Today I went over, quite by chance. I intended to go out briefly and get food I could eat without having to stand over the cooker, but the town was gridlocked.

Yesterday there was a fire in the Blackwall Tunnel, which takes commuter traffic from Kent into the City of London. It was closed. The Woolwich Ferry which does some of the same was only running one boat. The traffic jam stretched back fifteen miles to my town. It joined with the jam at the Dartford Tunnel, backed up with extra traffic which had heard about Blackwall, and str5etched back to Gravesend. Enough people came off the motorways to block all the local roads.

So I went over to the new place. It was raining hard, but no water was coming out of the drainpipe which runs through the fuse cupboard. It was running down the outside of the pipe. Investigation showed that this was a new pipe into which a narrower pipe ran, and was not sealed. I went to get some duct tape and a step ladder, and found that the pipe was full of water. After investigating local shops, I realised I had something useful at home.

Back through the traffic for an old plastic curtain rail and some old washing machine hoses. And a small stool to sit on.

After some time of poking with the rail, and twisting with one of the hoses (not connected to a tap), I removed mud, and small gravel from the flat roof, until, all of a sudden, out burst clean water. Over my right foot. So the leak should now be less of a problem.

Silly thing for the previous occupiers not to have done themselves.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: Penny S.
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 03:39 PM

And I still have the back.

Subject: RE: BS: 11-09/De-clutter & Accountability report
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Dec 09 - 10:35 AM

Working again on schedule-- think I'm gonna get dog and work and groceries up there today, and maybe get the laptop working online, too. I have a lot of handouts I need to print up there, the easy way.

The LR puder-area looks/acts less and less like an office, which is GOOD.

~S~