Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Oct 18 - 08:35 PM

DP-- whew!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 31 Oct 18 - 04:53 PM

Beaver:

BEDBUGS! R washed everything that was washable and dried in high heat. Put the bed legs in qt. yogurt containers with diatomaceous earth, Made a tent over the bed and heated it to a very high heat, carefully! No more bedbugs in the last month!!! Determination!

The BR looks decent the Victorian parlor looks great - if he replaced the rag on the floor with a half decent carpet. "Wow, that's a beautiful sofa!" I had not seen it for the junk! Right! in 8 years!

The rest, I have not seen but he has been working like a fiend. Guess he needs to be pressed to the wire.

I made a trip: "To the dump, to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump!" Thinking of youse guys and chuckling as I sang. Got rid of a bunch of dumpage, picked up two pumpkins and put them in the woods for the critters. The dump is a friendly place. That's where I obtained the nice lamp by which I read in bed. There were 3; I took the other two to a thrift shop.

Managed to get the license plate off the car - with Larry's help and went to Service ON for replacements - the front one had disappeared - sometime in last couple years but I never noticed; someone else did. I asked a police officer about it and he told me I really did need one in front also (not in Quebec). The nice clerk suggested I update to new stickers for 2020 - saves a trip back! Both plates are now firmly affixed!

Printer refused to behave yesterday; after an hour on the phone with Epson, "JUST send me another one!" So they are. I went to the Library today and Shirley managed to print out my ballot for WA state. The derelict printer agreed to scan it and it is safely emailed to Island County. This also required a phone consult with my shocked DiL - you are calling in the middle of the day - at her work! She agreed it was important that I needed to know more of the WHOs. She is so proud of me for making the effort! Likewise!

With this success, I then tried to book an airbnb for next week. This was also successful - after a great deal of pain and a complaint, last week, to airbnb: "This is the only device I have; I have used it and only it to book before. How come you cannot recognize it!!!" Oh, that was in furious caps. Now they want me to tell them things. I SHALL! That's three times they have screwed me up.

Yesterday's printer escapade had me feeling unfit to live in the 21st century.

Moved a couple more things to the "storage van", making room for a plastic container for stuff I have been having trouble storing.

Never made it the 20 feet to the studio today. Everything is covered that needs to be; tomorrow... It was pouring most of the day. Time for supper and a book.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 18 - 11:11 AM

One of my older portable external hard drives has a cable with a break in the rubberized casing, but ordering a replacement took research. It turns out that inch-long 5/8th inch thick lumpy device on the cable is a ferrite bead, meant to reduce noise as far as data transmission. Not absolutely necessary, but helpful. The replacement will be a bit longer than the current one, but if this one had been longer the break might not have happened. Better to spend $5 to replace the cable than $80 to replace the hard drive. (Much of this research starts with Wikipedia.)

More important paperwork completed yesterday; too bad it was the last of the nice weather for a couple of days. I gave myself until the end of the month to finish all of the retirement research and paperwork. Cross that off the to-do list.

I have a shopping list to work from today as I run errands with a route that takes me past places where I have soon-expiring coupons. One for the hardware store - I don't have anything on my list right now from there, but I'm sure I will find something useful and save that $5. Seeds or a plant maybe. $20 at my favorite shoe store (I can always buy socks), and $30 at Macy's, a forgotten gift card. Switching to Costco for some of my shopping means I'll have to work out my routes to include a trip past one of their locations when I need gas.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Oct 18 - 04:46 PM

OH:

Thanks to having help earlier today, the decluttering has continued on my own, with reference to routine, planned Tuesday work-- though I sure didn't FEEL like doing more!

A set of store bags I use when I shop via scooter has been reassembled and hung on the back door. Also the bag of glove compartment stuff plus car trash after last week's trip and car-swap has been sorted out, and is also hung on the back door.

Last week's laundry and yesterday's laundry are now put away.

The kitchen table is shaping up for grazing and hosting. The apple basket is now the apples/powerbars/raisins basket. A citrus basket holds clementines and lemons in a flat, airy configuration to prevent mold, and limes are coming soon. A tray holds root veg where there's not too much light. The banana hanger our PA neighbor Blair made is now in routine use. And there's still space all the way around the table to pull up a chair and use the table.

I now have all items on hand for fruit fly traps, if they start up again.

A great byproduct of Deb helping me declutter this AM is that she now has a great sense of where things are kept.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Oct 18 - 01:48 PM

OH:

With Senior Helper Deb:
. Un-needed cable TV parts returned for refund
. Cruiser unloading finished (scooter for heavy bags), and items set at doorways of destination rooms
. Cruiser seating areas restored; hatch shelf restored; car tools and pillows gathered into hatch
. Household clutter left from trip and illness cleared up
. Trash out to curb including 2 bags of yard waste I hope they'll take
. Kayak accessories placed in closed bin and set with kayak
. Misc items from cargo put away
. LR table covered with everyday vinyl tablecloth
. 2/3 of crockpotted chix bagged for freezer
. Flat crockpot stowed
. December travel sked set
. Local source found for masarepa in 5lb bags
. Canister for 5lb bags identified
. Bathroom cleaned and kitchen counters cleaned

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Oct 18 - 11:15 AM

I had to buckle my virtual office chair seatbelt yesterday and finish filling out paperwork to do with retirement benefits. The process of retiring seems to be one of gathering as many revenue streams as possible, and one of them needed some adjustment (updated address) so when it kicks in it won't be misdirected due to an obsolete post office box. I have another set of similar paperwork to fill out and dispatch today. I set a goal to finish all of this by the end of the month.

This morning I cut up some red onions to freeze on a tray and later bag for convenience in cooking. I'd forgotten how very strong those things are! I wasn't wearing gloves so now the onion smell is wafting up from my keyboard. There is a large sweet potato baking in the convection oven to use for several meals, and I have a couple more waiting to be baked soon, but then I should be to the point of harvesting a few of my own garden potatoes soon—and they're usually giants. I'm having to be careful how much I make ahead now because I've resumed the alternate-day fasting (today is a 500 calorie day) and food gets old before I get to it if I get too far ahead of myself. Motivation comes from recent weight gain and the consequences for my arthritic knee (it hurts more).

Yard work this afternoon ahead of the predicted rain tomorrow. Lately it isn't just that there is rain in the forecast and I might get some, now it seems to be there is rain in the forecast and one must prepare for a deluge. I know, however, that my deluge is ice and snow for many of the rest of you (this is apparently a robust front covering much of the middle of the North American continent), so batten down the hatches, all!

As to the bed bugs, fingers crossed none of us ever have to go there. A friend had to bag up everything he owned that wasn't affected by them then get a new bed and have exterminators in and use the steam, etc. It took several months before he could unpack.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: mg
Date: 30 Oct 18 - 12:47 AM

forgot about or never knew about the bedbugs. My advice to everyone is only have as much stuff as you can handle, emotionally, physically, financially, if you get bedbugs. i would google steam cleaning bedbugs and get the most powerful steamer you can afford.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 08:10 PM

DP, but is the house he's clearing the one with bedbugs? What's your plan to keep them from traveling?

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 06:35 PM

Beaver:

Happy to have energy today: trimmed pots that I threw a few days ago and threw a bunch more. I love throwing pots, not so much the trimming and not at all the aching shoulder and back. Reminds of Leonard Cohen, "I ache in places where I used to play." Rather dif "play" than he had in mind. But I enjoy it so much.   

The snow is still melting and the air was moist with flurries. I finally brought in four sticks of wood but a bunch of snow fell in my shoe and I said, "tomorrow!" I'm ok for another couple days. Sun (????) predicted for tomorrow!!! Working on the pain in back and shoulder resulting from today's efforts.

Ho, ho, ho! I am having nothing to do with R's de-cluttering. Not my monkey... If he pulls this off, the move could start in mid november. I am torn between wanting some input and wanting to just stay out of the way. I can only hope this has taught him... I once worked in a senior's centre and posted "You can teach an old dog anything it is willing to learn."

If he does not, --- we will not go there! I am happy here in our warm little house.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 06:27 PM

OH:

Couldnt sleep so up at 5:30 three hoyrs early.

Got my debit account caught up and grocery list made. Lots to restock-- bladder infection plus weekend trip = empty pantry and food storage bags. Went to USPS first to mail Greg an item he'd left in the car I picked up, but they opened late so had a delay there. Then I had an unusually peaceful and helpful Walmart trip with a rare, fully-charged scooter. Fridge items came in and chix was started in the crockpot. Still need pork and beef for the usual rotation, but enough!!!

Noticed again that the recent repair of the garage patio door is FABULOUS.

Aftn, short but deep chair nap. Then lengthy combat w cable company:

Good news/bad news on cable TV here. Good news: we keep NBCSN within the rate already quoted, despite its mistaken inclusion by the salesperson I'd spoken to for the promotional deal, who they say mysteriously "canceled" the tv service the 17th (no wonder Brandon couldn't get signal!) Bad news: she never said they had 2 set top box options (live or dvr), and dvr is extra. Of course we want dvr, and I tried hard for discounted billing... but no cigar.... so the total rate goes from the $84 she'd quoted into $90's. Other news-- I'm FINALLY now set up for online bill paying when desired. UCK!!!! Five-department clusterf*ck!

Brandon was due "after 6" for kayak stowing, so I suited up to prep and spent a lovely hour or two ferrying groceries from the car to the front step via scooter, using my very sore left shoulder/arm as little as possible. I used the scooter to push the trash/recycle bins, to permit more kayak-maneuvering space around the car. Cleaned trash/recycling out of car. Moved dead brush around the camper for more space.

Then I spent the crisp and beautiful dusk-falling time, scoping out future plantings, with multiple short videos from several angles to share ideas with Judy.

Also replanted a windblown election sign and planted two more (senior svcs ballot issue). I got cold and went in to warm up and charge the fone-- so of course that's when Brandon showed up.

It's been fun driving everywhere with a pretty kayak on top, but the kayak is now finally unloaded into the garage. I described the method and coached the initial steps. Then....

Brandon: "How.... do we carry it?"
Me: "Um.... I see one strap to grab but none for the bow.... hmm..." So he swivels it a leetle bit towards himself and catches it-- before it finishes rotating stern to ground in the prescribed method-- hugs it to his chest at the balance point-- and walks it into its waiting spot in the garage. Took longer to type it than to do it. My jaw is still in the driveway.

No more cold rain dripping onto my shoulder (and the passenger seat) when I drive, from the tarp straps that pass over my head. Yeah, Columbus' rainy rush hour Friday was pretty wet. Done!

Senior helper to complete cargo unloading tmrw. I'll probably use the scooter to save her back-- it's supposed to be another pretty fall day. There ain't been many, so I'll take it!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 10:37 AM

Purging files and shredding old documents continued, resulting in more space on the floor (two emptied boxes removed) and desktops (work in progress, because as I work on files things are temporarily added to the desktop).

Food preservation activity has slowed since the garden isn't producing much now. I'm going to pick a bunch of the hot peppers and slice and freeze them (though often times I simply freeze them whole and seed them later when they've thawed; they're like oblong green and red marbles when frozen). I started cutting down the non-producing okra stalks and I think the rest will probably come out this week, giving me access to the sweet potatoes in the bed beneath. There are some green tomatoes out there, but those plants have struggled this year with the rain and an infestation of stink bugs. I'm going to be putting out beneficial nematodes heavily in that bed to try to kill the soil-stage of the beetle life cycle.

Today begins a seasonal battery exchange: my dogs are due their monthly heartworm treatment, so at the same time I'm going to take their collars with the Invisible Fence devices and check and change those batteries if needed. And next weekend, when the time changes (Standard Time) I have a batch of fresh 9V batteries to replace all of the smoke detector batteries (they are wired + battery). That's five of them in bedrooms and a hall; I gave up on having a smoke detector anywhere near the kitchen, though I could put one up in the sun room. I may even add a sticker to each battery noting when it was replaced.

It's a great day to walk the dogs so while their collars are off (I have to wait a few minutes after removing the old batteries to put the fresh batteries in) we'll take a spin around the block. There's a pecan tree I keep any eye on this time of year for the nuts it drops on the street. I asked them if I could pick them up in his yard and he said yes. Most of the ones harvested in the neighborhood are shelled as dog treats. Back when they were young they used to gobble them up shell and all, but now they get whole unsalted peanuts for a treat and the pecans are less often and always shelled.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Oct 18 - 01:07 PM

Yesterday, Stratford got a southern version of the weather system that dumped four inches of snow on Dorothy; it rained and grizzled all day, with a snell wind blowing the whole time and the still air temperature hovering just above freezing. My barometric ankles hurt like the dickens when I got up and never improved until quite late in the afternoon. Most unpleasant.

I made a large apple pie and a batch of brown rice pilaf with mushrooms for our little dinner party, so, with that and the remains of the cassoulet, we now have a fridge full of delicious ready-use food.

Like Maggie, I'm pleased to read that Dorothy is seeing progress toward selling the house. Nothing concentrates the mind of a pack-rat like the reality of having to move excess stuff -- or pay a moving crew to do it, in cold, hard cash.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Oct 18 - 11:54 AM

I've always have a lot to keep me busy, but what I need to do is motivate myself to work on a schedule so I get it done more quickly than I have so far. For some things, like paperwork, I can schedule it at times when there are radio programs I routinely listen to. This morning I listened to my gardening guru and now an NPR program about economics is on, so I'm doing more filing, shredding, etc.

Dorothy, I'm pleased to read that R. is motivated to clear out the house and get it sold. You'll both be so much happier once that's out of the way and not cluttering the mental radar. When will you start moving things into the new house?

This morning I came across a bunch of documents to do with when I bought and first moved into this house; papers I no longer need because accounts have changed, etc. They're going in the burn barrel. And as part of the file clear-out comes more book clear-out. I have back copies of journals where I was published and they really need to go into the book shelves, so to make room books I read once and enjoyed but have no plan to read again are going in the stack to head to the used bookstore.

Another set of papers that I need to deal with are those small scribbled notes on backs of envelopes, post-it notes, etc. They build up under the computer monitor, on the kitchen counter, on the second desk. The contact information I needed, the new password, etc. needs to be transcribed to a larger durable notebook and the scraps of paper go into the shredded. Quite a few of those are now history in the cross-cut shredder.

Last night I finished emptying the library magazine holder and am now using it for draft versions of documents I've designed. There have been times in the interview process when interviewers ask to see samples of documents in progress, so these are trotted out. Those drafts are usually large and bulky (from the printer and not trimmed, etc.) so the holder is a great place to corral them. I see another box on the floor next to where that was, and it's full of stuffed manila envelopes. I predict more burning-barrel fodder.

My radio program will end in a few minutes, so it's time to turn my attention to mowing the front lawn and preparing the area where I will pour concrete to fix my front path. And dig the hole for the fence post.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 28 Oct 18 - 08:25 AM

Beaver:

This morning the long impending precipitation showed up - about 4 inches of snow (will post a pic on FB). Now I feel better. This weather sensitive syndrome has plagued me all my life. "If only it would rain and get it over with!" This snow was a surprise - beautiful! but it will soon melt away. Happiness is having finally gotten the snow tires on (Friday!).

And the three potted cherry trees are safely under a blanket of leaves that Larry brought me on Friday. They really need to be protected until spring when, hopefully, they can be planted - at the "new house"? or ???

Robin has been working like a fiend clearing the Montreal house of the ... that I have been complaining about for ?? years. About 10 people are waiting to see the house. Two have seen it and made offers! But no idea what the offers are. He continues to cook himself decent meals. YAY!

So, Maggie has found enough to do to keep her busy in retirement!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Oct 18 - 09:53 PM

Today I bit the bullet and joined Costco. Family members have bragged about it for years, though they haven't taken the trouble to learn of comparable low-cost grocery locations like those I use. My various stores save a lot of money over your standard large one-stop name-brand carry-every-brand-size-and-flavor grocery store (Albertson's, Kroger, Tom Thumb, Publix, etc.). I used to belong to Sam's Club, but stopped paying the annual fee when I didn't go there often (after the kids went away to college). I occasionally go to Sam's Club after printing their day pass (with a 5% upcharge) for a few bulk products like my allergy medicine and fiber capsules; these are things that Costco also carries. The thing that makes a difference, that I think makes the annual fee break even, is the price of their gasoline. I filled up at the store today and saved 50 cents a gallon. I always record my purchase and today versus a few days ago was that much cheaper. We haven't had a sudden radical price drop of gas in this region.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 18 - 03:55 PM

OH:

In 1.5 hours, Brandon and I:

. Brought in, hooked up, troubleshot TV/cable-- need free cable svc call.
. Recovered password off notebook to restore Google acct-- I need to enter it into password doc
. Installed spring-activated door catch on people door to garage from patio. This did not resolve problem, so--
. Adjusted strike plate with clever use of Mortite where there is zero wood for 2nd screw
. Repaired suddenly awful garage door closer mechanism, with 2 pairs of eyes to spot issue and one clever set of fingers to reattach hardware that had popped off
. Planned garage space for kayak to unload on a dry day "soon"
. Planned exact spot for Euonymus he's moving
. Stowed 3 full bags of deadwood he'd picked up ydy-- 2 in trash barrel and one next week to go in barrel
. Eyeballed garden tools and soil amendment items on hand
. Established where household tools, tape, mortite, and garden tools live
. Brought in stealables, meds, and washables from Cruiser
. Cleared a back seat for Newbie
. Set up timesheet memo in my fone for a rolling tab
. Dried the wet gloves he'd left here ydy out in the rain
. Set Judy's vacuum clnr by her bins
. Entertained Newbie.

I ended up with both garage doors functioning normally without specoal fixes to teach senior helpers, and doors I can enter from either direction without having to remember if it's locked from the other side. YAY for grocery mgmt via Bowman driveway parking-- instead of slippery clay to traverse getting between house and Ridgebury driveway. Also no more having to step off curb for street parking. Front parking is now restored to visitor use!

With one more week of sorting files in the garage, I can park in the garage. Only need to move wheelbarrow and pillow bag to fit kayak plus car. Yay!

BRANDON, OTOH, has fall yard work to complete! :-) ??

A "senior helper" can finish Cruiser unloading Tuesday.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Oct 18 - 11:35 AM

There's a new small stack of papers for the burn barrel, once the yard dries out enough that exposure to the lawn won't cause my small barrel to start rusting. I worked on one file drawer so far, removing things I no longer need from work but at the same time creating a couple of succinct files of my personnel documents in case anyone at the university finally gets around to suing the woman in charge of my old department. She has it coming.

Clearing the files has of course meant that things on the desk can now be filed and I can see patches of wood again, though several ongoing tasks are stacked there awaiting my attention. A new freelance job came in yesterday that will join the files on top.

Oh, wait, I see some journal storage boxes on the floor with folders in them - possibly things to go into the file cabinet. But there are four file drawers here (and two more in the closet) to work with. I brought home things from work that I simply didn't want to leave behind, but that may not need to be retained.

I just dove into the bottom drawer of the first cabinet I've been weeding from and found a collection of article ideas that I still would like to pursue. Time to brush those off and update the research. These look wonderful - a gift to my future (now present) self!

I have a list of workmen I need to bring in and the electrician is moving to the top of the list. I've fixed the ceiling heater (the fan post needed lubrication) and replaced bulbs in a fixture over the sink, but now I need someone to replace the doorbell (it has needed replacing for ages) and to work on a plug on the back porch that is connected through the bathroom ground fault switches (odd). When the porch plug gets wet (the box needs replacing with a waterproof cover) it pops the breaker that also controls the breaker wall plugs in both bathrooms. I have to repoint brick on the house, starting back near that outdoor plug, because I think it is water splashing in with each rain event. A friend did some repointing recently and shared the instruction videos. It's slow but relatively easy work. With each task that needs doing here, I have to back up a couple of steps to figure out WHY those tasks need doing. :-/

Oh - I made the call to the guy who painted new reflective house numbers on the curb at a friend's house. They are simple black and white and really pop off the curb. In the conversation with the painter (who has to wait till it dries out more and I'm on the waiting list) he sent me a link to his business Facebook page with the fancy colors and school and community logos he does for people, but I want the black and white and nothing else. I told him he can add a photo of my curb to his collection - it seems that adding a photo of the most basic black and white job never occurred to him.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 18 - 11:21 PM

I've been moving a couple of chairs and experimenting with lamps for a reading space myself; sometimes I sit on the sofa, but often times I sit on a rocker with a rocking footstool that is behind the sofa and next to a small table with a lamp. But the tablet doesn't need a lamp, so then I use a different light source to avoid glare. There's a science to getting that all perfect.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Oct 18 - 07:00 PM

I moved all the sitting room furniture around today, working up quite a sweat while I tried to achieve good reading light on all the comfy chairs and clear passage to the door. Himself is accustomed to such upheavals after 20 years, so he took himself off to the library and left me to it.

It's better now, and the sofa doesn't skid any more. I win.

I also made a jeezly great cassoulet today, for a dinner party on Saturday, and did the laundry.

I don't think I so much as poked my nose out the door.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 25 Oct 18 - 01:46 PM

Beaver:

Something seems to have de-cluttered my energy; I did my volunteer work of reading the newspaper on line for the sight impaired and left the building squinting. Something in the air... 2 hours later am in recovery and trying to re-boot!

Also trying to get tires changed for winter and "my guy" is BUSY! I will feel better when that is done. Love my car but it will not drive on any snow at all without snow tires. So I am feeling crippled, in a sense. NO, it has not snowed yet but there was a cover the other morning that would have precluded any trip out had it not melted.

Pottery thrown two days ago is over-dry so having to re-moisten AND push for energy to trim. Would love to throw more...

That "new" table sounds like a good idea, Maggie! Of course, it is always a temptation to clutter such a space! As R "disappeared" our K table! Such a good place to lay out piles of papers...

I am feeling good about improvements in clearing BR; not so much getting rid of but organizing better and even did a couple small projects to lighten the load. Stuffed the remains of 3 mohair sweaters under the same cabinet where I found the fringe from my mexican rug/wall hanging after the critters de-fringed it! If the want cosy...! Have a plan for the pieces of sweater I salvaged.

Under the heading of things not to de-clutter: when I left PA for the west coast I doubted the need for changing of tires and left the spare rims(and tires) with a friend for his son. I actually could have used snow tires on Whidbey! And it is cheaper/faster to have them changed if they are on rims! Now the car is 15 years old... Wonder if I could find some second hand... Pete keeps asking, "are they on rims?" Could have had it done by now if the were. And I would not be feeling kind of unable to keep on until this important task is complete.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 18 - 12:12 PM

Once again from the office window my gaze overlooks a cloudy, sodden world. My phone map app finally seems to have figured out that I'm not driving to the workplace any more - it simply informs me that there is "light traffic in your area." But I'm not headed anywhere this drippy morning. There's plenty indoors to keep me busy.

The large box I got out for an eBay shipment is way too large, so I'll explore the possibility of cobbling two smaller boxes together or buying one closer to the right size. Since I have been able to recycle boxes or use the free USPS priority boxes it's rare that I have to search for the right size to purchase. Except for the rain sometimes ruining the boxes I can always look in the village recycle bin (and I still might - I'm waiting on a small vial of white enamel paint to touchup the item I'm working on now; later in the week when I go out to pick up the order I'll swing by the bins.)

To keep myself productive today I'll stagger the indoor chores, eBay boxes and paperwork. To have a bit less distraction I've put the cover over the dog door; Ms Blue Heeler was real yippy this morning. Maybe the cool weather energizes her. There's a muddy trail of footprints that needs mopping up.

I combat the gloom of gray days by giving the house a heartbeat—running the dishwasher, the washer, the dryer to do the various cleaning tasks in sequence. The sound of the radio or television might be sufficient but there are times when I'm trying to concentrate and those are distractions.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Oct 18 - 03:24 AM

SRS-- mystifuckified and intrigued! Trust I'm not high enough in Ohio for a Wasserman surprise! ;-)

Vacay Date:

Last one of THESE drives I'll have to make! Swapping van with srmipermanent trailer for coupe with kayak and cargo. Nice timing-- bush-moving Brandon can unload the kayak tmrw when I zoom back in time for his available 4pm Friday slot.

I forgot to ask him to offload the scooter ramp from the van Tuesday night. Oh well. Later tdy I get to play Tourist Leaf-Peeper again with Greg.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Oct 18 - 09:53 PM

Three hours spent on a volunteer phone bank for my candidate. Hard work, actually. You really have to be on your toes.

Parcel finally in the mail to WYSIWYG. Won't take up much space; it came up in an earlier thread. I didn't even open it - just forwarded it, so I hope it's the right parcel. :)

Watching the World Series - and wondering if Rumpelstiltskin is on the field - so many large beards. Beards are definitely a Thing these days. I remember a couple of decades ago when the Series was in San Francisco (the year of the earthquake?), there was one player with a big beard and it was remarked upon a lot. Now clean-shaven is in the minority. There are quite a few with the stubble look that I think is maintained by a standard clipper setting. /back on topic

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Oct 18 - 12:01 PM

Getting the hang of retirement, until a part-time job kicks in (at least - still looking): yesterday was gorgeous so I worked in the yard. The forecast was for rain today so I'm doing other stuff; volunteering at a political "pop up" headquarters this afternoon, then yoga this evening. Hopefully it's just a gentle rain; the weather radar wasn't a technicolor array, just green with little patches of yellow throughout.

Working here tomorrow, then going out with friends on Friday.

I'm kind of liking that new tall table in the kitchen.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 10:29 PM

OH:

Head Gardener Brandon sank my potted peony into a tub of insulating compost and mulch today, now that night temperatures are hitting 30. I'll water it and then cover it with wool blanketing in the garage's warm corner. He also loaded a few travel items for a short trip I'm taking tmrw.

And we tried to hook up the old analog TV or my notebook computer to the new cable box, but all the connectors were wrong. I'll pick up a small flat-screen during my trip, which I had hoped to avoid, but all the cabling is now in place and we had some good laughs getting that far. He works fast and smart, collaboratively.

Friday I'll get home in time for him to move a small Euonymus rom the patio to the front of the house, and a parrot cage as a garden feature to sit over the ground the shrub is coming out of. He's a real treat to work with.

Senior Helpers sent me a new helper today without advance notice. I loved her-- she way outdid Brittney-- but I still called a procedural foul on the agency. They'd promised not to do that. The cleaner arrives when I'm barely awske. I'm tired of training new people, and the county agency that contracts with them has a second agency to try if this one won't make her permanent. We made a bunch of arepas today.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 05:37 PM

It was an efficient afternoon and the weather was perfect t-shirt weather. I weeded the bed with the sweet potatoes, pulling mostly Bermuda grass out. I'm not ready to start poking around to find potatoes yet, I have a few I bought recently and they actually store pretty well in the ground as long as you know where they were planted. The vines will sprout if they're on the ground and give you lots of clusters of potatoes, so getting rid of weeds now makes it easier later to figure out where the vines are after the first frost kills them all.

I use two five-gallon paint buckets with lids to start composting kitchen waste; once one of those things is full the contents are awfully gooshy and I can pour them into the middle of the big compost heap in the back. I then cover it with a lot of weeds and pick up dog droppings around the yard to scatter on top. And my organic gardening guru recommends dog-dropping tea - a bucket of water and poo, soak for a little bit, then pour it over the compost and that repels the dogs. Zeke walked up and took a smell of the bucket and wrinkled his nose and made a funny noise as he backed away. Perfect.

I cut some more slabs off of the cactus stump; it's still good sized but next time I may use big mattock or an axe and take it down to ground level.

The next door fence work is almost finished, and the guy doing the job said today that they lost 12 days of work due to rain this month. That's huge for Texas. And it's supposed to rain again tomorrow, but so far it looks like only a one-day event. I'm going to begin my extension to link the two this weekend. We talked about my options and I think it'll go smoothly because they left it easy for me to tie mine into theirs.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 01:59 PM

I backslid some yesterday - at Goodwill I spotted a tall rectangular solidly built wood table for $20 that I could just fit in the SUV. Now it is given a polish once-over and is standing in my kitchen and everything on all sides around it are openable - fridge, cupboards, dishwasher, oven. It could be a middle-of-the-room staging area (the room is too small for anything but a very small island and the counter already has a peninsula). Or I could put it somewhere else in the house, it's a great size for working at and standing or sitting on a tall barstool.

Lovely weather finally. I have many outside tasks to perform this afternoon.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 11:58 AM

Beaver:

Our township does not have garbage pick up. Across the street they do; their taxes are higher; I am so glad I do not live across the street!

Interesting, Charmion, about the meals away from home. I am concerned that R eats out when I am not there, and has for many years. He is, happily, cooking some meals at home while de-cluttering the house in hopes of making it more saleable. He CAN do it and is even enjoying it - both clearing out the house and ...the frig!

One might wonder why I am not there, helping. It is NOT my clutter; I cannot sort it. I would want to sweep it ALL into a dumpster! 9 years ago, I put a stack of newspapers out of the parents mold filled house into the recycling bin. R and bro went to the house and came back in fits of - "You threw away...!!!!!" They had taken them back out.

Well, just think of his sense of accomplishment! And, just maybe, it will help keep the new house from being filled. That, and the fact that I promise him I will simply leave; I will not put up with living like this again.

This little house does not look like "Home Beautiful" But it is reasonably tidy and will be more so when I remove the things I am putting aside for "the new house". Energy permitting, I will store some of it in the VW van - which still has not moved in ... is it 3 years now?

Meanwhile, I lay awake most of the night, after 3 am, and re-thought the BR so, energy permitting, I will follow through on the new ideas, maybe even today. Re-thought some other things also. Went out this am with a large clear plastic "chip and dip" and transformed it into a garden of mosses and succulents. Looks nice! To take to the horticultural society tonight, along with the posters on Giant Hogweed and Wild Parsnip.

Delivered box of pottery to Jane this am. YAY! a box full gone! A debt paid. And a brain de-cluttered of the weight.

Really hoping for the energy to throw 20 or more mugs, transforming a bunch of clay into potentially useful items. The temp in in the 40s and the weather is heavy; I will have to be inspired to push the weight of the atmosphere away so I can work. The studio is warm enough.

I have yet to find a site that tells me how to deal with weather sensitivity. That day on the River set me up beautifully - all those negative ions! I once had an ionizer...

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 10:59 AM

Sodium really is a culprit in restaurant food. I can go days or weeks watching healthy levels as I enter meals into the food diary in My Fitness Pal (I use the free version and in particular use it to keep track of my daily intake of calcium and sodium) but once I add a fast food sandwich or commercially prepared dish, the sodium levels soar.

I have trash at the curb this morning and agree, that fresh water, electricity, trash pickup, and having a washer and dryer really make a civilization civilized. :) I've gone through spells of having to use the commercial laundromat and find it very efficient and a time to read while I wait for machines. I fold everything I take out of the dryer so it's ready to put away when I arrive home. But being able to walk into the smallest room in the house and put a load of laundry in to wash - that is luxury. I've lived places where we didn't have trash pickup; in those days I was recycling things at a center on campus and we had a burn barrel, and a neighbor who had a pig farm would stop by for the kitchen scraps, so there wasn't much to go into the "trash" per se. If someone was going to the dump they'd stop at neighbors and ask if they had anything to go. Social welfare on a different scale. (When I hired a 30-yard dumpster to work on clearing out my dad's estate every so often someone would knock and politely ask if they could add an old commode or some broken screen doors to the bin, and that was fine with me.)

The latest batch of muddy towels (line them up inside the dog door at the back of the house) has gone through the laundry. Even with those down to catch the worst I have a lot of mopping to do to clear the tracks off of the tile. In many ways life would be easier without that dog door, but the dogs would sure miss it.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 09:40 AM

It's garbage day in our leafy suburb, prime time for minor decluttering.

Among the many things I enjoy about city life in 21st-century Canada, municipal garbage pickup stands high in my esteem, right up there with potable tap water. I have plenty of friends and relations who live in rural areas that lack such services, so I understand what a privilege it is to haul the bags and boxes to the curb and expect it all to disappear before lunchtime, leaving only the blue plastic recycling bins asprawl on the grass.

The house feels lighter with its waste-paper baskets empty and the stack of newspapers gone from the corner of the hearthstone.

We took a trip to the States last week, which meant seven days of eating in diners, restaurants and the cafeteria at the Methodist Retreat Centre, home of the FSGW Getaway. I don't know what it is in commercially prepared food, but the inevitable result of one of these jaunts is five to ten pounds of weight gained through sheer bloat. Home food is salted, so it's not just sodium content. Stepping on the scale on Thursday gave me a real shock -- and almost all the extra poundage is already gone.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 08:17 AM

SRS, yes... indeed.

OH:

After 24+ years of helping to host leaf-peepers, today I get to be one myself. I even get to ride with a dear friend who prefers to do the driving, so it's all scenery for me. Next week I get to drI've so she can peep.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 12:31 AM

A quiet day of contemplation here. I learned that a close friend has a metastatic form of lung cancer and will probably go in for surgery next week and radiation for a long time to come. That causes one to sit back on their heels a bit.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Oct 18 - 12:10 PM

OH:

Silly me! I wasn't done with the cards! Not until I grabbed the only porta-storage container that might fit them, and had too much! And realized that I hadn't planned a Goodwill batch out of them! Yep, for a day or so, I was hoarding them.
.

Kept:
. One large milkcrate-ful of cards. All but a slim ziploc of mixed-occasion items are directly related to moving, or blank notes.
. Put away in bill-paying cubby: 1 thick handful of #10 envelopes

Goodwill, in ziplocs:
. One full bag of mixed envelopes;
. 1/2 bag of mixed Season's Greetings;
. 1/2 bag of mixed occasions.

The milk crate I'm keeping moves to the household mgmt corner of the LL, to start now on notes I'll mail later once I get labels. I'll take the whole crate to PA in December to write notes as farewells and thanksgivings occur, and mail as we depart. (Greg will write some there too.)

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Oct 18 - 12:02 PM

Morning exercise on this sunny day involved throwing dog toys for the two that retrieve, offering the opportunity to race around in the muddy turf. I walked out to the area where I want to do some garden work next but the ground is still too spongy. Might as well let the dogs run, they don't care.

Of course the sinuses have decided to be tender now that the weather is looking bright and autumn-like. Antihistamine taken, decongestant coming soon.

The fat lizard that was on my kitchen window screen for days has waddled away, stuffed with the moths I saw her catching (I conveniently left the light on over the sink so they were attracted to her location). Tiny little toads hopping around out there, and though the ground is squishy the world smells well-rinsed from the rain. And if you wonder, here is an explanation of some of the fall smells.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Oct 18 - 12:32 AM

No weasel problems here, not with three dogs, the newest one in particular.

It was a research afternoon, and an evening dance concert put on by the studio where I've been active. Comparing notes it seems most of us have some kind of injuries or arthritis and many are over 50 -- definitely time to work out a low-impact dance program.

I reheated a piece of baked salmon for a late late dinner and the dogs happily gathered around. They know the drill: I eat the fish, I divide up the skin and give it to them, then they all share in licking the plate. Everyone's happy!

More paperwork and I will do some political volunteering tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Oct 18 - 08:06 PM

Beaver:

Busy two - beautiful- days getting ready for winter. Further inspired by possible flurries tonight! 3X laundry, including 4 throw rugs! Stacking wood near house for that occasion when the woodpile is inundated with snow when I arrive; gives me a few days to clear the deck - literally! Indoor piles are only good for two days. Found a small two drawer cabinet at thrift shop today which helped to reorganize some more of BR.

Packed a box of pottery for friends, to pay bill for his work on stained glass piece in BR wall. (Agreed upon trade deal!) Putting everything into sheds that need to be there. Will put winter tires in car tomorrow and phone Monday for appointment. My car is wonderful but does not like even half an inch of snow.

Looking for possible home in BR being developed by mama weasel who crossed the LR the other day, from bath to BR. I don't mind her being here but must weasel-proof fabrics, foods, etc! I cannot mind her being here as there is no way to keep her out! In spite of Dan's best efforts.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Oct 18 - 11:11 AM

Finishing ripping some CDs to the computer to be loaded into the phone - audio books from the library. More often now these things are available for download but with the digital rights management (DRM) software to limit the listening to two weeks, which is more than a footrace with some longer books. Easier to make a copy that I listen to more leisurely. I don't keep them, they take up space.

I've finally added a few things to my NetFlix queue, and last night watched a couple. That new cooking program, Salt Fat Acid Heat is what lured me back to watch (the first episode so far) and look around for more programs. I go in spurts with my viewing there. I've also returned a couple of disks of programs that don't stream and can only be shared via multi-episode DVD. I also watched The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—the movie is okay but the book is so much better.

It looks like the overcast may linger but the rain has cleared for a few days. Time to scramble and make the most of access to the lawn, giving it a day or two to dry out. (Right now the mower would press ruts into the lawn.)

I stacked eBay items on the kitchen counter to give each an exam and dust or clean, but now the counter is rather crowded. The dining table is much clearer and it's time to spread out fabric for cutting out patterns and deciding where I'm going to use the sewing machine, the crowded craft room or the soon-to-be-needed-for-holidays table in the dining area.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Oct 18 - 09:23 PM

OH:

Finally done sorting through cards-- there were large envelopes to match with folded notepaper for writing longer remembrances to parishioners and others in the county where 24/25ths of our married life have been.

No other big decluts today-- sleeping a lot w antibiotics.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Oct 18 - 07:20 PM

I went to two training sessions for volunteering this week, one a short-term political group, the other a longer-term local research center. This is me finding ways to get out into the community and have good human interactions. The thing about retiring, even if it is from a toxic workplace is that the management is what was toxic, my co-workers were great and I miss them. Retirement means building a new family and access to those old co-worker friends.

I can't believe how much rain we've had here in North Texas over the last six weeks or more. It's like living in a rain forest instead of a prairie. When it does dry out I have a lot of work to do out in the yard. I need to set up a work space in my garage to do some things that normally would happen on the patio or at the side door.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 11:02 PM

Beaver:

Ah, the joy of being home! Peace and quiet are the very best de-clutter!

I de-cluttered by letting friends take my car to fetch their truck. YAY! I sorted stuff at the house in Montreal, having picked them up after their terrifying night at a marina while 80km winds roared over them, knocking a couple containers - the ocean going sort- off their piles. Gave them a tour of Montreal and we visited 'til we were exhausted - about 8 pm! (Picked them up one day and let them take the car the next.)

This morning I packed up some stuff and brought it with me just to get it out of the house. R spent the whole day working on cleaning and packing his vast assortment of STUFF. I hope I never see any of it again. I hope he is learning something from this - about the costs of too much clutter.

I drove here and have sorted and stored most of what I brought - after the 5 hour drive. Also after getting the wood fire going! and having a good supper. And putting the heating pad in the bed to warm it before I get in! Now I shall do just that!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 06:23 PM

I'd not be without a notepad on the left side of my desk now. Scribblings like anagrams for crosswords sometimes, the odd message if I (rarely, usuallly leave to another to pick up) on the phone and various other things that mean something to me at the time. Left side as I'm a leftie who can use a mouse or phone with his right.

Maybe cluttering rather than decluttering but I got a pack of 10 spiral pads not so long back. Still, Pip and Peter took two each and a visiting brother wanted one.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 06:13 PM

I am always scribbling notes to myself and they pile up around the computer desk. I've cleared one side of the desk, not by shifting to the other side but by going through the stuff and dealing with it. But these notes - I'll enter some of them into a binder I have nearby, but a few are computer related things that are best here by the machine. For now I'm using a little magnetized file box and stuck it under the desk. Let's see how long that works before I forget I put it there.

The TV is on in the background and last hour was a CSI mystery set in a hoarders house (Season 11, episode 5). You take inspiration to clear out wherever you find it!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 05:43 PM

What started as a good year just fizzled away. Some things I’d planned are now on hold until next year and I’ll probably just do the outdoor maintanence bits than need doing, eg. dissconect micro irrigation tap timers and call it a day at that for this year.

Once again, it’s felt like a string of things going wrong and, while I tried to put a brave face on it, the cat getting knocked down was probably the last straw. I went from trying to encouraging a stray to finding a new friend and little ray of sunshine to loosing it in a relatively short time scale but it seems just “par for the course”. Also, my back flared up on the first day of some trivial (ICT) course I went on to see if I could still do something and hasn’t really died down since which has lead to numerous sleepless nights as well as lack of willingness to try some types of mobility.

I’ve been playing with Java hacking instead for the last couple of weeks. First was for a logging meter, eg. this and now I’m dabbling with a SANE (scanning made easy – mostly on Linux and sort of like TWAIN on Windows for scanners) library.

So far, I can scan/preview, set most of the options SANE reports a driver has and allow the creation of “presets”. Timewasting really in one sense as it’s never going anywhere but something to doing another sense.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 02:56 PM

OH:

I woke up at 3am sick with a renewed bladder infection, so I spent some time while waiting for the doc to answer my MyChart message with a different Rx, sorting thru the completely not organized card stash to find sympathy card options for a friend whose son just died. After I went back to bed and got up 3 hours later, I chose from among the options, got it written, and got it into the mailbox before pickup. A city mailbox I can open in my jammies without leaving the house-- YES, thank you!

Then I decided to rough-sort the stash. Matching envelopes to cards as I went, it turned out that the vast majority are expensive, beautiful BLANK cards with nature theme fronts for every season-- most of them GARDEN images. With thick, creamy envelopes. Only one envelope in the lot was stuck shut-- they'd been stored with care.

I bagged up all the kinds of cards-- a gallon ziploc of Thank You cards, about half of which are high quality and a few suitable for Greg's use. Two gallon-sized bags of blank note cards. One bag of postcards, some from Ohio tourist spots we will probably visit. A bag of fold/seal notes to use with or without envelopes. Some loose notepaper. Two bags of envelopes without cards, in all sizes. A bag of mixed Season's Greetings. A bag of mixed occasion cards, about half of which are Thinking of You. A bag of chech/cash enclosure cards for kids and mail carriers. A bag of Address Changes.

I'm betting more than half of these disappear as retirement communications. I only wish my handwriting weren't so age-affected that it's so hard to read. I go slow, but the letters tangle up. Guess I'll focus on warm brevity!

In the colors and delicacy of the artwork, you can definitely see the eye and heart of the Master Gardener who gave us these. I'm looking forward to further sorting the envelopes by size, and the blank cards by season. And filing the mixed-occasion ones. And getting stamps to suit.

I'll take a bunch to PA when I go back in December for Last Weeks-- special messages to individuals we've known so long. Then I expect to use a lot of Thank You's in January, here. I can start on the Address Change batch anytime-- and then drop them at the right time.

There's a very nice piece of furniture coming in March, to hold all the overflow in boxes, for a gracious "morning room" habit over tea.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Oct 18 - 10:54 AM

I'm working around the house to fix a few things today. First finished task - took the cover off of the ceiling heater fan in the master bathroom and cleaned the fan shaft so it turns freely. It was lagging the last couple of times I tried it and that doesn't effectively move the heat from the coil down into the room. It's not my favorite heat source anyway, but I put it on a timer switch when I first moved in to keep it from being left on (as happened a few times early on and when realtors came through the house before I bought it.)

Rain rain rain. They're releasing water from some local lakes. My stream is a year-round tributary into the main river in this watershed (the Clear Fork of the Trinity River) so I'm up on a bluff, but the Clear Fork, like most major branches, is dammed a dozen miles from here. https://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/statewide

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Oct 18 - 09:12 PM

OH:

Busy day with a few decluts. The plastic 2-drawer unit from Liberation Library electronic supply is now empty and added on top of a similar BR unit, for Greg to use Jan.-March until his dresser arrives. The ottoman that was parked, unused, in the Sewing Room which is not needed for the LR til March's furniture delivery... is now in LL to serve as a side table until replaced by a March side table. Oy! (Keep all THAT straight!)

A few items were found thereby to put away, about half of which were stowed. One was a lightweight chairside android charger, now installed at a LR recliner lacking one til now. A better cord is coming in January, freeing up this one then for kitchen or garage.

After Chinese birthday dinner with Judy, I stopped for a brief visit and happily received two cloth bags full of wonderful cards. She gains an empty bin where she has stored them all nice and clean-- and I gain farewell/moved, blank, thank you, and sympathy cards perfectly timed for using up as we retire. It will be interesting also getting to know her better through seeing what she liked enough to purchase and then keep after she downsized-- and I can sure use the whole stash.

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Oct 18 - 12:14 PM

Training this afternoon to volunteer on the campaign for a candidate in a senatorial election. More rain today so I'll continue to work indoors until it's time to head out.

Still clearing paper off of the second work space in my office—I have made progress and the stack is smaller.

I've just realized there is an event on campus that I was going to go to, but I got distracted. I don't know if there's time to get there now. And I probably have to get dressed up. Bugger. I do have things I want to drop off in their e-waste bin, but that can wait.

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Oct 18 - 06:40 PM

OH:

"Head Gardener" Brandon just came, dealt w immediate needs, eyeballed the rest, and suggested I tack today's pay onto one Fall Cleanup check (next visit). And he's even more fabulous than promised!

Net: farm bell now in garage. Dog fence now 6', clipped (Brandon), and zipped (me). Now I can give back the trailer and return with a garageable car!

~S~

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Oct 18 - 10:46 AM

Another classic example of Texas weather - over the weekend it was warm and humid. Now it's cold and rainy. There are only ever a handful of autumn-like days here. The Hudsons Bay blanket over the top of the bed was perfect.

This morning I pulled a number of eBay items from the stash of stuff on the table in the sunroom and stacked them in the kitchen. They'll get an examination, careful dusting or cleaning if needed, then back to the sunroom one at a time for photos and packing for shipping. I do have to go out briefly on this rainy day, but most of it will be spent working on this stuff.

I see that Secret Santa is starting up again. If anyone wants a nice mood-lifter, that's a good place to start!

Subject: RE: Declutter & Fitness - Clearing Out the House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Oct 18 - 07:56 PM

There was apparently a lightning strike at the Dallas AT&T service facility for cell phone and Internet, knocking out both the main power supply and the backup power supply. If there are people you can't reach, or if some of your service isn't working, that may be why - it has affected nodes around the country. My neighbor called and since she can see my WiFi signal from her laptop I gave her the password. As long as she's on this side of her house and I move the wire shelves out from under the router in the pantry. I think I should probably move the router to the other side of the wall and up higher. It involves a couple of holes in walls, but is doable.

Time to get out a blanket to add to the bed for tonight, and I've set one of the heat pump units to heat though the other is still set to cool if it warms up again. The trouble with Texas is that EVERY YEAR we go from hot to cold with very little autumn-like brisk lovely weather in between. The same thing has happened again this year.