Decluttering

I'm decluttering a bag of Chips right now. Yes, I'm decluttering them, not just eating them! It seems our family gets to the bottom of a food-package and loses interest in it with about one and half servings left, so we end up with a shelf full of mostly-finished bags of chips and boxes of Cereal and packages of cookies. And yes, I help perpetuate that by going ahead and buying a new bag/box/package before the first one is gone, so we end up opening a new package and eating that down to about one and a half servings, rinse and repeat...

I just got back from a 3 week vacation in a beach-house which had just enough sheets/towels/for one per person/bed, and just enough multipurpose pots, pans, dishes and utensils to serve the average beach-house vacationer's temporary needs. We were never without what we needed to cook a dinner for 20 (yes 20!) people, but we never had multiple, say, baking pans to choose from for that homemade Lasagne ( thanks mom, that was awesome!). So we never were without and yet the cabinets!! They had SO MUCH ROOM!

So I return from said amazing and yummy beach-house vacation and my first morning waking up in my home, I felt so much heavier- and not because of the awesome food, but because we just have so much stuff! Ugh! It was making me angry and depressed just sitting at my desk, knowing that all that Stuff was looming around me! I feel like I'm always getting rid of multiple garbage bags worth of Stuff and yet I really don't remember me buying any of it! ( It's called *Clearance-shopping-Stuff-Loving-Mother-In-Law-Syndrome, BTW) 99% of our furniture was handed-down or "inherited" from other family member(s) (See above *). We really don't buy Stuff!! I have more than I want already!

So, I have been picking little areas of the house and decluttering them. I'm aiming for two little areas a day until I go back to work on Wednesday ( and The Girl goes back to school, *Sniff, Blubber*). But I have a creeping feeling I could stay busy with Decluttering for the rest of my month, no-Year, no- LIFE! ugh. I need a shower just to declutter the ideas in my head now...

P.S.- Two posts! In One Week! I'm patting me on the back now!! :)

Underacheivers Unite!!

So. In my spare time, I read some Blogs. Apparently I read more Blogs than the average mom- at least according to my older sister who is mom to three boys ages 3-10. While I'm certain I probably read more blogs than her, I just want to point out that I am a mom to one calm and precocious almost-six-year-old girl. I think I can safely say that I have a few more hours to devote to "leisure" than she does just in general. So yeah. I guess I read alot of Blogs.

I was doing my customary Blog-reading just now and it occurred to me. These people post at least once or twice a week- sometimes more- on their blogs. Right now I'm doing good to get one Blog posted per year. So, I decided that what the internet is missing is a blog by an underachiever! Like me! Isn't this exciting that I posted this year?! So, though I haven't come here often, I still remember that this Blog exists- and I usually even remember my login info for my account. Aren't you proud of me?! And no, there may not be alot of pretty pictures, or any format changes in the last year or two, but that's what you should love about this blog. You can come back here 364 days a year and SEE THE EXACT SAME THING! Isn't that comforting in this crazy changing world of economies and natural disasters? I thought so.

You're Welcome.

IT BURNS!! IT BURNS!!!

The Following ( PG, or PG 13 if you're really opposed to viewing close-up shots of butts in Pants) video should be viewed with caution- make sure you have some saline solution nearby to clean your eyes with afterwards! There's no antidote for the permanent image burned on your brain though...



all I am going to say here is "WHY GOD, WHY?!?!"

And so it begins.

Well, it's official- The Girl is a Kindergartener and I am feeling a little lonely. ( boo hoo)

First day: Awoke with enthusiam, took traditional "first day of Kindergarten" pictures, drove her to school, sat forlorn in the house for 6 hours, Picked her up from school and went for cookies and Hot Chocolate at Grandma's house.

Second Day: Phone call from Teacher at about 1:3o detailing all the ways my daughter isn't following directions= "Talkin' To" for the girl. Then call from Bus driver telling me she is on the wrong bus and where should they drop her off. Multiple heart attacks imagining all the ways that could have gone wrong, ending in overzealous hugging when finally reunited. Multiple White Russians after 8pm...

Third day: Discovered that the Bus Fiasco was partially The Girl's Fault. She saw a kid from Recess in line for another bus and decided to ride the bus with that girl. My shouldahadaV8 moment: realizing I probably should have told her that there is only ONE bus that will bring you to the correct bus-stop, where mommy will be waiting to give you LOTS OF CANDY!!! LOTS, I SAY!!! I did actually leave the house during the day though- I went to see Harry Potter 6 again. I figured if I'm going to be alone I may as well make it count!

The weekend was short- at least it seemed that way, and we just tried to relax and spend as much time together as possible while also letting Daddy write his Dissertation.

Today was the Girl's first ever "Monday Morning." She bucked up pretty quickly though and was off to school as scheduled. I went and worked out and now plan on doing some cleaning and a Grocery Store trip before meeting the bus again. Of course, I have a long list of projects in my head that have been waiting for "Someday when the Girl is in School" so I hope to be in progress on any number of those by the end of the week. And I also plan to be writing more often, so I hope to "see" you all here again soon! Now please excuse me while I skip around the empty house singing loudly in attempt to make myself accept that MY ONLY CHILD IS IN SCHOOL FOR THE NEXT 12 YEARS! LALALALAALALALALALAALAAAAAA!!!

Things you never thought to wonder

Squirrel Poop is Green- like grass. Ew.

Now on to what I have been up to:
I have been on a bender lately. Spring Cleaning season just happened to coincide with a chunk of time off for me this year so, for the first time in three years I have gotten the clutter in every part of the house under control all at once. I have spent the last couple of weeks de-cluttering and deep cleaning every room in this house. Every room except Hubby's "Study"- I'm no delusional masochist! We also got a new Vacuum a few weeks ago when I realized that the cordless 12 volt stick vac was kicking my big vacuum's butt. It was time to retire that poor thing- 13 years is alot of heavy abuse for one little Eureka. So, armed with my new rockin' Vacuum, I have cleaned and cleaned and I finally feel like I own my possessions instead of my posessions owning me. We ended up donating 7 bags of clothing/shoes/handbags and a truck-bed full of other Household Items to Goodwill. Even our Garage got the spring cleaning treatment- which is when I learned what color Squirrel poop is. Luckily, I did not have any
close encounters with it (unlike Hubby).

Now the real challenge is going to be keeping it this way. eeek!

Eagle-eye

Holy-crap. This video is very cool- it is an eagle's eye view of flying. And I REALLY mean that it's the view as seen FROM THE EAGLE'S BACK. If you've ever wanted to know what a bird sees from up there, have a look.



Very Cool.

Rosemary Triscuits

Me: (to Hubby) These things have too much dang seasoning on them!! If they had just put some actual rosemary in a regular triscuit, they'd be good! Instead, it's like a crap-load of "seasoning powder" with a little bit of triscuit thrown in! These suck!!! URGH!!

Hubby: ( giving me that "you is ca-ray-zay" look) You seem really worked up about this. (Mental Subtext: Please don't hurt me I didn't make the triscuits)

Me: I'm not really worked up, I'm just annoyed!!

Hubby: Well, you sound really worked up about it...

Me: I always sound "really worked up" about things that I'm only annoyed about- you should know that by now (mental subtext: now that we're in our 12 year of marriage and 14th year of kissing each other)!

Hubby: .... ( Imagined mental subtext: "Okay, I'm walking away now because you are scary")



I am scary-sounding sometimes about things I'm really only annoyed about. I have been told this since approximately 6th grade when a surprisingly astute fellow-sixth-grader told me I often sounded angry when I said things, so maybe I should watch that. I don't know when I sound overly-angry. I only know I'm doing it when Hubby gives me that Look. Oh well, for the record, I DO try!