My Version of a Vacation

Don't get excited, there was no tropical isle with a beachfront cabana, nor a cabin overlooking a crystal clear lake on some mountain.  I certainly don't have money for anything like that.  I am a stay-cation type of person.  Besides I couldn't let a cat/dog sitter into this disaster of a house. 

What I do before I take time off is make a ridiculously long To Do list.  I know, of course, that I will not possibly be able to accomplish everything on the list, but it is a goal to shoot for as well as a way to remember some of things that REALLY need to get done. 

I've been off since last Friday, April 19th and I go back to work tomorrow.  I actually surprised myself and got quite a bit more done than usual.  The major stumbling block this time was my back.  I could only do a bit at a time and then have to sit down.  Of course, I ignored the first item on my list and sat down at the computer.  Oh, well.  I never said I was perfect.  Far, far from it, if you have to know. 

I will say that the cats and dog seem to get along without me quite well.  If I was home all of the time, Maggie would be going outside at least 27 times a day.  If I stood up, Maggie headed to the back door.  It didn't matter if she had just come inside 15 minutes earlier.  Obviously, since things were boring inside, there was bound to be something more exciting outside.  Add to that, she would expect a treat every time she came back into the house. 

So, my list is below.  Whatever is in RED is what I got done.  I have every intention of trying to get to some more of the items this weekend. 

APRIL 2013 TO DO

STAY OFF COMPUTER!!!!!

CRATE, CAT CONDO, & CARRIERS (1)– OUTSIDE/WASH

4 CARRIERS & SMALL CAGE OUTSIDE ONLY

CLEAN OUT FRIDGE & FREEZER

FOLD/HANG UP/AND-OR PUT AWAY LAUNDRY

REORGANIZE KITCHEN SHELF & DRESSER

CLEAN FRONT PORCH

VACUUM

CLEAN OFF DINING TABLE

ORGANIZE LIVING ROOM SHELF/TABLES

FIX LAUNDRY BASKET

CALL PLUMBER

COBWEBS

LAUNDRY/LITTER BOX AREA

NOT SO GREAT ROOM

LIVING ROOM

REVOLUTION – 3 DONE, 21 TO GO

CRITTER PHOTOS

CLEAN FAN

BLEACH LITTER BOXES

CLEAN AC FILTER

TARGET – CHAIRS & CLOCK

VET APPT – CHATSWORTH – FRI 940 AM

EYE APPT – 2 PM MON

JUNK MAIL – ORGANIZED BY SIZE, MORE TO DO

LAUNDRY – FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY/WEDNESDAY

CHANGE BEDDING – BEDSPREAD ONLY

WASH MY STACKED UP DISHES

SCOOP BOXES

2 ON FRIDAY

5 BOXES SATURDAY

2 ON MONDAY

2 ON WEDNESDAY

FIX DRYER VENT

REPLACE OUTDOOR BULB

COOK

MAC & CHEESE

POTATO SOUP

SWEET & SOUR TOFU

TOSTADAS

GROCERY SHOPPING 

 

I'm going back to work to relax!

How I Spent My 4 Day Weekend

Well, I had high hopes for this 4 day weekend.  Starting next Saturday, my staff and I will be working 6 days a week.  Trust me, I'm getting way too old for this.  When I get home at night now I rarely have the energy to feed all of the cats (and the 1 remaining dog) and scoop any litter boxes.  Dinner for me?  All too often it's cereal, unless I had cooked on the weekend and have leftovers.  I rarely stop to pick up something to eat on the way home. It's just too darn expensive to eat out.  Frozen dinners mostly end up tasting like the cardboard container in which they are packaged.  Many nights I just skip dinner, after having also skipped lunch.  Yeah, I know.  No lectures, please.

So, I did get my nearly 2 weeks worth of dirty dishes washed.  I tore up my dishwasher at the end of 2010 and haven't been able to afford to replace it.  Can we say VET BILLS????  I just finished washing and bleaching out 5 litter boxes that have been sitting outside for over a year.

I did manage to run my payday errands yesterday.  Yes, on Black Friday.  I got two prescriptions filled at Target, well after the BF mad house.  Next I went to PetSmart for their BF specials.  Friskies canned food, 39 cents a can.  I bought 8 cases and I saved at least $1.50 per case.  Those should last me a month.  I bought 8 of the 35 pound scooping Tidy Cat litter.  On sale for $8.99 with a $5.00 coupon on each purchase.  So, buckets 2-8 were only $4,25, including tax, each.   WHOO - HOO.  Those might last about 2 months.  I had almost gone through my Buy 1, Get 1 free 14 pound each containers of Tidy Cat.  Great timing.  I had bought a total of 24 of those.  At $7.79 for two, that was a super deal at the time.

Then off to the grocery store where I picked up fixings for homemade potato soup and vegetarian chili.  With both I should have something to eat for dinner for about 2 weeks.  Of course, I'm going to get tired of each before that time is up.  Oh, well.

Intersperse all of this with Laundry.  At my house I'm always doing laundry, mostly because of the cats  Between barfing on the bed and having to wash the bedspread, there are towels, more towels and even more towels.  Years ago I started putting towels under the litter boxes.  Someone, invariably, hangs over the edge.  It's quicker and easier to soak the towels in the washer in vinegar water (bought 4 gallons at the grocery store yesterday) and then wash the towels than to constantly mop the floor or try to peel wet newspaper off the floor.

I had planned to clean and organize my kitchen on Thursday.  That didn't happen, needless to say.  Hopefully I can get started on that tonight and finish up tomorrow.  I did a little bit, here and there since Thursday, but not that anyone but me would notice.  I still need to vacuum the living room carpet.  I am about to get started on scooping at least 4 litter boxes, possibly 6 before the night is over.  My personal batteries tend to run down around 8PM and little gets done on most nights.

I did get the bills paid and out of the way.  Tomorrow, I may be taking my 92 year old neighbor to the grocery store.  And, of course the cooking marathon.  Then, goody, more dishes to wash.  Of course, I have about 20 cat bowls and a dog dish to wash daily.  Oh, I have to finally clean out the fridge, something I've been meaning to do for the past 7 or 8 weekends.  And Monday morning before I leave for work, I'll have to drag a full week's worth of garbage to the street - bags & bags of dirty cat litter in 7 quite heavy garbage cans.  There was no garbage or recycling pick up on Thanksgiving Day.

My world - it's a disaster.  Is it Christmas yet?  Santa, all I want is the energy to clean this place up, the organizing gene and the return of the 2 day weekend.  And, if you have a spare dishwasher and a person to install it, that would be wonderful.