TAKInG CHARGE 13 Mar 06

ME? Motivate anyone? Ya gotta be kidding....here I am still in my pjs at nearly lunchtime, though to be fair I have been working, just not getting dressed!

Well. I did it! The job application has been sent, so fingers crossed. I completed it online and sent it by email as I thought it would make me look computer literate I have worked so hard completing the personal statement, if they don't give me an interview I shall be seriously cross. From my qualifications, work and life experience I have covered just about every point on the person specification and all of the duties of the position. They HAVE to hire me, or at least interview me

I have to say, completing the form has done me a world of good. I remembered qualifications, skills and experience I had forgotten I have, and even if I don't get an interview for this job I feel I have marketable skills. I didn't really feel like that before.

Anyway, all this self congratulation ain't getting the bedroom done. Onwards! (after I get showered and dressed! )

GEEZE! To complete a task that could have such an impact on your future....AND to come out of it feeling great: positive and self-assured...not only is it motivating but I think it's also worth a morning spent in your pajamas!

I'd say that's a challenge for the rest of us:

Take charge of something this week that moves you toward a goal: a big goal. For a little extra challenge, , how about making it a step that requires a connection with other people! Kerri's doing it. Honey DID it. I've got one hanging around that I've been neglecting. Do you need to TELL someone about your dream/goal? Do you need to hire/see a professional (accountant, etc.) Is there a group/meting you've thought about joining and/or supporting? What have you been putting-off because it requires more than "just you?"

Let's do THAT this week!

I've got some "teaching stuff" that I should get sent out and I've been putting it off because it needs a bit of writing that I haven't been motivated to do. I had originally thought I'd finish it after vacation...but now I think I'll tackle it this week and get it sent out before we leave.

Wouldn't it be great to start Spring having recently taken an important step toward a big goal and made some type of connection with others?

Thanks, Honey!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Since I'm having friends over tomorrow, I put off my regular Monday cleaning thinking I'd do some today and more tomorrow...it's funny that one extra day seems to make such a difference in the level of "mess."

Anyway, the plan is: living room/dining room, front room (DH), bedrooms(to each her own!) and stairs today; floors later tonight; kitchen and bathrooms tomorrow.

That, and I need to plan the munchies for my get-together. I'll shop tomorrow morning and get prep work done ahead. It's a small group coming and nothing fancy, which helps.

I did actually get a start on my essay/application. I really intend to have it sent out by Friday!

Have a great day, friends!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

it's Wednesday evening here and HOW MANY emails??

I have no time this week to pad this thread out with my usual waffle so you lot are just gonna have to sink or swim on your own till next week!

Kerri.

Or something like that.

Busy, busy, busy around here this week.

Final preperations on the tax filing, so lots of phone calls and e-mails back and forth between the accountant and me.

The marathon training program for my youth relay team officially started yesterday, so I'm coaching again. Which means carting 5 middle school students to the big city and back once a week-a 120 mile round trip.

School budget informational meeting and vote.

I am the parent rep on the school district wellness committee, with two meetings this week.

Booster club, Middles School Parent's Group, High School Parent group meetings all last week/this week.

DS to the othopod-did I tell y'all he actaully had 3 breaks in his thumb/hand? Three! Yup, three, and he skied another 5 hours with a severly broken hand. Sheesh.

DD's ballet class has started longer recital rehearsals.

I am now in formal training for the half-marathon. I ran twice so far this week, and have two more runs to do, including a long one Saturday.

We did $27,000 worth of business the past two weeks. I had fun doing those invoices, let me tell you!

I have been doing my flybaby routines religiously.

My sis, who separated from her husband, is needing more support recently. She has been doing her resume, applying for jobs, looking for a house, and gearing up to file for divorce. She needs my shoulder.

DD is on a tear with her homeschooling, and I have to keep up with her-phew!

Anyway, lots to control, way more than usual, but it all seems to be coming together somehow. For now anyway.

See Ya,
Jo

Wow Jo - I'm stunned. I can't imagine there's enough hours in the day for all of that, and if you feel you're keeping on top of it okay, then you must be doing a great job. What an inspiration to the rest of us.

I'm ploughing through my lists, trying to keep up with less than half of what Jo's doing, and still finding it totally chaotic! I guess I've been a lazy housewife for a bit long, used to doing only the bare minimum, having plenty of time to read mostly and arrange my time to suit myself. This week has definitely not been like that but I think it has been quite good. I shocked myself by understanding most of what the tax partner at our accountancy firm was saying. With my weak grasp of financial issues that was a pleasant surprise.

no time for morning pages again at the moment, though I should be back on the case for a while from Sunday or Monday. I have some food to prepare for Saturday's party - nothing too strenuous, just boiling a ham and making a pasta salad - as well as leftover paperwork from our meetings this week. I've got DH working on the dining table downstairs since we have a wireless router and he has a notebook computer.

Kerri.

Busy week here, and three teenagers in the house instead of the usual one, so I probably won't get to post much. House is a wreck as usual, I don't even know why I bother saying it, you can just take it as read

I've been out all day the last three, and will be for the next three too, so nothing is getting done beyond the basics. If I could just get a few consecutive days at home I might be able to get a handle on things! arrgh.

I think I have a cold on top of everything else. It's beginning to look like a competition to see who has the lousiest week. I think we can safely say that nobody here is taking charge of anything at all this week. As Jo said, it's all down to survival now, and anyone who makes it through till the end of the week may consider themselves to have done a good job!

Good luck to all, and I hope we can maybe have a bit of respite next week, or maybe the week after if all else fails!

Kerri.

Bit by bit I'm crossing things off the list! I'm down to the "biggies" still left: the GS event on Saturday and my parents' birthday party (yes, both!) on Sunday. Both of the DDS' music concerts were good. DD11's (Tuesday) was vocal music and percussion, which I loved. DD15.5's symphonic band concert was a "Pops" concert with much fun music including selections from Chicago. I caught her eye just as they started "Cell Block Tango" (a favorite of mine) and made her snicker...(you'd have to know her to understand why this is always a goal for me!) My get-together on Wednesday evening was also nice.

I DID get the essay done on that application and will be submitting it today! (Thanks, Honey!)

I need to pop down to the church to pick up a key for tomorrow. (That's where we're having our GS dinner and ceremony.) I will drive the scouts to do the rest of their grocery shopping after school...and hopefully, we'll have time to do a bit of set-up in the hall, too.

The party favors are done...and I made cute little napkin rings that look like Hawaian leis, too. I still need to finish "fluffing" the actual bridging ceremony and then in the morning I need to get to the florist to pick up the daisies (GS flower) that we ordered.

I'm totally looking forward to Monday...when I have NOTHING on my schedule (for the first time in 10 days!)

Hang in there, friends!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

I just posted on the dinner thread and got this message

'The comment you posted has been flagged as potential spam. It will not be visible until the site administrator has a chance to review it.'

As far as I recall it was an innocuous enough post! I'm wondering now what it was I said that would flag me up ? Weird.

I've been out today helping a friend clean her new house. I feel bad that I can't help her move tomorrow, as I've other commitments.

I have hardly had a day at home lately either Lenora, and we just found out DS' friend is having a party Sunday. I'm invited too, but I'd really rather not go, is that awful? I SO need a day at home.

So did someone else-- was it Andrea? Jo? I forget. I posted something about it in Board Business.

no point typing a whole load of waffle if it might get chucked back. This always irritates me about so-called 'computer logic' - never seems to be anything logical about it to me!!

Mum's party went just fine, and having it on a Saturday was inspired because everyone who has any sense kept Sunday free and can collapse quietly if they so desire! I get to collapse quietly with a lot of not so recreational reading I've been saving up - franchise and sub-franchise contracts, warehousing details, budget details, and new-build housing if I feel like having something lighter. I can't beleive how big my friend's house is considering where it is, and the layout was enough to convince me that MAYBE these 3 storey 'townhouses' that are going up everywhere might be worth looking at. I've seen some with dreadful layouts (living or dining room upstairs and sometimes next to the mid-size bedroom or something!!!), but I need to start getting my ear to the ground on this one to be honest, and my friend's house was a lovely kickstart - we should be able to get something even bigger for quite a lot less since she's in such an expensive area (near London).

so much for short posts!!

Kerri.

my parents have stayed in a couple of holiday homes recently where the living room was upstairs to make the most of the fabulous view, but there's no way I'd want a child's bedroom right next to my living room - asking for trouble! I had a quick look yesterday and found some lovely places, but now I've got to get down to the other reading or the business will never take off and we'll never get the next house!!

Kerri.

A boyfriend of mine had a town house and when I visited him, it drove me mad going up and down stairs all the time! One set of stairs is enough for any house, methinks

The kids are out today (DS and girlfriend). I managed to duck out of the birthday celebration. It was very short notice, and I so need the say indoors. I'm sure the kids will be happier without me there anyhow, gives them a bit of independence.

So, my plans for the day. My bath is run (with the Ma Bubble Bar from Lush. Divine!) and I am planning a nice soak. Then it's an all out assault on that darn bedroom.

but if I can dump the kids up on the top floor it might work!!

not so keen on Lush. Just walking past the shops makes me feel ill! We just got some belated Christmas pressies with bath products for myself and my mother (who can't use them!) so that's a couple of small aromatherapy bubbles from Boots (relaxing and sleep easy which I'm using on the kids!) plus bottles of green tea, rose and white jasmine bubbles for my baths!

I've been crossing a few things off my mental list today. Things like doing something about decaying hyacinth bulbs, stringing up a whiteboard ready for hanging, clearing the dead leaves and flowers off a ficus and a jasmine... little bits that have been hanging around for a few weeks driving me slowly insane. I've got the glass recyclables into a box too, so if I get those in the car early this week I might even manage to dump them before next weekend! All the rest of the recyclables we have bins for pretty much. And we got another charity bag through the door the other day so I know what day that lot needs to go out (Tues) and WILL get it out early.

Other than that I have a lot of 'real' work to do and I still have to keep up with laundry and meals. Drat - meant to...

can't remember - halfway through that sentence I realised I had already missed 25mins of West Wing!! That was 90mins ago!

Kerri.

ps. remembere - meant to have been doing meal planning today. But hey... I've just cleaned half my kitchen like a maniac!

I need to do meal planning too - I always have a rough idea what I am going to make that week, but nothing is really concrete, often because I forget to defrost whatever it I was planning to make!

Money is really an issue at the moment, and I am looking to halve my usual grocery budget for the next few weeks, which will be no mean feat. I'm not even sure if it's possible, as my grocery budget is pretty low already. We'll see.

I have been busy busy today, with all sorts of little jobs. I've been grocery shopping too. Yes, I did keep to my new budget, but this week it was easy as I have stuff in the freezer and cupboards to work with. After this week it's going to get increasingly difficult.

I have taken charge of something big (for me) this week and booked an appointment at the dentist! I think I have an tooth abcess I'm not going to let him touch me, it's far too painful! I'm just going to get antibiotics. After the dentist I am going to the physiotherapy clinic to hand in a letter from my doctor. My xrays came back negative for arthritis, and the doctor is referring me for physio.

Lots to do this evening, a huge pile of ironing amongst other things.

Onwards