I have noticed there is an eerily accurate predictor of how busy I feel when I am at work. The microwave on our floor is about 20 steps from my desk chair (out of my office, across the hall, into and through the file room). I counted.
If I am microwaving something for 85 seconds and I am very very busy, I feel compelled to go back to my office and work until it beeps. On days I'm not so busy, I wait near the microwave, sometimes for up to 3 minutes (anything longer than 3 minutes though, I've noticed, even if it's not a busy day, I'll go back to my office).
Lately, since we're paring down our food inventory at home in preparation for our trip to China -- you know tomorrow!!!! -- I've been eating these frozen lean cuisine snacks that we keep in the freezer just for days we're out of fresh food. Usually when we have real groceries, I make two wraps in the morning of spinach and blue cheese crumbles folded into a tortilla that I eat at work, usually one around 9:30 and the other around noon (I tend to eat lunch around 1:30). But now, given our lack of groceries, I'm eating these LC frozen things -- spinach artichoke dip with pita, garden vegetable dip with pita, or broccoli cheese dip with pita. For the record, the broccoli cheese one is infinitely more delicious than the others.
Each one of those snacks, you microwave the dip for 85 seconds, and then the pita for 25 seconds.
And today, I walked back to my desk to get an extra 60 seconds of work done while waiting for the dip to heat up.
And I actually considered walking back to work for 15 seconds while I waited for the pita bread to heat up.
Yes, I feel like I'm so busy an extra 15 seconds of work would help.
I suppose it's ironic that I'm giving myself 10 minutes to write this blog -- but I'm actually now waiting for my secretary to bring me a ton of files to dive into.
I am very ready to be on vacation! This is crazy!
I really have no idea how I will get everything done that needs to be done between now and departure time.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Perpetually Late
In life in general, I hate being late. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I hate it. I feel like it's so disrespectful.
But right now, I feel so overwhelmed, that I feel like I'm perpetually late. Working out is the only thing I do on time lately, and that's because I start at 5:15 or 5:30, so it's the first thing on the day's agenda. But then I try to do so much at home that I'm late for work. Then I try to do so much at work that I'm late for the evening's errands. Then I finish the errands and I'm late getting home, so I'm late to bed. Then it starts all over again. And to make things even worse, the stress is getting to me -- I fell asleep last night, woke up around midnight to use the bathroom and then could not get back to sleep for more than two hours. I kept thinking primarily about stuff I have to do at work, but I also kept thinking of things that need to get done in terms of the trip.
More since I need to type out this list than for any good blog reason, this is what needs to get done before we leave for China, which is in less than 48 hours:
dropping off our mail key for our neighbors (tasking to hubby),
make final revisions to wills (today!),
signing our wills (tomorrow on a late lunch break at work I hope),
leaving a packet with important documents, alarm code, etc. with a friend (need to prepare tomorrow),
returning library books,
depositing checks (tonight after work),
going to the pharmacy for antibiotics, Pepto, etc. to take with us,
wrapping and delivering my godson's birthday present,
shopping for a coat to take with me (lunch break today?),
shopping for primary walking shoes (lunch break today?),
registering with the state department (tasking to hubby),
making sure the runners I coach have their plans for the next couple weeks,
setting up all bills to be paid (tonight I hope),
cleaning out the fridge (tasking to hubby),
taking out the trash (tasking to hubby),
shop for a wedding gift for a wedding a few days after we fly back (and coordinating with at least one of my brothers if we're doing a joint gift),
get a dress for that same wedding (lunch break today?),
make a list of US and Italy addresses for the lucky recipients of our postcards from China,
unlock my cell phone to use abroad (tasking to hubby),
advise credit cards of trip,
make a trip-it with the flights and hotels and our contacts in China,
email my friend in Beijing to let him know when we'll be there,
email two friends in Shanghai to make plans to meet up when we're there,
have our air conditioning vents and dryer vent cleaned (scheduled for tomorrow morning),
pick up prescription for an inhaler,
reserve a hotel in Xi'an (have it down to two choices),
put together all my marathon registration info so a friend can register me for the Berlin 2013 marathon (for which registration opens while we're in China),
wrap my husband's birthday presents,
plan a semi-special early birthday meal for hubby (his birthday is while we're in China, but he needs to open gifts from me and my folks before we go since I'm not bringing that stuff with us),
get a written statement in Chinese indicating my allergies (and ideally another one saying I'm a vegetarian),
check on why my 401k now seems to have quarterly fees attached to it (this can wait until we get back but damn, it's been on my list to do for about a month and it needs to get done, stat),
change the address on a National Geographic subscription that we bought for a friend for Christmas (who then moved) (this can also wait til we get back if it must, but the first issue of the subscription is Dec, so it needs to be corrected within the first week of Nov),
make a list of emergency contact info to take with us,
copy our passports and visas to have a spare copy in each suitcase and carry-on,
get my work laptop fixed so the stupid trackball thing gets turned off (asking IT guy tomorrow),
pay for the closet repair that happened yesterday (need to email to get invoice and tell him we need it now if he wants to get paid this month).
And that's not counting all the work stuff -- two major reports, one report update, ideally wrapping up settlement negotiations in two cases, approving all my retained attorneys' bills, getting all my electronic filing to my secretary, setting up out-office messages for email and voicemail, setting up two new cases, retaining counsel for two cases that have gone imto litigation, plus dealing with the usual flood of stuff that happens daily.
And of course there's also the "ideal" pre-trip stuff -- changing the sheets on the bed so it's clean when we come home, doing a quick clean of the house, etc. I hate coming home to a disaster, so it would be awesome if that stuff could also magically get done.
And we need to figure out how we're getting to the airport. Kind of important. But a cab will work as a last resort.
And I need to add a spin class tonight to the list -- without doing heated yoga, I feel like a whale. I think an evening exercise class will help me sleep and preserve my sanity. That's assuming I can break the perpetually late cycle and leave work tonight before 7...
OMG. Deep breaths. I'll just print this blog post and start checking off tasks, beginning with work tasks. And now my mind will be able to focus, since it's all written out in one place!
But right now, I feel so overwhelmed, that I feel like I'm perpetually late. Working out is the only thing I do on time lately, and that's because I start at 5:15 or 5:30, so it's the first thing on the day's agenda. But then I try to do so much at home that I'm late for work. Then I try to do so much at work that I'm late for the evening's errands. Then I finish the errands and I'm late getting home, so I'm late to bed. Then it starts all over again. And to make things even worse, the stress is getting to me -- I fell asleep last night, woke up around midnight to use the bathroom and then could not get back to sleep for more than two hours. I kept thinking primarily about stuff I have to do at work, but I also kept thinking of things that need to get done in terms of the trip.
More since I need to type out this list than for any good blog reason, this is what needs to get done before we leave for China, which is in less than 48 hours:
dropping off our mail key for our neighbors (tasking to hubby),
make final revisions to wills (today!),
signing our wills (tomorrow on a late lunch break at work I hope),
leaving a packet with important documents, alarm code, etc. with a friend (need to prepare tomorrow),
returning library books,
depositing checks (tonight after work),
going to the pharmacy for antibiotics, Pepto, etc. to take with us,
wrapping and delivering my godson's birthday present,
shopping for a coat to take with me (lunch break today?),
shopping for primary walking shoes (lunch break today?),
registering with the state department (tasking to hubby),
making sure the runners I coach have their plans for the next couple weeks,
setting up all bills to be paid (tonight I hope),
cleaning out the fridge (tasking to hubby),
taking out the trash (tasking to hubby),
shop for a wedding gift for a wedding a few days after we fly back (and coordinating with at least one of my brothers if we're doing a joint gift),
get a dress for that same wedding (lunch break today?),
make a list of US and Italy addresses for the lucky recipients of our postcards from China,
unlock my cell phone to use abroad (tasking to hubby),
advise credit cards of trip,
make a trip-it with the flights and hotels and our contacts in China,
email my friend in Beijing to let him know when we'll be there,
email two friends in Shanghai to make plans to meet up when we're there,
have our air conditioning vents and dryer vent cleaned (scheduled for tomorrow morning),
pick up prescription for an inhaler,
reserve a hotel in Xi'an (have it down to two choices),
put together all my marathon registration info so a friend can register me for the Berlin 2013 marathon (for which registration opens while we're in China),
wrap my husband's birthday presents,
plan a semi-special early birthday meal for hubby (his birthday is while we're in China, but he needs to open gifts from me and my folks before we go since I'm not bringing that stuff with us),
get a written statement in Chinese indicating my allergies (and ideally another one saying I'm a vegetarian),
check on why my 401k now seems to have quarterly fees attached to it (this can wait until we get back but damn, it's been on my list to do for about a month and it needs to get done, stat),
change the address on a National Geographic subscription that we bought for a friend for Christmas (who then moved) (this can also wait til we get back if it must, but the first issue of the subscription is Dec, so it needs to be corrected within the first week of Nov),
make a list of emergency contact info to take with us,
copy our passports and visas to have a spare copy in each suitcase and carry-on,
get my work laptop fixed so the stupid trackball thing gets turned off (asking IT guy tomorrow),
pay for the closet repair that happened yesterday (need to email to get invoice and tell him we need it now if he wants to get paid this month).
And that's not counting all the work stuff -- two major reports, one report update, ideally wrapping up settlement negotiations in two cases, approving all my retained attorneys' bills, getting all my electronic filing to my secretary, setting up out-office messages for email and voicemail, setting up two new cases, retaining counsel for two cases that have gone imto litigation, plus dealing with the usual flood of stuff that happens daily.
And of course there's also the "ideal" pre-trip stuff -- changing the sheets on the bed so it's clean when we come home, doing a quick clean of the house, etc. I hate coming home to a disaster, so it would be awesome if that stuff could also magically get done.
And we need to figure out how we're getting to the airport. Kind of important. But a cab will work as a last resort.
And I need to add a spin class tonight to the list -- without doing heated yoga, I feel like a whale. I think an evening exercise class will help me sleep and preserve my sanity. That's assuming I can break the perpetually late cycle and leave work tonight before 7...
OMG. Deep breaths. I'll just print this blog post and start checking off tasks, beginning with work tasks. And now my mind will be able to focus, since it's all written out in one place!
Monday, October 8, 2012
FMM: Inside Your Home
I had a busy but unexciting weekend. Lots of packing to get ready to go to China ... this week! OMG! After about a year of contemplating the trip and many, many months with dates on the calendar, it's finally here. Soooo much to do still. I spent lots of time Saturday studying Chinese in my last cram session. Sunday was lots of closet cleaning and packing. I'm not actually packed, but I think I've chosen all the tops I'm taking with me. And I'm excited because I'm taking about 6 "disposable" tops. Things I was thinking about donating I am going to take with me, wear, and leave in China. Hopefully housekeeping can find a good home for them. But it will let my suitcase gradually lighten.
This week is going to be crazy. About a million things to do -- dropping off our mail key for our neighbors, signing our wills, leaving a packet with important documents, alarm code, etc. with a friend, returning library books, depositing checks, going to the pharmacy for antibiotics, Pepto, etc. to take with us, wrapping and delivering my godson's birthday present, shopping for a coat to take with me, shopping for primary walking shoes, registering with the state department, making sure the runners I coach have their plans for the next couple weeks, setting up all bills to be paid, cleaning out the fridge, taking out the trash, shop for a wedding gift for a wedding a few days after we fly back, get a dress for that same wedding, and probably about one million other things I haven't even thought of.
But it's Monday and I'm eating breakfast, so one more Friend Making Monday before the trip.
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
Inside Your Home
1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house? We live in a condo but most people would assume it's a townhouse. It's a 3-story walk-up, sharing one wall with our next door neighbors. Lots of people don't know the difference between a townhouse and a condo -- the distinction is who owns the land under your unit -- if you own it, it's a townhouse, if the HOA owns it, it's a condo. Ours is a condo. There are a total of 7 buildings, and about 40 units. First floor is our garage, the laundry, and guest bedroom and bath. Second floor is living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, half bath, and small porch. Third floor is master bed and bath and a bigger porch.
2. What is your home’s coolest feature? It's located in one of the coolest parts of town, lots of restaurants and shops right out the door, but no homeless people right out the door, which you get downtown. We have the perfect balance! Inside the house, having 3 toilets is nice -- when we both have to go, or so we only have to clean a rarely used one if company is coming. We have an open second floor plan that we like. But best of all is probably the master bedroom and bath -- very spacious.
3. Do you enjoy DIY projects? If so, what are you working on now? No. We actually had a shelf collapse in our guest room closet last week (maybe due to the earthquake?). Hubby attempted to reinstall it, and I promptly piled all my heavy stuff on the top shelf, and less than an hour later, it came crashing back down. So now we have two workers downstairs installing it for us! The extent of our home DIY projects recently was to install a garbage disposal. We wait for my dad to visit for everything else. He's very handy.
4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid? Both. We use those tablet things.
5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom? Yes. Used to be very small until about 3 weeks ago, then we got a bigger one from a friend that was supposed to go on our second floor, but it was too big for our armoire, so now we have a huge TV in the bedroom.
6. Is your range gas or electric? Gas. Since I bought new, I got to choose exactly what I wanted!
7. How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum? Neither of us sweep much. One of us mops the kitchen floor about once a month maybe? I vacuum every couple weeks, whenever it seems to need it.
8. What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents? We have a Crate & Barrel and a Z Gallery each about a block and half away, so that's usually where we go.
9. Do you decorate for holidays? Always for Christmas, not really for anything else.
10. If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose? Our guest bedroom. Right now it's a mishmash of furniture and clutter, no real style. I love the rest of the house.
Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments. Happy Monday, friends!
This week is going to be crazy. About a million things to do -- dropping off our mail key for our neighbors, signing our wills, leaving a packet with important documents, alarm code, etc. with a friend, returning library books, depositing checks, going to the pharmacy for antibiotics, Pepto, etc. to take with us, wrapping and delivering my godson's birthday present, shopping for a coat to take with me, shopping for primary walking shoes, registering with the state department, making sure the runners I coach have their plans for the next couple weeks, setting up all bills to be paid, cleaning out the fridge, taking out the trash, shop for a wedding gift for a wedding a few days after we fly back, get a dress for that same wedding, and probably about one million other things I haven't even thought of.
But it's Monday and I'm eating breakfast, so one more Friend Making Monday before the trip.
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
Inside Your Home
1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house? We live in a condo but most people would assume it's a townhouse. It's a 3-story walk-up, sharing one wall with our next door neighbors. Lots of people don't know the difference between a townhouse and a condo -- the distinction is who owns the land under your unit -- if you own it, it's a townhouse, if the HOA owns it, it's a condo. Ours is a condo. There are a total of 7 buildings, and about 40 units. First floor is our garage, the laundry, and guest bedroom and bath. Second floor is living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, half bath, and small porch. Third floor is master bed and bath and a bigger porch.
2. What is your home’s coolest feature? It's located in one of the coolest parts of town, lots of restaurants and shops right out the door, but no homeless people right out the door, which you get downtown. We have the perfect balance! Inside the house, having 3 toilets is nice -- when we both have to go, or so we only have to clean a rarely used one if company is coming. We have an open second floor plan that we like. But best of all is probably the master bedroom and bath -- very spacious.
3. Do you enjoy DIY projects? If so, what are you working on now? No. We actually had a shelf collapse in our guest room closet last week (maybe due to the earthquake?). Hubby attempted to reinstall it, and I promptly piled all my heavy stuff on the top shelf, and less than an hour later, it came crashing back down. So now we have two workers downstairs installing it for us! The extent of our home DIY projects recently was to install a garbage disposal. We wait for my dad to visit for everything else. He's very handy.
4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid? Both. We use those tablet things.
5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom? Yes. Used to be very small until about 3 weeks ago, then we got a bigger one from a friend that was supposed to go on our second floor, but it was too big for our armoire, so now we have a huge TV in the bedroom.
6. Is your range gas or electric? Gas. Since I bought new, I got to choose exactly what I wanted!
7. How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum? Neither of us sweep much. One of us mops the kitchen floor about once a month maybe? I vacuum every couple weeks, whenever it seems to need it.
8. What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents? We have a Crate & Barrel and a Z Gallery each about a block and half away, so that's usually where we go.
9. Do you decorate for holidays? Always for Christmas, not really for anything else.
10. If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose? Our guest bedroom. Right now it's a mishmash of furniture and clutter, no real style. I love the rest of the house.
Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments. Happy Monday, friends!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Aging
Funny that I just posted yesterday about noticing that I seem to be getting more grey hairs. And back over the summer, I noticed that when wearing flipflops, I walk down the stairs like an old lady. And yes, on Monday, I posted about having made a recipe for overnight bran muffins (a recipe I got from my mom, but totally delicious, but eating bran muffins makes me sound like I'm about 80).
Well, now I officially have two facebook friends who are deceased. Yet another thing that makes me seem older laterly.
One has been since last October -- my local bestie's younger sister. I posted about that when it happened (and my subsequent musings on her husband's return to the dating world). That FB page is now being used by her husband to tag pictures of their young daughter, who looks so much like her mom that it hurts my heart.
But now, as of this week, I have another FB deceased page among my friends -- someone who was a friend in junior high. Still not completely clear on how he died, but it sounds like he mixed some prescription BP meds he was taking with too much alcohol and his heart stopped while he was sleeping, he never woke up.
Sad.
I guess that is what happens as you age and your circle of friends and acquaintances expands. Hope his family is getting through the grieving process as well as they can.
I don't feel like 37 is old enough to have friends die. It seems like that should be reserved for when you're well over 50. I wish it was...
Well, now I officially have two facebook friends who are deceased. Yet another thing that makes me seem older laterly.
One has been since last October -- my local bestie's younger sister. I posted about that when it happened (and my subsequent musings on her husband's return to the dating world). That FB page is now being used by her husband to tag pictures of their young daughter, who looks so much like her mom that it hurts my heart.
But now, as of this week, I have another FB deceased page among my friends -- someone who was a friend in junior high. Still not completely clear on how he died, but it sounds like he mixed some prescription BP meds he was taking with too much alcohol and his heart stopped while he was sleeping, he never woke up.
Sad.
I guess that is what happens as you age and your circle of friends and acquaintances expands. Hope his family is getting through the grieving process as well as they can.
I don't feel like 37 is old enough to have friends die. It seems like that should be reserved for when you're well over 50. I wish it was...
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