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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / October 2005Some progress (OT)
I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at this pace, I'll have done them all (including the ones I use in the meantime) and be able to start on the counters. That job looks like it will take about a day and a half. Then I can start on the floor. I figure 2-3 days there (just in the kitchen). Once the floor is clear and clean, I'll spend a week or so doing the cupboards and fridge, and wash the windows. Then the kitchen will be done, and I'll only have spent a little over two weeks on the whole room. The best part is that clearing the dishes freed up a little more space in other parts of the house :) Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. >I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, >starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at this [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house >done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. You are doing great! Bravo! Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house > done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Wow! Well done, Pat. I jet-washed my block-paving drive and path yesterday. It seemed such a big job I've put it off for three years. And it was a big job, took 3 hours to do the paving and then I had to jet wash the lower half of my (white) house after all the muck was thrown up. It's all done now and it looks great. I bet you feel the same sense of achievement that I feel. Tweed > I bet you feel the same sense of achievement that I feel. It's pretty hard to feel a sense of accomplishment when almost half your kitchenware is waiting to be washed, and when the rest of the room is such a mess that having the dishes etc. all clean hardly shows up in the overall picture, when you look at the room. But it's at least good to know I did what I did. The sense of accomplishment is still at least a week away. At that time there will be a noticeable difference when looking at the room > It's pretty hard to feel a sense of accomplishment when almost half your > kitchenware is waiting to be washed, and when the rest of the room is such a > mess that having the dishes etc. all clean hardly shows up in the overall > picture, when you look at the room. But it's at least good to know I did > what I did. The sense of accomplishment is still at least a week away. At > that time there will be a noticeable difference when looking at the room Try to focus on the little things - the dishes that are washed, not the dishes that aren't. I know it sounds terribly Pollyanna-ish, but I find it does help me when I'm feeling overwhelmed.  SignatureCheryl >> It's pretty hard to feel a sense of accomplishment when almost half your >> kitchenware is waiting to be washed, and when the rest of the room is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I know it sounds terribly Pollyanna-ish, but I find it does help me when > I'm feeling overwhelmed. We try to do that here. When things seem to be overwhelming, we kind of take note in the evening of anything we got done that day that is progress. Even if its just getting a load of clothes into the washer. Jo >>> It's pretty hard to feel a sense of accomplishment when almost half your >>> kitchenware is waiting to be washed, and when the rest of the room is such a [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Jo Same here. If I can say I did even one small task, I acknowledge that. >> I bet you feel the same sense of achievement that I feel. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > away. At that time there will be a noticeable difference when looking at > the room I think you are being a bit too hard on yourself. You have made a start and a week or so ago you were too discouraged even to do this. So, whether you agree or not, I think you did good, and it's an achievement. So there....<raspberry noise> ;-) Tweed > I think you are being a bit too hard on yourself. You have made a start > and a week or so ago you were too discouraged even to do this. So, > whether you agree or not, I think you did good, and it's an achievement. > So there....<raspberry noise> ;-) It's usually at about this stage that I give up the effort as hopeless. How would you feel after two solid days of dishwashing, and you're almost half finished with *just* the dishes, which is about 10% of the job of cleaning the whole room. It takes me an entire day to scrub the top of the stove alone. I hate that day because it means I can't do any cooking, not even a pot of tea or warming up leftovers. The top of the stove has to soak in the bathtub overnight before I can even start on it. And although my freezer won't keep food frozen, it still accumulates frost. Gallons of it. Within a month it has a chunk of ice built up that's bigger than any loaf of bread you've ever seen. I just don't get it.... . > > I think you are being a bit too hard on yourself. You have made a start > > and a week or so ago you were too discouraged even to do this. So, [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > . with your fridge pat, have you thought of getting the seals replaced? it will improve efficiency and antiu frosting too. And although my freezer > won't keep food frozen, it still accumulates frost. Gallons of it. Within > a month it has a chunk of ice built up that's bigger than any loaf of > bread you've ever seen. I just don't get it.... That sounds like a faulty door seal. Like moist air is getting in faster than with normal use. Jo > That sounds like a faulty door seal. Like moist air is getting in faster > than with normal use. There's no flaw in the seal. I checked that already. >It's usually at about this stage that I give up the effort as hopeless. How >would you feel after two solid days of dishwashing, and you're almost half >finished with *just* the dishes, which is about 10% of the job of cleaning >the whole room. It takes me an entire day to scrub the top of the stove >alone. I think you're doing fine, although that must be an old stovetop! Most of the ones I've had had surfaces that were made for easy cleaning, usually a hard non-stick enamel. I don't think it's entirely your fault that your place is messy. You live in such a small space. I found that I personally have a habit of leaving things where they are for a while before picking them up or throwing them away, and it makes me messy if I'm living in close quarters. If I have a place to put things before I decide to store them or throw them out, then I can be fairly neat. It's like the rate of input and output versus the size of a memory buffer in a network router or something. You could probably characterize my cleanliness with a simple mathematical model. >You could probably characterize my cleanliness >with a simple mathematical model. Mine too. It's called Chaos Theory. SignatureWayne M (indulged by Will and Heidi) > It's usually at about this stage that I give up the effort as > hopeless. How would you feel after two solid days of dishwashing, > and you're almost half finished with *just* the dishes, which is > about 10% of the job of cleaning the whole room. I'd probably feel pretty overwhelmed. But that's why we're here, to tell you that you're doing a great job. Don't give up. Your example even inspired others to do some necessary housework that they've been avoiding! Think about that. You're doing far more than cleaning your own house; you're inspiring others to do the same. > It takes me an entire day to scrub the top of the stove alone. I hate > that day because it means I can't do any cooking, not even a pot of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > it. Within a month it has a chunk of ice built up that's bigger than > any loaf of bread you've ever seen. I just don't get it.... Yes, it's frustrating. Can you do the stove the day after your big-city shopping trip, so that you can eat coldcuts and such -- nothing that needs cooking -- that day? Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > But it's at least good to know I did > what I did. The sense of accomplishment is still at least a week away. At > that time there will be a noticeable difference when looking at the room Pat, You inspired me to tackle the bathtub that has needed cleaning for awhile. The drywall is rotting and cleaning around the tub is icky. I got it cleaned up today and it looks 110% better. I still have the rest of the bathroom to finish, but hey, that looks better. Diane >> But it's at least good to know I did what I did. The sense of >> accomplishment is still at least a week away. At that time there [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I got it cleaned up today and it looks 110% better. I still have > the rest of the bathroom to finish, but hey, that looks better. Eep! Is there any concern about water getting into the walls? A friend of mine recently had to do all sorts of repair work because the previous owners hadn't maintained the seals properly. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > Eep! Is there any concern about water getting into the walls? > > A friend of mine recently had to do all sorts of repair work because > the previous owners hadn't maintained the seals properly. Yep, that is next on our items of things to tackle. We have to take out the drywall and actually put up greenboard. The folks who had the house before us used plain sheetrock in the bathroom around the tub. :( I'm wanting to tear it out right now, but I don't have the money yet to get the greenboard to replace it with. I hope to get it fixed by next Spring. Ok, I've put it in writing, now I have to follow through, right? ;) Diane Good for you, Pat! Keep up the momentum! Melissa > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > windows. Then the kitchen will be done, and I'll only have spent a little > over two weeks on the whole room. You GO girl. You'll make it. Just one dish at a time. One picked up item, one swipe across the counter, and so forth. If I keep telling myself that, maybe I'll believe it too. Pam S. > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at this [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house > done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Go for it pat!!! I'm so happy for you, sounds like you are doing really well. please don't push yourself too much tough, ore else you'll wear out and be back to square one. and make sure you are getting enough sleep > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the > house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. hey, I think that is terrific! You go girl! Pat, don't give up! It's going to take a while and THAT'S OK. It's also ok to take a day off every so often and GO somewhere...the mall, a movie, a museum...get out of the house and then when you come home look at what you've done not what's left. Draw up an actual CHART with an estimate of what you will do each day and give yourself rewards...a new puzzle book, a favorite Haggen Daz flavor...at the end of the week. Try listening to audio book tapes while you clean. Use PAPER PLATES while you're doing this mass cleaning so you don't have to go back and wash them again. You'll get there!! Messy from way back... PatM > Pat, don't give up! It's going to take a while and THAT'S OK. It's > also ok to take a day off every so often and GO somewhere...the mall, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Messy from way back... > PatM Yes, this is my problem. I take 2 steps forward in the kitchen, then I start cooking and mess everything up again. Of late I've been using paper plates and bowls and plastic cutlery just so I won't feel so discouraged after messing up the "didn't I just wash those?" pots and pans. Jill > take a day off every so often and GO somewhere...the mall, a > movie, a museum... 150 miles round-trip to any of those places, too much $$ in gas!!! > get out of the house I just go for walks in the woods right here. > give yourself rewards...a new > puzzle book, a favorite Haggen Daz flavor.. I've never bought or used a puzzle book in my life (and not about to start), and I'm lactose intolerant, also trying to lose weight!!! Got some other suggestions? Preferably things that don't cost $$? > Try listening to audio book tapes while you clean. That would require buying a tape player.... $$$$ >> take a day off every so often and GO somewhere...the mall, a >> movie, a museum... [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > start), and I'm lactose intolerant, also trying to lose weight!!! Got > some other suggestions? Preferably things that don't cost $$? A long, long time ago (I can still remember how the music used to make me cry...) Okay, now that the earworm has passed on to everyone... Really, a very wise woman once told me, next time you feel like crap, splurge, 25 or 50 cents on some cheap nail polish at the drugstore and paint your toenails red or some outlandish shade. Then wiggle your feet and laugh. Jill Love Jill's idea about painting your toenails! See, now walking in the woods is something I would like to do. We don't have a car so can't get there from here...stick to where the buses go locally. Must be a library or book mobile around...? You could look for birds of your area of Tenn. It's so easy for me...give me a book and I'm happy. I don't know what your interests are. Is there somewhere you can store stuff...like a barn or shed? Just to get it out of the house. Then you could go through it bag by bag all winter long. Mice would be a big problem there...darned things ruined a bunch of my stuff I had stored. Mothballs?? It sounds like some shelving would be helpful...esp. for all your home bus. supplies. It may not be pretty, but what about old boards cleaned off and cinder blocks...would be cheap to nothing...a building being torn down, somebody remodeling. You could even curtain it off to hide it if it looked too tacky. Cause you can always move up from there. And second hand stores sell sheets that make great curtain material. You do seem to have inspired us! I'm moving around my living room furniture today, and washing the slop covers. Going to shock the dh and clean the puter desk. Right now some of what is piled on it is a backscratcher, nasel spray, hammer and screwdriver, b & w 1st grade photograph, large polished agate, roll of bandages, insense and beer candle, clothes, bags of...?, basketball, pair of shoes and one single,books, magazines, kitchen potholders, hat, papers and games and cds galore, earrings, water bottle... Can I stop now?!LOL PatM > Love Jill's idea about painting your toenails! > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > single,books, magazines, kitchen potholders, hat, papers and games and > cds galore, earrings, water bottle... Can I stop now?!LOL Goodness! You must have a very large desk! ;> Hugs, CatNipped > PatM > It sounds like some shelving would be helpful...esp. for all your > home bus. supplies. It may not be pretty, but what about old boards [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > always move up from there. And second hand stores sell sheets that > make great curtain material. I was in a house yesterday that had the coolest thing: recessed shelving that hid a closet! The shelving opened up to reveal storage space. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > Love Jill's idea about painting your toenails! Jill is quite welcome to paint my toenails, and so are you... I haven't painted them myself since I was in grade school. It's hard to think of anything I'd find more boring to do! > Must be a library or book mobile around...? You could look for birds > of your area of Tenn. I suppose we do have a lot of the same birds here in Missouri as they do in TN. I like birds. Always see turkeys in my yard. > It's so easy for me...give me a book and I'm > happy. I don't know what your interests are. I have a ton (literally) of books, I used to read at least 5-6 books a week but have hardly read one since 1999 when my DH left me. > Is there somewhere you can store stuff...like a barn or shed? Nope. Or I would already have done so. > It sounds like some shelving would be helpful Every available wall in my house is solid shelves already. > You do seem to have inspired us! Well, that's great! > > take a day off every so often and GO somewhere...the mall, a > > movie, a museum... [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > That would require buying a tape player.... $$$$ Do you like gardening? I had Post natal after both my kids, and what pulled me out was getting out in the garden...whenever i had a setback, i'd go and viciously prune something, then do some therapeutic planting or repotting. plants are very cheap, especially the slightly withered supermarket ones...get yourself a pot of petunias and some seed packets.... That's excellent, Pat. You're doing great :-) Dividing it up into small stages is the way to go. -- Britta "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > is clear and clean, I'll spend a week or so doing the cupboards and > fridge, and wash the windows. Then the kitchen will be done, and I'll > only have spent a little over two weeks on the whole room. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the > house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house > done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Sounds like very good progress, Pat. Here's energy purrs for the rest of it. SignatureMarina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the > house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. You're doing great! Purrs for your energy. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the > house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Concatulations on your progress so far: "The longest journey still starts with a single step". Energy-giving purrs en route that you can keep it up. Gordon & the FF > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house > done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Good for you! I have got 3/4 of my bathroom tiles mold-free after a long weekend! Doesn't it feel great? --Fil > I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, > starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > fridge, and wash the windows. Then the kitchen will be done, and > I'll only have spent a little over two weeks on the whole room. Mega-congratulations! That's huge! > The best part is that clearing the dishes freed up a little more > space in other parts of the house :) > > Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the > house done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. You already have cause for celebration. It's hard to break the inertia and get started on this kind of stuff. You done good! Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >I've spent the best part of two days working on cleaning my kitchen, >starting with washing dishes, pots and pans, and in another two days at this [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Now if only I don't run out of energy before I get the rest of the house >done, I'll have cause for celebration before the year is over. Great work, Pat! Keep it up and in no time you'll be looking around at a comfortable environment that will make you feel so much better. Now, if *I* can just get to that point myself . .. . . Ginger-lyn Home Pages: http://www.spiritrealm.com/summer/ http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~summer/index.htm (genealogy) http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against Animals in Movies Website) Great work Pat. I'll have Spicey do energy/persistance purrs. Suz&Spicey |
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