Tuesday, February 16, 2016

This N That

Well, I can already tell it is going to be one of those random, meandering days.  I woke up before 6 a.m with my knee killing me.  I went to bed with both feet and ankles swollen last night -- something that never happens to me and I was concerned but this morning they are better but the knee is giving me grief. I am used to that.  My left knee was diagnosed as useless with I was 34 -- the years haven't made it better, that is for sure.  I have even thought about getting a cane.


As I realized, at 5:45 a.m. that I was not going back to sleep I laid there for a while and took stock of my upcoming day.  I needed to do something but I didn't have a plan. So what else is new -- I never have a plan.

The laundry is going well doing it everyday.  You wouldn't think that just two people could generate enough laundry to wash everyday but you would be surprised.  Also, I am trying to get back to my youthful activity of getting the bedsheets washed every Monday.  When I was a new bride that was my routine -- sheets on Monday.  Well, somewhere in the last 43 years that got put to the bottom of the list of priorities but I am trying to bring it to the surface again.  Routines are good.  I am just not good at them.

I said in a previous post that I was going to try the swiffer again and I did.  I was appalled at the dust I picked up and I had just vacuumed a couple of days ago! So, I guess I will be swiffering more often -- better than dragging Ruby out.

Ruby can be a bit heavy and unwieldy so I try to only bring her out when I absolutely need her. 

I have also started -- AGAIN -- a food journal.  I have a Jawbone activity tracker which I am finding to be so inconvenient because I can't put my hands in water while wearing it.  I am not a neat housekeeper and I will get it wet and that is a no-no.  I have also tried calorie counting using MyFitnessPal.  I even bought a new ipad that would sync all of it together.  Epic Fail.

I am not a novice at food journaling, calorie counting, being completely obsessed over food -- no, not a novice.  I have been doing this since I was about 17 years old and thought I was fat.  I wish I was as fat now as I was when I thought I was fat!  Anyway, I read an article last night about not counting calories, just journaling what you eat, when you eat, how you feel when you eat -- blah, blah, blah -- psychobabble, you know, just to make yourself aware of what you are doing just in case you are one of those people who go to look for the cookies and find them gone and realize that you are the one who ate them and you have no recollection of doing any such thing. Indeed. 

So, at 5:45 this morning as I lay in bed wishing I could go back to sleep I started thinking about the perfect journal to start this amazing journaling in. I decided I needed to jet to my neighborhood half price books and pick up the perfect journal.  Then I realized that I have a whole shelf full of partially used journals that all represent false starts so maybe the prudent thing to do is to pick out one of those and begin.  Beginning is always the hardest thing especially when you need supplies -- like journals and colored pens. 

So, this is the journal I chose -- off my shelf -- with some pages torn out.  It is by Foray and you can actually buy replacement journals to fit inside the cover. 

Mine is the brown one and it is small enough to carry in a purse if I so desire.  I doubt I will desire but who knows. 

In any event, I have no intention of weighing and measuring my food -- I have done that enough to be able to tell what a portion looks like.  Or do I?  So, that took my thoughts to scoops -- like ice cream scoops.  I need a scoop to measure out 1/2 cup of whatever.  That immediately sent me off on an internet search for a #8 (4 oz.) "disher" - available by mail order only.  Of course.  I will never get my charge paid off if I can't go to a store and actually buy something with, you know --  money -- and bring it home without having to pay shipping.

All of this before 7 a.m.  Do you see what I mean about it being a random day?

So, let's take stock -- I have folded the laundry from yesterday that took forever to dry and it is put away.  I have put the sheets in the washer and loaded the dishwasher with my toast plate.  I have gotten dressed, tossed my hair around (I wear a little bob that doesn't require much to fall into place -- I look like something out of the 1930's) and gathered some World War 2 memorabilia together for my daughter's history class on that era.

But, that brings us to the dishwasher.  My goal was run the dishes after dinner and empty it before I retired for the night so the morning would find me with a clean sink and an empty dishwasher -- does anybody remember Flylady?  Shine your sink?  Get dressed to your shoes?  Ok, so no shoes.  Anyway, last night I was so confused because I had three dishes in the dishwasher.  They were dirty.  Should I wash them by hand and have a clean dishwasher this morning?  Should I run the dishwasher with three dishes in it? I think not.  What should I do? Was there a right answer?  I went to bed and left the three dishes in there to be combined with todays dishes.  Don't you just hate major life decisions?  Why can I make huge decisions concerning other things but just completely crumple when trying to figure out what to do with three stupid dishes?  Honestly, sometimes I don't understand me at all. 

So, since I am having a completely random day, I think I will go cook some rice for dinner and defrost some chicken to make some chicken strips tonight.  Maybe a salad would be nice.  I still have some pears to use up so I can toss those in there too. We have Bean this afternoon so I think I should give some thought to dinner early so when I come home complete knackered I won't have to think about it too much.  Plus, if I do it early I can clean up the mess early! Yay! Thinking outside the box! Novel for me.

I will let you know how it goes later.  By the way, I cook my rice in the oven.  It works great.



4 comments:

Pom Pom said...

Lately, when I come upon a journal that isn't completely used (usually about 1/4) I just write a new date in it and explain to the reader (lol) that I abandoned it and don't fret if you want to make sense of my writings, make it a game. Everything doesn't have to be linear and organized, right? Smile.
I hate dragging the vacuum around and I have considered making friends with the Swiffer again.
I am sorry your knee hurts, BB.
Prayers for some painfree days!
Sending friendliness your way, nice person.

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Hi, Pom Pom! you are right -- not everything has to be organized and that is a lucky thing for me! Yes, I try to make nice with Ruby but we just don't have a good working relationship although she is really cute. I swiffered again this morning and again with the dust! That's Texas for you. My knee will get better -- it always does -- but thanks for your concern!

Frugally challenged said...

Ah, FlyLady. The best woman in the world for making me feel guilty. Mind you, all this housework taking place in Texas is making m look at my own sitting room. Only look mind. I did empty the bin though. Maybe tomorrow I may vacuum. Then again . . . But I did tidy the kitchen. I have to say that because if you saw it now you wouldn't believe me. A woman's work is never done.

I think I shall knit.

I hope I have encouraged you. And I too have had a duff knee since my patella got smashed up and had to be removed 42 years ago.

Boyett-Brinkley said...

You know, Mary, I have been reading a blog from a lady down under and she is very wise -- she says "quit trying to get all the housework done -- you can't, it is impossible, it is never completely done so quit trying". She is right. I tried to follow FlyLady but her logic escaped me. I sort of always thought that cleaning one room at a time was a good idea. Actually, right now I am just sort of tackling whatever hits me at the time and as long as I feel like I am accomplishing SOMETHING then I am happy. See, I have a mental affliction that I don't feel like I can do anything fun unless I have done something meaningful and important like the laundry or the dishes so if I do at least something each day then I can give myself permission to do the fun things. It is all very self-serving! Yes, you have inspired me! I am sorry about your knee. I am a firm believer that being nauseous is the worst kind of "sick" and aching knees and feet are the worst kind of ordinary pain.

Update

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