Things that I did today:
Slept until 12:30pm. I was exhausted and feeling disoriented when I woke up at 6:55am so I took that as a sign to use one of my 34.37 sick days (oops, heh, I thought I had 45). When I woke up at 12:30pm I was still beat and felt sick to my stomach. I think that my body just decided I needed a day off from going to work. I felt like a slacker, I felt guilty, but … sometimes your body dictates what you will do with it rather than that gushy grey matter stuff.
Finished my certification book reading. All 1310 pages of it, including the reference and appendix sections. (They test on those, I assure you.) I really thought I’d be more excited about this, but… no. Still left to do: Color code, index, and tabulate(?) the books, schedule the exam, take the exam.
Weighed myself. For some reason, despite my belly feeling “business as usual” and my food consumption being actually bigger than usual at lunch time particularly, I’ve suddenly lost 4.4 pounds. I’m not obsessed with my weight, I just happen to remember numbers without meaning to, and I do try to keep an eye on my weight to make sure I’m staying healthy. M&M (my Tennessee parents) gave me that scale for Christmas because I was malnourished at that time and was visiting the doctor to check my health progress. I keep using it to just keep an eye on myself. It’s much harder to eat semi-correctly alone.
Took a video of Ripley reacting to me whistling Renegade by Styx. Fortunately for you this video will be kept in my private collection.
Researched storage facilities for my house stuff. There is a facility right down the road from my house. Bonus. Now I just need to actually call them and reserve a storage space. I’m guessing a 10×10 will do the trick, or a 10×5 if they offer that. Really, it just needs to be at least 6′ long because that’s how long the couch is.
Found out that the garage gadgets have been sold to the new house owner. Got $625 total for a snow blower, 28′ ladder, garden tools, wheel barrow, weed whacker, push mower, seed spreader, metal hose reel and hoses, and riding lawn mower. It’s a STEAL for the new owner, but what the hell were The Ex or I going to do with that stuff? Easy sale, and it doesn’t even need to be moved — stays with the house. Everybody wins. And I get an extra $312.50 at closing.
Thought about Britt. I’ve been thinking about her everyday lately, my form of “prayer”, but today I’m just … really in need of mentioning. Her in-laws lost everything in the Parkersburg, Iowa F-4 F-5 tornado on Sunday. Britt and her husband Jared drove with their two kids from FL to their hometown in IA to help everyone out. Adam had written a post discussing ways we can help out, but he had written a tweet that implied the money sent to the Red Cross wasn’t making its way to IA. I don’t support misappropriation or misdirection of funds, so I personally am holding out for the address where we can send tangible items that I know will go where they are supposed to. Call my cynical. It’s ok, go ahead, do it.
Made coffee. And then drank it. Sweet nectar of Mother Nature.
That’s about it so far. Hope you’re having an equally or more so productive day!
“It’s much harder to eat semi-correctly alone.”
I’m exactly the opposite (and I know you’re SO suprised at that.) It’s much more difficult for me to stay on program with eating now that I have another person eating with me every night. When I was single, I was uber disciplined. Now? Not so much…
Considering the way your day started, it seems to be turning out pretty good.
Not commenting on the eating, because I’m doing everything wrong with that lately.
Gratz on the reading.
Congratulations on finishing the reading! That was a huge accomplishment!
Keep up the good work!
J.
YAY on being done with the reading. AND for giving yourself a day of rest.
I too am thinking of Britt and her family and waiting for an address to send donations directly. it looks like a good alternative might be the Salvation Army. I’m hearing good things about their response.
Glad the day turned out okay and that you found a storage place and are going to make some extra moolah on the things you were able to sell.
I haven’t checked in on Britt’s for a while but I will do so now. Thanks for the heads up.
Way to go on the reading. It must be a great relief!
Congrats on the reading. I’m the same way about donating. I’m totally waiting till we can send stuff straight there. I know Red Cross does a great job, but like I said somewhere else, the resources they offer are limited and not always on the mark.
There are so many natural disasters lately, it’s overwhelming to keep track of who to send support to. Organizations like the Red Cross are usually great, but the larger they get, the more money goes to keeping the organization going.
My employer used to give one big bucket of PTO (paid time off) that covered sick *and* vacation. I think it was 10 days - 5 sick = 15 total (for employees w/1yr employment, and then added pto for staying at company longer).
Then they changed it to be separate. 10 days PTO and then six (countem, 6!) days of sick time.
At first glance this seems to be an improvement. However, the sick time is a “use it or lose it” thing.
This wreaked havoc with my vacation time because in the combo system, the less you were sick, the more you could play. The new system now rewards the sick and punishes the healthy.
It makes me sick. Calling in….
B, I just remember to eat or make a meal plan if I’m cooking for two. Better than the packaged crap I tend to eat right now because I don’t make cooking a priority.
Creature, it doesn’t help to lecture me about food anyway, so good thing you didn’t.
Mikey, thank you!!
HoosierGirl, thanks, I’m trying. The cats are not making it easy to continue progressing… They want Mama Time.
Turnbaby, I’m confused by the mixed message. I guess I don’t understand why people who just lost their entire home to a tornado even have to worry about paying their bills right now when they also don’t have a job to go to, but someone left a comment on Britt’s site that the tornado victims need money rather than tangibles right now. I really would like to know what Britt’s in-laws actually need right now. It sounds like they want tangibles but have no place to put them. Hrmph.
Sour, I think that extra money should go toward the purchase of something completely frivolous. I have ideas on what, we’ll see what happens…
Dragon, thanks. A little bit of relief, yes.
Fogspinner, ahhhhh, yes, exactly. I am about 1″ away from sending money via USPS to:
BRITT AND JARED’S FAMILY
SOMEWHERE IN…
PARKERSBURG, IA
Noelle, and I have nothing against the Red Cross’s attempt to coordinate monetary efforts (is that even a term?), but in this situation it’s so personal to me that I don’t want to send items to a general fund when the specific people I want to help are right over there, standing next to Britt.
Wah, we get 12 sick days a year that we continue to carry over which serve as our short term disability if we didn’t purchase any out-of-pocket, or parental leave as necessary. I don’t remember what the ramp-up of days is, but I believe I started out six years ago with 18 days of vacation per year, and am now up to 1.83 days per month, or 21.96 days per year. I can carry up to twice that number before I start losing days, so as long as I stay under 43.92 vacation days accrued I get to keep all my days. Over 43.92 and I don’t earn any more days *and* lose any extra. I currently have… err, about 34 days accrued. Back in December I was almost at 44 so I took Fridays off. (I think I just did an entire book report in my comments.)
You need an Imelda to deliver home made iced vanilla lattes to your bedside… but you will have to find your own.. I am not sharing mine.
It actually ended up a F-5!
Britt’s post tomorrow will have an address and information of what is the most needed. She’s just trying to find them somewhere to put their stuff, too, since right now, they don’t have anywhere to keep anything.
Yeah, been thinking of Britt a lot, too. So color me ignorant, but where are you moving to?
Maman, hmm, I think I’m the Imelda of the family, actually. I fetch the coffee. And gladly.
Avi, I will be on the lookout for that info. In the meantime I will stay resigned to the fact that I am helpless to do anything but send her emails that encourage her.
Karl,