Post by Honeylioness on Jul 12, 2011 13:55:00 GMT -5
12 July 2011
Okay - now for an update about me.
I saw where someone had suggested that perhaps I had gone away for my annual quilting retreat and that was why I hadn't been heard from in a while.
I wish.
The Festival this year was from June 23-26. Ines' flight home was the morning of June 23rd and Siying left at the crack of dawn on the 28th. So while it might have been possible to drop off Ines, drive to Vermont, come back the night of the 26th and Siying would have that one day to finish getting packed and ready - some last remaining byte of sanity in my brain said "Are you nuts???" So for the first time in a long time I did not attend my quilting festival.
Bummer.
I struggled hard with saying goodbye this year to the girls. One because I swear, if I thought it would not have caused Homeland Security to break my door down I would have kidnapped and kept her. And the other because I feel as though I failed her in some ways - though I know you really cannot undo a lifetime of conditioning in 10 months. But she broke my heart on several occasions - not because of anything she did specifically - more like what she couldn't do, or couldn't give.
So yeah, I went into quite the funk after the last one left. I felt completely wiped out and even though there were grand plans in my brain, and on a piece of paper, for what I would be able to get done during my four day weekend (we got July 4 and 5 off from work) - needless to say - not much of anything was accomplished.
On Saturday I did manage to read 1.5 books and take about four naps though. Guess my body really was at it's breaking point.
And I did manage to burn and ruin an entire batch of cherry preserves. This makes me angry on several fronts. One - because I know better and two because they were really expensive and I feel like I just should have tossed the money in the trash.
I did update my June spreadsheet with all my receipts. Like so many others who posted about this - the month just bit the big one in terms of just keeping track - never mind staying anywhere near budget. With all that was going on - the packing and drama - I think I just gave up mid month sometime. H3ll - I just found the Father's Day and my brother's Birthday cards which never even got signed - never mind mailed.
Then let's add on issues with the condo. Such as when they were built in 1986 the morons covered the exterior sheeting with felt paper. Not plastic, not Tyvek no aluminum foil - but felt. Three guesses how well THAT held up under New England weather conditions. In places where we have had to remove the siding there is nothing left - just siding and then the plywood sheeting. On the long side of my unit I have started noticing water issues. And not minor ones.
About a month ago we had what my grandfather would call a "gully washer" of a downpour. Not just sheets of rain by high winds whipping it about. This means that the water was pushed up and under the siding on the building. As a result two things happened. I noticed a "bulge" in the wood flooring of my living room, water stains and the ceiling of the room below ... and best of all .. actually had a sheen of water running down the INSIDE wall of my studio.
I have contacted the Property Management company - waiting to hear back from them about getting someone out here ASAP. A week ago we had another big rain storm and now it seems the decking on my third floor balcony is leaking as the ceiling underneath has big water stains, feels "spongy" and a curtain rod pulled out of the wall because the anchor hole got wet.
Or perhaps I should go after the guy who hasn't replied to my message that I need a repairman over to my place NOW to assess the damage and then fix it before it gets worse.
Just shoot me now.
Add to that the mess my accounts are in at the moment with the girls leaving and all, and a rather important bill that got "overlooked". AND I have developed some weird physical oddities/symptoms (?) - so I am off to the doctor's next week to see if my warranty has finally expired and I need to start trading in my body piece by piece like an old Chevy.
Then let's throw in the stress and staff weirdness at work the last couple of months. And not sure if I mentioned this - but it is finally over with Hawk.
Is it any wonder I have been in a deep and dank "funk"? Some days I just cannot seem to get out of my own way.
I had thought one of my best friends would be coming out this month for the 25th anniversary of the local music festival - but she had to cancel. I am still waiting to hear if I will be volunteering this year or not. Then in August is a local quilt festival and I want to take a day off of work for this - not sure if I will take a class or not but I have not done much sewing, or anything really creative, in what seems like forever and that bothers me.
A part of me wants to just continue to whole up and hibernate - and a smaller voice says to try something new. I just don't feel as though I have the energy for it. H3ll - I am still trying to find the energy to do my ironing!
I guess these are issues and concerns I will bring up with Dr. R when I see her on Monday along with my other weird body happenings.
However, I have committed to hosting two more girls next year. One from Finland and one from Ecuador. They should not arrive until the end of August. And then the merry go round starts all over.
******************************
Honeylioness - 12 July 2011 at 2:04pm ยป
An update for anyone who thinks THEIR life is hectic and out of control. And it explains some of what has kept me away for a while:
honeylioness.proboards.com/index.....ghts&thread=223
And just because life likes to throw you these little curve balls ..... I got a call yesterday morning at my office. It was a local area code but I didn't recognize the number. A sweet accented voice said "Hi, it's me ... Anne!"
Holy schmoly.
Anne is the young lady from East Germany who I hosted in 2009/2010. Turns out she was calling me from Boston - just about 25 miles away from where I live. She AND her family are in the US on vacation and want to come see me.
Now, keeping in mind from reading my blog post that housework has probably NOT been a priority for me lately - just imagine the cartoon image in my head screaming "NOOOOOOO".
I was able to get her to agree to tonight instead. So last night I flew home and in sweltering heat (because I had not set the AC low enough) I scrubbed bathrooms, cleaned cat boxes, swept four stories and three sets of stairs, emptied trash, went to the grocery store for ingredients for dinner and washed the kitchen floor.
Truthfully I wish I had had time to get on my hands and knees and really do the floor right - but I will keep the lights dimmed and it will have to do.
Tonight it's run home, unload the dishwasher and get dinner prepped before they arrive at 6pm.
Oh dang it .... I wonder if I have time to run by the store for an angel food cake after work or will desert have to be just marinated fruit salad over ice cream?
Okay - now for an update about me.
I saw where someone had suggested that perhaps I had gone away for my annual quilting retreat and that was why I hadn't been heard from in a while.
I wish.
The Festival this year was from June 23-26. Ines' flight home was the morning of June 23rd and Siying left at the crack of dawn on the 28th. So while it might have been possible to drop off Ines, drive to Vermont, come back the night of the 26th and Siying would have that one day to finish getting packed and ready - some last remaining byte of sanity in my brain said "Are you nuts???" So for the first time in a long time I did not attend my quilting festival.
Bummer.
I struggled hard with saying goodbye this year to the girls. One because I swear, if I thought it would not have caused Homeland Security to break my door down I would have kidnapped and kept her. And the other because I feel as though I failed her in some ways - though I know you really cannot undo a lifetime of conditioning in 10 months. But she broke my heart on several occasions - not because of anything she did specifically - more like what she couldn't do, or couldn't give.
So yeah, I went into quite the funk after the last one left. I felt completely wiped out and even though there were grand plans in my brain, and on a piece of paper, for what I would be able to get done during my four day weekend (we got July 4 and 5 off from work) - needless to say - not much of anything was accomplished.
On Saturday I did manage to read 1.5 books and take about four naps though. Guess my body really was at it's breaking point.
And I did manage to burn and ruin an entire batch of cherry preserves. This makes me angry on several fronts. One - because I know better and two because they were really expensive and I feel like I just should have tossed the money in the trash.
I did update my June spreadsheet with all my receipts. Like so many others who posted about this - the month just bit the big one in terms of just keeping track - never mind staying anywhere near budget. With all that was going on - the packing and drama - I think I just gave up mid month sometime. H3ll - I just found the Father's Day and my brother's Birthday cards which never even got signed - never mind mailed.
Then let's add on issues with the condo. Such as when they were built in 1986 the morons covered the exterior sheeting with felt paper. Not plastic, not Tyvek no aluminum foil - but felt. Three guesses how well THAT held up under New England weather conditions. In places where we have had to remove the siding there is nothing left - just siding and then the plywood sheeting. On the long side of my unit I have started noticing water issues. And not minor ones.
About a month ago we had what my grandfather would call a "gully washer" of a downpour. Not just sheets of rain by high winds whipping it about. This means that the water was pushed up and under the siding on the building. As a result two things happened. I noticed a "bulge" in the wood flooring of my living room, water stains and the ceiling of the room below ... and best of all .. actually had a sheen of water running down the INSIDE wall of my studio.
I have contacted the Property Management company - waiting to hear back from them about getting someone out here ASAP. A week ago we had another big rain storm and now it seems the decking on my third floor balcony is leaking as the ceiling underneath has big water stains, feels "spongy" and a curtain rod pulled out of the wall because the anchor hole got wet.
Or perhaps I should go after the guy who hasn't replied to my message that I need a repairman over to my place NOW to assess the damage and then fix it before it gets worse.
Just shoot me now.
Add to that the mess my accounts are in at the moment with the girls leaving and all, and a rather important bill that got "overlooked". AND I have developed some weird physical oddities/symptoms (?) - so I am off to the doctor's next week to see if my warranty has finally expired and I need to start trading in my body piece by piece like an old Chevy.
Then let's throw in the stress and staff weirdness at work the last couple of months. And not sure if I mentioned this - but it is finally over with Hawk.
Is it any wonder I have been in a deep and dank "funk"? Some days I just cannot seem to get out of my own way.
I had thought one of my best friends would be coming out this month for the 25th anniversary of the local music festival - but she had to cancel. I am still waiting to hear if I will be volunteering this year or not. Then in August is a local quilt festival and I want to take a day off of work for this - not sure if I will take a class or not but I have not done much sewing, or anything really creative, in what seems like forever and that bothers me.
A part of me wants to just continue to whole up and hibernate - and a smaller voice says to try something new. I just don't feel as though I have the energy for it. H3ll - I am still trying to find the energy to do my ironing!
I guess these are issues and concerns I will bring up with Dr. R when I see her on Monday along with my other weird body happenings.
However, I have committed to hosting two more girls next year. One from Finland and one from Ecuador. They should not arrive until the end of August. And then the merry go round starts all over.
******************************
Honeylioness - 12 July 2011 at 2:04pm ยป
An update for anyone who thinks THEIR life is hectic and out of control. And it explains some of what has kept me away for a while:
honeylioness.proboards.com/index.....ghts&thread=223
And just because life likes to throw you these little curve balls ..... I got a call yesterday morning at my office. It was a local area code but I didn't recognize the number. A sweet accented voice said "Hi, it's me ... Anne!"
Holy schmoly.
Anne is the young lady from East Germany who I hosted in 2009/2010. Turns out she was calling me from Boston - just about 25 miles away from where I live. She AND her family are in the US on vacation and want to come see me.
Now, keeping in mind from reading my blog post that housework has probably NOT been a priority for me lately - just imagine the cartoon image in my head screaming "NOOOOOOO".
I was able to get her to agree to tonight instead. So last night I flew home and in sweltering heat (because I had not set the AC low enough) I scrubbed bathrooms, cleaned cat boxes, swept four stories and three sets of stairs, emptied trash, went to the grocery store for ingredients for dinner and washed the kitchen floor.
Truthfully I wish I had had time to get on my hands and knees and really do the floor right - but I will keep the lights dimmed and it will have to do.
Tonight it's run home, unload the dishwasher and get dinner prepped before they arrive at 6pm.
Oh dang it .... I wonder if I have time to run by the store for an angel food cake after work or will desert have to be just marinated fruit salad over ice cream?
