To Do List for June 2013

My monthly To Do List for June 2013 only has 3 items on it:

1. Decorate Flat

2. Pack up and Move 

3. Write for a Living.

I will have to wade through 6 pages of tasks in order to complete these items. To say I'm a touch stressed by the whole thing, is like saying Elvis kind of liked fried food. Put it this way, I bypassed the Pink Fluffy Dressing Gown completely today. 

Normally it's not a good thing to make such a massive list of tasks, it's too easy to get discouraged by the enormity of it. However, I've got so much to do and the timing is quite crucial, I was worried I would forget something important. 

The good thing about breaking down all the tasks is I've been able to score some easy wins today. I am having a massive clear out. Today, I did books and CDs.

There's another shelf under this

And this is the other pile

Once all those were collected and piled up, I turned on my CD collection. I then went through  all the CDs, got rid of duplicates and the ones that were copied for my car several times. I've got two small boxes of music now looking for a new home.

One of the things that struck me as I was sorting through my books was how many of them I purchased because I thought I ought to read them. Books that would supposedly enlighten and expand my knowledge and experience. You know, literature books. I bought them and they've sat on my shelves taking up space since then. Looking through them I wondered who I was trying to impress by keeping them. Out of preference I read genre fiction, my life has had quite enough drama as it is, without including it in my entertainment. When I relax I want a good time with a happy ending. As I was sorting through it I became determined to only keep the books I wanted with me. The ones whose company I genuinely enjoyed, those I would read again. Hence, I probably got rid of about 2 bookshelf-worth. 

When it came to the CDs, same again. I sorted through the endless the compilations I'd bought because I was only after a couple of tracks. I'm now multitasking as I write this post. I've got a pile of CDs next to me and I'm systematically copying them on to my laptop. I know I will have to go through my digital library again. There are sure to be duplicates, but that's fine. I should have done this a long time ago.

I've also had a long think about many of my possessions: knick knacks, random stones, odds and ends and I've decided that if it's been in a box (i.e. in the loft) or I haven't interacted with it (i.e. looked at, picked it up or enjoyed it) it will be moving on. I'm not a sentimental person and frankly, dragging stuff around with me, on the off chance I might one day use it, when I haven't used it for years - it makes no sense.

I also dug out the kitchen, did a massive pile of dishes, cleaned up and did a couple of loads of laundry. So, all in all a very productive day. Tomorrow, I will do more work on the flat. I'm lucky in that my friend Juju has offered to help. She's good company and it'll be a good excuse to indulge in a cheeky cider afterwards.

Catching Up

That is indeed the theme for this week. I have been catching up with myself, doing the things that should have been done over the Festive Break. I have filed my tax return on time. Yes, I know. I'm going on and on about it. I hate form filling of any kind. It doesn't matter if it's a form to take possession of a million pounds or Robert Downey Jr. I hate them. And then make it a form with numbers...well, now you're into serious loathing and detesting on top of abject hatred. You know how well I can procrastinate...last year I paid out good money in fines, rather than get my tax return done on time. This year, I couldn't be arse to be stressed about the whole thing. I decided to do it on time. So I did. I'm pleased with myself. 


Anyway, catching up with myself...so last Thursday, I bit the bullet and purchased the replacement for my defunct and deceased laptop. I was perhaps a little bit naughty. I indulged in a shiny MacBook Pro, but most of it was covered by the insurance. Truthfully, I have been so impressed with my iPod and iPhone that, this really wasn't a hard sell. I'm still getting used to the different user interfaces and setting things up just as I like it; but it's all good. It's very pretty and quick. It's intuitive and fairly idiot proof, so I'm happy. It means of course that I can surf the internet at a decent speed. I don't need to take time out every time I want to load a new page from the interweb.


There's quite a bit to get used to. What is particularly annoying is the fact that the content from my iPhone and iPod won't sync to my new laptop, despite it's the same apple account. It's just making importing stuff onto here a bit long winded and somewhat tedious. It would have been so much easier had my hard drive survived, but there you go. It's salvageable.


I'm currently procrastinating slightly. I was considering exercising today, but I've hurt my back and I'm not sure the exercise will do anything but make it worse. So, I will get myself clean and dressed and I will start tackling the paperwork pile sitting next to my front door.

Stress Monkey

Upon my return I was pleased to see my house standing and the Cat alive. The garden has grown interesting sets of weeds, the bindweed and brambles took advantage of my absence, I have been gradually thinning their numbers every time I go out for a smoke. Bwahahaha. The Pond of Amphibian Filth and Depravity is now a nursery with lots and lots of tadpoles which I am well pleased about. I'm fond of frogs, as is the Cat, but for different reasons.

I'm gradually wading through the mounds of laundry and post. Unhappily, while I was doing the latter it came to my attention that my bank had fucked up and there was fresh air blowing through it. Therefore on my first full day back I spent the afternoon shouting at them to rectify their cock-up. Which quite frankly, I could have done without.

Yesterday, was a stress day of monumental proportions. I lost 7 hours trying to sort out a problem with my primary e-mail account. It's a web based e-mail account that since I bought my laptop has been 'interesting' as it does not do what it says on the tin. My most unhappy moment came when I finally got through to the help desk in India (after many goes in the telephone spaghetti junction which is Richard Branson's idea of IT support) to be told that the Help Desk does not support Ms Outlook Express. As I am running the full Outlook, apparently this means they are completely unable to assist. People, I was not a Happy Bunny. Especially, seeing as after all of that they're going to charge me 50p a min and it took me 5 goes to get that slap in the face. I've patched the problem so far, and I'm hoping that bribery and corruption will mean that a friend of mine will have a look at the problem and fix it later this week.

Today has been far more pleasant. I had a bit of a lie-in and have been re-assessing my plans for World Domination. I've got to get a few more irons in the fire, so I've been having a look at other fires to poke. We'll see what happens.

Apart from that, I still don't feel here yet. It takes me about a week to make the cultural transition. But I've done this many times before and I know how the song goes, it's just a question of going with the flow.

Shout Out for Good Reads

I am looking for some feel-good reads. I've fallen out of the habit of reading and although I have stacks of thrillers and horrors etc, I just can't face them at the moment. All that pain and death. I'm not particularly after romance for once, just not in the mood for it.

I'm after books that have been well constructed, well written and fun to read. A story that will touch me.

I don't need any dramas. I won't voluntarily read anything by Sebastian Faulkes or Dan Brown, so don't even make me try.

Go on, what do you recommend, and why?

Writing the To Do List

Now I'm the owner of a house, I have far more space. Unfortunately, I am coming to realise that I also have far more things that need attention. I knew it would be like this, but I didn't know it would be like this, if you know what I mean.

Before in the flat, there was the dishes, the laundry and that's about pretty much all the things that I really HAD to do. Now I've moved, of course there are still people I need to inform, I've also had to sort some niggly things, like the upstairs loo and the leaking shower. I have a garden and a pond. With the hot weather, half the damn pond has disappeared and I'm buggered if I can be arsed to fill the damn thing up with a bucket, which means I have to bite the bullet and get a hose. I also need to find a handyman to deal with the bits and pieces left behind by the previous owners, random stairgate cups on doorways, a hole in the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom, weird shelving and so the list continues.

Not to mention the fact that I still haven't unpacked my study yet and I've got hell and all shit that really needs to go up in the loft. Or the baskets for paperwork which are still sat by my front door. Or the piles stashed under the stairs. It didn't seem like a lot left to do when I moved. Sitting here looking at the crap, I'm begining to wonder.

I have a new bed on the way and new bedroom furniture. How exciting is this? I've opted for a kingsize iron bed, it's very girlie. I'm so excited. The mattress is fantastic, it's soft and supportive, when I lay on it in the showroom, it was like being hugged. The wardrobe is a bit of overkill, in that it's a triple with lots of hanging rails and shelves and I'm getting a matching chest of drawers, a blanket box and the bedside tables. I suspect I'll lose a lot of space in my bedroom to the imposing furniture, but the theory is with the adequate storage space, I can keep it tidy. Hah!

I'm currently sitting here with 3 lists in front of me: Need To Do, Ought To Do, Nice To Do. All blank at the minute. I really ought to get round to filling them in. Unfortunately, I've just remembered I've an appointment for a waxing in 45 mins time. Damn. I'll just have to go into town instead.

I think I'm really getting the hang of this procrastination lark.

Leavin on a Jet Plane

No doubt my Viking will tell me off, but I hardly think that one of you blog readers would raid my flat while I'm gone. If for some reason you are tempted, I have got people guarding the most precious cat, but I really would appreciate it if you could water the plants for me, inside and out. Pushing the hoover round will earn you lots of brownie points, as would doing the large pile of laundry I have quite got round to doing yet. Many thanks goes to Britswitch for keeping the cat company and to Gee's boys.

One of the many joys of going out with a policeman is the hours of home security advice. For some reason leaving my front door key under the flower pot by said door is verboten. I now shut my windows when I go out, despite the fact that I live in a first floor flat and my elderly neighbours (with whom I share the window cleaner) are perpetually vigilant. So you see, good sense is rubbing off on me, just very slowly. I still leave my front door open so the cat can sit on the doorstep and glare at the postman.

The other joy is a fuzzy, half-awake conversation while we're both in bed at 7.30 in the morning. Not very strange there you say, hardly worthy of a mention. However, it is when you consider, he's just done a full-night's work, I'm wishing him sweet dreams, he's saying he hopes I slept well, and I'm about to get up to face the day.

Anyway, I'd better get on I've got 17 To Dos that should have been done yesterday, that will have to be done before the end of business today. I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have, so things may go queit for awhile. I'll miss you, will try and send a post card.

Fin

Yesterday, I set up my Creative Practice work and that is the end of my degree. Yes, I do have a degree show to sort out, a publication to edit and my graduation...but that was the last of my work to be put in for assessment. Just so you know, I get my results on the 22nd of June and graduate on the 4th of July.

To celebrate I went to work. After work I wandered around and bought loads of make up. MAC have just brought out their summer collection and while I'm not into orange I thought I'd give it a go. I bought some lip liners, loose broze glittery eye shadow, some nail polishes, sparkley face and body powder on the cheap from Superdrug; and today after a consultation and MAC, their fabulous eyeshadow and a sparkley pink lip gloss which is just to die for. I've booked myself in for a facial next Monday, a birthday pressie from Hottie and a hair cut and colour on Friday. Tomorrow, I will start my exercise regime up again. I realise the key to a good life is more not less. Like KAZ suggested when I floated the subject a few weeks ago, more exercise, more yummy veggies and salads, more dancing, more walking. I want to have more energy and more fun.

I've also got quite a lot of catching up to do around the house. I promised myself in February that I'd get a skip and dump all of the shite I've accumulated. There's quite a bit of paperwork to catch up on. I suspect the trick is to just take things slow. Hand me a knife and fork, I've got an elephant to consume.

Plans for the summer? Well, Boy and I will be flying back to Trinidad to scatter Pops' ashes in the middle of August. Before then, the Viking and I will be going to Dublin for a few days. There's also a couple of weddings to attend, and buy shoes and frocks for. I also am hoping to work with a professional photographer to try and up my technical profficiency with a digital camera. Did I mention there's an MA course to apply for? I don't think this summer is going to be laid back or quiet. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Good Intentions

It's no good. Over the last few months, I have ground to a physical halt. I have done no exercise except walking. Yes, I have put on weight, *mumbles* about half a stone. But it's not that which worries me so much. When I revert to Couch Potato, I find that my system becomes sluggish; my energy levels drop. Everything becomes so much of an effort. Rather than keep with this downward spiral of feeling physically bleugh, I've decided to take up an exercise regime again. Wish me luck. As I have the will power of spaghetti, I will be posting charts, targets, goals all over my flat to keep me motivated.

My regime will occur indoors, behind closed curtains, in the safety of my front room. I've got a good shelf-full of exercise DVDs, I have weights and an exercise mat. It's not that money is such an issue I can't join a gym, though the home exercise route is the cheaper option. It's just that I'm allergic to gyms. They are filled with skinny, fit people, with wide, toothy smiles. I once went to a gym for a course and in the changing room, while I was tying up my hair I saw this woman. Her work-out gear was smothered in labels and she was busy applying makeup before she exercised.

I will keep you informed on my progress with this lifestyle change. The biggest problem I envisage, is crawling out of bed at 6 am before work, to exercise. That may well be my downfall. But to my way of thinking, it's better to keep with the good intentions, than to not bother at all.

Heart's a Mess

Many thanks to Ing for the Gotye track, it's now stuck in my head and is on permanent loop. Cheers. Really.

I should really start off by apologising if this is slightly incoherent. I've been working on this bloody dissertation since last week Thursday, pretty much to the exclusion of all else. My friends, if I have any left by the time this piece of shit - sorry research - is done, deserve to be bought a drink for my neglect. Meet me in the pub round the corner next Thursday. It's on me.

I hate the fact that I've done this to myself, turned this dissertation into a monster under the bed. Now I'm into it, it's great fun and although my energy levels have dipped, I'm still fascinated by my reading and my subject matter.

People keep asking me about after the degree. One thing is for certain, I won't be doing an academic MA. As for the rest of it; I haven't got a clue. I'm still enjoying the work at the department store and it suits me for the moment to be a temp with no responsibilities. I'm very wary of accepting any committments at this stage. I feel like I've lept off the edge of a cliff and I'm gliding around, looking down at the opportunities beneath me, but there's more stuff over the horizon I'd like to look at before I set down.

Not bad for a control-freak eh? I'm rather proud of myself for this new attitude. I was having a chat to Gee about this the other day, I was worrying that I'd just end up fannying about forever. Her laugh was genuine and reassurring. Apparently, I'm allowed to fanny for a bit and she says I never fanny for very long anyway. So rather than making a list of things I'm going to do in the summer and autumn, maybe a list of things I could do, if I feel so inclined.

Hmmm...I think I'll still be blogging, so you needn't worry.

Did Do List

1. De-flead and brushed cat. Sprayed around the flat where she sleeps.

2. Ate part of Indian takeaway.

3. Watched Motorcycle Diaries for the 2nd time as part of my dissertation.

4. Slept and got up late.

5. IMed with Britwitch, checked up on my fave blogs, left comments where appropriate.

6. Ate more Indian takeaway.

7. Watched Ivanhoe, lusted after George Saunders. I just love those medieval epics. It's the dresses.

8. Despite myself, watched Sister Act II. Very cheesy, but enjoyed it. Don't tell anyone.

9. Laughed my way through The Full Monty. It's just excellent British cinema. My favourite scene is when they're cuing for the dole and Donna Summer is piped through. Another one for my Yule list.

10. More blogging.

How do I feel? Pretty good. Nearly ready to take on the world. Just give me a few more minutes.

Last Free Weekend

This is my last free weekend as I face my last week of training. I have no boy, he's gone off to his dad's for the half-term. I was thinking about writing my letter of complaint mentioned in previous post.

Now I've got to the weekend and I'm sat here with my luke warm coffee, listening to 'Blue for You', I'm assembling my To Do List.

1. Do chores, my flat looks like a bomb site. (Yes, I know, it always looks like that, I'm sure I've got some UN reconstruction team running here). Laundry would be good, the socks keep scurrying around at night, fighting with boy's boxers.
2. Do admin. Like write letter to council saying I really am a student. Write letter to insurance giant telling them I am not coming to work for them, which they need in writing. Find council bill and pay, before they send the boys round.
3. Research the best way to get rid of fleas. Boy's cat has picked up some unwelcome visitors and looks miserable, so much so she won't play with the socks anymore. Perhaps that's why they keep picking fights with the boxers.
4. Do some work on my dissertation, like some reading maybe, taking notes. That sort of thing.
5. Do the work for NEAD, which I said I would do 4 weeks ago.
6. Write 1,000 for prose class next Wednesday, tidy up 1st poem and complete numbers 2 & 3.

I'm sure there's something else I should be doing, I just can't think of it at the moment.

And you thought I was a pessimist.