Yesterday was training---I got in a couple hours work at home beforehand, then went over to the library and got clued in about a few things that I'll be doing in the future, as well as some things I need to do differently sstarting now. Nothing too ungodly complicated, fortunately.

Then Mb and I went to my bank...I'm not even going to go into all that, but I cut them to refund the last two months' worth of service charges they clipped me for, which was satisfying. This was followed by some more running around...which was supposed to include grocery shopping, but my FS card hadn't reloaded as scheduled, so I wound up at the checkout having to put 90% of it back. Embarassing, to say the least.

Have scheduled canasta with Mb and J's on Thursday (She's going to DVR PoI for me), which I'm looking forward to. We haven't all gotten together for cards in about 6 months.

Which brings us to today. RG'sDad refurbishes computers as a hobby, and had one for me because the laptop kept freezing/crashing when I had too many things running. Originally, I was supposed to pick it up on Sunday, but it turned out not to be ready, so he was going to bring it over here...which sent me into a panic, because, um, DISASTER AREA.

So this morning, I've been going around in circles, between trying to remember what the new procedures are for what I'm doing and trying to make room on my desk and trying to at least clear a path to my office, I've been frazzled. And he never made it past the driveway, just handed over the componants. But it was totally worth it, because in the process, I found! the Home Depot GC I've been hunting for for months! Very happy about that....

I now have a flat-screen monitor!!! And a DVD burner! And a gazillion gigs of memory and it has wireless and it's running Windows XP. I'm stoked. So that's what I'm going to be doing this evening, getting that all set up and squared away. Yeah, I think now that I've got my bedroom in fairly habitable condition, it's time to work on the office.

Things are looking up!

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Today I'm back at work in my room, currently engaged in lingerie management. I have a rolling plastic chest of drawers (5 drawers total), which I haven't properly addressed in the last couple years--because it was in my closet, which I couldn't get at, so the top drawer was panties and the rest, terra incognito.

The closet is now accessible, ditto my chest of drawers, and today I've taken all the drawers out, put them on my bed and gone through the lot. Found: two LeSnobbi wallets, a bag of nine-patch quilt squares, and some silver plate flatware that I would've sworn was somewhere else.

I've got the top two drawers dedicated to panties*, another to socks, and I'm taking a breather before trying on a tangle of bras to see if any of them are keepers. The final drawer will be for miscellaneous items like slips and gloves and the like.

My closet is coming along, too, although there's still a lot of stuff stuff in the garage that needs to be assimilated and the rest donated. Yes, damn it, donated. If I didn't manage to summon up the energy to sell it when I was frantic for cash, clearly I'm even less likely to do so now that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Most of it was thrifted to begin with, so it's completing a circle.

Back to work....

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* Sorry if that's TMI about my undergarments. I know it's not the most thrilling topic; I was considering the rock and gem show, but it's $4 to get in, and we all know I'd find something to buy--I'd rather hang on to the cash and go see the new "Die Hard" movie next weekend.

Just got back from a successful foray to the food bank. Mb picked me up around 5:30, we got over there and got numbers 107 and 108. This gave us a nice little chunk of time to talk, since thay hadn't even started calling numbers yet.

I caught her up on the job sitch---she asked if I wanted to run down to Melbourne with her this morning to get some blookwork done, and I told her I *must* be back by noon (although I'll have my phone with me, just in case)---she hadn't heard any of it, because it's too complicated to go into over the phone, especially since she's had a habit recently of cutting me short because her call waiting has kicked in.

I really hope I hear something definitive in today's call (12:30, let's all take a deep breath and PRAY). This will be my fourth phone interview (plus a plethora of e-mails), and the suspense is killing me. They haven't been horrible, on-the-spot interviews, everyone has been pretty cool, but okay, hire me already!!!

Meanwhile, I got some chicken strips, a bag of collards, the usual assortment of canned and baked goods, but the real triumph is a bag of salmon. And I'm not talking about nasty little fish cakes, either---I have actual fillets! Mmm! I'm going to have fun with those---cooking AND consuming.

My legs still hurt...I can't believe that a few hours of work has knocked me out so much. I didn't really get anything accomplished over the weekend, and the transition from sitting to standing is harder than usual. I know I'm out of shape, but damn!

I wore my found!brown skirt to church yesterday, and will have to see if I can upload a picture of the ensemble. Brown is my favorite neutral; it works well with my coloring, and this particular skirt fits nicely and is an ideal length. I wore it with a pink tank top, overlaid with an orange sheer tunic that has vertical gold stripes. (The overlay is essential, since the tank has glue stains on it and can't be worn alone.) I belted it in with an olive green belt that has a pretty design of studded circles.

One of the things I ran across while I was cleaning was a pic of me and GK, dated '04. I look huge, and I don't think it's ALL the camera angle! IIRC, at that point I was on my way down from my all-time high, but was still 350+. I remember seeing that top recently, though I couldn't tell you when I last wore it---but thankfully, I've ditched those purple pants! On the other hand, I had all my teeth in those days....

My style continues to evolve; I could thin out my scarf collection substantially---I have a few I embellish purse straps with, but don't often wear then anymore. Likewise, as the '04 pic illustrates, I don't do the "shirt-worn-open-as-jacket" look much, either. I think the zebra suit is the sole survivor of that trend...and may be what sparked BigRed's comment the other day---of course, what I wear to lunch with the girls isn't necessarily what I'd wear to an interview! For a while, AI's influence showed with big, flowing OS jackets, but I've come to the conclusion that on the whole, I prefer a more tailored cut.

Mb will be here to pick me up soon---she had to run home to get Bozo and drive him to work---so I'll talk atcha later and let you know how interview #4 goes!

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I'm sane this week, which I really appreciate after last week's hysteria. I usually don't think of myself as a special snowflake, but every once in a while, I come unglued, and it isn't pretty.

Anyway, I've been keeping busy. I'm trying to make room for change, and I know, that sounds kinda NewAge metaphysical, but on a simple, practical level, I have tons of clothes I'll never wear again, and I'm trying to get them out of the way so I can keep track of the stuff that fits.

This has meant a block of time spent in the garage...I'm transfering all the outgoing stuff to the living room so I can sort it by size. The stuff that's size 30 or over is going to a gal from church, the rest I'll post on fatshionxchange in hopes of making a few bucks. Whatever hasn't sold by the end of January, I'll donate.

That freed up a whole bunch of hangers! I'm sure they'll come in handy while I sort through the piles in my bedroom. I haven't even gotten to my bedroom yet, which does need to happen fairly soon; it would be helpful if I could get my closet winnowed so I can bring in the keepers from the garage.

Meanwhile, the garage already looks better: I got the floor picked up to where I could put down an area rug. Not the old one from the living room, but a slightly smaller one that I got ages ago, earmarked for my bedroom. That never happened, but it works nicely in the space out there. In addition to keeping my feet a little warmer when I'm doing laundry during the winter, I figure having an actual rug down will make it more noticeable when there's stuff on the floor. Otherwise, I have a finely developed ability to tune out clutter.

Getting behind one section of clothes to some shelves, I came across a box with a ceramic Father Christms on horseback. It's dated 1995, but I don't remember painting it. (I used to be very much into ceramics and did other Father Christms/Santa figures; I did a woodland Santa that I gave to Peter---god knows whatever happened to that one---and an undersea Santa that I gave to GK, which presumably she still has.) I brought this one into the house and perched him on my entertainment unit. Nice timing, self. Usually I'd find something like that in February.

Today I've been working in the living room, trying to make enough room to be able to sort things. Over the weekend, I went through and organized my DVDs, which doesn't really impact the rest of the room, but now I can at least see what I have. I cleared off the coffee table so that all it has on it is the dragonfly dish GK gave me for my birthday. *I* know I've made progress, but a casual visitor would likely be appalled.

I've got to figure out what I'm going to do about linens and towels. I made a concentrated effort and got through the pile of stuff that had accumulated atop my wicker chair. Big stack of sheets and towels and pillowcases. Found one pair of my grey slacks, a few skirts and tops...got that all hung, but I really do need to address my closet, because I'm running out of "temporary" places to hang things!

I know I'm probably not going about this in the most organized way, but at least I'm doing something. Right? Right.



Also, I'm currently 271.6, which is somewhere between the best of times and the worst of times, but considering my record high, or even where I began this year, definitely closer to the best of times.

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I was over on Tumblr reading Unfuck Your Habitat (http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/) and came across the following challenge: You’re avoiding something. It might be an invisible corner. It might be a box of crap you need to deal with. It might be your junk drawer. Whatever it is that you’ve been relieved that none of the challenges so far have made you deal with, that’s what you’re dealing with for the next 20 minutes. Don’t lie to yourself. You’re putting something off, but now you have to go deal with it.

And I knew exactly which drawer of crap it refered to: It was a dresser drawer---the rest of the dresser is long since gone---that's crammed with stuff sentimental, assorted WTFs and IDEKs, and it's been sitting on or near my dining room table for a very long time. (Enough that GK mentioned it while she was down and suggested I relocate it to the middle room til I got around to sorting thru it.

Okay, I thought. NOW is the time. I'll move the damned thing...except I could barely frackin LIFT it. To attempt to carry it to the middle room fully laden would've been to invite catastrophe. I'd either drop it, or the bottom would fall out.

Well then, I'd do a preliminary sift right there and then. Paperwork, blah, blah, blah, calculator, blah, blah, blah, ceramic boxes, blah, blah, blah...cylindrical wad of white printer paper,...?

Holy shit.

It was a roll of Kennedy half dollars. The paper they're wrapped in is dated 1999, so they've been sitting in that drawer for a long time. They're not sterling, alas, but even face value* is enough to cover my car insurance for this month, which I've been sweating bullets over. Plus there's a little over, which will top off my tank and maybe get a few things I'm out of. And for once, I don't mean caffeine!

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* Although I have a 2004 coin book that lists Kennedy half dollars between 1965-1970 as having an average value of $2 each. Now all I have to do is find someone who'll give me that!

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Last night, I was at J's. We played canasta til 2AM, which is extraordinary. Usually she starts making sleepy noises at 11.

Then, after the last hand, when her buddy had gone home, we sat around talking for another hour. I didn't get in til after 3, and then I was too tired to sleep. Was up til 6AM.

Slept til almost 1 PM. Lay around for a bit thinking about what I wanted to get done today, and eventually went into the office and started working in here. The good thing about working in here, apart from the best ceiling fan in the house, is being able to sit in my desk chair and bend over to stuff things into garbage bags. Mush less dizzying than standing in this heat!

Got a full 30-gallon bag up before being summoned by the phone/Mb. (We're going to the food bank in the morning, yay.) It's been a few years since I've seen this much floor around my desk, and oh, the things I found.

* A $10 gift card for Adidas, which I *knew* I had and was looking for when I last had money. Was going to get some *good* socks to wear while walking. Ah, well, hopefully by the time the weather cools down, I'll be gainfully employed.

* My copy of Formula 51. Yay, now I can inflict it on J! Although really, 2 hours of Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt isn't exactly torture. And besides, she fancies Robert Carlyle.

* A bunch of box tops with Coke reward codes---this is the only way I can afford to subscribe to 'zines, I get 'em with reward points. Also snagged a nice little soft-sided cooler, and one year when I had A LOT of points, I gave everybody magazines for Christmas.

* An empty bottle of Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay (coconut) rum. WTF, self? That must've been down there for years, because I can't even remember the last time I bought a bottle of rum.

* My big binder clip. The thing I love best about my desk, an old oak teacher's desk, is the slide-out tray that's perfect for my mouse. However, during the summer, it needs something on it to absorb perspiration from my arm: Dishtowel + clamp.

Anyway, I pitched a lot of stuff, went and schmoozed on the phone, ate, watched TV, came back and am working on the bookcase behind my desk, whick has had things jammed in it every which way. I'd eventually like to get it winnowed down to reference books all in one place, which would be fabulous. *deep breath* Baby steps....

According to USPS tracking, my Nook is in Orlando! At that rate, it should be here tomorrow or Tuesday!!!

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They're threatening an overnight freeze and frosty temps this weekend. With that in mind, I washed my hair this evening, because I know I won't want to if it gets uber-cold.

I know what I'll wear on Sunday if it IS cold: the grey and black ensemble I wore to court. (It was a wee bit warm for it that day, but if it's in the 50s or so, it'll be fine.) Dress is cotton jersey, faux-wrap style, dark grey with black border print. It has a silky (polyester) overshirt, lighter grey with a black border print. They're not a set, but they go together well, rather like my zebra "suit".

Happily, I found my wide black belt, the one that's infinitely adjustable. I like to wear that to cinch my cranberry chenille sweater with black pants. I'm just sorry that my favorite black pants are getting a little faded---and roomy, but still wearable.

I was thinking about the living room curtain situation...I might have a solution, IF I dig around in the middle room. I seem to remember getting a lot of industrial-grade muslin---GK knew a photog who got it by the mile to use for backdrops---it was something like ten feet wide. Trouble is, I don't remember how much I got, or where, exactly, it is.

Person of Interst was excellent last night. I'm turing over ideas for fic. Haven't actually written anything yet, but at least the wheels are turning....

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Laundry. Holy, crap, have I been doing a lot of laundry. Digging and washing and sorting and hanging and finding hangers! And more hangers! And more frickin' hangers and more frickin' laundry---yesterday, I was pulling stuff from down under the hanging bar that spans my garage. Found stuff that had fallen off hangers, stuff that had fallen off the ironing board, stuff and more stuff, and just when I thought I was getting to the end of it, I parted the clothes on the bar, like parting the Red Sea (or in this case, the Pink Sea), and discovered to my utter horror a pile of bedding, spreads and comforters and blankets---at last three, more like four loads all by itself. *whimper*

Mind you, I found a nice skirt I'd completely forgotten I owned, TEN pains of panties, which is a Very Good Thing indeed, and some stuff that made me go, "Why do I still have THAT?!" So I'm benefitting from my industry and making progress, it's just not happening as fast as I'd like it to, but then, what ever does?

Still, the Universe was very good to me yesterday. I got dressed and dragged myself out to pay the light bill (FPL--Florida Plunder and Loot). I checked the mailbox and found a darling card with a picture of a black Labrador Retriever* on it from pwcorgigirl and an equally charming GC for Aldi's.

I hit WalMart first for another phone card, then Aldi's, where I invested in some things that food stamps doesn't cover. Went above and beyond the GC, planning to pay the difference with food stamps. Except the register wouldn't ring it up that way, there was no manager in store and lines backing up. They wrote off the overage just to get me out of there. $14 worth of goodies! They've got their Christmas delicasies out, so they're especially yummy.

Then I took care of the FPL bill and went home with a sense of accomplishment. Spent a quiet evening, then this morning I put a load of laundry into the dryer, stopped by Publix to get a raincheck on some diet Cheerwine at the current sale price and on to J's for a meeting about dog training. Fingers crossed, it looks like there *might* be some money in it!

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* Or as a photographer of my acquaintance calls them, "black light-sucking dogs", because either they're a black hole in the picture or they're washed-out looking; apparently it's very tricky to get the exposure Just Right.

I've barely slept in the last few days, thanks to those damned neighbors and their damned dogs. I love dogs, y'all know I do, but seriously, I want to grab this bunch and tear their throats out. Anything to shut them up. Ditto the kids running around with their kazoos all afternoon, the football game that was going on---it used to be such a nice, quiet neighborhood! Finally settled down around 8:30---the silence WAS deafening---and of course, then I had insomnia and coundn't fall asleep til 4...and the dogs started in again around 8...HATE THEM.

On the other hand, I was all wrought-up and got a helluva lot done yesterday. One load of laundry, which doesn't sound like much, but while I had that in the works, I worked in the garage and made decent progress. I found the hose for my shop-vac, yay! (Only vac I have, but all I have are area rugs.) Winnowed a fair amount of stuff from out there, then went into my bedroom closet and really started pitching things. Faded, stretched out, snagged, too big, too short---bagged for departure. Moving things from the garage to my closet,, well, that's still in progress---but there IS progress.

What is a reasonable amount of clothing, gals? Summer is 2/3rds of the year, here, but things like pants and skirts can be worn year round. Have a 2-1 ratio of short-sleeved or sleeveless tops? How many? How many pairs of pants, skirts, long or short-sleeved dresses? Jackets? I have a ridiculous number of jackets, considering how brief our winters are, but they vary in length, fit, pattern, etc. Really, what's "reasonable"?

Thursday evening at Mb's, we went to WalMart in Titusville and wandered around getting necessaries like caffeine for me and cat food for her. She talked me out of a pair of black pants I was eyeing--But look! They're on sale!---and she was right, of course. Saw a great floor/reading lamp on sale for $10, which I really do need for the black hole that is my bedroom, but it's still out of my price range, and their return-of-layaway policy doesn't help a bit. *sigh*

Their Christmas stuff is being set up, and Mb is trying to decide what her decor is going to be this year. I don't have that problem; my pink tree is still up from last year, although I never actually got it decorated. This year, I think I'm going to be doing a lot of baking as gifts---it's about the only thing I can do.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday, karaokegal---I hope you had a great day, I hope you have a wonderful year, and that all is well in the city by the bay. I'd bake you a cake, but I don't think it would ship well.

I didn't make it to ang5fam's garage sale, either---no money and too much crap of my own---but the weather was excellent and hopefully the bargainistas came out in droves and spent lots.

Spent6 three hours last night picking apart a pillow for at least the second time, trying to restore it to a firmness that wasn't quite as hard as cork.

Uh...I know there's more I wanted to say. That's the problem with not being able to post as the spirit moves me, things escape my brain and don't return until I'm away from the keyboard. Perverse little things, thoughts.

The weather is, as I mentioned, gorgeous. Sunny, crisp---and I've been able to sleep with a comforter and no fan, which is divine. I'm rediscovering the delight of 3/4 length sleeves or a jacket in the morning over shorter sleeves, because it tends to warm up by the afternoon. After the juicyness that is Florida summer, I'm loving our version of autumn.

TTFN.


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I spent a good chunk of Tuesday and some of Wednesday working on my bedroom, aka, looking for my glasses. I was sure they were next to my bed; they weren't. On the other hand, the east and west sides of my bed are MUCH improved. Found my denim skirt, hooray, and my dad's little magnifying glass---very helpful for reading expiration dates on coupons. Still no glasses, though.

They didn't actually turn up until shortly after 6PM on Tuesday---to the north of my bed, which is the foot of it. NOT where I thought they were, but they're intact and I'm much relieved. I also decluttered my headboard, done a load of laundry and I've got three bags to fling in the trash tomorrow, yay me.

Have been at Mb's since this morning. Called the county and talked with the gal who left her card at my place. She seems magnanimous enough; I've got a couple weeks to get the yard whacked back, and she says if I can't get it done by then, call her back---she'll do what she can to work with me.

Mb and SO took me to lunch at Long John Silver's...mmm, so greasy but so good.

I went to Mb's by way of the recycler's and unloaded the bags from my car---25.5 pounds*, go me! At Mb's, she had a mailer with a coupon for an additional 2 cents per pound from the same recycler. On the way to LJS, we detoured back by there, I took the coupon in and got an additional 51 cents. And told the counterperson that, yes, I would definitely use any other coupons they cared to print.

There was more, but I can't think of it here at the keyboard. And LJ is trying to make me crazy---this too shall pass....

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* That's a total of 45.5 pounds in the last week!!!

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