Tag: Errands

Catch Up

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

It’s been a busy week.  I’ve gotten some of my writing stuff done but mostly spent time with family.  My daughters came to visit.  We played this new game called Ticket to Ride.  It was fun.  On the surface it was simple – pick tickets and build your trains from one station to the next.  Then as you get playing you realize there are strategies involved.  For instance, when to pick more tickets?  How many trains do you have to build your trains?  We’ve spent the most time playing this game and having a great time.

This weekend will be about getting the errands done.  The nice thing is both Vicki and I are off so we will be doing a lot of the errands tomorrow.  On Saturday we will be going to Ikea and a phone place to look at phones for mom – one for the hearing impaired.

I still have edits to put on the computer and editing to do on a manuscript.  I’m crossing my fingers to get part of that done yet.

I have gotten 70 of the 100 coasters made for the event in November.  I’m hoping by the end of the weekend I’ll finish them.  Then I have to work on the raffle gift basket I need to send with it. I also need to consider submissions for crochet projects.  I’ve got one done so I’m going to try to take pictures of it and send them to the publisher.  My priorities there are coasters, shawl (for submission), gift raffle item, and then other projects for submission.  

I’m also prepping for a blog tour.  Royal Undercover is going on a tour of blogs.  This will be my first one.  I’m very excited about it.

Long Weekend

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Three days off was nice but it makes for an odd start to the week.  It’s Tuesday already and I feel like I’m behind but I’m not. 

The weekend was busy.  Vicki and I did the errands.  This included grocery shopping, visit to the butcher, Walmart, Aldis, and Hobby Lobby.  We grabbed lunch on the run and took it home.  This was all on Saturday.  Sunday we spent the morning doing food prep.  I repackaged a bunch of stuff for lunches and breakfasts.  Monday I made fruit salad and finished the few things we missed on Sunday. 

On the writing front, I wrote a little since finishing the last novel.  I did get through a paper edit of Wayfarer Evolution and started a paper edit of Wayfarer Resolve.  Monday morning I managed to get some publishing done (see previous post). 

I figured out what I want to do for goody bags for the event in November.  I started crocheting coasters.  I have ten done of the hundred I’ll need.  Fortunately, it’s a quick pattern.  I plan to expand the pattern into a shawl and make one for the gift basket I’ll send in for the raffle. 

My neighbor stopped over and wanted some more books.  I gave her three more.  I hope she enjoys them.  She started with Secret Past.  She said she’s not a fan of science fiction and most of mine are in that genre so I’ll see whether she continues to read my books. 

I’ve got a list of crocheting I want to get done.  I still need to upload several patterns to Ravelry.  I’m hoping I’ll have time to do that next weekend.  My to do list got things crossed off but not nearly as much as I would have liked. 

Ken worked on the patio we are putting in.  With the temps being over 90, he got some done but it was too hot for that kind of work.  Hopefully this next weekend he will be able to get more done.  I sat outside for a while but the bugs and the heat drove me back inside.

Days Fly By

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

It’s only October and my life is speeding up.  My weekends are full and busy.  I need a vacation but won’t be getting any for the rest of the year. 

We’ve been working on the house.  By we – I mean, Ken and Vicki with some outside help occasionally.  Vicki’s rooms are painted and I think she’s got them organized the way she wants them.  Our bathroom has been painted and reorganized.  Our bedroom has begun the process of deep cleaning, painting, and reorganizing. 

On my couch, I have a dozen (maybe more) crochet projects which are in different stages of completion.  The problem – I’m writing.  I counted this morning and have completed eight manuscripts.  Some have been published.  Some are in the editing stage.  Some I’m working on covers and other components.  I need to make gifts for faculty and student workers.  My crochet list is never ending. 

This weekend is busy.  Vicki’s going to a book sale event at the state fairgrounds.  It’s a pay week so we’re going to have all this running around to do.  I’ve got to pay bills.  Grocery shopping needs to be done.  There are other errands which need to be done. 

Then there is the prep for breakfast and lunch this next week.  We’ll have to fit that in.  As is normal, I have this list of things I want to get done but it’s looking like this weekend will be filled to overflowing. 

Instead of stressing about the busy weekend, I’m going to attempt to prioritize things and schedule next weekend.  In a part of my head, there’s the crazed maniac saying but we have (insert list of a dozen or two dozen things to do).  In another part, is the rational person who is saying there isn’t anything earth shattering that has to get done this weekend.  I’ll make a list (of course) and do as much prep as I can so I can be ready to do what I need next weekend which shouldn’t be as busy – I hope. 

Grumpiness Abounds

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

It’s been a week.  The weather changed and my pain level is up.  I try to remember this most days but sort of lost it at work.  My student worker got to listen to me complain and curse.  I apologized it shouldn’t have happened.  I did close my door, call my sister and complain to her.  I got over it mostly but there are just things which annoy  me.  I had one of those days.

All around, rough week.  Pain at levels which are nearly unbearable.  I hear my inner voice saying things I don’t really feel or believe but when I’m weighed down with pain it takes me to places I don’t want to go.  This is not a plea for pity or sympathy – a statement.  My hope – if I talk about this which I hate doing – someone out there will know they aren’t alone and will know someone else understands.

Movement equals agony.  Breathing is work.  For me the worst part is I can’t crochet.  I am struggling to write when I’ve got stories pounding in my head.  The things which lift and change my mood – which is supposed to help – are too painful to do.

This is what chronic pain is.  This is what I deal with.  It makes it hard to be positive and upbeat and pleasant.  My job requires pleasant.

I get through.  I’m not giving in to this bullshit.  The pain will ease.  The pain will fade.  I’ll sleep.  I’ll work on a story until the pain has shifted.  I’ll do what I can to get through it.  It’s all I can do.

Part of me wants to rail on the medical community but really what’s the point.  I’m to a point where I accept they’re not going to help me.  All I can do is find ways to cope.

So on to normal – whatever that is.  It’s pay week.  I’ve paid bills.  Ken and Vicki will run errands tomorrow.  I’m hoping for a quiet weekend.  I’m hoping I can spend time writing and publishing things I have done.  I’ll have to see how the weekend goes.

It seems like we always have a lot going on every weekend.  I have a stack of crocheting on my couch I’d like to finish.  I have several projects I’d want to experiment with.  I just need to get my arms, back, and neck to stop hurting.

Tomorrow I can sleep later.  I’m hoping to sleep until I naturally wake up.  This helps with the pain but again, it’s a pay week so busy weekend.  I’ll see how things go.  Ken and Vicki like to grocery shop at like six in the morning.  I see no reason to acknowledge six am exists.  They’re happy morning people.  I’m going to post this blog and go write.  If the writing is going, I hope it will keep me busy for a few hours.

I’m working on an independent story.  If that peters out, I’ve got Wayfarer 17 and a few other options for working on writing.  I also have editing to do.  Always there seems to be editing to do.

Fun Versus Work

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

I have the feeling I’m going to be struggling with balancing out the need to have down time while I also have a long long list of things to get done.

Things I want to get done include:

  • going through the garage and organizing all the things out there including bringing in the last of Vicki’s belongings 
  • going through the back porch and organizing all the things we are storing there for the sale
  • cleaning and organizing the craft room
  • finish setting up the closet type space in the family room so the coats, scarves, etc aren’t tossed on the couch
  • finish cleaning the office
  • publishing and writing tasks
  • cleaning the basement (i.e. arguing with my husband about not keeping everything)
  • getting ready for the rummage sale I want to have 
Now there is enough here to keep us busy for several weekends.  I’m aware of this but for some reason, I want to get all this stuff done so we should work on it all weekend.  Right?  Nope.  I know perfectly well I’ll be lucky to finish one of these tasks.  
It may be a three day weekend but it’s also a pay weekend which means there are all the errands which go along with getting paid.  I have stuff to go to the post office.  Grocery shopping and other errands need to be run.  We have a family wedding to attend.  Preparations have to be done for next week and all of us going to work.  
On the fun side, I’d love to go to a movie or spend a day crocheting and watching movies (or both).  I’m well aware all three of us work hard during the week and need to have some down time on the weekends to recharge our batteries.  
Realistically, I’m hoping to accomplish one or two things on my list.  With the extra day, we might be able to accomplish something in addition to the normal weekend tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, and errands.  I’m crossing my fingers and trying to not be cranky about it.  

Foolish Mortal Making Plans

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Finished an afghan and started another, this was in my plan for yesterday but driving to Prairie Du Chien wasn’t.  My middle daughter needed some help so we met her in Prairie Du Chien.  I woke up with a well thought out plan in order to get some tasks done around the house and with crocheting.  Before we left to meet her, I got some of the projects done – paid bills, clipped coupons, made out a grocery list.  The rest of my plan – out the door.

We got home early evening and I was able to finish off the afghan for my niece and start another one for my youngest daughter.  I did a sample, took pics, and sent it out for approval.  Then I tore it apart and did it for real.  What does this mean?  For starters, I had to make some decisions about how I was handling some of the yarn – it is multi-colored and the yarn can’t easily be carried.  In order to use as little yarn as possible, I had to decide when I was cutting off and when I would carry it along.  Next I need to find a clipboard, ruler, and highlighter so I can keep track of where I’m at.  I’ve found a highlighter – multi colored so that helps.  Ken found me a clipboard just now.  Next is a ruler – I have a big one but can’t find a little one.  I could improvise but I’ll have to see what I can find.  I asked Ken and he is great at finding stuff.  He just brought me the PERFECT one.  He’s so good!

Today I plan to have a quiet day.  I want to watch West Wing (yes this is my current binge watching program) and crochet on the afghan.  My daughters will all be home in a little over a month.  If I could finish this afghan for her to take home – that would be wonderful.  It’s a corner to corner graphgan.  For those who don’t speak crochet – corner to corner is like it sounds – instead of working across and afghan, I work from one corner to the widest point and then back to the opposite corner.  A graphgan is a picture which has been turned into a graph.  Each square on the graph because a stitch (or in the case of the corner to corner a set of stitches).  It will be my first of this style.  I’m liking how it’s turning out so far but we will see how the rest goes.

Next I want to look up a temperature blanket.  This will require some research so I can find out the daily high temperatures for the years each of my daughters was born.  Then I will create an afghan based on the temperatures.  One row per day in a color designated for the temperature.  It should be interesting to see how it works out.

Ken was busy yesterday and today.  His list of things to get done was interrupted as well.  Still he managed to get a package to the post office, run errands this morning, and work on laundry and other household chores.

We’re both hoping to settle in today to relax – him watching football and me crocheting and watching West Wing (or other stuff).  Oh and Sherlock is on tonight!  I can’t wait to see the new episode!

Family Holidays

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

The middle daughter is home.  The presents have been received by the other two daughters.  Everything is ready for the holidays – I think.

Friday night will be video holiday with all of my family.  I’m looking forward to seeing their faces when they open their gifts.  I’m sure I’ll hear corny jokes, laughter, and all the other things which go with family gatherings.

I miss the times we would spend together playing games, watching movies and so on.  However, they are in Georgia and we are in Wisconsin.  Ken can’t get off around a holiday and Virginia is working every day except Friday.  We will adjust and adapt while we make the most of the time we do have together.

Saturday Ken will go to his family.  I don’t know whether I will go or not yet.  It depends on my sinus issues and the weather.

Sunday is my family gathering.  I’m not sure whether we are going or not – for the same reasons above.

Tonight Vicki and I will be clipping coupons, checking the rebates, and making a list for batch cooking.  At some point we are going to make some large batches of food for the freezer.  I’ll have to pay bills in order to figure out how much we will have to spend on groceries.  We’re going to make a list of where we’re going and what we need to pick up.  It will be a busy day on Friday.

Since I have off, Vicki and I will spend the day running errands, shopping, and getting ready for the family thing Friday night.  It will be a very busy day.

Next week will be full of cooking, crocheting, and spending time with Vicki.  I’m hoping to finish a few projects for her (writing up the patterns of course).  However, we’ll see what trouble we get into.

Long Long Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Ken left for Georgia yesterday.  Vicki and I took him to the airport at 3:30 in the morning.  This meant we were up at 2:30.

Not being a morning person, this was not a great start to the day.  Vicki and I were home by 6:00 but we didn’t come back and go back to bed.  We stopped at Woodman’s.  We shopped for both her household and mine.  By the time we were done, we’d saved $57 in coupons, $6.25 in Ibotta rebates, and $2 in Checkout 51 rebates.

We came home so she could unload.  All the perishables got put away and some of the sorting out of what she wanted and what I wanted.  My mother and sister stopped by so they got to see Vicki for a few minutes.

Once they left, we made a list for Sorgs and I called it in.  Since it was Saturday Sorgs is always busy so we wanted to expedite our time there.  We stopped at Urgent Care because Vicki has a sinus infection.

The rest of our morning we spent time going to Shopko, Target, Penera, and Walgreens.  That finished our morning.  We came home to eat lunch.  I took a nap but she was bouncing all over getting things organized.

She brought home her laundry so she wouldn’t have to pay to go to a laundromat.  She did our laundry as well, so we folded and hung up several baskets of clothes.  Once we were done with that, we went to the kitchen.

The two of us made lasagne, chicken tetrazzini, and diced chicken which we marinated with dressing.  Once those were all done, we had lasagne for supper, did some more laundry, and then went back to the kitchen to make cranberry apple sauce.  Vicki canned the results of this experiment so she had to stay up long enough to get the ten pints in and out of the water bath.

All of this got done yesterday with only about three hours of sleep.  All in all, a good day but exhausting.  I kicked Vicki to bed at about 10:30 and got to sleep short after 11:00.  Today, I’m going to work on crocheting and watching movies or documentaries.  I’m planning to enjoy my peace and quiet.

Back to the Routine

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

It’s a normal pay weekend.  I’ve gotten up, paid bills, talked to one daughter, and am about to head out to run errands.

Once the errands are done, I’m going to be sitting at the computer to work on several projects.  I’m avoiding my phone which is telling me the two games I’ve been playing are ready for me to play again – my lives are full now.

It’s funny how I have to have a game tell me my life is full.  Yes – it is.  From my work, to my hobbies, to my family – I’m busy.  I have a lot going on and some days I’m lacking in energy and ambition.

Motivation is key today and tomorrow.  I have a lot I want to clear off my to do list in the hopes of feeling like I’m moving forward with these projects.

Went to the rheumatologist yesterday – Ken came with me which was nice.  She wants me on a drug so I get to try a new drug to see if I break out, have other nasty side effects, or if my body can tolerate it.  If I can take it, I get to wait weeks (up to three months) before we know if it’s helping.  I’m not optimistic but at the same time I know something has to change.

For the first time in over a month, I’m going to sort through coupons, make a grocery list, and send Ken off to the store with a detail list rather than “get what we need” comment.  We’ve only been picking up the bare necessities while we’ve been helping Vicki move.

Lots to do today so I better get off the computer and head out for the errands.  Hopefully they don’t take long and I can be home soon to work on publishing, couponing, and the other tasks I have on my todo list.

Drawing to an End

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Errands are run.  Coupons are clipped.  Ken will grocery shop tomorrow.  Once I get up, we will prep the meat we got for the freezer and hopefully prep stuff for breakfast and lunches next week.

A headache has settled in the last few days.  At times, it is migraine level and at others it is just there.  I’m hoping it will go away soon.

If the headache stays at bay tonight, I’m going to work on getting the edits in the last  manuscript I have to do.  Hopefully tomorrow after we get the chores done, I can work on publishing.

For my to do list for my vacation, I got most of my stuff done.  I have a couple of items still on the list but this is how my to do lists go.  I’m closing in on my last day off.  Going back to work won’t be hard but at the same time I’ve enjoyed having the down time and getting writing projects done.

At this stage, I’m waiting on my scooter and hoping it arrives at the earliest date rather than the later.  The week will be difficult when it comes to pain level while I use the manual wheelchair but I don’t have the option of not going to work.

Having said that, I’m going to put all of this behind me and try to focus on enjoying the last of my vacation and down time.