Typical days

Today is barely started and it's turning out to be one of those days where I fit the Facebook meme of "I cannot brain today. I has the dumb." There's just so much going on and ongoing, that thinking about it all has my mind spinning. Guess I need to just quit thinking and keep on being busy doing. Which leads me to today's topic. Folks have asked what a typical day for me is. You all know Saturday is errands and Sunday is rest and catch-up time. But during the week, about all most of you know is I work, I do what I can here, I eat and I sleep. So, a typical day.

It starts about 10AM, because working second shift, you go to bed with the sunrise instead of getting up with it. This does lessen some of the daylight time I have for things, but as most of my stuff right now can be done after dark, that isn't too big a problem. Once I'm up, I feed the cats, indoors and out. (Speaking of which, the girls are getting less freaked by me. Tinkerbell no longer hisses when I come out with food, and instead is greeting me at the door with feline imprecations of "You're late with my breakfast, human! Get a move on!" and Raffles bounces around for a minute before planting her front paws in the food and chowing down. Both allow much petting, and Tink will stop eating and arch into my hand now.) Then it's check email, quick check of Facebook for anything interesting in five minutes. Yeah, I'm pretty parsimonious on that - I don't like the timesuck that it is, so I tend to stay off it. I have better things to do than that.

Once that's all dealt with, it's time for breakfast. Usually oatmeal of some kind, or cream of wheat, or something similar. Some days I make scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon and other stuff mixed in - what I call an un-omelette, because I dont have an omelette pan and they fall apart anyhow. Over breakfast, I check out Elance, Odesk and Guru to see if there are any jobs available for me to bid on, and spend a few minutes deliving finished work there.

Then it's write the daily post, find freebie kindle books and post those, and list stuff on Etsy. Etsy is taking a bit of time lately as my inventory photos are not that great, so I am "retaking" them with the scanner bed on my printer. I try to list at least one item per day to keep that going with new stuff. I then spend about half an hour doing some kind of crafting, whether for myself or to fill orders in the shop. Much of my crafting is from kits, and I make up one item out of the kit for photographing and using as the display piece on Etsy, then make up the rest on an as-needed basis. So if I sell anything that's from kits, my craft time in the morning will be spent on that. After that, it's pack up outgoing sales items that have to be shipped, so I can take them to the PO that day.

Then it's an hour or so of relaxing outdoors if the weather is cooperative, gardening, cutting wood, and the like. Come in and wash up, finish pulling together for work, and back at the computer. I'm working on building a few pages for the blog of needlework links, which I'll set to show up once they're further along. There are a couple sites I can get to from the Internet Archive, plus a few other sites I enjoy that have a ton of pattern links, and all my needlework groups on FB that have files with links to free patterns. That's a long-term project right there. Then I take maybe five minutes to pick a new product to recommend on the blog (I'm still going through Share A Sale, one of these days, I'll get to all the goodies on ClickBank).

I get a bit of a snack in for before work, then I have a little time to write, add things to my Amazon wishlist, and do other hobby stuff to relax. Usually, this particular section has to wait until after I get home from work, depending on how tired I am (I don't do well on five hours sleep, but hubby can and so if I need more, I take a short nap after he leaves for work). Somewhere in there, I manage to find time to play a few computer games for half an hour or so as well.

Don't ask how I manage to do all this. It's a juggling act, and I'm pretty sure if I think about it too much, the whole ship's gonna sink like the Titanic.

Wet Monday

Yeah, it's raining again, which is nice. But some good is coming of it all. I may be exhausted from not sleeping too well last night, and having it interrupted a couple of times by hubby getting up to go get things done on the truck and by the cats, but duty calls with work. Homesteading is a blast, but working outside the home is often a necessity in order to make ends meet even after you have things going. Add in that it usually ensures you have insurance (a necessity with all the booboos that happen on a homestead or farm), and SOMEBODY'S gotta either work or you pay through the nose for self-employment insurance.

I know that my wishlist on Amazon is going to go gonzo, because books, DVDs, needleart supplies and kits, and whatnot need to be put on there like mad, but there's so many other things I am trying to do, too. Speaking of needlework, Mom's lap quilt top is coming along beautifully now that I can see the tiny stitches much better. The little lighted magnifier I got on Amazon is a delight. It hangs by an adjustable neck strap, LED lights when you need them (battery operated on-off switch), so it makes stitching nice, other than having to hold the hoop where my stitching area is magnified. That won't be a problem for more than a few days. I ordered me another kit that I probably won't start right away, and some thread that I'm nearly out of, and a neat gadget I've been wanting for years. A wooden lap hoop.

What that is, is a wooden embroidery hoop on a short stand, that is supported by your legs rather than the floor. The base isn't huge, and it goes under your thighs, which hold the hoop steady. It's supposed to be here as early as Friday, which means I could easily start having fun with it this upcoming weekend. Happy times! Plus putting stuff up on Etsy. There is so much to do, piece by piece, to get my homestead dream fully alive. It's a-borning, but it's inching along. I'm nowhere near where I need to be, and want to be, but I've got a start going, and as a friend reminded me yesterday, every little bit helps.

*****

Lazy day

I'm taking a lazy day today. I'm going to spend the day reading, napping and doing needlework. Well, other than a couple of chores that need doing like putting away yesterday's laundry and getting trash out and burnt. I don't need daylight for the laundry, and burning the trash isn't my job, just getting it together. Hubby is supposed to be working on tearing out the stuff off the van that he wants to keep and transfer to the truck (his bumper lights, brush guard, the doggone Dixie horn that he HAD to have), and instead, he is taking a nap after three hours of video games. I can see how this week's going to go, because he'll be mad at himself for getting nothing done and do a lot of griping about it instead of shutting up and getting busy.

Vehicular problems are solved to some extent. Hubby still has to run to the DMV and insurance offices tomorrow before work to get things changed from the van to the his new-used truck. It's a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, crew cab, short bed. Pretty much in superb condition, barring a couple small dents, the driver's crew cab door doesn't unlatch, and the buttons for the door locks are missing on the passenger door. It's dark blue and in good shape, so it will do. My only real gripe is getting back into vehicle payments again, which just makes the budget tight. That's a bit of a bummer, but we'll manage.

Of course, in a few months, things will get better financially, I hope, as that stupid garnishment will be done, and I've got paperwork on the way from the garnishment offices at corporate to show how much has been taken out so far, so I can coordinate my spreadsheet with that and make sure it's all correct. Once the darn thing's done, it'll be time to take it all to an attorney and see if I can get any of it back, based on the fact that prior to DD's surgery all those years ago, I had a court order that specifically states that "extraordinary medical expenses" were only 17% mine. The hospital never did figure out what the 17% would be, just expected me to pay the whole thing, and since DD's biological father never wants to work above-board, well ... that left me stuck with it. Sorry, Charlie. I'll pay my share of bills, but not everybody else's bills on top of it. So it'll be time to hopefully hang out the hospital and their attorney to dry for a few grand by end of the year or shortly into the new one.

And how come this year has raced by? It's halfway through September already, and I have no clue where the time all went. I've got a few fall things in the garden (carrots, lettuce and other greens, more turnips, etc.), all things that will grow quickly and be ready for picking by frost here. The tomatoes are nearly done, the white icicle radishes are still blooming and setting pods like crazy (and not even getting dry to harvest seeds yet), the beans are still going like mad and getting some dry pods so harvest of seeds is not far away on them, the squash ... well, the squash is growing like crazy yet but still not a single female flower. All male. Kind of hard to get squash out of male blossoms, lol! Hugs, all. I need to get some needlework done now. Mom's Christmas present ain't gonna stitch itself.

*****

To all the crappy motorcycle riders out there

This is not meant for the wonderful, law-abiding bikers out there. This is for the nimrods who want me to "respect" them on the road but don't want to respect me on the road. Most bikers are great people. Indeed, I have several family members who ride motorcycles regularly, and follow ther rules of the road, so anybody driving while they are biking is as safe as they are. This is for the OTHER bikers out there, one in particular.

Thank you to the idiot biker today as I was pulling out of Wal-Mart. We are down to one vehicle right now, and you nearly screwed us out of that, our new-used truck for hubby (because we would have had no way for hubby to go do the paperwork to transfer plates and insurance), AND our jobs (because we'd have no way to work), possibly our lives, and definitely your life. Thank you for the heart attack I nearly had, along with the panic attack and crying jag you gave me, for the stupid stunt you pulled.

I had checked for traffic, as I was making a right turn on red. Perfectly legal. All clear. I got halfway around the turn, when I hear a motorcycle come roaring up behind me. I hit the brakes, because it was really loud. We are talking I could have been riding the thing without a helmet loud. Good thing I did. WHIZZZED by me doing at least 60mph, and there was a big semi hooked up to a bucket trailer (the kind they dump things like huge loads of gravel into) on my left. The front of my car was about halfway down the trailer when this moron goes whizzing by me. A car in front of me in the outside lane I was pulling out into. Mr. Stupid Motorcyclist goes around me, BETWEEN me and the semi trailer, then up between the rig and the car in front of me, weaving in and out of traffic. The semi almost clipped his rear tire! If I hadn't stopped short like I did, I would have hit the stupid arse and surely killed him as he wasn't wearing a helmet (Arkansas is helmet-optional) and would have gone flying. Into the pavement. At extremely high speed. My poor little compact would have been toast, along with serious injury to us, and possibly killing us as well.

I was okay to drive, or so I thought. The panic set in a mile or so down the road, thankfully only about a quarter mile from a small collectibles shop that does a flea market in their side yard every Saturday. We pulled in there and swapped drivers, because I was about to fall apart. Hubby drove after that for a while, because all I could do was bawl from the terror and avoided tragedy, and keep on saying, "I could have killed him, oh my god, I could have killed that guy."

So thanks for all the mental and emotional crap you put me through today. I have bad enough panic attacks as it is, I didn't need one thrust on me like that by an idiot who doesn't belong on the road. That guy is a candidate for a Darwin award, because one of these days, he's going to creatively manage to remove himself from the gene pool.

Then we get home from everything, and as we are unloading, I notice Bouncer begging for a walk. The weather's been so hot, all he wants to do is sprawl on the bed in the breeze from the bedroom fan or in the bathtub, and I can't blame him. Today wasn't raining but it was still nice enough that he started pawing at his harness and leash, so I took him out while hubby finished unloading. And saw what's been chewing my tomatoes to crap for the last several days. A big ole tomato hornworm caterpillar, who was calming sitting on one stem, chewing up a leaf. Not standing for that, I picked off the leaf bit he was on, tossed him on the ground, and stomped his squishy butt flat. Then I thoroughly checked the rest of my maters, and found no more caterpillars, so they are safe again. And this fellow was a big one. He'd been at it for several days, I know, but not anymore he ain't.

And we'll likely be shooting the dogs belonging to one of our neighbors. There's three of them, ranging from a dirty white mophead thing to a big Shepherd mix. I wouldn't shoot them but he won't keep them penned up at all, and lets them roam all over the mountain. They are coming up here and disturbing my cats, both indoors and out, and I'm also tired of them digging holes in my yard, and barking and howling all the time when they come up here. If they are seen on our property, disturbing our lives, under state law, we can shoot them as nuisance animals. Now that we have the .22 Mossberg, they're more likely to be shot than run off. I refuse to have my life ruined because someone won't control their dogs. I love dogs, but people need to keep their critters under control. What if I already had chickens up here and they went after them? Or other livestock? Yeah, that would go over really well with me.

But we were really tired after work last night and errands today (work didn't let out till after 330AM), so we took naps when we got home and got stuff put away. Yay me, I feel much better now, lol. (Yes, this means I'm skipping books today ... I managed to post them to the Kinde Freebies group I run before I crashed but that's all I managed, haha!) Hugs all!

Not a great Friday

Well, we found out what is probably wrong with the van, or what hubby's called his "truck" for ages. It's likely a tie rod going out, and it's more costly to fix whatever is wrong than to replace it and part out the thing. So ... there goes the kitty. It's the downpayment on a new-used vehicle. *sigh*  This is so not what I need right now, with all else going on. This is a day when all the positivity in the world seems like nothing compared to the enormity of going back into more debt for another vehicle. And it's difficult to get anything done with hubby around. I love him to death, but he seriously has an issue with us being together and him wanting my attention solely on him and whatever is important to him. Never mind that I need to get things done, too, he wants my attention on him. I interrupt my stuff long enough to solve his problem for him, then he wants to discuss every single step in detail and it drives me nuts. Right now, I'm about ready to strangle him for it. I'm trying to deal with business, and he keeps going over and over the same ground that's already been covered, and I have GOT to get certain things done before work. With having to drive both of us to work, and him "having" to go the long way just so he can get a big ole soda to drink on the way to and at work, it means I have to cut my time short anyhow, and he is cutting into what time I do have to "talk about this" when it's already solved and there's nothing to talk about. ARGH!!!!!!!!! Okay, rant over. I have to get stuff done so we can go see about his stupid soda and another vehicle. God, I need a nap.

*****

Don't forget to make sure you have your Kindle or Kindle app to read Kindle ebooks! The app is free for PC, tablet, iphone, etc.!! Personally, I prefer the app on my laptop, as it holds more books than a Kindle does ... and since my Kindle library is around 8000 books, I need the space.

Lest we ever forget

Thirteen years ago today, nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives in a terrorist attack that lives in infamy. I still remember where I was and what I was doing. My world, my children's world, our nation's world, changed forever with that day. There was great tragedy, and great heroism. My aunt reminded me today with a post on Facebook to tell my husband I love him, despite that we say that to each other several times a day anyhow. You never know when it will be the last time. Be a better person for all that tragedy. Be kinder, gentler, more compassionate, because you may not get another chance.

On a less melodramatic note, hubby and I are riding together to work for a while ... he started to leave and came back home in short order - apparently the right front wheel bearing and brake are going out on the truck. So he is taking the car right now to run a couple of errands and come back for me, so we can go to work together. This also means the car will have to be cleaned out so that we can get laundry and groceries and his lanky frame in the passenger seat on the weekends. This is not going to be easy ... urgh.

KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST

Don't forget to make sure you have your Kindle or Kindle app to read these! The app is free for PC, tablet, iphone, etc.!! Personally, I prefer the app on my laptop, as it holds more books than a Kindle does ... and since my Kindle library is around 8000 books, I need the space.

Well, that didn't last long

I'd love to just gripe today, because yesterday was not great, and we didn't get done till 3AM. (But I'm trying really hard to think positive and not gripe. My days have  been going better when I do that.) Which the overtime is fine, it's just there was no warning of it, and we really should have been out of there at least an hour earlier. But it will look nice on the paycheck. Just wish I were used to this kind of thing like we were doing, because working back into it with no warning, no workup to it, is harshing on my mellow. I'm off to take a nap so I can slog through work. SNXXX. At least the girls are getting used to me where they'll meet me at the door for their breakfast. They're almost ready to come in on their own, lol. I better have money for shots and spaying by onset of winter, as I do not want kittens! Plus I'd love to get Bouncer neutered, too - his little kitty cazapas need to get whacked off one way or another to settle him down a tad. Though if he gets more loving than he already is, as I have been told he could do after neutering, I will get less done than I do now, as I'll have armfuls of furrage all the time! Minor happy - do any of you remember 3D Pinball - Space Cadet that used to be on windows? I found a free download for it, virus free and all ... so now I have me some pinball to play!

KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST

Don't forget to make sure you have your Kindle or Kindle app to read these! The app is free for PC, tablet, iphone, etc.!! Personally, I prefer the app on my laptop, as it holds more books than a Kindle does ... and since my Kindle library is around 8000 books, I need the space.

Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices