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Well, it’s 2:00 in the morning. I’m just about ready to turn in, but I had to update regarding my list of projects for the day.
I listed 8 items, and 6 more are scheduled to begin for tomorrow.
I scanned 45 pictures.
I did nothing to the DVD’s
I did no sewing – but no big deal.
I’m really pleased with my progress for the day. Of course I had to have a nap, but the trade off was worth it. I’m kind of bummed out right now, because Nathan has an awful sounding cough again that just started tonight. I can’t bear for him to get sick again.
In other worrisome news, I was checking on Elliot’s very loose two bottom front teeth, and I see that one of the new teeth has actually started coming in, but it’s well behind where I think it’s supposed to be. I don’t want to think about braces, but between Alex’s under bite and now seeing this wayward tooth, I’m starting to get nervous. Well, off to bed.
Archiving
Today was a pretty good day, even if I still have no voice. I know that my DVD and CD’s that I mailed out have arrived at some of their destinations and I got happy notes from the recipients. I took Alex & Nathan out to Borders Bookstore and got everyone a new book (and a new CD for the boys) and didn’t buy any for me. On the way home, we came across the horrible scene at the Petco on Route 35, where a gas line exploded and collapsed the store. I was so worried for those people and it had me thinking about how random those things can be sometimes. Apparently no one was hurt. So that’s a relief, though I worried about it for quite a while today.
I wound up napping for a little while today, but I really needed it. Made a nice dinner, and then tackled some of my mom’s photo pile. It has been on one of my lists that I would make her a nice scrapbook of her photos. I was stuck for a long time, unable to proceed because I was afraid. Finally, last time I saw her I asked her input and now I feel that I can do it. She doesn’t care if I include every picture, and she won’t mind my using her originals. Those were the biggest obstacles in my mind. I have gone through all the genealogy files and made sure to get all of the pictures and any cool scrapbook worthy vital records documents. Then I went through mom’s picture box and put all of her pictures in chronological order. I found a small batch that were never scanned so I will do that tomorrow. I have put the genealogy files back in order, and also put all of the original clippings in acid free protective plastic sleeves. And so I think I can do this. I might do a huge batch of scanning tomorrow (I also have all of my mom’s photos from 82-current that she wants included in her DVD.) It would be good to get that taken care of. Here are a few things on my Must Do Soon List, and I want to have several completed by the end of business tomorrow (which could be 3 in the morning, as it is right now – because I am a nut!)
1. Do another big ebay batch – all this stuff is photographed, boxed and weighed, but some need descriptions written. I think I should do it first – because the sooner I do it, the sooner I get some $ in. (and get that crap out of my sewing room.)
2.) Cut out and insert the DVD covers in their sleeves for my remaining copies of Grandma’s DVD so they can get out of my desk area and be ready for mailing
3.) Scan Mom’s recent pics along with the old batch I just located so I can give the former back to mom and have the latter ready for her album – no rush on the album, but I can’t leave those piled around or they get messed up.
4.) Make Baby gift for Kim (got that stuff out and nearly ready to cut). He’s not due till middle of March, and I don’t think it has to be there immediately, but also should be a quick project.
While I was going through the stuff tonight, I found an old World War II Ration book with my grammies 1st husband’s name and age on it. So I tried again to locate a record for him online, and I think I have found him. Not that anyone cares. It’s just a thing with me.
So, that’s the latest. I am pleased with this bit of work today and feel like I’m organized for my tasks tomorrow. I’ll report tomorrow night!
Whisper to a Scream
I think that’s the name of a song. That’s me around the house right now. I have lost my voice and I get by on whispering – it’s actually just starting to hurt. When I am sick of the kids ignoring me or really need to get something out, I have to yell which comes out screechy. I haven’t been resting my voice as I should, but part of that was work, part of it is that I have to talk to the boys, and part of it is that my girlfriend really needed to talk and what could I do. I am too much of a puss to just insist that I get off the phone.
I updated the checking account and I see we got our tax refund deposited. Nice! I kind of thought I should just pay off credit card debt with it, and I have bills that I lag on and I can use some of the money to catch up. It’s so tempting when we have cash in the bank to think we can use it for some fun things, but clearly we’ve already spent this money. I’m going to be very conservative, because I did say when I started this blog that I was going to A) Lose weight, and B) become debt free.
I will lose weight, too. I’m just getting psyched up for it now…My way of saying I can’t hack the mental commitment required. I am a slug. And I like refined carbohydrates and butter. But I HOPE I can muster up enough self respect to get into shape for the sake of my health, and also to feel more confident about my self. (That’s the other positive change in my life I said I was chronicling in my blog – gaining confidence.) I am confident about some things, but I want to hide about all this fat! I guess when I have it all together it will come easier – right now it seems impossible.
Family Searching
today I worked for Frank in the morning, which always makes me feel productive. I love earning money! After that, I mailed some packages that have been on my list of things – that makes me feel extra happy. I sent my Aunt Gwen & cousin Duane their copies of Grandma’s DVD. (And now I hope he’ll send his $ for it very soon…) I mailed my friend Alice and another old friend of Dad’s copies of his CD with 68 songs a piece on them. I think that is an especially nice collection to get as an old fan of my father’s because quality recordings of him are hard to come by.
Then I came home to a very annoying email message from that A$$hole international ebay bidder – I had a bad feeling about him already. He said there’s something wrong with his camera lens and said it will cost as much to fix it as he paid for it!!!! First of all, he said it just arrived today and that it this scratch shows up in pictures. (What did he run out to the one-hour photo?) Secondly, Dad said this lens was in MINT condition, and I happen to recall this lens as a pristine quality item. But of course, here I am and I don’t know where Dad expects his $10 to come from, but I don’t have it. Too bad I already had several reasons already why I totally regret this whole process – I certainly didn’t need another, but I’ll just add this in. NEVER again!
Next I checked my phone messages and had a strange message from a distant cousin whom I’ve never met. She was given my name & number by my mom’s Aunt Betty. She is my paternal grandfather’s 1st cousin once removed. She wanted to learn more about her family – but was very light on ANY information. I only know her mother’s name because Aunt Betty filled it in on my questionnaire. I asked for her mother’s birthdate and she started to cry. I felt so sad for her. Her mother died when she was only 2 years old, so I don’t believe this is recent grief over her mother, but clearly she is reaching out and in some distress. I of course spent several hours today trying to find information for her, and have nothing yet. I did call Aunt Betty and she gave me my grandfather’s brother’s number in Florida. I’ve never spoken to him and probably only met him when I was a kid at my grandfather’s funeral. But apparently he knew this girls’ mother, and I hope he can tell me some personal anecdotes about her. It was kind of funny, but also kind of pathetic, that Aunt Betty told me I should try to call him in the morning rather than 9:00 at night (when I have free minutes) because he hits the bar. Just like my Uncle P____. Love those Ryans!
I also had no voice for most of the day and felt super crappy this afternoon. I hate being sick. I guess I prefer this half-assed sick to the knocked down and dead sick, but still – enough with the damn sinuses, already!
Family Searching
today I worked for Frank in the morning, which always makes me feel productive. I love earning money! After that, I mailed some packages that have been on my list of things – that makes me feel extra happy. I sent my Aunt Gwen & cousin Duane their copies of Grandma’s DVD. (And now I hope he’ll send his $ for it very soon…) I mailed my friend Alice and another old friend of Dad’s copies of his CD with 68 songs a piece on them. I think that is an especially nice collection to get as an old fan of my father’s because quality recordings of him are hard to come by.
Then I came home to a very annoying email message from that A$$hole international ebay bidder – I had a bad feeling about him already. He said there’s something wrong with his camera lens and said it will cost as much to fix it as he paid for it!!!! First of all, he said it just arrived today and that it this scratch shows up in pictures. (What did he run out to the one-hour photo?) Secondly, Dad said this lens was in MINT condition, and I happen to recall this lens as a pristine quality item. But of course, here I am and I don’t know where Dad expects his $10 to come from, but I don’t have it. Too bad I already had several reasons already why I totally regret this whole process – I certainly didn’t need another, but I’ll just add this in. NEVER again!
Next I checked my phone messages and had a strange message from a distant cousin whom I’ve never met. She was given my name & number by my mom’s Aunt Betty. She is my paternal grandfather’s 1st cousin once removed. She wanted to learn more about her family – but was very light on ANY information. I only know her mother’s name because Aunt Betty filled it in on my questionnaire. I asked for her mother’s birthdate and she started to cry. I felt so sad for her. Her mother died when she was only 2 years old, so I don’t believe this is recent grief over her mother, but clearly she is reaching out and in some distress. I of course spent several hours today trying to find information for her, and have nothing yet. I did call Aunt Betty and she gave me my grandfather’s brother’s number in Florida. I’ve never spoken to him and probably only met him when I was a kid at my grandfather’s funeral. But apparently he knew this girls’ mother, and I hope he can tell me some personal anecdotes about her. It was kind of funny, but also kind of pathetic, that Aunt Betty told me I should try to call him in the morning rather than 9:00 at night (when I have free minutes) because he hits the bar. Just like my Uncle P____. Love those Ryans!
I also had no voice for most of the day and felt super crappy this afternoon. I hate being sick. I guess I prefer this half-assed sick to the knocked down and dead sick, but still – enough with the damn sinuses, already!
Wheezy
Today was a weird day for me. Elliot had a delayed opening of school because of the snow. That’s cool with me – just as long as they don’t give him snow days that force them to have to make them up in June. I called Michele and she brought the girls over and we had a nice playdate. But, I’m having some pains in my rib area, because of my chronic shortness of breath. I started with these pains last night and today as the day went on, I found myself completely unable to get a deep breath, and in fact realized that I was barely getting a good breath in at all, which was why my muscles hurt. I’ve been struggling to breathe so much that I’m straining myself. Of course it happens so gradually and I’m so used to it. My mom wanted me to call the Dr. but I can’t even begin to deal with that. I took my inhaler a few times and took a nice nap and by some miracle got all of us to take a nap at the same time.
I’m supposed to work for Frank tomorrow and I’m glad for that. I promise I’ll put pictures of the house up soon. I’ve kind of been waiting for Trip to hang up his pictures in his office, so I can get it when it’s more done looking. I have been taking pictures all over the house in the last few days, though.
I got a nice CD recording of my Dad from 1986 from an old fan of his. I also have been following a lead on the old video of him performing from the late ’80’s. I was kind of peeved to get a call from my Dad’s old girlfriend, Eden’s mom. She said she had been reading my website page about him and wondered why I neglected to mention the 13 years she spent with him. I as completely put off by her sort of accusatory tone. I said, I also left out mention of my mom and the years she spent with him, too, because it’s not about that. I wrote about his music and his bands. Then she accused me of leaving out one of the bands she was in with him, and it’s freakin on there! And then she told me about another band she was in with him, and I said, any time you have something to add about his music, let me know. I don’t have the other band members listed, and I don’t have a lot of crap about his personal life on there. It’s just annoying when people get like that. I didn’t reminder that A.) My website specifically says if there are any additions or corrections to be made, just let me know. And B.) His page specifically says that if someone has any memories of him they’d like to share, please let me know. Frankly, at this point I don’t want to deal with it. But, I found out the name of the station the old show was on, the name of the show and the producer and I have an email in to him. I’ll keep you posted, my many readers! (not) I also left a message for my old college housemate, who has a cassette tape of my Dad playing all of my favorite songs at our house for my 20th birthday, I believe. I asked her to send me a copy about 5 years ago, but as with all requests of this nature, it has been ignored. That reminds me it’s time for me to call my old 1st cousin twice removed and ask her if she ever had a chance to locate the ancestral photos of the Johnson / Sayles family (which were entrusted to her by her mother and she said were in her garage – Perfect for old photos, by the way!) I would love her to just mail me the lot of them, since she obviously doesn’t give a shit about them. If I had the resources, I’d just drove down there and get them myself!
No other news.
Wheezy
Today was a weird day for me. Elliot had a delayed opening of school because of the snow. That’s cool with me – just as long as they don’t give him snow days that force them to have to make them up in June. I called Michele and she brought the girls over and we had a nice playdate. But, I’m having some pains in my rib area, because of my chronic shortness of breath. I started with these pains last night and today as the day went on, I found myself completely unable to get a deep breath, and in fact realized that I was barely getting a good breath in at all, which was why my muscles hurt. I’ve been struggling to breathe so much that I’m straining myself. Of course it happens so gradually and I’m so used to it. My mom wanted me to call the Dr. but I can’t even begin to deal with that. I took my inhaler a few times and took a nice nap and by some miracle got all of us to take a nap at the same time.
I’m supposed to work for Frank tomorrow and I’m glad for that. I promise I’ll put pictures of the house up soon. I’ve kind of been waiting for Trip to hang up his pictures in his office, so I can get it when it’s more done looking. I have been taking pictures all over the house in the last few days, though.
I got a nice CD recording of my Dad from 1986 from an old fan of his. I also have been following a lead on the old video of him performing from the late ’80’s. I was kind of peeved to get a call from my Dad’s old girlfriend, Eden’s mom. She said she had been reading my website page about him and wondered why I neglected to mention the 13 years she spent with him. I as completely put off by her sort of accusatory tone. I said, I also left out mention of my mom and the years she spent with him, too, because it’s not about that. I wrote about his music and his bands. Then she accused me of leaving out one of the bands she was in with him, and it’s freakin on there! And then she told me about another band she was in with him, and I said, any time you have something to add about his music, let me know. I don’t have the other band members listed, and I don’t have a lot of crap about his personal life on there. It’s just annoying when people get like that. I didn’t reminder that A.) My website specifically says if there are any additions or corrections to be made, just let me know. And B.) His page specifically says that if someone has any memories of him they’d like to share, please let me know. Frankly, at this point I don’t want to deal with it. But, I found out the name of the station the old show was on, the name of the show and the producer and I have an email in to him. I’ll keep you posted, my many readers! (not) I also left a message for my old college housemate, who has a cassette tape of my Dad playing all of my favorite songs at our house for my 20th birthday, I believe. I asked her to send me a copy about 5 years ago, but as with all requests of this nature, it has been ignored. That reminds me it’s time for me to call my old 1st cousin twice removed and ask her if she ever had a chance to locate the ancestral photos of the Johnson / Sayles family (which were entrusted to her by her mother and she said were in her garage – Perfect for old photos, by the way!) I would love her to just mail me the lot of them, since she obviously doesn’t give a shit about them. If I had the resources, I’d just drove down there and get them myself!
No other news.
Gossamer Threads 