Sunday, February 28, 2010

End of Month Update

It is time for my monthly update on my New Years Goals:


1) Adopt a child. (Become foster parent as part of process(?))
No progress.  Seriously, the husband needs a job so we can stop taking money out of savings (or adding onto the already outrageous credit cars) every month for things like food and gas.  We are getting a twin bed and a chest-and (eventually getting all the junk out) turning the spare (storage, former "office" overall catch-all)  room into an official bedroom.

2) Exercise regularly
Some progress.  I asked my sister, who lives up the street, if I can use the treadmill.  Since her spare key is awol-she said she'd leave the door open for me since she leaves for work not too long before I get off. So-days 1-3 she forgot to leave it open. It is such an automatic process-to lock the door.  It would take me awhile to remember, too.  Day 4 she left it open-and I met with the Possessed Treadmill.  It's older and well used by the parents.  It is truly possessed.  It doesn't like me (and considering Sis and her Mom are half my size I am probably the heaviest person (because I'm taller and no where close to being in shape like they are) it has met-unless Dad stepped on it).  Let's just say that I have to hold onto the rails the entire time because it feel like it goes backwards just a tiny bit every so many steps.  It tried to throw me into her saltwater tank more than once.  I seriously catalogued each piece of furniture and where my head would hit when it manages to succeed in its mission to eject me (notice I said when, not if.)   It also just flat out stopped after 10 minutes-then 12-then 16 minutes and I gave up at .90 (that's not even a mile-but it was something).  A powwow with sis revealed that the Possessed Treadmill overheats in the summer and it is now sitting on a heater vent (fyi-I think it's the exchange vent but it isn't my house so what do I know).  I tried again yesterday-drug the Possessed Treadmill into the living room (and that is not easy to do) so it wasn't by the heater vent-hung on and got about 1.5 miles out of it-it did stop 3 times but I popped the lid on it and that seemed to at least get me going for half a mile each time.  Also, it only half-heartedly tried to throw me off. Probably because there wasn't any furniture behind me to crack my head on.


3) Eat healthier
I have been cutting down my portion size and paying attention to breakfast, lunch and dinner most of the time.  I bought some healthy snacks.  I still need to do much more.  I am drinking water-except my morning coffee(s) for most liquid intake.


4) Minimize the clutter in my house
2 steps forward, 3 steps back.  Husband and I sorted through some storage in the house during the snow storm.  We went through the knick-knacky things and put away for a spring yardsale the things that we have outgrown.  We went through together the "trunk I avoided like the plague" to dust it and took out everything but the John Lennon baby stuff we bought when we actually thought we would have a baby one day.  I cried the entire time.  That's why I avoid the trunk.  And I can't bring myself to give it away.  I still hope.  I went through my work stuff again and came up with another stack of books to sell-emptied an entire file cabinet (recycled all the paper) and refilled the filing cabinet with books-which emptied an entire 4 shelf bookshelf.  We are not even 1/4 way through everything-the basement is the big area and we need a yard sale and to sell some furniture-which we will do as soon as Spring gets here.
One of the obstacles of the whole "cleaning out the basement is My husband.  He is the ultimate pack Rat.  At least half the basement is "his stuff" and the other half is a combination of stuff in this order: Christmas, gardening/lawn, tools, stuff for yard sale, my stuff, washer/dryer, cat.  Not even exaggerating one bit.  I didn't even count his tools in his half.  He just giving me lip service when I ask him to go through it and thin it out.  No action.  He has, in plain sight, a bag of clothes he will never fit in again-and if he does he should never wear in public again.  Yet, he refuses to donate it.  I have offered to make a T-Shirt Quilt for him of the (mosty sports) t-shirts in the bag. He just thinks "one day" he will be the size he was at 17.  I hope not.
 Here is where we go backward in the endeavor to de-clutter: we added furniture and other stuff this week.  My elderly grandfather has given up his apartment and resides full time in the nursing part of his retirement village.  My grandmother has been in the nursing area for a couple years.  All of us picked out a few things to keep.  We absolutely don't have the room right now-but this is something I must do if I want the furniture. 

5) Grow out my nails
Nope not even close.  I recall the most success I have had is when I was on medication for fatigue.  My current doctor won't prescribe it.  It was some mild antidepressant but truly prescribed for fatigue (caused by stress).  I dieted, exercised, lost weight and grew out my nails on it-something I have not done since I stopped taking it.  hmmm  food for thought)

6) Pay off my own credit cards.
I didn't pay off a credit card-but I did take the money gifted to me at Christmas-combined with some money I had from a job I did-and paid off my car!  Yay!  Now if only I could pay off the truck with the big payment-we would be on easy street! Yeah-not gonna happen unless I hit the lottery.  My husband payed off one of his very small cards-and because they made him angry-he will cancel it.  Yes!
We continue to pay for everything except gas with cash.  I think it is helping me not spend money-but husband just gets more cash out when he runs out.  Baby steps.

I am not even sure how to categorize this months progress.  The snowiest month ever has fogged my brain.  Also adding stuff seems to impede out progress since we had to move things around to make room-and it's all piles and tight fitting around here now.  I cannot wait for yard sales and to put the furniture on Craig's List.

Any one need a computer desk or a recliner (dark green)?

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