Week in Review: Week 285
MONDAY
It’s disgusting out. Like living in the rain forest without the pretty birds.
I’m at work this week, but the school program is closed so there’s only a handful of staff in this building, and no students. So there’s less going on than usual. My office-mate is on vacation this week so it’s pretty quiet in here.
I stumbled upon these cleaning TikToks this morning (as I was lying in bed, procrastinating about getting ready for work til the last possible moment) and now I feel such shame, ha ha. I am – well, after watching these videos I will no longer say I’m the WORST housekeeper, but…I’m certainly not a GOOD one. Call it depression, call it laziness, I don’t know, but I just don’t CARE enough to spend my valuable Me Time CLEANING. And I’m not a thorough/careful person with really ANYTHING I do, so even when I DO break down and clean something, it’s not done well. I admit that.
That said, I DO love being in a freshly-cleaned space. I just wish *I* didn’t have to do it. I know some people actually enjoy the act of cleaning. Not this girl. My sister got that gene, not me.
Anyway, after watching half-a-dozen of these (somewhat horrifying) videos (one woman described the stuff on the walls of the apartments she pre-cleans before contractors come in, as “3-dimensional dirt” and I about gagged), I vowed to tackle ONE SMALL cleaning project each day. Small. Manageable. Like: the bedroom window sill. The join between the bathroom floor and bathroom wall. The lampshade with cat hair on it from Janey rubbing against it. If I tell myself to “clean the bathroom,” that is Just Too Much. It’s overwhelming and I do NOTHING. Maybe if I REALLY break things down into small manageable tasks, I might actually get something done.
I’ll keep you posted,
TUESDAY
So, thinking about doing a small cleaning project every day led me to thinking about ALL the things I’m trying (well, “trying” might be a bit strong. “Wanting” is probably more accurate) to do every day (well, several times a week): cleaning, studying Korean (my class starts up again next week), jumping rope (after a too-long recess I’m trying to start that again), dance/exercise, reading. And anytime I think THIS is the weekend I’m getting a (damn) piano into my apartment one way or another, Something Happens.
I’m so good about Every Day getting my TikTok video and blog OOTD pictures done…that’s probably close to an hour each day between both – taking, editing, getting up where they need to go, links added, etc. That leaves me approximately 2.5 hours til 8pm, which is when I would LIKE to be Done for the Day. Doesn’t that seem like enough time to get all those things done? And yet…
So I’m trying to come up with a schedule so everything gets done at least every other day.
4:30-5:30 TikTok/blog video/OOTD EVERY DAY
5:30-6 jump rope/exercise video/dance (alternating thru 3 days)
6-6:30 cleaning
6:30-7 korean
7-7:30 read
7:30-8 dinner
DONE
HA HA. Yeah, okay. Let’s see how long that lasts.
Well, at best it’ll last til I start blogging like normal again. And then I need to fit that in. OH NO I MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE CLEANING OUT OF THE ROTATION DAMN.
WEDNESDAY
Ups & Downs du Jour
* Laying (lying?) in bed when I first woke up and the first TikTok I see is a BTS account and he’s just…So Enthusiastic about his love for BTS’ Kim Taehyung in the 2020 BTS series, “In The Soop.” Because “In the Soop Taehyung” is just Beyond Delightful and I start the day kekekeing and laugh crying and that’s not a bad way to start the day.
* My car REEKS from getting rained in last weekend with the not-really-a-hurricane, the fabric seats were soaked and now after baking in the 90+ temps the past few days…OOFAH. It ain’t pretty.
* Sloan-Kettering finally posted the results of last week’s scan…and there might still be A Thing, ugh. I’m not worried, I’m just tired of dealing with the inconveniences of doctory things. And I bet there’s gonna be another doctory thing in my future.
* I’m trying to restart my jump-rope habit (it’s hard to come back), but today I got to 38. Which, considering I’d been hitting 49 pretty regularly back when I was jumping regularly, is a little underwhelming, but…I’ll take it. It’s better than FOUR, like when I FIRST first started.
* THE MARKET HAD CHOCOLATE NECCO WAFERS!!! If you didn’t know, Necco Wafers have been a favorite candy All My Life and a few years ago they stopped production. It was a sad day, indeed. And the “all brown” rolls were ALWAYS hard to come by. So BOY WAS I EXCITED to see the box of all brown Neccos at the register…I grabbed two rolls and was all “WHOA! THESE ARE REALLY HARD TO COME BY” and the 12-year-old cashier looked at me like I had two heads. Youth, amiright??
So, out of five “events,” two were good, two were not so good…and one is sort of 50/50. I guess that’s not bad.
THURSDAY
Oh. So. The Doctory Thing that may or may not be a thing…one kidney has only 16% function, which I guess sounds bad but…I feel fine. I drink, I pee. I drink, I pee. I can live with that (literally, ha ha). Anyway, the Dr got the thumbs up from me today when he said we have two options: 1) he’ll go in (in?) and “blow up” (blow up?) the ureter and put in another stent (oh god no) to unblock (from scar tissue from the last stone being stuck for there so long) the passageway…OR 2) Do Nothing.
Guess which one got my vote?
So we’re doing nothing and just keeping an eye on things. Any change: pain, fever, infection, etc, I call him right away. Or…you know…soon. Ish. Ha.
FRIDAY
Counting down…hana…dul…SET! I’m on vacation!!!
SATURDAY
FIRST DAY OF VACATION MEANS YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO *ANYTHING.* So I slept a little late, got an egg sandwich from the deli, piddled did very important work on the computer for hours, then moved to the sofa to read until dark, and then continued watching the series I’m on….which is a good one, “Uncontrollably Fond,” one of those where every episode is like OH YAY they’re finally going to be together OH NO WHY DID HE/SHE/THEY DO THAT NOW THEY CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER. Flip-flops like that. Back and forth. Back and forth. Every. Episode. It’s exhausting. And wonderful 🙂
Oh, and I ran out to get sushi for dinner, which was Uncontrollably Disappointing 🙁
SUNDAY
SUNDAY FUNDAY. Finally, I have been released from the bonds of work/home life to venture into the city with friends.
Meatpacking for brunch, walked around Chelsea, then went to Soho to visit a couple galleries and eat. Again. And get ice cream. And people watch.
jodie filogomo
The people-watching is what I miss. Even when we go out, I don’t get my fill, LOL!!
As for cleaning the house, I always say it’s overrated. But you’re setting yourself up for failure by blocking out 30 minutes. That’s like going from 4 jumping jacks to 30 in one day. I’d start with 10 minutes. The one time that I do tend to clean is when I’m on the phone. I have NO idea why!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
I only blocked out 30 cuz it was easier, scheduling-wise. There’s no way I’m going to spend 30 minutes doing most of those things. Like, jumping rope is LITERALLY one minute. I spend more time changing into jumping clothes. But then I have some “free time” til my next scheduled activity, a little breathing room…and I need that.
Linda Root
I can’t get past the stent. Mine is currently residing near my liver and I feel good. Having said that, I love options! I’m not supposed to lift 10 lbs. so that’s my excuse for living with dog hair and these floors (I should be ashamed-I’m not). I just want to be outside and walk and people watch.
bettyewp
Glad you’re having a good stent experience 🙂
Life’s too short to waste time feeling ashamed of dog hair on the floor.
People watching is the best. My perfect life is sitting in an adirondack chair in the shade, iced tea and good book in hand, watching interesting people walk by.
And I like making it into games. My ex and I used to sit at the mall and play “pick your next partner if I die,” and I always play “that’s your boyfriend” with girlfriends.
Linda Root
I like your perfect life ideas 😀
bettyewp
Where is the Thumbs Up emoji on this thing??