Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

crazy_cat_lady

OK - I slept a lot last night. I was in bed and asleep by 10, woke up for an hour at 1230, woke up for another hour at 430 then got up at 7 or so I thought - fell asleep again on the sofa at 830 for an hour. I feel ok. I didn't at 7 but I do now. So fingers crossed that I feel more like getting stuff done today - decluttering has come to a standstill, and I haven't been walking for a couple of days either. It's really windy outside today but thankfully much cooler so I'm almost looking forward to getting out.
Didn't do much yesterday - caught up on laundry, washing dishes and groceries. Made a cracking bacon and veggie omelette for dinner which both of the kids refused (an attempt to get my vitamin and mineral uptake increased) and that's about it. Still no school work needing done today but the kitchen appears to be a mess again already (as it always is when I use it, lol) and then I hope to get some useful crocheting done and a few bags of decluttering. So today I have plans and I think I feel like actually doing stuff - thank goodness for restful sleep and days where I don't drink alcohol,
So I need to clear the kitchen, hoover through, declutter the living room table, and hopefully sort my bedding and towels cupboard as that will give me reason to change the beds as well. 
Still no news on my holiday this year (can't remember who asked - think it was f0xh0les). I'm still hoping that it will be cancelled. I have face masks but I have no desire to wear one for 4 hours on the plane getting there, and while I'm about, allegedly, on holiday. They are so uncomfortable - I get a bit claustrophobic at the best of times, and I detest the masks. Anyway, we're meant to be going on July 19th but if it's not cancelled tomorrow then I'm going to attempt to move it to next year. I'd rather have the money back but if not, then at least we'll have something to look forward to when hopefully some semblance of normality returns. Me and the kids have agreed that it won't be a holiday as we know it, nor are we as desperate for a break as we usually are when the summer holidays tick round, so if we can't get a refund then we'll move it to a time when it will be better for all of us.
Right, I'm going to get on while I feel like getting stuff done.

apple_muncher

'caught up on laundry, washing dishes and groceries. Made a cracking bacon and veggie omelette for dinner'

That's a pretty successful day in my book!!!!!!!

crazy_cat_lady

Morning
Where is the justification in waking up and feeling like you have a cracking hangover when you haven't had a drink? I feel really rough this morning and can't seem to get going. I went to bed last night in clean bedding, with it feeling much cooler than it has in days and then I woke up 3 separate times during the night. DS very kindly offered to get up at half six and feed the cats for me so that I could stay in bed (bless him - managed to get his lazy backside into my good books for the first time in days) and I dragged myself up just after 8. My head is fuzzy - I've had to take tablets - and I have a lot of work to do and not much motivation. 
Anyway, I got loads done yesterday at least so I was quite chuffed with myself that I pulled myself out of my little rut I'd gotten into. I decluttered the junk corner of the living room where everything gets dumped, and my towels and bedding cupboard. Also changed all of the beds, hoovered through and tackled the kitchen. The routine works every time - one episode/45 mins of TV followed by a job. Unfortunately dd got up yesterday not feeling great - she was really tearful. Insisted that there was no reason for it (I was worried her father had been mucking her about again). I did all I could do, which was make sure that nobody had upset her and give her a big cuddle, then made sure that she had something to eat and drink. She picked up as the day went on but clearly lockdown-itis is getting to all of us. She wouldn't go walking though so I ended up doing the 3 mile route on my own as it had been a good few days since I'd done a decent walk - I can feel that this morning, but I'm going to make sure I go out again. Just wish I could sort this ankle out - it hurts even with the straps on it now. May need to give up and sort myself some physio or something out. I've googled and self diagnosed but the exercises I've found don't seem to help much - time to get an expert involved I think. Either that, or bin off the long walks - which I don't really want to do.
Right - best get on with some work stuff I think. I am normally well underway by now on a Monday morning and I haven't even started yet. I set all my weekly work on a Monday and I'm running a Z00m chemistry session this afternoon for the non-specialists in the department, which is basically everyone but me. I'm almost looking forward to that. as I particularly miss teaching and my subject. I know the exam stuff is all consuming but it's been so weird without it this year.
Hopefully today should be the day where I find out about my holiday as well. Fingers crossed for a cancellation folks - none of us want to go any more.

beanielou

Hope you get a cancellation. 

Physio is a good idea. 

I am just back going every week. 

f0xh0les

Fingers crossed for a cancellation  x x x x x

crazy_cat_lady

STILL waiting to hear about the holiday. Not liking this one little bit as I hate being this close to everything. I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter because we aren't going on holiday this month - but I still would rather have the money back than move it to next year. I think tomorrow is decision day - I seem to remember them going on and on about Wednesday in terms of lockdown etc. 
Not really very sure why I never got going this morning if I'm honest. I got up, did my Francais, had a cuppa, fed the cats, washed the dishes, put a load of washing on and started packing the car ready to go to the tip. Ended up on the phone to my mam for a while - just talking through current worries about dd. She's been in an awful mood for a few days - very tearful. I think we get on well so I'm sure that she would tell me if there was something in particular bothering her - she keeps saying she doesn't know what it is. I have started to think that it's a combination of hormones and lockdown-itis. I couldn't even get her to get dressed yesterday. My mam said just to keep an eye and if she didn't start feeling better soon then consider ringing the doctor. Thankfully she was forced to get dressed to come to the tip with me this afternoon. I had managed to put another car load together so further decluttering has happened and I love it! Tomorrow, my step dad is coming over with a power tool, to chop up the old bathroom door really small - small enough to fit in the car. So guess what? I NEED to book another appointment at the tip. Whoever could have guessed that during lockdown one of my favourite pastimes would be decluttering and going to the tip. It is amazingly therapeutic though I have to say. Anyway, dd also enjoyed the throwing of the cardboard into the recycling bins and watching me trying to lift a very heavy old Dys0n hoover above my head to go into the waste electronics box. After that I offered to treat her to her favourite Portuguese chicken takeaway as it's payday but she instead requested curry and chips from a small takeaway van on the coast. Good girl - I would normally spend close to £40 getting the three of us a spicy peri peri takeaway, but it cost me less than a tenner for curry and chips for her, pulled pork sarnie for me and a hot dog for ds. Lovely to see her more like her old self again - she's acknowledged that she needs to get out and do something every day.
I also managed to get ds dressed and out of the house today - into school to meet his new form tutor for next year. That was quite a pleasant meeting, apart from the three figure sum that was required to get his uniform. Blazer, 3 pairs of trousers, tie, hoodie, PE top, trousers and shorts. £200+ And that is before shoes and shirts... He has also acknowledged that he needs to be out of the house more than he currently is so hopefully I can get him out walking a bit and getting a bit fitter.
Also had the owner of the bathroom company come over to check out the work done - then sneakily try and sell me a kitchen too. Nice try if I didn't owe thousands... I'm happy tootling along doing my own thing in the kitchen for now and trying to pay my MASSIVE debts down. Speaking of which - my mam sent me a sneaky £100 from her tax refund to 'treat myself'. I treated myself by making an extra payment to the credit card.
I'm just on my way to bed now - already thinking about the next stage of decluttering. I have 1/3 of the cupboards left in my room to do, a massive cupboard in dd's room to do, the loft and the kitchen (which is starting to become a bit of a dumping ground if I'm honest). 13 school days until summer, and who knows what the heck will be going on by September. Onwards...

janb5

You keep saying you ` haven`t got going` but I`m exhausted just reading this massive list!
It sounds as tho` you`re completely focused on sorting out the house and making radical changes!  Well done.

foxgloves

Oh yes, CCL, decluttering is hugely therapeutic. The old 'Tidy home, tidy mind' thing is a bit of a cliche, but there's a lot of truth in it. I didn't feel so good yesterday as couldn't get rid of a persistent headache, but I slowly & gently decluttered our conservatory before making it look more summery & everything I threw in the bin or re-purposed felt like a little mood boost.
Agree it is important everyone gets out of the house each day. I think your son will find full school days at secondary school exhausting in Sept if he isn't doing much physical activity now. It's hard to feel motivated, I know. My youngest nephew was told by his parents that if he did Joe Wicks every day throughout Lockdown, he could choose a new game for his Nintendo. He has no interest in PE, but the 'carrot' of a new game worked its magic & he has done the daily workouts..... even though on one occasion when I skyped, he was doing star jumps with a biscuit in each hand & one in his mouth!
😁 
F x

f0xh0les

You are doing fab. 

Don't worry about the kitchen becoming a dumping ground while decluttering is going on.  It is not a dump, it is a sorting station or a 'holding area' while things make their case for being kept.  When you are decorating or doing a deep clean/declutter you have to accept that one room needs to be 'that room'.  Do you think DD might like to make something crafty for her room? To pass the time, and make her love her space?  I won't suggest she start crocheting snowflakes for a Xmas craft fair.  She might throw something at me. Something hard. Something pointy.

Re the school uniform - get on to ebay or local selling site as there are going to be parents on there who bought new in Sept/Oct and the stuff has not been worn since Feb half term. 4 months of teaching time is a lot of growing time for a boy.   Even if you pick up one or two bits it will make a heck of a difference. 

While you are doing your decluttering, are you making a list of what each room needs? If you know what it is you are missing, then when you see it, you can pounce.  We have something over here called (Le Shire) 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' a F-B00k site for getting rid of stuff, and one called (Le Shire) Community Cupboard one where people request things they want.  It is kind of a dating site for stuff, complete with photos. I am always amazed at the stuff people seem to have lying around in their garage.

Having said that, the c/shops are going to be rammed full of lovely stuff come Xmas.  Brilliant places for solid wood bedframes - especially now so many people are changing their spare rooms into home offices ....   just a thought.....

janb5

Hi CCL I was wondering who inspired your love of crochet and how old were you when you started?  I know you make mainly blankets but they are intricate interesting patterns.  Maybe DD would like to do some herself to reduce the inner stress.