Accountability thread for the chronic procrastinator

[jbeany]

Bleah, no resumes out yet.  Even at 13, my nephew drains my energy - it's just more mental than physical these days, I think.  All my energy goes to not throttling him whenever he opens his mouth!

I've decided I need to start believing that I can accomplish 6 possible things before dinner - starting with eating healthy and exercising every day for the top two.  That leaves 4 more things to accomplish per day. 

So far today - a flax seed muffin for breakfast, a small portioned, low carb meal for lunch, and nearly an hour on the treadmill.  I didn't go very fast today, because I was reading the Sunday paper while I was exercising, but I managed to do two things at once - and better yet, one that usually gets done while I sit in a chair and snack.

So far on my list of other possible things - cut and filed a backlog of coupons, mowed and weed-whacked the lawn, and did some laundry.  If I dye my hair while I'm showering off the grass cuttings and gasoline smell, find a box to pack up the craft project stuff on the kitchen counter, cook up the healthy ground turkey tacos I've got planned for dinner, and do the dishes stacking up in the sink because my nephew needed a new plate for every snack, I'm way over the top for my list of 6 today. 

[cariad]

I looked over my last list and I have done almost everything on it except for photo the playroom. We sold our bed and mattress and every last stick of furniture in there except the wooden laundry bin which was not on offer. The room looks huge and very empty, and it echoes in there now. We are really leaving. The bed that we purchased because we wanted the room to remind us of our African honeymoon is now with another couple and we have $1600 to put toward our new life in England.

For the rest of today:
1. Return library books.
2. Stage and photo the master bath.
3. Read obituary of Craigslister's father so that I can respond appropriately to her email. (Only I could be in this situation by the way.)
4. Playroom. At least make progress.
5. Bake scones and banana cake.
6. Register to have breakfast with Emerson the giant turtle.
7. Apple shop to deal with G's miserable excuse for a phone - it does everything but make calls. What is this world coming to?

We are really leaving. In just 12 days. Not sure we're going to make it.

[jbeany]

You'll make cariad, you'll make it!  You probably won't sleep for the next two weeks straight, but it will all come together....desperation is the only real antidote to procrastination.

Did little to nothing so far except nurse a head cold.  Blech.  I did decide I wasn't going to stay home and be miserable yesterday, so off I went to shop.  I had to have lab work in the morning, so I just kept moving after the blood draw. 

Bought floor paint to use on the beat stairs to the craft room.  I was thinking a clean, crisp white, but after too many days of wiping dirty cat footprints off my bathtub, I opted for brick red.  Ah, it won't be boring, at least. 

Found the twin mattress I wanted for the rec room lounge platform on sale for $60 off (did you know you can buy coil spring mattresses compressed down in little boxes?  The boxes have little luggage wheels attached so you can roll them out and slide them in the car.  So strange!), so grabbed that.  Bought lights for the rec room, also on sale.  Found another bar stool that matches my pub table/craft room workspace.  It was at the thrift store for a song, so loaded that up, along with piles of books, fun handmade pottery art for the future garden, and a random assortment of this and that for various craft workshops.  Gotta love the thrift store.  There were lots of random vintage bits and pieces at one of them, (someone was clearly working on cleaning out their grandmother's house) so I went a bit crazy with the fun things I found.  Also blew way too much money at Hobby Lobby, which is why I try not to go if I can help it, but they are the only place that sells the beeswax I need for my next workshop.  Perhaps shopping doped up on tylenol and sudafed is a bad idea....

Got home after dark, in the pouring rain.  Only unloaded the perishables and simply left everything else in the car so I could crawl in bed and sleep.  It's still pouring today, so it's all still parked out there.  Blech again.  I was still stuffy and miserable this morning, so I did nothing but sleep and read all day.  Tomorrow is another day to try again.

[cariad]

Progress Report:

1. Return library books.

Walked there, returned them, there were just under 10 minutes until they shut so I slipped in the back door only to hear "Did a patron just walk in? Did you see her?" So I sheepishly peek round the shelves to see this very-librarian older woman and say "Hi, I can just come back tomorrow...." "No, I want to help. What were you looking for?" I wanted American Gothic by Philip Roth?" Uh, yeah, that would be American Pastoral, cariad.

2. Stage and photo the master bath.

3. Read obituary of Craigslister's father so that I can respond appropriately to her email. (Only I could be in this situation by the way.)

   

I sent the email off and asked Gwyn if writing "peace and love to you" as a goodbye was a bit too personal and his response was "Not when you've read her father's obituary, no...."

4. Playroom. At least make progress.

   

OK, to be honest, this was today's project, but it's done. I even did some quick photo editing to take out little imperfections. Just need to email those off to property manager.

5. Bake scones and banana cake.

 

Cake yes, scones no

6. Register to have breakfast with Emerson the giant turtle.

 

Phone troubles delayed this but it is done.

7. Apple shop to deal with G's miserable excuse for a phone - it does everything but make calls. What is this world coming to?

 

Gwyn did this one. Picked up the children on the way back. Was going to pick me up on my way back from the library and guess what, car accident! He has already been deemed blameless and Progressive (other guy's insurance) has been simply lovely in getting us a rental car and arranging to have ours repaired.

Oh, jbeany, I so hope you are right that we will make it. After the car accident G wanted to delay our departure a week, but that is not possible, so we're leaving come hell or high water. May have found a buyer for the MomMobile which would relieve heaps of stress. S at the children's center, our support person for transplant and just a wonderful person. We need to get it valeted and repaired, but once that's done, I'd sell it to her for about $4k under Blue Book. It is reliable.

So, jbeany, about these mattresses? Do they sort of sproing into a mattress shape once you open the box? If so, can we get a video or I have not seen this before but what a fantastic idea!

For tonight:
1. Make scones to pack for breakfast with the turtle
2. Chop up French breakfast melon
3. Prep master bath for photos
4. Craigslist PlayRoom furniture. 

[jbeany]

So, jbeany, about these mattresses? Do they sort of sproing into a mattress shape once you open the box? If so, can we get a video or I have not seen this before but what a fantastic idea!

I haven't opened mine yet, but here's a link to the vid for the ones that Walmart sells.  I got mine at Kmart, but didn't find a vid link there.  They really are supposed to pop back open, just like the stuffed animals and comforter do in the Space Bag ads.  The one in the vid didn't have the helpful little wheels on the box, but if you are getting it delivered to your house, I suppose you wouldn't need them as much.  My sister got a queen sized foam one online and loves it.  I got the coil spring version.  I haven't opened it yet - it will be easier to store in the box until I'm ready for it.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Slumber-1-8-Mattress-In-a-Box-Multiple-Sizes/14225185

I notice the video doesn't mention that you can't squeeze them back down again, while they are yacking on about "Moving bulky mattresses is a thing of the past."  In the past maybe, but future, too!  Still, for the amount mine is likely to get used, it should last a long time.  And not having to arrange for delivery, or try to wedge a mattress in my little car and then heft it down the steps was part of my reasoning for wanting a boxed one. 

[cariad]

Should be getting proper internet soon and will have a much easier time. Our house is a maze of boxes and I want to donate things that we really don't use and therefore don't need. Gwyn has been less than helpful in this regard. We had an argument over whether to donate the potato ricer. Let me see a quick show of hands - how many of you cannot get by in life without a potato ricer? Right, just give me a moment here, make sure I'm counting everyone.... and, that's none of you. Don't even ask about the battle over the paella pan - we didn't speak for 3 days! Gwyn has made paella once, at my request, and that was before we had children. Yes, my eldest is TEN.

Moving on to goals for the day: empty out the box room, bring last of suitcases downstairs, apply to secondary school for Aidan, try once again to reach local football teams for Aidan, dance class or gymnastics for Dyl, remind Gwyn to set up autopay for rent and to ring accountant in US. Bring clothing donations to local charity shop.

[jbeany]

Apply to more jobs.....still....yet...again.   

Paint office.

Make cannoli for the office.

Do all 3 before the end of the week.

[MooseMom]

Finally got a tree removal firm to come out and cut down our ash tree that was killed by the emerald ash borer.  It was a very tall tree that stood next to/overhung our deck.  The $750 quotation (and that was the cheapest) was the reason I procrastinated on THAT chore.

Made a pot of spag bol for the freezer.  My son is arriving from London this weekend; I haven't seen him in a year, so I'm really excited.  He is tall and lean but man, can he eat!  He wants to have a go at driving here in the US; don't know how I feel about that.  He's had his license for less than a year, but if he can drive in England, he can certainly drive here in suburban Chicago, I'm sure.

Got most of the garden's pre-winter prep done.  Still have to transplant my rosemary from pot to ground; I've never been able to get rosemary to survive the winter, but I've seen it at the arboretum, so I know it can be done.  This will be my fourth go!  I have a more mature garden now, so I can find a more sheltered spot, I think.

[jbeany]

Applied to two jobs this afternoon.  Found a job fair next Tuesday with two law - related firms attending, so did some prep for that.  Still have one cover letter to work on for another job that I have little shot at, but going to throw my hat in the ring anyhow.  Spent the last 6 hours on the computer job hunting and working on the apps and cover letters, so feel like I'm going cross-eyed and ready for a break now!  But I do feel good for having accomplished something.

It must be time to paint the office instead.

I did attempt to make cannoli.  The cancer support group I volunteer with has a policy - no goodies made with alcohol allowed.  (A member who is also a recovering alcoholic had a fit when a local restaurant donated dinner, and the chicken had been marinated in a red wine sauce.  Pity - I had it, and it was divine! But anyhow...) So I looked online to find a cannoli recipe without white wine in the dough.  Found a version that used a combo of vinegar and fruit juice instead.  Okay, sounds reasonable.  So I tried it.  Uuuuuhhhh.  NO.  Just no.  The texture was all wrong, and it was not the thin crispy crunch of a cannoli at all.  Anything that only tastes just "okay" after deep-frying is no winner in my book.  I wasn't going to waste my ricotta on it.  Instead of trying to make the shells, I rolled the dough out, coated it in melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and made something that resembles a fruity biscotti.  I've got them frozen in little baggies at my place, for later.   I did a fast switch on plans for treats to take to the club, and made homemade Butterfinger bars instead.  Apparently I didn't make enough - only the first half of the line to go through the buffet got them! 

[cariad]

Wow, complaining about a free dinner that you don't have to eat because the sauce may have traces of alcohol? Seems rather self-absorbed. Would anyone even be able to taste a bit of wine baked in a shell? I love Whole Foods' cannoli and would never have guessed it might contain alcohol. Oh, and Gwyn says he needs that Butterfinger recipe.

My only goal for tonight is to email Chicago. We bought loads of fruit, veg, cheese and meat at the open market. The local butcher gave Gwyn some free pork and tomato sausages to try when we went in there for eggs and breakfast sausage.
Our oven exploded Thursday night (heating element gave out with a pop) so we are limited to whatever we can make on the cooktop until Monday night. Used this as excuse to dine at our favourite pub last night. 

[jbeany]

Yup, the member was upset that the rest of us weren't planning our donations around her recovery - that none of us knew about.  The theory was that even if the alcohol was cooked out, the flavor would be enough to tempt her, so don't use alcohol for seasoning anything.  (Although just what she thinks real vanilla is made of is beyond me...)  Ah, well.  I find it hard to understand one person trying to make demands limiting alcohol in donations to a group that is not focused on alcoholism, but it's not my place to fight her on it, so there it is.  I wasn't informed of the the new policy until I brought in a tray of kahlua cream cheese brownies and was politely asked to take them back.  I didn't care - I knew I could take them to the law clinic with all the starving law students.  I took them back out to my car and left them there.  When I got back to my car at the end of the evening, half of them were gone.  The members who had overheard what I had brought and why I had to remove them had been sneaking out to my car all afternoon to get them!

Homemade Butterfinger bars are almost too easy to admit to.  Melt one pound of peanut butter and one pound of candy corn in the microwave. (Get the good Brachs stuff.) Check and stir until smooth and orange.  Spread in 8x8 greased pan, cover with about 1 cup of chocolate and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter melted together, and cut into squares while still warm.  If you want to get fancy, do a big batch of 32 0z each ingredient, spread on a cookie sheet covered with waxed or parchment paper, and slice into thin candy bar shapes while still warm.  Using a second covered  cookie sheet, spread out the sliced bars between the two sheets so there is space between them, pour melted chocolate over them to make them look like real candy bars.  I like to put the melted chocolate in a ziploc bag, clip off a corner, and run a thick line of it down the center of each bar.  Smooth it with a spoon while still warm to make it run down the sides.  Stick in fridge to cool, and pop them off the tray.

If you smile and claim the recipe is a secret, everyone thinks you are an expert candy maker  who spent hours in the kitchen over a hot stove with a candy thermometer. 

 

[MaryD]

What is candy corn?

[noahvale]

^

[noahvale]

*

[MaryD]

We don't have candy corn here.  Is it crunchy?  Or chewy?  Maybe I can find a substitute.

[jbeany]

Jbeany - try Jelly Belly candy corn.  Better then Brach's!

Yummmmm, but that's harder to find here than Brach's, though!  Seriously though, just get some decent stuff for this recipe and not the no-name junk that tastes like wax.

We don't have candy corn here.  Is it crunchy?  Or chewy?  Maybe I can find a substitute.

from http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm

"Candy corn is a sweet replicate of dried corn kernels. It's considered a "mellow cream," a name for a type of candy made from corn syrup and sugar that has a marshmallow-like flavor. Although candy corn tastes rich, it's actually fat-free."

There are pics on this link.  It's mostly sugar and corn syrup with fondant added.  It also comes in the shape of mini-pumpkins this time of year.  If you can't find something in orange, just add a bit of food coloring to get the Butterfinger coloring.

Hey noah, did you see this? 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/07/candy-corn-oreos_n_1865397.html

[talker]

Wrote the letter in 1945, and laid the letter on the dresser until I could get a stamp for it.   

Huh, oh what?                                         

My candidacy for President of the Worlds Procrastinators Club.       

[PaulBC]

from http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm

"Candy corn is a sweet replicate of dried corn kernels. It's considered a "mellow cream," a name for a type of candy made from corn syrup and sugar that has a marshmallow-like flavor. Although candy corn tastes rich, it's actually fat-free."

Mellow cream? That sounds fancy. I always considered it primarily a decorative item. And sure, I will eat it if desperate, but is anyone really desperate for candy around Halloween?