I don't feel like writing the whys, whats, and what-nots behind and around my following journal entries.
Perhaps sometime later I'll write about some of that, and perhaps not.
Suffice it to say, I'm hoping I can carry through on my plan.
That I can start organizing our home.
And, simultaneously as I hopefully work my plan, that I'm inspired with a sustainable maintenance plan, which will involve hiring help.
My body and brain responded to my epidural on August 6, 2018, like they used to respond prior to my surgery on August 30,2016.
Same for my neck shots which I received last week on September 18.
I'm hoping my body's and brain's responses to the recent epidural and shots is a pattern.
If it is, I can maybe make headway on the home front.
It's a long path, but hopefully, I'll be able to trek it.
Speaking of paths, Son is currently in Nepal hiking to Everest Base Camp.
I can't quit saying, "Wow..."
~*~
Adapted from journal entries, 9/21/18 & 9/22/18
So many things to do
Responsible things
So many things to see
Enriching things
So many experiences
To be
To be
Causes me pause
Scripture says,
Where there is no oxen
the crib is clean
The less I own
the less I am responsible to care for
in the material world
How will I ever get my house clean?
Organized.
Minimized.
A haven for art, living, creativity, warmth, kindness
An expression of the significant happenings
in my little world
in my family's little world.
It feels so overwhelming
But my overwelmth is nothing compared to floods, fires, and wars.
I figure with my health adversities
I have about 6 to 7 decent weeks out of 12.
There are 52 weeks in a year.
So I have around 28 decent weeks a year.
Three of those are spent on vacation: Prep, vacay, recoup time.
Which leaves me with 25 weeks.
Take away 2 for margin.
I'm left with 23, maybe 24, weeks a year that I can work,
one day each week, on getting the house in order.
Which is only 23, maybe 24, days per year.
But I can't spread out the work over 23 to 24 non-consecutive weeks.
That's not doable for me.
I will not stay motivated.
Breathe.
Let me take it down to 22 weeks per year.
It's better to give myself that extra margin.
One day a week for 22 weeks equals 22 days.
Which is about equivalent to 7 three-day weeks.
Or equivalent to 11 two-day weeks.
How much can I work on a project in one of my good weeks?
Three days?
21/3 = 7 weeks.
52/7 = 7.5 weeks.
That'd be 1 three-day week every 7-1/2 weeks.
That is not consistent enough to keep me motivated and feeling successful.
And 3 days a week is probably beyond my limit.
So, why not 2-day weeks.
That would be more doable.
I'll calculate using 55 weeks, instead of 52.
It's easier.
55/11 = 5 weeks.
Every 5 weeks, focus 2 days on a house project.
I can work in 2-hour intervals, for a total of 4 to 6 hours per day.
That could work in weeks 2 and 7 in my epidural cycle.
Those are probably my best weeks.
Week 2 is a week after I receive my epidural.
Week 7 is a week after I receive my neck injections.
But, the next 5th week would be week 12, and that won't work at all.
So, I can shoot for 1 day during week 8 or 9.
Then start the cycle again.
Two days in weeks 2 and 7, and 1 day in week 8 or 9.
That only comes to 20 days per year, I think.
Maybe sometimes maybe I'd be able to put in one day during weeks 3 or 4.
But, that isn't my goal.
My goal will be focused on 2 days in weeks 2 and 7.
Then 1 day in week 8 or 9.
I need to see progress and feel successful.
This will work if I can do it, maybe.
If I can do it.
September 25, 2018
September 13, 2018
Mountain to Bleu
Prompt: mountains
~*~
Sometime in the 1970s, the rock and roll band Mountain released a song named Mississippi Queen. I don't know the lyrics except for "Mississippi Queen (guitar riff) Do you know what I mean (guitar riff) Mississippi Queen (guitar riff) She taught me everything." I don't know if the band is singing about a woman or a boat. Regardless, I really like the song. I think it's one of the best air-guitar songs ever recorded. Mississippi Queen sometimes plays on my Pandora stream in the Bachmann-Turner Overdrive genre.
Pandora is an online music venue. I select a song or artist from Pandora's options. Then Pandora works its magic and plays music from the genre of that artist or song. Through Pandora, I discover artists I've never heard before, and I discover songs that I've never heard from artists whom I already know.
I can tap a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on my device screen for each song Pandora plays. If I thumbs-up a song, it goes on my playlist and Pandora searches for more songs of that type. If I thumbs-down a song, it won't play again, and Pandora will avoid that type of song. So before I tap thumbs-down, I make sure I really don't like that song. If I'm not sure whether I dislike or like a song, I don't give it an up or down, and the song will play again later.
I often play Pandora in the Shuffle mode where it picks songs from my various chosen genres. Children's songs, like from Red Grammar and Jack Johnson. 1970's light rock, like The Doobie Brothers and BTO. Southern rock, like the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band and Lynard Skynard. Songs from musicals, like from Oliver and The Sound of Music and The Lion King. Bluegrass, like John Hartford and Doc Watson. Celtic, like Natalie MacMaster and The High Kings. Contemporary Christian like Todd Agnew and Third Day. Disco like Donna Summer and Rick James. Folk, like John Prine and Arlo Guthrie. Other favorites are Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, The Band, The Beatles, Three Dog Night. The list goes on. Lots of '70s sounds. I also like more contemporary artists such as Fun and Bruno Mars and Andy Grammer.
I drive a 1999 Ford Explorer. His name is Edward. I knighted him a few years ago when he turned 200,000 miles. Sir Edward isn't equipped with a USB port where I can plug in my smart phone to allow what is played on my phone to play through Edward's speakers. So I use a Bluetooth adapter.
I set my car radio at 87.9 FM and plug the adapter into the lighter socket. I tap Bluetooth, turning it on, in my cell phone settings. After a minute or three, my phone connects with the adapter. I tap the Pandora app on my phone, select a genre or "shuffle," and a concert begins playing through Edward's speakers. I sing along and sometimes drum my steering wheel. Amazing that we can play songs from a phone through car speakers.
When I ride my bike, I put a Bluetooth earpiece in my left ear. The Bluetooth connects with my phone. I tap Pandora, and I have music for my bicycle rides. I place my phone in a zipper pocket-pouch which is attached to my bike.
I often lose cell service on my mountain day adventures. Pandora has an offline mode, but sometimes it doesn't work. In that case I often listen to a CD while driving Edward. Or, if riding my bike, I listen to the wind and birds and tree frogs and crickets and river rapids and the crunch of gravel beneath my tires. Sometimes I sing as I pedal along, making up songs that I can't remember later.
I bought a new bike this week. The bike shop ordered it for me a couple weeks ago. I really like Ken's Bike Shop. It's small, locally owned, and they take good care of me and my bike, Olivia. I'm sure they'll do the same for Bleu, my new bike. I haven't taken Bleu for a ride yet, except around the bike shop parking lot.
Bleu is a Trek 820. I wanted another bike just like Olivia, a Trek 3700. But 3700's are no longer made. The 820 is the closest model to a 3700. The 820 only comes in a black and blue color. So, I've named her Black Beauty, or Bleu for short. I hope Olivia doesn't get too jealous.
~*~
Sometime in the 1970s, the rock and roll band Mountain released a song named Mississippi Queen. I don't know the lyrics except for "Mississippi Queen (guitar riff) Do you know what I mean (guitar riff) Mississippi Queen (guitar riff) She taught me everything." I don't know if the band is singing about a woman or a boat. Regardless, I really like the song. I think it's one of the best air-guitar songs ever recorded. Mississippi Queen sometimes plays on my Pandora stream in the Bachmann-Turner Overdrive genre.
Pandora is an online music venue. I select a song or artist from Pandora's options. Then Pandora works its magic and plays music from the genre of that artist or song. Through Pandora, I discover artists I've never heard before, and I discover songs that I've never heard from artists whom I already know.
I can tap a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on my device screen for each song Pandora plays. If I thumbs-up a song, it goes on my playlist and Pandora searches for more songs of that type. If I thumbs-down a song, it won't play again, and Pandora will avoid that type of song. So before I tap thumbs-down, I make sure I really don't like that song. If I'm not sure whether I dislike or like a song, I don't give it an up or down, and the song will play again later.
I often play Pandora in the Shuffle mode where it picks songs from my various chosen genres. Children's songs, like from Red Grammar and Jack Johnson. 1970's light rock, like The Doobie Brothers and BTO. Southern rock, like the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band and Lynard Skynard. Songs from musicals, like from Oliver and The Sound of Music and The Lion King. Bluegrass, like John Hartford and Doc Watson. Celtic, like Natalie MacMaster and The High Kings. Contemporary Christian like Todd Agnew and Third Day. Disco like Donna Summer and Rick James. Folk, like John Prine and Arlo Guthrie. Other favorites are Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, The Band, The Beatles, Three Dog Night. The list goes on. Lots of '70s sounds. I also like more contemporary artists such as Fun and Bruno Mars and Andy Grammer.
I drive a 1999 Ford Explorer. His name is Edward. I knighted him a few years ago when he turned 200,000 miles. Sir Edward isn't equipped with a USB port where I can plug in my smart phone to allow what is played on my phone to play through Edward's speakers. So I use a Bluetooth adapter.
I set my car radio at 87.9 FM and plug the adapter into the lighter socket. I tap Bluetooth, turning it on, in my cell phone settings. After a minute or three, my phone connects with the adapter. I tap the Pandora app on my phone, select a genre or "shuffle," and a concert begins playing through Edward's speakers. I sing along and sometimes drum my steering wheel. Amazing that we can play songs from a phone through car speakers.
When I ride my bike, I put a Bluetooth earpiece in my left ear. The Bluetooth connects with my phone. I tap Pandora, and I have music for my bicycle rides. I place my phone in a zipper pocket-pouch which is attached to my bike.
I often lose cell service on my mountain day adventures. Pandora has an offline mode, but sometimes it doesn't work. In that case I often listen to a CD while driving Edward. Or, if riding my bike, I listen to the wind and birds and tree frogs and crickets and river rapids and the crunch of gravel beneath my tires. Sometimes I sing as I pedal along, making up songs that I can't remember later.
I bought a new bike this week. The bike shop ordered it for me a couple weeks ago. I really like Ken's Bike Shop. It's small, locally owned, and they take good care of me and my bike, Olivia. I'm sure they'll do the same for Bleu, my new bike. I haven't taken Bleu for a ride yet, except around the bike shop parking lot.
Bleu is a Trek 820. I wanted another bike just like Olivia, a Trek 3700. But 3700's are no longer made. The 820 is the closest model to a 3700. The 820 only comes in a black and blue color. So, I've named her Black Beauty, or Bleu for short. I hope Olivia doesn't get too jealous.
 |
| Bleu. 9/11/18, the day I bought her. |