Can someone please find my motivation?
Jun. 1st, 2007 09:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voxwomanSeriously. My motivation seems to have walked out in a huff. I go to her room, and it's empty. Tell her I need her, that I'm nothing without her. And that I'm sorry for ignoring her for so, so long.
I can't get motivated to get anything useful done this morning. I'm not sure why the Procrastinatrix has decided to become the dominant one - it's not like I'm able to sleep in, or anything. (well, that wasn't too much whinging... I'll probably return to it later in the post)
And now, the update:
Housing stuff:
The new realtor has been very busy. There are people going through the house almost every day, and we've finally gotten our insulting offer! I'm supposed to hear today whether this family can afford to be in the real world and pay me some semblance of what my house is worth, or if I'm going to panic and take the lowball offer.
Taking the insulting offer will no doubt win me the enmity of my erstwhile neighbors, as I will have driven the local house prices down about 25K from what they were a month ago. So the other 2 families that are selling houses on the block will probably be extremely ticked off. I don't really care about that (except for the negative energy thrown my way).
What concerns me more is not being able to pay off all the debt incurred over the past 6 months if I take the low offer. I have a negotiating strategy and a game plan, however (keeping it a secret until I have to use it), that will allow me to pay off everything and still sell the house for cheap, and give me an indication of what the realtor really thinks the house is worth.
I'm optimistic about the house. So much so that I'm setting things in motion that really can't start until after the house sells.
Other housing stuff:
Last weekend, we reorganized the garage. It was a lot of heavy lifting and aggravation, but also provided the opportunity to see what all was hidden away in all the nooks and crannies of the garage. We found a fireman's helmet badge, from 2 owners ago, some really old nasty tools, lots of spider egg cases and old webs, dirt of every imaginable type, jars of unkown and probably toxic materials (used motor oil, paint, that sort of thing), and an old (and unopened!) beer can "Barnegate Lighthouse Beer" brewed in Philly by the Schmidt Brewing Co (I think they're out of business now). We still can't get 2 cars in the garage, but we have easy access to everything, and some spare shelf space to boot.
And now the To do list:
(I suppose I'll edit these as the weeked progresses to see how far I get with this stuff)
EDIT: It's Sunday evening, and this is what I've accomplished:
The first three items on the list are the least onerous. And I hate doing laundry, so that should give you some indication about how much I'm looking forward to the other items on the list.
At least I put one item on there (well, two; I added item 10 just now) that is a treat - I should have something fun to do this weekend. There are probably a dozen movies that I've been wanting to see, and just haven't had the time to go out to the movies to see them - or someone else in the family has a conflicting schedule. There are movies in the theaters now that I'd like to see (Pirates of the Carribean 3, Shrek 3 off the top of my head) and tons opening this summer. So I guess it will be up to Blockbuster if I come home this afternoon with Eragon or The Queen. Whichever is not all gone I suppose I'll rent (who's taking bets I come home with 4 movies and do nothing this weekend?)
The ongoing Saga of Dad's Mail just keeps getting better. We were trying to turn off the flood of junk mail from political action committees from both sides of the aisle (some with very dubious credentials), so we got Dad to sign a forwarding address thing, only to be told by the residence that because the Post Office does not load the mailboxes (the residence staff do that), that forwarding doesn't happen through the PO and they would have to do it. They won't forward anything but first class mail, which sort of defeats the purpose of the entire thing. (I had also got my brother to agree to handle this, as I loathe sorting mail and dealing with this kind of thing - and he's the one with the Power of Attorney to handle Dad's bills anyway). So what the "compromise" is, is that I now have to collect Dad's mail from the concierge at the residence, I sort through it and send stuff either to my brother or my Dad, depending on what it is. Blech. I had about 10 pounds of mail to sort through wednesday night, and it was maybe 5 days' worth of mail. Some of these people just make my blood boil, and I'm so tempted to slap that business reply label on a wrapped up brick... But that's a rant for another day, I suppose. Maybe I'll list these snakes that prey on old folks.
So, since I've told the universe that I don't want paper to sort, I've got even more paper to sort through. I still have my "tax time" filing to finish (yes, the piles of papers needed to complete taxes is still sitting in a bin). And it's June.
So, if you happen to see my motivation, can you please send her home?
And now, the update:
Housing stuff:
The new realtor has been very busy. There are people going through the house almost every day, and we've finally gotten our insulting offer! I'm supposed to hear today whether this family can afford to be in the real world and pay me some semblance of what my house is worth, or if I'm going to panic and take the lowball offer.
Taking the insulting offer will no doubt win me the enmity of my erstwhile neighbors, as I will have driven the local house prices down about 25K from what they were a month ago. So the other 2 families that are selling houses on the block will probably be extremely ticked off. I don't really care about that (except for the negative energy thrown my way).
What concerns me more is not being able to pay off all the debt incurred over the past 6 months if I take the low offer. I have a negotiating strategy and a game plan, however (keeping it a secret until I have to use it), that will allow me to pay off everything and still sell the house for cheap, and give me an indication of what the realtor really thinks the house is worth.
I'm optimistic about the house. So much so that I'm setting things in motion that really can't start until after the house sells.
Other housing stuff:
Last weekend, we reorganized the garage. It was a lot of heavy lifting and aggravation, but also provided the opportunity to see what all was hidden away in all the nooks and crannies of the garage. We found a fireman's helmet badge, from 2 owners ago, some really old nasty tools, lots of spider egg cases and old webs, dirt of every imaginable type, jars of unkown and probably toxic materials (used motor oil, paint, that sort of thing), and an old (and unopened!) beer can "Barnegate Lighthouse Beer" brewed in Philly by the Schmidt Brewing Co (I think they're out of business now). We still can't get 2 cars in the garage, but we have easy access to everything, and some spare shelf space to boot.
And now the To do list:
(I suppose I'll edit these as the weeked progresses to see how far I get with this stuff)
EDIT: It's Sunday evening, and this is what I've accomplished:
LaundrySew dad's pants- Send mail to brother
- Organize the home office (this task is most dreaded and has been avoided for 5 months now)
- Read hundreds of pages of tedious specifications
- Start working on the 2 manuals I have to get done this summer
- Pay bills
Watch a movie I missed in theaters but is now out on DVD- Turn the sewing room into the guest room (some of you know why that is :-D )
Go to the comic book store and pick up my subscriptions- Oh, and do some things for my husband (email and business-y things - nothing fun)
Deliver dad's pants to dad (and a box of Depends)Sort through Dad's mail (this wasn't on the original list, and took a couple of hours)Clean the bedroom and bathroom
The first three items on the list are the least onerous. And I hate doing laundry, so that should give you some indication about how much I'm looking forward to the other items on the list.
At least I put one item on there (well, two; I added item 10 just now) that is a treat - I should have something fun to do this weekend. There are probably a dozen movies that I've been wanting to see, and just haven't had the time to go out to the movies to see them - or someone else in the family has a conflicting schedule. There are movies in the theaters now that I'd like to see (Pirates of the Carribean 3, Shrek 3 off the top of my head) and tons opening this summer. So I guess it will be up to Blockbuster if I come home this afternoon with Eragon or The Queen. Whichever is not all gone I suppose I'll rent (who's taking bets I come home with 4 movies and do nothing this weekend?)
The ongoing Saga of Dad's Mail just keeps getting better. We were trying to turn off the flood of junk mail from political action committees from both sides of the aisle (some with very dubious credentials), so we got Dad to sign a forwarding address thing, only to be told by the residence that because the Post Office does not load the mailboxes (the residence staff do that), that forwarding doesn't happen through the PO and they would have to do it. They won't forward anything but first class mail, which sort of defeats the purpose of the entire thing. (I had also got my brother to agree to handle this, as I loathe sorting mail and dealing with this kind of thing - and he's the one with the Power of Attorney to handle Dad's bills anyway). So what the "compromise" is, is that I now have to collect Dad's mail from the concierge at the residence, I sort through it and send stuff either to my brother or my Dad, depending on what it is. Blech. I had about 10 pounds of mail to sort through wednesday night, and it was maybe 5 days' worth of mail. Some of these people just make my blood boil, and I'm so tempted to slap that business reply label on a wrapped up brick... But that's a rant for another day, I suppose. Maybe I'll list these snakes that prey on old folks.
So, since I've told the universe that I don't want paper to sort, I've got even more paper to sort through. I still have my "tax time" filing to finish (yes, the piles of papers needed to complete taxes is still sitting in a bin). And it's June.
So, if you happen to see my motivation, can you please send her home?
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-01 02:05 pm (UTC)Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:14 pm (UTC)But if I'm the one to blame for your guest room troubles: DO NOT. No need to paint bathrooms, either (in case you think that's a weird idea, well, so did I - before TWO female american friends of mine thought that a mandatory task before I arrived ;-)!). Last year, I bought my own airbed and slept like a baby for two weeks. I am fully willing and able to do that again, as long as there is floor space for it and my suitcase. Really. No problem at all!!
And my manners beat curiosity most of the time, so I won't go nosing around your sewing stuff, either, promise :-D. (That floor space could also be in another room/basement, of course, as long as it's warmish...!)
Hope that helps some... ;-)?
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:22 pm (UTC)Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:43 pm (UTC)Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 03:00 pm (UTC)Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 03:17 pm (UTC)I didn't expect it to be quite that tall ;-)!
*throws one of these obnoxious little string theory "dimensions" after you*
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 03:37 pm (UTC)*attacks you with derivations of e^x*
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 03:40 pm (UTC)Now take your X's and other weird scribbles and play nice! Auntie has to go put away some whisky ;-).
*waves*
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:59 pm (UTC)Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:27 pm (UTC)And about the guest room... there has to be SPACE to PUT the airbed (of which we have two). I just have to clean it (as in "put stuff away" and dust) and rearrange a table. And maybe get the hubby to stick an air conditioner in a window. You know, so you could actually manage to sleep if you wanted to.
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:28 pm (UTC)Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:41 pm (UTC)Air condition?!? Are you kidding? If anything, start worrying about a HEATER ;-P! And hey - there IS a basement, no?
Seriously: I will find a corner, and I could also bring a
normaleuropean-sized airbed, you know ;-)?I see your point about the gender. For me, "motivation" seems such an alien concept that it just HAS to be male, or something :-P.
Re: Haven't seen her... ;-)
Date: 2007-06-01 02:58 pm (UTC)It's getting quite warm here, especially on the second floor. Although the sun doesn't hit the back rooms like it does in the front. I also like the window AC units because then I don't hear the neighbors (which are noisier than my old street). But the really raucous parties seem to only be on the weekends so far, so you should be safe.
All good.
Date: 2007-06-01 03:20 pm (UTC)I am NOT a complicated person at ALL, at least not in such respects ;-).
Comment on the house thing
Date: 2007-06-01 02:41 pm (UTC)Good luck on the decision. We may be in the same position in 2 years, depending on the job situation.
Re: Comment on the house thing
Date: 2007-06-01 02:59 pm (UTC)I think I know where she is...
Date: 2007-06-01 04:01 pm (UTC)I've got a TON of shit to do, and I don't feel like doing ANY of it. My 2nd line manager is right...FBD really IS a Fucking Bad Day.
Have I mentioned lately how much I *HATE* Essbase? Damn job fails, complaining that it can't open a data file, but THE FILE IS THERE AND HAS THE CORRECT PERMISSIONS! Made me interrupt my manager's vacation to deal with it.
Heh.
Date: 2007-06-01 05:09 pm (UTC)Get out of bed? check
Wash face? Check.
Brush teeth? Check.
Okay, I'm done for the day. ;)
where is my mind?
Date: 2007-06-02 09:06 am (UTC)Probably teaching them how to make dangerous science experiments
Hi-falutin' thinking in kitchen-sink language
Date: 2007-06-05 02:35 am (UTC)Sidebar: "motivation" and "motives" ... I wonder what happens to us if ever we internalize the notion that everything we do is exploitative. Betcha it would deflate us.
Sure am glad folk don't get such notions into their heads! *cough*
;-P
Re: Hi-falutin' thinking in kitchen-sink language
Date: 2007-06-05 11:42 am (UTC)Re: Hi-falutin' thinking in kitchen-sink language
Date: 2007-06-05 07:11 pm (UTC)huh huh ... I don't know any thinking individual who holds that view!
Mind you, just now thinking back to my favorites anthro texts, hunting and gathering situations are a whole lot more stress-free than what we put up with day after day ... kids spending 30, 40 hours a week with their parents, that sorta thing. And whatever conflict arose tended to be quenched quickly, and only sometimes with deadly violence.
"<i>then I can see living in the world we do being called "exploitive". But that would also negate doing things for others as a gift to them. Wouldn't it?</i>"
Now we're getting near the nut of my ?what? disappointment with the thread back there ... "In these times the vast majority of our actions are exploitative and coercive by intent" could be insightful, but "All our actions are exploitatitive" seems to put the kibosh [sp?] on gifting and such ... gratuitous kindness. Doesn't it?