Wednesday, Aug. 5

I posted this on Facebook earlier today:

Did 3 batches of laundry - Don-Mike's work uniforms. The dryer at their house doesn't work. Holli, tell your grandma her rental has a dryer problem. Mother doesn't dare. And those stupid apron ties wrapped around the drum & I was ready to commit Hari Kari, & rip their guts out.

It took almost half an hour to get that batch of clothes out of the washer. I wondered if I was going to break the agitator fins trying to get the clothes out. I even folded or hung those 3 batches of laundry, w00t w00t

Nick couldn't figure out how come it took so long to get lunch in the oven. I started explaining to him & Don-Mike came in & said the ties from the aprons wrapped around the agitator & the pants. Yup!!! He's been there, done that. I wondered how Mother gets them out of the washer when they do that. They're black & she can't see anyway. I was ready to come in, get a knife & just hack those darned aprons right up.

When I started this morning, there was a batch of my garments in the dryer that I took out & put on the bed. Now, before I can go to bed, I need to fold them. I also need to go to bed before Don does, so I can do that, or they'll get thrown in the chair or the hall, sigh.

I folded Nick's clothes & put them on his bed, along with a pair of denim shorts that are too big for me. I told him I only buy men's denim pants. They're the same size as the pants we are washing tonight. I folded mine & Don's shirts & pants & put them on our bed. But, I hung Don-Mike's clothes on a couple of pant hangers, took them out & laid them on the passenger seat of his truck. I hope he takes them in.

We have another batch of clothes in the washer tonight. Nick wanted his clothes washed. He told me when he found out I had washed blacks & reds (a red batch at my house includes pink & orange), I should've gone out & told him I needed his clothes. He was wearing a fluorescent orange shirt & black pants. I can just imagine the reaction I would have received. And believe me, it isn't pretty.

I also did a pretty thorough job of swishing & swiping the toilet. How can a toilet seat get so dirty in less than 24 hours??? I can understand the wash basin. That needs to be swiped every time the guys wash their hands. And how do they get black gunk on the mirror or the window over the sinks??? There's the floor too.

All, in all, it was a pretty productive day, for me. I didn't feel good this afternoon, kind of wobbly, but I knew if I gave up & laid down, I'd be down for hours, so I just kept plugging along. Don cooked supper tonight. I'm so glad. I don't think I could have done it.

Mt. Washmore

Ugh! Fly Lady's habit for August is laundry!!!!! OK, I have to admit that laundry is not one of my favorite activities. I have a batch of laundry that got left in the washer & soured. These clothes are still sour-smelling several washings later.

I do better with the washer & dryer on the same level. When we lived in Woodruff, Utah, near Evanston, Wyo., it would be days before I'd remember the laundry because the laundry "room" was in the basement. But, I still have a hard time with laundry. Out of sight, out of mind, until, of course, I've run out of pants &/or underwear.

So, for August I will try to get on top of Mt. Washmore & stay on top. Rebooting is my big problem. Wish the washer had a buzzer button on it, like the dryer does. Buzzzzzzz, your load is finished, time to take it out.

A quick recap of July's habit, swishing & swiping. Started out great & slipped quite a bit, but I'm aware of it & I swish & swipe more than I don't, LOL.

On another note, a few entries ago, I talked about reverse SAD here and here. In reading a friend's blog I found an interesting e-book, Brighten Your Life. Never knew too much light could cause mania. See Chapter 7, "Side Effects of Bright Light." Maybe that's why in June I was so depressed. Not enough sunlight. Flashing lights will give me a headache faster than anything, but causing mania???

One more day

I found my cool stainless steel water bottle, under some clothes in the front room. So, I'll wash it out & start on my water habit 6 weeks late.

Also, I found the money order for the audiologist. It was not made out, so since Mother paid that bill, I'll make it out to her & deposit it in her account.

Now, I need to find our marriage certificate, so Don's insurance won't drop me.

Swishing & swiping is coming along very good. It happens almost every day. Maybe by the time the end of the month comes, the toilet will be sparkling clean. Basin still needs a new finish. It is still hard to swipe that up, when it doesn't even look like it's been cleaned.

Tiffany did the dishes on Sunday, did I already mention this? The sink was sparkling clean & the dish drainer was empty!! Wow! I could've cried. She even got Eddie & Nick to help. I'm sure I already blogged about this, but it was just so amazing. Today is the first day the sinks are even filled up & it's FRIDAY!!!

I went to bed at 9:30 last night & slept til 9:30 this morning. Fitfully, but still slept. I didn't feel much better when I got up this morning that I did when I went to bed, sigh. I was going to go to bed early tonight too, because the headache is still with me.

Gigi is here!!!

My sister-in-law, Gloria, I guess I should say OUR sister-in-law, she's Don's brother Reed's wife, is here. Ok, I guess I shouldn't say she is here, as in here in the house. She's in Preston, staying at Mother's. She started signing herself GG, short for Grandma Gloria, about 10 years ago when her first grandchild was born. I spell it Gigi, LOL.

Anyway, Tiffany & Bonnie are with her. Tiffany will go on up to Idaho Falls to see a friend from college. Tiff got a full-ride scholarship at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. She just finished her freshman year. Bonnie had the weekend off & came up with her mom & sister. It was so good to see them. Cyndi & Robert will come up Monday morning, or perhaps Sunday night. Bonnie will then take a car back to Salt Lake & the other 4 will leave for Seattle to spend a week with Gigi's oldest daughter Diane & her family. With Bonnie coming up to drive the car back to SLC, they won't have to come back this way on their way home from Seattle to pick up the other car.

Don-Mike came home from the Cache Valley Cruise In tired & sunburned. He entered his '80 Trans Am. Something is wrong with it. He's had trouble starting it. He said he enjoyed the day. We'll go down tomorrow to watch the cruise in on Main Street in Logan. I hope he can get his car fixed, because he has always wanted to be part of the cruise in & now his car is acting up - grrr.

Gigi wants to go to the Taylor Reunion at Taylor's Corner in Paris tomorrow. I don't know how we're all going to fit in Don's car cuz Tiff is taking their car to IF. Well, ok, Bonnie, Mother, Gigi, Don & I. That's only 5. If Nick decides to go, Bonnie can ride with Nick in the Camaro.

As far as swishing & swiping, I did it yesterday AND today. Woo hoo, I'm proud of myself.

Speaking of bathrooms, LOL, Bonnie walked into Mother's bathroom & came out with this perplexed look on her face. She asked Mother if she could use the bathroom. Gigi asked her why she couldn't. I spoke up & said she could, but not to take the toilet riser off. Then I showed her the toilet in the laundry room. And told her that to use that bathroom, you close the laundry room door, because if you close the door to the toilet stall there is no light in there & you're sitting there in the dark. That's the toilet we all use. I don't like sitting on the riser. My feet don't touch the floor.

I also swish Mother's toilets regularly, not daily, but fairly often. I think though, if the riser came off, that toilet might actually look quite nasty.

July 2

No swishing & swiping today, but then I didn't even make my bed. I got up, used the bathroom, was drawn outside to talk to the boys & they had a project they needed 3 drivers for & had to be back so Don-Mike could be to work. I hurriedly got dressed, took my meds, grabbed my phone & we drove both of Kents cars over to their place.

They've been here for car repairs. I'm glad my guys are such good mechanics.

I got home, checked Facebook, ate a sandwich & went to work. It wasn't until Don called me at 4:30 that I remembered I had not made the bed.

Oh, well, tomorrow's another day, right? I did get the power bill paid & I did work so I can have tomorrow off. I fed the dog too, the poor thing. I guess I need to hire someone to come & clean out his kennel. I can't do it.

Don-Mike has the day off to attend the Cache Valley Cruise In. He's entering Nan's Am in it. Don also has the day off & Gigi is coming for the weekend.