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Yesterday's BabyStep was to get dressed, complete to lace-up shoes, before starting the day. I joked on Facebook that it has to be my second thing of the day, because first thing? PEE. I got dressed in the dark, since Matt was still in bed.
This BabyStep won't be hard on the weekdays, as I have to get dressed for work, but on the weekends, it just might be torture. The reasoning behind it is that if you're dressed to shoes, you'll be in the mindset of working more. Lace-up shoes rather than sandals or slip-ons, because it takes a little more work to take them off, therefore, you're more likely to think, "Oh wait, there's one more thing I can do," before you take off your shoes.
My sink is still shiny:
I moved the knife block off its former perch atop the microwave, over to the counter. I actually had to shine out the sink three times yesterday: after doing dishes and thinking I was "done" for the night; after Matt rewashed the wok because despite my best efforts, it still had a film of sauce on it; and after tipping the dish drainer into the sink to drain it. This is the final effort. At this point, the leftover sweet and sour chicken and rice is divided up for lunch portions in the fridge, my water bottle is filled and in the fridge, dishes are done and put away, and the coffee pot is prepped and programmed for the morning. I then took my shower (not washing hair, it was just washed the night before), brushed my hair and teeth, and collapsed into bed. It was close to 10:30
While doing dishes, I thought for a while about my paternal grandmother. My mom trained me, when at Grandma's, to offer to help with the dishes after meals. Grandma always accepted the help, but in later years, the helpers would be relegated to drying and putting away, as she liked washing. The hot water helped with the arthritis pains in her hands. I remembered some of the things she talked about, like her brother's Army friend teaching her how to do dishes: silverware in to soak first, then glasses, plates, bowls. By then, the silverware would have soaked long enough and could be washed easier. Always work from less dirty to more dirty. I remembered when she'd first have the sink filled with hot, soapy water, one of us would be sent to gather eyeglasses from anyone who wanted them washed. I remember how warm the glasses always were when I'd put them back on. And I remembered something she told me that had nothing to do with dishes, but she told me the story in the kitchen. One day, when my dad was about three, she was sifting cake flour. She'd just finished, when my dad took a deep breath...and blew cake flour all over the place.
Lying in bed after the long day, I kept thinking about time. My basic schedule is this:
6 am: up
7 am: leave for work
7:40 am: drop Matt off at his work, continue on to mine
8 am: read in breakroom
9 am: clock in for my shift
4:30 pm: clock out
4:50 pm: pick up Matt
6 pm: get home
9:30 pm: bed
In the hour between 6 am and 7 am, I have to get up, get dressed, make coffee (if I forgot to program it the night before), pack my lunch, check e-mail, eat breakfast, and get out the door. Between 6pm and 9:30 pm, I have to make dinner, eat dinner, program coffee maker, do dishes, shine sink, shower, brush teeth. Those are the "have-to-dos." I also need to budget in the "want-to-dos:" Facebook, LiveJournal, Galaxies, tv, reading, exercise, other cleaning. I'm hoping once I get deep into the FlyLady system, that the rest of the cleaning will start to fall in line, and won't take up so much time. I only have five months left to play Galaxies, so I'd like some good gaming time. If I don't get beckoned in to work early, I can get an hour and a half of reading time at work (hour before my shift, lunch break). I never feel like there's enough time to get everything done. Then again, between back pain and my arm dropping numb periodically, I can say I'm doing the best I can.
Today's BabyStep: keep doing what you've already done. I got up when I woke up (around 5:30) and got dressed to shoes after I peed. I packed my lunch and put it in the car. I gathered the trash in the bathroom and den, since they needed it. Coffee was programmed last night, so I got my coffee, and sat down to check e-mail and post this. I still have half an hour before we have to leave. Matt's up and making breakfast. So far, so good.
This BabyStep won't be hard on the weekdays, as I have to get dressed for work, but on the weekends, it just might be torture. The reasoning behind it is that if you're dressed to shoes, you'll be in the mindset of working more. Lace-up shoes rather than sandals or slip-ons, because it takes a little more work to take them off, therefore, you're more likely to think, "Oh wait, there's one more thing I can do," before you take off your shoes.
My sink is still shiny:
I moved the knife block off its former perch atop the microwave, over to the counter. I actually had to shine out the sink three times yesterday: after doing dishes and thinking I was "done" for the night; after Matt rewashed the wok because despite my best efforts, it still had a film of sauce on it; and after tipping the dish drainer into the sink to drain it. This is the final effort. At this point, the leftover sweet and sour chicken and rice is divided up for lunch portions in the fridge, my water bottle is filled and in the fridge, dishes are done and put away, and the coffee pot is prepped and programmed for the morning. I then took my shower (not washing hair, it was just washed the night before), brushed my hair and teeth, and collapsed into bed. It was close to 10:30
While doing dishes, I thought for a while about my paternal grandmother. My mom trained me, when at Grandma's, to offer to help with the dishes after meals. Grandma always accepted the help, but in later years, the helpers would be relegated to drying and putting away, as she liked washing. The hot water helped with the arthritis pains in her hands. I remembered some of the things she talked about, like her brother's Army friend teaching her how to do dishes: silverware in to soak first, then glasses, plates, bowls. By then, the silverware would have soaked long enough and could be washed easier. Always work from less dirty to more dirty. I remembered when she'd first have the sink filled with hot, soapy water, one of us would be sent to gather eyeglasses from anyone who wanted them washed. I remember how warm the glasses always were when I'd put them back on. And I remembered something she told me that had nothing to do with dishes, but she told me the story in the kitchen. One day, when my dad was about three, she was sifting cake flour. She'd just finished, when my dad took a deep breath...and blew cake flour all over the place.
Lying in bed after the long day, I kept thinking about time. My basic schedule is this:
6 am: up
7 am: leave for work
7:40 am: drop Matt off at his work, continue on to mine
8 am: read in breakroom
9 am: clock in for my shift
4:30 pm: clock out
4:50 pm: pick up Matt
6 pm: get home
9:30 pm: bed
In the hour between 6 am and 7 am, I have to get up, get dressed, make coffee (if I forgot to program it the night before), pack my lunch, check e-mail, eat breakfast, and get out the door. Between 6pm and 9:30 pm, I have to make dinner, eat dinner, program coffee maker, do dishes, shine sink, shower, brush teeth. Those are the "have-to-dos." I also need to budget in the "want-to-dos:" Facebook, LiveJournal, Galaxies, tv, reading, exercise, other cleaning. I'm hoping once I get deep into the FlyLady system, that the rest of the cleaning will start to fall in line, and won't take up so much time. I only have five months left to play Galaxies, so I'd like some good gaming time. If I don't get beckoned in to work early, I can get an hour and a half of reading time at work (hour before my shift, lunch break). I never feel like there's enough time to get everything done. Then again, between back pain and my arm dropping numb periodically, I can say I'm doing the best I can.
Today's BabyStep: keep doing what you've already done. I got up when I woke up (around 5:30) and got dressed to shoes after I peed. I packed my lunch and put it in the car. I gathered the trash in the bathroom and den, since they needed it. Coffee was programmed last night, so I got my coffee, and sat down to check e-mail and post this. I still have half an hour before we have to leave. Matt's up and making breakfast. So far, so good.
