Storage Wars

I believe the key to a successful Brown Bag Challenge is planning. As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. (I’m not sure who “they” are but it is a good adage.)

I began planning for the Brown Bag Challenge by organizing all of my plastic containers. Until yesterday my system for organization was throwing the container and hopefully matching lid into the cupboard as fast as possible and slamming the door before the pile of mismatched containers fell back out onto the floor.

Yesterday I finally mustered up the strength to tackle the container cupboard. I took every piece of plastic storage-ware out and placed them all across the kitchen counter. It took several minutes but I matched up all of the containers to the appropriate lids. It was just like matching socks. No matter how hard I tried they never seemed to match up. I ended up throwing into the recycling about 20 plastic lids and 8 plastic containers which could not find its partner lid.

I was left with 12 perfectly matched, variously sized containers which will be exactly what I need to pack up healthy nutritious lunches for the Brown Bag Challenge.

The dilemma now is how to put them back in the cupboard? Should I put the lids on the containers and stack up or should I nest the containers within each other and put the lids in one container. Oh, the decisions one has to make to reach success!I need to make the storage system as system and organized as possible in order to simplify the lunch making process.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to store the containers properly so I don’t end up with a tangled mess again?

The Shopping Spree

We have spent the last three months purchasing new appliances.

Greg moved out of his apartment into a house so his dog could have a backyard. The house came with appliances except a dryer. I offered up our dryer for Greg so we needed to buy a new one for ourselves. Of course we then had to get the matching washer. While we were at the appliance store the fridges looked very enticing. We ended up getting the washer-dryer set, a new fridge and the matching range, microwave and dishwasher.

There was a problem with every appliance.

Washer/Dryer: In our laundry room there is only one way to install the stackable washer-dryer which means it has to be vented to the side. We needed to order an additional side vent kit.

Cost: $50.00 + 3 days for delivery.

Range: We bought a “slide-in” model which means it is supposed to fit into the counter top a certain way. Since our counter top did not fit that certain way we needed to purchase a kit for the back of the range.

Cost: $50.00 + 5 days for delivery.

Refrigerator: The fridge is HUGE. All of the doors etc had to be taken off in order to get it into our unit. Once the doors were all put back on and the delivery guys were gone, I discovered a huge mark on the stainless steel. Customer service said they would send a technician. Three days later the technician arrived to tell us, yes there is mark on the door. He made a call and found out a new door would cost $500.00 and would take three weeks to arrive. After having to explain this is a BRAND NEW FRIDGE and we wouldn’t be paying the $500.00 he returned three weeks later with a new door. After he installed the new door he discovered a scratch in the door. He made a phone call and our new, new door should be arriving mid-September.

Cost: Loss of my patience

Microwave: The microwave came with a chart on the inside of the door which tells you what buttons to push for the different kinds of foods being cooked. Unfortunately the microwave didn’t come with a magnifying glass to read the chart. Now I have to always keep a pair of reading glasses in the drawer near by.

Cost: My dignity.

Dishwasher: While emptying the dishwasher one hand was needed to hold the door down while the other hand took the dishes out. Unfortunately the dishwasher didn’t come with a third hand which was necessary to actually get the dishes into the cupboard. Terry took the dishwasher out of the cabinet and reinstalled to ensure the legs were level. Problem solved.

Cost: Having to listen to Terry once again gloat about his handy man skills!

The brief Sunday afternoon shopping trip snowballed into many frustrations along the way, but each time I look at my shiny new appliances I have a sense of satisfaction.

Cost: Priceless

Anyone else have a story about shopping sprees out of control???? Jennifer how about you????

Here we go again………

On the first of June Kaitlin’s roommate moved out and Kaitlin couldn’t afford the rent for their house alone. She doesn’t know for sure what her plans are for September, so she couldn’t commit to a lease somewhere else on her own. So once again, Kaitlin has moved back in with us. We are no longer empty nesters.

Kaitlin is a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She has applied to law school and we are patiently waiting for an acceptance letter. The realization she panicked and bombed the LSAT exam thus limiting her chances of acceptance is causing me stress. Kaitlin not so much. She is young and to her the future is so bright she’s gotta wear shades. On the other hand, I am very impatient. I want to know where she is going to school next, where she will be working, what her life will become. OK…..I want to know when she is going to move out!

Since Kaitlin has been living here, a total of 48 hours, I have been harassing her about her plans. Terry calls me “the badger”, my friend Diane says I am a dog with a bone. Kaitlin has been very vague about her plans, outwardly displaying her annoyance with my interest in her future. Today, on June 2nd, her second day of living back with us, I gave her an ultimatum. She had one week to come up with a plan for her life.

Within five minutes Kaitlin revealed to me her love life is going in a totally different direction , she is changing summer jobs and she is heading to Australia in February. How is that for a plan?????

March Break

It is now officially over. The annual week off from work scheduled to let us rest up to regain our strength to make it through the sprint of the last term of the school year. During my career I have spent March break in one of three ways:

traveling

OR

hockey tournaments

OR

sleeping on the couch

In the past I have travelled to a variety of places. There was the Carribean cruise I won in a contest. My father actually bought the ticket for me. I still remember the moment my mother called to tell me I had won the big prize and I was upset because I owed my father $10.00 for the ticket. I realize now the biggest prize wasn’t actually the cruise around the Carribean but the fact my parents agreed to baby sit the kids for the week. There were only two kids then, Greg was 2 and Kaitlin was 7 months old……I STILL owe my mother for that one. Years later, thanks to Terry staying home to look after the kids, I traveled to Italy and another year Greece with my colleagues.

Then there were the many years of spending March break in arenas throughout Southern Ontario and Western New York. Greg and Kaitlin both played travel hockey so there was lots of time spent watching kids play hockey at the arena and more time watching kids play mini sticks in hotel hallways. (Ed, do they play mini sticks in Germany?)

Then there were the last few March breaks spent sleeping on the couch recuperating from those years of travel, hockey, parenting, working and, and, and, and, and………As the kids aged and I wasn’t needed as a taxi driver any longer I finally had the opportunity to catch up on my much needed sleep.

This March Break was different. As an empty nester I was finally rid of parental responsibilities and I had enough energy to actually do something. While many of my colleagues were heading south I was most excited about the opportunity to DO NOTHING. I did not achieve my goal but I am quite pleased with all of the things I was able to do.

Here is what I did this last week:

• went to a 30^th birthday party and rediscovered my youth
• cleaned and reorganized the walk in closet so I can find my clothes in the morning
• went for Sunday afternoon drinks at Scorecards even though football season is over
• celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with style at the Lions Hotel in downtown Port Dalhousie (see picture above)
• went for five early morning walks (OK, not that early, but during March Break anything before noon is early)
• interviewed 3 people in preparation for an upcoming article I am writing (improving your business through Social Media.....August edition of Business Niagara magazine)
• networked and made contact with an editor of a new national magazine
• confirmed two new articles to write -anyone know anything about eco tourism?
  
• rented out the cottage for a couple of weeks this summer (certainly mixed feelings about this one)
  
• hostessed a real grown-up dinner party (our neighbours are so much fun!!)
• learned to make tea (don’t even ask why I didn’t know how to do that before!!)
• gathered up all my stuff to get my taxes done (With a father as a CA this one wasn’t very hard)
• had lunch with colleagues (three times)
• visited with Kaitlin
• visited with Greg and my new grand-dog Tyson
• messaged Jennifer through Facebook to arrange her new apartment in Kingston
• went on a bunch of walks with Journey because the weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!
• Shaved my cactus winter legs
• Admired Terry’s new glasses he bought without my help (yes, that was stressful)
• had breakfast with colleagues (OK, technically that hasn’t happened yet…but it’s scheduled for a few hours from now

The only problem is, in one short week I was able to restructure my lifestyle but now how am I ever going to fit going back to work into my schedule????

Jennifer and the Jessicas Follow Up

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Jennifer and the Jessicas spent a few days of their Reading Week here in Port Dalhousie. We live in a condo right on Main Street, a very brief walk from all the action ……..in the summer. During the warm months Port is the place to be for all of the university aged kids. There is a small strip of bars where all of the kids hang out which includes “My Cottage”, an indoor-outdoor bar which holds up to 2000+ kids doing whatever kids do at that age…..I’m not sure if I really don’t remember, or I am desperately trying not to remember because my kids are now that age.

Anyway……..the point is Port Dalhousie is a fabulous place for young people to hang out in the summer. Reading week is not summer.

Jennifer and the Jessicas arrived on a Sunday evening in time for me to prepare a roast beef dinner. I was trying very hard to be a Beaver Cleaver mother but I am sure I didn’t fool anyone. Fortunately someone gave us the game Cranium as a Christmas gift and the girls kept themselves busy while drinking Pepsis and red wine. The girls then took off to do a tour of the Falls. Living so close to Niagara Falls we often forget it truly is one of the Wonders of the World. February in the dark is probably not the best time to view the Falls. The girls had a good time however doing the touristy “Clifton Hill” thing and I have to admit I enjoyed the pics of their visit to Madame Tussade’s wax museum. They got there near closing time on Sunday night and were the only ones in the place so they got to pose in various positions with the waxed celebrities.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153959&id=512862694

I believe it was after the museum visit they did the famed visit to Boston Pizza. All I know I woke up in the morning and the fridge was totally empty except for beautifully packaged left over meals from Boston Pizza. Having no prepared breakfast, no lunch to take to work, I pried open one of the packages and found these little morsels of food. I swear I only took two little bites…it was quite good for left-overs. But I realized it was not my food so I only took TWO bites, assuming it hadn’t been counted and weighed. I was wrong.

When I arrived home from work I was sharply accused of eating HALF of the meal. I did NOT eat HALF of the meal……..I wanted to, but I didn’t. So until this day I have ignored the question about the mysterious disappearance of Jessica’s food. (I don’t know which one of the Jessica was missing their food, I just know according to Jennifer it was the crime of the century)

So instead of Jennifer and the Jessicas having a nice visit drinking red wine playing Cranium, touring St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Kilt and Clover and the Chili Pepper, shopping trip to the States, and all they can remember is that some of their left overs got eaten……hmmmmm….….why is everything always blamed on the mother??

Please Be Patient!

I think I am starting to understand when retired people say they don’t know how they had time to work pre-retirement. I have been on vacation for about three weeks and I am exhausted!

I haven’t had much to time to blog with all of the tasks between finishing up work, the renovations at the condo, the rest, work and hosting duties at the cottage.

It still feels great though to go to bed every night, especially Sundays, and not set the alarm. While I have been very busy, I still wake up when I feet rested……except for the last few days …..that’s another story. I have so much to tell and so little time to blog about it. I hope everyone out there in blog land will have patience and wait for me to tell my tales.

Please hang in there and I will tell all about my busy week at home and cottage.

A Forced Vacation

Here it is, five o'clock in the morning. I am sooooo tired but I can't sleep.
I just looked at myself in the mirror.
WOW!
I look bad.
Red eyes and oozy, crusty stuff.

My husband calls me the "googler" so I checked out my symptoms on-line for confirmation of my layman diagnosis. It is indeed conjunctivitis, or pink eye. There are several cases of this going through my school .Apparently I am highly contagious and therefore should not go to work for a few days.

I have sent off a bunch of emails trying to delegate some tasks that need immediate attention. Now I am just lying on my couch feeling sorry for myself. June in an elementary school is a crazy, busy time. I can't afford to miss any time. Lazing on the couch watching Oprah can be squeezed in on one of those dreary November or February days, but not JUNE!!!!

I am trying to add a little picture with each blog entry so I googled "Pink Eye" images. There were some really gross pictures there. Made my case look relatively minor. For the sake of the stomachs of anyone reading this............is anyone reading this?...................I chose this picture which is apparently a promotional pic of a movie called "Pink Eye.............He's real and he's coming for you!" I wonder if it was nominated for any Oscars?

Enough whining. I have suddenly been given 2 days or so of me time. I can either wallow in self-pity or I can lie on my couch and enjoy watching trashy TV. What's with the Jon and Kate + 8 thing I have been hearing about? What is a "Speidy"? This is a sudden opportunity to catch up on the news!