Tuesday

Good morning, friends!

(Okay, so it won't be morning by the time this is posted, but it was morning when I began my blogging today.  Add in the RIDICULOUS length of time this still-stupid laptop takes to warm up and the various times its frozen up, and we're well into the afternoon.)

Anyway . . . .  I'd hoped to blog yesterday, but I started my day's tasks right when I got up, and I was wiped out come 8:30 PM, so it didn't happen.  My at-home tasks are still directly related to my New Me thinking, so I'm staying true to that . . . which feels good.

Looking at what made me late getting into town & the office on Saturday, it was the time it took me to iron clothes that morning for the day.  So, added to the growing list of Weekend Tasks was ironing 5 tops and 5 bottoms for the coming week.  I got part of that done yesterday, but my time was limited to the period between which I realized the generator was running* and the time it shut down.  When I hear the generator go on today, I'll get the job finished.

* The iron takes SO much electrical energy that, in the winter when the reserves are always low due to the lack of sun to charge the batteries via the solar panels, I try to iron ONLY when the generator is running.

Also on the Weekend Tasks list is going through the week's accumulation of mail and carrying-through with each item.  Yesterday, that took a lot of time.  Because I hadn't had a chance to pick up my mail yet in 2011 (!), there were a lot of Christmas cards.  So, I:

• Entered the reception of each Christmas card (something I like to do each year so that I can look, the following holiday season, to see if so-and-so hasn't sent me a card in the past 5 years . . . in which case, I can probably skip THEM, too!).
• Entered any new (return) addresses in my address book.
• Paid all the bills and then put each of the paid receipts in their proper file.
• Sorted through (not read through!) all of the catalogs and put them away.
• Entered the corresponding information for vehicle work and eye doctor receipts in their appropriate computer file and then put the paper copy into its paper file.

It's amazing how "keeping up on things" like that takes TIME!  But, it also explains the INCHES deep paperwork on my desk:  because I've just been piling all that above-mentioned previous-to-now paperwork on my desk to be taken care of one of these days.  And, as I'm learning, "one of these days is NONE of these days"!!!

It was well into the afternoon by the time all of that was done, and then I headed out to work in the garage's generator room.

I drained the oil from the generator and replaced the oil filter and put in fresh oil.  I replaced the air filter, too.  While the oil was draining, I set to work on the 24 batteries.  I checked and added distilled water to each of the 72 compartments (24 batteries with 3 cells each = 72).  That job takes, literally, a couple of HOURS.  And, as I've mentioned before, it's not pleasant.  First off, I have to wear a full face protector from acid splashes or exploding batteries.  And, that thing HURTS my head!!!  Then, getting to each of the 72 compartments requires bending and stretching into unnatural and uncomfortable positions.  And, you have to stand up and refill the little bottle used to do the filling about 1258 times.  Ugh.  No wonder my knees are feeling it today.

But, that job was overdue and it feels good to have it done!  I ran out of distilled water (as usual) and so need to go back to top-off a few of the cells, but they're all filled to a safe level in the meanwhile.

I was back inside around 7:30 or 8:00 last night but feeling pretty wiped out.  I had a bowl of Grape Nuts for dinner and then some corn chips and salsa once I toddled upstairs around 8:30 to watch 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'.  When I came back downstairs to put away the bag of chips and close up for the night, I realized The New Me was starting to take effect.  I took one look at the still-open box of Grape Nuts on the counter next to the still-open box of crackers I'd snacked on earlier in the day and that The Old Me had left out to be cleaned up "another day" . . . and shook my head in disgust as if to say, "Uhh!  WHO left these sitting out on the counter, cluttering things up?!"  ;)  See, I think it might just be working!

In closing, a few pictures from Alaska.  The Ex got Explorer Guy off and on his way once the weather finally cleared last Friday.  Here's a picture of him leaving (they had to fly in and land on a glacier to begin the trek to summit Denali).  I thought Explorer Guy looked like hell in this shot, but The Ex said that he was feeling good and in good spirits.  Skiing while strapped to a ladder looks super comfy, don't it?!  (But, hopefully the ladder will do its job and keep him from falling into any invisible crevices.)

Yesterday (or was it the day before?), new friends that The Ex had made the previous night in a local pub decided that they should make a lunch drop to Explorer Guy!  One of the two fellows owns a plane, and the other is the owner of the pub.  So, plane running and warmed up, they grabbed a steak sandwich piping hot off the grill and wrapped it, along with some chips and red wine (in a plastic bag), in a bright red drop bag and headed out!

Here they are, approaching the saddle necessary to pass through in order to access Denali.

And, here they are coming in to drop the package.  Where's Waldo?  Can you find Explorer Guy?  I've uploaded the image in its full size, so, once you click on it to enlarge it, you'll be able to spot him.

The Ex said that the drop was spot-on, directly in front of Explorer Guy who stopped to eat his unexpected snack on the spot!

And, with that, it's back to the last afternoon of my weekend, and there are THINGS TO DO!