16 11 Come on November...its not so bad!

[doone100]

Week 3 update, I am a little more motivated since mid last week
Buy Wallpaper, soft furnishings, bed and wardrobe for spare room (Mr Doone is decorating). I am really struggling to find wallpaper that I like. After seeing what looked like a nice pale blue on Dunelm's website we drove there on Friday evening only to find that it was more green than blue
Continue using up freezer and store cupboard food to make room for Festive Fayre. In progress, and 2 meals made and in the freezer ready for the Christmas holidays. Also done is the great freezer clearout and meals for the rest of the week planned
Clear out Larder/StorecupboardIn progress
Get in to attic to find cards, gift wrap etcDone, no need to purchase more this year and I also found some boxes of Christmas crackers
Continue with the 8 week Blood Sugar Diet. I had a weekend offplan this past weekend so there will be some damage to undo. Onwards and downwards
Buy new bathroom scales, mine died on Saturday. Any recommendations would be welcome. done
Try not to spend too much at TORM (http://reenactorsmarket.co.uk/) this coming weekendEpic fail, we bought a forge for Master Doone, amongst other things.
Provide numbers and menu choices for pre AGM lunch to the catering manager, chase those members yet to get back to meDone
Get through AGM on 19th Nov. It was a good one, not too much dissent and finally we have a volunteer to drive the club van and equipment to events!
Make xmas pud. Done
make xmas cake(done)

[Tortoise1000]

I had no goals for November beyond the End of the World on the 17th, which happened to coincide with another deadline, the new flooring being put down throughout most of the house.

That done, it is time to take stock. I had all the furniture and other possessions that were in store returned yesterday. What a salutory experience. The removers told me my exclamations of surprise at the amount of unnecessary stuff, and suggestions that they could have taken a lot of it straight to a car boot sale, were not unusual. The sofas dont suit at all, I have a dozen pieces of furniture that I had forgotten all about and Lord knows what is in all these boxes.

TJ phoned happily while I was typing this to say he had a first date with someone new yesterday and she is lovely. Which was excellent news in itself, and I took the opportunity to suggest he sets up house with her immediately because I have at least enough spare furniture here to furnish another one

Meanwhile today my home resembles an untidy furniture shop. i have already seen a neighbour look curiously though the window as she walked past with the dog. It is clear my goals from now until Christmas must be 1) Do Christmas preparations and 2) Get the house reasonably straight. There are tasks everywhere I look. I shall do one per day and start a list of the rest.

No excuse not to get on with it , the mechanic has taken my car away for MOT and service and I am grounded. Today I shall do laundry and sort through all the bedding.

T

[DeBriefed]

Oooh exciting re: TJ - time to buy a hat perhaps?

Good luck with the furniture. It is amazing how we keep things we don't need. I am getting on well with my list, in the sense I have done everything except sort out my room. BUT that is really the biggie. I woke up early this morning so should have made a start before DD woke up/work but couldn't face it. Evenings are no good as my pregnancy sickness is still a bit rubbish then, so I think it will have to be at the weekend during DD's naps (although Blurb is doing an amazing offer on photo albums so it's tempting to finally do some of my backlog of photo sorting instead)... I am torn. I can see so much stuff that needs to go. It will be a relief to get rid. But the album I'm working on now is of a trip 7 years ago so I am a teensy bit behind with photo sorting too

[PennyUK]

Like Tortoise, I had a set of November goals to complete by the End of Days on the 17th, which I did in fact complete.

My next set of goals goes up to 3rd December, because that suits my plans better.

1) Decide whether to go to event in Birmingham on 3rd December, and if so sort out where to stay.
2) Book a gym induction (one of my previous goals was to join the gym, which I did).
3) Do a run from the NHS C25K podcasts (I'm on week 8, there are three runs a week, but I seem to be managing at most one a week).
4) Find all the finances paperwork in my office.
5) Deep clean daughter's room.
6) Draft Christmas letter

[futuresaver101]

Hi,

Yes, the end of the world came and went and we are now all on Planet Lemon.

I see there are only three days left to refocus on my Fellowship application, the 'um' project has moved to a new stage (currently characterised as 'uh-oh') and it's time to get ready for the interim appraisal.

I think one of the real benefits of setting goals is that it helps me to keep some sort of perspective, pop head up out of the day to day trenches. I may not have progressed with much recently but at least I haven't forgotten I was supposed to be doing things

Three more days to go !

FS101 (currently being passengered - slowly - down the M6 southbound. May get home by the end of November)

[splosh]

Checking in while there is still a tattered remnant of the month in which to get stuff done...

Work
1. 2 choir gigs Both done, second went better than the first.
2. 1 planning meeting with organisation I want more work from Done, prospect of more work hopeful
3. Potential coaching gig (tbc) No, that will happen next month
4. Go live on big project Yes, have done this.
5. Start groundwork for major events of 2017 Done what needs to be done now. More would be possible at this stage, but not yet necessary.

Play
1. Go to local prize-giving event (just as a guest, not to get any prizes) Yes, fun evening out, and made some new friends
2. See local friends Done quite well here.
3. 2 quartet rehearsals Second one will be Weds.
4. Find something else to do for a laugh Hmm, forgot about this one.

Home/Health/Family
1. Garden tidying Have done a fair amount, thought not as much as I thought I might have done by now. Will aim for some more tomorrow as the forecast is good again, and it will be at least acceptable, if not pristine.
2. Generally get caught up and rebuild stamina after recent poorliness. This went well until I came down with a cold last week, so I've been a bit under the weather again. Oh well.
3. Moderate screen time Haven't done well at this at all. Partly because being poorly makes sitting around with a tablet easier than getting up and doing something useful, but it's also a failure of habit.
4. Do half-yearly financial review, and follow-up actions. Immediate actions all done. Some new plans brewing for the turn of the tax year - nothing else needed for now, except a bit of thinking about them so that we're ready when the time comes.

Looking at this list, it feels like a long time since the start of the month! More than one new project has got onto the list in the intervening time. At this point, it's basically 3 weeks of productive time available before the yearly spasm out of routine. I can feel the energy of the rush-to-the-finish just kicking in, so I'm hopeful I'll end the year in good shape to make restarting in January not too traumatic!

splosh

[Tortoise1000]

Any on got any thread name ideas for December, or would like to start it? I thought I'd tack the question on here, since new threads look so significant on this site.

T

[Wondergirly]

Dec the Halls?

(No 'bah humbug' in this house!)

W

[doone100]

November round up, not a lot done really, we had 2 weekends away and with the AGM as well other commitments we had just 1 day free to try to get things done. Roll on December
Buy Wallpaper, soft furnishings, bed and wardrobe for spare room (Mr Doone is decorating).Wallpaper finally purchased, will order furniture at the weekend
Continue using up freezer and store cupboard food to make room for Festive Fayre. In progress but it would help if I stopped buying RFQS bargains
Get in to attic to find cards, gift wrap etc Done, no need to purchase more this year and I also found some boxes of Christmas crackers
Continue with the 8 week Blood Sugar Diet. Last week of week 8 today but I shall carry on until Christmas. I have finally given up sugar in my tea and coffee and have dropped a size in trousers
Buy new bathroom scales, mine died on Saturday. Any recommendations would be welcome. done
Try not to spend too much at TORM (http://reenactorsmarket.co.uk/) this coming weekend Epic fail, we bought a forge for Master Doone, amongst other things.
Provide numbers and menu choices for pre AGM lunch to the catering manager, chase those members yet to get back to me Done
Get through AGM on 19th Nov. It was a good one, not too much dissent and finally we have a volunteer to drive the club van and equipment to events!
Make xmas pud. Done
make xmas cake Done

[Tortoise1000]

That is a very fine name, Wondergirly, in the best YTST tradition. Completely original, too, I am sure we have not had it suggested before. We don't have recs here yet, but I am sure if we did there would have been a lot.

Picking up on PennyUK's point about dates, let us call the thread:

2016 12 Dec the Halls

Would you like to start it, Wondergirly? No obligation if you are too busy.

T

[Wondergirly]

Happy to start the thread Tortoise, what an honour, the first YTST Lemon thread!

But it will have to be some time tomorrow as I am heading for bed right now

W

[splosh]

Just finished up the month with my second quartet rehearsal and some more garden tidying.

I have a pile of pots and planters to wash now, which I will do when the ice in them melts.

Just as the new quartet line-up is settling in nicely, we learn that another of our number is leaving the city next year to go and set up a new life with her recently-acquired beloved. So it will be starting over again in March. Oh well.

Righto, see you over in December.

splosh

[DeBriefed]

I think I have done all my November jobs (though my room is still a bit of a mess, but lots of stuff has gone out to recycling or charity shop, so there is at least now room to put everything away, I just need to do it).

Haven't thought at all about December jobs yet, but will have a think on the bus home tonight and then head over to the new thread!

[Wondergirly]

End of month report:

Health Top of the list because I had hip surgery in September and have been on crutches for 6 weeks. Rehab is going well so continue to work with my physio and look into some remedial Pilates. Continue to increase steps per day until I reach my 'normal' standard. Have a go at driving and test my emergency stop response! Seeing my surgeon in a couple of weeks and hoping he has a video of my op

Very happy with my rehab; physio is pleased with me, surgeon very pleased. No video of op but some very gory photographs! No wonder it was painful! Have a further appointment with the surgeon at the end of January but he is happy for me to cancel it the week before if there is no change for the worse. I am now driving with no problems and averaged over 6000 (hilly) steps per day during November. Waiting to hear from Pilates teacher.

Work Our limited company and my OH (as director) have been the subject of identity theft. No financial loss so far, but it has been a complete pita and caused a lot of work. Continue to monitor activity and have serious discussion about closing down the company.

All quiet on the western front but must continue to monitor. Decided to close down the company at the end of the tax year and make a fresh start. OH is just too uncomfortable with what has happened. Seeing another face on an exact copy of your driving license will do that.

Money Lots of discussions with OH to be had here and some major decisions to be made about income needs and sources of that income. Nothing urgent, so it will be on the back burner until January really, but need to have it simmering away in the background.

Have continued to talk about this and agreed some cost-savings to be actioned in the new year.

Home Planning permission for our master-plan (!) was granted which was great news, especially as the Parish Council objected and got us a bit worried. Now awaiting a report from our structural engineer, when he will calculate how to hold up the top of the house Keep reminding the architect to progress this, and when complete to produce the building regs drawings. We can then, finally, get builders in to quote. Hoping for a spring build.

Still waiting for the structural engineer to visit. Nothing happens quickly around these parts

Play No.1 son and DiL arriving on Friday for the weekend, nicely timed to co-incide with a local beer festival. Really looking forward to seeing them. Lunch with delightful friends arranged for the following week, so just need to plan something pleasant for the last week and that will be me all socialled up for the month (yes 'socialled' is a word, I just made it up.) Don't want to do much more as December is already looking a bit full on.

Thoroughly enjoyed all social events and ready to dive headlong into December

W[/quote]