July To-Do List 2023.......Outcome

 Here's is what we wanted to get done in July and how it all turned out, the good and the bad.....

July To-Do List

*  Pay Bills  DONE  Everything was paid on time or early.

*  Go to 2 Dr. Appointments  DONE  Gosh I don't even remember which docs I saw other than the Neurologist(who is turning out to be totally unresponsive to my concerns and requests for Rx refills, and after the MRI next week I'll be going to their competition for care).

*  Submit all Paperwork to Surgeons  DONE  Finally!  I am pursuing two avenues open to me with my health insurance to get a knee replacement until these orthopedists give me a date/price.  The doctor here wanted to see the results of a medical test I had when I was undergoing the Wound Care for my unfortunate run in with that hard plastic stool on Xmas eve.  Before they could do multi-layered compression on my leg they had me undergo blood flow to my lower extremities testing at a local hospital.  We've been trying to get the hospital to send the blasted testing results for TWO months!  I was just about at the point of going to the hospital's records department myself and picking up a copy of the test result and hand carry it to the orthopedic doctor.  When we initially contacted the hospital records department they said the turnaround for forwarding records was 24-48 hours.  Big time fail on their part!

*  Clean and Organize Stuff in House  IN PROGRESS  Slow going this, in my current state.

*  Buy Stuff for the House  IN PROGRESS  We are in a "process" of replacing the crappy fiberglass "Farmhouse style" kitchen sink.  As soon as we moved and started using the finish started flaking off exposing the fiberglass.  Well, needless to say, this has been a "journey" trying to find a new sink that will fit into the countertops opening for it as, of course!, it's not a standard sink size.  So now we have to replace the countertop and the sink.  So now, both big box stores in this area have lost their only laminate countertop supplier(they closed down)so we can't get a countertop long enough to fit this area. sigh.  And the plumber we had to put the sink in doesn't "do" carpentry so he can't cut the 10 ft. countertop we did find off the shelf somewhere so the sink can be installed.  Now we have a handyman type "guy" who is going to replace both the counter top and the sink(which Hubs is picking up today).  Hopefully this saga is near it's conclusion.....but this is just ONE item that needs fixing/replacing.

*  Purchase Home Generator  FAIL  The problem here is that first we need to find out where the plug to the ginormous fridge/freezer is and how to get to it because having a generator for power outages is mainly to keep the fridge/freezer and an a/c unit in one bedroom on.  Hubs has to get the son in-law to come over so they can pull this behemoth out(it is not a wheels)and find where the danged power cord is because if we can't connect this sucker into the generator then it's pointless to buy one.

*  Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  DONE  Nothing else to say here.  The Insert/Coupon Envelope is basically dormant at this juncture.  I haven't printed or clipped a Q in a very long time.

*  Edit More Photos  IN PROGRESS  I finished all the Alaska trip  photos(just have to upload the few videos from that trip to YouTube)....oh yeah, and get around to writing those posts up. lol  August we are editing other trip photos, like New England and Canada, Phoenix/Vegas and 3 more cruises.  So far behind.....

*  Post about Old Trips  DONE  I am slowly getting those put out there on the blog.  Started with the Road Trip out West after Hubs retired in 2017.  Can it be SIX  YEARS since that happened?!?

*  Work on Genealogy  DONE  Didn't do much genealogy in July but there was a bit I added to my family tree(aka "the family macramè").

*  Hang Ceiling Fans  DONE

Here's the new light/fan in my sewing room.  Just something simple.  The single bulb  doesn't throw off enough light to work at night so if I ever can sew again I'll need additional lighting in there.

And here is the larger light/fan we put in the Master Bedroom.  Not crazy about the dark faux wood fan blades but we weren't about to spend crazy amounts of money on one fan/lighting fixture.  I can live with this one. 8-)

*  Purchase a/c Unit for Bedroom  FAIL  See Generator above.

*  Send Letter to DRCHC CEO, cc to Various Medical Overseeing Organization   DONE

I sent four letters, one to the CEO of to the Health Clinic and cc'd and sent additional letters to 3 state entities that oversee it's operation.  I have stirred up a hornet's nest worth of trouble for them according to my old NP there(we are still in contact)but it's all in the name of getting the folks who can't leave and go elsewhere for "competent" care, better treatment that doesn't ultimate cause more harm than good.  That's all I'm going to say about this whole ugly chapter except that I am considering a malpractice lawsuit against the clinic and the people running it over one particular incident in which I was given a vaccination that was suppose to be given to another patient that day.  But I don't want to run them out of business because for some indigent people, this is all they have so I am weighing whether or not to pursue this avenue.

*  Move Files to New Computer  DONE  I got the "old" new computer set up and "my life" transferred over to it.

*  Return Smoker  DONE  Yes, after we assembled it we saw it wasn't what we thought it was.  Hubs disassembled and threw it back in the box and returned it.

*  Buy Replacement Smoker  DONE  We ordered this subtly different model online through Camping World made by the same maker as the first smoker we bought at the big box store.  The first one was a redesign that supposedly "improved" the design and functionality.  Umm, NO, it didn't.  The redesign made it harder to use properly and restoking the coals was impossible.  The only thing the redesign did was bring the cost down about $20.  I'll gladly pay that extra $20 for a better design(the old design)that WORKS!

*  Wash Dogs  DONE  I was too wet and drenched in sweat to think to take a photo of the puppies getting a bath out on the big back deck in their little plastic kiddy pool. lolz  Trust me, after they dried off they spelled MUCH better. lolz

Are there any things you accomplished in July?  Tell us about your progress.

Sluggy

To-Do List.......July Update & An Introduction

Here's the July To-Do List and how it all turned out last month.


*  Pay Bills  DONE  Always at the top of my monthly list.  Pay everything due and no slacking here. ;-)

*  Read 1, 2 Books  DONE
I read this one...........

"Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow

If you've been in a coma the last 20 years and don't know, Mr. Apatow is a prolific writer/producer/director of both tv and movies.

In high school Judd began his career in comedy by joining the school's radio station and going about contacting famous comics to interview them.  Many comics took his calls since he said he was from the media(didn't tell him it was a high school radio station)and he taped the interviews on a cassette player.  He picked their brains about life and comedy.
This book is a compilation of those interviews(plus a few non-comics)along with ones he's conducted since becoming a comic writer and along the way to becoming an award winning writer/producer.

He started as a stand-up comic, went on to write for "The Larry Sanders Show" and is best known as the writer of the movie "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and others.
He has in some capacity or other worked with just about every big name in the comedy world today-writers, actors and producers.  Most anything you've paid a movie ticket for or switched a tv on to watch he's had a hand in.

This was a fun(but very, VERY long-over 400 pages!-read)but great read except for the conversations with some folks I really don't care for......I'm looking at you Lena Dunham.
It also gets bogged down in Judd Apatow's neuroses but then again, without these he wouldn't be the comic genius he is(but every interview has his side of the conversation so you'll get tired of hearing about his childhood and hang-ups pretty fast). lol

If you can get your hands on a copy and love this area of the arts, do pick it up and take a look.

"The Man Who Loved Clowns" by June Rae Wood
I found this book among droppings from my Daughter's old room when we were cleaning it out.  It's a YA story but was enjoyable(plus a fast read and after slogging through the book above I needed a quickie).
Based on Ms. Wood's own life/her Down's Syndrome affected brother this was a thoughtful and warm book about seeing the world through different eyes.  A love letter to her brother and dealing with difficulty in adolescence.
If you have a 10+ year old in your life(who someone who is young at heart)who likes to read, find a copy of this for them to enjoy.

*  Have Carpet Replaced  DONE

After waiting for what seemed like years(it was only 3 weeks)the carpet got installed.  The room is now nice and clean.   

*  Move My Stuff into Bedroom  IN PROGRESS

I am now filling up the room with my crap.  My 2 shelving units were put in first and then all my tubs of fabric were brought in so I could go through it all and decide on what to keep and what to get rid of.
It's a work in progress still......


*  Purge Inserts  DONE

Every month(or I try to do this every month to cut down on clutter)I pull the coupon inserts where most if not all the Qs have expired.

I'll clip and toss into my coupon envelope the ones that aren't expired if I think I'll use them.

This last shot is the stack of whole inserts left after the purge.  Not much of a stack really. lolz

*  Prep and Freeze Beans  DONE

Local Green Beans finally went to rock bottom price so I bought 8 lbs. to prep........

After blanching I put 7 x 1 lb. bags into the freezer and had a sore thumbnail for my troubles(if you've every snapped beans you know the struggle).  ;-)

*  Hold Giveaway  DONE

I was a bit late getting this up in July due to some health issues and a trip to the ER and the fallout from that.  Then we had a long distance medical appointment and all that entailed but I did get the Giveaway up before July was over.

*  Mail Giveaway  DONE

It went out earlier this week and should be arriving sometime today at it's destination.

*  Can Jams  DONE

Within the span of 6 days I found deals on both fresh local blueberries and not-quite-local(nobody grows it up here)peaches for .99¢ lb. each.

I set about to making jam, not a ton since we aren't big jam/jelly eaters here.  We do like to have some available.  I put a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon in the blueberry jam.
I ended up with 5 half pints of blueberry and 8 half pints of peach(besides the containers of each in the fridge to use soon).

*  Keep on top of Garden  DONE

While Hubs does the bulk of the weeding in our tiny garden I do the picking and monitoring.  We picked the bulk of the broccoli and the first of the cauliflower in July.  Everything picked was either eaten or blanched and frozen for later use.
I think the summer squash will be a bust and the cucumbers will do poorly as well.  The Morning Glories however are just taking over! lolz

*  House Train Puppy  IN PROGRESS

I guess it's about time I introduced the newest member of the family here at Chez Sluggy.

We added another puppy to our household.

This was a baby photo of our new doggy that was named "Cinamon" (1 n, not 2).

Chester was pining for a playmate since my daughter's dog moved to Texas and we found an older puppy that we thought would be a good match for him and us.

We renamed her "Dixie Belle".  She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the "Ruby" type(a mahogany color).  Think Cocker Spaniel but smaller, more compact. 
Now I have the redheaded child I always wanted. lolz

Dixie has fit right in here and she and Chester get along very well already.  While Chester is our fierce guard dog, Dixie is laid back and the only time you hear her bark is if Chester is ignoring her and won't play. lol
We are still working on the house training and teaching her doggy manners but it's progressing well.

She is just a love who wants to be near you or on you and she has bonded with Ex- College Boy(and him to her)quickly.
Cavaliers are the largest of the toy breeds and were bred in Spain(where the term Spaniel comes from)from it's predecessor the Toy Spaniel and soon spread throughout Western Europe.  They were brought to Scotland from France by Mary, Queen of Scots. 
Cavaliers are named for Charles II, the Cavalier King, of England as he was exceedingly found of the breed.  He was said to travel with and keep 3 of these dogs on his person at the Royal Court.  They were bred to be lap dogs for royalty.

They are called "love sponges" in the dog world because they just want to be with their humans.  Not a dog you want to get if you don't have someone home most of the time so perfect for retired folks.

Queen Victoria's childhood dog, Dash, was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 
Hey, if this breed is good enough for my 13th Cousin, it's good enough for me. 8-)))


*  Continue to Clean Out Garage  IN PROGRESS

Still plugging away at clearing out stuff from the garage(and the house). It's been too hot to spend much time out there.  Some empty boxes as well as some of Hub' stuff have been thrown away.  Come September when the weather cools off more we'll focus more on going through more crap out there.

*  Move More $ Into a CD  FAIL

We didn't get around to moving $$$ around in July. sigh.  Just too many other pressing matters going on last month.

*  Host Company  DONE

Our Eldest son and his GF came for a visit for a few days in July.  Eldest turned 28 last month so there was a birthday cake and gifts involved.  We had a family cook-out with the BIL and nephew too and also took son and GF to a small amusement park West of here one day(man was that expensive!).  It was a laid back fun visit.  Here they are in front of the antique carousel ride at the park.
They couldn't stay long as the GF had to get back to work at Mount Vernon and son had to return to his teaching job the beginning of August.  But it was nice to see them.

That's all from here.
How did your To-Do List turn out for July?



Sluggy

2018 July To-Do List....Update

Let's see how we did on our July To-Do List...........

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything got paid, nothing deferred and no interest paid.

*  Read 1, 2, 3 Books  2.5 DONE  I read 2 books last month and got halfway through #3.
First I read this.........

First in a series of Huguenot themed books called "Cousins of the Dove".  Part historical/part fiction this was an enjoyable read, especially to me given my Huguenot ancestry.
From Amazon's website...."France, 1685. Catherine Gillet knows her brother, Jules, wants to protect her from the sinister threats of the French crown. But Jules is involved in a potentially deadly enterprise, one connected with an encoded document. When his actions put the whole family at risk, will Catherine find a way to save them?

Virginia, present day. Renee Talbot, a direct descendant of Catherine's, is fascinated by the document that's been part of her family legacy for more than three centuries. Certain its pages hold hidden secrets, she takes a closer look—and makes a shocking discovery. But when memories of a childhood trauma are rekindled, she's forced to seek answers of a different kind. Inspired by the faith and bravery of Catherine, can Renee find the truth and face her deepest fears at last?

And I read this one..........

A series of short stories from one the more celebrated short story writers of our day.

A few were good a few were "WTF?" and a couple I couldn't get "into" them.  He knows his craft but some of his subject matter isn't my bag.

*  Organize the Garage  OFF THE LIST  I did some organizing/straightening in the garage but I am taking this off the list since we really can't do much until the Daughter moves out and takes all her stuff, some of which is stored out there, with her.

*  Order Birth Certificate  DONE   Ordered and it arrived quickly albeit somewhat crumpled.....

*  Get Photo Done  DONE  It took two attempts due to Rite-Aid not doing it correctly the first time(I did that refunded)but it got done.

*  Fill out Application  DONE

*  Apply for Passport  DONE  It took 10 days to receive my passport.

It was a LOT quicker than I was led to believe it would take.  My birth certificate on the other hand just arrived back on Monday Aug. 6th.  Almost 3 weeks after I handed it over at the PO.  I was starting to get concerned since the PO lady said that would take a week for the State Dept. to get it back to me. 8-(

*  Hold Giveaway  DONE  

*  Mail Giveaway  DONE  And it's been received by the happy winner. 8-))

*  Plan Possible 2018 Travel  WORKING ON IT  I am waiting to here back from my travel companions before I make any reservations as things/dates depend on their flights.

*  Work on 2018 Goals  PASS  Of my 10 Goals, 3 are done for the year(sell house, password book, cull stockpile), 4 are ongoing(weight, gardening, travel, selling stuff)and 3 haven't happened yet(genealogy, sewing, list of repairs on house).  Good progress and I'll take it. ;-)

We are making progress but not at a frantic pace.  It works for me.

Did you tackle anything in July?
Tell us all about it.

Sluggy

To-Do List....July Update

Let's peek at how July's To-Do List  went, shall we?

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything got paid and on time.  I just don't want to even SEE August's credit card bill however. lolz

* Pack for Trip!  DONE  I am sure I overpacked but oh well.  Better too many clothes than not enough.

* Go on Trip  IN PROGRESS  Havign a wonderful time, wish y'all were here.  Seriously!  I need someone other than Hubs to talk to. lolz

* Plan CB's Fall Housing/Food  DONE  Housing is set(and much cheaper than the last 3 years)and we've got a plan for the foodstuffs.

* Mail Eldest's Birthday Present  DONE  I mailed it out so that he got it the day before his birthday.  I sent him some craft beer nuts and a Birthday check....plus a bag of Smarties as that was his favorite candy as a kid and I always send him those now.  8-)

* Read 1, 2, 3, 4 Books  PASS  I read 3 books.  Didn't get to the 4th book though as I didn't have enough reading time in the car as I thought I'd have.

This was a quick read.....a short novella of YA fiction.  Interesting.

This novel got finished on the road last week.  Funny and dark.

And I can't for the life of me remember the first book I finished in July way before we left on this road trip.  Being on the road for so long just does things to your brain.  I'll have to wait until we get home and then I can find the book and list it.

* Inventory Freezer  DONE  I pawed through and added to the list I made for Daughter when I went to VA in May(after crossing off what she/they cooked then).  The kids are well stocked plus I gave them cash for what they needed to buy.  It will be interesting to see once I get home what actually got used/spent.  I suspect there will have been many nights of Chinese take-out knowing my Daughter.  ;-)

* Repair LA House  IN PROGRESS  Like everything else in Louisiana, nobody down there does anything with ANY sense of urgency.  So dealing with Lowe's and their installer through our real estate agent is taking FOREVER!!!  Lots of phone tag and nobody but the realtor gets back to us.  Frustrating is an inadequate word for this process. ugh.  But we are working on it as we travel across the country and now back toward home.

* List LA House  DONE  The house is listed and on the market even though there is still work to be done on it.  Anybody seeing the house is told what we plan to fix/update and SOME DAY it might get finished.

* Transfer LA House Utilities  DONE  Again, it took FOREVER and a day to get the utilities in our name.  The water people cashed our check but still no word on whether they actually turns on the water.  Will have the realtor check next trip she makes to the house. ugh.

* Pick Up New Glasses  DONE

Here are my new "readers".  If you can't tell they are purple on the outer edges and clear toward the middle.
And here are my sunglasses.........

Again, purple frames, if you can't tell the color, as it was dark in the car.

Happy with what got done(or started)though it wasn't a very long list in July.
August's list will probably be just as brief.

What did you get accomplished in July?  Any big projects or just "regular life" stuff?
What didn't you get crossed off your list that you wished you had gotten finished?


Sluggy

July To-Do List.....Update

Here's the update on my June To-Do List.  I post a To-Do list on the side bar of my blog's homepage every month.
Let's see how ol' Sluggy did this month on her list, shall we? ;-)

* Pay Bills  DONE  
Everything got paid and on time, as per usual.

* Bike Something DONE
Well it was something.  The bike finally got set-up and I biked 5.2 miles for July.  I wasn't home for a 10 days so 5.2 miles in 21 days isn't so good.  I've got to get back into it in August.

* Declutter DONE
I kept at it in July.

* 1 Load to Salvation Army DONE

* Read 1 Book DONE
Finally got June's book finished.  And I am halfway through another book.

* Weed Garden and Flower Beds  DONE  And we picked our first veggie in July........

And here are our "largest" tomtoes so far.................

* 1 Doc Appointment DONE

* Replace Ceiling Fan/Light in Kitchen DONE

 Ta Dah!

* Clean Out Shed FAIL
Waiting on Hubs to do this.

* Short Trip to Virginia  DONE
We went for 7 days.  I'll do a full report on this when I get home from Maine.

* Plan Trip to Maine  DONE
Planned(sort of half-assed tho)and we are there now.

* Sew Something  FAIL
Nope didn't have the urge to sew in July.

Only 1 item I didn't get to at all and 1 item Hubs didn't do.

On ward and upward to August!

How did you do with your To-Do list for July?

Sluggy