February 2024 To-Do List.....How It Turned Out

Here are things I wanted to get done in February.....

*  Pay Bills  DONE  Always done first, Always!

*  Go to 4 Dr. Appointments  DONE

In February it was 2 x the Painful doctors(Pain Management)for test injections and then the Ablation, the Orthopedist for x-rays of shoulder issues and the creepy Eye doc for an eyeball check(where he found the secondary cataract).

*  Have Shoulder Injections  DONE

I had the injections.  They didn't seem to help however so the Orthopedist put me on an oral steroid pack in March at my follow-up, while we waited to schedule MRIs.  Of course, they scheduled the MRI for when we will out of the country, even after we told the doc and office staff when we wouldn't be here. sigh

*  Begin Going Through Merchandise to Sell  FAIL

I just didn't get around to this yet.  I have certain projects/things I need to finish before starting on this one.  I doubt I'll get to it until late April.

*  Find a New Dentist  FAIL

Like I detailed in that recent Frugal Friday post, using that AARP United Healthcare Dentegra Discount Program didn't pan out.  Even after informing UHC they don't seem to want to update their providers who accept Dentegra NOR care about this old ladies' terrible weekly long experience finding out that Dentegra is a NO GO.

*  Re-organize Pantry  DONE

We had a mouse in the massive kitchen island last Summer(found how it was coming up from below the house and corrected that). Since then Hubs has been paranoid about another critter getting inside(especially in the laundry/utility room as that is where we store the dog food.  Got a metal can for that now and he bought tubs to keep all the boxed/packaged food in-stuff in glass and metal, etc. is safe he feels.

So other than a couple of tubs for the boxed items, we have shelving for the canned goods, plastic bottles, beverage bottles, etc.

In the nook by the door to the hallway we have a larger shelving unit which holds dish soap, trash bags, baggies, laundry and cleaning products as well as some boxed dog food.  12 packs of soda as well as some bottled water sit stacked in front of the shelving.

Two upper shelves hold canned, jarred, bottled pantry staples and above it the tp stash.  After 1+ year here I think I bought 1 pack of tp but all you see in the photo was what I brought from PA when we moved here.(Hey, it made great packing material for some fragile items. lol)  I could probably go another year or so before we had to buy anymore tp. 8-))

And this is my auxiliary pantry space.  Since I can't use my sewing room for that purpose, I set up another shelving unit to hold more items in there.  I have a Rubbermaid tub in the kitchen where I put food bank donation items.  I probably need to go through what's in here and add to the donation tub.  The dish soap should be in the laundry room with all the other soap and the Kleenex should be in there as well.  There is more work to be done.....

*  Schedule RFA procedure  DONE

I had it and it was about as painful as the test injection nonsense I had to undergo to get approved for this one. ugh  I am 2 weeks+ out from having this done and the improvement is still barely perceivable. 8-(

*  Send Youngest a Birthday Present  DONE

I made sure I sent his package waaay early since the "Cajun Pony Express" operates around here with it's own unique set of rules and work hours.  I also Paypal-ed him some cash too.

*  Buy Stuff for House(Always)  DONE

I can't for the life of me think of what was bought but something is always needed to be done here(and money spent).  I believe Hubs had to buy some lawn tractor stuff and fire ant killer for outside projects.

*  Help Hubs reorganize his half of the Closet  DONE

Hubs has been living out of 3 Rubbermaid tubs for 1+ years now.  He left his dresser in PA(the bottoms of the drawers were falling out)and he hasn't felt the need to buy another dresser here.  He has a much smaller wardrobe than I do and he felt he had a system that worked with these tubs.

I picked up a hanging organizer on clearance for $3 at Kroger in February and helped him move most of his clothes out of those tubs into a more accessible configuration.  He now has one tub left for out of season clothing.  Hanging everything on hangers or in the organizer seems to be working for him.

*  Reorganize Master Bathroom  DONE

The vanity/sink area was piled high with stuff.  I found better places for all that(other rooms, drawers in the vanity or under the sink doors, etc.)and here is what is left, which are mostly items in use.

We have containers, boxes and a basket of excess items strewn all around the bathroom.  Now it's all contained and tucked between the vanity and the ginormous bathtub.

I still have these items perched around the tub and this container of items I still need to sort through and decide on where it needs to go.  I'll call this a win and mission almost accomplished. ;-)

*  Go Through and try on all my Clothing  DONE

I tried on every stitch of clothing I own.  3 piles got donated as they were hopelessly too big and not worth altering.  The stuff hanging together in my closet(23 items)are clothing I hope to save and wear again.  A few only need hemming but some are big projects but I LOVE the fabric(rayon)and can't bear to toss them.  I hope to get 3 dresses hemmed/re-hemmed before the cruise.

*  Edit More Photos  DONE

Always doing this and filing them away afterwards.

*  Post About Old Trips  DONE

I posted 3 installments of the trip out West in February.

*  Work on Genealogy  DONE

I did a smattering of genealogy work that month.

*  Move Video Files to New Computer  FAIL

*  Contact Church Food Bank to Make a Donation  DONE  Boy i never thought I'd have the trouble finding a Food Bank like I've had down here!  I contacted one of the few I could find(that weren't affiliated with the state government-who only want cash).  Called and left a message as their website said they were only in the facility/church 2 days a week(Thursday, Sunday)so I waited until Thursday during the hours they listed they were there.  Again, my call went to voicemail.  Since they never returned my first voicemail I just said, "I left a message (date)and still have not received a reply about making a donation.  You people sure make it difficult for someone to be charitable.", and then hung up and crossed them off my list.

Hubs made a call to a different church and this one was overjoyed for anything we could donate!  BTW-not to bash a religious denomination, but the first unresponsive church was Baptist and the one that welcomed our donations was Methodist.  I don't know if this means anything but because there are so many Baptist churches around here(can't swing a dead without hitting one)I want to think it's that particular Baptist church that was the exception. 8-(

*  Finish Gathering Donation Items  DONE  

Like I said, we made a food bank donation to the church that responded they would happily take our stuff.

That's all that got accomplished in February that was on my To-Do List.

Sluggy

March To-Do List.....Update

I have pared down my monthly To-Do Lists.  Between being ill for 2 months this Winter and not feeling much energy to "do" I felt it was better to have a smaller list and actually feel like I was accomplishing something rather than facing a long list of items I didn't get to when the month was over.

With that said, here's what I wanted to get done in March.........

*  Pay Bills  DONE  If nothing else gets done, this does.  I paid two irregular bills early/for the year and earned a small discount off the price of each bill.  Every little bit helps, right?

*  Read 1 Book  DONE

"Twain's End" by Lynn Cullen

This author is making a career of writing historical novels(taking famous folks and writing about their lives in a part historical/part fictional way).

Cullen is a very astute writer and this tome was interesting and enjoyable and dare I say-a page turner.  Having studied Samuel Clemens life a bit myself it follows pretty closely to whom he actually was.....an insecure, narcissist borderline megalomaniac in his later life  as reported from first hand accounts of the people who knew and/or loved him.
This tale is told from the perspective of his personal secretary(Isabel van Kleek)and her relationship with Mark Twain.  It's apparent after reading this book that one of the most beloved popular American authors of the 19th century was a personally tortured man who made those around him miserable.
I recommend this book.

I wanted to read two books and had the time to but after I got started on the second book in March I lost interest in that one temporarily and picked up a third book to read.  Then this month I took a different book to see our eldest son so now have three books started but not finished yet for April. lol
I forsee lots of reading this month.  ;-)


*  Purge Coupon Inserts  DONE   

 I went through my inserts and pulled ones that were 1 to 4 months old and had mostly expired Qs in them.

I clipped any non-expired Qs but only if they were for items I might use before their time was up.

And I tossed what was left.

On the last day of the month I also make a habit of purging the coupon envelope that I take to the stores when I go grocery shopping so that got gone through on the 31st.

I try to purge the inserts every third month or the things just pile up badly.
It's a good habit to get into, to purge the old paper on a regular basis.

*  Sell Stuff  DONE  I sold 2 items on eBay in March....it wasn't much, but I'll take it!  I need to get things going on the local F/B sale site now that the weather is better.  I have shampoo and diapers to get sold. 8-)

*  Relist House in LA  DONE  The house went back on the market in early March.

*  Sell House in LA  IN PROGRESS  If everything goes as it should we will no longer own this house before April is done. 8-)))))

*  Hold Giveaway  DONE

*  Mail Giveaway  DONE  Marie won the box and I am sure the chocolate is all gone by now. lolz

*  Redo Passwords Book  IN PROGRESS  I did start on this but didn't get too far into the process.  It's just a tedious chore but long overdue.  Cross my fingers I get it completed in April!

*  Do Taxes  DONE  Actually Hubs did most of this.  He's taken over this chore since he's retired now.  He insists that we file electronically as he thinks that filing a paper return now sends up a red flag(as most people file electronically nowadays).  Not that we have anything to fear from an audit but you don't want to stick out like a sore thumb and get smacked with one if you can help it. lolz
Anyway, the taxes are done, filed and we've received a refund from the Feds.  Had to pay local taxes and state taxes in PA AND LA plus the cost of the software and filing fees(UGH)but even after these costs we came out ahead for 2017 $5K and change.  I was shocked it was so much but I'll take it. lolz 

*  Plan possible 2018 Travel  IN PROGRESS  Well we went into 2018 wanting to do a couple of trips(big ones)but they involved other people's plans/lives and things haven't worked out to allow us all to travel/see each other at this point.  So we are making alternative plans.  I have been in a funk this Winter and not much wanting to go anywhere far away.  We are working on a trip to the Canadian Maritimes(already been to New Brunswick)but I am still not "feeling it" as they say.  We'll see what we figure out.......

*  Work on 2018 Goals  IN PROGRESS  You would think that by now(a quarter of the way through 2018)we'd have our goals set for the year.
Ummm, no. ;-)
It's still a work in progress.  We've got lots of balls in the air around here.  Selling that LA house, College Boy graduating next month and what is plans are, Daughter still here for another year, where to live in retirement, etc.  We are still at a crossroads of sorts and still figuring stuff out.  Maybe I'll sit down with Hubs this week and narrow down some "life stuff" so I can make some plans or nix other plans.

That's about it for March so let's put that month in the books and forge ahead into April and all the possibilities in store.

What things did you get to in March that were on your To-Do List?

Sluggy