daily journal

Not that the day before wasn’t quiet, I just spent more time idly sitting around.

I woke up at 6.30 after a long and restful night. Yeah! Meditated for five minutes and then wasted some time before getting up. I had breakfast and read a little. (I finally finished that „15 Secrets of Time-Management“-book. The beginning was good but the second half was mostly filler. Meh. Not the right book for someone who has read a ton of time management books, I guess.)

Then my husband showed up and had his breakfast, we talked and it was clear that he was pretty overwhelmed with everything. The boy came down at a reasonable time, hurray, and then there were chores until it was time for the weekly Sunday stretching session. This time the focus was shoulders. Very helpful.

After that I did my piano warmup for the first time in weeks. And then my husband fell over the bucket I had left on the porch to dry on Friday and broke it and I spent some time researching metal buckets and ordering one. And then I sat on the porch for a bit and read some more.

My husband and I made lunch:

This is how it looked during prep from where I sat. All the veggies are from our garden. Look at those tomatoes! (Not that I like them.) Then there was the appetizer:

Fried zucchini blossoms again with some leftover dough and then the main course:

As you can clearly see we are not into decorating, ahem.

After lunch I did the dishes with the boy’s help and then we researched English dictionaries because he needs one for school and then I finally ordered some containers for him to hold shampoo and such when he travels. The boy uses several kinds of shampoo, conditioner and such on his thick, curly hair and the last time we didn’t manage to cram all of that into his rather big toiletry kit.

Since I was already in the mood I also ordered things like BRITA filters and a CO sensor. As one does. Because I had just planned my week and was suddenly tired of moving the tasks „buy BRITA filters“ and „research CO sensors“ to yet another week.

The day before I had sewn the neckband to the burgundy tee. I was waffling if I should undo the seam and try again. I picked it up, looked at it and put it back down. I think it will all even out but I’m not sure. Will have to look again some other time.

I watched a session fro the online writing conference about „Writing in another language“ that made me feel rather good about my attempts to write in English, made myself a cup of tea, started writing this post, made the boy do strength training with me, brushed my teeth, watched some Star Trek, wrote some new words on the novel and went to bed.

Today there will be running and some stuff from the list including learning a new-to-me song for one of my singing students, meeting a potential new student and teaching the usual Monday students. If I have enough time I also want to start preparing the next epic English episode of the podcast.

Onwards and upwards.

I’d say that counts as a whim.

I had turned my alarm off because I went to bed too late and promptly woke at – six. So not quite sleeping in. I started my morning routine, got off the rails quickly and barely squeezed my breakfast in before my husband showed up. I crocheted and we talked and then I managed to start doing the dishes and get ready for running without waiting for the boy. Huh. I went running at the exact time that I had wanted to (which was an hour later than my ideal time because I do know myself) and ran/walked for 68 minutes. I did at times interrupt my running intervals with walking but I’d say I did okay. Here’s a picture of the halfway point:

Looks cozier than it is. Her’s a sweaty Susanne:

And this is what you see when you turn to the other side:

Coming back home I found that the tea infuser I had ordered had arrived six minutes before me. Apparently, the house was deserted (part from the boy who can’t hear the doorbell up in the attic) and so the mail person left it with a neighbor. So I turned around and got my package. And then I thought I had enough time to get the TV guide and run another short errand. Well, the nearby supermarket didn’t have the guide I wanted so I walked all the way back and to the other supermarket that is a bit farther away which resulted in my husband being in a rather bad mood when I came back because I was way late for helping with lunch. He did it all alone. And I got to take a shower before lunch. The food was great:

Bulgur, chickpeas, eggplant and feta, by the way.

Then I scrolled through social media for a bit but not before I had done all the dishes. (There weren’t many.) And then I started watching sessions of the Self Publishing Advice Conference while – wait for it – pulling out the sewing machine. I did finish those yoga pants I’ve been harping about for ages:

I showed them to my husband and he said, „They look like bespoke!“ Well, yeah, that is because I drafted that pattern following my measurements. Ha! Mind you, I haven’t put elastic in the waist band yet, I decided to just wait until I’ve slimmed down enough to actually need it and I also decided to not seam the legs. And there are threads sticking out everywhere because I unpicked all the seams and didn’t bother to pull the unpicked threads out. Bad sewist! But I have working pants for lounging about the house. Yes.

And then I started sewing the burgundy Plantain tee.

I started writing this post and then watched some Star Trek with the boy before writing a few more words on the novel and going to bed. On time for once.

Today there will be some light stretching, more sessions from the online conference and maybe some more sewing. We’ll see. And then we’re heading full steam into another week.

I’m thrilled!

I woke up around 5.30 an lounged in bed a bit. Meditated for five minutes, read a little and wrote a little. Made breakfast, read some more and wrote a bit more. Then some crochet and conversation with my husband and then I went into full household mode. Dishes, cleaning the house, laundry and I even mopped the kitchen floor for the first time since March or so.

In between, while I was taking the recycling out someone rang the doorbell. It was a former student of my husband who is a roofer. It seems our roof might get repaired eventually after all. Hurray!

I finished cleaning while my husband was taking a shower after his run and then we made Indian food for lunch:

I did not do the dishes because I had to hang up a fresh load of laundry. I had folded two loads before lunch. And then I ran out of time before my first student. I taught some students, in between I announced the new podcast episode on social media, then the boy and I did twenty minutes of strength training, I wrote an email to a potential new student, and taught some more students.

After that I helped the boy warm up leftovers for dinner while my husband was still teaching. We watched an excellent episode of „Deep Space Nine“, the second one with Ezri Dax, and loved it.

The boy took a shower which meant I started this post before doing all the dishes, getting ready for bed and turning the lights out too late.

A very full day and a rather productive one. I mean, I even mopped the kitchen and bathroom!

Today there will be all the usual, including a run in the morning, an online writing conference thing and some sewing, I hope. I am also all set for an epic Saturday afternoon slump. It just seems inevitable after a week like that.

We’ll see.

I’m not quite sure I want to live this way, though.

I woke up at 5.00 and just tossed and turned until the alarm went off. The Fitbit is sure that I slept well after waking that so I guess it was fine. At least I had turned in early.

I started my morning routine and went off the rails somewhere between meditating and working on the novel. Got up a little too late but managed to have breakfast ready before the boy showed up downstairs. He was a little late too.

I did manage to write for half an hour between the boy leaving and my husband coming over to the kitchen. It turned out that my husband had been awake for an hour at that point and only waited with his breakfast for my sake. At least I did use that time well.

After breakfast we got going right away. I went to the health food store, the haberdashery (for sewing thread) and the supermarket and I had to go early so we could pre-cook the beans for lunch. For once I didn’t have to buy any vegetables because we are eating our own at the moment.

We made lunch:

Minestrone con pesto. Very, very good. I even got seconds.

After that the boy and I did the dishes, we went to the dermatologist who basically said that he should continue using all the cremes. Also, they will only work if you actually use them. Bummer.

I had been a little concerned about the fact that my first student was due only an hour after the appointment but it all turned out fine.

I taught my students, got the podcast ready for publication later today, started writing this post, decided to skip strength training after all because right before bed is definitely the wrong time of day for such things, got ready for bed, read a little and crashed.

I have to say that I’m looking forward to the weekend. I have absolutely nothing scheduled, apart from the usual exercise and an online writing thing.

Today will be another one of those super-busy days with the cleaning and lots and lots of teaching and such. Fun!

With a long, long to-do list.

I woke up at 5.45 from the alarm but the last hour or so of sleep had been rather restless. I kept thinking of things I needed to add to said to-do list.

Because I’ve decided that I’m super self-disciplined a few days ago I managed to meditate, read the „Daily Stoic“ and write morning pages before breakfast. Because I’m not quite as disciplined as I’d like to be yet I did spend the other thirty minutes before getting up with staring at the ceiling first and checking email and posting on Ravelry later. Still, progress.

Breakfast was had, the boy showed up on time, then I wasted some more time trying to fix a problem with my phone. I keeps connecting itself to mobile data without me doing anything. I’m on a prepaid plan which means that each time it connects I’m losing a bit of money. Unfortunately, I couldn’t ind a solution, all the settings are where they should be. We’ll see.

I wrote a few words on the novel before my husband had breakfast, he showed up, I crocheted, we talked about guitars again. Then dishes and the usual household stuff (thought I did not manage to fold the two dry loads of laundry hanging around), then my husband decided it was time to mount the new toilet seat while I called the mother of a student back. Then I helped my husband with the toilet seat.

Which meant I went running about half an hour later than I would have liked. Which meant that I was already super-hungry and it was a little too warm and so I gave in and walked one of my running intervals. It was a nice run, regardless, with entertaining podcasts:

Then back home and onwards to preparing lunch:

Wednesday is the day my husband likes to eat lunch early because he also starts teaching early. And this year the boy also comes home from school for lunch early on Wednesdays. (And even earlier on Mondays and then he has to go back both days.)

These were the last green beans from our garden for the year.

After that the boy and I did some admin (there is quite a lot of that at the beginning of the school year) and the dishes and then I did my singing warm-up and more admin, this time for the teaching. I made a new list of students and tried to get the printer to behave (I gave up after a while.), and then it was time for my first student of the day.

The second one was a potential new one and I’m thinking that he will start next week. At the end of our lesson he was headed towards the music store to buy a new guitar with his mother.

Then more admin, banking stuff. And two more students and then I was done for the day. With teaching.

I started writing this post, worked a little on the podcast and went to bed early this time.

Today there will be the big supermarket run, a visit to the dermatologist with the boy and then teaching. I’m really hoping that the doctor’s appointment will be on time because I need to be back home in time for teaching. It should be doable. If we run late I might have to run out the door mid-appointment and leave the boy to fend for himself. Which he should be able to do.

Somehow I feel that this weekend I’ll just crash.

Another cold day. My alarm went off at 5.45 and I fell asleep again after that. Oops. I did manage to meditate and then time just went by until it was too late to write before breakfast.

The boy got up on time, we had breakfast together and after he left for school I did write some words on the novel. Phew. My husband showed up, I crocheted, we talked about guitar pickups. Dishes were done and some other household stuff and then I got ready to record the podcast. For once I did not have any technical difficulties. For which I’m grateful.

Then I helped my husband with making lunch:

Shrimp risotto.

The boy had come home from school all excited and for once with the strong desire to talk about everything. First day of eleventh grade is a little special because everything changes from being organized by classes to courses. Every student gets their own schedule. For PE he got stuck with swimming, not a particularly good choice for him. But then there might not have been a good choice for him when it comes to sports.

I helped him with the inevitable paperwork, signed things, put dates in my calendar and made a note to pay for the trip to Berlin they will be doing in April.

And then it was time to teach. And call a potential new student back. And teach some more.

After that the boy and I did some strength training. I decided to change things up a bit and went back to the first cycle of the bodyweight program. It felt easier. In between sets I read him bits of „Mind over Matter“ and at one point I played some Funk for him because he didn’t know any. (The Funk didn’t have anything to do with the book, it was triggered by my husband showing Funk grooves to a guitar student in the next room.)

I had wanted to skip dinner but we were still talking and I was hungry after a long day and I had helped the boy warm up some leftover spaghetti and so I ate some cheese instead.

Brushed my teeth and such, had the boy help me do the dishes, changed into pajamas and started writing this post. Then I read some more and turned off the lights. Too late because the novel I was reading was just so good that I didn’t want to stop.

Today there will be running, teaching and meeting the potential new student. In between I’d like to start getting the podcast ready. And some writing would be nice. Bonus points for finding time to buy sewing thread.