Archives for March 2021

Seems that staying up to do the dishes on Thursday night really paid off.

Didn’t look like it at first, though, because I overslept. I had my alarm set for six and when I looked at the clock for the first time that day it was seven. Oops. Got out of bed fast and made breakfast right away so the boy could have some before sitting down in front of his computer for school. So no morning routine.

My husband got up early-ish, we talked while he had his breakfast and I told him that the boy had a test at the time when we usually eat lunch so it would be good to have lunch earlier.

He set off for his run while I did the dishes, changed the sheets on my bed, cleaned the house and did a load of laundry. When he came back he made lunch all on his own which meant I could do a week’s worth of lesson prep before an early lunch.

My husband is getting rather good at cooking alone, this one was somewhat complicated:

Bifteki, oven potatoes, Brussels sprouts, tomato sauce and tsatsiki. The boy had vegetarian brats to go with it. And he left on time to take his test at school.

It was early enough that I could do the dishes before teaching my first student of the day. In the break between students I did email, admin and hung up the laundry. I had planned to write new words but couldn’t make myself. I did start this post instead. So, technically that writing new words as well.

After teaching I made guacamole which we ate with tortilla chips in front of TV. Then more dishes and early to bed.

Today there will be running and, I don’t know, something. Crochet for sure, and reading and watching some Netflix.

Got enough sleep, did the full morning routine and even worked on the novel for ten minutes.

And then it turned out to be a normal Thursday.

I went to the supermarket and my husband called me on the phone because he had forgotten to put some things on the list. Not a problem this time because he reached me before I went into the store. There is no reception in the store and it’s always a bit frustrating to come home from grocery shopping to a new list of things that absolutely should have been bought.

On Thursdays my husband usually doesn’t have anything special planned and doesn’t start teaching early so he likes to cook fancy stuff. Here’s the fancy and really tasty biryani we had for lunch:

It doesn’t look like it but it took more than two hours to make. It was delicious. It also meant that when I came back home with a heavy backpack and two huge bags full of groceries my husband was stressed out because of cooking and I barely had time to stick the frozen stuff in the freezer before starting chopping duty.

So I helped with the cooking, got chided for being underfoot putting away groceries at the worst possible moment, helped some more and found that I didn’t buy enough peas for the week. And that I need to print new grocery lists.

Lunch was a little late but at least early enough that the boy could eat before going back to school for his first PE lesson this year. Poor thing had to play soccer.

While my husband doesn’t start teaching early on Thursdays I do. So after lunch I didn’t have enough time left to do the dishes. This will be important later.

I taught a few students, used a break between students to pay bills, look at the budget and download bank statements, taught some more, got sucked into a Twitter hole and when I came to the kitchen for dinner the oven was on and the leftover biryani was in it for reheating.

I ate some bread and cheese and read more Twitter. Until my husband showed up, asking me why I hadn’t turned the oven off. I had no idea I was supposed to. And I also had no idea when he had turned it on or for how long. Nothing smelled burnt, or something. I was the first to finish dinner so I went on to watch some Netflix. It would have been better if I had started my blog post and then done the dishes but I couldn’t because dinnertime wasn’t over for the rest of the family.

So I watched some Netflix. And then some more. All the while knowing that I would have to tackle all the dishes and the blog post. Since I dreaded that task I just watched some more Netflix and then looked at Twitter. This is what the kitchen looked like when it was my bedtime:

We need this space to make breakfast the next morning. There are two thermoses in there that we need for tea the next morning. And no, I have no idea why nobody put at least the potholders back on the hook.

I almost went to bed without lifting a finger but waking up to a mess is always so demoralizing. So I – started writing this post first, of course. Because I know myself I then flossed (good thing, otherwise I would have skipped that again). And then did all those dishes. Which meant I went to bed way too late and then overslept which doesn’t bode well for today.

Note to self: tell the boy that he needs to eat dinner earlier. If not he gets to wash the dishes all by himself from now on.

But the most interesting thing about this was for me that the fact that I never go to bed on time on Thursdays is not a personal failing. It is a direct result of my husband thinking he has more time to cook on Thursdays while I start teaching relatively early. And then I usually do the dishes on Friday morning and that means I don’t clean the house while my husband goes running and that means I have to clean in the afternoon between students. Which means the lesson prep I usually schedule for Friday afternoon doesn’t happen.

I think I need to talk with the rest of the family.

Today there will be – the cleaning of the house, not much teaching and then the weekend. I’m done with this week already.

Woke up early and did nothing for hours. Had breakfast.

The boy started the day with distance learning and then had to go to school anyway for a test. It is a very good thing that we chose the school nearest to us.

My husband and I managed to have a conversation about the „Homo Deus“-book in a civilized manner and I finally got to explain to him what I dislike about the whole thing. I’m still only on page 47. It is slow going because I don’t enjoy reading it. I might not finish. We’ll see.

I folded two loads of laundry and washed another one that I hung up. I went out for my run rather late and then got hit by a case of the dunnwannas (and renewed back pain) and just walked most of the way.

I did look up exercises for back pain, though, and when I did them I got a little better.

We had lunch:

I then took a shower and taught all the students. I did have a break in the middle because one of my students had canceled because of a covid test.

The boy’s test was negative (yeah!) and so he proceeded to meet his friend in the afternoon. The friend had been tested as well and so they spent the whole afternoon together, drinking tea, eating chocolate and talking. I think that might have been the first time in a year or so. He looked very happy when he came back.

We talked a bit, I watched some Netflix, the boy and I did the dishes with more talking and I went to bed just a little late.

Today there will be the traditional walk to the supermarket and quite a bit of teaching. I am hoping (against all reason) that I will do strength training today. I might join an online knitting meeting but I’m not sure yet. Probably not, I’m a bit tired of screens.

I woke up at around six and couldn’t get myself out of bed. That was a theme for the day. I did do yoga but forgot to meditate, no morning pages. Writing? What writing?

The boy went to school and he was dragging his feet as well. No idea if he was on time or late.

When my husband showed up I took the opportunity to tell him how stuck I feel in great detail, poor thing. I did practice Chinese a bit. I should change some things up because I still can’t actually say anything. Well, besides hello and goodbye.

I did some housework and I cut my husband’s hair. Had to fight the hair clippers again and finally realized that I can get a replacement part for them that will make the whole process much smoother. I mean, the actual clipper part doesn’t last forever. Duh.

I went for ‚an easy 3K‘-run. My back is well enough that running didn’t hurt. Much. I am still having a bit of pain and twinges here and there but all in all I’m much better.

Came back home, took a shower and helped a little bit with our late lunch:

Very Bavarian Leberkäs, eggs and potato salad.

Did the dishes again while talking with the boy, took a short break, then taught all the students. After that I started writing this post because I was trying for a smooth evening for an early bedtime.

Ate dinner, watched some Netflix, went to bed.

All throughout the day I thought about finding titles for the Urban Fantasy trilogy. The ones that I would like sound like romance titles, so that won’t do. I am horrible at naming things. I might have to ask people for help.

Today there will be the walk to the health food store, some teaching, hopefully a better mood. Bonus points for strength training. Extra bonus points with sprinkles if I manage to write some fiction.

I did nothing, was in a bad mood most of the day and went to bed past midnight after drinking too much beer. Hence no coherent blog post.

The highlight of the day was making and eating malfatti:

We’ll definitely do that again.

And I finished a blanket:

Today there will be walking/running, lots of teaching and more crankiness, I guess.