Thank you to everyone who responded to my "food prep exec dysfunction" and "argh tidying/sorting" posts. Your answers and suggestions were helpful and I am going to try to take them.
I suspect that the reason for the sudden bout of exec dysfuction is "mild depression/anxiety" brought on by the lack of company in the house, and just me and my thoughts and the various house issues that I'm facing without my sister to whack me out of it.
--
Anyway, I got pizza last night, and 1 large sized pizza with 8 slices will cover me for four meals.
I've ordered some ready-made meals to arrive on Monday, hopefully I can divvy them into boxes that can just be dumped into a container and heated up.
--
The 'new' 2ndhand lounges have arrived and they are...LARGE. As in, larger than I expected and possibly larger than the last lounges we had! But most of that size is actually couch space, and the cushions and the backs are removable for cleaning. And they're pretty much what I was looking for when I was hunting for couches - configurable and cleanable. They also have feather pillows inside the back and arm cushions which makes them really very comfy.
4 units are in an L-shape in the lounge, and I have the 5th unit in my study. It's going to sit between two bookshelves, and with another shelf over it. That's going to be the 'storage wall' but also the lounge will be somewhere for B1 to sit while I'm WFH so we're all in one room, saving energy. Theoretically, anyway.
The lounges do need 'feet', though. I'm just in contact with the company who made the original lounges, but they only seem to sell the feet in plastic now - at least on the site. However, I called the company and they said they have a small number of the old metal feet, so I'm trying to source those.
I mean, we're not roughhousers, so the plastic feet would probably suit fine, but if you can get the longer-lasting option, why not?
--
I have decided (with the advice of my bible study leader) that the cracks in the house are probably settling, due to the weight of the windows. It was good to talk to him and get that concern reassured. I just needed someone to tell me that the house wasn't going to fall apart, and he was practical and went through the 'worst case scenario' and reminded me that their house had issues with subsidence and everything and he fixed it.
J's a bit like a big brother, really - wisecracking, smartass, kind of similar outlook and personality, but also practical and pragmatic and reassuring on matters like this.
But it is a little disconcerting actually hearing the cracks happen.
Now, the big concern is the shifting of the clay under the house, and the ground cracks which I can't see under the lawn grass. I would like to find someone who has a "pipe camera" who would be willing to look at the extent of the holes. Is it a really long crack across the clay lens or is it a few small holes, or is it a series of them? Does it look like it was caused by drought-rain cycles, or is it vermin tunnels?
The guy who came to look over the house looked at the major hole we could spot and suggested infilling it with soil. Actually finding clean soil (would really rather not have, say, lead or heavy-metal tainted, especially not in a space where I want to eventually grow vegies) will be another job entirely. And then filling up the hole? Oof. My compost would be bad, though - high volume of organic matter in it and while that absorbs water really well, it also decomposes very well.
The house inspector hasn't contacted me since he left, hasn't invoiced me for payment, hasn't sent the report. I mean, I'm not really particularly worried, but it would be nice to hear from them.
--
My work contract has just renewed! Six months, same daily rate. Now, I have to apply for six weeks of vacation time in December and both reassure everyone that it's not all going to fall apart while I'm away, while also making sure they don't think they can do it without me.
I'm pretty sure that my value in the team is more in communications than in technical - I'm good at explaining the differences betwee technical and business understanding, and generally pretty personable. People seem to like that, even in IT departments.
But it's keeping the job that's important to me. Also: I hate job-hunting. Also, if I can keep this for another three years, it might be the longest time I've ever been employed by a company!
--
B1 has decided to extend her holiday by a week if she can get in contact with her travel agent back in Sydney. Which is good! Except that I miss her. But that's no reason to drag her back here! And I've been gone for really long periods of time before (heck, I'm planning to be away for six weeks at the end of the year) so I can't talk.
I still miss having her around, though.
I suspect that the reason for the sudden bout of exec dysfuction is "mild depression/anxiety" brought on by the lack of company in the house, and just me and my thoughts and the various house issues that I'm facing without my sister to whack me out of it.
--
Anyway, I got pizza last night, and 1 large sized pizza with 8 slices will cover me for four meals.
I've ordered some ready-made meals to arrive on Monday, hopefully I can divvy them into boxes that can just be dumped into a container and heated up.
--
The 'new' 2ndhand lounges have arrived and they are...LARGE. As in, larger than I expected and possibly larger than the last lounges we had! But most of that size is actually couch space, and the cushions and the backs are removable for cleaning. And they're pretty much what I was looking for when I was hunting for couches - configurable and cleanable. They also have feather pillows inside the back and arm cushions which makes them really very comfy.
4 units are in an L-shape in the lounge, and I have the 5th unit in my study. It's going to sit between two bookshelves, and with another shelf over it. That's going to be the 'storage wall' but also the lounge will be somewhere for B1 to sit while I'm WFH so we're all in one room, saving energy. Theoretically, anyway.
The lounges do need 'feet', though. I'm just in contact with the company who made the original lounges, but they only seem to sell the feet in plastic now - at least on the site. However, I called the company and they said they have a small number of the old metal feet, so I'm trying to source those.
I mean, we're not roughhousers, so the plastic feet would probably suit fine, but if you can get the longer-lasting option, why not?
--
I have decided (with the advice of my bible study leader) that the cracks in the house are probably settling, due to the weight of the windows. It was good to talk to him and get that concern reassured. I just needed someone to tell me that the house wasn't going to fall apart, and he was practical and went through the 'worst case scenario' and reminded me that their house had issues with subsidence and everything and he fixed it.
J's a bit like a big brother, really - wisecracking, smartass, kind of similar outlook and personality, but also practical and pragmatic and reassuring on matters like this.
But it is a little disconcerting actually hearing the cracks happen.
Now, the big concern is the shifting of the clay under the house, and the ground cracks which I can't see under the lawn grass. I would like to find someone who has a "pipe camera" who would be willing to look at the extent of the holes. Is it a really long crack across the clay lens or is it a few small holes, or is it a series of them? Does it look like it was caused by drought-rain cycles, or is it vermin tunnels?
The guy who came to look over the house looked at the major hole we could spot and suggested infilling it with soil. Actually finding clean soil (would really rather not have, say, lead or heavy-metal tainted, especially not in a space where I want to eventually grow vegies) will be another job entirely. And then filling up the hole? Oof. My compost would be bad, though - high volume of organic matter in it and while that absorbs water really well, it also decomposes very well.
The house inspector hasn't contacted me since he left, hasn't invoiced me for payment, hasn't sent the report. I mean, I'm not really particularly worried, but it would be nice to hear from them.
--
My work contract has just renewed! Six months, same daily rate. Now, I have to apply for six weeks of vacation time in December and both reassure everyone that it's not all going to fall apart while I'm away, while also making sure they don't think they can do it without me.
I'm pretty sure that my value in the team is more in communications than in technical - I'm good at explaining the differences betwee technical and business understanding, and generally pretty personable. People seem to like that, even in IT departments.
But it's keeping the job that's important to me. Also: I hate job-hunting. Also, if I can keep this for another three years, it might be the longest time I've ever been employed by a company!
--
B1 has decided to extend her holiday by a week if she can get in contact with her travel agent back in Sydney. Which is good! Except that I miss her. But that's no reason to drag her back here! And I've been gone for really long periods of time before (heck, I'm planning to be away for six weeks at the end of the year) so I can't talk.
I still miss having her around, though.