is a snow day.

Which is good. It didn't look like it'd be much, this morning, but it's DEEP, now.

So, I used today to get stuff done. So far today:

Finished "The Screwtape Letters"
Cleaned the kitchen
Fed my kids
Made bread

Now, if I can just keep up this productivity....

The kids, amazingly, played nicely together (mostly), and played their games, and didn't ask for a movie until after I'd started the bread.

But now they're in bed, and I'm about to put the bread in the oven.

I'm not sure of my word count, but I THINK I was up-to-date when the power went off...

Yes, the power went off, and so I... read. By candle-light. Because I like it, and I didn't want to mess with a flashlight.

Anyway, since I was so rudely interrupted, here's my word count for yesterday.

Daily Report for April 17, 2009

Current Word Count: 29112

Words Written Today: 366

Reward: none.

First line today: The idea was simple. (Fire and Shadow)

Last line today: "Because if he's the only one killed, and it's with fire, how will they know he didn't just make a mistake?" (Fire and Shadow)

Credit: shizu_bara

I want to go shopping. Seriously.

I don't even know what for, I just do.

It is a stupid wish to have, just before Christmas, but it is there anyway.

Also, as soon as the kids go up to bed, I'm going to attack the family room. I have had enough. Seriously.

ETA: After I watch My Page.

In the midst of feeling like crap and unwilling to do anything, a lot of other things have happened.

First, the fire codes at the preschool changed, so we have no preschool at least until January. I have gotten no official version of what she might have to do to get her basement up to code (possibly because they haven't told her yet), so I'm trying not to let all the random things I do hear sink in, and I'm trying to make sure I don't spread any of those around, either.

So, I have Elyssa home with Taran.

Saturday, we had the ward Christmas breakfast, which was really nice. Scott did the presentation, which was a power point presentation on the history of carols in general, and a few in specific. Really nicely done. After that, we cleaned the church (which explains the sore legs yesterday), and then we went home. Taran went to bed, and at 2:00, I went to the Elephant Bar for the THIO party with my Nano group. That was lovely.

So, home, baths, and out again to JD Harris's baptism, and a serious reluctance to go to their house for dinner. We went anyway, and I had a nice conversation and good food.

I went to bed at 8:30, and was asleep just after 9:30.

Getting up Sunday was nearly impossible; I fought with mp alarm for an hour before I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed, and got the family moving. We went over to the church early so I could take care of some of the admin parts of my calling, and then sort of waited for church to start.

After that marathon of sleep - ten hours - I still couldn't keep my eyes open in Sunday School! So I came home after church, fed the kids, and as soon as dh got home, I went up to rest. And slept for nearly an hour. Dinner at mom's was nice - the elders ate with us - and we came home.

I went up to bed around 9:00, and just vegged. Dh came up around 9:30, and we had a nice talk. I don't know how long since that happened. And I woke up early - around 4:30 - but still feel well rested.

I've done a lot this morning, in comparison to last week: filled the dishwasher/emptied the sink, run two loads of laundry, put sour rags in bleachwater, and filled the box to go out for ARC.

Doesn't seem like much, maybe, but considering what in's been like lately, this is a lot.

And now, it's Mother Goose time. I'll go see if the kids want to go.

If I don't feel like doing things I like to do, how can I possibly keep the house in any kind of order?

I'm tired.

So, what have I done today?

I walked two miles - I tell you, that was fun! - and then took Elyssa over to Darby's for a while, came home, and cleaned out the van.

Granted, I've wanted to do that for a few weeks, but just the trash. However, as we're trading it in for a larger, newer model, um... I just cleared everything out.

It's actually quite warm out there! Yesterday was a record 75 degrees, and I'm not sure today isn't going to get there, too.

So, after I got Elyssa, and gave her lunch, I went over to the apartment of a sister in the ward and cleaned up a little. I shouldn't have worn dark clothes; she has a white dog. And my clothes smell of smoke, now. Urg.

And I am just... weary.

( Random Rambles )

Okay. List for today:

1. Decide which five fics to write (stop working on the HoSu! They can wait (even if Su's reduced to tears, now)! And yes, so can the GengSu.), as I only got one written yesterday: 0/5
2. At least start on toys (a good 30 minutes at least)
3. Old files into boxes, new ones into file box
4. Finish filing - I'm DONE! I'm so excited I could DANCE.
5. At least six HoO cards (0/6)
6. Some writing in my journal
7. Shower
8. Empty inbox

That's all I can think of now...

It's a list. This is scary.

And it's not a fancy list. Which is more scary.

These are not in the order in which they will be done, either.

01. Repost goals, with updates, etc.
02. Decide which three fics to write (stop working on the HoSu! They can wait (even if Su's reduced to tears, now)! And yes, so can the GengSu.) 1/3
03. Finish laundry, fold
04. 15 minute clean up on living room - calling it good, since it got interrupted. I'll try again tomorrow.
05. Empty dishwasher
06. At least start on toys (a good 30 minutes at least)
07. put boxes together
08. Old files into boxes, new ones into file box
09. Finish filing
10. At least six more HoO cards (5/6)
11. Lunch (I almost forgot that)
12. Edit post on pr_classics
13. Files into new folders (I'm so excited about this!)

Well. There's the list. Not much online. This might not be a good day....

I have a plan for this week, I think. I'm not sure it'll work, but I'm going to try.

I need to get the house in relatively good shape for when we leave, so if I do the House of Order Cards every day, I'll have a good start at it, right?

Right.

So, that's the plan. Or was, until Scott asked me to organize the toys, etc; we're getting our new tv sometime this week (any time from Thursday to Monday), and we need to move the family room around. I should get some "before and after" pictures, now that I think about it.

This is my chance, though - to completely throw toys away, or at least donate them. We have far too many. I have clothes I want to go through, I have toys I just want to get rid of, and so many other projects I want to do but have no energy for it.

I looked at something I had written, and realized, that if I'd made it through the first round of brigits_flame, I had something for week two ("dine") and week three ("limelight").

Ah, well. I'll try again in December, when I know I'll have no chance at all, because so many people will be in it.

I sat down and figured out that if I write three fics a day starting today, every day but Sunday, until December 31st, I'll be done with these challenges. I haven't decided which way to go yet - finish of the Triangle things, do one challenge at a time, or one from each until one is done. I also forgot the letter challenges, so there's at least five more. Still, if I can get those done, I'll refrain from doing any more.

I promise. I have so many wips I want to do, and these challenges are getting in the way. I need to get them out of the way, and just get this all done. Then I can work on things at leisure.

Note to self: stop watching 150_comms. And the other challenge comms. Which means, I won't have much to watch but pic comms and a few comms for writing. Which is what I'd like to do anyway, you know?

I wish I had some original characters I liked a lot.

Hm. Can I move the unicorn piece to Eden? It might be worth it to look into that. The Mermaid, though, cannot be here. It just can't.

But the dragons could, and... maybe a couple of others. If I could figure out how to get Tabitha there, and why she'd be there (in a town of werewolves, a werecat-of-sorts? She'd better have a darn good reason), and why she'd stay.... That would open it up for Maggie's move back to California for her final year, and I could rewrite Secrets from there.

Oh, lovely. Another project I don't need.

But those are in the future, and in the far distant future. I'll have to see about outlining them loosely.

Would the unicorns dislike the werewolves, or would they live in harmony, as the werewolves wouldn't hunt them? Hm. Something to think about.

And, as for the mermaid - why not combine that with Secrets? Because she'd be in SoCal, and I was looking for some sort of a storyline... I could combine the second line of power creatures (gryphon, black lion, unicorn, red dragon, etc - it's sad that I can't even remember) with the mermaid, and so she'd have someone to fight for.

Hm. Worth considering, I think. Definitely worth considering.

It cuts it down to what, three books? Four - Wolves in Eden, Iron Unicorn, something to do with Tabitha - maybe put her in with the unicorns? and then Secrets. It's less than I'd hoped, and Secrets is fanfiction and couldn't be published, but that's okay. At least it'd have a real story, with action in it.

But it's weird, that I can't see Maggie outside of Eden. So I have to adjust. If I get enough of it outlined, maybe I can write it for Nano next year.

Writing group today - that was fun! I didn't get much written, but we had such a huge group that it didn't matter. We had three girls from the High School, and a young man who was one of the Municipal Liason's students. It was a blast. We really had fun! It was a much needed break from the seriousness of Nano, and no one seemed to care that I had decided not to do it.

I'm sad, yes, but I think it's a necessary thing.

I have this list from skyangel2009 - well, that I helped her creat prompts for, she did most of the work - that, if I can come up with a storyline, and finish the other pending challenges, I'll do a janowrimo, and see if I can't get 50k words in January. I might put it off to February (although that would be HARD, hello, short month), but if I can just get these done, that will help.

This afternoon, Scott went shopping for electronic stuff. He picked up the digital converter boxes, and shopped for the big screen tv he's wanted for about a year. So, after dinner, we went to get it. We found the tv, and the table to set it on, and now we get to rearrange the family room by next week some time.

This is good. It means we will need to clean up the room. Clean out the book cases, things like that, and find places to put thing.

Oh. Joy. But it has to be done, and we can do it.

I have an empty inbox, except for checks that need to be shredded, and a note to myself about the links list on my lj.

This is a monumental thing. Now I need to go to the next pile of things and find a place for them.

Where to start?

I finally got them all done.

A bit of a refresher: I took the ideas for how to make these goals S.M.A.R.T, and powerful from the Top Achievement website. It helped.

I also got the idea of how to do these from Scott:

1. is Daily: used to create or eliminate a habit
2. is weekly: what isn't daily
3. is monthly: a once-a-month occurance, or something I'd like to get done within a month
4. is yearly: a long term goal, usually with begin and finish dates
5. is an event, something like: vote in the November 2008 elections or something.

So. On to the goals.
( In six different areas )

Well, there they are. Some - most, I hope - of these are on my 101 in 1001 list, but the rest are things I need to get done, too.

Wish me luck!

This morning has been... interesting.

The girls are home from school until next Tuesday; I have a Relief Society Presidency meeting tonight, in-laws coming tomorrow night, and holidays to prepare for.

I spent the morning doing not a lot of stuff, even though I tried - although, in my defence, I did stuff with my children. Maggie and Elyssa got a paperdoll from... someone (it's been so long since we got it that I don't even know who any more), and they found it today - or to be more specific, Scott found it.

OH! I remember now! We cut Taran's hair before the walk, went for a walk, and then came home and Scott started cleaning off the kitchen counter. And foudn the paper doll. So I punched her out, punched out the carry case thing, and a couple of the clothes - and didn't get the front room cleaned at all.

I need to come up with dinner plans. Something easy and quick, because we're going to see "Space Chimps" after nap time/quiet time.

And now, I'm going to go heat up that chicken noodle soup, because I'm FREEZING.

We have this tree in our backyard - I think it's a maple, but I'm not sure - that, a few weeks ago, had just one branch BRIGHT red. I didn't get a picture of it.

Well, there is the most gorgeous scene outside my window (not right now, however, as it's dark), and so I tried to get it on film. It took a few shots, and fiddling with the camera settings to get it on landscape or outside or whatever, but I finally got a few I like.

( The whole thing is red, now )

Just a couple of pictures.

I feel rather productive today, which is amazing - and probably false, but at least I feel good.

I paid bills, got my dad's birthday card in the mail (it was supposed to go out Saturday - I'm better but I'm not perfect yet), did the prep for the holidays notebook - I'm really excited about this, becuase I think it'll help me get it all out in one glance, and color coded! - and updated my palm and my planner (sort of cross-referenced them).

There's still a lot I have to put in there, as in Relief Society meetings, etc., but I hope that if I can keep up this energy - I've had a lot this morning, in spite of trying to stay up to watch New York, which I feel asleep at the end of, so I have no idea who killed either of the two dead bodies - I'll be able to get everything done I wanted to.

And I think color coding is the way to go - that way I know what's for whom. Pink for Maggie, Blue for Elyssa (she picked it), Green for Taran, purple for Scott and I, Black for family.

My next thing is to outline goals, finished the voting post for pr_classics, and... I don't remember - distracted by kids - oh! that's right, work on/finish "But Not Forgotten", because I want to get it to a beta by the end of this week.

All between exercising, going to the library, and cleaning the house. And there's entries in my handwritten journal to write, studying to do....

So. There it all is. I hope this works....

I have a list of things I want to do today. I've actually done two of them, which is amazing.

At the computer:
Look up the book Maggie checked out of the library - not possible
Reply to Kemal's email

Calls to make:
Erin (about 18:30)
Elite Auto (about 9:45)
Katrina (about 9:45)
Mom

Errands to run:
Library
Get Gas

At home:
House of Order Cards
15 minute miracle
Weekly review
Laundry: wash and fold

We'll see how I do.

Seriously.

So, I set my timer for 30 minutes, as in, I can't go back to the computer until the 30 minutes is up, and I am going to attack the kitchen.

Taran cried for 18 minutes. The kind of cry which I had to hold him to calm him down.

For 18 minutes. Gah. Becuase his sisters slammed the doors and yelled at each other, and woke him up.

It was all I could do not to go and get back on the computer (it's my retreat, for when I need time to myself), and so I spent 12 minutes on the kitchen.

Yeah. If I'd had the whole thirty, it would have been done.

So. 15 minutes on, and then I'm back at it.

Oh, joy.

Which is massive. It will cover the week, I think.

( A lot of stuff to do )

Well, now that my morning is completely shot - crap! - time to put Taran down for a nap, and get on this list. I'll update it as I go.

So, the past two hours or so, I've been cleaning house. There are a lot of things I'd rather be doing (like I finally got at least part of the filing cabinet emptied, and I want to get going through my inbox! Waaaa!

Yes, Scott reads my journal. And apparently, I spoke too much about it, so he brought his file cabinet upstairs. I still don't know where we'll put the old bills, etc., but we need to find something - somewhere - to keep them (maybe a file box?) so I can finish doing all this FUN stuff I have to do!

Aside from that... I'm tired. Just... tired.

So, tomorrow I have to do all the things I didn't get done today.

Which is... everything.

gah. I'm so dead.

At least the dishes got done, and if I empty the dishwasher in the morning that will help.

I want my file cabinet. I need to just toss all my school work. I haven't used it for anything in 14 years, I'm not likely to start now. And I want the space. And my inbox is beginning to overflow (not to mention being balanced on the trash can, which I could really use... especially since Taran dumped out the box of crackers).

So, yeah. I can't be online much tomorrow. It'll kill me, but I can do it. I have to do it.