05/30/21 -- birrrrrr

so Saturday morning I got a little lucky with the camera

the hummers really seem to like our new feeders 

they have a perch to rest on ...

thru the viewfinder I could really see their little hearts beating .. wowzer

and a pooping hummer ..

no, not a planned pix 

must be like mice, eat and poop at the same time

finally got to the happy place ... the work continued 

the boys played on the the lifts all day long 

not sure why -- but a lot of futzing with them 

jakers sat on the beach and supervised -- he's tethered to a cleat 

he thinks the neighbors beach smells good .and that leads to 

un-neighborly behavior

and as the sun was setting thru the clouds

the floating poopers floated by -- 55 of 'em

I spent the night and heard the pitter patter ( more like wind flung ) rain hit the house shortly before 5:00 am, got up at 6 -- made coffee and fell asleep in the chair for an hour .. finally at 8:30 hit the shower and hit the road for Target, yes Target

30 minutes and $ 250 later I had a full cart .. 

wooden tv trays ( to re-purpose as night stands), lamps for nightstands, pillows, cocoa rug for the porch door, 3 drawer rolling cart, light bulbs, clothes hangers, cute wicker basket, toothbrushes, sunscreen, a new summer tote bag, skittles, sugar, raspberries, tea kettle ... I still needed tp, paper towel, trash bags and kleenex -- no I didn't go back in ... I ordered on line :)

I then proceeded to Mc Donalds -- after 2 months without a McD's iced coffee -- I earned it ... and a breakfast sandwich -- I miss McD's ... hopefully, construction is on schedule -- coffee and a sausage mc muffin for the commute back to Maple Drive -- 

Lee and Jean were installing the new ceiling fans in the porch -- yep, the porch -- when they were done, we cleaned and gathered up the trash -- it was still raining and cold ... so back in the morning -- I'm into laundry and cleaning at home ( and maybe a touch of sewing) 

 

05/29/21 taking charge

 

this week has been all about taking charge of life

getting things done and taking control

step one:  the project table had to leave my office -- it's not a large room and a 3 x 8 table took up way to much space and ...

I got my couch back ... it too takes up room -- but it is a fabulous spot to read the paper and have morning coffee ... after the pix ... I finished taking down the plastic window kits and rugs ... it should be warm enough to not need them ... and then....I broke down and turned on the furnace Friday morning .. it was 58' and chilly inside the building

my office lawnmower was not starting this week -- Nick came, couldn't make it start, so Dad was going to help me haul it home -- I can't lift it into my truck ... he brought along a can of ether/starting fluid and it started --- so I quick mowed the lawn and he went and got a fishing license .  he'd left off the air filter so it kind of roared --- but the damn grass got mowed and he got his fishing license -- 

Amazon to the rescue -- I ordered a $13 hanging shoe rack to hang over the door -- well the goofy brackets were weird and the door wouldn't shut -- I just hung it on the wall behind the door -- I have to many pairs of summer shoes/sandals -- this may / may not be the entire collection ... there is a new pair in the trunk of Ruby and I ordered a couple of pairs of crocs for the lake ... and then there is the sneaker collection ... boot collection ...  I'm sorting thru shoes this weekend and then the bedroom purge will be completed -- 

My clothes, food and projects are packed for the weekend at the cabin -- I need to stop and get a few things on the trek -- (ice, fishing license, bedding plants, milk, table) and then I'm out of town for at least two days .... I've been joking that I hadn't been to Menards since 2019 ( for real peeps, for real) .. well I haven't been away from the office for TWO WHOLE DAYS since 2019 either .. 

the last time I was gone == November 2019 when I went to Green Lake Crafting Retreat with the scrapping divas ... what the heck ...

05/23/21 more wonders of the world

   I went to Mankato shopping -- for the first time in 15 months !!!!!   ( that fast trip w/Dad a month ago doesn't count) .. 

1.  Goodwill -- the backseat of my truck was full ... full to the roof ...
2.  Menards -- dirt, pots, dirt, seed, sprayer
3.  Menards -- plants ( the cart was full with the first trek)
4.  Panera -- the drive up ... it took a while but it was damn tasty.
5.  finally got to the cabin

  I was up at and working at 4:19 Saturday morning .. I had made up my mind that a couple of projects were going to get done no matter what ... and then shortly before lunch we went to the cabin ... it was a nice cloudy afternoon -- me, my computer and work :)  home for supper and back to the office -- more shit got done.  

  This morning it was rise and shine at 6 -- today's project was my overflowing closet -- 6 bags to goodwill -- the summer clothes got flipped with the winter clothes and the purge occurred -- I was brutal, really really brutal.  I still have too much.  

  Today's cabin projects -- raking, bagging, planting, weed whipping, and always the vacuum cleaner.  I bought large pots / dirt at Menards for the planters -- the geraniums I bought earlier from Karen -- alas, the plants were in town -- I'll run out one night this week and plant -- Jean dug up 5 large pots of daylilies -- and we tag teamed planting them -- well, I dug holes and she did the work .. 12 hills -- I couldn't resist the hosta's at Menards - those got planted too.  

  I also bought a rose bush -- will pot it up at the office .. Menards was expensive - I also got pots for my houseplants and dirt for the houseplants.  .... it was a loaded truck .... 

This weeks project list 

Office: 
1.  Mow the grass, spray the roundup
2.  Plant the planters
3.  Pull some weeds
4.  Finish 1/2 of the MNPRs
5.  Walk more

Home:
1.  Pack up weekend sewing projects
2.  Inventory the yarn -
3.  Purge the bookcases
4.  Plant the planters
5.  Eat better ... I

Cabin:
1.  Plant more daylilies, sedum -- 
2.  Work on the rain garden plan
3.  Move furniture in bedroom and set up mini office/sewing spot
4.  

5/21/21 wonders of all wonders

 my phone rang once .. from noon on ... ONCE ...

 it goes without saying but I got a lotta stuff done ...
 

 the trash, wiped down surfaces with pine sol, got a haircut, answered and organized a zillion emails, made a million copies for projects .. finished a bunch of stuff ... watered the plants

 and I'm home working on more projects ..

05/20/21 challenges

   my 4 (maybe 5) year old iPhone was dying.  it wouldn't hold a charge for 6 hours ( with no use ) ... it was well beyond wore out .. so today I went to the local "authorized verizon re-seller" ... and 100 minutes later walked out with a new phone ... things i learned

1.  it had to be financed or the warranty was voided
2.  the kid still tried to sell me a service contract for $20 a month ..??? seriously
3.  oh by the way "you have a $300 credit as a repeat customer"  wth ... 
4.  at least he didn't try and upsell me on a fancier model.
   

in the end I have a newer but not newest model .. it's the same physical size as the old one  .. and ... the otter box cover is black -- after 8 years of camo ...I finally have solid colored over .. 

me and my homework are doing laundry, surfing the internet and ... ordering pizza crust mix on Amazon -- neither hyvee or gyp foods carries the brand #2 likes.  pizza crust mix..Amazon .. what the hell.

05/19/21 the end of the party

the end of the work party .. or the downhill slide of the work party ...

Monday was weird ...

I had a lot of County gigs ... Union, P/Z and by the time I got home it was 10:15pm ...

yesterday was weirder -- the phone really didn't ring a lot and no one was walking in 

I took down the tables in the front room and am about to pull in the drop box although I might leave it out there for after hours 

I mowed the lawn -- the dang lawnmower started on the first pull -- I must have the touch ... the weeds are out of control ... at least between me and the bar

I went to bed at 8:30 last night .. slept well until midnight - should have known -- I didn't know what to do with myself so I went to bed

I managed to lose my fitbit ... but last night the roomba found it ... on the floor of my office -- after I spent 30 minutes shopping for a new one ... the roomba also knocked over a business card holder and managed to spread business cards thru out the front room ... at least it wasn't cat / dog or baby poop ... 

Sunday afternoon we had a boat cruise -- the first of the year .. this apple tree is over on the north side/bay of the lake it was simply stunning up close .. my phone shot doesn't do it justice ... 

 

05/16/21 with pix

 

05/16/21 the end is not near

  I hope this is the last Sunday that I come to the office at 6:00am ... and the list of today includes:

1.    filing as many extensions as I can remember

2.    financial statements for SRC 

3.    payroll prep for the week

4.    empty the trash cans

5.    file some more extensions (way to many of the damn things)

  I bailed out of here yesterday at 3:00 -- when and retrieved Mom and we went to the cabin -- it was a beautiful afternoon and evening at the lake -- I have fabulous pictures on my still camera ..  I finished reading my book, worked a little, cleaned a little .. and just sat there ... 

  Just sitting is okay  :)

05/13/21 almost a wrap

I'm not a selfie taker ... but I found this on the surface pro ...  

I left the office at 8:00 pm -- 14 hours after I arrived .. it's light out, it's warm out and it's time for less work ... we've been busting and crushing out "stuff" for 15 months and it's time for us.  The income tax seasons that have never ended -- need to end.  If it isn't done by now, it's going to be extended.  Need to calculate some rough estimates for extension payments and then I'm done.  I do have a zillion returns that need to be transmitted and I will be tracking those clients down over the next 48 hours -- 

Dave H walked over for lunch yesterday when TR was down.   We got to visit about a heap of things -- and his comment about the PPP /EIDL support work we did, have done and continue to do -- resonated with me -- hours of UNBILLABLE work -- by statute accountants and accounting firms were not allowed to charge for those services -- the lenders were to "share" their 5% underwriting fees with the support people -- haven't seen a dime.  -- I would do it all again for my clients -- but I'm a little irked at the banks .. it was a lot of work.  Ditto the 1200 and rising questions regarding the EIP or stimulus payments -- they never seem to go away.  

We still don't have clarification from the State on what they are going to do -- the legislative session ends on Monday and nada -- they are chatting about it in conference but nothing has been settled.  Gov. Walz lifted the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals effective tomorrow morning.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  There are a lot of anti-vacc'ers out there that are still spreading germs.  On the upside -- it is impressive how many of us are fully vaccinated at this point.  That is and was a massive undertaking.  Seriously .. the public health crews rock.

So tomorrow I get to work alone ... 

1.  a little copying

2.  and back to the projects

3.  I'll be tracking down the un-transmitted peeps and getting them transmitted (and accepted)

4.  the vac will be running

5.  the trash will be emptied

and then it's back to our new normal ...

sorry about the ranting ...

sometimes it makes me feel sane

 

05/12/21 and today's failure

   thomson reuters is my software provider and hosts the VPN that gets us into said software and securely stores client data -- they went down at 5:30 this morning and we had no software, no access to software or data for 5.5 hours.  no access - no work.  things got done, not the things I planned on doing.  it was bad.  

   it takes me a while to re-group and put on my big girl panties and get to work - sometimes I am an idiot.  an old idiot.  

   we're down to 40 + tax returns, i didn't update the spreadsheet before I went home with work.  

    I attempted laundry this evening.  my black fuzzy pullover had a tissue in the pocket -- it's now black with white flecks -- hoping the clothes dryer can work miracles .. and then there is the cleaning of the washing machine -- not everything stuck to the fuzzy pullover -- so I'm quitting for the night ... argh.

05/09/21 the Beverly Hillbilly's have arrived

this is the Gansen/Dranttel version of a garbage barge ... the 1971 Alumcraft that came with the cabin a) floats and b) got loaded with trash and towed to the boat landing ... towed by the WaveRunner ...  there is busted cement blocks, odd boat pieces, odd deck pieces, a dock bench ( I lost my coffee perch) a winch or two and a log in there ...

off he goes to the public landing

the boys spent most of the last two days moving lifts, setting up lifts and putting boats on lifts .. lots of lift work .... Dad's boat on the left, the demo boat on the right and the WaveRunner is large in blue

still headed to the landing

a mean Auntie would post this on wastebook

and looking up the hill, see my tulips, blooming, Jean cut a lot of "stuff" out of the bank.. and moved some rocks after the picture, she's been burning stuff all weekend too -- old wood, leaves, a chopped up boat lift (ya) ... it's happening and looking better every day ... struggling to get grass to grow ... need rain for that to happen ( or an irrigation system ) 

I did go to work this morning for a couple of hours.  the list to finish is down to 63 -- I think I can, I think I can ... I know I will, I know I will.

 

05/07/21 Tired Diva

I'll never get tired of this view ... I'm tired of the rest of my life ... my mind and body are wearing out quickly ... might need to take part of the night off ... and then again .. need to keep plugging along.  Will have over a 100 hours in again this week .. the weird stuff sometimes gets weirder ... and the lost is still missing ... or missing in action.

my new socks -- Darn Tough ones from Nutters .. I got three pair and need more ... 

food for the working Diva's ... raspberries, iPod and drugs ... needed to call in the quarterly refills

my new lounge chair arrived -- I think I'll like it 

the file room from the camera view .. 

it is a federally declared disaster area 

 

05/02/21 May Day Adventures

Mom and I went out the cabin yesterday -- it was 88' -- our fall/winter/spring bodies were not prepared for 88' -- it was nice - loving that screen porch  --- the tulips I planted are up and budded .. soon to bloom -- the neighbor has a landscape project happening 

I took the new printer out there with me and I had a tote bag of work for later -- the printer was chatting with my surface pro so I worked on the porch ... 6 tax returns while enjoying the view, the computer I bought is 1/2 set up and getting updated etc at the office.  Regis and I worked in the morning -- his idea .. so I went with it ... 

today was goofy project day -- started with recycling, trash and watering the plants ( the indoor garden is quite large) -- the roomba ran for over an hour .. I'm back to tossing out 3 things a day ... that happened -- and home by 4:00 -- mini nap -- and now back to the projects and plotting for the rest of the week ... 

I'm a plotter -- I seldom read my notes but it feels good to plot ... 

yep, ass in the chair and feet up ...

when I got out there I realized my phone was less than 25% and the iPad was at 15%  -- and no chargers -- today's Amazon moment was 2 complete chargers ...  and a couple books :)  always need books ...

 

04/27/21 accomplishments

 life is full of twists and turns ( aka shit ) .. so I need to celebrate the accomplishments -- 

1.    I'm up and dressed for the day.  somedays that is a challenge.

2.    My grow lights arrived from Amazon - if one is become a crazy plant lady - grow lights are essential.

3.    All but one of the weekly payrolls is finished and if I would quit typing this I could be completing it .. it is good to have payroll out of the way early.

and at the end of the day I still have a project list ... so i'm going home anyway.  it's dark and dreary with the rain ... which we needed ... so .... home I go.

ahh   I started this on Tuesday .. it's the notes to myself week .