You know me, never one to turn down a task... So, here I am, up to my eyeballs in work (long text all about malaria, admin guff to deal with, classes to teach, homework to mark, bla, bla, bla) and already committed to NaBloPoMo (and, so far, sticking to it, though obviously 4 days is hardly a major achievement, even I can recognise that), and I go and sign up for NaNoWriMo too. As if I didn't already spend enough time every day chained to my keyboard, I've now committed to writing another 1,667 every day till the end of the month. I must be stark raving.
Of course, I'm already woefully behind with "novel". I'm not even up at one day's supposed total and I've already "done" 3 days (I erased all my first day's work because it was unspeakable crap. I'm not saying the 1,500 words I did yesterday are any good, but I think they're less crap that what went before).
Strangely, though, I seem to thrive on this type of challenge. I've always wanted to write a book of some kind, and this is just the motivation I need (perhaps). The biggest problem, of course, is that I don't have a clear story outline. But I'm hoping things will fall into place as the days go by. I'm not sure I'm going to make 50,000 words by 30 November, but I'm going to give it a try and see what comes out of it.
What comes out of it other than sore wrists and a blinding headache, I mean.
jeudi 5 novembre 2009
mercredi 4 novembre 2009
Progress report
Believe it or not, the sitting room (the front half, anyway) is actually looking pretty good, though I say it myself. There's so much space all of a sudden!
Of course, the rest still looks like crap, but I'm really proud of all that I managed to achieve in such a short amount of time. And that has motivated me to keep going (except of course that I have a shitload of work to do, but I'm not going to let that stop me).
Next stop: the rest of the sitting room. I figure that if I can get our main room looking OK then the rest isn't as important because it's less visible. The trouble with this theory is that doing the rest of the sitting room (the office part) doesn't depend only on me - I need some DIY-type to help me get things done, like putting up wall lights, putting up a shelf, putting together some furniture (that I can do on my own, what I can't do is get the boxes down from the top of our wardrobe where D put them last year). But I'm really going to try and get this room done (and done properly, not just superficial, cosmetic stuff) by the Christmas holidays.
I know reading about my tidying up is utterly dull (especially without photos, but really, I'm too ashamed to put up any "before" pictures), but it helps me get my act together!
Of course, the rest still looks like crap, but I'm really proud of all that I managed to achieve in such a short amount of time. And that has motivated me to keep going (except of course that I have a shitload of work to do, but I'm not going to let that stop me).
Next stop: the rest of the sitting room. I figure that if I can get our main room looking OK then the rest isn't as important because it's less visible. The trouble with this theory is that doing the rest of the sitting room (the office part) doesn't depend only on me - I need some DIY-type to help me get things done, like putting up wall lights, putting up a shelf, putting together some furniture (that I can do on my own, what I can't do is get the boxes down from the top of our wardrobe where D put them last year). But I'm really going to try and get this room done (and done properly, not just superficial, cosmetic stuff) by the Christmas holidays.
I know reading about my tidying up is utterly dull (especially without photos, but really, I'm too ashamed to put up any "before" pictures), but it helps me get my act together!
mardi 3 novembre 2009
Spring cleaning in...errr...November
I'm either really, really behing (probable) or really, really early (unlikely), but today I actually got down to some "spring cleaning".
Don't get too excited, though, as of course I ran out of time (and energy) and have probably only done about 50% of our sitting room (to be fair, if you take into account the disproportions of our flat, that is about 25% of the entire place, but still). But there is definitely an improvement, and the bit that I've done is the first part of the flat you see when you come through the front door, so I'm quite pleased.
The only down side, of course, is that it makes the remaining 50% of the sitting room (the office part, in other words) look infinitely worse. But I'm hopeful that now that I've started I'll actually manage to keep going and do some more.
My aim is to get the whole sitting room-office combo looking pretty hot damn good by the time we go away for Christmas. And, of course, if I can get more than that done, it'll be a bonus (next on the list: the kitchen, then finish the girls' room (nothing more's been done since we painted it, so it really looks unfinished. Which is normal, because it is), do the bathroom, tidy up the walk-in cupboard (that you can't walk into) and end with our room.
A huge task, certainly.
But at least I've started.
Don't get too excited, though, as of course I ran out of time (and energy) and have probably only done about 50% of our sitting room (to be fair, if you take into account the disproportions of our flat, that is about 25% of the entire place, but still). But there is definitely an improvement, and the bit that I've done is the first part of the flat you see when you come through the front door, so I'm quite pleased.
The only down side, of course, is that it makes the remaining 50% of the sitting room (the office part, in other words) look infinitely worse. But I'm hopeful that now that I've started I'll actually manage to keep going and do some more.
My aim is to get the whole sitting room-office combo looking pretty hot damn good by the time we go away for Christmas. And, of course, if I can get more than that done, it'll be a bonus (next on the list: the kitchen, then finish the girls' room (nothing more's been done since we painted it, so it really looks unfinished. Which is normal, because it is), do the bathroom, tidy up the walk-in cupboard (that you can't walk into) and end with our room.
A huge task, certainly.
But at least I've started.
dimanche 1 novembre 2009
It's that time of year again...
Yeah, like I'm not already overwhelmed, I've decided to go ahead and do the NaBloPoMo thing again this year... And I'm not sure I'm going to make it, but I'm sure as hell going to give it a try. Add a little discipline to my life, if you like.
Nothing much to report here, of course. I took the girls to a Hallowe'en party last night (Hallowe'en is virtually non-existent for children here in France, but we have a Franco-American language school just around the corner and they put on a party every year) and was delighted when they both won prizes for their costumes (put together, home-made style, by yours truly): L won third prize for her adorable pumpkin and C also won third prize for her equally adorable cat. I was so pleased!
There were games and dancing and lots of sweets, so of course they both had a great time! I was chilled to the bone by the end of it, but enjoyed it too.
The half-term holidays are coming to a close (the girls go back to school on Wednesday) and it's been quite hard as I've had a shitload of work, but it's been quite good all the same. The fabulous weather certainly helps.
And as for my worries, well, they haven't gone away, but I'm hanging in there and am hoping to climb out of (some) debt by the end of the year. I just have to keep working, working, working...
Oh, and I've bought my Christmas cards and even done quite a bit of Christmas shopping - how's that for organised!
Now, if I could just get this place tidied up by Tuesday lunchtime, when a friend and her kids come to lunch, I might even feel happy...
Nothing much to report here, of course. I took the girls to a Hallowe'en party last night (Hallowe'en is virtually non-existent for children here in France, but we have a Franco-American language school just around the corner and they put on a party every year) and was delighted when they both won prizes for their costumes (put together, home-made style, by yours truly): L won third prize for her adorable pumpkin and C also won third prize for her equally adorable cat. I was so pleased!
There were games and dancing and lots of sweets, so of course they both had a great time! I was chilled to the bone by the end of it, but enjoyed it too.
The half-term holidays are coming to a close (the girls go back to school on Wednesday) and it's been quite hard as I've had a shitload of work, but it's been quite good all the same. The fabulous weather certainly helps.
And as for my worries, well, they haven't gone away, but I'm hanging in there and am hoping to climb out of (some) debt by the end of the year. I just have to keep working, working, working...
Oh, and I've bought my Christmas cards and even done quite a bit of Christmas shopping - how's that for organised!
Now, if I could just get this place tidied up by Tuesday lunchtime, when a friend and her kids come to lunch, I might even feel happy...
samedi 17 octobre 2009
Hanging in
Nothing's really changed (except the weather, which is no longer summer but most definitely autumn), but I'm feeling a little less panicked. Possibly because of what my commenter said in my response to my last post (thank you!), possibly because a couple of clients have paid me and more are probably set to do so in the next few days, possibly because (as a result) one of my bank accounts is actually in the black, possibly because I just spent a shitload of money (that I don't really have) on our upcoming trip to Scotland for Christmas, possibly just because I seem to have come through the weird cold-flu-type thing I had for a few days (was it H1N1? Who knows. But I felt mildly crap and now feel better, so that's the main thing).
Anyway. Life looks a little less bleak. D had a job to do this week (230 Euros!) and will be getting the remainder of an inheritance sometime in the future (450 Euros!), all of which is good news. The girls are in good shape, though tired (school holidays again soon - next Friday, in fact), they really are developping good friends and that makes me very happy. I'm sort of on top of my work load and have eaten less crap than usual this week. But I am really, really tired.
I've even sort of started Christmas shopping (not because I'm particularly organised, it's just a means of spreading the spending out over a number of weeks, rather than just the second half of December). Obviously, I haven't done much - a book each for the girls and a Winx drawing book thing for C, but it's a start. And I'm hoping to get a few more bits and pieces done as the weeks go by. And yes, I'm really looking forward to going to Scotland (especially as it means two nights in a hotel - one in Girona on the way out, the other in Birmingham on the way back). I just hope my sweet Daddy can rent us a car for a few days to give us some freedom!
So yes. Things are improving. Of course, I still have shitloads of money to pay out, and not much money to do it with, but I may just about break even, if I'm lucky.
But I'll be glad to see the back of 2009 all the same!
Anyway. Life looks a little less bleak. D had a job to do this week (230 Euros!) and will be getting the remainder of an inheritance sometime in the future (450 Euros!), all of which is good news. The girls are in good shape, though tired (school holidays again soon - next Friday, in fact), they really are developping good friends and that makes me very happy. I'm sort of on top of my work load and have eaten less crap than usual this week. But I am really, really tired.
I've even sort of started Christmas shopping (not because I'm particularly organised, it's just a means of spreading the spending out over a number of weeks, rather than just the second half of December). Obviously, I haven't done much - a book each for the girls and a Winx drawing book thing for C, but it's a start. And I'm hoping to get a few more bits and pieces done as the weeks go by. And yes, I'm really looking forward to going to Scotland (especially as it means two nights in a hotel - one in Girona on the way out, the other in Birmingham on the way back). I just hope my sweet Daddy can rent us a car for a few days to give us some freedom!
So yes. Things are improving. Of course, I still have shitloads of money to pay out, and not much money to do it with, but I may just about break even, if I'm lucky.
But I'll be glad to see the back of 2009 all the same!
jeudi 8 octobre 2009
Screwed
My life feels like it's such a mess right now. I'm at my wits' end, I really am.
Money is the number one cause of stress, of course. Every piece of mail I seem to get is someone asking me for money. Money that I don't have.
Clients are dragging their feet about paying me, but even when the money comes in, I'll still be in debt all over the place. D has borrowed money from his best friend, and I haven't the least idea when we'll be able to pay him back. I have to buy plane tickets for Scotland for Christmas (and my wonderful Daddy already gave me 500 € for that - all of which has been sucked into my gaping overdrafts) and haven't a bean to my name. I have my VAT bill to pay, rent for our garage, the rest of our roof payments, car payments, social contributions...
I'm drowning in debt and worry and stress.
Plus, all this stress and worry makes me do crap stuff like eat like a pig (crisps! biscuits! junk food!), go back to my ridiculous hours (yes, it's 3 am here yet again) and buy stuff I don't really need on credit (more credit! more debt! yeah!).
D's in a funk about his "career" and is claiming that he's going to really start looking for a job, any job, anything to earn some money. And boy, do I ever need that. If he could earn just 1000 € a month on a regular basis I reckon we'd be OK. Or at least OK enough for me not to have to worry myself to death all the time.
I've had loads of work, my teaching schedule is hard (up at 6.30 on Mondays, teaching from 8 till 3.15, then two hours on Thursdays, plus preparing classes, marking homework, bla, bla, bla) and I really don't think I can do much more - clients that pay more, and quicker, would be nice, but I can't see it happening, I really can't.
I'm snappy and snarky and impatient with my sweet girls, I'm embarrassed that we're so poor (especially with them in such a swanky school), I feel like a total failure. And oh, so very alone!
Life is not cool right now, and the future is looking pretty dark.
Help.
Money is the number one cause of stress, of course. Every piece of mail I seem to get is someone asking me for money. Money that I don't have.
Clients are dragging their feet about paying me, but even when the money comes in, I'll still be in debt all over the place. D has borrowed money from his best friend, and I haven't the least idea when we'll be able to pay him back. I have to buy plane tickets for Scotland for Christmas (and my wonderful Daddy already gave me 500 € for that - all of which has been sucked into my gaping overdrafts) and haven't a bean to my name. I have my VAT bill to pay, rent for our garage, the rest of our roof payments, car payments, social contributions...
I'm drowning in debt and worry and stress.
Plus, all this stress and worry makes me do crap stuff like eat like a pig (crisps! biscuits! junk food!), go back to my ridiculous hours (yes, it's 3 am here yet again) and buy stuff I don't really need on credit (more credit! more debt! yeah!).
D's in a funk about his "career" and is claiming that he's going to really start looking for a job, any job, anything to earn some money. And boy, do I ever need that. If he could earn just 1000 € a month on a regular basis I reckon we'd be OK. Or at least OK enough for me not to have to worry myself to death all the time.
I've had loads of work, my teaching schedule is hard (up at 6.30 on Mondays, teaching from 8 till 3.15, then two hours on Thursdays, plus preparing classes, marking homework, bla, bla, bla) and I really don't think I can do much more - clients that pay more, and quicker, would be nice, but I can't see it happening, I really can't.
I'm snappy and snarky and impatient with my sweet girls, I'm embarrassed that we're so poor (especially with them in such a swanky school), I feel like a total failure. And oh, so very alone!
Life is not cool right now, and the future is looking pretty dark.
Help.
jeudi 1 octobre 2009
Addiction
Confession time.
I am an addict. A total, time-wasting, life-screwing-up, addict.
And the culprit? GAMEDUELL.
OK, I'm not exactly a hardcore user yet as I'm waaaaayyyy too mean to actually play any of the games for actual money (they give you a "free" 10 Euro starter, and I'm down to 1.10 Euro, so I've stopped there), but still. I have wasted many, many late-night hours on this stupid site and their stupid games. That I'm not even very good at. Dammit!
So, in hommage to Nancy Reagan all those years ago (that dates me, doesn't it?), JUST SAY NO and DON'T GO THERE!
You have been warned.
I am an addict. A total, time-wasting, life-screwing-up, addict.
And the culprit? GAMEDUELL.
OK, I'm not exactly a hardcore user yet as I'm waaaaayyyy too mean to actually play any of the games for actual money (they give you a "free" 10 Euro starter, and I'm down to 1.10 Euro, so I've stopped there), but still. I have wasted many, many late-night hours on this stupid site and their stupid games. That I'm not even very good at. Dammit!
So, in hommage to Nancy Reagan all those years ago (that dates me, doesn't it?), JUST SAY NO and DON'T GO THERE!
You have been warned.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)