Time Management

I've been gone awhile. Again. Sorry 'bout that. It's been nutty, and to be honest, I've had other outlets *cough* facebook *cough*

Tonight I devoted quite a bit of energy to answering Kate's question of what we struggle with most in managing our time, and how our days go. I thought I might as well stick it up here and ask you all the same - what do you do? I clearly need to make a few adjustments. On December 15th I start a new job with a much more fixed schedule. We're also going to be moving sometime soon, where I'll have more control over my environment than I have now...obviously a fantastic opportunity to make some big changes! Here's how a typical day goes for me now, and I ask you to tell me what you do, also. Additionally...I'm giving y'all the opportunity to give me some sage advice! Yeah, there's a lot of obvious things I know I need to do differently. Maybe going to bed earlier...folding my clothes right away...gah. I'm a wreck. See for yo'selves...

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7:00 - Alarm starts going off and I hit snooze compulsively.

7:45/8:00-ish - Haul self out of bed. Give self pep talk for shower. Take shower. Run upstairs to throw clean but wrinkled clothes in dryer with a wet washcloth...because let's face it, I'm terrible about putting away clean clothes, if I even get them out of the dryer in a timely manner.

8:50 - Rush out of house without breakfast or coffee in desperate attempt to get somewhere by 9:00

9:10 - Arrive at office or client's house. Apologize to client for being late. Client is very accustomed to this.

10:15-7:00 - Drive from client to client, save the world at each domicile, with random interspersed periods spent errand-running, unhealthy lunch-eating, Kate and Rylie lunch dates, and compulsive facebook-checking. Sporadic paperwork productivity.

7:30-ish - Arrive home. Eat whatever Josh's mom made for dinner. Lament that I'm not eating Indian food or lime pepper tilapia cooked in my own kitchen. Yearn for day we have our own place again.

8:00-12:00 - Randomly surf internet, watch Jon & Kate Plus 8 episodes, have Josh and Laura time, generally disregard any necessary prep work for following morning, feel constantly guilty that I'm not doing paperwork.

12:00 - Finally get into bed, read 2 pages of one of five books I'm trying to get through, and fall asleep much too late.

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Yes, I think I'm ready for a new job with a 10:00 bedtime. And maybe a life coach. Bring it. But be gentle and/or snarky, because clearly I've just laid bare a very open wound (and I like it when you're snarky).

Well-Traveled

Friends, hello.  I'll be brief, because let's face it, I didn't come to Europe to do the things I do at home (i.e. spend too much time on the Internet).  Just here to give a quick update and post a few photos. 

We had layovers in Chicago and Dusseldorf.  I slept for most of our stay in the Dusseldorf airport (where the woman who came over the PA had a very seductive German voice...bordering on inappropriate, methinks) and the subsequent flight to London.  First, can I just say....I LOVE LOVE LOVE London.  Two days was not enough - I did not want to leave at all.  Josh has, at times, mentioned the idea of getting a job in London after he finishes school (I don't recall for what purpose); I was hesitant before, but I'm all about it now.  Yes, Josh, let's get a ridiculously overpriced flat in Kensington/Southwark/Notting Hill and furnish it entirely from Ikea...you can get a work visa and I'll stay in our flat and have a baby or two.  As soon as the kids have British accents, we can go.  Aren't I silly?  I love this little fantasy, though.  Time will tell, no?

Caught the Eurostar to Paris...whilst in the Chunnel I marveled that somebody figured out how to build a train tunnel under the freakin' English Channel.  Really?  And so many years ago?  How does that even happen?

In Paris, I was very anxious about pickpockets - Josh later lamented over-warning us about it.  It was more of a challenge, not knowing much French and having the sense that they're not all that crazy about us.  But you look around, and you think, "Come on, French!  We've done a lot for each other over the years!  French and Indian War?  WWII?  Statue of Liberty?  C'mon, let's be friends again!"  Nobody was rude to us, but there was certainly a note of impatience at some places.  Saw some beautiful things and woke up an hour after checkout time at the hotel.  Oops!

Now we're in Heidelberg, Germany, staying with Josh's cousin Joel and his family.  It's been so relaxing having more space in a house with home-cooked food and a hospitable family.  We're setting out today, hopefully hit up an H&M for some cheap clothing basics (Josh forgot his hoodie and one of my bra straps mysteriously shredded to nothing...hmmm), and I'm told we're having some cheap, fantastic Indian for lunch.  Here's a few photos, compliments of Elizabeth...because Laura made a couple of tragic mistakes.  First, I forgot the USB cable for my camera.  Second, I accidentally deleted ALL my photos the second morning in Paris while trying to delete just one.  I had a little meltdown on the Tube platform, but I'm over it.  So here you go - 

Okay, we're rushing off and it wasn't going well, so I'll come back to that later.  Cheers, mates!  Guten Tag!

Executioner of the Flies

I know we're all dealing with fruit flies right now...if you feel alone, don't. We've all got 'em this time of year. I found this idea on about.com...I set up my trap about an hour ago and there's probably 10 dead fruit flies in the bottom with another eight chillin' out on top of the saran wrap, hopefully well on their way to a vinegary death. And here, friends, I share this wisdom with you. Vinegar is the most amazing thing, seriously!

Battling a swarm of fruit flies in your kitchen or bathroom? Get rid of them quickly with this simple, homemade trap:

What You Need:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Dish soap
• A jar or small bowl
• Plastic wrap

What You Do:

1. Pour a cup of apple cider vinegar into a jar or small bowl.

2. Add a couple drops of dish soap to the jar.

3. Cover the container with plastic wrap, and poke a few small holes in the wrap.

4. Place in the area where you've seen the fruit flies, and wait for the trap to do its job.

Why This Works:

Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of the vinegar, and will attempt to land on its surface. However, they're in for a surpise – since the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar, the fruit flies fall in and drown. Say good-bye to that annoying swarm!

Benefits of Using Vinegar:

• no harsh fumes
• inexpensive
• environmentally-friendly

Tips and Warnings:

1) Keep out of the reach of children

2) A bottle with a small neck can also be used. (Plastic wrap isn't necessary, if you use this approach)

RIP

Yesterday, God saw fit to bless us and dropped a tree on Josh's car.









Yeah, I know, normally this is a bad thing...but when both your cars are limping along AND have full coverage...WOOHOO! I'm currently waiting for Mr. Progressive Man to show up, tell us he is indeed going to total it, and hand me a check. Down payment, baby.

Please note the tan steering column in the blue car. Yep. That's classy.

Please, I implore you...

...if you want me to quit whining about apostrophes so much, read this and spread the word. If we could get this into the hands of whomever runs "Cheer's" restaurant on Plainfield, I'd be so happy. Even better, we could take up a charitable contribution to replace his signage. My brother-in-law Adam could design the new logo. Oh, glorious.

Thanks, Diane...from both me and my friend, the oft-maligned apostrophe.

Meh.

Dear Internet,

I am sorry I have not written in so long. I've been busy with stuff, like moving in with my in-laws and scrounging for a bicycle. Rest assured that I have accomplished both with great success and even left the house at 7:15 this morning for a 30-minute trek on the White Pine Trail. Internet, I made it all the way to that overpass that is somewhere between Belmont and Rockford. I don't know what road it is, but it is a good place to find phone numbers, gang tagging, and information about which middle school boys are gay (though I suppose the latter information might be unreliable, given that it is written in Sharpie by other middle school boys). All this, I think, explains why Josh hates Rockford so much.

For now, just know that I am battling hormone-fueled despair over the most mundane topics that would not normally bother me, like how much I spend on health insurance premiums and the way that used-car prices have skyrocketed over the past few years. You'd think a girl with a masters degree could buy a simple Honda Civic. You'd think. Whilst wallowing in such tragedies, I am working hard to fight the temptation to eat the entire contents of the cookie jar upstairs. Given my relationship with off-brand sandwich cookies, I'm doing relatively well.

Have a lovely evening, Internet, and pray for me in my silliness.

Love,
Laura

Even better!

Thanks to Dan Falicki for his mad photoshop skillz.