Feel the Noize!

In 1983 Quiet Riot sings:

Cum on feel the noize

Girls rock your boys

We'll get wild, wild, wild

Wild, wild, wild !!

(Click for YouTube here...)

I'm driving home from work and a local Classic Rock station plays this song.   And of course, I'm singing along - loudly!   (what other way is there to sing this song??)

And it reminded me that for my 40th  birthday in 1999 I went to a little bar in Ohio where Quiet Riot was playing -  Lots of loud music and alcohol, with only about 200 people!  Nice small venue to see a great band!  Right before they started their second set, my girlfriend Sharon walked up and told them it was my birthday -- lovely serenade -- and plenty of red cheeks!   I was totally embarrassed :)

They were cuuuuute in the 80s! 

There was a "meet and greet" afterwards, we exchanged a few words, 

I think I had something autographed.... 

but whatever it was -- I sure couldn't remember. 

hahaha

The De-clutter Process

Day 4 of the 30 day plan was to reorganize your linen closet.  While most homes have one of these, I'm not one of them.  I have a few linens tucked away in my cedar chest.  There is 1 set of spare sheets for my bed that I keep in my own closet, and spare towels for guests are kept hanging in the guest room closet.  It just kind of worked that way after a fashion in this smallish house of mine.  But that's ok.  I used the time wisely to wash and change my own bed sheets and bath linens.  (With my current working schedule, and no days off, it's hard to remember which day is wash day!)

So, the next few days are related to the bedroom.  I have to admit that having company recently, my night stand and closet have been doubly cleaned!  Two weeks before company, I got a weird bug in my head about painting my closet, emptied the whole thing and then put everything back, making sure I was purging old clothes as I went!

And because today was one of those really rough days at work, I will do my dresser drawers tomorrow!


Day 5: Nightstand
Nightstands collect books, water bottles and electronics along with gobs of dust. Clear it off, wipe it down and leave only the bare minimum.

Day 6: Dresser
Dressers can hide a lot in their drawers. Open every drawer, refold messy clothes and match every sock. Start a donate pile of any clothes you no longer need and a toss pile of holey shirts and socks you can part with.

Day 7: Master Closet
Add to those donate and toss piles by going through your closet. Follow your gut: You know what you're regularly wearing and what haven't worn in ages. Try not to let sentimentality get in the way of decluttering!

And by the way... we ALL get sentimental about our 'stuff' !!  It's hard not to.

De-cluttered, Day 3

Day 3 .... and it's time to look through the makeup bag/drawer.
Mine is more like a junk drawer. lol
But a gal needs to have different things at her fingertips ....
I keep several first aid items in there as well, but it's time to clean it out!



And here's the Before

and the After!

I really like how these little
chores broken down into
little chunks each day
is helping SO much!


I also hate to admit that some
of the meds in this drawer
expired in ..... 2010 !  

Yes, that's not a typo. lol

LONG overdue for a cleaning








In other parts of my day .....   I have re-committed myself to going to the gym again.  And taking my supplements.  Both things have been lacking, along with bad eating habits, and an all too much drinking habit (Diet Coke, not adult beverages!)  It's time to break the cycle.  1 mile on the elliptical, and several different weight machines, arm workouts today.   (Legs are tomorrow)

I'm taking a B-12 Timed Release tab with my breakfast, and that seemed to work well for me today.  I was a little more energetic, and didn't need my lunch until well past 11:30 (lunch for me is normally 10:30am).   But maybe the energy came from a better night's sleep.   For that, I'm taking Vitamin D, magnesium, melatonin and calcium.  My old bod just isn't the same as it used to be.  Recovery times compared to when I was younger .... well, let's not even think about that!   I am what I am, but I think I can be a little better, so why not give it a shot?

Here's my self-given Pat on the Back!
Happy Monday, ya'll :)

Day 2

In my quest for "Less is More" and the 30-day plan to being
de-cluttered, today's chore was to clean out the shower and get rid of all those pesky empties that tend to sit around.  Because I had company a week ago, I had just done that!   So I used today's time to get some laundry put away, some errant clothes and shoes that were cluttering up my bedroom put into their rightful spots.

Will I sound weird if I say that I sleep better
when things around me are organized?
Or does that just make me sound a little cuckoo?

Either way, I'll take what I can get.
At my age, sleep comes in spurts anyhow --
and not the good kind!
*gigglesnort*

De-Clutter in 30 days

Just when I am beginning my motto of "less is more" .... a blog I follow came up with a 30-day plan to less clutter.  And I think I'm going to just do it!  Here are the first four days' tasks:

Bathroom

Day 1: Medicine Cabinet

Toss expired medications, hotel shampoos that you'll never use, and throw out lotions you've had since 1990. While you're at it, give the mirror a quick wipe, too.

Day 2: Shower 

Get rid of the extras and empties in your shower. Invest in a shower caddy to keep everything organized and in one spot.

Day 3: Makeup Drawer/Bag 

Go through your makeup bag or drawer and reassess some of the items. Hot pink eye shadow you haven't touched since 1980? Toss! Lipstick that doesn't smell quite right anymore? You know what to do. If you haven't used it in a year, it's time to trash it.

Day 4: Linen Closet

Over time those neatly stacked towels start to shift and folded sheets somehow end up on the floor. And why is your kiddo's baseball bat in there, anyway? Take stock of what's in the linen closet, straighten what you want and consider donating items you haven't used in more than a year to charity.

And even if you have a busy lifestyle and it takes you more than 30 days, at least you'll have a head start onto a cleaner, more organized home!  

So here's my BEFORE

and here's the AFTER

Me Time

Here it is, my last day in Calif.  I've had a good visit with my Mom, and siblings.   Even got to spend some quality time with my BFF as well!   But I'm ready to be home, too.  I've spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to see my parents, and I'm ready for some time to do my own thing(s) as well.  I know that I ramble on and on, with resolutions, new challenges, ways for me to improve myself, do creative things.  All good and admirable - but only when things are accomplished, measurable in some way - that's the part that makes me feel "successful".

When I get home, it is my plan, my goal, to follow the motto "Less is More".

I can recall when I visited Arizona back in 2007, and made up my mind that it was time to move there.  I was tired of Ohio, tired of not having any family or support.  I needed to be closer to my parents (which proved correct over time).  And even without knowing when or how it would happen, I began packing up boxes.  Things I didn't use, things I could do without out.  Every day, I packed one box up.  As moving day moved closer, I had an entire 10foot section along the wall in my dining room covered in packed up boxes (i could get same sized boxes from work each day, so that made packing up a truck much easier!)

But the thing that amazed me the most was how I was able to live a "minimalist" lifestyle - and actually enjoyed it!  It was tough packing up clothes, because of the variable temps from summer to winter in Ohio, but one doesn't need 5 sweatshirts when just 1 will make do.  One dressy outfit was enough to get me by on those occasions when that's required.  And knick knacks and memorabilia that one tends to accumulate, especially when you have kids, having those boxed up meant less dusting, etc.  And there was a lot of freedom in that!

So that is my goal for the next ... oh, lets take it one week at a time.  I want to concentrate on me, to eat better, to make better choices, and to make it to the gym after work every day.  I need to do this.  For myself.   Because I'm worth it, too.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

hey Dad:
It's your birthday, and you're not here to celebrate with us.  I drove Mom out to the cemetery today so she could have a few moments with you  - but then you already know that, don't you.  We brought you roses from Mom's garden, one beautiful flower from each bush.  I wanted to leave you a beer, but I wasn't sure what the policy was there, so I didn't.  Next time, I will, policies be damned!

I read where there is a Memorial Day service out there, and I'm sure it will be beautiful, but I won't be able to be here for that.  (work duties, as that is inventory week - which for me will be Hell Week, but that's the norm).

It isn't the same being here knowing you won't walk down the hall after your shower; you aren't here to help cheer on the Giants (they won in extra innings last night, and lost 0-1 tonight.  Timmy pitched a great game!)  Mom seems to be doing OK most of the time, but I worry that she doesn't get out and do enough.  We both know that she's a young enough age to be doing things, and she should get out more often.  Would be easier if I lived closer, I'm sure!

I know you and Uncle Jim are kickin' it up there, and having long conversations.  But take a few to keep an eye on Triston.  I think he's having a hard time with all the changes he's had in the past year, and without a little guidance, he might get on the wrong path.   I'm sure you greeted your sis, Arlene, this past week.  And today, Wanda joined ya'll up there too.

All of us think of you often, and recall the good stuff as often as possible.  The hardest times are when we need a piece of advice, or your opinion on some kind of fix-it-up project.  But you taught us well, and we'll figure things out on our own now.

Love you always, Dad.
Happy Birthday!

Bob the Cat

Today I read "A Street Cat Named Bob" - a true story how a stray cat saved a man of the streets from falling back into his life of drugs and crime.  







It's a plainly simple story, and so nice to read
something that gives the reader some hope.
If you've ever been on the "down and outs"
(and who hasn't??)  you can easily relate to how
having something to take care of, something
dependent on you .... it sure can change your life!
What a charming story!