rifatheroffour

Hello everyone...saturday night again...I was hiking with the scouts this morning/afternoon then napped, and had some good text conversation with a friend. Now I'm sitting with the kids watching Nemo. I should go and change and do some sorting. Maybe even get to bed at a decent hour tonight...hahaha!

I have been methodically going through every box, bin, drawer etc. now that I am putting my house back in order from remodeling. Finding those treasures are both wonderful and agonizing all at the same time...and some days down right infuriating as I find cards and notes in the oddest of places, I have discovered just how bad a DISORGANIZED pack rat my wife really was. But I still love her and love finding these treasures...enjoy them.

Woo Hoo!!! Whatever you forget you either don't need or can buy a new one! That's how I travel...not going to waste energy over small things. Have a great time...and I'd take the passport if it were me...

Carey, I'm right there with you. My oldest graduates in four weeks and I am terrified, not that I will cry but that I will not be able to keep it discrete, I know I will be a mess..and I get do it again next year. It is so not fair. I will have my other kids with me and depending on the weather far too much family! Right now I wish I could have just a friend with me but for similar reasons I won't. I know we will survive these things but it still sucks...

Rob, Slightly different circumstances...my Wife and I went to St. John, USVI as a get away 5 times over the years, one of our favorite places in the world. On our last trip we decided next time we would take the kids, 10 months later she died. On a whim two months after she died I decided to take the kids there myself. Bittersweet...the kids really enjoyed themselves. I enjoyed watching them and showing them all the places we wanted to show them together. I kept it together most of the time, and when I didn't too bad, no one there knows me at home anyway. I'm glad I did it as I am not sure I will ever get back there again.

I have an older one in my bedroom with basic cable, one new from Christmas flatscreen that is internet enabled and hooked to cable in the family/living room and a four year old flatscreen in the basement with apple TV attached no cable. The kids all have laptops for school so have access to Netflix etc. Growing up we had one TV and my parents had one. I basically stopped watching TV when my wife died. I am now basically watching Netflix and will occasionally watch something with the kids but I prefer to put on a movie or Netflix. I am right on the edge of canceling cable since there is so much available over the internet these days.

Today I hope to accomplish... 1) staying productive at work, all day. Which means I will avoid visiting here except for lunch time and just before I head home. 2) Finish cleaning the guest bedroom and move the kids keepsake bins up there. 3) Get through at least one box of "set aside, I'll deal with it later, STUFF". 4) Talk with DS#2 about school and future thoughts. Trying... good luck on your goals this week, it all sounds very exciting and motivating.

...It all started by spending today cleaning and clearing. I have been having a deep seated need to purge and make real headway taking back control of something in my life. We did some major remodeling in the last year which technically ended back in November. Of course I still have trim and paint work to complete and then there was the putting everything in its place, after figuring out exactly where that should be. Once the weather finally began to turn a few weeks ago I started with purging the garage of the core of boxes that have gathered there since we moved in 10 years ago. Oh sure some had been emptied, moved and others had joined the party but the pile still mocked me year after year. I finally installed the old kitchen cabinets in the garage and have now gone through every single box. Then the following weekend I reviewed all the boxes of stuff in the storage container that has been in the driveway for 18 months to accommodate the remodeling, I am happy to say it is now emptied and gone and my driveway is my own again. So today I decided to finish the botched attempts at clearing out the small attic space above my kitchen that has haunted me for the last 2 years. I am thrilled to say it has been reclaimed and is now serving as useful and efficient storage space again. So back to the closet door... In my zealous drive to clean today I stripped my bedding, which happens far too infrequently. I took the winter duvet off and aired it out outside with the intent that today was the change to summer bedding. Of course when you strip the bed you have to remember to remake it, usually I remember just as I am ready to get into said bed. Tonight was no different. I knew exactly which sheets I wanted and got them on and the four pillows all set. Next the summer comforter. It's in the closet, you know the one that was quilted as a wedding gift by my grandmother and has been used for twenty years. I opened the closet door to grab it and... well I just couldn't. Its freaking 1am, I'm tired and I could not pull it down from the shelf. I went downstairs to where I had another blanket that had just been washed today. It's completely silly, I knew in my head that I could just throw the damn thing on the bed its just a quilt right? Apparently not, and whatever snapped in me at that moment also made me look around my room and realize I WANT to change things. I'm tired of looking at all the same stuff and too much of it as well. I hope I can keep this momentum that seems to have begun a few weeks ago. Chipping away at the stuff chunk by chunk until I feel in control of my surroundings. With any luck this will spill over into other areas of my life and maybe even be an example for the kids who each have their own "stuff" issues. Wish me luck...

I made up serious ground today in 1 item a day. Cleared 2 pickup trucks worth of stuff out. Some donations, some recycling and some just plain old trash. Got my small attic space emptied of the 10 year collection of stuff so I could properly put away the Christmas bins and my wife's clothing bins (no not ready to junk them yet but at least they are neatly and efficiently stowed away). Also made headway with DS#3 and clearing the blockade around his bedroom. He will be my next challenge to "minimalist". LOL!

I just got back from a trip to BJ's with DS#3. Spent all day doing laundry and clearing out the attic space, but that's for another post DS#1 is out with the GF, DS#2 is at the movies with friends and DD is at a festival with a friend, I am waiting for her call to go get her. My kids have much more active social lives than I do! I will continue with laundry for the evening and getting photos gathered for tomorrow.

thank you for the commiserations...all in all I know he's not that bad.

The only weekends I have available for a trip like this are July 25th or August 8th. August 15 or 22 may be ok as well but need to check kids schedules. Who's next? And maybe we should start a new thread "Summer '15 VT/NH Bago"

NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Ran this by the kids tonight.... same day as my son's Chorus Summer Pops Concert. I can't back out on this as I am also on the Board of Directors for the Chorus, blah, blah, blah.... its a huge tradition for us... Enjoy... I'll be thinking of you

You are not overly picky in my opinion. I would love to have those enticing conversations again but yes a little real conversation and getting to know someone first is important to me. I don't want just one thing I want it all...

Great plan to introduce the BAGO, I am going to try and make this happen...it is fathers day weekend so the kids have to do what I want, right? Of course it is also the last week of school after that and exams for the two high schoolers...but sounds good anyway!

Thank you everyone who was able to join me Sunday. I had a great time laughing and escaping my daily reality which was very appreciated. I even told my wife's story without a tear stopping me midsentence....progress? Next one needs to head further north! Any location suggestions? We need to give Hikermom an opportunity join us again one of these days. Who else is northern New England? Oh wait maybe this should be a new post....

It was just a rolling downhill snowball, she couldn't get out of its way fast enough!

It is 71f atop the vinyard....see you all soon Sorry we will miss HM and Donswife

Why does my son choose now, 18 yo and graduating in a month and a half to act like and irresponsible in considerate ass and thinks he's not doing anything wrong...

Well garage has been purged of 90% of the junk. Now to rearrange. Tonight and Saturday I will be emptying the storage container in the driveway that was put there to accommodate the house remodeling done last year. Finally the weather is nice enough to work on this stuff. So much needs to just go away now, I've been a life long pack rat and am trying real hard to learn new tricks...it is after all just STUFF...right?

smabify, I WANT to come but unfortunately that weekend is a graduation party for my godson. Niagara was the last vacation we took as a family before my wife died. Drove up in an RV for a long weekend. That said, I wanted to encourage you. I hosted a Bago at my house last summer and it was a wonderful thing. Like you, right after I announced it I thought "what have I done?" But you know this group will be there to enjoy each others company and in many cases get to finally meet those with whom many have developed good friendships virtually. My first Bago was just three of us for dinner and it was the best thing I ever did, size won't matter just that you are connecting with others. And yes it is a wonderful way to make you clean the house, been there! Good luck and sorry I can't get there this summer...maybe you'll enjoy it so much you make it an annual event with different visitors each year.

Trying, sorry you will miss this one. Latest update to the list for this Sunday 5-3-15 at noon at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, CT...can't wait to see you all. Sorry if I missed anyone else on this list, of course know you are welcome... rifatheroffour kpgct JeanGenie DonnaP & Mr. Drew hachi Guaruja Indri Ginger (almost yes) Yaya (maybe) Donswife (maybe)

I was planning for noon.

High five, brah. High fives all around. There must not be any cats in my neighborhood... lol!

CW sorry you won't be able to make this one. I'll be happy to try another date in addition to this one later this summer. The list of those available so far for this weekend at noon at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, CT... rifatheroffour kpgct JeanGenie DonnaP & Mr. Drew Donswife hachi (maybe)