Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Day One

Today is the day. Day one of The New Life Plan: Rough Draft.

Some of you are super excited, like my dear Holly who was up at 4am ready for Work It Out Wednesday (baby steps, Holly, slow down) and like The Renee, who is always up for a New Life Plan and who insists that this will shoot me straight to Oprah Super stardom (remember my fear of her stopping by my house unannounced??).

Some of you are concerned that things will be too organized and proactive around here (I wouldn't be too concerned) and some of you are already making excuses.

People--the excuses aren't going to cut it. We CAN start on a Wednesday, even with very little notice. We CAN do it if we're not feeling good and our family has been sick for a week. We CAN do it if we're in Norway and living in a completely different day than Ashley herself. We CAN do it if we're going on vacation (not while on vacation, but you can do it before and after).

That's the beauty of New Life Plan: Rough Draft (which will eventually have to be called NLP:RD because I just can't be typing all of that out all the time). You can jump in any time, you can do the smallest task that fits under the day's category and still be a winner.

Person with the sick family...you could "work it out" by washing everyone's germy bedding today. Done. Vacation goer...surely you need to pack, gather or do laundry. Done. Our Norwegian friend...the whole time zone thing gives me a headache but from what I can figure, you will either need to completely change your wake/sleep schedule or just be a day ahead of us or behind us, whichever you please.

My two dilemmas for today are big ones. Taxes and Big Kid's room.

1. Taxes. Good! you all say. Good girl, not even waiting til the very last minute. WRONG. I need to do 2006 taxes. I know. Turns out, when you own your own business, and have to pay taxes and keep track of all kinds of shit, you're not in a huDge rush to get your taxes done like all of you who get the fat rebate checks. A-holes.

Well, you say, that *is* a big, overwhelming thing. That will take major concentration and knowledge and time, you have to be very careful when doing your taxes. WRONG. I have a CPA. I pay this guy a bajillion dollars a year (really, a bajillion) but apparently he "can't go to your house, go through your drawers, shoe boxes and miscellaneous folders and gather this information" himself and I have to "get it all together" and "bring it to him".

So basically he makes a bajillion dollars a year to give me advice I don't follow? And fill out some papers every quarter? Or something? He *could* come to my house and gather this stuff himself, I think he just can't be *bothered* to.

So that was going to be my major dilemma solved for the day, since it has been hanging over my head like a toxic dark cloud since April 15, 2007. However, I informed Mr. Ashley about my plan for Work It Out Wednesday and he got nervous looking and said he has to call some people to get copies of some hospital bills. (insert not surprised at all smiley here) I'm still going to get started on the rest of it though, so that's a step in the right direction.

2. Big Kid's room. Whoa. It's unorganized, cluttered, scary and smells like pee. Toys need to be cleaned out, closet needs to be gone through 3,456,789.5 pieces of crap need to be reunited with the pieces of crap they go with, stuff needs to be wiped down.

This is a two punch challenge because little kid CAN NOT be assisting, and the allure of being in bubba's room while bubba isn't there is one he cannot resist, so I'll have to do it while he naps and I need to get it done before Big Kid gets home from school and starts thinking his opinion matters. So I'll be doing it during prime ME time, which sucks, but at the end of the day it will be worth it. I swear. It will.

So those are my things. They S-U-C-K to even think about but will feel really good to get done.

Oh, I'm also going to shine my sink ala Fly Lady. She has a theory that if you make an effort to keep your sink empty and shiny that it will affect your day positively and motivate you to do other little things that help, sort of a ripple effect.

(Please note my correct usage of affect/effect, knowledge that I am proud of. Affect is a verb, effect is a noun.)

Really, I think it is a Jedi mind trick to get you to stay on top of the dishes, but whatever. It does work and it's kind of fun to get out the comet and the sponge and the old toothbrush and fill the sink with super hot water and make it OCD clean and then see it sparkle every time you walk by.

Alright, what are you doing for Work It Out Wednesday? You can do *SOMETHING* people. Any little thing that needs to get checked off of "The List".

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm working on consignment sale clothing to sell this weekend. ARRRGGGG! Add house work & grocery shopping & you've got one figity mama who prays she can GIT 'R DONE! :)
-Irish

Anonymous said...

I have never commented before but I am totally on board with NLP:RD. Today I plan to tackle the out of control play room and the kitchen cabinets! Some might say, whoa! one step at a time! But I have found it is usually best to submerge myself quickly and completely. Good luck today!

Anonymous said...

Can I just tell you how *proud* of you I am, that you decided to start today instead of waiting until Monday?! People who wait 'til Monday are setting themselves up for failure because if you really want something you start right away! At least that's what my Dad always said about diets and working out OH and that "diets" don't work. Sorry.
xoxooxoxo

sunny-daze said...

Ugh, just made another phone call. I had to call my asshole brother in law, he usually doesn't answer the phone, but he did this time, damn. But he was nice to me which probably means he's not getting along with the bitch he calls a wife. But it's over now, let's move on with the rest of the day.

Anonymous said...

Apparently I tried Work it Out Wednesday yesterday and it didn't work so much...probably b/c it was the wrong day and I tried too many things (they all involved cleaning).

Ashley, your 2 tasks seem a little too great for the first day so I'm going a bit lighter: 1. Read chapter of book for group tonight 2. Empty dishwasher 3. Maybe try the sink thing...maybe

Anonymous said...

PS-I don't know what it means to put *asterisk* around words so I kind of feel like Joey on Friends using "air quotes" when he shouldn't.
xo

Renee said...

I'm having technical difficulties today and have tried to submit this 3 times. So if you get it 3 times, do me a favor and only post it once okay, so I don't look like an asshole? ;) Lol.

I think it's pretty effing funny that you and I have both had that nasty 2006 Tax cloud hanging over our heads for months now and haven't shared our anguish over it. I'm way too good at ignoring unpleasant things. I need to do those too, but I'm not putting them on my list today. My items for today are:

1. Update Master To-Do List (go through mail and papers on desk and in my "special bag" where I stash stuff)
2. Deal with 3 items that have to be returned - call the companies and figure out how to mail them back. Go to post office and mail them. (Ugh - phone calls AND a trip to the post office? This is gonna suck.)
3. Call to set up a payment plan for one of my student loans that's currently in default.

Ugh - lots of phone calls. But that's okay...I will kick ass today because that's what I do on Day One. I LOVE DAY ONES. Lol. It's around Day 4 that I start to falter.

This is what I'm belting out this morning to get me motivated:

We’re gonna do it!
Give us any chance, we’ll take it.
Give us any rule, we’ll break it.
We’re gonna make our dreams come true.
Doin’ it our way.

Nothin’s gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We’re gonna make our dreams come true,
Doin’ it our way.

There is nothing we won’t try,
Never heard the word impossible.
This time there’s no stopping us.
We’re gonna do it.

On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We’re gonna make our dream come true.
And we’ll do it our way, yes our way.
Make all our dreams come true,
And do it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you.

(Name that tune....)

-The Renee

Melissa said...

I totally agree with the clean, empty sink thing. I can't stand having dishes in there! It looks so much prettier all clean and sparkly!

Anonymous said...

Okay, even though it's my DDs 3rd birthday, and not a great day to start the NLP: RD BUT I'm in. I'm also going to mix it up with that obnoxious Fly Lady crap. On my list is an entire house top to bottom dusting, a kitchen sink bleaching (Friggen white sinks!), bathroom tile cleaning, toilet disinfecting, and maybe putting all the laundry away that looks so adorable in little piles all over everyone's dressers.

Super. That's it. I'm getting up to do it now... If anyone sees me post on Bargain Board, ignore it, it's not me.

Mamahut said...

Ok you guys made me feel like a slug. I have to get a paper turned in about how the Renaissance still affects (did I use the right one?) the U.S.??? I really don't know the answer! That means I will have to open up that book they gave me to read. It's a magical book (World Civilizations). I fall sound asleep whenever it is opened up. Sooo I am going to do my paper (aka take a nap) for my work it out Wednesday.

Mamahut said...

My real work it out Wednesday task is to see if you are getting these. Having technical troubles and I am giving up now. c ya

Suzanne said...

Okay, I'm on board....I think today I'll:
-work on some sewing UFOs (UnFinished Objects)
-help ds clean his room (which sounds an awful lot like Big Kid's!)
As a reward, I'll drink some wine and watch Project Runway with my hubby (which he secretly loves, but won't admit it!)

Slacker Mama said...

Woo hoo! For work it out Wednesday, I:
-Renewed my passport (the trifecta of horrors: making a phone call, filling out a form AND going to the post office)
-Mailed something else I should have done two weeks ago
-Made dentist and doctor appointments for the girls

I too will celebrate with wine tonight! And by not doing the laundry I had planned on doing before NLP:RD...I'm too tired now!

Anonymous said...

Ok, Ashley, you have guilted me into it, vacation or not. But, since where I live it's been below zero and where I am going is, oh, 70 degrees or more warmer, all of our summer clothes have been washed (did that Sunday). I guess there are a couple of DD's dresses that need ironing but wouldn't it be better to save that for once we get there? They will surely wrinkle in the suitcase. Ok, no ironing.

THe cleaning people were here Monday so the house is still clean (for another day or so).

I could start packing huh??

I Know, I need to make a list of everything I need to pack.

I do need to take some things to the UPS store and send back but can't do that while DD is napping and it's also WAY too cold to drag her all over the place. I will do that tomorrow on my way to work.

Ok, DD just walked by me and PU she stinks. I guess I'll start with changing her butt!!

Dana said...

1. Accomplish some crap at work.
2. Do MY laundry
3. Pay the bills . . . shit is gonna get cut off soon.

Oh GAWD! Do I have to?? UGH.

Anonymous said...

Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated!

(Sorry, that was for The Renee.)

That was my contribution to work it out Wednesday. This is easy!

Mo said...

does actually working out count for work it out wednesday? I think maybe, but I also work out three other times during the week, so maybe I need something more creative here- hmm, so, today I will get all laundry done, do the homework I've been putting off, and err... that's enough, right??oh and I second the project runway thing, whoohoo, I forgot that was on!

October said...

So WIOW is almost over here in Norway and I guess it was a success for me even though I hadn't really thought it through THAT hard at the beginning of the day, just sort of had a feeling of being really effective and proactive.

Motivation I believe it's called.

To sum it up:
Got A LOT of work done at the office that has been hanging over me for a long time. I now have nothing left on my old 'to do' list (although my new one is getting longer by the minute..)

Made sure my son had a really good time today by hooking him up with his favorite babysitter who took him to the park and played with him outside until bedtime.

Cleaned up the WHOLE house after said son went to sleep. The boyfriend left for New Zealand for two weeks today so more fun to clean when you know it'll stay that way longer.

Went to the store and FINALLY bought tissue paper wich have been forgetting to buy for past few weeks so don't have to use toiletpaper to blow my nose in anymore. Also bought pretty white flowers and chocolate.

So now I am sitting in my tidy livingroom with pretty flowers, eating chocolate while blowing my nose in the softest of tissuepapers. Very nice and rewarding feelings inside:)

Unknown said...

Ok, NLP:RD seems doable. I love the catchy names for each day of the week.

I like this...very very nice work here.

Unknown said...

Hey this system lends itself well to a table or spreadsheet format... Until we are told what supplies to purchase, of course!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know I was participating, since my laptop took a shit two days ago and I'm just catching up (on DH's), but I called The Geek Squad and made DH drop it off tonight, studied for 3 hours, washed any and all laundry, and my porcelain sink is already shiny. :D

But I avoided calling the Health Insurance provider to straighten out a claim. Damn. Maybe next Wednesday. ;)I need al the motivation I can get.

LOL at The Renee's lyrics! LaVerne & Shirley RULE!

And Ashley, thank you for the clearing up of effect/affect, I have a mental block against keeping those straight. :D

Melodie said...

I took my daughter to therapy to "work things out." And I finally bought a baby gift for a shower I'm going to Friday night. That's acomplishing a lot for me!

AFRo said...

FYI: Get those taxes filed. The stimulus package has been approved and everyone who files a return for the 2007 year will get a fat check... YES, even you!!! If I'm not mistaken, you're set for $1200 minimum... checks will be cut starting in May. So FILE FILE FILE.

My task... I'll be conquering mountains... of laundry.

Multislacking Mama said...

OK, people. I've been waiting ALL DAY to update you on my first day of the NLP:RD. I'm tempted to tell you to visit my blog to find out- but I'll go ahead and post here. I love saying the same things several times in a row.

I totally hate making phone calls. I got that right out of the way first thing this morning.

1) Called fellow bunco player to ask her if we could have bunco at our office. She says, "no" as this is not work related. How so? We are an organization that deals with gaming (gambling). Bunco is a game (gambling).
2) Called Little Lil Momma's peds office. Had to esplain that she ate all 25 of her Singular (in one sitting) and I needed a refill. That was fun.
3) I said I would call the HR Lady about my open position, but I'm lazy so I emailed her instead. She read it but didn't respond. I don't want to call her. I don't like talking on the phone.
4) Mailed a finalized contract to a vendor. Major score here.
5) Called Vet to make appointment for kitteh to get snipped.
6) Paid bills online
7) Completed and sent my monthly report to my manager. It was good, too. I totally deserve a raise.

I had some other things on my schedule, but I was so tired from all of those stupid phone conversations that I couldn't do anything but the bare minimum. I had to scoot some things to Thursday. I can't be working THIS HARD at work then working THAT HARD again at home.

I'm tired. It will be a 2 Ambien kind of night.

Holly

Anonymous said...

Ashley, your impeccable grammar and spelling are why I read your blog. I’m serious.
I'm an English major nerd. Well, actually, I'm cool, but well-read and enjoy spelling, grammar, and such.
Ok, continue on...