Keeping up with life

Steph mentioned doing a keeping up with life post, as in how she does it, and given that that's something that interests me, I thought I'd do the same and straight up stole her idea. See her part two post here. It also interests a lot of you: I frequently get comments on how does so much get done, how do I stay on top of things, etc. The short answer is the best I can. LOL The easiest way to explain how is to show a typical week. The only thing that's not really typical here is that I wouldn't return from the shore on Sunday.

Since I'm at the shore every weekend, most of my to dos happen on weeknights and the majority of each weekend aside from Saturday between 10 and noon is spent relaxing. Productivity is absent for most of the weekend. Since buying the shore house, I've shifted my approach to life. It's not all as tidy as it used to be or run as smoothly and I'm okay with that.

I should also note that Linda, our cleaning lady, came on June 9. She comes every two weeks so I have stopped doing the heavy lifting there. I used to do all of my cleaning on weekends. Then I interspersed it throughout the week. Then I got resentful because I felt like I was doing all of it so MFD agreed to pay for a cleaning lady in lieu of hearing me bitch about chore inequity. And this is what works for us now. I used to clean more the weeks Linda didn't come, but I've dropped back to basic maintenance.  I just don't have the energy and dust or dog hair is not going to kill me. 

In the hour or hour and a half that I'm "doing things" every night, I'm mostly puttering. So while I'm doing those tasks in that time span, I am not working diligently. I enjoy doing that - being in the kitchen, putting things in order, walking around my house. I like to sit on the couch and all, but if I sat on the couch for three hours every night I'd go nuts. I'm a doer, I like doing things. I'm so used to doing what I call my daily dos that I barely even realize I do them anymore. I had to legitimately take notes to do this post.

This exercise also made me realize just how little TV I watch these days and how I am sorely lacking in a little actual exercise every day aside from walking.

I made special note of letting the dogs out this morning because I do not let them out in the morning unless MFD is not home. He is the morning guy. Also not included on these is that as soon as I get home each day, they go out back. As soon as they're done, they eat. Then I go about my business. They are always tended to first. 

Aside from going to a farm market, Aldi, or Sam's, I purchase as much as I can online and have it delivered so I'm not wasting my time running errands. Time is money and I will pay shipping or a higher price online than I would in store if it saves me time and aggravation at night. At the shore, I typically walk to do errands, which makes it less aggravating.

In regards to laundry, MFD does his. I do mine and household laundry, which is our sheets from home and shore, our towels from home and shore, towels we leave for renters at the shore, any blankets, etc.

I can absolutely always get myself moving by setting my timer for 20 or 30 minutes. Shit on bad days I'll set it for 10. I usually always go beyond that timer because I'm like ah I can just finish this off. And I do and feel better. Accomplishing what I set out to do, no matter how small, is satisfying to me.  It's hard for me to relax if what I wanted to get done is not done.

I fucking hate when I forget my lunch.

I maybe should have explained my commute - I give myself 15 minutes to get to the train station, parked, and to the platform. It's a park & ride so I either have a few minute walk or a short shuttle ride to my car. The walk is longer at the end of the day because we pull in on the other side. My train ride is 35-45 minutes depending on how long we sit at various spots waiting for signals. I emerge from the train station, hit Dunkin Donuts, and walk a short block to my office.

We also have a cleaning crew at the shore, because I don't work all week to spend two hours on Saturday cleaning up after someone else's vacation. I have my things I check and address during turnover, but Karen and team do a great job for us and I feel better having a professional come in to present new guests with a clean home to relax in. 

And repeat. I try to make it a point to have one very productive night a week and one mildly productive night. I figure one night is going to be lazy and one night I'll probably have to be somewhere outside of my house. And on the fifth night I do what I can and then head to the shore later. I have a loose schedule of each week ready to go on Sunday. I feel like I'm starting it off right. 

How about you? Do you do most of your life maintenance during the week or on weekends? 

Happy birthday to my brother-in-law Marcus Aurelius today!