Out with the old

Today I concentrated on the kitchen cabinet over the microwave. I got rid of a lot of little stuff, much of it medication well, well past the expiration date. (St. Joseph Aspirin from 2003, anyone?) Some of it was prescription drugs from my 2011 surgery and some from long-ago dental work. I had no reason to be hanging onto these bottles, and now they're gone.

I added two ice cube trays to my next Goodwill bag. I have two in my freezer now, and that's always been more than enough ice.

So today I learned that a percentage of my clutter is, literally, thoughtless. I just hang on to stuff without giving it any conscious thought. From now on I must try to pay closer attention.

Sunday Stealing

Play along here.

1. What one event, big or small, are you going to tell your grandchildren about? No grandchildren for this gal.
 

2. If you had to describe your 2014 in 3 words, what would they be? Less dramatic chaos

3. What new things did you discover about yourself? That my independent streak makes me stronger

4. What single achievement are you most proud of? This might be the sin of recency, but the unexpected giftbag and note I received for Christmas from a coworker was the highlight. She called me "the most thoughtful person I've ever had the good fortune of knowing." I hope to live up to her opinion of me.

5. What was the best news you received? That my cancer screenings came back normal. YEA!

6. What was your favorite place that you visited in 2014? I had such a good time in Vegas.

7. Which of your personal qualities turned out to be the most helpful this year? As I mentioned in #3, I'm very comfortable going my own way.

8. Who was your number one go-to person that you could always rely on? My oldest friend.

9. Which new skills did you learn? Making new friends through my classic movie meet up. And yes, I think making new friends is a skill I needed to brush up on. It's been literally decades since I bonded with a "civilian," someone who isn't in advertising/marketing.

10. What, or who, are you most thankful for? My cat Joey is a healthy feline senior citizen. He's right here, warm and loving, as I answer these questions.

11. If someone wrote a book about your life in 2014, what kind of genre would it be? A comedy, love story, drama, film noir or something else? Oooooh! I like the idea of moody black and white film noir! I don't know what it has to do with my life, exactly, but the visual appeals to me.

12. What was the most important lesson you learned in 2014? That I have to push myself more, fitness wise. I got myself a personal trainer in 2014, and it was a good move.

13. Which mental block(s) did you overcome? Don't know that I did. Isn't that sad?

14.What 5 people did you most enjoy spending time with? Definitely my friend John. My oldest friend. Kathleen, because I've been worried about her. And Martha and Joanna, because they're not in advertising/marketing!

15.What was your biggest break-through moment career-wise? According to my boss and my performance eval, it was writing content for a website devoted to education savings. There were technical things about it that made it a challenge, but for the most part, writing for the web is just ... well ... writing.

16.How did your relationship to your family evolve? Less drama! And for this I am grateful.

17.What book or movie affected your life in a profound way? I really enjoyed The Patriarch, the massive biography of Joseph P. Kennedy. What a colorful, complicated man! As I read it, I kept thinking he was like the little girl in the nursery rhyme -- when he was good, he was very, very good and when he was bad he was horrid.

18.What was your favourite compliment that you received this year? See #4. "The most generous person" she's ever had the good fortune of knowing. WOW!

19.What little things did you most enjoy during your day-to-day life? As always, the Cubs. Especially during Wrigley Field's 100th season! I'm always happier when I have baseball. (Just 3 months from Opening Day!)

20.What cool things did you create this year? I really enjoyed my Nanowrimo novel.

21.What was your most common mental state this year (e.g. excited, curious, stressed)? Worried. I'm a worrier.

22.Was there anything you did for the very first time in your life this year? I can't think of anything.

23.What was your favourite moment spent with your friends? Toss up between my birthday in Vegas or John's birthday at Wrigley Field.

24.What major goal did you lay the foundations for? I'll have my bathroom renovation done in 2015. YEA! (Toilet, sink, medicine chest and lighting done; tiles left to go.)

25.Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary? Every time I get on a plane I'm terrified. And every flight has been smooth.

So now I'm "the snobby and judgmental girl"

The only bad thing about "helping" Sam Winters with the Saturday 9 meme is that I feel a responsibility to those who play. I visit all their blogs and leave a positive comment because, well, "this silly little meme" was important to Bud and I want to keep it going.

Yesterday I got a bitchy comment back on this blog from one of the newer Sat 9-ers. She came over to call  me "the snobby and judgmental girl."

I don't know her. I don't see how I could have ever met her. I don't believe I've ever corresponded with her at any length through the cyberworld. And yet she came over here just to be mean. I don't get it. I scrolled down through her blog and found that the only comments I've made to her have been upbeat. Superficial, perhaps, but not certainly not mean.

I hate bullies. Most of all, I hate it when I find myself bullied. I guess the anonymity afforded her by the internet emboldened her and in her mind made it somehow okay to hurt my feelings.

However, the older I get, the more I enjoy being called a "girl."

Photo courtesy of "stockimages" at freedigitalphotos.net.

"Clean Me" update

A big, black lawn bag: That's how much stuff I took out to the dumpster last night, all from my bedroom. It took about 45 minutes, but they were 45 well spent minutes.

Friday I actually hauled the big box of stuff to Goodwill, which was a $12 cab ride (incl. tip) and did four loads of laundry, so while I didn't do a lot to improve my surroundings, I did at least do something.

I also think I'm on my way to eliminating the drain flies! Thank you, Earthworm! It's taken longer than I'd like -- a week of regular dosing -- but Earthworm is organic and safe for both my elderly plumbing and my elderly cat, Joe.