12.31.12: Getting Ready to Say Goodbye to 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

It's nice to have time off, not because I hate work because I don't really hate work. But, I do hate my commute. And, not driving for a week has been nice. And, sleeping instead has been great.

We spent a couple of days at home before leaving for the holidays which translated into a little less chaos when we got back. We spent a couple of days with each set of grandparents and P got to spend some time with my brother. By the end of the trip, we were all ready to come home.

And, now, today, we're dropping P off at school today while I get some much needed time at home without P. On the list? Insurance for my new company, clearing out portions of the basement, and finishing another school application.

Yesterday, we took down one of the railings on P's bed converting it from a crib to a daybed. She handled the change fine. I think I'm the only one who got sentimental over it. I know she's closer to four than three, but it was one of the last vestiges of babyhood we still have in the house. I didn't realize when I picked her up out of it yesterday morning that it would be the last time I was picking her up out of her crib. Fortunately, I've been savoring it since I knew the end was near, so I wasn't completely crushed by the change.

I looked at my master "to do" list now vs. two months ago and we've made progress. I look forward to the day when I can convert it into a largely discretionary list of fun to dos instead of the current mundane list of required to dos. Progress.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I just dropped three books into the recycle bin. Three books so unworthy they didn't even make it into the donate pile. Junk fiction. I had forgotten I had even purchased them. Done.

And, that, my friends, brings me to 52. I did it!

Now to dwell on my thoughts.

Do I miss anything I got rid of? No. Did I need anything I got rid of? No. Does the mouse pad look any neater? A little. Does the mouse pad feel any better? A little.

Am I done? No. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

There's still plenty more that can leave the mouse pad. We have a pile of toys P picked to get rid of on the family room floor. These will go to either to family or Goodwill. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Today, I bask in the glory of 52 things that have left the mouse pad.

The final count?

1. junk: 15
2. useful, just not for us: 14
3. toys: 11
4. baby gear: 7
5. odds and ends: 3
6. books: 2

Now that we're done with the first 52. Guess what?

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad in 2013. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.


Cheers!
mouse

Last Day of Work for 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

Funny. I found out recently that my boss will be leaving. And, I'm going to miss him. Now, I'll be headed into 2013 with a new boss. They won't be back filling my boss so I'll report to his boss.

I'm not optimistic that I'll be staying at work much past when P starts school, if she gets in next fall. If I do, I'll be more surprised than anyone else. If I make it through today, that'll be my last December at my current work.

Somehow that feels good.


Cheers!
mouse

Drats! Water, Again

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Torturing a Tired Kid

Dear Friends and Family,

No. No need to call Child Services. It's not really torture.

P was tired last night and fidgety and didn't want to write the last card for her teacher. I had been bugging her to do them since the weekend, so I didn't have a lot of pity for her last night.

I told her sometimes even when you're tired you still need to do things.

Now you might think this is a cruel and unusual discussion to be having with a three year old, but it's not. Even if she's tired, she still needs to do things. She still needs to have a bath. She still needs to brush her teeth. She still needs to put away her toys. Tired might mean you skip some activities (we only read two books last night instead of three), but it isn't an excuse to not do something you don't want to do.

So, yes, we made her finish her card. We'll let her sleep a little longer this morning. It made for a long night of waiting out the tantrum, but it was worth it. I think it's important to teach her that procrastinating has consequences and being tired isn't an excuse to let something slide past its deadline.

P's three and a half, hurtling towards four. Time to teach life lessons. It's so much easier to spoil a kid and give them everything they ask for and just hug and cuddle them all the time. But, unfortunately, then, your kid grows up to be a monster instead of a well-functioning adult. There's definitely joys to parenting, but make no mistake, there's work involved.

More mail to pick up tonight.


Cheers!
mouse

Thyroid Check In: Week 1

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been on methimazole for a week now. How's mouse doing?

I'm enjoying the freedom of slowly expanding my diet to include normal foods again. I'm noticing a drop-off in the number of heart palpitations although it should be noticed they still exist. My eyes don't bother me as often. I still get hand tremors when I'm close to my next dose of medicine, but my hands are more steady than they were.

In summary, I still have some symptoms, but they're not as pronounced as they were a week ago. I'm supposed to keep taking the propranolol for a week longer and then discontinue its use.

As scared as I was to get back on the medication, I'm glad I did.


Cheers!
mouse

12.17.12: Five More Days

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday.

We got a ton of stuff done over the weekend. And, like it or not, a ton of stuff will get done over the week. And, by Friday, our list will have whittled down to almost nothing.

Wishful thinking if I ever heard it.

We spent the weekend trying to help P write her Christmas cards. We enjoyed the grey, but warm Sunday to take P out for a bike ride. She's beginning to balance now. We got out our new year's party invitations. I ordered P's gifts. We made a sizable dent in our Christmas card process.

Like it or not, a ton of stuff will get done over the week. And, by Friday, our list will have whittled down.

I'll be glad when it's Friday.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. Bionicles Tahu is back in the basement where I am sure we will age it another batch of years. But, we made a smidgen of progress in the kitchen. There was a food drive at the library. We dropped off some rice milk, vegetable broth, garbanzo beans and British beans. The British beans are P's favorite and Mr. mouse wanted to make sure she knew we don't just donate things we don't like. I do, but apparently he doesn't. There's plenty more in the pantry. But, I'm still counting the little that did leave the mouse pad. 51 down, 1 to go!
2. Originally I was going to list Lego Bionicles Tahu, but apparently that's worth $20 and now Mr. mouse is considering selling it on eBay. Now, we're bringing three PS2 games to drop off with my friend, Ben, the collector of all oddities.
3. My favorite time of year. White elephant gifts. I'm bringing in a set of glass globes. You insert them upside down in your plants to water them. Mr. mouse got them, but agreed, we don't have plants, so glass globes aren't the most useful thing to keep. Unfortunately, I only got him to gift one box so you'll be hearing about another box in the future.
4. This one's a surprisingly tough one. Four reels of LED lights. I don't like to color they emit. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume I probably won't ever like the color they emit. Three of them are unopened. I have no recollection of what I paid for them. They're labelled $40 each. I don't think I paid $160 for lights. But, perhaps I did. And, now, that's why I'm having trouble leaving them. It's as if, by keeping them, I'm justifying myself in having spent $160 on them (if I truly spent that much). But, today, I'm going to be brave and let them leave the house. Remember, mouse, you don't even like them and never will. Keeping them will not get your money back. Donating them lets another family enjoy them. Right?
5. Back in 2007, five years ago, I was in a store and saw a Christmas tree marked down to $5.99. And, I couldn't resist. And, I bought it. Since then, it's sat in our garage as a reminder that $5.99 spent on something else would have been a better use of $5.99. I'm bringing it into work today for our office decorations. My colleague has promised to drop it off at Goodwill once we're done with it.
6. Not sure how to count these. But I took two bags of old clothes (either too big or too small) out to the garage for donation.
7. More not glamorous adds. I had "take down umbrella" on my list of to dos. Funny, that's the one winterizing thing I feel compelled to do. I went up the deck and the umbrella was knocked over. I tried to pull it out of the stand. I broke it in half. I considered repairing this old, faded umbrella. A week later, I asked Mr. mouse to throw it out.
8. It's not a glamorous add. A cookie sheet. It's old and stained and apparently we have a new one that's nothing short of amazing. So, I discreetly put the cookie sheet by the garbage and so far Mr. mouse hasn't objected.
9. You thought I had forgotten about you, didn't you? Actually, I've just been too busy. This one is a simple one. One evening, I needed a hangar to hang up some pants. There were no obvious empty hangars. I think Mr. mouse had brought them all down to fold laundry. So, I took three t-shirts that were languishing in our closet and took them down to the donate bag in the garage. Three down. Something like twenty or forty more t-shirts to go.
10. This one hasn't been in the house all that long. But, minus active actions on our part, I could see myself having to deal with it sometime in the far future. It's an umbrella. I bought it for P for her third birthday because that's what she wanted for her birthday - chocolate cake and an umbrella. But, it turned out to be much too big for her. Since I bought it from some small store in Oregon (online), returning it seemed like more bother than it was worth. Our friend, Gracie, said she would take it. She likes it. Win. Win.
11. junk: 27" tube TV
12. junk: expired stuff from under the bathroom sink
13. junk: more expired stuff from under the bathroom sink
14. junk: empty containers from under the bathroom sink
15. baby gear: burp cloths
16. baby gear: diaper bag
17. odds and ends: stairs to the deck
18. junk: old swimsuit
19. baby gear: 2 old breast pumps, one box
20. junk: peg toy we inherited (missing pegs)
21. toy: set of giant pipe cleaners
22. junk: Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes
23. baby gear: two booster seats
24. book: Cooking for Baby
25. toy: toy computer
26. toy: baby animal puzzle
27. toy: bird house with four plush birds
28. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
29. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
30. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
31. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
32. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
33. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
34. junk: a bucket and a lid
35. useful, just not for us: a basket
36. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
37. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
38. baby gear: the Boppy
39. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
40. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
41. useful, just not for us: crock pot
42. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
43. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
44. baby gear: foam roll
45. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
46. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
47. toy: dog security blanket
48. toy: battery-operated toy train
49. toy: stacking pyramids
50. toy: hammer and eight nails
51. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. Originally I was going to list Lego Bionicles Tahu, but apparently that's worth $20 and now Mr. mouse is considering selling it on eBay. Now, we're bringing three PS2 games to drop off with my friend, Ben, the collector of all oddities.
2. My favorite time of year. White elephant gifts. I'm bringing in a set of glass globes. You insert them upside down in your plants to water them. Mr. mouse got them, but agreed, we don't have plants, so glass globes aren't the most useful thing to keep. Unfortunately, I only got him to gift one box so you'll be hearing about another box in the future.
3. This one's a surprisingly tough one. Four reels of LED lights. I don't like to color they emit. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume I probably won't ever like the color they emit. Three of them are unopened. I have no recollection of what I paid for them. They're labelled $40 each. I don't think I paid $160 for lights. But, perhaps I did. And, now, that's why I'm having trouble leaving them. It's as if, by keeping them, I'm justifying myself in having spent $160 on them (if I truly spent that much). But, today, I'm going to be brave and let them leave the house. Remember, mouse, you don't even like them and never will. Keeping them will not get your money back. Donating them lets another family enjoy them. Right?
4. Back in 2007, five years ago, I was in a store and saw a Christmas tree marked down to $5.99. And, I couldn't resist. And, I bought it. Since then, it's sat in our garage as a reminder that $5.99 spent on something else would have been a better use of $5.99. I'm bringing it into work today for our office decorations. My colleague has promised to drop it off at Goodwill once we're done with it.
5. Not sure how to count these. But I took two bags of old clothes (either too big or too small) out to the garage for donation.
6. More not glamorous adds. I had "take down umbrella" on my list of to dos. Funny, that's the one winterizing thing I feel compelled to do. I went up the deck and the umbrella was knocked over. I tried to pull it out of the stand. I broke it in half. I considered repairing this old, faded umbrella. A week later, I asked Mr. mouse to throw it out.
7. It's not a glamorous add. A cookie sheet. It's old and stained and apparently we have a new one that's nothing short of amazing. So, I discreetly put the cookie sheet by the garbage and so far Mr. mouse hasn't objected.
8. You thought I had forgotten about you, didn't you? Actually, I've just been too busy. This one is a simple one. One evening, I needed a hangar to hang up some pants. There were no obvious empty hangars. I think Mr. mouse had brought them all down to fold laundry. So, I took three t-shirts that were languishing in our closet and took them down to the donate bag in the garage. Three down. Something like twenty or forty more t-shirts to go.
9. This one hasn't been in the house all that long. But, minus active actions on our part, I could see myself having to deal with it sometime in the far future. It's an umbrella. I bought it for P for her third birthday because that's what she wanted for her birthday - chocolate cake and an umbrella. But, it turned out to be much too big for her. Since I bought it from some small store in Oregon (online), returning it seemed like more bother than it was worth. Our friend, Gracie, said she would take it. She likes it. Win. Win.
10. My college graduation gift from my parents. Actually, it might also have been a house warming gift from my parents for my new apartment, my first home outside of theirs. Sounds like something you should keep forever, doesn't it? Except, it's a 27" tube TV that we no longer watch. We finally recycled it this weekend when our friends were over, since we could fit it in their truck.
11. junk: expired stuff from under the bathroom sink
12. junk: more expired stuff from under the bathroom sink
13. junk: empty containers from under the bathroom sink
14. baby gear: burp cloths
15. baby gear: diaper bag
16. odds and ends: stairs to the deck
17. junk: old swimsuit
18. baby gear: 2 old breast pumps, one box
19. junk: peg toy we inherited (missing pegs)
20. toy: set of giant pipe cleaners
21. junk: Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes
22. baby gear: two booster seats
23. book: Cooking for Baby
24. toy: toy computer
25. toy: baby animal puzzle
26. toy: bird house with four plush birds
27. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
28. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
29. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
30. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
31. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
32. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
33. junk: a bucket and a lid
34. useful, just not for us: a basket
35. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
36. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
37. baby gear: the Boppy
38. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
39. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
40. useful, just not for us: crock pot
41. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
42. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
43. baby gear: foam roll
44. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
45. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
46. toy: dog security blanket
47. toy: battery-operated toy train
48. toy: stacking pyramids
49. toy: hammer and eight nails
50. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

Why I Chose to Get Medicated

Dear Friends and Family,

I figured out why I chose to get medicated. The hyperthyroidism is making me tired. I sleep a lot. I feel like I'm missing out on quality time with P because I'm sleeping so much. If the medication can relieve some of the tiredness, I'll be able to spend more time with P.

And, that's why I chose to get medicated.


Cheers!
mouse

Medicated

Dear Friends and Family,

I went to the see an endocrinologist yesterday and he recommended I get on thyroid medication. While my thyroid levels themselves didn't seem to really concern him, my antibody levels were apparently rather alarming. What is a puzzle is why my thyroid levels weren't even higher.

We quickly ruled out radioactive iodine. And, we just as quickly ruled out doing nothing. The former because my case wasn't bad enough to warrant radioactive iodine. The latter because my case wasn't likely to improve without intervention and doing nothing has risks as well.

This left two options, methimazole and PTU. Since I'm not pregnant, nor trying to become pregnant, and since I've taken methimazole in the past, we decided to go that route.

I'm taking 20 mg a day of the methimazole and 20 mg a day of the propranolol. I have a follow-up lab in 4-6 weeks. We'll go from there. Between now and then, I need to get a better handle on my stress and I need to add iodine back into my diet. Soy sauce is my goal for this week.

I've come to the realization that I'm sick and treating myself is better than sitting in semi-denial. Here's to getting better!


Cheers!
mouse

12.11.12: Busy Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Want to hear about our weekend?

We got a haircut. We dropped off dry cleaning. We packed our bags. We went to the symphony. We went for a walk in the rain. We went to lunch. We went to the airport. We went to have dinner with a friends. We went to the hotel to check in.

That was Saturday. Sunday?

We went to the hotel pool. We went to a friends' house for lunch. We went to another friends' house for the afternoon. We went to a third friends' house for dinner. We went to the hotel to crash.

Monday?

We went to the dentist. We went to lunch. We went to the airport. We picked up last minute presents. We unpacked and played.

Exhausted? Yes, it was good sleeping in our bed last night. But, even if it was exhausting, it was absolutely great catching up with all of our friends. I'm not as anxious about school. I'm not as anxious about my thyroid. And, I'm several days closer to 12/21 when, by definition, the holiday rush will be behind us.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. My favorite time of year. White elephant gifts. I'm bringing in a set of glass globes. You insert them upside down in your plants to water them. Mr. mouse got them, but agreed, we don't have plants, so glass globes aren't the most useful thing to keep. Unfortunately, I only got him to gift one box so you'll be hearing about another box in the future.
2. This one's a surprisingly tough one. Four reels of LED lights. I don't like to color they emit. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume I probably won't ever like the color they emit. Three of them are unopened. I have no recollection of what I paid for them. They're labelled $40 each. I don't think I paid $160 for lights. But, perhaps I did. And, now, that's why I'm having trouble leaving them. It's as if, by keeping them, I'm justifying myself in having spent $160 on them (if I truly spent that much). But, today, I'm going to be brave and let them leave the house. Remember, mouse, you don't even like them and never will. Keeping them will not get your money back. Donating them lets another family enjoy them. Right?
3. Back in 2007, five years ago, I was in a store and saw a Christmas tree marked down to $5.99. And, I couldn't resist. And, I bought it. Since then, it's sat in our garage as a reminder that $5.99 spent on something else would have been a better use of $5.99. I'm bringing it into work today for our office decorations. My colleague has promised to drop it off at Goodwill once we're done with it.
4. Not sure how to count these. But I took two bags of old clothes (either too big or too small) out to the garage for donation.
5. More not glamorous adds. I had "take down umbrella" on my list of to dos. Funny, that's the one winterizing thing I feel compelled to do. I went up the deck and the umbrella was knocked over. I tried to pull it out of the stand. I broke it in half. I considered repairing this old, faded umbrella. A week later, I asked Mr. mouse to throw it out.
6. It's not a glamorous add. A cookie sheet. It's old and stained and apparently we have a new one that's nothing short of amazing. So, I discreetly put the cookie sheet by the garbage and so far Mr. mouse hasn't objected.
7. You thought I had forgotten about you, didn't you? Actually, I've just been too busy. This one is a simple one. One evening, I needed a hangar to hang up some pants. There were no obvious empty hangars. I think Mr. mouse had brought them all down to fold laundry. So, I took three t-shirts that were languishing in our closet and took them down to the donate bag in the garage. Three down. Something like twenty or forty more t-shirts to go.
8. This one hasn't been in the house all that long. But, minus active actions on our part, I could see myself having to deal with it sometime in the far future. It's an umbrella. I bought it for P for her third birthday because that's what she wanted for her birthday - chocolate cake and an umbrella. But, it turned out to be much too big for her. Since I bought it from some small store in Oregon (online), returning it seemed like more bother than it was worth. Our friend, Gracie, said she would take it. She likes it. Win. Win.
9. My college graduation gift from my parents. Actually, it might also have been a house warming gift from my parents for my new apartment, my first home outside of theirs. Sounds like something you should keep forever, doesn't it? Except, it's a 27" tube TV that we no longer watch. We finally recycled it this weekend when our friends were over, since we could fit it in their truck.
10. I don't even know where to begin. It started this morning, when I went upstairs to put the floss away and I realized the area under our sink was a disaster. First, there were the seven plastic bins, packed with stuff, piled up to the top of the cabinet, three on one side of the sink and four on the other side of the sink. Then, there was stuff wedged on top of the bins and piled all around the bins. I can't count each individually or this list would grow well beyond the 52 goal, but it seems like it should count for more than one entry. I know, I'll count it by the bagful of junk I threw out. The first bag was filled with expired stuff like sunscreen and eye drops.
11. junk: more expired stuff from under the bathroom sink
12. junk: empty containers from under the bathroom sink
13. baby gear: burp cloths
14. baby gear: diaper bag
15. odds and ends: stairs to the deck
16. junk: old swimsuit
17. baby gear: 2 old breast pumps, one box
18. junk: peg toy we inherited (missing pegs)
19. toy: set of giant pipe cleaners
20. junk: Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes
21. baby gear: two booster seats
22. book: Cooking for Baby
23. toy: toy computer
24. toy: baby animal puzzle
25. toy: bird house with four plush birds
26. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
27. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
28. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
29. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
30. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
31. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
32. junk: a bucket and a lid
33. useful, just not for us: a basket
34. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
35. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
36. baby gear: the Boppy
37. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
38. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
39. useful, just not for us: crock pot
40. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
41. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
42. baby gear: foam roll
43. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
44. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
45. toy: dog security blanket
46. toy: battery-operated toy train
47. toy: stacking pyramids
48. toy: hammer and eight nails
49. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

One Down, Two to Go

Dear Friends and Family,

One down. Two to go. Regardless of what happens, it is guaranteed that two Fridays from now we will essentially be done with December. I just need to keep reminding myself of that fact.

I will be beat, but I will recover.

mouse, the phoenix.

Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. Back in 2007, five years ago, I was in a store and saw a Christmas tree marked down to $5.99. And, I couldn't resist. And, I bought it. Since then, it's sat in our garage as a reminder that $5.99 spent on something else would have been a better use of $5.99. I'm bringing it into work today for our office decorations. My colleague has promised to drop it off at Goodwill once we're done with it.
2. Not sure how to count these. But I took two bags of old clothes (either too big or too small) out to the garage for donation.
3. More not glamorous adds. I had "take down umbrella" on my list of to dos. Funny, that's the one winterizing thing I feel compelled to do. I went up the deck and the umbrella was knocked over. I tried to pull it out of the stand. I broke it in half. I considered repairing this old, faded umbrella. A week later, I asked Mr. mouse to throw it out.
4. It's not a glamorous add. A cookie sheet. It's old and stained and apparently we have a new one that's nothing short of amazing. So, I discreetly put the cookie sheet by the garbage and so far Mr. mouse hasn't objected.
5. You thought I had forgotten about you, didn't you? Actually, I've just been too busy. This one is a simple one. One evening, I needed a hangar to hang up some pants. There were no obvious empty hangars. I think Mr. mouse had brought them all down to fold laundry. So, I took three t-shirts that were languishing in our closet and took them down to the donate bag in the garage. Three down. Something like twenty or forty more t-shirts to go.
6. This one hasn't been in the house all that long. But, minus active actions on our part, I could see myself having to deal with it sometime in the far future. It's an umbrella. I bought it for P for her third birthday because that's what she wanted for her birthday - chocolate cake and an umbrella. But, it turned out to be much too big for her. Since I bought it from some small store in Oregon (online), returning it seemed like more bother than it was worth. Our friend, Gracie, said she would take it. She likes it. Win. Win.
7. My college graduation gift from my parents. Actually, it might also have been a house warming gift from my parents for my new apartment, my first home outside of theirs. Sounds like something you should keep forever, doesn't it? Except, it's a 27" tube TV that we no longer watch. We finally recycled it this weekend when our friends were over, since we could fit it in their truck.
8. I don't even know where to begin. It started this morning, when I went upstairs to put the floss away and I realized the area under our sink was a disaster. First, there were the seven plastic bins, packed with stuff, piled up to the top of the cabinet, three on one side of the sink and four on the other side of the sink. Then, there was stuff wedged on top of the bins and piled all around the bins. I can't count each individually or this list would grow well beyond the 52 goal, but it seems like it should count for more than one entry. I know, I'll count it by the bagful of junk I threw out. The first bag was filled with expired stuff like sunscreen and eye drops.
9. The second bag was filled with stuff we don't use anymore like (expired) rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
10. The third bag was junk junk like plastic bags, leaking mouthwash, empty containers. And, what's left looks so much better. Three plastic bins on the left (from bottom to top): teeth, first aid, travel. And, on the right hand side: bathroom supplies, more unopened supplies, and more unopened supplies. In the middle? One open bin with the remaining partially used, not expired, still useful supplies, like sunscreen and bug spray and lotion.
11. baby gear: burp cloths
12. baby gear: diaper bag
13. odds and ends: stairs to the deck
14. junk: old swimsuit
15. baby gear: 2 old breast pumps, one box
16. junk: peg toy we inherited (missing pegs)
17. toy: set of giant pipe cleaners
18. junk: Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes
19. baby gear: two booster seats
20. book: Cooking for Baby
21. toy: toy computer
22. toy: baby animal puzzle
23. toy: bird house with four plush birds
24. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
25. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
26. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
27. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
28. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
29. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
30. junk: a bucket and a lid
31. useful, just not for us: a basket
32. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
33. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
34. baby gear: the Boppy
35. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
36. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
37. useful, just not for us: crock pot
38. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
39. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
40. baby gear: foam roll
41. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
42. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
43. toy: dog security blanket
44. toy: battery-operated toy train
45. toy: stacking pyramids
46. toy: hammer and eight nails
47. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

Officially Hyperthyroid

Dear Friends and Family,

Just got back my lab results from Tuesday and I need to resign myself to the fact that I'm hyperthyroid again. I've got an appointment with an endocrinologist on Tuesday. I hope I feel comfortable with his treatment recommendations.

If not, I'll be headed out to see my old endocrinologist. Happiness and joy.

On a positive front, I've got an add to my clutter diet list.


Cheers!
mouse

One More Item to Add to the Verboten List

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, yesterday's doctor's appointment went about as planned. I have a follow up appointment with an endocrinologist next Tuesday. I have a prescription for propranolol (no, Google, not provolone) to help with the heart palpitations. And, I have a host of questions on if I want to pursue treatment of the hyperthyroidism or try to get back to normal on my own.

I think my BATNA, if I don't like what the endocrinologist tells me on Tuesday, is to set up an appointment with my endocrinologist by the mouse winter cabin. I know him. I liked the way he treated me last time. Most importantly, I trust him.

Between now and next Tuesday, I'll take the propranolol and skip the wine and beer. Here's to feeling better soon.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. Not sure how to count these. But I took two bags of old clothes (either too big or too small) out to the garage for donation.
2. More not glamorous adds. I had "take down umbrella" on my list of to dos. Funny, that's the one winterizing thing I feel compelled to do. I went up the deck and the umbrella was knocked over. I tried to pull it out of the stand. I broke it in half. I considered repairing this old, faded umbrella. A week later, I asked Mr. mouse to throw it out.
3. It's not a glamorous add. A cookie sheet. It's old and stained and apparently we have a new one that's nothing short of amazing. So, I discreetly put the cookie sheet by the garbage and so far Mr. mouse hasn't objected.
4. You thought I had forgotten about you, didn't you? Actually, I've just been too busy. This one is a simple one. One evening, I needed a hangar to hang up some pants. There were no obvious empty hangars. I think Mr. mouse had brought them all down to fold laundry. So, I took three t-shirts that were languishing in our closet and took them down to the donate bag in the garage. Three down. Something like twenty or forty more t-shirts to go.
5. This one hasn't been in the house all that long. But, minus active actions on our part, I could see myself having to deal with it sometime in the far future. It's an umbrella. I bought it for P for her third birthday because that's what she wanted for her birthday - chocolate cake and an umbrella. But, it turned out to be much too big for her. Since I bought it from some small store in Oregon (online), returning it seemed like more bother than it was worth. Our friend, Gracie, said she would take it. She likes it. Win. Win.
6. My college graduation gift from my parents. Actually, it might also have been a house warming gift from my parents for my new apartment, my first home outside of theirs. Sounds like something you should keep forever, doesn't it? Except, it's a 27" tube TV that we no longer watch. We finally recycled it this weekend when our friends were over, since we could fit it in their truck.
7. I don't even know where to begin. It started this morning, when I went upstairs to put the floss away and I realized the area under our sink was a disaster. First, there were the seven plastic bins, packed with stuff, piled up to the top of the cabinet, three on one side of the sink and four on the other side of the sink. Then, there was stuff wedged on top of the bins and piled all around the bins. I can't count each individually or this list would grow well beyond the 52 goal, but it seems like it should count for more than one entry. I know, I'll count it by the bagful of junk I threw out. The first bag was filled with expired stuff like sunscreen and eye drops.
8. The second bag was filled with stuff we don't use anymore like (expired) rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
9. The third bag was junk junk like plastic bags, leaking mouthwash, empty containers. And, what's left looks so much better. Three plastic bins on the left (from bottom to top): teeth, first aid, travel. And, on the right hand side: bathroom supplies, more unopened supplies, and more unopened supplies. In the middle? One open bin with the remaining partially used, not expired, still useful supplies, like sunscreen and bug spray and lotion.
10. burp cloths... Ask me why it was so difficult letting these go and I will not be able to give you a good answer. They were piled on P's dresser. I internally debated giving them to my sister. I kept them in March. This time, I bit the bullet and put them in the bag for my sister. I kept 4. I gave her 8.
11. baby gear: diaper bag
12. odds and ends: stairs to the deck
13. junk: old swimsuit
14. baby gear: 2 old breast pumps, one box
15. junk: peg toy we inherited (missing pegs)
16. toy: set of giant pipe cleaners
17. junk: Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes
18. baby gear: two booster seats
19. book: Cooking for Baby
20. toy: toy computer
21. toy: baby animal puzzle
22. toy: bird house with four plush birds
23. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
24. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
25. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
26. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
27. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
28. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
29. junk: a bucket and a lid
30. useful, just not for us: a basket
31. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
32. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
33. baby gear: the Boppy
34. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
35. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
36. useful, just not for us: crock pot
37. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
38. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
39. baby gear: foam roll
40. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
41. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
42. toy: dog security blanket
43. toy: battery-operated toy train
44. toy: stacking pyramids
45. toy: hammer and eight nails
46. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

12.03.12: Now Is Your Time to Push

Dear Friends and Family,

Now is your time to push. That's one of our favorite lines from auto racing.

I know it might seem as if drivers are driving as fast as they can for the whole race. After all, isn't that the point of driving in a race? But, it turns out, even if they're going as fast as they can, there's moments where their crew will tell them, now, you should try to go even faster.

Where does that extra come from?

I don't know. But, I do know, Mr. mouse and I need to find it for the next three weeks.

This weekend, we finished off three more school applications for P. I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to take P out to the library, brunch, and park to give Mr. mouse time to work on the applications. I swear, if anyone can procrastinate, Mr. mouse can procrastinate.

Sunday, I took a break and let Mr. mouse take P out for bagels and a bike ride.

Now, it's Monday and we have one more application due in a couple of weeks. If you add holidays on top of that, January begins to look like the promised land.

Top Three for December?

• two more school applications, one more school tour, our first parent meeting, and whatever else we need to do for school
• holidays... holidays... holidays... tree, presents, cards, invite for our January party... we need to do our tree this week
• my health, I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Now is your time to push.


Cheers!
mouse