Less Hustle More Coffee

I was able to get out and take a few pics today of this beautiful snow, which has been both a beauty but a curse for many. Here in Tennessee we get a good snow about every 3 to 4 years. Usually a 2 to 3 day work loss event and not an entire week and then some. When I say work loss, let me stress the point that many of us are still working but from home and more on that later. Maybe even tomorrow. I slept til almost 6:00 this morning instead of the 4:00 a.m. hour. At the latest I am up by 4:45. I must have needed the sleep. But then I got up and showered and got ready for work (sweat pants outfit and warm socks as I sit by a window). By the time I got breakfast and sat down it was 7:38! So no time for blog entry this morning. I jotted down my outline for what I wanted to remember to blog about though.

This one above, with the focus in the distance.

Below with the focus on the limbs.

It has been just beautiful watching the snowfall. After I fix breakfast, then George fixed me another breakfast. Geez! I should just wait for his breakfast but I never know he’s gonna do it.

We’ve been well fed this week. That is for sure.

Here’s yesterday’s wine glass. After work, I sat in my office’s corner chair and watched the snow.

You can change the focus of the iPhone pics too by touching the screen where you want to place focus. Above I touched the screen where the snow was. Below I touched the screen where the wine was.

Honestly I think the iPhones (and mine is only an 8S right now) really just do almost as well as the camera. Well it does for me anyway since I use the manual settings still. Lessons, lessons, lessons – I know. Time, Time, Time!

Update on Daughter’s Power and Water

They are home with power and water now! And they said River was happy to be home, unbundled, and playing with all his toys – he swats at the jungle gyms and gets books read to him. I love this pic and had to share it. Look at his little legs! They are filling out! I love to see the healthy baby legs! This pic makes me want to hold him so bad. It’s so hard to live 14 hours away. I just can’t believe we do. I can’t believe we are letting this happen. Like we have a choice! Well we could move but George won’t let us. I’m glad we didn’t yet. We’d have been without power. And a shower for several days. Anyway, I’m glad all that worked out. Thank you LORD!

So I entered a bunch of W-2’s and almost finished entering the 188 I have to enter for one of our states – yes all manual as we don’t have the right software to upload I was told. So I only have like 12 left to do and I’ll do that tomorrow.

I have a headache though for dealing with all that today. I guess just from concentrating. I’m sipping a glass of wine now. I’m about to go cook spaghetti for dinner. Not really very hungry though as I had a late lunch of some leftovers and that was my 3rd meal of the day being I had two breakfasts. Oh my I need to exercise now!

Why am I working this Weekend?

Sybil, in the comments, wanted to know why on earth I would want to go in and work this weekend when I’m working all week from home. So I figured I’d answer that here for all.

1. I have a check box of responsibilities that I do each week for payroll. My week is done when all the boxes are checked. There may be a few things that can slide over to the next week but I would only let that happen if I was on vacation or something like that. I DO NOT like being behind and I always get the most important things done but all of it usually is important and timely as I pay people for living and also pay taxes and do tax returns.

2. At home I don’t have all the supplies to be able to check all the boxes. So my days are usually shorter when I work from home. Maybe not a lot shorter but it is a bit shorter. I also take time to throw laundry in, lay out ingredients for dinner, take care of a pet’s needs (taking out, feeding, etc). I might even clean off the counter or take an extra few minutes at lunch or call Mom to check on her. So I have more time perks while at home to throw in a few things here and there. While I usually start on time, I might let up at 4 or so – but today I worked til 5 since I stopped to go outside and take pics and have a photo session aside from taking a lunch. I had a quota set for how many w-2’s I wanted to enter. I’ve also been checking the weather repeatedly both on line and looking out the window. And since George is home too, we sometimes chat in b/w our work sessions.

So it’s only fair to go in and work this weekend to do the things that are not checked off the list and complete the week. My list usually takes up most of the week, so if I have things left unchecked I’ve not completed enough hours yet. I’ve done this list long enough to know that. Now I’ve had extra work going on with these w-2’s so it’s likely that I’ve put close to 40 in but I’d guess about 35 so far. I haven’t figured it out yet but I’d guess with all the breaks I’ve put about that in. That’s not much. I did relax more on Monday since I worked Sunday. I answered emails but mainly did all the things I would have done Sunday if I didn’t close payroll. We needed whites, towels, and darks really bad! So I did some chores Monday as my Monday and Tuesday goals were met by doing it all on Sunday. So it’s only fair for me to go in this weekend and I’ll probably get another 8, 9 or 10 hours in. If Saturday is not a mess on the roads, I’ll go then. But it’s probably best for me to go once this weekend and work all day Sunday. I could go in both and work two halves but likely I’ll just go in Sunday and give this a chance to melt and go in once.

So that’s the reason! I mainly have to be ready for this next payroll and then do a few things I couldn’t do for this past one. And I will be happy to do it. I never like being behind and I try to keep a life/work balance and keep it fair for both sides. Don’t worry, I squawk loudly when I feel pinched upon! I do feel like you have to protect yourself sometime. It’s often hard to get a Saturday or Sunday back when you work it if you don’t take it right away. I think you grow to regret it when you don’t focus enough on your family life, home life, and do things that are important to you. You begin to feel like an owned robot. I don’t think that’s God’s plan either. I mean He said it. Even He Rested after doing His work, and He’s God!

Ok off to go cook my Mister some spaghetti. Ya’ll have a good evening. Our offices are closed tomorrow. Well, I mean even if it was open, I’d not be driving in this mess! No way! I want to live to see my Grandson!

Oh I’ve been talking with one of the ladies that owns a shop in Breckenridge, TX! I followed her on Instagram and struck up a conversation. I wasn’t sure she’d remember us but we shop in her store every time we go to Graham, TX – The Tattered Pearl! I sent her the YouTube video in TX as I told her we’d mentioned her shop in the video. She sent me a heart back and said she was thrilled we loved to shop there. I do love her shop. I remember the first time when Katy took me there. I was so excited. We love boutiques and they had clothes that fit me and the prices were right. They had cute and different things too. It was a charming place. So if ever in Graham TX, you must stop by The Tattered Pearl!

Ok when is Spring going to get here? When it does I have some plans! I’m going to make some appointments in March for sure. Ok gotta go!