Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Happy September

Current work: revisions on Med book/plotting
Listening to: Planet Rock
Reading: Louise Allen, The Piratical Miss Ravenhurst (still enjoying, just been too wiped to read in the evenings!)

Happy September – and here’s this month’s calendar pic. Quite appropriate for the book that's out later this month...


We spent the weekend (including the bank holiday) painting. The idea was, the kids were going to join us. Except Chloe couldn’t quite get the hang of using the roller, and son… Well. You need to get a kid with ADHD to repeat instructions back to you. DH failed to do this when he asked son to start at the bottom of the slope under the stairs and work his way backwards, going horizontally so he wouldn’t end up covered in paint. You can guess what happened next…

Anyway. The hall, landing and stairs are now done, including ceilings, gloss and stain on the stairs. The main bathroom is done (and, bah, DH made me do the gloss – plus the special paint for bathrooms smells utterly foul). Madam’s room is done (and she’s very pleased with the colour). So we’re halfway there. Three bedrooms and the ensuite to go. (Though this is taking longer than I expected. Whereas we used to be able to do the decorating from 7am to 10pm and still feel bright and chirpy, nowadays it’s 9am to 6pm and then I’ve definitely had enough: sort dinner, fall into bath, and then slide into zombie mode. I’m in my early forties. I shouldn’t have to start slowing down yet, surely?)

Woke at stupid o’clock with a bad dream (probably caused by paint fumes). Rather than lie there, fidgeting until DH was awake, I went downstairs and spent a while coding my website. So today it’s actually up to date. There’s a new recipe up plus an excerpt for the book that’s out in 17 days’ time – Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress, aka the Northern Lights/reindeer book – and more information about Good Girl or Gold Digger?, aka the fairground book. There are also new reviews of various books (and thank you to the reviewers who made such positive comments).

I will be better in future about updates, because I am organised again: I’ve gone back to using Lotus Organiser, which is still far and away the best for me. This week is the last week of school hols; so next week I’m going back to a proper routine. I’ve scheduled in exercise, and I’ve scheduled in breaks. And I’ve scheduled in time for the net, which means I should be productive rather than wasting time. My to-do list is on track, and I know what I’m doing.

However, I want to get my revisions done this week, so I can start next week with a clean slate. I also want to finish my accounts. Chances of doing it? Hmm.

Plan for today: into town to pick up a blackout blind for son’s room and a new lampshade for Madam; visit Dad; run some errands. And then hopefully I can start my revisions tonight, after dinner…

12 comments:

Katie said...

Good luck with the rest of the painting!
I've visited the pages for your 2 upcoming books and can't wait :-) I think I might have to sneak in a UK book order rather than wait until they hit Aus/NZ!

Jan Jones said...

Oh, Kate, you're so organised...

Sheila Norton said...

Eeek, it's September! But one good thing - my daughter who's now almost a week overdue with her baby has got her wish that it'll have a September birthday and be one of the oldest in the 'next' school year. (I still wish it'd hurry up and come, though - I'm like a cat on hot bricks!)

You've been busy with your painting! When I read your blog I sometimes wonder how you fit in so much work. I'm in awe! You make me feel exhausted! xxx

Michelle Styles said...

Has your dh never read Amelia Bedlia? It is a wonderful children's book about how to get directions wrong.
It always makes me giggle. It also taught me about the wonders a good lemon merguine pie can do.

Unknown said...

Good luck with the painting. I never, ever want to see a paintbrush again. :o)

I agree with you about Lotus Organiser. Simply the best.

Kate Hardy said...

Katie - thank you, both for the wishes (believe me, I need them - my skirting board painting isn't very straight) and for the lovely comments about the new books.

Kate Hardy said...

Jan - when I'm not, everything descends into chaos and I achieve... well, nothing except much quaffing of caffeine!

Kate Hardy said...

Olivia - yes, where has the year gone? Definitely better to have a September birthday (is a huge advantage, especially for boys)... but oh, the wait. (I was 10 days overdue with #1. I expected him to be 2 weeks early, so I was climbing the walls!)

I think I make everyone feel exhausted. Including, at the moment, me!

Kate Hardy said...

Michelle - no, neither of us have, so I will have to go looking.

And if the moral of the story involves lemon meringue pie... I am SO there. (As you know, I have a thing for lemon puddings - remember you gave me your recipe for Lemon Lust Tart for "The Heart Consultant's Lover"?)

Kate Hardy said...

Shirley - I never, ever want to see another paintbrush, either. Or roller. And the smell of gloss paint... arrgh! The woodstain stuff is still tacky, more than 24 hours after I put it on. Wonder whether the kids or the dog will get it smeared over them first?

Lacey Devlin said...

Painting wouldn't be half as fun without the kids and pets maybe you paint them and they'll paint the walls for you jsut by moving around ;)?

Kate Hardy said...

Lacey - I remember the time I had a blue spaniel :o)

And the time Ben (our first dog as a couple, aka the most AWKWARD and obstinate dog in the world) decided to sit down and lean against newly done gloss paint...