So apparently this is my 200th post! At my current rate of posting, though, it would take me more than 8 years to reach 300! Probably I should post more. Be that as it may, I was really productive today! Inspired by Guylty’s clean-up (and the fear of next week’s visitors seeing how we really live), I cleaned up my home office/guest room. Maybe the tidiness will inspire me to sit down and blog more often.
This, unfortunately, is what my small room looked like before the clean-up. I was only going to take the picture on the left, but my husband seems to think that piling books on top of the bookcases is also not okay. (Probably true, since we live in a potential earthquake zone.)
And here are the after images of my space, post-clean-up. The books on my desk are my “to be read” pile. I’ve never had one of the those until recently. Used to be that I would read faster than I could get books in. Now, unless I’m sitting on a beach, I seem to have trouble focusing. Too much going on I guess.
Next Saturday, we are giving a small dinner party, with some traditional recipes passed down in my husband’s family. Then on the Monday, his cousin’s son and the son’s girlfriend are coming to stay with us for two weeks. My younger son is giving up his room for the duration and so he will be moving into my office to sleep in his old bed, which now looks very inviting.
There is still a lot more cleaning to be done this week to be ready for the weekend. But the worst thing is that it coincides with Richard Armitage attending the Q&A at My Zoe at the TIFF! I had completely forgotten about these family obligations when his appearance at the Festival was announced. I was really pleased with myself that I had figured out a way to go to Toronto using points for the flight and only a bit of cash, taking two vacation days off work, and planning to ask to use my sister’s guest room. I came home all excited, telling my husband that the stars had finally aligned and I was going to Toronto to see Richard Armitage! “So, are we cancelling the dinner party?” asked my husband. And then I realized that it was impossible. Sigh. Just wasn’t meant to be I guess.
Anyway, otherwise, things have been going well. My younger son turned 18 (he shares a birthday with RA) and so we are now all adults in the house! He started college last Monday and so far it is such a better situation than when he was in high school. He was able to choose afternoon classes, so now I just have to wake him before I go to work and he does the rest himself. It’s hard to believe how much stress he and I were both under to try to get him to school for 8:45 a.m. — pretty much never happened, but he miraculously passed everything despite generally missing the first class of the day. Even more miraculous is that I actually survived the panic and stress of his, and therefore my, lateness.
The last two weeks back at work have been pretty relaxed, since my boss was away for the whole month of August. She’s back on Tuesday, though, so I fully expect to have to gear up again right away. At least I’m going into it rested.
And with a tidy home office!
I'm Feeling This 
Your home office looks fantastic, Sue!!! Well done on the tidy up – it’s turned out so well. I love your desk btw. Those legs are very stylish. And hooray on being able to use the room as a temporary bedroom again.
Pity about not being able to use the opportunity and see RA at TIFF. Mind you, I always believe that RL takes precedence over fangirl life 😉
Lastly, congratulations to your son for starting college! My daughter is starting next week, and I am planning a little surprise for her to mark her next step into adulthood.
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Thank you! My husband is very impressed. My desk is Ikea. I wanted the long clean lines to fit the space that I have. It’s also long enough that when my son was younger, we could work side by side when necessary. Congratulations on your daughter’s college start too! My husband was a bit sad to put our son’s childhood behind, but I think it’s exciting to move on to the next phase.
I am disappointed not to be able to see RA, though. Most events are just too far away or at the wrong time. My sister is thinking that she might be able to go, though, so maybe she will get some pics.
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I love Ikea stuff. I went to the website yesterday to check out desks. Because now that I have tidied up, I want my office to be redesigned. There are some affordable, nice things there.
Oh yes, seeing the youngest head to college, is the final reminder that they are adults, and that we are old *hehe*. It is exciting to see how they develop from now on, but yeah, there is a little bit of nostalgia in it for me, too.
Fingers crossed that your sister can go to Toronto. More than photos of the crush, however, I am interested in hearing more about the film…
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Nice to make some changes to your surroundings once in a while.
With both kids now adults, selfish of me to say, maybe, but I can now see some possibilities where not all my time will be taken up doing things for everyone else!
My sister lives in Toronto, so it just depends if she can get tickets. If she does, I’m hoping to hear some impressions of the film and RA (even though she’s not a particular fan).
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I don’t think that is selfish at all. You have spent a minimum of 18 years (actually more because you have several children) looking after them. You have earned some me-time. That is actually the thing that makes it easier for us to let them go. I mean, my heart is breaking a little bit, knowing that from now on both my kids are adults and will live their own lives – and I will only feature on the margins. The only sweetener in that is, that I will regain some freedom and do what I want without having to take their schedules and needs into account…
Fingers crossed that your sister gets to see the film. If she isn’t a fan, then maybe she’ll be even better suited to give an objective review of the film.
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True enough. My older son moved out briefly when he was around 19, but he had roommate problems and so moved back pretty quickly. That’s made it much easier for me emotionally because, even though he’s off being an adult, he’s still living here at 24. His company was moving him around and so he didn’t want to look for a place until he was settled. I think he’s going to start looking now. So who knows how many years I’ll still have at least one at home. It’s not really a clean break, more a gradual one.
Unfortunately, my sister decided not to go see My Zoe. She had something she should really go to and was only going to skip it if I were coming.
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Aw, pity your sister had something else to do. But well, hopefully we’ll get some press about the whole My Zoe premiere.
It’s nice when the children still live nearby. My kids will move out of our flat – but might possibly stay on downstairs in our house…
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I was totally freaked out when he originally moved out … just want ready.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Sue congrats on the 200 post milestone!!!!
If that was messy you don’t want to see my bedroom then😱🙄😉
So happy your son is settling in to college life and that situation worked out well for both of you,
Rats on TIFF w The Armitage maybe Uncle Vanya?!
I did wanted to ask how the second trip w your hubby went? Any pics to future post? 😘❤️
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Thanks! It’s funny, but it looked MUCH messier in person. It actually took me hours to do, sorting through papers and cleaning out the drawers.
Yeah, I’m glad my son is enjoying his school so far.
Uncle Vania just can’t happen. 9 1/2 hour flight and with college, just can’t spend the money. Toronto was doable except for the timing.
I hope to post about our vacation soon, but it seems I can’t make promises as to when. Thanks for asking.
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I know it is hard about going to see him. Hopefully your sis will be an on the ground reporter for us.
Trust me I agree w Robs sentiments not messy but if you were able to go thru stuff and organize them and feel better now then wonderful!!
I’m so glad you like paperback and hardback books!! 😘❤️
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Congrats on your 200th post! And your clean-up session is a wonderful success. Books are made for making a place look cozy. Well done! Enjoy going back to work with the boss back.
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Thanks, Shelley. I do love my book collection and I have a hard time parting with them. (Very dubious minimalist. 😁) First day with the boss back was surprisingly good!
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As a fellow book lover (and DM), I know exactly what you mean!! That’s great – the boss must have had a great vacation, good moods upon a return from it is a grand way to begin September!
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Oh Sue you have always been organized.
To me there is not a big difference between
the before and after pictures. Glad the things are a bit more quiet at work.
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Yeah, funny that the picture doesn’t look as bad as the reality does! It feels good to go into that spotless space, though, now that it’s done. As for work, it may be changing for the better as we change my workload and hire extra people. Fingers crossed!
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That looks fantastic, Sue. Well done. I am having a hard time motivating myself, but I need to take a stab at the spare room soon.
I’m glad to hear college is an improvement for your son. Less morning stress surely benefits the whole family.
I’m so sorry about your scheduling conflict. Curses! I hope your sister is able to go and provide you with some second hand insights.
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Thank you! I still have more sorting a cleaning before the guests arrive.
College is definitely an improvement. The public school system for my son was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Yeah, isn’t that too bad that I can’t go and see The Armitage? Hopefully we’ll get some reports from my sister and/or others so we can experience it at a distance.
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It really is too bad about Toronto, especially since you had already figured out logistics and then it comes down to a scheduling conflict. But who knows? Maybe something unexpected will come along. You never know!
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What would be great is for him to do another film in Vancouver. I wasn’t paying attention when he was here filming brain on fire!
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That’s a reasonable possibility. A lot of filming is done in Canada due to scenery and/or the great infrastructure. Fingers crossed!! 🤞🏻
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That’s looking really good, Sue! But what a bummer this dinner party means you’ll have to miss out on RA in Toronto…
Glad your son made a good start, what a relief those mornings are over for now.
Oh, and congratulations on 200 posts!
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Thank you, on all counts! Yeah, if it were just the dinner party, I might have been able to go, but we also have guests coming from England on Monday. Also, I wasn’t even thinking that we have our work picnic on Monday that I’m also part of organizing! Definitely not meant to be.
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I sympathize with you on the “can’t go to Toronto” thing. I also got caught up in the schedules for other things. (And, I’m exhausted, which would have made the 20 hours of driving a serious problem, even without the scheduling conflicts.) One thing I did learn out of this is that if I’m going to Vanya I need to start getting the plan in place now. It’s just not possible to move other people who’ve already put their names on a date, even in the middle term.
I’m glad you’re happy with your clean office!
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Yeah, you don’t want to drive that far if you’re not sure you can stay awake! I was hoping to that I might be able to meet up with fellow bloggers/fans, too. That would have been fun. Oh well. Too much going on here. Hope you get to go to Uncle Vania. Not very likely for me. I do love my clean office! Lots more cleaning to do before the company comes. It didn’t help that I was sick yesterday. Still not feeling 100% today.
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Vanya: I’m not super optimistic — it looks right now like there might only be one week that I could possibly go, and that’s if I check dad into respite care for the whole week, which he might never forgive me for. We’ll see. Hope you feel better soon!
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Well, good luck. And thanks. Me too.
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Just dropping this here icymi: https://www.viff.org/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=f32773-the-lodge&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=
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Cool. Thanks. Apparently the festival is 19+ since most of the films are unrated, so there goes my horror companion.
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Man!
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