This Blog Needs No Name » Dailies http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:31:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 On the 17th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/05/on_the_17th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/05/on_the_17th_day_of_christmas/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:36:05 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=765 … I got 30 child-free minutes in the middle of the day, AND Ingrid went to bed before 9, so I had time to clean out all the loose papers from my desk – filed, thrown out, filled in, read, converted into items on my todo list. Instead of a large pile of stuff I now have a todo list and a handful of papers I need for errands etc. Yay!

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/05/on_the_17th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 16th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/04/on_the_16th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/04/on_the_16th_day_of_christmas/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:17:54 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=764 … it was the coldest day of this winter thus far (about –13°C) and we got back home to a really chilly house. All the radiators are now at full blast, so the bedroom feels OK, as does the corner of the living room that’s closest to the radiators. The rest, and particularly the floor, are less pleasant. Fleeces and thick woollen socks for both Eric and me, and a hat for Eric’s bald head and a blanket for my shoulders. Ingrid of course is not the least bit bothered.

All I want to do is curl up in the sofa, excellently placed right between the two radiators. I have no desire to do anything productive.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/04/on_the_16th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 15th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/03/on_the_15th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/03/on_the_15th_day_of_christmas/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:11:06 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=763 … we were away from home.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/03/on_the_15th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 14th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/02/on_the_14th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/02/on_the_14th_day_of_christmas/#comments Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:11:49 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=762 … I had great ambitions but then Ingrid’s afternoon nap happened very late, after which she stayed up all evening and half the night (it’s past 10pm now and she is STILL awake and creating a mess on my desk), meaning I had no time at all to get anything done. Bleh.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/02/on_the_14th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 13th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/01/on_the_13th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/01/on_the_13th_day_of_christmas/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:16:18 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=761 We recovered from our new year celebrations. Staying up until well past midnight threw my sleep rhythm all out of whack. Being woken just after 7 didn’t improve things, and then I had a too-long nap in the afternoon which made me feel even lazier.

Not many days left now so it’s time I started getting things done.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2009/01/01/on_the_13th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 12th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/31/on_the_12th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/31/on_the_12th_day_of_christmas/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:05:38 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=760 … we finished taking down the wall between the kitchen and the living room. Just in time for the new year! Unfortunately I didn’t get to join in any of the fun parts: my main task was to keep Ingrid occupied and out of the way, so my contribution was limited to taking photos and helping to clean up the mess afterwards, for tearing down drywall creates an awful lot of gypsum dust.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/31/on_the_12th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 10th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/29/on_the_10th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/29/on_the_10th_day_of_christmas/#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:04:55 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=758 … I did nothing useful. Oh, actually, I did go to town to have a look at some Macs, and concluded that I want a MacBook Pro after all: the 13 inch screen of a MacBook felt too small. I’m sure it’s just framing – given three choices, 13/15/17, the extremes feel extreme and the middle feels kind of just right. But knowing that doesn’t change the fact that this is what I felt.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/29/on_the_10th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 9th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/28/on_the_9th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/28/on_the_9th_day_of_christmas/#comments Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:45:10 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=756 … we started taking down the wall between the kitchen and the living room. The innermost layer turned out to be more solid than expected, so now we’re unsure whether it might be load-bearing to some extent and hesitant to move forward. Will need to consult with someone more expert tomorrow.

I also packed away all the nappies that Ingrid no longer uses.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/28/on_the_9th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 8th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/27/on_the_8th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/27/on_the_8th_day_of_christmas/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:29:37 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=754 … I went through the top of my main pile of papers, threw away about 20 of them, filed another 10 or so, and found 1 invoice that got paid barely in time.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/27/on_the_8th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 7th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/26/on_the_7th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/26/on_the_7th_day_of_christmas/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:30:16 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=753

I sort of decided what laptop to buy. It will be a Mac, and very probably a MacBook rather than a MacBook Pro. I don’t think the extra power of a Pro is worth 6000 extra kronor. The one thing I’m not sure about is screen size: MB with 13.3″ might feel small, perhaps the MBP with 15.4″ would be better? I’ll have to look at them both in real life before I can make a final decision.

In fact I don’t even need the highest-spec MacBook: 160GB hard drive is more than enough for me, given that I have used about 35GB on my current hard drive.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/26/on_the_7th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 6th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/25/on_the_6th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/25/on_the_6th_day_of_christmas/#comments Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:53:35 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=752 … see day 5.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/25/on_the_6th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 5th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_5th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_5th_day_of_christmas/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:42:02 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=751 I did nothing at all on the cleaning-and-organising front, except clean up all the wrapping papers after our gifts. (The Estonian tradition is to open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.)

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_5th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 4th day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_4th_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_4th_day_of_christmas/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:41:05 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=750 … I wrapped all Christmas gifts and reorganised Ingrid’s clothes drawers.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/24/on_the_4th_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 3rd day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/22/on_the_3rd_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/22/on_the_3rd_day_of_christmas/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:04:43 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=749 … I bought the last Christmas gift, and cleared out all camera-related junk from my desk (left there since I bought a new camera a few months ago) and an old magazine. Puny, but still, it’s progress.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/22/on_the_3rd_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 On the 2nd day of Christmas… http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/21/on_the_2nd_day_of_christmas/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/21/on_the_2nd_day_of_christmas/#comments Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:12:14 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=748 … I went through the last two bank statements (6 months’ worth of transactions), the pile of DVDs on my desk, about 50 blog posts from the “to process” list, and a few loose papers.

In other news, Ingrid’s finally well again but had her crankiest, whingiest day in recent memory. Nothing was good, everything was no no no. Probably because she hasn’t had a proper meal since Monday… When she gets too hungry, she gets stuck in a vicious circle: her mood becomes so unstable and contrarian that she will even say no to food, just because she’s in a bad mood. This time a handful of grapes broke the circle and after that she was as happy as ever.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/21/on_the_2nd_day_of_christmas/feed/ 0 Christmas ambitions http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/20/christmas_ambitions/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/20/christmas_ambitions/#comments Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:34:30 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/?p=746 Due to favourable calendaric alignment (lots of holidays falling on weekdays) I’ve got two and a half weeks of vacation time this Christmas and new year, for the cost of only 6 vacation days. My ambitious plan for these weeks is to do all the stuff that has piled up and not gotten done over the last few months. I hope to:

  • Take down the wall between the kitchen and the living room
  • Clean up my desk and get rid of the many (but admittedly relatively tidy) piles of papers, magazines, CDs, DVDs, letters etc on it
  • Do a proper GTD review, emptying my head of all the things I know I need to do and getting it all down on paper
  • Unpack some more boxes from our move
  • Sew a skirt for Ingrid
  • Decide what kind of laptop to buy
  • Do my UK tax return for last year

Despite Ingrid’s continuing illness (it now looks to be something flu-like) I got off to a good start today:

  • Finished a curtain I have been working on for the last 10 days or so
  • Got rid of one pile of paper from my desk by typing in all my expenses for the last month or so
  • Processed (named, rotated and sorted into folders) all my photos from the last month or so

Let’s hope I don’t run out of energy before I’m done.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2008/12/20/christmas_ambitions/feed/ 3 Today: Measles at the nursery http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/23/today-measles-at-the-nursery/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/23/today-measles-at-the-nursery/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:42:13 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/wordpress/?p=521 As if we hadn’t had enough illnesses to worry about recently, today we were told that there had been 2 cases of measles at the nursery, and were very strongly advised to get Ingrid vaccinated ASAP. The fact sheet that the nursery had been given by the local health advisors says:

Measles has become uncommon in some parts of the UK because many children have been fully immunised. In and around the London area, various issues have resulted in many children being unprotected. The reasons include a high rate of mobility and many parents deciding to not have their children vaccinated due to the misunderstandings surrounding the safety of the MMR vaccine.

So I now have to worry about Ingrid catching measles, because other parents are not vaccinating their kids. Not happy.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/23/today-measles-at-the-nursery/feed/ 2 Today: Museum of Childhood http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/19/today-museum-of-childhood/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/19/today-museum-of-childhood/#comments Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:39:13 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/wordpress/?p=518 Tried to work during the day but didn’t get much done, apart from keeping up with email traffic.

In the afternoon we went to the Museum of Childhood (which is close by in Bethnal Green, half an hour’s walk) for a short while. Ingrid liked the sensory area (different-coloured LEDs and some light shows, and a touchy-feely wall) and the long staircase up to the 2nd floor, and the Lego table.

She wore her new dungies for the first time and I have to admit she does look like a boy in that outfit… she needs some pink glittery hair clips, except she doesn’t have any hair to put them in… or maybe just a big sign that says “It’s a girl!”.

Touchy-feely wall
]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/19/today-museum-of-childhood/feed/ 0 Today: end of penicillin http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/18/today-end-of-penicillin/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/18/today-end-of-penicillin/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:24:35 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/wordpress/?p=516 Ingrid’s 5-day course of penicillin is finished. No more strawberry red stains on clothes, no more night-time fiddling with the measuring syringe, trying to find her mouth without waking her too much.

Also, no more eye drops. She hated them.

]]> http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/18/today-end-of-penicillin/feed/ 0 Today: There and back again http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/16/today-there-and-back-again/ http://www.toomik.net/helen/blog/2007/10/16/today-there-and-back-again/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:42:07 +0000 Helen http://www.toomik.net/helen/wordpress/?p=513 Spent 40 minutes cycling to the nursery and back again in the middle of the day to give Ingrid her midday penicillin, because the nursery staff said their policies didn’t allow them to take responsibility for children’s medicines – only to find out that they had changed their minds and were OK with giving it to her after all. Couldn’t they have called me?

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