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| Fishermen were heading out to collect cages. |
“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“A native of Dublin designed the iconic statuette presented to Oscar winners.
Today’s comments are intended as an “observation” rather than a complaint. Surely, others could easily list their daily obligations with the same enthusiasm.
There are some mornings I am so busy. I almost feel as if I have a job. I’m not necessarily referring to the prep of the daily posts as I am over other incidental tasks one must perform to stay on top of household tasks, let alone record-keeping for our world travels.
This morning I spent no less than an hour logging a pile of receipts accumulated over the past month we’ve been in Ireland for our various expenditures.
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| Still on the move in not-so-good weather. |
Thank goodness I’d completed a similar task before we left South Africa after 15 months in the country. I’ve yet to post our entire expenses here for that extended period but one day soon, I’ll get ambitious and get it done. When I do, you’ll see it here.
If I were to maintain an organized lifestyle, I could easily stay busy seven or eight hours a day plus, managing to get out to take photos for the posts for upcoming posts.
Lately, my motivation has been lacking. We got an extension on our 2018 taxes, but I’ve promised to get everything ready and sent to the accountant in Nevada long before we leave here in two months. The extension is only valid until October 15, 2019. I’d better get the show on the road, eh?
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| Finally, they found the cages and were off. |
Then, of course, there’s been a mountain of work to do, almost daily, regarding our frustrating health insurance situation. It goes on and on with more and more “paperwork,” payments, and record-keeping required of me.
This morning I spent more time on the insurance in an attempt to get it out of the way before I began preparing the post so my mind would be free to relax and do the one task I enjoy the most, writing to each of you every day.
Then, of course, there’s an endless array of household tasks. Due to my restrictive way of eating, it takes more time to prep for meals. I can easily spend an hour a day cleaning and preparing the many vegetables I consume daily.
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| Street scene in Clifden. |
Many mornings lately, we’ve been having some sort of breakfast that requires prep and clean-up. The main course can be easy or time-consuming, depending on what we’re having for dinner. Thank goodness Tom handles every aspect of the clean-up for all meals, including cleaning up after me.
Daily, to speed the healing of my leg, I have a protein smoothie. Even this, too, is time-consuming and makes a mess in the kitchen. I don’t expect Tom to clean up after this particular mess I make.
A difficulty I’ve experienced in this house has been the under-counter tiny refrigerator in the kitchen. (There is another small-sized fridge in the laundry room). Almost every day, I have to re-organize the shelves in this cumbersome kitchen fridge.
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| To park on the street, it’s necessary to purchase a ticket averaging about Euro 1, US $1.13 for less than 30 minutes. |
Bending over the low appliance is not easy for me or for anyone for that matter. Lately, I’ve been pulling up a kitchen chair to more easily reach inside and get out what we need for various meals.
We have more laundry to do than most people since we have limited wardrobes. We can’t last for four or five days to wash our clothes. Also, with no dryer and cool, cloudy weather, the clothing, especially jeans, can take two to three days to dry on the indoor rack.
I have two pairs of long jeans, one couple I wear more often than the other. When those are dirty, I have to plan, as does Tom with his jeans. What will we wear while they dry? It’s no wonder that we’re more than willing to pay for laundry service on cruises…we don’t have enough clothing to last more than a few days.
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| We only park on the street when we go to any of these shops. For food shopping, there is an accessible underground ramp at SuperValu. |
The same goes for underwear, tee shirts, and pj’s for me. I have two pairs of warm pj’s, three bras, and six pairs of underwear. If I didn’t do laundry frequently, I’d be out in no time. The same issue exists with Tom’s limited supply of underwear and socks.
Sure, we don’t have to mow the lawn, paint the bedroom, change the oil on the car, or shovel snow. Nor do we have to do a lot of cleaning with Ann, the cleaner coming once a week. In the interim, we keep things tidy, make the bed and strive for a clutter-free household.
Then, of course, there’s the continuing research, most of which we enjoy, ongoing. We cannot allow much time to pass before we get back at it. Also, Tom does research for any sightseeing we hope to do or short road trips we take. At this point, long road trips are out of the question with my legs yet to heal.
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| Houses (duplexes) along the highway near Clifden. |
Last night, while we watched a show on Amazon Prime, I did my nails and a pedicure, the best I could do considering the compression stockings that come partway down my feet. By the time the show was over, I had gone to bed exhausted after another busy day.
Some may have the perception that as world travelers, our lives are simple and uncomplicated. But, the reality remains, if we lived in one place, we’d still have many of these tasks to perform, just like YOU.
Happy weekend!
Photo from one year ago today, June 14, 2018: