Pre Divorce Maintenance Top Ten

March 10, 2014




In the months leading up to my divorce I received some much needed advice from one of my very good friends. After crying with me over the emotional wreckage of my marriage and family she composed a list of practical things I needed to accomplish. An "Angie's List" of divorce preparation. I decided to follow her advice since I was still in possession of the joint credit card. I'm sure I've missed a few things and added a few items of my own but here it goes.




10. Make a walk thru of your house and list needed repairs.


9. Get the furnace serviced and ready for the winter.


8. Check the air conditioning.


7. Clean the chimney and vents.


6. Get the cars tuned up.


5. Replace old window treatments.


6. Redo the master bedroom.


5. Buy a new appliance or two.


4. Spruce up the yard. Tree trimming and mulch.


3. Open your own bank account and credit cards.


2. Organize important papers.


1. Treat yourself to something nice without feeling guilty.

Top Ten

December 30, 2013




                                             Top Ten Things I Learned This Year



10. Going to the gym IS good for me. I can now fling the snow tires out of the shed and load them
       in the car without huffing and puffing. Or crying.  Thank-you Edge Flex!


9. In keeping with the exercise theme, I can spin! I was afraid to try it but I CAN do it!
    And if I pick a bike in the back I can sit when I get tired and not be embarrassed!


8. I can drive over bridges and only get panicked when I think of the Mianus River disaster.


7. As much as I try, I HATE yard work. And planting, fertilizing, watering, etc... also car
    maintenance.


6. I'm never giving up carbs. No matter what.


5. Even though two years ago I thought I would never travel I HAVE managed to take many trips as a
     single woman. And I like it.


4. It's never too late to find people to connect with, people you feel you have known forever.


3. I AM sentimental in a very sarcastic way.


2. I can say "I love you" to lots of different people for lots of different reasons.


1. "Do what feels right." No regrets.

Top Ten Questions

                                                Summer Top Ten




10. What the heck is Candy Crush Saga and how do you "give life" there?


9. Why do people going to the gym try to find the closest parking space to the building?


8. Do other people think about what they are going to eat for dinner while they are AT the gym?
    (or it that something just I do?)


7. Again, why don't drivers use blinkers anymore?


6. Why would someone come for an OPERATION and not know what they are having done?


5. Will the Kindle really replace a real book?


4.  Is reality television ever going to be over?


3. Will my house ever be clean???


2. Will I ever stop caring if it's clean?


1. What's next?

Top Ten Things To Do For Myself This Year

June 24, 2013



Ok Nancy, thanks for the idea!


10. Maybe, maybe, maybe, I'll think about joining a dating service.

9. Sleep late on my days off. ( late for me is 7:30 )

8. Not feel guilty for "doing nothing" especially when I am home.

7. Read more.

6. Enjoy Manhattan again.

5. Try new restaurants.

4. Keep going to the gym.

3. Travel

2. Enjoy my summer rental in Martha's Vineyard where I will sit on the beach ALL day.

1. Plan an island vacation for November where again I will SIT ON THE BEACH.

Top Ten

May 26, 2013  


   

                               Top Ten Quotes You Don't Want To Hear



1. "That charge MUST be a mistake."


2. "I spent the weekend walking on the beach thinking about us."


3. "I need to be alone to think."


4. "This house is killing me."


5. "I can't make a budget."


6. "I won't ever hurt you like that again."


7. "Nothing happened."


8. "We just held each other."


9. "You ruined my life."


10. "You don't have to worry about me, Lucille. I'm gay."



Numbers 8 and 10 are my favorites. I can even sometimes laugh about them. Thankfully at the start of the summer of 2013 I won't have to worry about hearing these again. A real step forward. And if you are just in the beginning of divorce it will happen for you as well.

Another Top Ten

March 1, 2013



                              Top Ten Things I'm Not Embarrassed About Anymore



1. Not knowing anything about car maintenance and relying exclusively on my mechanic.


2. Ditto for heating, cooling and plumbing.


3. Using the fake logs in the fireplace.


4. Hiring someone to do ALL the yard work. Including planting and pruning, things I could easily do
    but don't like.


5. Not having the cleanest house in town.


6. Sending back food in a restaurant.


7. Checking a bill and sometimes questioning it.


8. Calling workmen on the phone and dealing with them when they arrive.


9. Asking for help.


10. Putting myself first.

After your husband leaves you for a lesbian and then spends the next six months doing everything
he can to humiliate and hurt you there isn't much left that can embarrass you. Just looking at the silver lining now.

Top Ten Things To Do Without Power

November 5, 2012



1. Light candles. And if you have listened to your friends and bought lanterns, light them too.

2. As soon as the power goes out take a candlelit bath while the house is still warm. 

3. Go to work. It will save your sanity and focus your mind on real problems.

4. Forget looking good. I put my makeup on at work and had my hair tied back for five days!

5. Go to the package store and get takeout for dinner.

6. Stay calm. Things will get better.

7. Wrap yourself in warm blankets and in the morning dress under the covers.

8. Thank the utility workers. They are doing their jobs under adverse conditions. It is not their fault
    you don't have power.

9. When your friends extend their homes to you, say yes! I have tried lots of new hair products,
    soaps and perfumes this week. And been enveloped in warmth that doesn't come from electricity.

10. THE top ten thing to do with no power requires another person. (Most of the time) And if I have
      to  tell you what it is you haven't been reading closely enough!

My Top Ten List

July 22, 2012

                          The Top Ten Worst Things About Being Divorced


10. Cleaning the litter box.

9.  Taking out the trash.

8. Driving yourself EVERYWHERE.

7. Looking at everyone's ring finger ( men and women alike) to see if they are married.

6. Checking the divorced box when filling out forms.

5. Saying, "I'm divorced," when someone asks if you are married.

4. No one to get you chicken soup when you are sick.

3. Eating alone.

2. Sleeping alone.

1. No sex.