Daily Tip: There is a lot to do, and a lot of distractions

It is Saturday.  I go to work this afternoon at the radio station.  I have chores at home this morning and I am tempted to escape by going shopping instead.  Nevertheless, I need to go to the Hardware store where I can pick up Science Diet pet food for the dogs and the cat, and I need to buy Cat Litter.  The corn stove needs to be filled because the backup heater has kicked in, that means the radiators are on burning natural gas, instead of cornstove fuel.
I hate confusion, and tedious tasks, but I need to hop to it.
How do you deal with the boring and drab chores?  I used to be all over the place, but starting today I will keep a master list of everything I do to keep the house in order.
Well, the house is not in perfect order, but I did not allow a HDP (huge dish pile-up) to happen yesterday.  Instead, I took 15 minutes to nip the problem in the bud yesterday.  As soon as supper was over, I emptied the dishwasher of the clean dishes and put them away, and then filled the dishwasher with dishes I had that were soaking in the sink, and from supper.  I knew if I did not take care of the dishes last night the kitchen would be a mess today.  Thankfully, it is not.  I was able to make a nice meal just now, and it was easier in a cleaner kitchen, except now, I am back where I started with more dirty dishes.  I need to do the same task as last night.  I need to empty the dishwasher and put the new dirty dishes in it.
I have things to do today, and the computer or rather the Internet  and the TV are two of my most pervasive distractions.  The dogs are waiting to go out, and I need to drag a 50 lb. bag of corn stove fuel in to put in the corn burner.
Life is good, and I will have some time before work to decompress after I do my chores.
Take care,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: A cozy nest, not a hornet's nest and Pet Peeve.

I must say with only 3 major things on my plate, keeping the house clean and neat is still a challenge.
Yesterday was day 2 in my 18 day experiment of doing the 3 major things:  Sing out, clean up and work out.  I did practice for the St. Patty's Day Gig with my husband.  We worked on such tunes as Early One Morning, All for me Grog and The Mermaid.  We also worked on Song for Ireland which you can see and hear a version of it here taped a long time ago.
We worked out at the gym for an hour.  I was glad that we did because it jump-started my plan to go daily to the gym and got it in motion.
I did dishes morning, noon, but not night; so now, when I go into the kitchen, I need to wrestle with a sinkful of yesterday's dishes.
I was supposed to run the sound board at the radio station for a game last night, but it got cancelled on account of the weather.   We watched a couple of episodes downstairs of an old TV show off DVD's I bought for my husband last Christmas about the ultimate fictional ADHD'er, "Get Smart," and enjoyed it, laughing and laughing.  Then we took the party upstairs and I wound up hanging out in bed with my man, watching a 1977 movie, starring Simon Pegg entitled, "Hot Fuzz."
A pet peeve day: I didn't realize pets can be so demanding and annoying at times.  Yesterday, it seemed every time I went downstairs, the cat was after me, meowing for milk, or the dogs were hounding me to go for a walk outside.
I have music students coming over this afternoon and evening.  The living room is cluttered with instruments, music books and a lot of "stuff."  So, I will be doing some cleaning this morning.  Now it is time for breakfast, a music practice, a jaunt to the local gym and then I will do my utmost to clean house.
I hope you are doing well.  As for other ADHD'ers,  try to limit yourself in worrying.  Yes, you want a cozy nest, and you want the best, not a hornet's nest, but the facts are clear, to worry about all of it only causes pain.  It is best to quit feeling sorry for yourself, and just do what you can do.  Afterwards, you can enjoy the pleasure of it all.
'Til tomorrow, stay focused and keep singing out, cleaning up and working out!
I remain, yours truly,
Amy Zents
Check out a sample of my song , "A.D.D. blues," here, YAY!  My bandsite is back up!
© Amalia Zents

Daily Tip: Expirations and delayed gratification or have nothing and do nothing.

I watched an edition of Frontline last night saying that the world's attention span is shrinking because we are all multi-tasking electronically wasting time on non-thinking pleasurable past-times like checking emails, surfing the net when we should be working.  Also, people still can't stop texting while they are driving, and more and more gamers are forming close bonds with their Virtual Friends, instead of with folks nearby.
Well, what of it?  Does that imply we all have ADHD  No!  There are lots of people doing lots of things in organized, efficient ways, however, I am not one of them.
On Feb. 4th, 2010, my band website http://www.mollyandsonnyboy.com/ was shut-down because I did not renew my website subscription.  I will hopefully reinstate it today, now that I have the email reminding me that my subscription had expired.  Have I mentioned I support my local library because my books are generally overdue, or I need to buy new books, CD's and audiotapes to replace the ones I have lost?
Yes, there are things we ADHD'ers need than more common sense, and practical tips and tactics to get through our day, they are known as "greenbacks."
I won't begin to regale you with all the dollars I have flushed down the toilet to credit card companies, car dealerships, the local cop shop for speeding tickets and parking fines.  Life as an ADHD'er is hell if you don't try and get a handle on yourself.  To confine yourself to an easier life, you need to have nothing, go nowhere, and do nothing, or so it seems.
There are tender mercies though:  I have 2 hobbies.  Cooking and singing.
These things I can do in the confines of my abode, and they are generally inexpensive.
The only problem is with cooking comes dirty dishes and with singing comes the desire to go out and perform.
Luckily, there is the Internet.  The Internet and video games are huge time-killers that can suck you in and wear you out.
Where am I going in all this?  I don't know.  I guess today's daily tip is make sure you pay your bills on time or get knocked off the net, or wind up stuck.
Time to pay my Internet subscription bill.  Last night, I got caught up on cleaning.  I had a huge dish pile-up, HDP only proving the point that what you resist persists.
I wish I could say that I am curing my ADHD.  But, let us just say I am coping with it from day to day.
I will stop back tomorrow with an update on how my music career is going...btw, my band is going to be singing and playing for St. Patty's day at the Loose Moose Saloon in Mankato, MN on Wed. March 17, 2010 from 6-9pm.  I know if we don't get started practicing now it will not be good.
SO, gotta get the set list and the music ready.
Til manana.  Peace and Mahalo!
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents

Daily Tip: Avoid HDP (Easier Said than Done)

To avoid Huge Dish Pileup make sure you soak, rinse or wash every utensil after using it. Even if you just stick all the dishes in a sink filled with soapy water you are a step ahead. If you have a dishwasher then use it, if not keep your sink perpetually as empty as you can, so you are not overtaken by a filthy mess. I have written a song about the problem called "The ADD Blues." You may hear some of it here.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mollysonnyboy2
Til next time, musically yours,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents