So it has been a bit since I last wrote anything here. Like a lot of my writing there are several drafts waiting to be completed, a couple ready for editing, and ideas that are collecting digital dust. So why the gap? Life sometimes gets in the way, that said let's bring you up to speed on what has been going on in Maura's life:
I took a job as a Maintenance Manager back in early April. I am not really sure what to make of it. The pay is about right, limited weekend issues, but it is a very different world from where I worked before. I'm not sure what to make of my boss at this point either and that does not help things. It is easy to screw up as far as spending more than a property owner is prepared to spend and each owner is different on what they are willing or can drop on a building at any given time. My crew is a mixed race, mixed age, group, the older guys show up every day they are supposed to but the work they put out at times can be questionable or claimed and not done. The younger guys seem to think they can show up or not as they see fit, that tools are an optional luxury item compared to alcohol, and have a much different work ethic than I do. I have one new guy that like me has a work ethic, and a skill set, and his own tools! I have also learned that our cleaning company is staffed by immigrants who speak Spanish and like to hide behind the language barrier--I am now working toward finishing learning Spanish. I was kind of funny when I had to deal with their crew the first time and found one that spoke "English a little" and I told her that was okay I only speak a little Espaniol. They all looked at me and stopped chattering between them...work speed was improved.
May was an unmitigated disaster around Casa de Maura...literally it was one giant mess! The ex spent most of the month packing and one entire end of my living room was filled with boxes from floor to almost ceiling. There was a lot of paper work involved too as their name had to be removed from deeds, titles, bank accounts, etc in preperation for the final divorce. I didn't keep a good track of what they took as I figured if it was important I could replace it so long as it was not my personal stuff or my tools. I have had a perplexing time dealing with what got left behind though. A few things have since been retrieved and other things I am boxing up as I find them. We share children--both grown--and a grandchild so no matter the circumstances of our split we have to stay on decent terms.
June! The first week of June saw the ex and all of their stuff leave for another state about an eight hour drive away. The space vacated by their packing quickly filled with Doc's stuff as she had found an apartment of her own half the distance to her job. The heat of the St. Louis summer found us with a vengeance and soon it was a hundred plus degrees with the heat index--if you are unfamiliar with St.Louis weather think Southern California heat with Florida humidity! Cleaning that had to be neglected due to the ex working from home since April of 2020 began and may I say my OCD has been bonkers! I have to allow the ADD to run with the OCD and bounce about with my cleaning so little bit here and a little bit there as opposed to looking at one project and being overwhelmed and depressed. The cleaning is progressing though.
July! A month to the day after the ex left Doc moved out. The house is still a jumbel as not everything of hers has found its way to her place yet. Later today I will be installing two window units on her apartment so she can be better rested and able to come pack out the last of her things.
So the house is just me now. No other people, no pets unless you count dust bunnies, a lot of flotsom and jetsom about the house. I bought a nice vacuum that runs on the same batteries as the rest of my tools--gotta love Ryobi. Replaced all the worn plastic dishes with white porcilin, the plastic cups have been swapped to glass, new silverware, removed a weird knee wall from the kitchen and moved some shelves around.
I splurged and bought a new ice-cream churn, now I need containers to put the ice-cream in before I make a batch. I know, why did you buy an ice-cream churn? Ice-cream is cheap. Well that substance they try to pass off as ice-cream is cheap, but real ice-cream is pricey! Plus remember I am diabetic so I need sugar free, and being almost completely Indiginous I don't digest lactose, so homemade is best for me.
I now have pretty much perpetual pitchers of lemonade and tea in the fridge, and will soon be keeping cookies and maybe a pie around all the time too. Don't ask me why these are important to me but I think it has to do with the memories of my grandma--dad's mom--at least the pie and cookies, the lemonade and tea? Well I was born and raised in the old South.
I plan to get back to some Cooking With Maura episodes in the near future...may have to have the kids over more often to eat leftovers.
Maura the Maker will have some episodes but they will be sporadic as I have a room to make-over including replacing and upgrading windows on that room. Everything has to be done as weather permits though because I am far from goal money wise on my shop, and the GofundMe stalled a long time ago. Yes the ex said they would fund it--the ex said a lot of things--and now is not in the posittion to fund it nor do I want their assistance at this point. So even if you can't help toward the goal please share it wherever possible. All monies go into the shop fund wich is completely separate from my general revenue.
The big news I have been told will be delayed and there is absolutely no hint of when I can reveal it from a legal perspective. Now if you are all chomping at the bit to learn imagine it from my perspective!
I may be dusting off the first novel I wrote and seeing about what it will cost to get it edited.
My first published piece has a second volume and I am considering working on that volume as well. And there is a book that is almost complete I have started reading on from the beginning to get back into it to finish it. I also have quite the collection of erotic works that I am considering edit and release of under a psuedonem as well--yep I write all kinds of stuff!
Don't expect any more cross postings on Ordinary-Times, the last piece I submitted I did not agree with the editor and deleted it from their system. Also the trolls and morons in the comments were just to stupid to deal with anymore...if it affects my personal mental health it isn't worth the trouble to me.
Twitter is kind of random if and when I get on it anymore, I found myself in a very toxic position, backed off and really don't miss it that much--the trolls from Ordinary-Times following me over there didn't help much either.
I'm off my soapbox for now. Remember for all things Maura and links to all my sales platforms, sites, basically everything! MauraAlwyen.com
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