My Elephant

It’s been exactly two weeks since I got back home to Minnesota. Two weeks.  Pretty sure I slept for over one whole week of it.  The rest of the time, I’ve been on yet another adventure—I’ve been tackling the elephant on my property.

What?

You know the saying— “How do you eat an elephant: One bite at a time”?

Well I came home with an elephant of a “to-do” list, with some things that just couldn’t wait. And I came home TO an elephant of a “to-do” list that also included things that couldn’t wait.  Packing last fall took about a week.  Packing to come back home, took three.  Just getting the vehicle packed took a week!  I couldn’t have squeezed another box in the trailer.  In other words, I had plenty to get done in a big hurry, and I was still not over being sick.

Lucky for me I’m a “list master” and can detail out and prioritize pretty much anything needing to get done, calculating time, cost, and materials needed; and do it in a very short time. On my way home I carved out this quick starter list:

 

What to do when I get home:

Set up screen tent for temporary coop

Get birds set up in tent

Vet

Set up Holly and the girls in the house

Clean fridge in house

Bring food in

Prospect for work/projects

Florida follow ups

Salvage any remaining house plants

Plant/re-pot new flowers, herbs and tomatoes

Get coop supplies

Clean fridge in camper

Unpack trailer

Clean trailer

Trailer repairs: 2 wheels, awning, 2 gutters, upper back right side, waste piping, fridge wall, fridge electronics

Sweep helicopter seeds

Take out patio stuff and set up

Repair/replace patio lights

Set up fountain

Build the coop

Take down screen tent

Sort through mail

Register truck

Register @ Hy-vee

Financials/evaluate biz plan

Budget

Organize projects and paperwork

Mow front

Mow back

Weed gardens

Laundry

Install air conditioner

Repair porch door

Repair guest room balcony door

Put clothes away

Brush out dogs

Dog baths

Do my hair

Sort and put stuff away: PR Brady Biz, Florida biz, hunting, fishing, recreational

Sort and organize for Garage Sale

Test/turn on water for outside—possibly repair

Repair bathtub faucet

Catch up on email correspondence

Draft and initiate new website schedule

Clean and reorganize office

Clean guest room

Clean master bedroom

Clean basement

Clean living room

Clean dining room

Clean kitchen

Clean bathrooms

Clean and set up sun porch

Build Hollys cage

Get well

Go on a bike ride

Get over stuff

Reconnect

Throw a party

This is the reality I was faced with on June 4th. It took all of 10 minutes to visualize, and another 10 to commit it to print. My working copy is far more detailed as to what’s involved, including estimated time to complete things and what’s needed to do it. In the last two weeks I’ve managed to accomplish the items in bold. At one bite at a time and frequent naps, it will eventually all get done. Trouble is, things will keep getting added to the list.

Thank the Gods for my dear neighbors who have been so very helpful, and hospitable. I’d still be trying to back my trailer into the driveway if not for Randy! The first week home, June woke me up and fed me dinner almost every day—as I was crashed out exhausted from full days of “elephantitus”!

The goal for next week is to get everything unloaded and put in its proper place. Right now, there’s no getting through the living room with the stacks of boxes and gear everywhere.  and you KNOW you’re in trouble if you’ve converted your Toy Hauler bathroom into your closet…..

With a constant eye on Sunny Girl’s cyst, I’m hoping our routine Betadine cleanings of the area will keep her stabilized until I can scrape up the money for a vet visit.

Of course, one can’t ignore the fact that the weather is simply BEAUTIFUL here, and it’s the perfect time to go fishing, bowfishing, or tooling around the woods. I am eager to cook some awesome grub and get chillin’ on my patio, or out to some of the free music in the parks, and art fairs and festivals around the Twin Cities. It’s almost fireworks season, too!

Ohhh so much to do!

One bite at a time.

One bite at a time.

That’s the way to get through my elephant adventure.

 

Thank you for reading my post. Was it inspiring?  Scary?  Funny?  Unbelievable?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!  All comments are greatly appreciated.  Life is an adventure—and it begins today!  Why wait for an invitation to live an amazing life full of great experiences? There are lots of inspirational stories under my blog category, “PRs Amazing Outdoor Adventure Update”.  If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’.