1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #86 through #90

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean!

The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right?

Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65 ~ #66 through #70 ~ #71 through #75 ~ #76 through #80 ~ #81 through #85

❦ 86. After giving meds to your cat with a UTI, you're battered and scratched. No energy to clean after that skirmish!

87. Another year, another writing challenge. This time you're planning to write an entire novel in a year. That includes first draft, revisions, edits, cover art, publication, and marketing. It's a breeze for some writers, but you've never accomplished the daring feat. Write now, clean never.

88. Love & Pies. Yes, a game. A merge game, as a matter of fact. Best one out there, too. The story lines are really cute. Merge, merge, merge, merge. Clean? Nope. Merge.

89. Exercising has moved to the top of your priority list (after writing). You're determined to lose weight before your 25th anniversary in October so you feel awesome at the vampire masquerade in New Orleans you bought tickets for. (There are other health reason you should get in better shape as well, but the masquerade is honestly what's motivating you right now.) You'll clean after Halloween. Right?

90. Actually, you're reconsidering this whole no cleaning thing. You want to have a gorgeous, sparkly house like in the unrealistic pictures you see on the internet. Instead of not cleaning, you're going to ignore everything else in your life to clean from sunup to sundown... April Fools'! Writing jokes instead of cleaning is a much better way to pass the time.

1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #81 through #85

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean!The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65 ~ #66 through #70 ~ #71 through #75 ~ #76 through #80

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81. You don't want to clean. Hubbie doesn't want to clean (sometimes you think he might actually clean more than you do). Why fight it? Binge all 10 seasons of The Blacklist together instead!

82. There's this double time challenge you've decided to test yourself with. Writing goals? Yeah, try to double them! This means more writing time. But something's got to fall off the list to make room. Cleaning - see ya never!

83. Your middle schooler insists on regaling you with every moment of her day. Yes, all those unimportant details. When she's finally done, an hour has passed, and you neither have the time nor the energy to do anything other than nap.

84. The middle schooler might chat your ear off, but the teenager prefers hiding in her room. Every time you look in there, the mess has multiplied. It oozes across the table you told her not to pile stuff on, and spills onto the floor so you can barely walk. No matter how often you tell her to pick up, she belligerently agrees, then never does it. And seriously, do you have the energy to force her to clean (or gods forbid, clean it yourself), when you avoid your own chores? Nope.

85. Oh, it's been far too long since I've chosen a game as a reason... Must plant flowers in Pikmin Bloom! Hey, at least this one gets you moving. True, vigorous cleaning can also be exercise, but you'd rather collect all the cute decor Pikmin. Mini dopamine hit, for the win!

1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #76 through #80

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65 ~ #66 through #70 ~ #71 through #75

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76. Since you dive into alluring projects without doing complete research (you do some, like if plants are toxic to cats, yes), your poor Echeveria succulents haven't gotten enough sun, even though they're in a northern window (stupid Wisconsin). They've etiolated, so the stems have stretched out, instead of the plants staying as cute rosettes. After buying grow lights, you decide you want to rectify the situation even more and get to the beheading. This of course requires repotting everything. Still way more fun than cleaning.

77. After beheading the pretty plants, you decide to save all the leaves and try to propagate them. More succulents? Sure! If you can convince any to sprout - that black thumb of yours chuckles at the prospect. Weeks later, you actually notice a teeny tiny baby on one of the leaves. You're way too fascinated over the itty bitty thing to bother with cleaning.

78. Feeling as though you've got this succulent caring down, you spend hours online browsing all the pretty colored ones, creating a massive list of what you want to buy. Room for them all and money, be damned. These are the only plants you can keep alive with your horrible luck (even cacti die on you), and you intend to exploit that. Window shopping > cleaning.

79. Happy with your succulents' progress, you find two of your plants uprooted one day. You know the culprit. So instead of cleaning, you need to keep a sharp eye on the Devourer of Plants and Souls (aka Rikku, the blond (cream) tabby cat), so you can protect your poor, gnawed on plants.

80. Cat or no, you still want to expand your succulent collection, so you look for pretty pots online. You do need homes for that long list of plants you want to buy. Rabbit holes are so easy to fall down - much easier than cleaning.

1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #71 through #75

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65 ~ #66 through #70

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71. Your desktop computer is wigging out on you occasionally. What would you rather do - clean the inside thoroughly or just build a new one? Hm. It's been 8 years since you last built this one... So you spend an insane amount of hours (maybe days), researching computer components and finding the best prices. Totally more fun than actually cleaning the old one.

72. All the computer parts have arrived. Remember, though, it's been 8 years since you've built one, and your memory sucks. So it takes several days to actually figure out how to assemble everything properly again. And in the process, you of course make a big mess with boxes, packing materials, and manuals. Oops. Worth it - so shiny!

73. Once the computer is finally built (and the old one is sitting in a corner waiting to be dealt with... maybe next year), you feel the need to play with all the RGB colors for your fans and keyboard, until you find calming and pleasing tones. And then the next day you decide it's still not right and fiddle with it even more. Pretty, shiny, colors are so much more entertaining than cleaning up all the computer component detritus.

74. Sick of your black thumb, and exhausted from cleaning up the sad remnants of your plants after the cat chews them up (she's the Devourer of Plants and Souls), you decide your time is better spent opening blind boxes. Botanical Unicornos, actually. Yes, the gamble of what's in the boxes offers a much better thrill than cleaning up dead plants. And the cat won't chew on these (or will she?)!

75. Should I do another game? I love games. So many games! OK, we'll go with my current favorite gatcha game. Must play Honkai: Star Rail! (A blog post with screenshots coming soon...)

1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #66 through #70

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65

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66. You have a new kitten. And it's way more entertaining to play with the kitten than it is to clean. Let's face it, this zoomie ball of fluff is just going to make a mess anyhow!

67. Even though your to do list is insane, especially all the organizing and cleaning you need to do, you pounce on a grand idea to open an Etsy shop called Speculative Stitches. Well, setting the shop up is a lot more interesting than cleaning, that's for sure.

68. You need stock for your Etsy shop! So instead of sorting through a bunch of kids' toys that need to be sold or given away, you binge watch FBI while working on your Questionable Splatter Coasters.

69. Even though you still have a black thumb (don't ask how many bonsai or cacti I've killed in my lifetime), you feel the need to plant seeds outside in the hopes that they'll grow. Far more productive than cleaning, right? At least it makes you feel better when the marigolds and morning glories sprout. You've finally found a couple plants that won't wither just from your glance.

70. You'd rather roll many different characters for your upcoming Dungeons & Dragons game. Character creation is an addiction. And look at these shiny dice! Much prettier than a shiny toilet.

1001 Reason Not To Clean - #61 through #65

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60

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Welcome to the craft edition of 1001 Reasons Not To Clean!

61. After not having attempted to crochet since well before your grandmother died (she's the one who initially taught me, though I hadn't progressed very far - lol), you decide to pick it back up again. But instead of crocheting things like blankets, scarves, and hats, you decide to dive into another branch of the craft - amigurumi! You also realize that the first couple amigurumi you crocheted weren't done properly, so you feel the need to make more to prove to yourself that you can get it right.

62. You're having fun with the amigurumi, but the holidays are upon you, and you feel the need to make some new ornaments for the tree. Plus you have this pretty, sparkly yarn that would make perfect snowflakes! How hard can it be? Actually, pretty easy. Maybe I should start making sparkly doilies.

63. Since you're on a crocheting kick, you decide a good way to process through your grief over your father's passing is to crochet roses for his memorial service. Lots and lots and lots of roses.

64. You purchased yet another cross stitch kit, even though you have many kits and patterns that you haven't completed. And oh, that might be because you also haven't cross stitched for ages. Since you need a slight break from all that crocheting, you decide to work on one of your new cross stitch kits. It's a cute Halloween kitty. Of course, since you're rusty and a slow stitcher, and the knots that constantly appear in your threads drive you batty (yes, Halloween pun there), you don't actually complete it until November. Plus it's now March and you still need to frame it, as planned. It'll be done by next Halloween, right?

65. Your confidence in your ability to cross stitch has grown, and the holidays are approaching again. Why not cross stitch some cute owl ornaments for the Yule tree and for the parents? It shouldn't take too long to complete all six. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Unfortunately, this thread knots even more easily than the type used for the cat, and you have so many other tasks to get done in December. You definitely don't have time to clean if you want to complete the owl ornament project. At least you manage to get the parents' ornaments done in time, but the ones for your own Yule tree get put up a tad late.

NaNo 2018 Check-In and Cat Videos

I didn't really want to write this post. At all. If you watched the tracker from the initial NaNo post this year, you'll know why.

NaNoWriMo and November were a complete failure. And to top it off, I don't feel like I have a good excuse. There was a week in there where I wasn't feeling the best. Plus Thanksgiving, along with Black Friday (online shopping only, thank you very much), also sucked up a week. Planning presents for the kids (my shopping for them is DONE -- that's a relief). Yeah, when I say that, I kind of wonder what happened to the month.

Maybe it's just the year. I mean, it started out wretched, so the pervasive feelings from the beginning of the year are just lingering at the end of it. All of November, I just wanted to say, "Screw it! I just want to sit down and plan 2019."

And that's what I'm going to do in December. That's all I'm going to do. Plan next year, and have the optimism that it will be a much better year for writing. And I'll do a lengthier assessment of 2018 in my next post. (How depressing is that going to be? Ugh.)

OK, I'm going to throw myself a bone now. NaNoWriMo 2018 wasn't a complete failure. I revised about 1600 words. That's 1600 more words than I had before November started, so it's a win, even if a small one.

But so this isn't a terrible and utterly depressing post (like the next one just might be), I needed to throw in kitties. More importantly, kitty videos! And well, a Nightshade picture because I don't have a video of him -- it seems the girl cats in the house are more entertaining at times. Shade is a bit too laid back.

If you want to see Part 2 of the second one, just pop over to my YouTube Channel. It's kind of sparse, but I may add more kitty videos in the future! Enjoy Rikku and Sylph below. =) Goofball fuzzballs.