New Allergies
05:55 Jul 31 2006
Times Read: 646
*Warning: Judgmental minimalist anti-commercialism rant lies below*
I have developed a new allergy. I am proud to say that I am allergic to "STUFF." My newly developed "STUFF-Allergy" seems to cause anxiety, depression, nausea and a closed in feeling (much like a mild asthma attack) when I am around too much stuff. (Well, too much cluttered stuff anyway.)
The best remedy for an allergy (or so I was told once by the top allergist in Philly) is avoidance. Avoidance. Boy, would I love to avoid stuff... but in America, Americans seem to be addicted to STUFF, don't they? Not me. Now way. I hate STUFF. I would very much like to take eight things with me and go and live in a shack in the woods.
What eight things would I take, you wonder?
1. A warm towel robe-like covering, that can function as garb, a quilt, a towel and a pillow, depending upon my current need.
2. A knife (for defense and for killing and prepping small food-like woodland creatures)
3. A waterproof match thingy (Something I read about that will ALWAYS start a fire)
4. My turtle necklace (a pewter turtle with a broken shell which reveals its pure blue crystal heart inside.)
5. Tweezers
6. A pencil (because a pen will run out of ink before a pencil will be used up.)
7. A large notebook of paper
8. My boyfriend, if he would want to live in this way... otherwise, A jug to brew in.
I would take No SHOES. I'm reverting back to my younger days when not a single soul could get me to wear socks or shoes. I used to tromp around 7 acres of woods in bare feet at the age of six. I caught the occasional thorn, but I was a tough little bugger.
What has spawned these sudden, minimalist, pseudo-psychotic-like desires, you wonder? Well, their seed has always been within me, ever since I can remember. I was addicted to the ideals of Henry David Thoreau and other minimalists as soon as I learned of them. And I actually believed the TV commercial I once saw where a buddhist monk popped on the screen and said "If you own more than eight things, those things own you." (Of course in the commercial he was selling something ...I think sneakers; but I believed the ideal, nonetheless.)
But I digress. I think this weekend some minimalist seed in me grew into a young sapling. I spent the whole weekend working my a** off. Working on work, then digging a ditch to help build the retaining wall, then carrying cement, and cutting wood, and hauling debris, and moving dirt, and cleaning... for five hours Friday, seven hours Saturday, and two hours Sunday, I kicked MAJOR, MAJOR butt. I ripped through everything I wanted to do this weekend, sore, tired, achy but still managed to live through it....
And then I went from my cluttered, half built, torn apart house that my b/f and I are fixing and cleaning up... to a friend's house to help them move. At the end of it all, I gave my b/f a massage (he worked just as hard as I did this weekend) and now here I am, with the house all to myself, the background music of heavy restful breathing complimented by the low hum of the box fan and the air conditioner. My mind again thinks, "Stuff."
In the last six hours of helping my friends move, I had what I can only describe to be a tiny whisper of a post-traumatic breakdown. While clearing away furniture, boxes and piles and piles of random items, I saw FAR too much abandoned, broken, disheveled, unloved, dirty, worn, and forgotten STUFF.
People have far too much stuff. Its one thing when someone has a lot of STUFF, and they have it organized and put away... But when it is beleaguered, all over the floor, half broken, covered in cobwebs and dust and food particles, then that is entirely different.
If I were god I would punish people who can't take care of their stuff by burning their house down. Now, don't think me evil for that thought. Its "tough-love", nothing more. It happened to me in the 7th grade. My mom and two brothers were careless with their stuff. STUFF everywhere. I used to clean as much as I could... I cleaned so much that I began to develop a slightly callous tough love regimen of my own. I started cleaning according to the philosophy that, "Well, if it was buried under THAT pile, chances are they haven't seen it in four months and they've completely forgotten about it. Therefore it can go right into the trash."
I cleaned for years, then I cleaned with my new tough love philosophy for a few more years. I cleaned like that until the fire. In the fire, we all lost everything. I lost everything (except my brothers and mom) and the only things that I was truly upset about losing... were my CAT and my POEMS.
I hate STUFF. And it appauls me how people who have SO much, can treat their stuff (and therefore themselves) so poorly.
Busy, Busy day...04:58 Jul 24 2006
Times Read: 661
Today I cooked breakfast (mmm... cheezy hashbrowns, eggs and sausage!), and with the leftover fire, cremated three blind dead baby mice, (There was NO chance they would survive, they were orphaned at less than two days old, but at least I did give it my best shot.)
I did some cleaning and gutting of the future kitchen area in our fixxer upper house, painted an acrylic mural on one of our walls, went to a friend's new apartment, helped them clean their new apt, (shampooed rugs, cleaned floors and general cleaning and shopping help) then I came home, put some more touches on the mural (its not done yet), did dishes, defrosted the freezer, and lysoled the basement. My knees are killing me... Ouwiee!
I was going to order a VR T-shirt and perhaps some other items, but I saw this message:
"You are a Premium Member, but the time remaining on your membership is less than 4 months. To receive an instant 10% discount on all VR Store items, renew your membership. A membership extension in your cart will apply your discount."
Pthbpthb! My membership expires in SEPTEMBER! That's so far away, my fixxer upper house will be finished by then!
I think that this "less than four months" stipulation is as loopy as the Jeff Dunham dummies sitting down to watch a monty python marathon that includes Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life, and Yellowbeard! I mean, I was going to spend over $40 at the store, but certainly not $60 today....
*pulls down pants and moons someone*
lol ;)
Wait, perhaps I could extend for a month or two, and still get my shirt discount?
I'll think about it.
I kind of should wait for my next paycheck anyway.
He who hesitates is lost... so one can deduce that from a business/sales/marketing standpoint, the vendor that inspires hesitation....
umm... yeah.
The ATF09:06 Jul 23 2006
Times Read: 662
The ATF:
Some dumbass, about a month ago, meant to check the ATF level in the car, but got sidetracked and forgot.
Yesterday the boyfriend tells me, "Wanda's acting a little funny..." My mind thinks, "What exactly does he mean by 'ACTING FUNNY'? For example, Did she put on a groucho marx glasses disguise and start veering to the left? WT Huh? OK, I'll get her to the shop this weekend I guess...."
We go to Wally World tonight to pick up some odds and ends and in the five minute drive (three miles) her transmission must have slipped at least 8 times. Boy was this car mad. "OMG. That's right. The ATF! Holy Crap!" (said in the voice of Peanut aka: Jeff Dunham)
--speaking of which, why is it that Peanut only has one shoe?
Picture our car Wanda shaking her fists at us, saying... "How dare you! How would you like it if someone screwed your 90 year old grandma and didn't use lubrication!" That... was the ride up.
I remedied the situation the second we got to The Wally World, for less than $12 (funnel, flashlight, ATF and oil) and she appears to be acting a little better now.
The ATF saves the day.
Now here you thought that since I moved to this little redneck neigborhood, with the title of "ATF" my post was going to be about something else, huh?
lol.
House Update:09:02 Jul 23 2006
Times Read: 668
The fixxer-upper is coming along nicely. Some walls were rebuilt, the offshoot to the porch that was a foyer and bathroom and will one day soon be the kitchen area is nearly gutted. We have our wonderous, magnificent wide 6' archway from the living room to the dining room, and our 12' opening from the dining room to the kitchen all framed out. The bathroom door, bedroom door, office door and closet are now framed too.
We took $55 of copper and brass to the junkyard yesterday, and another $58 of iron to the junkyard today. (Yes I loaded all 850 lbs up the steps into the car myself, and Ogun unloaded it all at the junkyard himself.)
Check this out. We estimate that we will total $400 from the scrap here by taking this stuff to the local scrapyard. How's that for "Buy a $4000 house, get a 10% cash rebate!" lol.
The boys came to me today and said, "We think that we need to scale back and hire the contractor for only three days a week instead of five days a week." Their reasoning is that there is a TON of grunt work to do in-between the contractor's skilled professional work. (IE wall building, drywalling, electrical and plumbing.)
I said, "Wait a minute... two strapping young men working full time and ME working part time, you mean to say that the three of us can't keep up with that one old guy? You've got to be kidding me! I mean, yes, we were a bit behind because we were all sick with the flu, but we should be good from here on out, eh?" Then I continued, "Look. We've got 6 or 8 weeks until summer is over. We need the contractor here 5 days a week to get this place winter-ready in time for the winter.... Not to mention the fact if we want to have him here and hire him for only three days a week, he's bound to take another full time job and put us off.... Then we won't have him for a clear MONTH!"
All in all, they agreed. They said it would be possible to work our arses off and keep up with the old guy, for just the next month.... But they want their weekends OFF.
There are those that were raised white collar, and those that were raised blue collar. Yes, Virginia, there is a difference. A tolerance must be built up. It will take some time, but I'm sure we'll all be able to get there....
Back to work for me.... I've got another 900 lbs of iron to load into the car for tomorrow morning's junkyard run....
Then I get to go back to my programming work.
Believe it or not, I'm LOVING life. I'm losing weight feel fantastic! (Well, aside from this flu that won't fragging leave me alone already!)
Ciao!
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