Dragon Energy
21/06/18 08:31
She really is incorrigible. As hard as I try to throw things away she (Nancy) sabotages my efforts at every turn. For example, I took a number of books to the recycling center yesterday so that some young person unable to afford same might have the chance to catch up on his or her reading. Granted, the books were vintage and the titles were not likely in the top ten on any bestseller list but that was precisely the point. If they are gathering dust in any meaningful way sitting on our bookshelves then they might as well sit on someone else's bookshelves doing the same.
My only cardinal sin, if there was one, was that I did not consult my better half before removing the books from the shelves. When I am on a bender to get rid of things, the last thing I want to have with anyone much less my dear wife is a protracted discussion on what and what not to throw away. Ask any hoarder their preferences on which parcel of the many parcels in their possession they might like to get rid of and you might not be surprised to hear that the answer is a resounding "not a one."
If there was any saving grace for Nancy it was that the book bin at the Center was full so I was forced to return home with the books. Leaving them in the car for a return trip another day, she caught sight of them sitting on the front seat and culled them by half. Somewhere in the mix, the art of compromise endures as the law of the land.
I don't know what's gotten into me lately but I have a fire in my belly when it comes to doing things around the house that have been long overlooked, ignored, deferred, or simply sloughed off. I'm literally transforming space after space, room after room, and taking my zeal with me out of doors as I stain cedar shingles, decks, etc. Maybe I had forgotten over time that there is gold in them thar hills when it comes to putting things behind you.
There is something to be said for accomplishing things that need to be accomplished and for getting things done that simply won't or can't wait another day. Whether it be getting our driveway repaved, carting off old books to the local recycling center, replacing dinged windows that have long since fogged over, buying new office floor pads that have long become frayed and unsightly, adjusting door hinges that have run afoul of their original alignment, they are all there for the taking.
Nothing is too ambitious, too difficult, or too time consuming to tackle. Isn't there a musical standard out there somewhere in the ether that goes like this: "If you've got the time, I've got the inclination"? Probably not, but don't tell that to my to-do list which, incidentally but not surprisingly, grows longer every day. Having recently bulletized the list if for no other reason that to gain additional satisfaction by checking off my accomplishments one by one, I now look for variations on that theme that will hopefully further detail the exploits brought to bear by my maddening but exciting and adrenaline induced energy levels.
Try this one on for size: Cleaning the windows in our house is a bit of a job so I joined the small bites crowd (how does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time) and decided that doing one window a day until they are all done should get the job without killing me in the process. What better window to clean first than the window in our bedroom a mere few feet from the foot of our bed. I can marvel at what a pristine window looks like from the moment I open my eyes at the crack of dawn till the moment I go to bed when the stars in the sky seemingly sparkle that much brighter thanks to my prodigious efforts. Did I mention that yesterday was the longest day or the year? It's all downhill now but still plenty to look forward to. Never lose hope.
And then there were days like yesterday when I couldn't seem to get a solid foothold on anything so I did next to nothing. But today, I can feel the fire in my belly once again and I'm off and running as soon as I get finished with this blogging business. I'll spend an hour or so tidying up before I get out for my bike ride. Evan has an appointment at 9:30 so he will hopefully be getting up and out of the house for that.
Nancy had an appointment at 8 this morning so she is long gone. John greeted me as he was walking his dog across the street and as I was walking out of the house this morning and thanked me for the peaches that I picked up for he and Betsi at Trader Joe's. "It was my pleasure", I responded. The line of cars going through the drive-thru was long at the local Dunkin Donut's this morning and as I approached the window I ordered the Bacon Egg and Cheese bagel on an everything bagel with a side of toasted hash browns. The order was not for me, mind you, but that is a topic for another conversation. Another conversation for another day. Until then.
My only cardinal sin, if there was one, was that I did not consult my better half before removing the books from the shelves. When I am on a bender to get rid of things, the last thing I want to have with anyone much less my dear wife is a protracted discussion on what and what not to throw away. Ask any hoarder their preferences on which parcel of the many parcels in their possession they might like to get rid of and you might not be surprised to hear that the answer is a resounding "not a one."
If there was any saving grace for Nancy it was that the book bin at the Center was full so I was forced to return home with the books. Leaving them in the car for a return trip another day, she caught sight of them sitting on the front seat and culled them by half. Somewhere in the mix, the art of compromise endures as the law of the land.
I don't know what's gotten into me lately but I have a fire in my belly when it comes to doing things around the house that have been long overlooked, ignored, deferred, or simply sloughed off. I'm literally transforming space after space, room after room, and taking my zeal with me out of doors as I stain cedar shingles, decks, etc. Maybe I had forgotten over time that there is gold in them thar hills when it comes to putting things behind you.
There is something to be said for accomplishing things that need to be accomplished and for getting things done that simply won't or can't wait another day. Whether it be getting our driveway repaved, carting off old books to the local recycling center, replacing dinged windows that have long since fogged over, buying new office floor pads that have long become frayed and unsightly, adjusting door hinges that have run afoul of their original alignment, they are all there for the taking.
Nothing is too ambitious, too difficult, or too time consuming to tackle. Isn't there a musical standard out there somewhere in the ether that goes like this: "If you've got the time, I've got the inclination"? Probably not, but don't tell that to my to-do list which, incidentally but not surprisingly, grows longer every day. Having recently bulletized the list if for no other reason that to gain additional satisfaction by checking off my accomplishments one by one, I now look for variations on that theme that will hopefully further detail the exploits brought to bear by my maddening but exciting and adrenaline induced energy levels.
Try this one on for size: Cleaning the windows in our house is a bit of a job so I joined the small bites crowd (how does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time) and decided that doing one window a day until they are all done should get the job without killing me in the process. What better window to clean first than the window in our bedroom a mere few feet from the foot of our bed. I can marvel at what a pristine window looks like from the moment I open my eyes at the crack of dawn till the moment I go to bed when the stars in the sky seemingly sparkle that much brighter thanks to my prodigious efforts. Did I mention that yesterday was the longest day or the year? It's all downhill now but still plenty to look forward to. Never lose hope.
And then there were days like yesterday when I couldn't seem to get a solid foothold on anything so I did next to nothing. But today, I can feel the fire in my belly once again and I'm off and running as soon as I get finished with this blogging business. I'll spend an hour or so tidying up before I get out for my bike ride. Evan has an appointment at 9:30 so he will hopefully be getting up and out of the house for that.
Nancy had an appointment at 8 this morning so she is long gone. John greeted me as he was walking his dog across the street and as I was walking out of the house this morning and thanked me for the peaches that I picked up for he and Betsi at Trader Joe's. "It was my pleasure", I responded. The line of cars going through the drive-thru was long at the local Dunkin Donut's this morning and as I approached the window I ordered the Bacon Egg and Cheese bagel on an everything bagel with a side of toasted hash browns. The order was not for me, mind you, but that is a topic for another conversation. Another conversation for another day. Until then.