Friday, August 22, 2008

anticipation

It is 1:59 AM Friday morning.

This is not a Favorite Thing Friday post. That will be up later today once I figure out what object in my possession I love the most, this week.

Currently, Charlie is on the way to pick my mother and Jim up at the airport. They were due to arrive at 10:45 PM, but the plane they were suppose to board in Chicago had mechanical difficulties - so they were delayed by three hours until repairs could be made. That right there, that would be enough for me to say "Yeah. Thanks, I think I'll drive the rest of the way."

Air travel. Definitely not my forte.

When I called my mother yesterday to tell her that we'd be picking her up at the airport tonight, she indicated that her friend, Virginia, had offered. But when I mentioned that Virginia, who just recently had a hip replacement, probably shouldn't be out driving that late at night, Mom said "Oh no, we'll be arriving early, so we'll have lunch and then come over."

When I told Mom that her plane didn't arrive until 10:45 PM, she didn't believe me until she pulled up her itinerary and then she moaned "OH DAMN. How did that happen?!" The flight that Mom thought left Greenville, South Carolina at 6:00 AM, didn't leave until 6:00 PM.

Eh, minor detail.

So instead of getting out of bed at 4 AM to catch her flight, Mom and Jim slept in until 10 AM and then spent the afternoon swimming. Hopefully, they get to sleep on the plane, since they will need all the energy they can muster to watch the kids when Charlie and I take off for our 10-day Cancun vacation tomorrow.

Or not.

Ever since we had Molly put to sleep on Sunday, we have spent the past five days completely ripping our house and garage apart. We have cleaned and organized our living space like it ain't never been cleaned and organized before. I cannot tell you how awesome it feels to know that even the space beneath the washer and dryer is clean.

And behind the refrigerator.

And underneath all of the shelves in the garage.

Sparkly clean.

In the process of this huge organization spree, I am purging with reckless abandon. Thus far, we have generated thirteen 20-gallon trash bags full of various supplies for Goodwill and there will be more. What prompted this mass exitus of material from our house is that I seem to be going through a major life transition where I feel like all this "stuff" that we have accumulated over the years is just weighing me down.

If there was one thing that I discovered during our 21-day cross-country adventure, it's that you really don't need that much "stuff" to survive. And I think that part of the reason we had such a wonderful time on our adventure, is because we didn't have that much "stuff" to lug around, wash, pack and be responsible for.

It is extremely liberating to have less.

While Mom and Jim are in town, I am pumped to get so many things done. So many things that have languished because I haven't been motivated - or had the opportunity - to get them completed. So many things that I will now be able to do because I have another set of eyes and hands to help during the day.

Tonight, I pulled together a laundry list of stuff to do (when we're not spending quality time together - of course!!) that includes organizing my files, bringing our van in for the recall that was issued 12-months ago (nothing too significant, but needs to be fixed, nonetheless), print out a copy of our credit report and verify that any accounts are accurate with our records, learn Photo Shop, repair our fence, finish organizing our garage, pull together an emergency supply box, wash the screens and windows and plant some flowers. At some point, I also hope to solve the world's energy crisis.

Or at least, see how fat I can get this yellow orb spider.


I discovered this fine specimen today, while I was sitting on our front porch doing some work on my laptop. Once I got over being squeamish, I swatted a few flies and threw them in it's web to watch what it would do. Then I got even more squeamish than I had been, originally.


I just have to remember exactly where this baby is.


The last thing I'd ever want to have happen is to walk back wards in to it.


Because I have been known to do things like that.

9 comments:

  1. Ooh, the organization and purging sounds divine. I need to do MAJOR decluttering in my house, too. Oh, the things we've moved from apartment to apartment to our house, but never touched except to pack and unpack! I've got my project list started, though the actual work will have to wait until after labor day.

    If you haven't already seen it, I have a favorite website for photoshop tips and tutorials:
    http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

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  2. The shots of that spider are amazing -- wow!

    And what a lovely thing, all that cleaning and organizing. I'm only somewhat ashamed to admit that cleaning and organizing are my favorite therapeutic activities for when I am stressed or upset...

    Hope that the kids all have a great time with your mom and Jim!

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  3. Less is definitely more. I'm in deinal right at the moment, but next week...there's going to be stuff tossed out of this house like crazy. And it's going to feel GREAT!

    The Cancun thing - very funny. You actually had me. For a split second I was thinking, Yay, Jen! That is going to be so fabulous for you and Charlie to get away!

    Or not. ;)

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  4. Maybe you should add SLEEP to your list... why are you up so late?

    I hate spiders (like Indy hates snakes)and especially Golden Orbs...YUCK-O-RAMA! It is the season for the Orbs to come out and make webs overnight across our yard so that the first one by gets clotheslined! Ewwwww..... just glad I'm not a fly!

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  5. Let me know how the whole Photoshop thing works out. I bought it a few years ago, and I have yet to figure it out. I don't think I'll ever get it..

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  6. OMG!!! I read the post from the link, and I almost peed myself, I can see why your kids were laughing, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe!

    But I would've done the same thing, Infact I have.... my brother put his fingers in my hair and the other one said that there was a spider in my hair, and my brother immediatly started moving his fingers, I FREAKED, I started doing this seizure-like thing while screaming "GET IT OFF!!! GET THE @$@!$@% THING OFF!!!", and my brothers started cracking up....

    Needless to say, I grabbed a butcher knife and chased them around the neighborhood.

    Anyway, that post was hilarious.

    ***Mariah***

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  7. Jen I am with ya, I would have walked before would have rode a plane that had just had repairs, no. thank. you!
    Sounds like you have lots to do to stay busy while your mom and Jim are there to entertain the kiddos.
    Good luck on your marathon, can't wait to hear about it.
    Kathy

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  8. We've been on our trip for almost 2weeks and we need NOTHING. I'm getting rid of EVERYTHING!

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  9. My go-to for anything PhotoShop is Scott Kelby's series. Find the "Photoshop book for Digital Photographers" in the version of PS you have and go for it.

    - And I've retouched portraits for a professional studio. :)

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