The List

You know the list.. the never ending list of shit to do? Well, now that I’m only semi employed I figured I could somehow make a dent in the mass of crap that needs tending to here at Casa de Locos.. Not so much. And you’re asking yourself why the hell is she on the damn computer then? It’s OK, I know you did.. My semi employ at this point constitutes a LOT of time on hold. Not just hold or infinity hold, we’re talking totally ignore here people.

So while investing my time in tuning out the bad elevator music, I tend to do other things… pop in a load of laundry, clean off the desk- hell I’ve been known to vacuum- Aren’t cordless phones about the best invention ever?? But often I have to stick closer to the desk as all the specifics of why I’m bitching at the insurance company on the other end aren’t quite as portable. So I check in on the cool people in the blogosphere, among other things. OK- justifications for slacking finished- on with our regularly scheduled blather for the day.

I tend to be one of those people that really does need a list. Without a certain amount of structure I flounder, but mainly because there’s so damn much of it.. but it becomes a self defeating prophecy after a while. Especially when you realize you really don’t seem to be making the type of progress you expected. Turns into a bummer of sorts actually. I try to remind myself any sort of progress is something after all. So after getting annoyed with myself I decided it was all in how I am approaching it mentally. I do sometimes have the habit of being an “All or Nothing” kind of gal- so perhaps I need to lower my expectations a wee bit. Break it down into more manageable chunks.. and step back and look at what DID get done.

Hah! Cross off a big one- YAY ME! I got the damn stairwell painted! Why, you may ask is this fool so pleased with herself about this? A little over a year ago, I banished carpet from the Casa. Dogs and kids, in the midst of red Virginia clay? There’s a set up for a housekeeping ulcer. Wanted hardwood, but realized the dogs would trash it within six months. My big boy weighs as much as I do and the little girl is a skittery sort- claw havoc would be quite destructive. So we went with a top of the line laminate. I love this shit! It’s damn near indestructible and is actually quite attractive. The problem? To do the stairs the original bull nose had to be cut off the treads, so the stairwell had these lovely holes that had to be puttied out and so forth. The contractor did a less than stellar patch job, so I had to chip the old stuff out and re-do the whole shebang.. And I am admittedly really, really anal about things like that. Boots claims I’m the Adrian Monk of house painting. Well, I’m a big girl, I can admit it, I am exactly the kind of freak that paints the top of the door frame- on the inside of the closet.

Fully realizing this would take me forever, I put it off. And put it off a little longer. But it annoyed the hell out of me every time I walked through the front door. I am mildly embarrassed to admit it took me a week.. After getting a level surface I finally painted the trim black and put in the groovy little black corner catchers. Yes black- trust me it works with the light blond maple color.. Yipee! Oh shit- now I have to get the rest of the trim painted before the leviathan couch arrives.

See, it never ends..