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2002-11-25 - 11:57 p.m.

WOO HOO! It's all over. As of about six o'clock last night, the binders are done. I can't remember when I have felt such a great sense of relief. The excitement was building as we assembled the last ones, and when that last ring binder snapped shut, I just had to jump around and scream and wave my arms in the air. I hope I never feel too old to do that-- there is no really dignified way to express that much happiness... and who cares?

And even though we were really tired, Skootie and I both jumped in and started cleaning and hauling leftovers out to the curb. And inside of an hour we had a dining room in our house again instead of a notebook factory. There is space to walk around without turning sideways, and you can see the tops of things. There are still two large piles of boxes in the living room (I'll be especially glad to get rid of the pile in front of a sideboard that holds our hats, scarves and gloves. It's getting cold!) awaiting pick up tomorrow, and after that we will have the house completely back. Everything has been on "hold" until the binders were done, and it is so exciting to contemplate all the wonderful things I can do with my free time (and peace of mind) now that this is over.

The whole thing started on August sixteenth and will end on November twenty-sixth, which is a very long time to be living in a small crowded house full of boxes and binders, and working about seventy hours a week. I have been tired of it and felt somewhat sorry for myself at times. But lately I have been trying to put it into perspective. Which is to say, a lot of people work a lot harder than this and it isn't temporary. I know a lot of people have to have two jobs to make ends meet. And anybody who has a full time job and two or more young children is working harder every day than I ever thought of working. So I should probably keep it in proportion.

But, Oh I did feel so happy today. And after work, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite places, and went shopping, and came home and had big celebratory dishes of peanut butter and chocolate chip ice cream. We are not working tonight. Not us.

It was actually a good weekend in some other ways, too. We took time off on Saturday to go to a photography exhibit and to the movie "Frida" with some friends of Skooties. I am such an introvert that I have a hard time getting to know new people, or letting myself be known. I usually feel like a tag-along in these kinds of situations, but these two women seemed like really nice people, and I enjoyed socializing more than I usually do. I loved the movie, which is about the life of the artist Frida Kahlo. From what I know of her life, I think the movie portrayed her honestly, and the actress who played her was amazing. This is a movie I will definitely buy on DVD.

The photography exhibit was somewhat disturbing, although I'm sure that was intentional. The artist had given cameras to children who lived in extreme poverty.... on reservations, in the south, in third world countries.... and told them to photograph their lives. The pictures they took were more compelling documents of their lives than anything a professional could have done. It was heart breaking to look at the world through the lives of these children, but I am glad I got an opportunity to do so. It was a little disorienting to then drive through the busy shopping district and see a bunch of people gathered to protest the eating of turkey on Thanksgiving. There were a bunch of people dressed up in turkey costumes, carrying signs saying: "Don't eat my relatives." We live in a wacky world. If only some of the energy that people spend on trying to save turkeys could be channeled toward helping kids....

It is a short week before the holiday. It is like today is really Wednesday, Brendan, my administrative assistant, pointed out to me early this morning. And everyone seems to be in slide mode. Slide through these work days and get to Thanksgiving. We are getting ready to launch Skootie on a trip to visit her relatives, two states away. Getting ready for what is always hard for us.... being separated. We always tell each other that of course we have to go our separate ways sometimes, we are not joined at the hip after all.... but always in the final moments we wish we could go through everything in life together. No matter how difficult the separation anxiety, I would still rather be with someone I miss desperately than someone I am just glad to have out of my hair anytime he/she leaves home. (The way I used to feel when I was a wife.)

So we are sliding into the holiday weekend, binder-free, but knowing that a "good-bye" is coming soon.

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