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Stripy Riding Hood

My own personal soapbox and news channel

Posts tagged with:

“Purge”

Posted http://tmblr.co/ZpfCay44Di7
Saturday January 03, 2009
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San Francisco: The Settling-In Days

So we are finally done.

Done.

And by done I mean we are on the phase where we are debating where to hang our few art pieces and getting ready to compile the claim for the insurance for anything and all that broke during the move.

We have Purged with a capital P. It feels good. There is still quite a bit of stuff, but it feels good to have gotten rid of a lot of clothes, fad books and Stuff used once a year. The husband who is a notorious.. I should say *was* a notorious hoarder had the biggest break through in this.

So what happens during this time is I tend to reflect. It happens because suddenly I have no great and visible goal. And not because it is New Year.

So I am sat here and the question of “Has our generation any excuse not to be the best it can be as individuals?” surfaces. And I don’t mean in that Higher Purpose, Go Green or Die, Peace everywhere way..

Although that would be nice too.

I mean in a more introspective way: We have been bombarded for years on how to self improve (Oprah bloody built her empire on this crap), dissect our personalities and renovate and improve and build and grow. And after 30 something years (cough), I can honestly say that although I haven’t become the best I could be, I am hardly halfway there, but I do feel I have broken a lot of social afflictions passed on to me by my family, my social environment, friends and all that jazz.

One of the biggest break through for me is that showing joy and satisfaction is not making me a weak person. It doesn’t open me up to emotional assault. That happens when you trust the wrong people (and boy have I had my share of those through my years); It happens when you don’t wait and think before you open your mouth (something extremely hard for a person who is borderline Asperger who tends to say the most inappropriate things as jokes and chortle to themselves and doesn’t understand why people take offence to a good joke.. true story!).

So I guess the question is: What have you done to make yourself a better person for yourself and not for others? What have you done that makes you feel that slightly more comfortable in your own skin and what will you do now onwards?

Song of the moment:

Bulls on Parade by Rage Against The Machine (only because Dominic is playing Guitar Hero and that is what is on atm and is a good song)

Posted http://tmblr.co/ZpfCay3r2Qj
Wednesday December 10, 2008
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San Francisco: The Boxed-In Days

So at some point, all those nicely planned (note the word planned, not executed) boxes you organised on the other side of the pond, are returned to you.

Oh what a day that is.

The unloading of our home was monumental: Three men crew (too few), three floors up (three too many it seems), and one hundred and eighty “boxes” later (don’t ask) I am stood in the middle of our new apartment, on one leg, holding one box cutter, wondering if slitting my wrists or unpacking is going to be the most sane thing to do.

Added bonus: Having to unpack as many boxes as possible for the refuse pick up the movers do so as to have them come by only once.

Try doing that in a small apartment.

I did.

Today after the debris pick up I finally regained the dining area of our kitchen.. And the corridor.. and part of the bedroom.

I felt like the Alien re-birthing from the belly of that crew member that died first and no one remembers hence forward due to the coming crazy events.

For this move we have also decided (I say we because it was indeed a joint decision between The Husband and I) to Purge. Which is a good thing. To a point.

Now along with all the stuff that need to find a place for, I have also to find a way to get four IKEA blue bags worth of clothes, three pieces of furniture, one box of kitchenware and a suitcase (not final as the purge is ongoing and will extend to books and linens) to charities around San Francisco without a car.

And while I tiptoe through piles of clothes, cables, Oliver, crap, chairs, mattresses, guitars and electronics I can’t pick myself up to do what is Important.

Here I am, having a friend fly over from Vancouver (HOLLAAAR!) on Boxing Day and instead of making sense of it all I am doing everything else:

Ordering New Cooky tags for Oliver from Fetching Tags and spending time browsing the dog gallery… Trying to put up hooks on a wall that just isn’t built to hold anything (old Marina houses in San Fran are not built for fancy things like hooks!).. Watching Lipstick Jungle and wondering why the hell did Nico choose a baby over that hot stud-muffin she bagged (some women NEED to get their priorities straight the kid will just crap everywhere and yell at you what a horrible parent you are.. stud-muffin on other hand will not).. and in general, just doing some good ol’ procrastinating.

I promise myself that tomorrow I will DO SHIT and GET MOVING and then I feel good about it and go grab some coffee flavoured frozen yogurt and watch some more crap TV.

Song of the hour:

Row, Row, Row your Boat… Gently Down The Stream..