Archive for the ‘General musings’ Category
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People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
—Zig Ziglar
I have been thirsty for approximately an hour, maybe even an hour and fifteen minutes.
Approximately an hour ago, my mom, little sister and I were busy participating in one of our infamous “Family Fights,” the kind that invariably end with me having my head handed to me over some stupid thing my little sister – never me – has invariably done.
This time my mom was bellowing at me because my little sister, in one a move that was poorly thought out even for her, had left a pile of paint-covered rags all over my mom’s kitchen chairs, which are covered with a woven, wicker-esque rope seat.
I failed to mention the important detail here: the paint on the rags was still wet, happened to be a particularly lovely shade of Sherwin Williams paint called “Port Wine,” and she had left them face down on the top of the porous wicker chair tops.
It was exactly as bad as one might think. Equally as bad was my timing while walking into the kitchen for a glass of water, as I was thirsty. As I strode into the kitchen, my mom turned to me, shaking with rage.
“Do you know what YOUR SISTER did?!?”
**blank look**
“No, Mom, I have literally no idea, I just got home; I’m getting a glass of water.”
That was obviously the wrong choice of words; she then began ranting about how irresponsible my little sister is, how my mom ALMOST SAT IN THE PAINT WHILE WEARING A SKIRT, and then I suddenly found myself banned from using the blender because some milk had spilled onto the counter and THIS PLACE IS A PIGSTY.
So…I decided I wasn’t that thirsty and went into the living room to futilely try to organize and turn invisible the two bins of office items I have to keep in my mother’s living room for easy access instead of putting into my storage unit.
Given that I live in an enlarged (and swelteringly hot) closet, it will be good for all parties involved when I find a new living situation. It turns out I own an overwhelming amount of “stuff” when it’s being crammed into a space that’s not big enough for a person with a suitcase, and it’s time to figure something out.
The next few weeks will bring about some positive changes; I am looking at a place this week that will hopefully work out in terms of moving out of the house. If not, I’ll keep looking until I find something that works for me and the Coopman. It’s strange to realize this will be our fourth move in a year; he and I are resilient, as all our bouncing around has proven.
I will also hopefully be able to start putting up new Coop pictures again once I am a little more settled; I know his return to the blog has been eagerly anticipated (yes, I read my emails, folks, your dissent has been duly noted), and I’ve been slacking.
The way he’s been prancing around, pausing, and giving me “Mom, I’m posing, why aren’t you finding me adorable and capturing these precious moments?” looks, I think he’s eager to be back, too.
Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.
—Virgil Garnett Thomson
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Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.—Lao-Tze
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Don’t worry so much that I can’t be found right now. I’m not disappearing, just going through metamorphosis in my little cocoon. Stop looking; you’ll know when I reemerge.
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When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean.
—Lin-Chi
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At dinner last week, my little sister and I had my mom giggling to the point of tears at the table. We were out at a longtime favorite Italian restaurant, one of those hidden gems that will be booming with business even if the neighborhood around it falls to pieces.
My sister and I share a struggle to gain and keep weight on our wire-thin frames. In her case, she suffers from Chron’s Disease, which prevents her from properly absorbing the majority of the food she eats. In my case, I’m just a bundle of fidgeting energy, never stopping long enough for, as my friend Monisha once phrased it, “moss to stick to this rolling stone.”
Pair that with my obnoxious corn syrup allergy and the normal post-breakup “I haven’t eaten or slept in a week” weight loss I’ve recently experienced, and I’m in pretty sad shape. I looked in the mirror the other day and realized my breastbone is currently visible, and the gag-tasticness of that is what brought up the weight gain conversation at dinner.
My little sister was giving me some tips that the school nutritionist had given her for healthy ways to gain weight. Apparently the word of the day in the world of nutritionists is “caloric,” as in, “How could you make this meal more CALORIC? You could add a spoonful of peanut butter! And how could you make THAT more caloric? Add a stick of butter!”
We were having a field day with this at the restaurant, slathering slices of bread with entire packets of butter, debating whether or not we should add butter to our meals when the finally arrived, and trying to be as CALORIC as possible. Our waiter was very amused, and kept refilling the bread basket without us ever needing to ask.
My mom asked me why I was so worried about gaining weight, especially when I have the opposite issue of most women. I explained the horror of seeing myself turning into Ms. Skeletor, and added,
“My push-up bras should be ENHANCING, not COMPENSATING, Mom. This is a big deal.”
Thus began her fit of the giggles that carried us through dinner and out to the car for the drive home.
It is not lost on me that I am trying to both literally and figurative grow a thicker skin. I want to look and feel healthier both physically and emotionally, and maybe a new layer of insulation will offer me some protection I didn’t have before.
And, if that thicker skin offers me a few curves, less compensation and more complimenting, all the better.
Pass the butter, please.
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