Recently I’ve gotten back on board with taking better care of myself. I’d sort of let it slide this summer with the overwhelming heat and humidity, and the stress of trying to sell my house, among other things. But I’m back to drinking and eating less. Exercising more. Sleeping longer. Making needed doc & dental checkup appointments. Taking my vitamins, etc. Blah blah boring. But it is all about balance. And I was starting to whirl away all out of whack. I’d rather not find myself tripping into the abyss.
Five items of note:
August already. Dangerously close to September which will bring the beginning of 6th grade for my son, and his 12th birthday. But first he’ll barely have time to catch his breath before concluding eight weeks of summer camp, then dashing off to the east coast to visit to his grandparents. I know I’ll miss him while he’s away. And, unlike last summer, I don’t have anything particularly special planned in his absence. No weddings to shoot. No road trips to embark on. Hopefully just copious amounts of quiet and calm (knock on wood).
This week we had another spate of inconveniently timed house showings. As usual none resulted in offers or interest of any kind. But at least one of them yielded helpful, constructive comments (the first of their kind)
The buyer liked the home and it was one of the better ones we saw that day. He felt though that he would need to replace the deck and fence and wasn’t crazy about the layout of the lot. He wanted to look at some other properties but we may be back. I would suggest tearing out the fence and fixing rotted boards on the deck.
A friend agreed that the deck is kind of terrifying (it really is) but concluded that if someone were to get this house for such a low low price they can go ahead and build their own damn deck. Amen! I’m really trying not to fixate on this, but I would love to avoid a long drawn out foreclosure. Even if it means a long drawn out short sale.
Five good things for this sunny Saturday:
Last Saturday I was feeling far too surly to go out. This Saturday I’m in a much better mood but have far too many options (including the cat circus!) to choose from. Not the worst problem to have. And an evening out ought to help me forget my actual problems, for just a little while.
Since being boyfriend-less, again, I’ve had to relearn how to budget my free time. Not that I have loads of it. And going out alone to see bands is fine because a) it’s all about the music and b) I know plenty of people at the shows I attend. But other decisions that were no-brainers have become head scratchers. This evening, for instance. I came by free passes for an advanced screening of “30 Minutes or Less” - from the director of Zombieland. Before I would have taken the boyfriend as my plus one, obviously. This time? I had to rack my brain trying to think of someone who could accompany me. Someone who would enjoy this movie, who either lives near me or has a car, who doesn’t have band practice tonight, and would be willing to arrive an hour before showtime. Thankfully I got a volunteer. Likewise I branched out on Tuesday and grabbed dinner with someone else I’d never hung out with before. I could have gone alone. I don’t mind being alone, but I feel like I spend enough time solo and the loneliness is starting to eat away at me. So instead I’ll suck it up and maybe end outside of my comfort zone now and again. Maybe good things will happen. Maybe not. It’s a social experiment in progress.
Five things either good, bad or from someplace in between:
Somehow it’s Thursday already and I feel like I’m still recovering from my Monday night out. I didn’t drink, mind you, just stayed out too late having an amazing time. I’m so glad I went out to experience the majesty of South Dakota’s Rifflord! And after that I went to see local metal band False, at Memory Lanes, but haven’t even had a chance to process those photos yet. Tonight perhaps. And tomorrow night? I’m helping to document the madness of The Amazing Adventures of the Corporate Wizard in the Land of LARP at The Soap Factory. Yowza.
One paper cut is a minor nuisance. Totally manageable. Dozens or hundreds? Overwhelming. And that’s what I’ve been feeling like this weekend, with one damned thing after another to deal with. All have been equally high on the productivity and frustration scales with far too little fun to balance it all out.
How about five good-ish things?
- I’ve only just discovered the The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello. Stellar animation and storytelling. And the films remind me of Brendan Leach’s The Pterodactyl Hunters in the Gilded City mock newspaper comic. Of which I wish he would create more.
- Been keeping an eye on twitter and FB updates from San Diego’s Comic Con this weekend - mostly from friends working the event. They make me feel all right about admiring from afar (apparently it’s not “cool” anymore and hasn’t been for a while but pshaw - I’d still love to take my son to see the spectacular spectacle of it some year).
- How An Injured Tortoise Rolls Now - and its name is Gamera! Badass.
- Bizarrely intense Flaming Lips / Lightning Bolt collaboration - I Wanna Get High But I Don’t Want Brain Damage - personally I prefer to listen to the track without watching the video. I don’t need any seizures, thank you very much.
- My long-time tattoo artist friend is back from his European vacation. And wants to get me in for a consult soon so we can turn my next two tattoo ideas into reality. It’s been too long.
This morning my son and I hit up Modern Times Cafe again for brunch, while a realtor was showing our house. Delicious as usual. But then I bit the bullet. And headed to the Apple Store’s genius bar, to replace my not-very-old iPhone 4 (the home button only worked intermittently, and audio was only audible with headphones). Un-fun but I wasn’t charged. I’m a long time Apple customer but not a rah-rah Apple cheerleader. I don’t think that every little thing they do is magic. Today’s in-store experience combined with a sluggish restore process was frustrating but fine, whatever. Much less cool? I got word about my brand new iMac. Its 1TB Seagate Hard Drive has been recalled. So now I have to box that bad boy back up and lug it somewhere for their replacement program. Grrrrrrrroannnnn. After the Apple store sapped the life from me I was happy to get home. And looking forward to settling in for our normal Sunday routine. Except that I was notified our house was about to be shown again - in less than an hour from the time I received the heads up. Which meant loading back into the car and finding something to do. Thankfully my folks were home. And offered me fresh baked bread, red wine and hugs. That was a comforting trifecta I was in need of and I didn’t even know it. Hopefully there will be more such comforts to help get me through the week ahead.
I realize how lame and pedestrian it is to complain about the weather, but damn if that heatwave didn’t just about do me in. In a moment of middle-of-the-night genius I decided to book a hotel room for the boy and I, so we could drench ourselves in pool water rather than our own stupid sweat…and a few friends decided to join us last night. Just for the swimming part. Today, mercifully, the heat has broken. Which makes me ridiculously happy.
Five other fantastic things for this wildly busy Thursday:
If only I could squeeze in some beach time before all of tonight’s busy-ness! But it can wait.
For the 6th year in a row the company I work for made the “Best Places to Work” list. To my friends that seems to translate into this. Not quite, but kinda close. Speaking of hype, Google Plus. So much hoopla. We’ll see. I’ve been posting a few bits and bobs over there, just to get a feel for it. Including some of today’s five good things:
Oh Harvey Milk. Even whittled down to a three piece, without the honorable Joe Preston, you are still brutally beautiful. What a fine set. And the Triple Rock was much less humid and sweat-filled last night (than on Saturday) with fewer bodies filling the place up. I think the turnout would have been better if it hadn’t been on a night when so many other equally compelling shows were happening - and on a Monday to boot!
The other day I was making arrangements with my son’s grandmother. To ship him out for some East Coast adventures after summer camp ends, for the second summer in a row. This time he’ll get to visit D.C. before venturing back to North Carolina aboard his grandparents’ boat. Not too shabby. Hard to believe this summer is already halfway over! And if it continues the way it’s been, in constant heat wave/warning mode, I look forward to its end. Had myself a minor panic attack before picking the kid up this afternoon. As I struggled to breathe through this ridiculous dew point I realized I’d left my inhaler at home. Couldn’t get home fast enough to take rips off of it. I should be staying put, camped out next to the air conditioner, yet I’m going back out before long. Tonight is one I’ve been waiting for for some time. I get to see Kurt Vile opening for Thurston Moore at one venue. Then I’m hightailing it to another to see Harvey Milk (they’ve never played Minneapolis before). This time I’ll be sure my inhaler remains in my pocket. When I put my clothes back on.
There was a fair amount of busy-ness over the weekend as well. We had a friend and his kids over on Friday night. I caught up with old friends at the sold out Harvest / Disembodied reunion show on Saturday. And many new “friends” opted to use my shoulders to launch themselves off of when stage diving. After that show I headed straight home to shower other people’s sweat off of myself. Yesterday we missed out on picnic club / a pool party in exchange for a very hot backyard show at a nearby friend’s house. But we did have a sprinkler, bubbles, fireworks and watermelon to keep us happy.
After work tomorrow I’ll either be hitting the beach, or seeing the new Harry Potter movie, likely in the company of a couple who look very much like the Weasleys. GRYFFINDOR!
Patience isn’t one of my strong points. But I’m trying. Motherhood has certainly helped these last dozen years. But there are other areas of my life that could be marked “NEEDS IMPROVEMENT” in the patience department. Our house is being shown again tomorrow. I’m trying to get zen about it. My plan is to make sure it’s tidy before we leave, that we are gone well before the appointed time, and to avoid thinking/obsessing about it beyond that. Naturally it’s around dinner time which is frustrating. But I’m going to try to make the best of it. Pack a picnic basket. Head to a park. Maybe see Hastings 3000 perform before a showing of The Dark Crystal in the Cinema & Civics series.
Today’s five good things:
- I’ll admit, initially I was indifferent to today’s zeppelin landing in Eden Prairie. I mean, it’s just a blimp. And it’s not remotely steampunk looking nor is it filled with anything dangerous. But then I saw the size comparison chart. The giant squid really sells it!
- Eat Ramen Help Japan, Ramen-Off Fundraiser for Disaster Relief - Benefiting Second Harvest Japan. Gourmet ramen creators including Masu, moto-i, Chef Russell Klein of Meritage, and Chef Jack Riebel of Dakota will square off from 6pm-10pm on Thursday, July 21 at the Create Catering Dining Studio in Northeast Minneapolis. The cause: Raising $5,000 for Second Harvest Japan to help families affected by the tsunami (via heavytable.com)
- The ramen benefit event is the same evening as Tragedy on the Sea Nymph, “a filmed 10-minute operetta depicting the romance and tragedy of clandestine lovers shipwrecked at sea. Starring an all-dog cast accompanied by live human singers and the Cedar String Quartet, this piece explores the remarkable connections between the affectations of operas and the lives of dogs.” But I should be able to do both. Oh, and the Cat Circus is coming back to town for five shows!
- Handmade Music Number 8 will be held on July 25th at 9pm, at the Hack Factory. Bring your ears and toys. The event is free and open to the public.
- The “10 Best Days of The Bakken coincides with the Minneapolis Aquatennial and begins Friday, July 15, with electrifying activities and special offers every day through Sunday, July 24. Opening day will feature the unveiling of the museum´s newest exhibits, The Green Energy Art Garden and Green Gadgets.” Neat.
Another potential roommate has popped up on my radar. A young woman who works with developmentally disabled adults, loves cats and is St. Paul-curious. Could be perfect! But once again, my expectations will be kept low low low.
I’m as American as the next gal, born and raised in the upper midwest. My Dad’s heritage is a minor mystery. He was adopted (and the family he was adopted into was small and non-cohesive) but a mystery met with more of a shrug than any hand-wringing or concern. My mother’s family, on the other hand, very strongly identified as Lebanese and with the Lebanese community here. Middle Eastern pride was instilled in me intentionally or not. But race, ethnicity, religion, other accidents of birth - all such nuances have been lost on my own offspring. Topics too large and abstract to interest him. Like many kids with autism his fixations have been unpredictable but generally more concrete, attention-grabbing and action-packed. Which was how I came to choose his summer camp. Multiple swimming pools and canoeing and kayaking and climbing walls and zip lines and horses and arts & crafts and overnight camping. I was hugely relieved when he immediately loved it the first year. This is his second summer and he remains just as enamored. But something has changed. He has started to pick up on the underpinnings of this not-quite-secular program. Over the 4th of July weekend a friend was goofing around and started chanting “USA! USA!” Without skipping a beat my son shouted back “ISRAEL! ISRAEL!” During a recent water balloon battle he filled up only white and blue balloons, telling me these were the colors of the Israeli flag. And he often speaks Hebrew when I pick him up after camp. Oy vey. I doubt I have a budding Zionist on my hands, but I’d like him to be amenable to learning about his Lebanese heritage and all sorts of other cultures before he turns into the Hebrew Hammer.
How about five pretty great things?
I never really found my stride this Monday. Hoping the rest of the week doesn’t work me over / drag me under. I got to keep on moving! Or perhaps I just need more sleep. Yes. Sleep. So basic a need and so wondrous a luxury.
The weather overshot perfect and veered into perfectly miserable. Our weekend’s outdoor activities were curtailed unless they involved swimming, water balloons and squirt guns. The drive-in, mini golf, and baseball games can wait until the dew point drops. Lethargy has set in around our home. The cats are sad immobile little lumps. The kid and I have been holed up in my bedroom with the window a/c unit. Despite the slightly brisk air my brain still feels sluggish. While my son plays “prankster planet” games on one computer I may embark on a new adventure on the other - beginning with Game of Thrones, episode one. Unless I traverse Lovecraft’s Mountains of Madness instead.
Five good/bad/vaguely interesting things:
- An old old friend was visiting from San Francisco and Friday night we caught up at my place.
- Saturday night I bounced around between three venues/shows and TOOK NO PHOTOS. How odd.
- It was a bittersweet Sunday at the bakery: Cake Eater’s Final Daze
- Kyle Macdonald claims it’s an art project. The U.S. Secret Service is not so sure. Check out People Staring at Computers and come to your own conclusion.
- Damn, I just stumbled on more tattoo ideas, via an upcoming Denver art opening: “Animals are our relatives. Dead Relatives is a special look at death, as a satire. Usually a taboo subject in many cultures, Mexican traditions revere death. Death is celebrated, it is humorous. The Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) patterns embodied by the endearing silhouettes of chosen animals set a cunning tone to the show. The styles of Ernesto Yerena and Philip Lumbang contrast and compliment. Whether the animal is mythological or culturally relevant, each animal carries a message that the artists would like for the audience to ponder.”
While the weather has certainly slowed my roll, this past week has been the busiest yet for showings of the house. We averaged one a day (including today). From one realtor we received somewhat more favorable yet still vague feedback - which included the prospect of a second showing to the potential buyer - yet I still don’t dare get my hopes up of selling anytime soon. So why am I compulsively checking apartment listings on craigslist? I ought to quit tormenting myself with that.
