Thursday, January 03, 2008

Gritty

Today I am having one of those days that causes me to grit my teeth. This is what I do when I am mad, irritated, frustrated etc. I grit my teeth. Sometimes to the point that they start to hurt in a really creepy sort of way.

Why am I gritty today? It's bound to happen every so often I guess. Bad mood... got up on the wrong side of the bed, all those sort of excuses. I do know that Rudy being in a bucking bronco, growling, jumping and making constant demands mood of his own is not helping matters for me today. The fact that this Airstream is now full of shit beyond capacity has been eating at me for awhile now too. There are piles of "stuff" all over the place. Stupid, stupid piles of stuff. The stuff is working it's way into our living space. I sit in a booth with my laptop to work and it's also where we sit to eat. Half.... yes HALF of my side of the booth seat is full of stuff. A big bag of yarn and half finished crochet projects, a stack of fat cookbooks, my camera bag, a box of cereal (no room in the cupboard for it) and various USB cables, a few magazines and my purse are a sampling of what is piled up here next to me. These things are here because all of our closets, cupboards and cubbies are full to the max and there is no place else to keep stuff. The truck is full too. It's nuts.

What am I going to DO about this? The answer remains to be seen. I could freak out and go on a rampage and throw a bunch of stuff away... or I can deal with living like a crazy old cat lady who hoards shit. Today I am leaning toward the freak out. Tomorrow I may embrace my pile of crap and be glad to have it available to riffle through.

I also think I am steadily gaining a colony of ants in my pants over the fact that we are sticking put in this one location for so long. I am ready to move, move, move. Maybe if I loved the area more I would feel differently. But as it turns out Texas is just not my cup of tea. Not for three solid months in winter anyway. I am longing to be someplace new. Or old.... just not Texas.

Sigh. I guess I just wanted to vent. Now I am going to go wrangle some more piles of stuff. And grit my teeth some more. I will get my head screwed back on straight before the day is out. I will... or I will end up in an emergency dental clinic with shattered bicuspids.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's the Post-Season Clear Out Syndrome! Good luck with wrangling your stuff.. and remember, dentists are expensive!

Mervyn Gurdrock said...

Well I'm there with you getting itchy feet. Where are you planning on going next? Should I know this if I was a better reader...

I hate piles of crap hanging round. Throw everything out. Liberate yourself. Then of course you will miss it and have to buy it back from some hawker at twice the price you originally bought it for.

Lots of solutions, but no clues. Or is it lots of clues, but no solutions?

Bethany said...

Lots of clues... no solutions. I think that fits best. I do feel much better today though. I cleaned as best I could (around the piles of stuff) and that always helps. You really can't imagine the dumb stuff I have along for the ride here with us. Stuff like... a plastic bin full of 1950's men's ties and women's aprons. Because we need those. Just in case... just in case we have a convention of Ward and June Cleaver types land in our front yard and they have no accessories with them. I will be ready to bedeck them with gingham and chevron striped extras.

We are going to Big Bend National Park next. It's about 7 or 8 hours drive away from where we are now in Texas. After that it's New Mexico. I can't wait to get back to NM. It's my favorite place to be.

Unknown said...

Hey Illinois! When was the last time you and Billy went dancing? A great way to beat the winter blues. Those boots you just got are meant for stompin' a Texas Two-Step or something. Go out, have some fun, and then get some boxes together to send to Rosie's basement. A friend of mine just met a couple in Ryebeck, NY who are going around the world with a donkey pulling a solar powered cart with nothing but a bed and a hot plate in the back. How about that for minimalism? Oh, and don't forget to laugh a lot!

Shara said...

Hello lil one,
Whether you're in a camper, an apartment or large home, we all tend to look at all our collections with suspect! Why did I get that? What does that say about me? or Maybe we just get rid of things to get more!LOL I have a collection of lace dollies (how ancient is that)but what I did do was purge the ones I didn't LOVE. I just made a smaller pile and now someone else enjoys the slightly less loved ones....gather all you can from this trip, it's priceless!

Anonymous said...

You might want to read Merlin Mann's blog post about clutter. It has some great information on cleaning out.

http://www.43folders.com/2007/07/02/war-on-clutter

Brad

Anonymous said...

Hey there, B. Hang in there, all will be well once you guys are in motion once again I'm sure. You are, after all, a mobile family. Back the truck up, jump in the cab, and resume your peregrinations! 3 months in Texas would probably drive me close to the brink of insanity. We're all out here rootin for you and the boys, so don't forget that you're not alone. We envy you,even with all that clutter! As of late I've been reading a ton of Epicurus; check him out for a rethinking of what life is all about. And remember, your home has wheels! Reread "On the Road", "Travels With Charlie", and my new fave "The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Batton. Hang in there, kid!
Love from Cappy...

savannah_rae said...

Your comment about the ties and aprons made me snort! Too funny. It's amusing really, how crap can stack up so quickly. I read online yesterday (oddly enough) about clutter and how it can be bad for your health/weight. Just more motivation for me. But do you know they seriously are trying to make "hoarding" a disease? haha CLASSIC! I'm glad you're having a better day though, and I'm sorry I've been a terrible friend and missed out. Annnnnd, I'm so sorry that Texas is wearing on you. I know the feeling. It's home, and I love it much. But, it's annoying. And the winters suck. NM will be so much fun!!

XOXO, Savannah

Bethany said...

Thanks everyone for your comments on de-cluttering, donkeys with hot plates, and your general encouragement and support.

The reality of our clutter is that if you moved it all in to a normal (even a really small) house or apartment it would not even fill up one room. It's just that the trailer has obvious limits on "stuffage." The problem lies in the fact that I have not held true to my declaration of "No More Crafts Or Ideas." Billy does not enforce the rule... and I bring home the wierd stuff.

I have big plans for all this stuff. Biiiiig plans. You'll see... one day my stuff will be famous. Worth millions. In a museum. Or perhaps in a land fill where most all stuff ends up. For now... I will persist with my dreams for the future filled with stuff that has been transformed and given a new and exciting life by my very own hands.