Someday Syndrome

Out of Words

Sorry folks. I'm experiencing a wee bit of writer's block. I should get something up for you today, as well as more pictures from last weekend.

My Life the Makeover Show

I hate maintaining things. I prefer to let it all go to pot then sweep in and do a big transformation. It's much more satisfying.

Yes, maintenance is easier, and I try to clean as I go, but I can't make myself do it. I'm just not interested.

It's like the project I worked on here in Spain. I didn't end up pruning in the orchard. Instead I reclaimed a three level terrace garden from seven years of neglect. I pulled a mountain of grass, clipped a forest of shrubs and divided a field of irises. I was a one-man garden makeover show. In six days I transformed a savage land into a domestic haven.

Okay, the grasses and clippings pile was big, but not mountainous or forest like and the 300 divided irises fit in three ten by ten gardens, but it did take six days and the result was pretty spectacular (and if I had remembered to take before pictures, you could see the difference).

This sort of thing is why I went into organizing. It's all about the big changes, the ooh and ahh of seeing it made over. I couldn't have been given a better task. It's how I approach almost every physical task in my life. As I've talked about many times, I nest in my apartment, letting things build up past disaster, then either because I have someone coming over in twenty minutes, or because I get sick of seeing the place messy, I put everything back to rights and it looks great again.

The key to a successful makeover attitude is to have places for things, even if you don't put them away right away. A mess stays a mess when you have nowhere to put stuff at organizing time.

And of course if you have others sharing your space with you, being messy in common areas isn't respectful.

Someday Lessons:

• Procrastination can work, as long as you do get it done before it gets too big of a project.
• If maintenance isn't your thing, make sure you at least know where things should go, even if you don't always put them there.

One of Too Many

I missed the blog-celebrity boat.

You know the one; it left a few years ago with the early adopters who navigated the blogosphere and tamed it for the rest of us.

Now I'm one of the millions who got on the regularly scheduled blog-ferry that takes the masses out into the known blogosphere.

I've just finished reading Julie Powell's Julie & Julia, about a woman who decided to work her entire way through Julie Child's first cookbook and blog about it. Within a few weeks she had strangers commenting on her blog. Within a few months she had fans sending her things through the mail and donating to a food fund to cover the costs of the recipes.

Then she appeared in local and nationals papers and on national TV. Finally after the project was finished, she was offered a VERY lucrative book deal. The advance was enough to allow her to quit her job and turn her husband into the lower income producer in the family.

At first I thought I was jealous of her, but jealousy is a very negative emotion and wishes to deny success to the other person. But I'm really happy for her and her success. And the book is a great read (I highly recommend it).

No, I'm not jealous; I'm envious. But only briefly. I wasn't ready to do this blog or my Europe adventure in 2002. And I'm (mostly) not doing this for fame.

But if anyone does know of an emerging trend that could create that fame, I'm all ears!

Someday Lessons:

• Others' successes can inspire or depress - it's your choice.
• You can't change the past, so don't stress about it.

I am a Daub Master

Well, maybe daub journeyman. Okay, daub apprentice, but a damn good one. Yesterday I spent with my friends who are building themselves a straw house. They had a bunch of us over to smooth out the mud mixture that they sprayed on the straw to finish the walls.

I took the entire day to do two walls. The walls were uneven and not remotely plaster-like – but I tried to get them as smooth as possible. It was a lot of fun. I focused on each segment I was working on and didn't think of anything else except the space in front of me.

It was very meditative and a wonderful new experience.

"I'll get around to it someday" doesn't just apply to "to do" lists and things that extend logically from who you are currently. It also includes the totally out there stuff that you thought you'd never do. Like daubing a wall in a straw-bale house.

Life doesn't have to be precisely-detailed delivery schedule – leave that for the courier companies. Leave that for live TV variety shows. When you see a side path open up on your carefully plotted out route stop for a moment and consider whether you'll learn something or just have a great time if you take the side path. Who knows you might discover a new passion turning the side passion into your main road.

Someday Lessons:

• Let yourself have unplanned spontaneous fun.
• Do something you never thought you'd ever do.

Lunch Lessons:
Homemade Lentil Soup, bread, cheese, meat and wine. Especially good because I didn't have to prepare it.

A Client or The Beach

This week I helped friends who are building a straw house. I laid a line of tile along the top of the foundation. I never thought I'd ever tile – far too detail oriented. But I did it and it turned out well. Now I feel confident that I could lay tile in a place of my own (no! don't say it!) someday.

On Wednesday, it poured rain, so I organized the workshop. I had thought that I was pretty much done with physical organizing – too burnt out. But I really enjoyed myself and discovered I missed it.

I also discovered how I prefer to work – alone, without any decisions on what to throw out, without agonizing over the emotional value of things. I love to talk about emotions and reasons one on one and to groups of people, but when it comes to the physical work, I prefer to work without the client.

And that is good to know because on Thursday the couple's aunt said she was interested in having me organize her garage. I was tempted to say no, but then I smacked myself (why turn down money? Especially since I think I might want to stay here longer – I'll need some sort of income).

So, I accepted an invitation to lunch today to look at the space.

Then last night, friends called asking if I wanted to go to the beach with them today (yes it's still sunny and mid- to high-20s here). I almost said no, but then smacked myself again (don't worry, not hard, no bruises!). I've wanted to spend a day at the beach since I got here. At home, where money was always tight, I usually said no to fun and yes to potential work.

But now, work is not a priority. I decided therefore to send my friend's aunt quote via email (I know generally how long garages take me). It was freeing to be able to make that decision, but before I could do that, my other friends called me back to cancel the beach trip (their car broke down).

So lunch was back on and I walked in with confidence. I was able to say "This is how I work and this is how much it'll cost you." They accepted it without a second thought and I wasn't worried if they said no. The real goal will be keep this attitude when money does matter more. But I think if you're honest and confident about how you work and what your worth, people accept what you say. It's when you get iffy and hesitant about your value and your work methods that people respond with their own hesitations.

Fortunately I don't have to test out this theory for several months still…

Someday Lessons:

• Don't let the fear of money drive your actions – no matter how tempting it might be.
• Remember that leisure dreams are just as important as money dreams in achieving a balanced life.

Lunch Today:
Pear and Roquefort Tart with fresh greens, followed by Roast Lamb, Roast Potatoes, Creamed Celery Root, Peas, Carrots, then a selection of Cheeses, finished off with a Lemon Sponge Pie. I nearly exploded!

The Downside of Dream Fulfillment

I'm a month into life here and love it. This past weekend I explored seaside towns, swam in the ocean, and danced until morning in Spain. Plus I'm getting slimmer, eating wonderfully, and making great friends.

So why did I spend the weekend in a low-level funk? (I mean sadness, not James Brown on low volume.)

It hit me during my walk on Friday. With the town laid out before me, my joy bounded on ahead, entertaining me with its antics. But then I was ambushed from behind.

I thought the ambush was homesickness, missing friends and family (which I do), but that wasn't it. During my jet set weekend of dinner at 11pm and dancing until 4am, I realized what it was.

This all has to end.

I'm going to go home, I'm going to need to earn money, and I'm going to be back in the world of the entrepreneur wondering if I'll make next month's rent. (I could get an office job, but I'd rather be draped in a communist flag and fed to a bunch of right wing Americans). I don't want to go back to struggling. Now that I've tasted freedom, how could I go back to prison?

I was talking to (okay, whining to) my niece about this and she told me that I was inside a bubble of misconception (a BMC, for short). I was demonizing working, she told me. Almost everyone hates to work, but working isn't evil in itself.

I agreed about the living in a BMC, but my bubble isn't filled with hatred of working. It's a bubble of thinking that this has to end. If I really want this life, then I'll to do what I want to do to keep it. If I don't want it, I won't do enough.

Notice I didn't say "do what I have to" – that implies more work and drudgery – which I'm avoiding. If I "do what I want to" to keep this life then I'm working with a positive attitude.

I don't know what this all means, but I have time to figure that out. And now I have a goal and am clear about it. The rest will come.

Someday Lessons:

1. Be careful what you wish for; you might not be able to live without it afterwards.
2. Be clear with yourself about your dreams, or you're just wasting time.

Lunch Today:
Red Pepper Stuffed Baked Potato

And I Will Get Around To It

As usual, my randomly chosen theme for the day (well actually for yesterday) is very apropos.

No post this weekend because I ended up going to the coast (including Biarritz, St Jean de Luz, as well as San Sebastian in Spain).

So, yes, I will get around to writing the post I meant to write yesterday - tomorrow.