Friday, May 24, 2024

K.I.S.S. ~ Keep It Simple Stupid


 

I am going to Pimp Out some Old Trolls like the above ones I saw on Etsy, how Cute are they with faux Air Plant Hairs?  Yes, I'm Trawling the Interweb at a ridiculous Hour right now.  I swear I'm presently keeping the Hours of a Toddler, I'm in Bed before 8:00 p.m. becoz I'm fighting Sleep and just can't stay Awake, then waking way earlier than I need to right now.  *Le Sigh*   When I got Home Yesterday The Son was busy vacuuming the whole House with his little Shop Vac he bought to clean his Car!  The Daughter was busy deep Cleaning the Kitchen!   So, I have an immaculate Home right now courtesy of the Adult Children.  Yay!   I'm really the only messy one of the whole household, I ain't gonna Lie, and my Crime is Cluttering up Space.  I do okay for a while and then start putting things where they shouldn't be.




When you have Three Generations Sharing Space and it's Limited Space, well, you do have to be more Orderly and Tidy to keep everything maintained the way it should be.   Everyone else seems to do that as they go along and I should too, but often I am very scattered in my Habits.  I'm trying to be better at Organization, especially in work areas, which tend to be where my Mess originates.  Where ever I'm presently working on Inventory is where the greatest offenses take place.  Which is why I'm really Hopeful the new Shed Storage Space for it and working on it will be a Solution?  If it's all gathered in one Space, away from livable areas or where it shouldn't be, then I can simply close the Doors to the Shed when not deep into actively doing it.




Other places we've lived where I had a designated Work Space that's how things kept Maintained.  Here, it's just been awkward to find adequate Space for what we have and what we have to do daily.  Downsizing was necessary, but, it's been a difficult Transition for Yours Truly.   In fact, I'd venture to say I suck at Transitioning or at keeping things Simple.  I keep reminding myself "K.I.S.S., Keep It Simple Stupid", but, it's not just as easy for me as knowing that's what I NEED to do.  I'm almost certain mine is a Mental Health Barrier that I must fight daily, it's not my Natural State of Being to be Simple, nor particularly Organized in my tendency towards Excesses of Behavior.




I am Excessive in just about all of my ways, I know this about me, and even this many Decades in to Life, it hasn't gotten better or easier.  In fact, as I'm Aging, perhaps it's gotten worse or more Evident?  Or I just don't have the amount of energy or stamina I once had to keep abreast of Maintaining whatever I'm excessively doing, and running the necessary damage control, I dunno?   I can do nothing and everything all at once, or so I'm told by everyone!  *Smiles*  I'm like a Force of Nature akin to a Hurricane or Tornado.  There's a lot of Power there, but if not properly directed and harnessed, well, you know what happens and what's left behind after it blows thru. *LOL*  {Above few Pixs of Food Porn of the Day were of a Special The Angry Crab Shack had of Fried Lobster Tail Sammie with Seasoned Fries and Appetizer Combo of Fried Clams, Calamari and Onion Rings... Tasty as it was Purdy... and Inexpensive... Nom-Nom} 




 Yes, I can and do Work Circles around your average Normalized Person, becoz I am so Hyper and Driven.  Yet in my Spiraling frantic wake, you can tell the Tasmanian Devil has been thru in Human Form.  There is this Path of Evidence, that tho' a lot is or has gotten Done, it hasn't been without collateral damage far and wide.  *Le Sigh*  I'm often told by those who know me or watch me Work, that they don't know how I do all that I just do, but, to me, I feel like I could and should be doing more, not less.   Since, in the doing of what I do, there's bound to be the Fact that it got Messy.   Mebbe you just can't do so much without being Messy and scattered, but, I'd rather be better at doing it Tidier.




Every once in a while I get and pull it together and everything is a Vision... but then... well, back to my Usual.   Maintenance is just not my Strength or Forte, or so it appears.   So, I really do appreciate when the Kiddos see I'm overwhelming myself and Surprise me with running damage control behind me to keep things better Maintained.   They weren't the ones responsible, but, they're taking one for the Team.  *Smiles and Bless 'em*   I do Hire additional Help like the Neighbor to do Yardwork and Irrigation, and the Pool Guy to Maintain the Pool, since, if I didn't, that would be my responsibility to Maintain as well.




It is our Home, yet, The Man is pretty useless Post-Catastrophic Brain Injury, and there's just nothing I can do about that Fact.   I no longer even get Cross with him when he won't initiate in the Doing of most things.  It's like he's oblivious to what needs to be done or Maintained around him and assumes no responsibility for it.   I Married a Workaholic who used to be so involved in Partnering with me to do everything, so, it was a huge adjustment that was necessary to embrace who he now is.  That metamorphosis is so very different and opposite to who he once was.  




That person really did Die in that catastrophic Accident Years ago and we had to Mourn the Loss of "Old Grandpa" and accept "New Grandpa" unconditionally.  That's how a very Young 5-6 Year Old Princess T described him pre-and-post Accident.   Every once in a while he'll sort of Awaken and do something like a load of Laundry or the Dishes, that's about the extent of his involvement tho' and it's sporadic.   He's still as meticulously Tidy as he ever was tho', the Marine Corps. drilled that Deep into him and so that wasn't Lost.  His areas he considers his Domain are rigidly Orderly and I don't mess with any of it.




And in his defense, he says when I'm working on anything, he doesn't want to mess with any of it either to interrupt my Work Flow.   Or he wouldn't even know what I'd want to do with it or where it should go or be put.  So, Touche', point taken.  *LOL*  And, I don't shift Blame on anything Messy I've done on anyone else, it's MY Mess and I Own it.  *Le Sigh*   Is it evident yet that I need me a "Fixer"?  *LOL and Winks*  Anyway, when the Shed gets Built I'll let you know how that all goes and if it makes a significant difference in my Organizational Skills, to have a designated Space again for my Inventory and the Working of it?   If it's not scattered... then the Main House, Art Studio and RV Garage Mahal will improve dramatically.




I did get one Problem semi-solved, I moved a lot of my Wardrobe into the Art Studio Space on Racks that are easily accessible.  My Closet still needs repair for the flimsy Rod that broke and never got fixed.   So, I've been adapting something while I figure out best how to go about remodeling a shitty construction that is a Modern Closet Remodel that was done by a previous Owner.  They probably should have left the Closets in 1980 mode, since, construction back then was Superior and this was a Custom Home when Built in 1980.   The Closet Rods in the Guest Bedroom are Original to the House and you could do pullups on them and they wouldn't come down.  They are Solid Wood and Sturdy Metal, not hollow POS Modern Rods.  Note: Above is a Taxidermy Class I missed for Jackelope Creation... dammit... mebbe next time... *Le Sigh*




I digress, back to Closet Issues:  The Man's side broke too, so, I know we'll have to one day Remodel both sides, his and mine, with more substantial Industrial Strength Rods and Shelving.   The problem being, it will have to be Custom Sized, since these Closets are not your Standard Size for any fucking thing.  So, every pre-made Rod or Unit will not fit... we found that out the hard way.  Yes, you can Buy the Industrial Style Racks and Rods, they are too long for these Closets, by mere Inches mind you, which is all the more frustrating and tormenting.   Thus, I have them in the Art Studio now with my shit hanging on them in there, Problem temporarily Solved.  *Eye Roll* 




 Well, and one The Man built for me and measured Wrong, is in the New Showroom now instead of at the Foot of our Bed obstructing the view of the TV.  *LMAO*  He did a fine Job of the Construction, and the financial outlay was considerable enuf becoz we bought the best Materials we could afford.   It looked exactly as I wanted for it to and specified, but, he was Inches off and it didn't fit in my Closet after he already built the damned thing!!!  This is why we didn't just Buy the Shed Kit and have him try to Build it in an attempt to Save Money. *LMAOROTF*  He just no longer has the capacity to and yet he doesn't acknowledge his limitations have expanded, so, let us just not even Go There.  *Eye Roll*   I will pay a Couple Grand more to have the Pros come and build that Shed for us and have it done Right.  *Smiles and Whew*




In fact, I didn't even tell him how much the Construction Costs were coz it equaled the Cost of the Shed and he would have insisted he could DIY himself and we'd of had a Situation.   Either it could/would have been built Wrong or not at all.   So we'd just have a pile of Shed Supplies sitting out there indefinitely after spending $1,800 on it, I wasn't Risking all that.   I knew I didn't want or need another Project and I'm not a Contractor so even with instructions I would have been at a loss to do it and have the Warranty Hold.  With paying the Subcontractor Lowe's Hires to do it, you get a Ten Year Construction Warranty, to me that's worth a couple Grand more.   After a Decade, well, who Cares if you might have to patch things up now and again on your own Dime?




I'm usually impressed with how the Pros get things Done anyway.  I know we had The Grandsons taking part of that Dead enormous Pine Tree down for Days.  Yet, once I Hired Tree Pros, to show off for Princess T, who I had out there looking Cute to get the Cost Quoted down considerably *winks*, that whole Sixty Foot Tree was down in less than Half an Hour!  *Bwahahaha*   They were Cute Guys, she's a Cute Gal, Problem Solved at a fraction of the Cost, just so they could Smile at each other and be Coy.  *Smiles*   Andrase is gonna be doing some of my Electrical needs and joked with me that he knows how I Do... *Winks*  So, I told The Daughter to look exceptionally Cute for him that day.  Yeah, I know how to Exploit how Young Men like to Show Off for a Pretty Gal.  *Bwahahaha*




Okay, so, we've covered how I'm reconfiguring various Issues on the Property to be more Functional, Orderly and Organized.  For now I have been utilizing my newly cleared out Art Studio Space for Pricing and Storing some of my Inventory.   With 99% of The Grandsons possessions now out of there it's really freed up Space.  Granted, I still have to take down their Bed Frame and Headboard and Donate it, they definitely don't wanna come back for that they said.  But, the Mattress they might, so I decided I might just keep that on the Floor in there.  It's comfortable and handy for Guests to Sleep on in a pinch.  Or Naps if I'm in there Working and need some Serenity and Rest in between Projects.




They have one small Shelf Unit the size of a Bedside Table... and a Clothing Rack that I'm using 'til they come get it, plus a few incidentals they forgot to Pack/Find... but, mostly their possessions are now gone.  And, that Space can now be completely Functional for my Purposes.  Since I'm not Creating Art right now, I can utilize the Space to double duty for Inventory Prep, it is Climate Controlled Space.   The Daughter does still have some of her possessions in there tho', so, it's not entirely Reclaimed.  I don't know that we'll ever Reclaim our entire Home, I think a couple Extra Generations are here to Stay and we can make that Work, so long as I can put them to Work as Unpaid Staff.  *LOL*




Listen, all the Young People who make this their Second Home by visiting all the time are put to Work as Unpaid Staff.  They know this is the Requirement of being Guests that seem to always be here.  *LOL*  Half the time it's almost as if they're Living here too, so, I treat them like extended Family who ARE Living here and Sharing this Space.  It only seems Right.  *Winks*   The Man had to Learn early on that Living with an Old Hippie, Communal Living was part of the Package Deal with me... People were always here and sometimes even temporarily Living with us for extended periods, and I didn't mind.   I never expected to have the proverbial Empty Nest, since, well, they keep coming back.   *LOL*




The Young Prince even acknowledged that they know it was only becoz Allen couldn't coexist harmoniously that they had to leave, otherwise, we'd of worked it out amicably.   The Young Prince knows how the Flow goes to coexist Harmoniously for Communal Living to Work, and doesn't have a problem with it.  But for Allen, it wasn't familiar or as effortless, I could tell he struggled with Multi-generational Living and a lot of Personality under one Roof to cultivate Relationship with.  For most people it isn't, you have to almost have a Hippie Vibe to be on Board with Communal Living I think, otherwise, it just doesn't Work for you, and that's Okay.  Get your own Pad then.  Harmony is required here, or, YOU gotta go.  And so... they did.  *Winks*



*******

Thank God it's Friday Folks... Dawn... The Bohemian

8 comments:

  1. Love the idea of using faux succulents with the trolls. I did a “hair transplant” on one (with tiny succulents) back in 2020. He doesn’t live with me anymore, but the last I saw of him, he had long, twisty “dreads” 😂

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    1. I've seen a lot of customized Trolls and they can fetch big bucks.

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    1. I was told by The Daughter that it was. *winks*

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  3. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words on my post about my husband's Funeral service... People keep telling me to slow down that I am doing too much but I was never able to sit still and now, it is better that I keep myself busy!! I hope you have a great Holiday weekend!! My sons had those trolls to play with when they were young...
    Hugs,
    Deb

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    1. I agree that keeping busy really is beneficial to Mind, Body and Spirit. Right now, while you are moving thru stages of Grief I think it is better that you keep yourself occupied with what you enjoy most to alleviate emotions that would or could overtake you otherwise. I have Two Friends at our Antique Mall who recently became Widows and it has helped them to stay connected to everyone and not retreat during their time of Loss and isolate themselves. We all knew their Loved Ones and Sharing Memories is also very important. Often what other people remember most fondly about us is something our Loved Ones might never have heard or know and can be so Special.

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  4. Dawn! Good morning. Boy that food looks amazing, at first I thought it was Fish n Chips but after reading that it was lobster tail, I'm even more amazed and in awe of how good it must have been. I love and miss Arizona, and your blog isn't helping that feeling to go away! One kind of "promise" that I've made is to, I don't know, kind of stop complaining to myself and others how much I miss AZ, how much I've been set back in my life and career, and try to move forward in some way positively and try to keep my mind looking and moving forward. But for some reason all of the good food that you post, and the Princess T stories which are hilarious--such as the tree removal quote--really inspire that nostalgia for me. I've finally gotten to the point where I don't necessarily think everyday about my old boss and an old girlfriend that I left in Arizona, and I do feel like I am moving forward much better these days, but every once in awhile something triggers these feelings and I feel like I'm right back at square one! New bucket list item is to eat that lobster tail sandwich, it looks absolutely divine.

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    1. Loving a place we had to leave is common, so many things I miss about so many place and people I had to move from. I was seriously connected to our Historic Home and often feel I never should have Sold it and just kept it in the Family, but, I know at the time it was the right thing for us to do and so we did it. Different Seasons of our Lives require different and sometimes difficult decisions we must make. Sometimes voluntarily and sometimes involuntarily. Moving forward in some way Positively and with an Open Mind about the Promise of the Future being better and exciting is important. Eventually we reach having a Peace about where we are in Life if we have the right Attitude and Perspective about it, you'll get there, since, you want to. Not forgetting people, places and things that are/were important to us is okay, you don't ever have to erase them from Memory if that Memory is a Positive and Sweet one. And I'd nevef had a Fried Lobster Tail Sammie before either and was surprised how good it is. I like Lobster, but had always had it boiled and just with Butter.

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A life touched by God always ends in touching others. - Erwin McManus

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. - Og Mandino (1923-1996)

For creativity to flourish one should try to look at everything as though it were being seen for the first or the last time. - Quote from "A Thousand Paths To Creativity" by David Baird

Is what I'm about to say an improvement on silence? ~ Galen Pearl