Friday, May 18, 2007

Spring Cleaning 2007 - Oh It Goes So Slow

The study is basically done, although I've still got to organize the bookshelves. Can do this, though, tomorrow. I've decided I must now move on to my closet/bedroom/laundry portion of the cleaning event. So far I've got two big boxes of stuff to go to Good Will, and I suspect the closet portion of things will add to the charity donation. It's time for some major weeding out, as I keep shopping and there is a ton of stuff that I just don't wear.

At any rate, I'm taking a wee break now, and so I thought I'd catch up on some blog related things. First, I've not been responding in comments, but two new commenters have said hello recently, so let me give a shout-out to Fretful Porpentine and to Monica. Thanks for stopping by and saying hi!

Also, re: C. in the post of yesterday. I feel sort of bad, because C. is my friend, as is A. (Really I'm friends with the whole family, as I first encountered the clan when I was 14 and I had Latin with their brother. At any rate, if you're friends with one of this number, you are friends with all four, as well as the extended family. It's just something that one has to accept. And if you fall out of touch with one, another pops up.) C. was around at a time in my life when I really needed a friend - when I broke up with the ex that I lived with, was finishing my diss and getting ready to start this job. So I feel a little bad that I've presented her here as a lunatic. The fact is, I'm really worried about her. The thing with the stalker-like and creepy "vision board" is that she's in this period of desperation in her life, and that's what it's coming out of. The problem is, she doesn't seem to know how to get her shit together and she's the only one who can do that. So here's the thing: C. is a good person and a sweet person and her heart's in the right place. The problem is, she's just really fucked up right now and is making a lot of choices that aren't helping with that. So don't think badly of C. - she's just at a crossroads.

Hmmm.... what else? Well, A. is coming to visit next weekend (hurrah!) and so that's one excuse I've had to be motivated to do the full-on spring cleaning in such a systematic way. Also, as plans for the summer are shaping up, I've got a conference the weekend of June 8th (where I know I'll see at least one blogger! Hi Anne! It will be so fun to see you!) and then I *think* I've got another visitor who will show up at some point in June if the stars align properly. Then, I go to Cleveland to deposit the Man-Kitty at my parents' and I fly to the UK! Hurrah! And that trip is shaping up to be awesome as well, as my friend G. is planning all sorts of shenanigans, including 3 or 4 days in the Scottish highlands and a trip to Wales. What will be a bit weird about the trip is that I'll be totally incommunicado for the duration (aside from sending off postcards). This will be... interesting. Probably good, possibly bad, but definitely interesting.

And then it's the end of July and the summer will be almost over! Clearly this will not be a summer of R&R, especially as what with the conferences I've got two conference papers to write in addition to the visitors coming in June. Busy busy busy. I'm going to try to get one of those papers knocked out immediately after the spring cleaning, and I also have a novel to read (I'm hoping to accomplish a lot of that poolside when A. is in town) for the second conference paper.

So yes, there is actually a lot going on, aside from Spring Cleaning 2007. Or if not going on right now, waiting in the wings to go on.

But now, back to work!

3 comments:

heu mihi said...

I don't know why, but it's immensely enjoyable to read about your spring cleaning.

Re. C (since I said in comments that she seemed stalker-ish): what's disturbing about the collage thing is that it *isn't* totally crazy, in our culture. Women are often encouraged to engage in such desperately obvious man-seeking. Witness sitcoms through the ages, where all women over thirty (or younger) are frantic for husbands, and all kinds of bizarrely obsessive behavior--which would be perceived as scary if engaged in by men--are indulged, or even framed as normal. It's offensive and upsetting. In some ways, C just seems to be participating in a pretty mainstream construction of female behavior. And, to agree with your earlier post, it seems clearly related to the pervasive fantasy of the "soul mate."*

*(I happen to be in an excellent relationship with a splendid person, and I have no idea what a "soul mate" is. So I'm convinced that it doesn't exist.)

Okay, that's enough from me. Keep cleaning!

luolin said...

I worry about friends who are in a position where they think that their life is incomplete without a partner (usually, a man). At least, if C is fixated on one particular person, she's less likely to take up with any old jerk that comes along.

Unknown said...

just a head's up that you named your folks' location.