My daily one-way drive to work is exactly twenty miles. Today that drive took fifty-two minutes. I covered the initial seventeen miles in twenty-six minutes. The last three miles required an additional twenty-six minutes.
I used to listen to audio podcasts during my commutes, Continue reading DAY TWENTY-SEVEN: 52 Minutes
What’s with this 100 Days thing? It’s pretty simple, really. I started this site to try to catalog changes I want to make in my life. I decided, somewhat randomly, to try to keep track of what I accomplish over the course of 100 days toward making significant changes in my life.
I was inspired to start the blog by Continue reading DAY TWENTY-SIX: What’s Up With the 100 DAYS Stuff?
Today I deleted one of my two eBay accounts, the one I use for buying. Yes, I can still make purchases on eBay using my selling account, but this way I will be more likely to think more carefully about what I buy.
I also deleted one of my two web hosting accounts. I don’t know why I had two hosting accounts. I had grand visions for creating a vast internet presence at one time. I moved all of my domain names to the account I’m keeping.
On the way to work I stopped at Home Despot and picked up a few supplies for the ongoing house project.
I had planned to write a longer, more detailed DAY TWENTY-FIVE post spelling out in detail the idea behind the 100 DAYS project, but I ended up fooling around with web site databases and re-installing WordPress and stuff, and now it’s late, so the long post is not going to happen.
I’m trying to get the house fixed up and cleaned up; instead, I’m getting fed up with how long it’s taking. Continue reading DAY TWENTY-FOUR: I Wuz Framed!
Re-screened six window screens. Started repairing yet another decaying window frame. Tried patching some broken molding along the ceiling in the kitchen, but I don’t think it’s gonna work very well. I know what I need to do a better job of it. Doesn’t sound like much, but it took all day. These “fix-it” chores are time-consuming and frustrating because every task consists of an endless number of tiny, tedious steps.
Today I discarded the equivalent of at least four “apple box” size cartons of packaging material from the toys and dolls I’ve been deboxing. I unboxed my Pinky:st hoard today, including “rare” figures like Tenjho Tenge sets, Post Pets, and even sealed-carton Pucchi, Air Gear Ringo, and Gunslinger Girl Henrietta figures. Research on eBay indicates that boxed Pinky:st figures are not holding any resale value. I unboxed everything, threw away or recycled the packaging, and put the figures into plastic sandwich bags and then stored them in a plastic tub. I used a plastic storage tub that I already had, one that I had emptied when I more efficiently repacked my larger-scale dolls and toys last week. Continue reading DAY TWENTY-TWO: More Decluttering
I accomplished very little today beyond going to work and coming home. I spent a bit of time working on decluttering The Room of Doom, but progress seems infinitesimal.
I read a quote from author Jack London on a web site called The Art of Adventure. The London quote led me to look at a bit of biographical info on London. That guy accomplished more between the ages of 13 and 17 than I have, or ever will, in my lifetime! Time have changed, though. How likely is it that a 13 year old, or even a 30 year old, or a 60 year old, could make enough money working a menial job for a few months to buy a sloop and go into the oyster fishing business… or oyster piracy business, in London’s case? How likely is it that someone of young years and zero experience could get hired on to a ship crew for a voyage to Asia? In many ways the world today offers far more opportunity than the world of the 1880s… like not dying of smallpox or cholera, for instance. But in other ways, opportunity is significantly more limited, particularly as a result of the increased financial cost of… everything.
Anyway, I need to turn off the Interwebz browser and declutter some more.
Three day weekend. Gotta make a list of things to do. They will be boring, around-the-house things, the same things I’ve been working on for seemingly forever, but more realistically what has been about three weeks. Progress seems slow, if there’s been any progress at all, but they’re baby steps in the right direction. Of course, what’s the point in taking baby steps in the right direction if the ultimate destination is as far away as the moon?
“Satan is god! Satan is god!” This is what a 9-year old kid in my class was spouting today, mostly to draw attention to himself and draw a rise out of the other kids. At least I hope that’s why he was saying it. Working as I do in the public school system, I have to be tolerant of all religious viewpoints, so beyond trying to quietly shush the little devil-worshipper… well, what can I say? I was trying very hard, but somewhat unsuccessfully, not to laugh. Less than two weeks into the new school year, the Crazy Train – actually, a few years ago a friend christened it The Circus Train to the Twilight Zone – is already at full-throttle.
And I want off this ride! Continue reading DAY TWENTY: What th’ Devil?
I finished de-boxing dolls and toys… I think. I hope. I even de-boxed several figures that I’d wanted to keep pristine, including Ghouls Rule Draculaura and original issue Jinafire. I may end up regretting that move down the road, particularly the Ghouls Rule Draculaura figure, which I predict will one day be of significant value due to the attractiveness and the complexity of the figure. She has giant bat wings!
Somehow, I do not seem to have realized a significant increase in available space, despite the voluminous amounts of packaging I’ve carted to the recycle and rubbish bins. This is disappointing. Then again, everything I undertake results in disappointment and failure, so why am I surprised?
Another Monday at work. Whatevahs.
After work I caulked the ceiling edges and the front part of the counters in the kitchen. The fronts of some… most… of the kitchen cabinets are extremely weathered and the finish is flaking or peeling. I tested a quickie refinishing technique on a couple of sections, rubbing oil stain into the weathered wood using steel wool. It doesn’t look “new,” but it looks better than it did. I think I’ll be able to use this method on most of the weathered cabinets, and then brush coat everything with varnish. It will be easier than painting everything, and it will look less neglected than it does now. There’s not much point in putting too much effort or expense into the kitchen cabinets, as I’m sure that, were the house to sell, a new owner would tear everything out and replace all the cabinets and counter tops anyway.
I also managed to debox more toys and move them into storage containers. I’m down to about a dozen or so left to do. There are a few figures I am hesitant to unbox and I’ve been leaving them until last. Over the past few days I’ve been thinking about how much space they take up in their original cartons, how much effort goes in to taking care of them and boxing them properly so the cartons don’t get scuffed or damaged in storage, and how I did not intend to “collect” these items, but rather to use them as photography props, and that is leading me closer to deboxing everything.
Okay, almost everything. I still have a set of the original Monster High “First Wave” figures: Draculaura, Frankie, Clawdeen, and Lagoona – I’m hoping there’s a Ghoulia in there too – that are sealed up in a sturdy packing box and that I have no intention of opening.
The dolls are only part of my “hoard,” however. I am not sure what’s in all the other boxes in the Room of Doom. Books, I know. Some Pinky:st figures. And just… stuff.
A bit at a time, that’s the only way to get through it.
I really hope we can sell this house for enough money to make a move feasible. I hope I can complete enough decluttering and enough painting and repairs to meet the self-imposed “three month plan” or “100 Days” timeline. So far… so slow!