July 17, 2005

•  A Yellow Bird, Serendipity and the Struggle to Achieve Balance

  
  

  A very active, tiring and somewhat difficult week. Parts of it filled with joy and laughter, other parts with fatigue and self introspection.

  
  

  Happy Birthday to Yvonne! We had a nice little get together at work and I would have posted a picture, but my camera is at times possessed and has a mind of its own. Every picture we took is yellow to the extreme and blurry. Odd because all the ones previous and after those are fine. Like I said - possessed!

  
  

  The heat has been oppressive and draining, over 90 degrees all week. A little yellow bird came to visit us at work looking very thirsty prompting us to put out a large bowl of water for any passing birdies to use.

  
  

  

  
  

  We are lucky to have a beautiful garden where I work and often see different birds, chipmunks and rabbits. Raccoons and skunks also visit, but usually after dark!

  
  

  I accomplished alot this week, although none of it is very visable. Still more phone calls to change address information - does it ever end? I swear I never want to move again as long as I live!! The trail of paperwork is neverending and fraught with frustration!! Muzak while on hold for long periods of time, getting cut off altogether......just to make one change can take an hour!

  
  

  I also had to get my photo health card. I called and they made me an appointment for 10am. Wed. morning. Doesn't sound too bad, but when you have been working evening shift for almost 8 years straight it gets darn hard to get up in a morning! I stressed myself out because I didn't know where the building was. On the phone they just said 419 King Street East. Computer mapping didn't help much, just put it on King Street by the Oshawa Center. I thought I'd be clever and get off the highway Tuesday night on my way home from work and find it then - no luck. Now I was getting worried. I hate having to be someplace especially in the morning and not knowing where to go.

  
  

   In the morning I googled the address and found - of all things - the Alzheimer's Society Durham Chapter!! Very ironic because of the work I do! I called them up and asked them if they could tell me where there building was actually located. I am sure they thought I was a patient that had lost my way!! The target address is actually IN the Oshawa Center. If they had said that on the phone I would have slept much better!!

  
  

  I set out and drove around the Center. I could see an office tower, but couldn't find a way to get to it. I parked and entered the mall. Entering a friendly looking gift shop I asked if they knew how I could get to the Executive Building. Yes, I was in the right place - just at the wrong end! I walked (or hiked) a fair distance and managed to find it. No markings or signs, I never would have found it on my own. On the plus side, it was fast and efficient. Despite having to bring more identification than I have ever had to for anything it went very smoothly. Now, being up early for a change and in a mall there was only one thing to do.......go home and do chores? Noooooo, a morning of window shopping!!

  
  

  Later this week I was in the doctor's office looking at Reader's Digest of some undetermined year and happened to flip to a comic that seemed very appropriate to my mall adventure:

  
  

  

  
  

  My camera was in my purse, so I snapped a picture of it! Now why would it take a perfect shot of a magazine on my lap and not of a birthday party?!

  
  

  My rented disposal bin arrived and in the ninety plus degree heat the old hound and I filled it up. Right to the brim!! It is truly stuffed. The old hound was working hard and I appreciated his help. My parents came later in the afternoon to lend a hand also. I will try and take a picture of the bin tomorrow, hopefully they will cart it away on Monday. That was hot, heavy work and it didn't help that I had to go to work that afternoon. I was very tired by midnight and not feeling at all well by Friday morning.

  
  

  In between all this I have been dismanteling shelving and moving out more junk that the previous owners had left in the basement. I wanted to get as much out as possible. Of course while I have been doing all this hauling of junk, none of my other projects have been moving forward. I have also been trying to get things ready and organized for the old hound's official moving in. He has brought a few things over, but the bulk of it remains to be done. His brother and sister in law are also moving and kindly gave us their kitchen table and chairs which looks really nice in the rec room downstairs. They also gave us a computer desk that looks absolutely fantastic in the big upstairs bedroom.

  
  

  Not only have I been "neglecting" my renovations, i've also been "neglecting" other facets of my life and character. I haven't been writing or even thinking about writing. I haven't picked up a pencil to sketch anything since way before the move. In some ways I feel like a plant that hasn't been watered. The heat is getting to me, the lack of creativity in my life at the moment and the chaos all around me. Realizing this in his wisdom, the old hound prodded and poked me (not like that!) today and made me clean out my car (with his help of course!). It tends to get over run with litter every so often !  Coffee cups, pop cans, newspapers, etc. It didn't really take all that long and it does look much better. It did make me feel better too!

  
  

  I hate being surrounded by piles of "stuff", but that is just how it has to be at the moment. I don't want to stop living because of this renovation business. If you wait until everything is done, until everything is in its place - then you will never do anything, because it just isn't going to happen. I think life if a work in progress, it only gets "finished" when you are dead and gone. I look at the renovation of this house in the same way. If I never invited anyone over until it was done - I'd never have anyone over. They just have to climb over the heaps of stuff waiting to be organized and overlook the "eclectic" decor for now. It all ebbs and flows. I get fairly organized, then an influx of stuff gets unpacked or brought in or I'll start a project therefore just messing everything up again! Balance is what I strive for. Have I found it? Not yet, but I am working on it! 

  
  

   

  • 12:12 am
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