TMI Tuesday: Finding EVERYTHING on the floor!

Even before our son began crawling he would find the most minuscule piece of trash, hair, dust, crumb, lint, or string hiding in the carpet around him. Now that he is mobile and crawling at a clip that would impress even the most hard-nosed drill sergeant, he is finding more and more nearly imperceptible things within the field of carpet throughout the first floor of our house. It is actually quite impressive the amount of things that he has been able to find and also rather annoying since we have to keep a constant eye on anything that may seem out of the ordinary in the beige and brown floor.

Thankfully his toys keep him occupied more often than not and he tends to ignore many of the small pieces that we are able to quickly pick up behind him. Although there have been moments when I have contemplated putting some kind of shammy on this hands and letting him loose in the kitchen. He would probably have fun with it but I think it is a little too early and there might be something in the child labor laws about it. However, I think with his OCD tendencies he might do that all by himself when he gets a little older.

While we don’t keep a spotless house, and we probably never will, we do keep track of what could possibly be hiding in the fibers across the floor and in the kitchen around his highchair. We know where the possible discoveries are and we make sure to sweep, Swiffer, and vacuum enough to keep him from ingesting something we don’t want him to. On the other hand, the harmless things we don’t give much attention as he does have to learn every now and again that something, while perfectly safe, doesn’t taste very good.

And this is a lesson that he is quickly learning especially when he spends some time in the yard. Not only do leaves leave a bad taste in your mouth but they can also stick to the roof of your mouth even worse than peanut butter… something we avoid bringing into the house until we get some additional testing done. Now, fully mobile, he finds everything and he tries to eat everything which is proving to be humorous at times but, more than anything, a very tiring and challenging daily routine. And it is only going to become a bigger challenge when we start some of the improvement projects over the summer.

Firearms Friday: Fall Cleaning

Sometimes you just want to go back to the basics.

I realize that The Yankee Marshal may hunt me down (in high heels no less) for doing this but I decided to do some safe cleaning recently and some of the things that I plan on getting rid of I will not be replacing with another firearm. I know. Fortunately, I am in a constant state known as tactical butterscotch so I am ready for him when I hear the clicking of his heels as they approach my car from across the parking lot. Of course, just in case, should he show up at my house I have also strategically placed things slightly off center throughout the house which buys me at least three hours to respond while he goes around fixing all of them.

In all seriousness, as I wrote about previously, it was time to sift through the safe and get rid of the firearms that I hadn’t taken to the range in a while and that I don’t plan on taking with me in the near future. I don’t just want things sitting in there not being enjoyed and really not having any purpose… if they aren’t being used they shouldn’t be taking up space. After all, someone may be looking for exactly what I don’t want and will get some use out of it. So, with that in mind, I sorted through the shelves and brought the queens to the gun shop.

At the same time, it was also time to get a different kind of cleaning done. One important thing too often overlooked about firearms is the fact that they need to be well maintained. I am not talking about a Yankee Marshal degree of cleaning but a basic field strip, wiping down, and a thin sheen of oil. Enough to maintain the tools that are used regularly. Even this is more than most people as I also clean the firearm after I have taken it to the range. Each and every time.

This is the process that I plan on doing at the same time each year because I know that as the weather gets colder and schedules become more hectic during the winter, I just don’t have the time to get to the range as much as I would like. Now I know that there is plenty of space making it easier to find what I want when I have those few moments to get out. And I know that everything will be good to go without having to double check and prep before heading out the door. Doing all of the cleaning now just makes things easier down the road.

Coming Home

When we were given the option of leaving on Wednesday or Thursday we did take a few moments to think about it. However, being confined to our hospital room since we arrived, it really wasn’t a hard decision to make even with the linger fears of heading out on our own. So once the doctor came in for our morning visit, we let her know that we were ready to go and that we would be out and on the road by midafternoon.

The first part of the prep was making sure that the car seat was secured in the back of the car. I vaguely recall having done this in the past when my niece still used one (she’s 20 now) but that little piece of knowledge has long since shaken out of my head. It’s not a difficult process by any means but when you are trying to make sure that your child is safe every parent, no matter how laid back, gets incredibly OCD about these kinds of things.

We got the room backed up, secured our surprisingly quiet son in his car seat, and called for an escort to help us get down to the lobby and out front to our car which I had pulled up earlier. It was a surreal feeling knowing that we came to the hospital just a few days ago still as a married couple and now we were leaving as a family of three. We were about to enter the real world covered in a fresh coating of snow and a bitterly cold wind barreling down the street.

With all three of us secured in our seats and the pile of stuff crammed in the trunk, I slowly pulled around to the stop sign and started our drive home. I can’t recall any other point in my life being so careful and deliberate behind the wheel… not even during my driving test. Needless to say, with a new baby and my wife still recovering from major surgery, it took a little longer than expected to get to the house but we made it there safe and sound.

Walk in the door we knew things were completely different and that coming home meant so much more now than it did in the past. We were home and ready to start living our life as a family. However, starting off, just like with the car, I am sure that we are going to have plenty of OCD and overprotective moments. Such is the beginning of parenthood.

In Need Of A Deep Cleaning

One of the things that always seems to be put off for another day is cleaning. It is safe to say that it is our least favorite thing to do so naturally we keep saying tomorrow or next weekend. It is that pattern that has gotten us to where we are now… living in a bit of a mess.

It really isn’t the dust or dirt that is the issue as that can be remedied with a Swiffer and a vacuum. What really gets me is when I can’t find the things that I am looking for because everything is laying in disorganized piles cluttering up my desk or crammed in the draw so tight that I am unable to flip through the files. When I can’t find things I tend to leave them in the land of lost and forgotten papers… only when something is truly important do I continue searching until I find it. However, that brings an important question to the forefront… is it worth keeping if it isn’t important enough to keep searching?

More often than not, this simple question leads to an overdue sifting when I toss those former trees into the shred box. Ah, the shred box, there is hours of work that I really don’t have the time of patience to deal with which is why, every so often, I wind up throwing everything into a trash bag and heading off to Staples with a coupon in hand. I think it might be time to look for another one of those coupons.

If you couldn’t tell, when my work space becomes disorganized my thoughts and my free writing tends to become very loose and sometimes completely disorganized in and of itself. Even now, if you couldn’t tell, my mind seems a bit jumbled and I am finding it hard to stay focused on the task at hand. With every passing word of this post I am thinking about the fifty other things that I have to get done, the things that I need to organize, and the question as to when I am going to have the time to do them.

Maybe it is a little OCD of me to be having these thoughts and these issues with my focus. I don’t know. But, needless to say, there are a lot of things that are going through my mind at this moment some of which I have already written about and others that have yet to make it into the blog. Maybe if I can get organized and put everything in an order that makes some semblance of sense, I will get everything in my mind written in posts and up on this blog. I guess time will only tell.

A Conference Room Full Of Random Thoughts

For much of this past week I have been in and out of meetings at all different times of day and every imaginable length. Given the time of year it really isn’t a surprise to have these kinds of days. The summer months are a time for planning and strategy in addition to our usual ongoing efforts. However, it is during these long sessions in the conference room when the conversations tend to veer off course.

One of the common culprits is a when a simple reference is made and only half of those in the room know the origin of the term or word. It’s like when someone knocks on the door and says “Land shark” or “Candy gram” there are going to be people with grins and others with blank stares. This inevitably turns the discussion into a back and forth about what we remember growing up and what may have been missed by some.

It is fascinating how much you can relate to your colleagues just by recalling random memories from childhood and during the early parts of your life. Not the major events just the small moments, songs, television shows, movies, and the other things that passed by without us giving them a second thought. Even the way that certain streets used to look or department stores that we used to visit. These are the conversations that make me wonder if I have really gotten to that point in life when we look back and wonder how things have changed so much.

Of course, what doesn’t help in this self-evaluation is the fact that I rarely get references to current pop culture and I frequently find myself giving directions according to old stores and landmarks. Heck, I still prefer writing notes by hand, reading paper copies of books and documents, and paying by check. And, what really throws off my oldest niece, I still text in complete sentences with all the words spelled out… I don’t know if that is more my age, a little OCD, or both.

In the end, time moves forward, life happens, and changes occur. All we can do is keep our perspective and appreciate all that we have seen and done… everything it a memory. While we can see, feel, and sense our memories that is all that they are. It is interesting how those present events can awaken the thoughts of the past merging the two into a new experience that makes you wonder how old you really are. It makes you think about how long it will take before you look back at today in the same way that you look back to memories from childhood. Is that even possible? I guess we will have to wait and find out.

 

I Ain’t No Spartan!

Hard to believe but we have already reached 300 blogs. Whether there has been 300 things to write about is a different story but somehow we managed to get through it. It is almost like an odd curiosity this blog. There are times when the posts reflect the things that happened during the day while there are other times when I just rant.

Writing every day has not been the easiest thing to do at times (just ask my wife) but it has kept me writing which was the whole objective of this endeavor. While there has been a lot of posts put up that I really wouldn’t miss if they happened to disappear, there are a few articles that I am glad that I took the time to record the day, my thoughts, stories from my family, or pictures from our numerous trips throughout the past 300 days. All of these things pretty much sum up me. The good and the bad. The interesting and the boring (boring is kind of tipping the scales at this point though).

Knowing that I will be recording my daily life has made me focus on what is going on around me and has motivated to do more rather than let the days just pass by unceremoniously. While that doesn’t always guarantee that I will be out and about going from one place or event to another, it has at least required me to stop and think. And while it may not be evident in some of the ramblings that you have encountered over the past 300 days, I have had to organize my thoughts on a daily basis in order to move on to the activities of the following day.

So what am I planning to write about for the next 65 posts? I have no idea. Like many of the previous posts, and this one, I don’t know what I will be posting. I don’t even know if I will continue posting on a daily basis once I have his the one year mark. Although I am pretty sure that my creative OCD won’t let me take a day off. Maybe there is something that you want to read about, maybe you are curious about my thoughts on a subject or places that you would like to see pictures of (keep it local people). Well, I have just over two months of guaranteed content that I have to fill so don’t pass up the chance.

And now, because it’s Friday and I can, I leave you with a drunk monkey!

 

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Wrong Tense

Our Atlanta airport adventure was one that was filled with some interesting characters. It all began during my slow crawl through security where, for a change of pace, the TSA officers repeatedly instructed us to keep our jackets, shoes, and belts on; keep electronics in our carryon bags, and only remove items from our pockets that would set off the metal detector (really that meant only removing cell phones, keys, and loose change. This was much easier than the usual process so I was ready to go in no time.

However, this wasn’t good enough for the woman in front of me who stubbornly refused to walk through the metal detector. First the excuse was that it was an invasion of her privacy. When that didn’t work she moved on to the ‘it causes cancer’ argument. When both of those failed to achieve her desired result, she mumbled countless complaints under her breath as she darted through the checkpoint like a cat caught in the rain. PITA’s like that shouldn’t fly.  

A little later during our time in airport limbo, having just been notified that our departure was delayed due to bad weather in the Philadelphia area, my colleague and I readjusted our luggage and hunkered down for an extended stay at the Atlanta airport. By this time, evening was beginning to creep over the horizon and everyone was eager to get on the plane and in the air. This was only exacerbated by the fact that we just witnessed the flight to Phoenix just complete the boarding and close the doors to the terminal. At least someone was going somewhere.

Needless to say the restlessness and slight boredom was slowly taking hold of the awaiting passengers. What we needed was a distraction. Something to occupy our minds until the decision to board was finally announced over the speakers. As if on cue, a flustered and disheveled woman walked quickly to the gate on the opposite end of the waiting room. We all knew where she was going but sometimes the greatest entertainment is in the reaction.

Someone missing there flight is nothing new but the uniqueness of the response is something that I have never witnessed firsthand before. You could tell by the mumbling, pacing, and anger that this was going to be good. With the situation building and the knocks on the gate door echoing across the terminal, we all shifted in our seats to get a better view as the drama unfolded. And you know what, unlike a lot of movies that clog the theaters, this performance didn’t disappoint.

As soon as we all turned, got ourselves comfortable, and began looking for the popcorn the woman slamming he fist on the door decided to change tactics. After a quick check out the window to make sure the plane was still at the gate, she returned to the desk near the door and instead of using her fist she decided to use her voice so she picked up the microphone and made an announcement over the load speakers… “US Airways personnel needed as Gate D23. A passenger is about to miss her flight!”

This ‘announcement’ was repeated, as if in an OCD loop, for about ten minutes. The one thing that kept running through my mind is that she might want to consider changing the tense in that statement because your butt isn’t getting on that plane. Her voice was a mix of both panic and pissed. You could tell that she desperately wanted to get on that plane but you could also sense that this wasn’t the first time she has found herself in this situation. Just when we thought the vain throbbing below her neck tattoo was about to burst, a woman opened the gate door and stepped behind the desk making sure that the door was closed securely behind her.

I give the US Airways employee credit because she managed to hold her ground while calming the incessant passenger. In what was an anticlimactic conclusion, the woman hovered above the computer screen while alternate arrangements were made. Before long, the matted haired woman stormed off and made her way to some other part of the terminal (either the new gate or the bar). And in a moment of perfect choreography, the announcement was made for passengers to begin boarding our flight home.

 

Avoiding Pumpkins

You can't move a letter without putting forth the effort.

The one thing that people keep asking me with regard to my blog is how do I find the time to write and post every day? Well it is quite simple really, I work the graveyard shift. Being that I am the only one up in the middle of the night it is easy to find some quite time to sit at the computer and jot a few notes about what is going on that day, what happened yesterday, or what happens to be on my mind at the time.

Finding time isn’t hard but figuring out what I am going to write about can sometimes be a challenge. I have a few weekly topics/series that provide plenty of fodder but they don’t account for every day of the week. Every week I know that there will be one Rotary related post, one travel post, and a “quote” of the week. Other regular topics include the Mason related postings, occasional networking events, and genealogy centric posts will soon become more prevalent. That leaves a lot of days to fill in.

In this instance I am fortunate to have some OCD writing tendencies. I have an excel file with all the ideas that rattle around in my mind. Most of the time I am able to get them scribbled down on something before they evaporate. To date, I have been diligent about this so that I have a list of topics that will take me through October. With that said, when a time sensitive subject or if the mood strikes me to write about something else, this digital calendar allows me to easily shuffle around the scheduled content. Every once in a while I can even get ahead and take a day off here and there.

Obviously, that has not always been the case as I have taken some postings down to the wire. But, knock on wood, I have yet to turn into a pumpkin and the slipper has always fit even though it sometimes causes blisters. And, fortunately, there has only been a few times where someone has reacted like I was Gus yelling “Happy Birthday!” I guess that is bound to happen when you share your opinion and limit the amount you allow yourself to be censored.

On the flip side of my OCD writing tendencies is the fact that I am constantly struggling with the internal editor yammering on and on about limiting repetition, eliminating clichés, over-saturation of adjectives, and just being long winded in general. I am making a concerted effort to silence that voice when writing this blog but it is a daily/nightly chore. This is designed to be an open, free flowing, sometimes rambling forum with the simple purposes of production, routine, and discipline. Hence, the daily posts.

During this time of transition and uncertainty, blogging on a daily basis forces me to focus on one thing for at least a small portion of the day. Sometimes I reflect on the good things in life, sometimes I vent about the annoyances, and sometimes it is simply a matter of recording experiences so that I can recall them in the future. Regardless of the reason on any given day, I am focused on writing and trying to free up my overly rigid creative process.

This is why I chose to write every day and why I force myself to develop content. What motivates you to write? Do you have a specific area where you write? How do you find the time? From where do you cull your content? 

Cleaning Always Makes Me Feel Dirty!

Yesterday my wife and I finally set aside the time to give our apartment a much overdue deep cleaning. I wouldn’t say that our apartment was filthy but after seeing the dirt picked up I can say it was anywhere close to clean either. While we still have a few things that need to be addressed, namely the office, dining room table, and a few items that have to be put through the laundry, there was significant progress made and we both agreed that it just felt cleaner. The floors even passed the white sock test.

Every time we have one of these OCD days, I am reminded of the irony that cleaning always makes me feel incredibly dirty and a shower is mandatory after such a Clorox marathon. Inevitability this leads us to agree that we can’t go so long in-between cleanings and that a (fanciful) schedule is needed. We will see if hope becomes reality this time.

However, I think the most important development from yesterday for me is the realization that, once again, we have too much stuff. I feel as we are becoming the embodiment of a George Carlin rant… soon our stuff will be spread all over the world.

I think it is time to downsize. We have done it before and we can do it again. It’s a simple process overcomplicated by the physical act and mental roadblocks. Hopefully, we can get to the point of removing that which is bogging us down… the vast majority of this issue is my fault and something that I have to get done. Basically I am a crap addict with ten pounds squeezed into an apartment which holds five.

I know you will be waiting with bated breath for the next thrilling post on this exciting topic. Don’t worry I will fill you in on the exhilarating results. Also, as a side note, if you try and pawn your stuff off on me when I don’t have a real need for it I might have to beat you with one of the bags of trash that will certainly result from my efforts.