Open Thread - Friday, July 9, 2015
Good morning fine folks of C99. I have been on a mission to fight off the blues.
My remedy? Accomplish something. Sunday, I cleaned the garage and took a van load of consumerism dregs to the solid waste disposal. Monday, I cleaned the upstairs storage room, and another trip to waste disposal. Tuesday, I hit the gym. Wednesday, I mad a pot of peppers, onions and hot sausage. It's Thursday now, so I intend to get back to the gym.
I re-learned something. We are enculturated to accumulate stuff. Almost all of which is junk. During this weeks clean out I disposed of a barely used exspresso machine, a barely used ice cream maker, a coffee maker, a blender, a salad shooter, a 200 disc CD changer, a 300 disc CD changer, multiple boom boxes, Christmas paraphernalia (clandestinely) and a craft store worth of glue, markers, glitter, beads, ... (I am pretty sure it's a girl thing)
It is really invigorating to declutter. I feel better already and intend to icrementally shrink my footprint. Now that I have a groove on, I am setting the groundwork to shed the the artificial chains imposed by our culture.
There is still work to be done, and a stiff head wind, but I intend to complete the task at hand.
Everyone have a great weekend! An accomplishment free weekend!
P.S. - Fais Do-Do is Sunday
How's growing up treating you?
Comments
Nothing feels better than taking a ton load of
useless stuff to the curb. My mission in life for the last 10 - 15 years has been to save no "stuff" and acquire no "stuff". It is amazing how stuff multiplies and clutters.
Packing up and getting reading for the four hour drive to return to "down below". Have a good morning.
dk
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I am at the beginning of the journey
The goal is to keep my Sweetie here at the house. Then leave here and down size, when we are no longer participants in the same reality.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
I have such empathy for you.
And a ton of admiration and respect. Your gentle and loving nature couldn't be better medicine for Sweetie. I hope we provide healing powers for you in return. Is it her wish to remain and pass in the home? Having gone through it three times, I have resolved to not do that. A proper facility with all of the necessary equipment and help while surrounded by family is what I decided I want to do. Of course, timing is everything.
Whatever path you and your wife take and whenever you take it, I wish you the best. I wish I could have been more like you.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I think she will wind up in hospice
Hospice is tricky with ALS. It comes down to whether breathing equipment is life extending or comfort giving.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Ha. Yeah, I want to accomplish some stuff ...
... if I had four hands ... it would help.
Darn it.
Now I will have to place my computer where I rat pack the stuff before it gets on a pick-up truck so that I can listen to your up-beat music.
Darn it, darn it, I need to get it done.
I think I have to get a chain saw and cut down my sofa so that I can get it out of my house.
Darn it, darn it.
I saved so many things just out of respect for my mother's stuff. And now I don't know where to put it.
Darn it, darn it.
I can open a second hand store and deal with china.
Darn it, darn it.
I could open a used book store and give all away, if I just didn't have to schlepp all those boxes.
Darn it, darn it.
Heh.
You can do it.
Oh well, I wasted time to write this.
Darn it, darn it.
Thanks for the up-beat OT.
One foot in front of the other and incremental forward progress
You don't have to do it all, just do something. My Sweetie was a school social worker and did allot of reading and playing with elementary school aged children during counseling and/or evaluation. Thursday, I took boxes of children's books and toys to Goodwill.
Funny thing. My dad was a golfer. I had a women's set, from when I was an adolescent, dad's clubs and a set that I bought when I was in my 20's. I have grown to abhor golf. It symbolizes too much of what is wrong with our society. Plus golf courses are terrible fertilizer/pesticide polluters and water wasters. I threw all three sets of clubs into the dumpster. It was very cathartic. Bonus, I will not have to hang out with old golf schmucks.
Harvey Dalton Arnold plays in a local bar band.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Viva Tim the Gorgeous Caucus99 Inspirator - Accomplished !!!
My sofa is out of the house and on the lawn ! I also went for advice from the dark side, as Goethe said somewhere in German: "Und bist Du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt" (and if you're not willing, then I'll us force) - [geez that's German isn't it?]. And off I went determined to do the darnest things. But then I remembered that Goethe said somewhere else: "Seeing difficulties handled with ease gives us a sight of the impossible." I couldn't resist to find that sight of the impossible. So, I tried the latter. It worked. I am looking forward to go through other accomplishments ... I'll keep you updated.
Thanks Tim, you are an *angel*
and your songs "give me peace even in hell".
Off to the next step.
Feels good, right?
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
it's getting to my heart hearing what you do for your sweety
and makes me pensive about my own role I feel I should take over in caring for someone, who is not a sweety, but whom I can forgive for that.
I can so much feel what it meant to take the children books and toys to Goodwill. Now I don't remember anymore if I had done that already or not. Have to check the garage. My son is embarrassed that I still cling to all the children books and toys I had for him. I always thought may be I keep it for my grandchildren, but I am not sure anymore, if I will have any. There are so many children out there who may love to have them...
Re-purpose and re-use /nt
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
My best friend
always would put usable household items out at the street by her mailbox with a sign reading Free Stuff. Within one to two hours, everything would be gone. She used to say that it was time for someone else to enjoy those things. As for me, it is much harder. I am married to someone who hates to part with anything. I keep reminding him of the old saying. If you pick something up that you have not used in a while and say that you might need it some day, then by definition, it is clutter.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Good Morning, Tim and 99%'ers!
First, I want to say that you, Tim, are a beautiful man, caring so much for youe Sweetie.
Your Open Thread today reminded me how much I have to be thankful for. Thank you for this positive Open Thread to remind us all of what is really important in life. 
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thank you
My heart breaks for her. She was fit and active. We did stuff. Walks in the woods, trips to the micro-brewery, concerts and ball games. It has all been taken away from her. The hardest part is still pending. Soon, I will never hear her voice again.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good day Tim...
sending regards and thinking of you two.
Hey Buddy
We won't make WS Monday. Sweetie can not get out of the wheelchair without me and I do not think we will be able to navigate the scene.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Our best wishes, as well. Not that Sweetie's background
could possibly eradicate all the heartbreak you must all be experiencing, but I'm very hopeful that her professional background and knowledge will, at the minimum, ease this process for all of you. And, hopefully, make it easier for you all to navigate the maze of support services, etc., that are available to you and her.
You are in our thoughts . . .
Mollie
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."--Helen Keller
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Story time
We went through a months long diagnostic process, with multiple doctors and dozens of tests. When we finally were referred to the Duke ALS clinic, we were told the first appointment was in two months. In the meantime, we had been talking with the ALS Association and learned the name of the clinic's social worker. I coax Sweetie into making the MSW to MSW call. About a day later, the clinic called to see if we could come in the following Tuesday.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Tim...
It's a testament of your great love for your sweetheart that you stick by her in her greatest hour of need, and a testament of what resides within you. You have my deepest admiration. That the two of you found each other and enjoyed many years of love and companionship is a happenstance that many have missed and to see that love through to conclusion of this mortal coil seals that bond, forever. Life is a railway and you have conducted yourself in a manner that we all can learn from.
I can suspend my non belief in lieu of beautiful music and a message that may transcend my narrow scope of understanding.
May peace go with you and Sweetie
I will remain an agnostic
Agnostic's Creed ->
Sweetie did the whole Catholic school thing and tried to get Thing1, Thing2 and I signed up. We used to go to mass. Until they canned our pastor and put in a right winger. The ex-pastor was gay friendly, pro-ACA and ran a Hispanic outreach. I could tolerate the 45 minutes for Sunday breakfast out.
The new pastor is anti-ACA, anti-gay and abortion all the time. The dude takes an hour and a half to do mass. We're not freaking Baptists and kick-off is at one! The day he advocated voting for Romney, because of contraception, I stood up and left during the sermon. It was obvious because I was in the middle of the row. As soon as I made my move, another half dozen people got up and headed for the exits. That was the last time I was in church. Bless their hearts.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Hallelujah...
and Amen, brother!
My heart goes out to you
You doing all you can for your Sweetie so despite her illness, she is a lucky woman to have you. I hope the future will be kind to you both with as little suffering as possible. Try to stay as strong as you are now. May positive karma be with you along this tough journey.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Hang in there, brother.
We all love you.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-l91O9VxN0]
I haven't hit the wall, yet
There is a respite care grant, I am trying to keep that in my back pocket so I can meet my krewe, for Jazzfest, next spring.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
oh no ... no voice ... be brave.. that brings up tears /nt
That's a good
antidote for the blues NCTim. Now that the heat has broken or at least backed down 10 degrees I need to do the same. Today I'm taking a 2 mile walk and tackling our dirty house which is depressing as hell. I've been sitting in my office next to my cool box window air conditioner for a month now. I have got a lot of work done but it's all been sedentary and on the computer. The kitchen floor actually all the floors and windows are scary dirty. Tomorrow the temperature is going to be 75 degrees. Yippie!
I also have been clearing out our closets if we haven't worn it for two years it's now in the back of the car in huge IKEA bags ready to go to my favorite thrift resale store, Village Merchants. I'm getting credit rather then cash so I can get some new junk to deal with. Tomorrow were going to an out door craft show in a small near by rural town. My granddaughter a budding jeweler and metal craft-person has a booth in the show. The car was intolerable during the heat even though it's air conditioned so a little road trip out of the grimy city sounds refreshing.
This morning is cloudy and cool. ahhhh relief for the brain and body. See you guys later as I will still have to work work on the computer. this is my favorite place to come and read all the news that worth reporting and to chat with such a great little community. Hope you lose those blues Tim. I'm going to use your method to get rid of mine.
Go for it!
Once upon a time, we lived in the city, Pittsburgh. In a big brick apartment building with no AC. During this time of year, it was uninhabitable until late into the evening.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
The news media as government stenographer
Do yourself a favor and read this
They must keep our attention diverted
through fear mongering to keep us from realizing who are the real terrorists out there. Hint; it is us. It also diverts our attention away from how our government, acting on behalf of corporate interests is inflicting physical, emotional, and economic terrorism upon American citizens. ISIS was created as a misdirection away from our own government.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy