Sunday, March 9, 2008

My, what a busy week

I've been absent from this blog because real life insists on impinging on my virtual life. Here's a brief rundown of what's been happening (I think the kids call this giving you the "411"):

The week really started last weekend with a little painting project. Melissa and I want to install a new wardrobe system in the bedroom, so, of course, this necessitated a new paint job. I dare you to follow that logic. Stupidly, I thought that I could do it all by myself (being as she's with child, I don't want Melissa anywhere near the place) in a single weekend. I now laugh ruefully at my naive thinking. I also used to believe in fairies and unicorns that would bring you beer on demand. By the time we cleared the room of furniture and found places for that furniture that wouldn't prohibit us from actually, you know, living in our house, all we were able to accomplish that weekend was to wash the walls down.

Also Sunday night, I finished up the lettering for the 100 Girls Free Comic Book Day story and uploaded them to the publisher's ftp.

Monday night is lost in the ether of my memory, but on Tuesday we went to child birth class in Silverton. We watched a video made up of a dozen or so births. Just that experience left me drained. I really need to buck up for the actual birth of my child.

I took the day off on Wednesday so I could paint. After taping the hell out of the room and making a couple of trips to the paint store, I only managed to prime the room. I failed utterly, in other words. Actually, this left me totally demoralized. I tried to think of what I could have done differently to gain more time, but honestly, it's like I screwed off all day. It's just that things take longer than I thought they would and, maybe this has something to do with it, I'm not very competent. I vowed that I would finish it up on Thursday even if I had to stay up all night.

And that's what happened. By 2 in the morning I finished the second coat of paint. I cleaned up as much as I could without waking up Melissa and then I crawled into bed.

I spent the next day at work trying to stay awake and would like to publicly apologize to my co-workers, not that any of them read this blog, but, really, it's the thought that counts. I missed prenatal yoga with Melissa Friday night because I just couldn't stay awake any longer. I took one of those naps that leaves you feeling hung over without the benefit of drinking. And then I got to help Melissa clean madly for a bit to get the house ready for her book club meeting. I got out of that a little early because I had a 7:30 phone meeting with one of my managers (did I mention that there's a new Hollywood Thing in the works and, on top of everything else, I got to deal with that all week long?). After that I grabbed a quick dinner and then back to the house to share my thoughts on the book club's selection (the book was Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and since it's a graphic novel, Melissa thought I could lend some sort of insight -- she's funny).

Saturday was Melissa's baby shower. While that was going on, some friends, who all happen to be husbands of women at the shower, took me to a fantastic barbeque lunch in Portland. Then I got to help haul Melissa's and The Sprout's embarrassing number of gifts home. Then her out-of-town friends, Beth and Tanya, her mother and I all joined in a birthing way ceremony with Melissa. This was Beth's idea. This all sounded a bit -- I don't know -- a bit too something to me, but I actually liked it. Having rejected all of the institutions that give us access to ceremony, I understand the drive to create them for yourself. It left me feeling a bit more focused and in the moment as far as the birth is concerned.

Today was blessedly free of obligations. Melissa and I went to a late breakfast; trolled the book store and treated ourselves to a movie. Later, we went to dinner and ice cream with friends and now this.

This week, in addition to catching up on all the writing I've slacked on (like the plot for the new Gear School), I need to start prepping the baby's room for painting. And I want to start researching low-residency MFAs.

And I may sleep at some point, too, but I'm not hopeful.

5 comments:

Julian said...

dude don't waste time priming! just stick another coat of paint on it if needed. the only time i've primed is when putting water based paint on top of oil based, that was a pain i tell you. otherwise it's just paint paint paint!

Aaron said...

I don't know. We painted every room in our house, and we primed before each one. And I'm glad we did, if only because primer is cheaper than paint.

Had lots of fun Saturday with barbecue and Wii, Adam. We should do it again soon.

Lastly, Adam: Rest, man. You don't want to be exhausted leading up to the baby's arrival. Trust me.

Anonymous said...

Remember two months ago when we borrowed your tarp so that we could paint our living/dining rooms that weekend? And then how, dejected & STILL not finished, we gave it back to you nearly six weeks later? I'm so impressed that you cleaned, prepped, primed, painted & re-organized BY YOURSELF in less than a month. Luckily, Sprout's baby shower in my aforementioned living/dining rooms hastened the finish of our project. Phew! Now we've just got the rest of the house to go...

Unknown said...

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, friends. Julian, I think I'm still gonna prime, just because it helps smooth out our 80-year-old walls a bit and because Aaron is right: primer is cheaper than paint.

And Aaron, if you could come over and paint or organize so I can get some of this "rest" you mention, that'd be fabulous.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the phrase "a bit too something". There's also the expression it be a bit too "woo woo"...that's the one I use anyway.
Kevin