I'm a compulsive list-maker, a sure sign that the memory cells have seen better days. Since I've been this way since I left home at 18, I sometimes wonder if the list-making contributed to my poor memory, as in the lack of mental exercise probably resulted in poor muscle-memory. Related to the poor at jokes-syndrome. (and, yes, I know what muscle memory really is)
I've been home with a sick child for the past two days, so I've gotten a lot of work done around the house. (She's not deathly ill, just a bad cold) Of course I'm driving on the road to nowhere known as "Getting Organized". And it all begins with making a list. Actually, multiple lists. The one that is giving me the most anxiety is the Getting Ready for Winter list. Winter seemed a long way away until Tuesday when Mother Nature flipped the switch and the rains began. Temperatures dropped and summer fled the scene. List-making originates from the amygdala in the "primitive" part of the brain. (as if it all isn't f*ing primitive) Just as this cold spell has caused the leaves on our black walnut tree to yellow, my fingers grip a pen and start the seasonal list. The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on to the next list. (with apologies to Omar Khayyan)
This is the part of the story where I start getting depressed. The list is long and time is short. I need to finish my winter prep obsessing before I can enjoy Halloween. (Can it only be 7 weeks away?) The day after Halloween is when my annual OCD about Thanksgiving begins. Christmas can't be far behind. It's no wonder that New Year's Eve is such a cathartic evening for me. I make my resolutions for the coming year.... just another kind of to-do list.
So I started the summer is over list:
I've been home with a sick child for the past two days, so I've gotten a lot of work done around the house. (She's not deathly ill, just a bad cold) Of course I'm driving on the road to nowhere known as "Getting Organized". And it all begins with making a list. Actually, multiple lists. The one that is giving me the most anxiety is the Getting Ready for Winter list. Winter seemed a long way away until Tuesday when Mother Nature flipped the switch and the rains began. Temperatures dropped and summer fled the scene. List-making originates from the amygdala in the "primitive" part of the brain. (as if it all isn't f*ing primitive) Just as this cold spell has caused the leaves on our black walnut tree to yellow, my fingers grip a pen and start the seasonal list. The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on to the next list. (with apologies to Omar Khayyan)
This is the part of the story where I start getting depressed. The list is long and time is short. I need to finish my winter prep obsessing before I can enjoy Halloween. (Can it only be 7 weeks away?) The day after Halloween is when my annual OCD about Thanksgiving begins. Christmas can't be far behind. It's no wonder that New Year's Eve is such a cathartic evening for me. I make my resolutions for the coming year.... just another kind of to-do list.
So I started the summer is over list:
- pruning
- taking the leaves, branches, and debris to the yard waste place
- winterizing the cars
- buying snow tires
- turning on the radiators
- moving all the plants that can only be moved in the fall...
- ...to the new flower bed that hasn't been created yet
- storm windows need to go up
- sprinkler system needs to be blown out
- snow blower tuned up
- find all those coats and boots
- get the horse moved closer before the snow flies
- paint the new fence
And what else can I think of? Who really gives a damn?
Winter is Coming!
No comments:
Post a Comment