8 posts tagged “dilemma dilemma”

It seems of late my posts have been less Ranty Ms. Soapbox and rather just a day to day report of my life, and thoughts. So, does that make me boring? Am I hiding my inner tantrums? Am I using this medium as a way to stay in touch (albeit one way) with friends?

Answers:

- I think not

- No

- Perhaps, but that is unintentional

Life's not boring at all. At times it's fun, right now it's challenging as I'm making a patio, (and trying to do it cheaply, so that's an added element...) and often it's fairly routine, but far from boring.

I think the reason I bitch less is truly because I have less to bitch about. People that piss my off are not in my circle, and although I may hear of their stupidity, rarely does it affect me. So that's good.

The fact is I would write this blog even if I knew that nobody reads it. Over the last 2 years, it has become a journal for me, and frankly I enjoy posting, lurking, and commenting... the hallmarks of blogging. What I would appreciate is being told that you've heard the story I'm telling, because you read my blog. Just tell me you read it. I have no expectations of you continuing to do so, I don't write specifically for anyone's benefit, so just let me know.

Oh yeah, our Cleveland Brown tickets arrived yesterday! Woo hoo!

I thought that I should mention that Kik's party was a huge hit. It was truly a great time. It's nice to see women that I like in a different surrounding. Kik's yard and hosting skills got lots of praise, which was nice and well deserved...

However...

When you are friendly with someone, then you see them in a different light, space, time, it is occasionally odd, which I noted on Tuesday night. Mannerisms that I thought were perhaps due to 'busy-ness' are actually the person's true nature. Yikes! Good to know to whom I shall keep my mouth shut....

Last night a couple of girls came over and we (or at least me) had a very nice time. I really learned a few things.

The one thing that we briefly discussed was how quickly things change, and the loss of formality.

Every Sunday as a child we would venture to my Grandparent's house. We'd be dressed for church (even if we skipped it, my grandfather would wear a full suit) and we ate off the good china. Every week... who does this anymore? Now (if you even own china, which I don't) you may bust the china out a couple few times a year...

Men used to wear suits to work. My one friend PF is an accountant and business owner and I know he rarely even wears a dress shirt. We sort of concluded that perhaps the public at large don't make assumptions based on appearance (uh, not if you watch Sex in the City) as much as they used to. Who wears suits everyday? What man owns more than 2? A CEO maybe.... the odd Realtor?

People used to dress up to travel on planes. Now TV segments are dedicated to showing consumers how to travel in comfort and practicality.

When I was little, I once wondered (after being scolded by my evil aunt) if one day I would prefer to sit up perfectly straight with ankles crossed. Well, I'm almost 35 and I rarely sit like a probably should...

So... is it perception, or have things really changed that much? I think perhaps both.

Why do you think it is some people don't get along with you?

Oh, that's a tough one that requires some thought... I think in general I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I really don't like people who behave as I did in my late teens or early 20's... but they are in their 30's or older: attention whores, show offs, enough about me - more about me, etc.  I think that my reaction to these types (impatience, occasional disgust) makes them view me as a lofty bitch.

Is it too easy and perhaps immature to say jealousy breeds hostility in my 'peer' (oh, I typo'ed peep, that's funny...) group? Considering the lack of adult behavior by some people I know, I'd have to say not.

I also think that it is easier for some people to judge me, than try to understand me.

The people that don't get along with me are so self involved, self-centred, and self-important that I'm sure I don't enter their thoughts unless there is some nasty gossip that they have either caused or exaggerated upon.

I will say that it is a difficult to look within yourself to see the faults that others hold againts you. This is an interesting QotD, and I've read some other blogger's replies which pretty much glaze over the idea with 'I'm a bitch!'

Hmm, something to consider... let me know if you have any insight on yourself...

The bathroom was repainted as of yesterday, and I feel, strangely, so much more at peace. The other colour stressed me out! A couple of times yesterday I was concerned that our house is too brown now, (the upstairs is being painted soon...). I don't feel that it is too brown, but I worry that perhaps it *is* too brown... I'll have to think about that one... luckily, the colour is such that I don't feel like we are existing in someone's bowels... that's a joke...btw...

I also joked to Billy that my plan is nearly complete... after only 6 months of being a Cleveland Brown's fan, I've managed to paint nearly our entire house in my team's colour! *Insert evil laughter here* I warned him that soon little orange helmets will be appearing on our walls... another joke, oh, I'm full of them!

So anyway, I'm feeling very accomplished and content with our house... It was 56*F the other day, and it gave me the itch to work outside, although today is about 29*F and 3-7 inches of snow is expected tonight.... Geez! How is the golf course supposed to open at the end of the month at this rate?

Okay, so now some thoughts further to 'shopping'.

I once was in a place in my life where I could pack everything I owned into my car, (and it was a really small car...). Then came the cottage full of furniture, (and a great Lake Erie view...) then the house in Tennessee with all its stuff. Suddenly, I was an owner (joint) of many things. The places I loved, the things, not so much, (did you ever lay on the long couch? The thing was like a 12 foot - yes, 12 foot - long rock covered in cloth). So anyways, we change, we grow up...

I guess you can value what you own most by this question... "If your house was on fire, and aside from the living things inside, (they escape unharmed) what would you try to save?"

Hmmm, because I have about 7 photo albums, and that would be hard to carry, I would grab the safe where all the negatives and CDs are... (and some other valuables) but that is fireproof... so I really could leave it... hmm, I guess mine and Billy's passports and ID, (because they are a pain in the ass to replace, trust me...) um, maybe my 'hole in one ball'? It's not important, but I can't replace it... even the maps from Hawaii which I love I could replace if I really wanted to... oh, I know, my grandfather's chair from parliament, that can't be replaced, and technically it's not even mine...

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and maybe the damned eagle-hawk... (I can't tell you how much I hated this thing! I still don't *like* it, but I've accepted it, as one would an ill placed boil... anyway...) 

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I have to find out how much it means to Billy... there is one plant I'd try to save, (my sister gave it to me in 1997, it was my first plant...)  and some jewelry (although not monetarily valuable.... That's about it I guess... hm... it gives me something to think about...

Okay, there are a couple of topics that I want to cover in this post...

First of all, I must say that never a March 1st has passed that I haven't thought of a certain person. It's their birthday today, and for some reason I have never missed thinking about them on this day, but whatever...

Secondly, I've been thinking long and hard about this whole consumerism - shopping thing and I have several points to make, you can draw your own conclusions, but if you know me at all, you know my opinion. If you object to lengthy, ranty posts, then see ya pizza!

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I once was at a friends' house, years ago now, and their father went on a rant... names and brands have been changed to protect the hypocritical... here's how it went down...

Father "Where did this bottle of mustard come from?"

Random family member "I don't know, it's just mustard."

Father: "Just mustard! Do you realize that I work at the mustard factory? and this is not the brand my company produces? Do you understand that this bottle of mustard represents the loss of Bob from accounting's job? This mustard in our home is the reason that Joe was laid off from the line! Joe has 5 kids! This bottle of mustard could be the reason that kids don't get Christmas presents, that parents have to get second jobs, that mortgages go unpaid..." <<< etc. etc, on and on for about 20 minutes..>>>

Then this same father buys his daughter a foreign car. We live in the Canadian motor city. I'm pretty sure this guy's brother works for one of the big three, not Toyota... please draw conclusions here....

So basically when it comes down to supporting our local community' economic health, apparently convenience, price, whatever etc. outweighs it... There are always exceptions right? We don't always do what's best, we do what's easiest, admit it...

So, unless you are completely and totally committed to being local, don't rant on, because you're appliances may be German, and your polo shirts are from China. Admit that you do your best, as we all should, but please leave it at that...

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I'm fairly addicted to shows like 'Buy Me', 'Designed to Sell', 'Get It Sold', 'Hidden Potential' and 'Clean House'. (It's funny now that I'm done with real estate, homes are the thing that interest me most...) So many of these house need to be cleaned out, and of course, "living in your home and selling you home are two different things...". It amazes me that so many people are so addicted to 'things'. People can't part with 'things'. They associate things with memories, and think if they remove the thing from their house, they remove the associated memory... Don't get me wrong, there are certain 'things' in our house that I would hate to lose, I'd regret it every day... but when it comes to the majority... they are just things.... (just like when you're going on vacation, all you really need is a passport and a MasterCard - right? Well, anyway...)

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So I'm reconsidering my shopping habits, not like I'm a chronic buyer by any means, but there are things that I buy that I don't need... have you ever considered that the round toed shoes that were so hot last year have again been replaced by a new style? It's simply so we buy more... the round toes can still look good...

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So much to consider, although I'm far from prepared to make an official commitment... these people have... and I'm watching...

Lately I've been thinking about stuff. No, really, I mean things, junk, collectibles, shit-knacks, ie:stuff!

I recently heard a Suze Orman interview, where she gives her best advice as, 'Don't buy unless you need it!'. Not 'unless you can afford it'.... unless you need it.... hmmm.

I was discussing this with a friend of mine who brought up the excellent idea of levels of need. Here's the conversation...

Me: 'I would really like a closet organizer, but I don't need one, everything I need to fit in there does. Things are just kind of piled in there and stacked on one another."

SBC: "You might not need the organizer in the way one needs food and shelter, but would it improve your quality of life?"

Me: Hm!

After some thought, I decided that yes it would improve my quality of life, as the slight unorganization of it all would no longer bug me, (as un-organization does...) however, I really don't need it, so I'm not going to buy it...

Another one of Suze's signature ideas is 'enough is enough' or when is 'enough - enough?'. The woman is a multi-multi- millionaire, and she ownes one pair of earrings. One. Pair . Of Earrings. She states that she could own more of course, but the one pair she has she likes so that is good enough for her... how cool is that? She says that the average person buys things they don't need to impress people they don't know, and to what end? Very true!

I think I'm going to ponder these ideas this week-end...

I'm considering moving my blog to vox. I have total template envy for DD's blog. I feel limited, restrained.... I need to express myself!

I'm going to play around here and see how I like it... oh and welcome to December!