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Tuesday, June 3
help wanted: your new summer job
Every summer, I set a few goals to accomplish before school starts again. And every summer, my success rate hovers right around zero.
Betting on my usual combination of lists and self-debasement hasn't worked so well during the hot season in Florida, which I affectionately refer to as THE SUFFOCATING FIRES OF HELL ON A GIANT MOLD SPORE. So this year, I'm going shift my pile of chips over to public humiliation, printing my goals right here on the blog. That way my dear readers can help motivate me and track my progress.
(Silly you, thinking you were merely coming here for brief daily entertainment and a bit of mild pastor's-family voyeurism. THOU SHALT NOT GET OFF SO EASILY.)
Still, I'm not sure I can trust you, seeing as how I don't really know who most of you are, you shadow lurkers who never comment. So I am also going to hedge my bets by paring down my goals to just three:
1) I am going to clean out every closet, cabinet and cranny of this house. By August 17th, I don't want one thing here that doesn't belong here. That's a biggie, because there's enough extra stuff here to start our own Third World Country. Like Adkinsonia. Or maybe Adkinistan.
2) I am going to keep up with the kids' education a bit. Nothing formal or fancy or even creative, but the flash cards will come out from time to time, and we're going to work on handwriting, although with the way the boys' penmanship is going, they're bound to get a full ride to med school any day now. Their ability to communicate with humans other than pharmacists, however, is in grave doubt.
3) I am going to have fun. I've realized lately that it doesn't just fall in your lap. Sometimes, you have to fight for it.
That's it. Simple, right?
I'll let you know come August.
Betting on my usual combination of lists and self-debasement hasn't worked so well during the hot season in Florida, which I affectionately refer to as THE SUFFOCATING FIRES OF HELL ON A GIANT MOLD SPORE. So this year, I'm going shift my pile of chips over to public humiliation, printing my goals right here on the blog. That way my dear readers can help motivate me and track my progress.
(Silly you, thinking you were merely coming here for brief daily entertainment and a bit of mild pastor's-family voyeurism. THOU SHALT NOT GET OFF SO EASILY.)
Still, I'm not sure I can trust you, seeing as how I don't really know who most of you are, you shadow lurkers who never comment. So I am also going to hedge my bets by paring down my goals to just three:
1) I am going to clean out every closet, cabinet and cranny of this house. By August 17th, I don't want one thing here that doesn't belong here. That's a biggie, because there's enough extra stuff here to start our own Third World Country. Like Adkinsonia. Or maybe Adkinistan.
2) I am going to keep up with the kids' education a bit. Nothing formal or fancy or even creative, but the flash cards will come out from time to time, and we're going to work on handwriting, although with the way the boys' penmanship is going, they're bound to get a full ride to med school any day now. Their ability to communicate with humans other than pharmacists, however, is in grave doubt.
3) I am going to have fun. I've realized lately that it doesn't just fall in your lap. Sometimes, you have to fight for it.
That's it. Simple, right?
I'll let you know come August.
6 comments:
I am not sure that goal 1 and goal 3 can be completed during the same century.. Seems to me #3 would pre empt #1. And if you are accomplishing #1, you certainly cannot accomplish #3 without a frontal lobotomy!
Have a happy day. I am off to hit up those closets!
Edie
Have a happy day. I am off to hit up those closets!
Edie
First time I've stumbled onto your little corner of the web here - nice place! I actually came by way of your open letter to the church hopper - awesome. But enough rambling - I think you should go for starting up your own 3rd world country. Think about the advantages:
you could be a dictator (benevolent of course) which certainly has it's advantages, you could get huge loans from the World Bank and never really have to worry about paying them off, and you'd automatically become missionaries to the 3rd world which has a certain coolness about it as well.
Just my 2 cents. Otherwise I'd say your goals are very doable. ;)
you could be a dictator (benevolent of course) which certainly has it's advantages, you could get huge loans from the World Bank and never really have to worry about paying them off, and you'd automatically become missionaries to the 3rd world which has a certain coolness about it as well.
Just my 2 cents. Otherwise I'd say your goals are very doable. ;)
On the whole 'cleaning every closet thing'. Kathy just did that in preparation for the transplant. She wanted a "very clean house" for me to come home to without the worry of germs. (Is there such a place ??) Anyway, I think you can do this one. My advice - call 1-800-Maid and let them clean while you tackle # 2 and #3.
E.Dave
E.Dave
Moving to a new house has automatically forced us to do #1, although we are quickly accumulating New Crap to Store, and we don't even have children (well, ones outside the womb) to account for it.
I second Ron on the benevolent dictator idea. That could be a great way to fulfill summer goal #3...
I second Ron on the benevolent dictator idea. That could be a great way to fulfill summer goal #3...
You're going to clean the house AND have fun? I think your list is pretty unrealistic...
I'd like to join you on #1...I mean I'd like to do the same thing @ my house. I've already done my closet and my spice drawer so get busy.
#2 I'm out! Just trying to get my kids to do some reading...otherwise we've going for summer brain drain.