3 Alarm

Posting is clearly going to be slowing down here - of course now that I've said that, no doubt I will be full of procrastinatory energy and you won't be able to get rid of me, but the days, they are like the sands through the hourglass, yes?  And Christmas is coming. 

I have a few things left to figure out, and a house to clean and a suitcase to pack and oh, the laundry...I don't know how people who are responsible for others manage it, I really don't.  But today I am optimistic, as I spent part of yesterday sorting out a guilt pile - you have guilt piles, right?  The unfiled, unpaid, the Damoclean sword in paper form, the encroaching tide of mystery data.  It starts out as 6 pieces of paper for next month and 6 months later is knocking the phone out of the cradle with the bulge of its retaining wall.

Yeah, I fixed it.  Paid them, filed them, threw their sorry asses in the shredder.  Back down to 6 pieces of paper for which I WILL WRITE CHECKS TODAY.  And I'm a little giddy from the high.

Also, I am on fire with the knitting, not that you could tell.  But the truth is that if tonight goes really well I could bring my finish count for the past few days up to three items.  Someday I must tell you about it. 
At knitting a few weeks ago someone pointed out that I had knit a lot this year.  I was in the throws of ripping 10 inches of ribbing out of the Dream In Color cardigan at the time and said something bitter and disparaging, but it turns out she was right.  This year I have finished 4 sweaters - 3 of which I actually wear - plus a myriad of mitts and scarves and things.  Which was my actual, if unspoken, goal in knitting this year: clothes. 

I'm so not a goal person.  How peculiar is it that I met one?  And the universe still intact and everything.

I think.

Comments

[Serenknitity]

'Guilt pile' - I saw a mental picture of mine when I read that and guess what - I felt guilty! I call mine 'My office' and down the other end of the kitchen counter is my husband's 'office'. It sounds like we live in a mansion to anyone who could listen to our conversation 'It's in my office...no maybe look in your office'.

[Mardel]

Hmm, perhaps you have inspired me to tackle the guilt pile. It is hiding in the room of shame. Given that the room of shame threatens to take over the house, and a house of shame does not sound that appealing, perhaps it is time.

But then again, perhaps not.

[Cynthia]

I thought you meant you met a "goal person", too, but doing a double-take, your meaning is that you met your goal by knitting clothes this year, yes...? You're not a goal person, but met a goal and the earth still turns. (On triple thought, how did you manage to meet a goal, without having goals? How many goals does it take for a person to be a goal person?) Anyway, congratulations! I enjoy your blog.

[Gina]

I caught a little smidgen of information. You met a goal person. I ask no questions. I want no jinxing. Time will reveal all. Well...maybe not all, but some.

[Lissie]

I did my guilt pile(s) yesterday, which is great! Well, I haven't actually finished them, but I have a nice, tidy TO DO pile now, which makes me...well, not happy, but less anxious. I'm moving in about 6 weeks maybe (if the house gets done) so I am anticipating lots of thinning of the stuff. We can only hope.

[Ruth]

We spent 6 months before the move burning, shredding, recycling, and thrifting an entire 600 square foot Basement of Shame. It felt unbelievably good, but hasn't prevented the accumulation of a small guilt pile in the new place.

[Abby Franquemont]

Yeah, I have that pile. It is only 6 pieces tall right now also, for the personal life pile. 4 pieces tall for the work pile. Now as for the *email* pile... it toppled and crushed itself and now can't be sorted out. Or something.

I keep hoping I'm going to get free and do some actual posting again any minute now, and it keeps not happening, piling up behind the guilt pile. And I'm so not in the mood for holiday spirit or whatever. Blah!

Also, know how many sweaters I made this year despite being sure I'd finish several? I'm sure you can guess.

[kmkat]

I have that Wall O' Paper myself and had vague thoughts of attacking it today. But then, I have those vague thoughts most days. Today, however, you have inspired me. As soon as I finish the blogs on my "Must Read" list -- yes, you are on it -- I shall attack.

[The Other Kristen]

A little bit freaky, this post. Guess what I did yesterday evening? Went through the Guilt Pile, before it became large enough to be transferred to a Bag of Shame (TM). That's pretty amazing, since one of my proudest sabbatical accomplishments from last term was going through a Bag of Shame that included THREE YEARS' WORTH of stuff.

Doesn't it feel great to be on the other side of that project? Now if the parsnip growers would just grow some good ones, so that my local store would stock them and I could make that kick-ass tagliatelle recipe, life would be just ducky. (Or just parsnippy.)

[Laurie]

I'm past pile, into landfill status. (I remember when it used to be called "dump".)

Who is the goal person?

[Danielle from SW Missouri]

Guilt Pile????? Maybe....if there was enough money in our checking account I'd pay some of the bills that are piling up :-( Oh Well, guess I'll just stick my head further into the sand and go back to my Christmas Knitting :-)

[Luise]

"Guilt pile." Interesting description. My house (where I've lived for 24 years) is one big guilt pile -- there's no surface unpiled, just room for a coffee mug on the kitchen table. BUT that must change and you're inspiring me. Here I go!