Thank Yous Part 2

I am thankful for my awesome cats, DB and Midnight.

I am thankful for my almost finished newly renovated home that Jason and I created together.

I am thankful for all my extended family, I hope all our paths meet again soon.

I am thankful for my grandmom, Jackie. She was recently put in a nursing home and I thank all the people who have been watching over her in these hard times - Dawn, Michelle, CJ, Georgia, Dave, my mom, my sister, and everyone else who has shown their unconditional support and love for granny. I know she is thankful for you all. I am thankful for the many happy times I've spent with her over the years. I know she is still with us, though her mind is slowly fading. Live the rest of your days in peace grandmom, we are all thankful for everything you have given us. God Bless you Grandma.

We Can Do It!

I love how Jason and I feel we can now handle any stressful situation you throw at us. We prefer to work under pressure, we always do a great job and get the job done in just the right amount of time. Long story short, Jason has to put his Towson house on the market immediately. We have an open house this Sunday. We have a lot of work to do, but we both feel positive we're going to get it done. The bad, but good thing is that I have photo gigs Thursday evening and Saturday morning, but we hope to have some additional help, like J's dad. If anyone else out there would like to lend a hand that would be awesome, but don't feel obligated, we'll finish what we can in the time we have. We can do this Jason, we've achieved many goals throughout our relationship and this one's easier than some. Let's get this house sold, so we can focus on our businesses and finishing our city home.

Not Being Surrounded By Clutter

As an admitted pack rat and slob, this isn't a topic I'd normally be able to write on with any experience. My previous bachelor life was filled with rooms filled with stuff, mostly in no particular order. Kate has done a lot to push me in a positive direction, but with the new house constantly under construction, it was hard to put anything away and keep things orderly. That's a thing of the past. Now that the house is mostly finished, and all the boxes, tools, construction materials and junk are put away or sent to the landfill, I have to say that living without clutter is so nice!

The dining room can be dined in. The guest room can accommodate guests. The computer room is now just a computer room, and not also a closet. There's room to walk...plenty of room. Instead of paths we have spaces. We've traded junk for decor. It's really interesting, because I haven't really felt this way about a place I've lived since I moved out on my own fifteen years ago. Even my college dorms before that, especially my single rooms, we cramped and bloated with crap.

I finally feel like I'm living in a home comparable to the one I grew up in, where everything (for the most part) has a place, and nothing just sits out taking up space. It really lightens you up mentally when you don't feel mildly claustrophobic in your own house.

So I've made a commitment to myself to help keep this place neat. I'm not going to let it get out of control again. And I'm going to spill that sentiment over into my professional life. My edit suite at work is a shamble of tapes, scripts, notes and useless clutter. Starting next week I'm straightening it up and keeping it that way. No more excuses. No more BS rationalizations like, "I need to keep everything out in front of me or I'll forget it." I need to figure out a new way of keeping tabs on things that doesn't involve table-papering my desk.

No more clutter. No more scatterbrained, slipshod organization. A frenzied environment equals a frenzied life. I'm ready for order.

The Sound of One Dog Barking

I'm not sure why, but I've always loved the sound of a neighborhood dog barking off in the distance. It must be one of those sounds I associate with my childhood, growing up in a safe and secure environment. It's one of those sounds that makes a neighborhood feel complete, as if I'm living in some sort of "Leave it to Beaver" wonderland where the paperboy is still a kid on a bike with a little bell instead of some creepy middle-aged person chucking papers from out of a slow moving van.

A lone dog talking to himself off in a yard too distant to see encapsulates a simpler time. It makes me feel like I'm home.

Now if the dog is right next door and won't shut up, that's a wholly different scenario. So really the warm, fuzzy feelings are a matter of proximity more than anything else.

There's No Place Like Home

It's such a truism, but it's so...true.  Traveling is great, but it's always nice to finally come home.  We had a blast with Kate's family.  But along with that came five days of sleeping in a different bed, living out of a bag, and having every routine we live with completely interrupted.  It makes you appreciate the familiar things.  It makes you appreciate routine and constancy.  A small break in routine is great not only because it grants you a new experience and a fresh perspective.  It also reminds of what's great about the routine you left.  And if you were in a rut and weren't aware, it grants you awareness.  Not that I came to that conclusion.  Just the opposite.

It's nice to be home.