“The Holidays” are a unique time of year that bring together things like oddball schedules, long nights and cold temps, the social pressure of holidayism, hopping back and forth between work and vacation, and of course the end of the regular season.

I’m finding it hard to stay focused on one thing, no matter what it might be. From work duties to leisure pursuits gym routines to making travel plans, I feel that I have descended into a maelstrom of shifting moods, focal points, tasks, and goals. I have been able to do some things well, but other stuff seems to stutter-start or start and then fail.

It’s ok. I’m not really tripping off it, as much as trying to take stock in hopes that by doing so, I’ll be able to regain some sense of managability. As  my thoughts jump around  – from work and wireframes to snowboards and travel to music to… you get the idea – it feels like no matter what I am doing, I need to either devote more attention or put it down and do something else. Where did this feeling come from!?

It wasn’t a problem when I was on vacation. But ever since I came back from Cambria, and now that I am sensing a certain amount of pressure to pull things together, get back on the wagon, and in general be a productive person, the winds are growing ever more swirly.

I do have a slight suspicion that the radical mellowness of my vacation was a bit too intoxicating, and so the mental and emotional effort required to get back up to normal speed is greater than I’ve had to muster before. Such, I suppose, is the price of total relaxation.

That is not to say that I haven’t been able to get stuff done. In a few respects, I have been successful in corralling my brainwaves for long enough to do some very satisfying design and production work. Heck, I even made it to the gym yesterday. But overall, the storm is a bit heavy. I need some focus, yo.

1 day ago: the giant tupperware tubs go back to live in the garage and fulfill their use as storage ONLY.

2 days ago: Wade and Xtina return to the store only to find better options. They buy them and put them in the car to bring them home.

10 days ago: the WeXachos spend an afternoon visiting every antique store within 20 miles of their house. They find some contenders!

20 days ago: Wade and Xtina come up with a plan.

1 month ago: on the same day Wade and Xtina come to the conclusion that they must do something about the lack of clothes storage for the adults in the house.

5 months to 1 month ago: the adults keeps their clothes in large tubs that get disorganised 12 seconds after they are organised. Wade gives up and just wears whatever clothes are on top. Xtina struggles along until she is only wearing clothes that have been hanging in her closet. It totally sucks.

9 months – 4 months ago: the furniture is on back-order. (Long wait.) It’s in transit. Oops, it’s been damaged & they have to reorder. It’s on back-order. (Long wait.) It’s in transit. They deliver. The two dressers are two different colors. “I ordered blond. I want blond.” “Will you take chocolate? We’ll give you the sale price.” “No.” They reorder. Oops, it’s on back-order. (Long wait.) It’s in transit. They deliver. The dressers look nice up top, but where the case is attached to the base it looks like a manatee put them together. Do they have any more anywhere in the continental US? No, they do not. We give up and cancel the order. They give us a gift certificate & Wade forbids Xtina from ever purchasing from them again.

10 months ago: Xtina finds a couple of dressers that will work. She visits them in store where they have them in the finish she doesn’t want. They are fine. She goes home to order them on the internet. They are on back-order.

10 months and two weeks ago: we reconfigure the arrangement of the house and deploy a chest of drawers formerly shared by Wade and Xtina to be the home of all the wee one’s various clothing. In the hours before she was born we wash, fold, and organise a deluge of teeny body suites, pants, sleepers, sweaters, hat, socks, &c. The adults have no furniture storage, so they put their clothes into large tubs and stash them in the closet. The wee one is born.

13 months: the adults go shopping again. They visit several stores that have likely contenders in a decent price range, but everywhere they go they are told that since the furniture comes from ‘overseas’ there is a 12-16 week wait for the furniture they like. The baby is due in a month. “We can’t wait that long.” The universe laughs.

15 months ago: Xtina begins to frantically search online for the furniture. She identifies a pair of chests of drawers that will work in the small room the adults call home. She does not place an order.

49 months – 15 months ago: the adults continue shopping for furniture, sharing one Malm chest between them in the meantime. Everything they like costs in excess of $1500 each. We need two. Surely something can be found that costs in that range for both, right? No.

49 months and two weeks ago: the kidlet arrives and boy are the adults happy that they bit the bullet cos keeping things in order saves minds.

49 months and three weeks ago: in a last ditch effort, the adults visit Junkea and purchase a set of Malm dressers ‘for now’. They reconfigure the bedroom and amazingly the new dressers work out well.

56 months ago: the adults, due to the imminent arrival of the kidlet, undertake operation ‘rearrange the bedroom’, which culminates in the decision that the large chest of drawers that they have been sharing will no longer work. Thus they shop and shop and shop trying to find the most appropriate furniture for their diminutive house. After visiting every furniture store within a 30-mile distance, they determine that your average joe-blow furniture is built along a limited standard i.e. if you don’t like dressers that are wider than 29 inches you can go f8ck yourself. They weep.

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really “Satan” at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild – or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I hope, of course, nothing like any of these scenarios will strike in our lifetimes. Perhaps something awful could happen, but collectively as a society we will be able to deal with it well, minimizing strife, loss of life and other hardships that might follow.

But maybe we won’t. What would I do then?

That question, when I ask it to myself, induces a raw sense of urgency that otherwise is completely absent. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, we live in a world of plenty. Shelter, food, water, clothes, sunshine, music, and safety abound. We are surrounded by the fruits of industry: buildings, roads, cars, entertainment, fresh fruits, low prices, cheap fuel, technology, iPhones, parties, and a million other desires and treats at our fingertips. What… me worry? Indeed, often there seems little sense in expending any effort fretting about some dark day that may never come. And usually I don’t.

But occasionally I do wonder if my nonchalance may one day prove foolish. OF course it is short-sighted to have only enough food to last me through next week; just enough water to make it through the weekend. I’ve no generator, no spare fuel, no cupboard full of dry goods. The question is whether I’ll ever have to pay a price for for my levity?

Especially after reading xtina’s latest post on gardening, I am reminded of the web of interdependence that I take for granted daily. I blindly accept the proposition that all the comforts and conveniences we enjoy today will always be there. And yet, it is obviously not so. Just last month, my colleagues in Charlotte were in a constant state of anxiety as the local gasoline supply dried up. People literally could not find gas, for weeks on end. It wouldn’t take much to disrupt our supply chain and render some essential resource difficult or impossible to aquire.

So what can we do about this?

My conclusion: become a survivalist. Methodically procure key provisions necessary to survive, without shelter, for a month or two. Water, food, and toiletries are obvious. Batteries, flashlights, matches, candles, are other essentials. To some degree this is merely common sense. Whether one labels it such or calls it ‘survivalism’ is largely a product of degree, I imagine. Should I consider things like self defense, a safety shelter, or, say, a stash of seeds and agriculture equipment?

I am not yet prepared to commit to the more extreme tenets of survivalism. But I do intend to make some common-sense provisions so that, should something catastrophic happen, I won’t be caught completely off guard. Perhaps over time I will endeavor to learn new skills and procure more serious equipment. But first, how about some water jugs and canned beans.

–

There are metric crap tons of survivalist info on teh interwebs, and I have no idea which ones are of any use or not, ergo the dearth of links here.

For example, about a week ago he found some ‘Lightning McQueen’ stickers at the craft store. I really don’t like the whole merchandising phenomenon that surrounds these types of studio movies, but he loves the movie ‘Cars.’ However I don’t mind buying stickers, so when he brought me the page of stickers that he wanted I relented and allowed them in the cart. We brought them home and he forgot about them until the next morning when he requested the page. He was perusing the various images that he could affix to his t-shirt and was about to go for the largest Lightning McQueen sticker on the page when I suggested that he might want to save that one for last and furthermore only use one sticker per day (I’ve watched him blast through a page of stickers in 15 minutes and the lingering malaise that afflicts him after one of these binges is a sight to see) . He paused after I made my suggestion. I could see that he was really thinking about my suggestion, browsing one by one the multitude of stickers and carefully selecting just the right one. He lay the page before him and told me that today he would wear the ‘Sally’ (one of the characters – I think Lightning McQueen’s love interest) sticker and that he would wait to use the big Lightning McQueen sticker. Each day since he has taken a moment after breakfast to thoughtfully choose his sticker for the day and apply it to his shirt. Yay, he is learning to defer his gratification and savor things rather than glutting himself.  This rather big lesson is making its first impression on his little brain.

This same lesson is one that is having rather troubling ramifications in our world today or rather the lack of our having learned this lesson is causing major problems. Basically for the last 30 years or so, we’ve had representation in power, running our government, telling us that no, they weren’t going to raise our taxes. In fact they were going cut taxes and provide services at about the same rate i.e. regular janes and joes would see little or no difference in their day-to-day business.  If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. From the housing bubble to the recent stock plunge mixed up with the deficit, today we find ourselves in a HUGE financial mess that is going to takes years and years to unravel. Most people that you and I know that is 95% of the janes and joes out there are going to take a massive hit to their financial well-being. This is the beginning of our HAVING to put off gratification in order to ensure that future generations have some chance to enjoy what we have taken for granted.

I have heard people rant about welfare and socialised medicine and meanwhile drive home on the socialised freeways that allow them to live far away from the city’s core. It’s funny how people go crazy when you take “their” money and “give” it to someone else, but when you take “someone else’s” money from those other people and “give” it to them, they don’t mind too much. Social welfare gets people in a lather, but corporate welfare seldom stirs up anyone’s emotions. This election day we have a chance to take some fiscal responsibility. Since our politicians hate taxes, they have been foisting off their job on us. How’s that? Well, all these bonds that have gotten so popular in California these last few years are simply taxes under a new name. Take out your property tax bill and look under “Your tax distribution”. There you will find a little dirty secret. Instead of raising taxes, politicians have been convincing us to finance needed adjustments by refusing to do their jobs and funding our schools and water improvements, so that we the voters will say ‘By golly, our schools shore do need some $$$. Let’s vote for this here bond and funnel some money to those poor kids.’ Doesn’t sound too bad does it? Whatever, right? It’s just taxes under a new name. This is what’s wrong with it: almost half of the money goes to the financing of the bonds. If our politicians would have some gumption they could say ‘Hey, look people, instead of hocking the cow to buy a horse just bite the bullet and ALL of the money can go for this very important thing.’ But very few politicians care to go that route and all of us with our eyes and ears closed to the truth go along and say ‘Gee, that sounds like a good deal!’ Eventually this house of cards will come crashing down, perhaps it’s already starting.

Hasn’t anyone else wondered why California, a state that was enjoying a relatively prosperous period, has had so many budget crises within the last few years? Shouldn’t there have been a surplus? Where is all this money going? Why are we paying taxes and getting so little in return? Much of that tax money is going to service these bonds, which are basically state-size mortgages. Incredible. This is why I urge you to read all the wording of the bonds before us this year and vote NO across the board. Many of these projects are noble efforts, but we need to pay cash for them or else we are looking at further undermining our collective financial well-being. Austerity, now.

–

*Thank to my co-blogger for the link to Juan Enriquez’s 10 non-partisan financial commandments for the President elect above

At least according to a lame, misleading, sensationalist headline in the Chronicle. The headline and lede hype the number of plants (8,000) and ‘street value’ ($16 million). In the eighth paragraph, however, it is revealed that the 8000 money trees were actually ‘starter plants’, just an inch tall, and confined to a 50-square-yard area (about 22ft x 21ft).

I understand the need to dramatize certain events, but in this case the ‘news’ is pretty much a fabrication. A more accurate headline would say something like ’8,000 marijuana seedlings confiscated’. The $16 million figure is a theoretical street price calculated based on a 100% survival rate and pure, seedless, high-quality bud. In reality, I’d guess that far less than half the plants would survive, and these kids (ages 19 & 17) would need some supreme ‘gardening’ expertise to yield anything close to what the cops and article try to portray.

Anyways, it is deceitful and weak, and pretty typical of modern American journalism.

Think you’re not wealthy?

Think again.

Lately Wade has been taking Lucas on afternoon walks so that I can work. Yesterday they walked to the mailbox, the coffee shop, the park and the library. This morning Lucas started telling me about the MAIL and how it is outside. At first I was confused. I was like ‘Yo, kid, why do you worry about the mail? You don’t got no bills.’ Then my analytical brain realised that he was remembering the evening afore and telling me about it.

He does like twelve cute things a day — I can barely remember it all. Sometimes I call Wade at work and report all the good, the bad and the ugly. The other day we were laying in bed early one morning. Wade had left for work and Lucas and I were cuddling and talking and he told me a “story” about a big banana, bigger than a house. At first I was like ‘I’m sorry, mon cheri, I don’t understand’ then I realised that he was telling me a story to entertain me much as the wizard entertains him.

On the bad note, the other morning Lucas discovered his markers in an easy access location i.e. NOT WHERE THEY BELONG (hey, baby, please put them away in the future) and he scribbled all over his sketch pad, the floor, himself and the furniture!!!!! I was doing dishes in the kitchen and my mother-sense tingled because he was too quiet. I searched for him only to discover him under a chair, crouched over a notebook, scribbling away with marks all over heck. Needless to say, I shrieked ‘Lucas, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’. Most everything came off, but the chair will never be the same. This is why I am not buying the sofa I really want because now I can be blase about stuff like that. ‘O, you dropped your blend on the dog? O well.’ I called Wade right away and reported. He was chagrined and I bet the markers will get put away in the future. OR. ELSE.

–
Half-way done!

• Lucas drops a BIG rock on his toe (he’s ok but with a missing toenail and a nasty hematoma)
• The computer dies. Again. For the third time this year (fortunately we back up, back up, back up and our computer guru, MC, has all our files on his computer)
• A component of the electric windows stops working on the German car
• The clothes washer stop running, which we fix
• Then the drum breaks
• Someone steals Wade’s briefcase from his work truck
• With the house keys inside
• And the car keys
• And two manuscripts and his idea book
• And a magazine with our address on it
• We have to get the house and two cars completely re-keyed
• The German car stops running (we get it fixed)
• But the stereo has given up the ghost
• The window on the Japanese truck stops working on the way up to LA (later it starts working again, but not til we’re in LA)
• Someone vandalizes (in a completely juvenile & impermanent way) the Japanese truck
• Two nights later they do it again

This series of unfortunate events has us wondering if we can get a break. In the grand scheme of life, none of the occurences is particularly earth-shattering. But it’s like digging out from underneath a landslide that keeps dumping down loads of loamy earth. You start to wonder when will this end? Plus we have all the finish work on the bathroom and life to keep on top of. Fortunately we have a good system down for keeping life at CasaWeX flowing, but it would be nice to get a break in the action.