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Remodel



I am in the midst of a remodel of the small bathroom in my in-laws. It was remodeled (very, very poorly) only a few years ago.... unfortunately by a fly-by-night yahoo. Basically anything I do should be an improvement.

However, while I *can* do exceptionally nice work, I am, truth-be-told, VERY slow at remodeling because it is not something I do often, and because I fuss and fret, and hem-and-haw about each and every detail. But, the conundrum is that I NEED to do this remodel very rapidly because my in-laws are out of town and it is much easier to do while they are away. Basically I need to have this remodel done by Thursday evening.

I have plastering, plaster/drywall repair & patching, priming, painting, sanding, electrical work, cutting and installing trim molding, window trim work, installing a new light fixture, bathroom mirror, and bathroom cabinet. And of course various odd-and-ends that I cannot think of at the moment... as well as the probable, and nearly inevitable "redos" of some things.

Wish me luck! The above color of the eggs (Robin's egg blue) is the paint color I have selected.

PipeTobacco

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Is It Today?



Not sure. But, I am working hard today. Perhaps today will be "the day" for a lot of different things. What would I wish for if it is today:

1. A fast, enjoyable effort in the classroom.

2. Ample time with family enjoying their company.

3. A lack of meloncholy and despair.

4. A lack of anger.

5. A lot of inertia and drive.

6. A refraining from my pipe so I can make it my servant, and not have me ruled by it. (I am wanting to retrain my brain to only want to smoke my pipe when I am drinking.)

7. A fast, clean, and pretty effort on the remodeling I am doing for my elderly in-laws.

8. A feeling of contentment and wholeness.

9. A feeling of tranquility and relaxation.

10. The feeling of accomplishment.

PipeTobacco

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Wearing A New Hat



There is really no use going into the details of this recent past, let me just say that I have been exceptionally sad and upset. I have cried and screamed and been so feeling despondent that it was horribly difficult for me emotionally. Yesterday was the breaking point, however, and I was able to resolve some of the issues I was feeling so bad about.

So, instead of the old analogy about me picking myself up by my bootstraps, instead, I am working on a new basis of "putting on another hat" to demarcate my working and striving to climb out of the pit of despair I had been in. I am making a resolution to myself to work to find a happier place in my mind and in my soul. I am thinking I am going to do this through a journey in which I engage in a helluva lot of hard work and hard play. I am going to try to force myself to be more perpetually active and doing things.... both work and play. I have noticed in myself that when I feel sad and hurt, I almost inevitably will lose all inertia and my whole life comes to a screeching halt. To move, to function seems nearly impossible. But, if I keep my movement, keep my inertia in working to try to do things, and keep trying to do things, even the harsh sadness, the despair, and the feelings of utterly loneliness and pain do not hurt as much. The shame and anger I feel is decreased by hard, physical labor and effort.

So, that is where I am at. I am bound and determined to work hard and to play hard and to write here often so as to keep me from sliding down into that crevasse of no movement, no effort, no life. I am going to keep the idea of kinetic energy in my mind, and try to infuse the idea of kinetic action in my heart and soul.

PipeTobacco

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Yogurt



This is one of the things I ate this morning.

PipeTobacco

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Exhaustively Busy Days to End!



Work has been non-stop for the last three weeks with me at the U... but now that is on the verge of stopping! I am extremely relieved. The truly limited amount of time I have had is now going to free up!!!! It feels so good. Starting yesterday evening, I have started to feel playful and jovial again and back to my "old self" (or at least the "old self" that I like a helluva lot more).

Let the fun begin (And more regular posting)!

PipeTobacco

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Daydreaming While Proctoring




I am sitting here proctoring an exam. I have played a little bit on the Internet, and am listening to classical music on NPR (I have a small "Walkman" style set of headphones that I have plugged into this computer. I could be doing something more useful like planning a new strand to my research, going over an inventory list of materials to purchase for a new teaching lab, or simply starting to write the next exam. But, for whatever reason, I typically end up only playing and/or daydreaming during proctoring of exams. I have been daydreaming again about pipes and pipe tobacco. The beauty pictured is a new one I have found that has strong aesthetic appeal to me.

PipeTobacco

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Quiet & Peaceful



It was a wonderfully quiet and peaceful weekend. My wife and I went to a movie on Friday. On Saturday, we went to mass and then went to see the fireworks with the family, on Sunday we had a big "Bagel" breakfast and tried out several new, wonderful vegetarian recipes for dinner, and on Monday we went to the in-laws and had a cookout.

PipeTobacco