Procrastination

Ah the last week of October. What the heck? The big chill will descend upon us, soon enough. After the Hallowe’en treats have disappeared from the big bowl in the front hall, we’ll be digging out our Christmas decorations. And what the H E double KitKat bars am I up to these days? Glad you asked. I was wondering what is going to fill my time now that the Jays are out and the Liberals are in.

the Jays are out and the Liberals are in. I’ve spent weeks following the Jays and the federal election. I figure it must be time to get this old house ready for winter. An El Nino winter has been promised, but it’ll be winter nonetheless. At this point in time, our pool is still open. Yup, the pool still looks as inviting as the day we opened it in the spring. The pad for the newto- us hot tub hasn’t been poured, nor has the space been staked out for the concrete pour. The barn has some interesting gaps in the back wall where newish boards should to be installed. The boards are cut to size and ready, but I wasn’t having any part of it as long as the bases were loaded and the political barbs were flying.

The Rolls-can-hardly needs an appointment for its winter tires. The yard should be raked. And on top of this, I’m thinking about moving my office/studio into one of the smaller rooms. We have three spare rooms, now that the kids are gone. Since I haven’t been involved in an art exhibition for several years, I hardly need all that space. Additionally, I don’t think I’ll be heading back to work in a museum anytime soon, so it might be time to rethink all of my reference books, conservation equipment, 5 and a 1/4 inch discs, and thirty years’ worth of notes and essays. Yup, I could manage with a smaller office/hideaway. That’s the ticket. Or is it just one more make-work project? A makework project just for me! Ah, October, you beautiful month of projects.

So, even with all of the delightful outdoor choices, the project I am most focused upon is moving my studio/office. Actually, I’ve been thinking about the move for months. Of course, moving everything from a fairly big room into a small room—a cell, the boys used to call it—is mathematically and geometrically challenging. I’ve got a huge collection of books, art work, photo-printers, negative scanners, frames, mattes, photo paper, conservation equipment, a huge desk, etc, etc. A cull needs to happen. Of course, if I focus on downsizing my office space, I won’t have time to concentrate on the other items on my to-do list. I might have to delegate some of that stuff to LOML’s list. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I’ll leave him in charge of the spa, the pool, the gaps in the barn walls, the raking and the winter tires. Seems like a fair division of projects (if we’re speaking mathematically). Right? You know I am.

I did notice, while surveying the office/studio, I’ve got a stereo—but I could use a television. I got rid of the 1980s-era RCA behemoth several years ago. When I do work in my own space (and let me be honest, often I don’t), I like background noise. Music is okay, but television? Oh, how I love to watch television, sort of. If I get rid of enough of my old junk, I’ll have room for a new television. Yessir, that’s what I’m going to do. And I’m going to get a remote control for my new television. Even in a smaller space it’s tiresome to get up to switch channels between the end-of-the-season ball games and the CBS evening news. Heck, as long as I’m into politics, wouldn’t it be great if Donald Trump met the Ford brothers?

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca