Friday, April 10, 2009

Chemo Day #8

and The Great Purge of Villa DeCay

It would have been a non-event except that, after the blood draw, it took 3 sticks to hit a gusher and start the chemo. I hope that it was just a coincidence, and not a sign of things to come. Since my "policy change," I don't have to sit for an hour or more with an unplugged IV, so I'm a happy, happy camper. I need to make more of an effort to control what I can, and make decisions accordingly. I don't mean to be a crank, really; it's just a matter of finding the right formula to keep me happy! Small action = large impact (SALI #1)

Although the economy, the real estate market, and probably my health, could not be worse, I've listed Villa DeCay for sale. (Of course, I should have done it two years ago at the peak of the market, but bad timing is kind of the hallmark of my life.) But I've decided that whatever time I have left, I should not spend it being miserable and angry. Although my neighborhood is wonderful, my next door neighbors have made my life hell for the last two years, so it's time to get outta Dodge. I will actually try to buy something in the same neighborhood, just a few blocks away from Frat Row.

Getting ready to show has convinced me that everyone should be required to move every five years. With the help of friends and neighbors, I've hauled truckloads of stuff away and will probably continue to do so. In fact, I have days where I'm very tempted to just pack a suitcase, walk away, and call an auction house to clear the place out.

In a way, though, the decrapification has been very liberating. I subscribe to the theory that you don't own stuff, stuff owns you, and so the more stuff you have, the more likely you are to feel oppressed and depressed. Just ask some of those compulsive hoarder-types. It seems to me that Europeans have much less of a problem with this. Maybe because they live in smaller spaces, maybe because there's a greater appreciation for the streamlined, modern aesthetic. At any rate, my place has never looked better and the challenge will be to keep it this way, as I need to be ready to show the house, probably with an hour's notice. It will be a far, far cry from my former (borderline slothful) lifestyle, but I'm actually looking forward to it.

I promise if you commit to a personal spring cleaning, your soul will be unburdened with every box full of crap that leaves your space. You'll think, "What was I keeping that for?" and then you'll move ahead, lighter and happier. SALI #2: Funny that purging your space does so much for your spirit.

3 comments:

tim's wife said...

I ABSOLUTELY agree and it is scientifically proven that living amongst clutter causes stress.
I am a case in point and getting my
house in to some kind of order is
a priority for me now. I get much more satisfaction getting rid of things than I do buying things that then have to find a place in
my already cramped home. I recycle by doing yard sales with my family at my house(I live on a busy road). We have made thousands of dollars doing this and you know what they say about "one woman's junk." STUFF not only clutters your home, it clutters your mind.
And my mind is in need of some MAJOR de-crapifying! I'm a little concerned that that's all that's left in my gray matter.;o)

Michelle said...

I love the word decrapification--I know exactly of which you speak. Since we've doubled the number of occupants in our abode, the amount of crap has quadrupled. We don't hold it against them, but do we really NEED 50000 Little People and their Little Accessories?!??!

La Cootina said...

in a word, yes!Those midgets require boatloads of crap: carseats and strollers and tricycles and cribs and playpens. Hats. Umbrellas. Blankies. Diapering accoutrements. We haven't even started on books and toys.

You can try to keep the crap at a minimum, which is probably good for small brains and young imaginations, but M, you are going to have way, way more crap, but only for a decade or two. And then when you finally decrapify, oh, it's going to be glorious.