Life in the Slow Lane

Life in the Slow Lane

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

The Written Equivalent to Nyquil

So I’ve been thinking a lot about what I could write about for my first official non-Yoshi related post for 2008. I was hoping to come up with a story from the holidays or some new personal conclusion for the New Year but I’ve got nothing. Well, nothing very interesting anyway. Things have been rather scattered lately and so have my thoughts. Not a bad thing but not great for a decent blog post. In point form here is what is new with me:

-I had a good Christmas with my family and there was lots of great food and company yet I emerged from the season feeling somewhat empty. This is nobody’s fault but my own. Despite my best intentions I got caught up in the petty stresses of the holiday worrying about shopping and The Perfect Gift and if this was enough for that person and that was too much for this person. You know what I mean. So I’ve decided that Christmas 2008 will be different. I don’t know what that will mean and what will change but I really want to regain some sort of joy and happiness in the whole process. There are no kids in my family so I cannot enjoy Christmas through their eyes. I am not religious so a church type holiday celebration won’t work. We’ll see. Maybe a trip. Maybe some volunteering. Maybe boycotting the whole thing. I don’t know yet…

-I went out of my comfort zone and attended a New Years Day dinner at my brother’s grandmother-in law’s house. Did you get that? Anyway, right at the beginning of dinner I had a raging panic attack, nearly gagged up my food and couldn’t eat for the rest of the night while doing everything in my power not to run screaming from the building. Fabulous.

-The Yoshi Calendar did very well! Thanks to everybody who bought one and/or pimped it to their friends and family. I sold out my small printing run of 250 and have blank note cards in the works featuring photos from the calendar. I’ll let you know when they are available. More stuff is in the works too. Hopefully T-shirts and some new photos featuring The Furface Herself.

-So yeah, about the above mentioned note cards. Just when I think I’ve got everything figured out and on a good time-line the little things always ferk me up. The packaging I ordered for the cards got lost by UPS and was delayed for over two weeks. The parcel showed up in shreds. The contents were alright but it really bugged me since they charge an exorbitant brokering fee to bring things over the border on top of hefty shipping costs. I’m thinking of getting a post box in Blaine, Washington and bringing things through customs myself. That would mean about a 1.5 to 2 hour round trip drive. Not sure if it would be worth it. No wonder everything in Canada is so damned expensive.

-AAAAAAND you’d think getting a common sized envelope in a colour other than white with some recycled content would be easy. Well, not so much. Once again I am struggling to find envelope suppliers in Canada (I’ve given up on something local) to meet my very basic needs. Of course the few I can find are in Ontario which means at least a week for shipping. I live in a big city! Why is this so complicated?

-It won’t stop raining out and on top of that it is also very cold.

-I got these awesome bed sheets for Christmas.

-I wish I knew Photoshop and how to do a web site and such. I have a great graphic designer friend helping me and I LOVE what she has done but I WANNA DO IT TOO! Collaborate! I love that stuff. I plan on taking a Photoshop course this year so I don't feel so ignorant.

-My dad’s hip is healing up well and he just started physio yesterday. They had him put some weight on his leg for the first time. This is good as the man is getting stir crazy not being able to get out and about.

-I got so brutally constipated over the holidays I had to go to the doctor. It is supposed to be the season for giving but my bowels were acting very selfishly.


Well, Yoshi is snoring on the chair behind me and it is almost midnight. Snooze time for me. This post probably put you to sleep as well. Good night!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hooray--I'm glad the calendar did so well! I think note cards would be awesome.

One of the photography groups I'm in has a list of "presentation" vendors. I know there are several that do envelopes--shoot me an email if you need some potential sources.

Glad to hear your dad is doing well.

Here's hoping those bowels shape up for the new year. :)

Anonymous said...

...I wish I knew Photoshop and how to do a web site and such. I have a great graphic designer friend helping me but I WANNA DO IT! I love that stuff. I plan on taking a Photoshop course this year...


I am sending you an email. Look for it.

Squirl said...

My calendar is in my office. Looking at it right now! I'm glad your holidays didn't suck any worse than they did. :-)

here today, gone tomorrow said...

I'm so happy that your calendars sold out! Congratulations, and can't wait to see the blank cards.

Dang those selfish bowels...

This post did not put me to sleep.

Anonymous said...

We fully expect to hear all about your sins in those linens. ;)

Anonymous said...

Oh, one more thing. I ordered something from an Etsy shop as a Xmas gift, and the seller is in Canada. And it took FOR-FREAKING-EVER for it to get here. As in five weeks. As in WAY past Christmas.

But the Yoshi calendar shipped super-fast. Which, as a customer, I really appreciate. So whatever you are doing when it comes to shipping stuff out, keep doing that.

Robin said...

i think the christmas season was kind of a downer this year for a lot of us. i like your idea of thinking ahead for next year. as always, i enjoyed this post and it did not put me to sleep! but the bowel thing? maybe i didn't need to know that, i don't know.

Calamity Jen said...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

No no no, I'm kidding. I read the whole post and I'm still wide awake, which isn't bad for me at 11:30 at night.

I'm sorry to hear about your blah Christmas. I think your idea to volunteer somewhere next year is a great idea. My family used to volunteer at the local food back at Christmastime. That's one of the things I've been missing over the past several holiday seasons.

Hope your bowels are feeling more generous these days.

Ern said...

Why do we do that holiday stress thing to ourselves? I'm totally prone to letting it get to me too.

Love, LOVE those sheets. :)

alan said...

Nothing lame about any of that...and you aren't the only one who feels like there should (and used to) be more to it than the stress!

I had planned to make a clock for each family but got told I couldn't because "it wasn't on their list".

So now what I have is a couple of hunks of charred plastic, and they all have things that will be forgotten in a few months!

For your Zip list: start with something easier than my faves to begin with; ease into it with "The Kid" from 1921. If you want to double up, add "Seven Chances" from 1925 for a smile. If you like them, then go for the others!

alan

HAR said...

I'm with you about Christmas. Last year I was sick but for some reason I could see how ridiculous all the craziness associated with Christmas really was.

I think that planning ahead for what you want to do is a great idea. Volunteering is great but you could do that anytime. My vote is plan a trip and get away from all the chaos.
I have children ans still may go away next year. I want to enjoy it not almost die from the stress associated with the GIFTS!
I love note cards and can't wait.

Photoshop is so out of my league.

I'm glad to hear dad is a bit better too!

Anonymous said...

@Alan: if you're going to recommend Chaplin, then you *have* to add in Buster Keaton too!

Calamity Jen said...

BANK. I meant food BANK.

east village idiot said...

A pretty nice holiday on balance! Glad to hear that you are becoming a captain of industry where cat calendars are concerned!

Unknown said...

I truly hope you and Yoshi had a nice snooze.