House In Order, day 20

[cjsmith]

(18 and 19: dishes and Quicken.)

Today I dug out the pile of Ancient Unfinished Sewing Projects and added the two I found in desk drawers. It's a sad-looking pile. I hate thinking about how long these things have sat waiting to be finished... so long that, for many of them, there's no point any more. Patient died awaiting surgery.

There's a theme here, and the theme is: mending. The newest project in this pile (I can tell because it's in the newest desk) is more than two years old (I can tell because it's a pair of hiking pants, and I've been too gimpy to hike for 27 months now, not that I'm counting). The oldest is from college at best.

So I sewed a couple of buttons back onto the hiking pants. I have no idea if they even fit me any more, but at least they can go to Goodwill this way. I pulled out the spaghetti-strap sweater I started to fix four years ago or so, ripped out my attempted fix, and measured for a better fix. (Note to persons purchasing gifts: never get a spaghetti-strap sweater for someone with an actual chest enough chest to require support. She'll need to wear something under it, see. Get both neurons working together and you'll figure it out.) Not sure I'm going to bother doing the fix; I'm four years chestier than I was when I received the thing. I may sew it back the way it was manufactured and give it away.

There are still at least six items left in the pile. Grump. How do normal people stay completely unfazed by something like this? Do they simply lack the gene that tells them when something is their fault? That's the best explanation I have. (It fits a bunch of other behavior I see, anyway.) I think I would deal with a lot of things better if I lacked that gene too.

I am grumpy now. Next lifetime, I want a body that works. (*And* does not require clothing that hurts.)

Edit: Got rid of two shirts from the pile. I am now WAY too chesty for one of them, and the other does not allow me to use my arms. Poof! 30% of the workload gone. Still grumpy though.

Comments

[sebab.livejournal.com]

those of us who don't have "actual chests" might be starting to wish you were using another phrase instead.

(says the person standing in the corner who, as a 34 to 36 A or B, feels like a flat freak most of the time, including when she was 130% of her current weight)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I guess it's no easier on the other side of the spectrum, huh? :-( I mean, right now I'm feeling like I'd trade in a hot second, but of course that's because I've never been on the other side of the fence. Damn I hate carrying these big girls around.

Sorry about that phrasing. I'll try to remember not to say it that way.

[sebab.livejournal.com]

thanks, I know you didn't mean anything by it.

for a weird alternate perspective, it took me years to really assimilate that someone could ever WANT breast reduction surgery. I get it now, though :(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and again, my apologies.

I'm a little similar in that I don't truly understand why anyone would ever WANT augmentation. I hear my mother, for example (36A/B), talk about what it's like for her, and I don't fully get it. But I do get that those feelings are very real.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Do something to take the grumpies away if you can.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Sleep helped a little.

I've come up with a new theory for Boobage Management and a few other issues I have w.r.t. my body. There are THREE sexes. Why haven't scientists noticed? ;-) They are: Men, Women, and People Who Spend Time And Energy Actively Managing Their Boobage. Men, Women, and People Whose Hips Are More Than 13" Larger Than Their Waists (pants will never fit). Men, Women, and People With Monthly Abdominal Pain Making Them Unable To Stand Up. It's sort of like there's a continuum: man -> woman -> me.

I want a sex change. I'd be okay with being a woman.

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I need to have a mending day soon. My favorite shirt is in the pile, and the "hospital" (the basket of toys that need mending) is quite full.

Good idea to thin the pile before you mend! I hate shirts that restrict arm movement.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Who would ever knowingly design a shirt that restricted arm movement? What's the goal there? Sheesh!

I feel pretty good about having thinned the pile. (Now that I've had some sleep and can thus feel somewhat good at all.)

Mending

[deedeebythebay.livejournal.com]

Surprise, surprise....I started that last night. As I worked I set the handsewing to the side to be done while sitting with the kids watching tv. In the meantime I fixed three skirts and a blouse. Of course, the handsewing got set aside for a chance to do a puzzle with the kids but still.....more to do. So much more. We won't talk about the blouse that's in there that has wanted button holes and buttons now for 12 years!

Re: Mending

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Woohoo, the mending club! :-) So far I have two items needing handsewing and four needing the machine. I procrastinate the machine stuff because I don't want to redo the thread and wind a new bobbin. How pathetic is that? ;-)

[layer.livejournal.com]

i think most people never even think to fix things. they just throw them out and buy new ones. so you should feed good about yourself not bad.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I guess I feel good about the frugality bit. But it doesn't really come out very well unless I actually DO the fix! :-)

At least I did those pants. Woohoo.

[dangerpudding.livejournal.com]

How do normal people stay completely unfazed by something like this? Do they simply lack the gene that tells them when something is their fault?

I can't say much for 'normal people', cause I rarely qualify, but I end up in the same situation, often. I've dealt with it in the past 4-5 years by moving every 6 months, and leaving all of my belongings in storage about half the time. I don't recommend this strategy, and am trying hard to move away from it.

But, well, yeah. I have stacks of things that 'need dealt with' and cause me regular stress. D'oh.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Some days I think if I could just flip a switch to disconnect all emotion, I would get through these stacks of things in no time. I wouldn't waste any energy feeling bad about them. I'd just DO them.

I want that switch installed. Hey, Doc? One emotion-anaesthesia switch. Can you fit me in some time next week?