Things were looking a little text heavy

I'm procrastinating. Contracts is exactly as boring as I remembered. Here are a few photos I took a couple of weeks ago on a little walk along the river near my house.

Before and After

My very expensive collection of study materials for the bar exam arrived yesterday. Life was different before I heard the UPS guy drop that very heavy box on the porch. I was sitting on the floor, making some simple earrings to try and sell through the store my mom manages, feeling content, creative, the sun shining through the windows, Freckles being amazingly good about not batting around the pearls and iolite rondelles I'd scattered right at cat level. And then I heard that thump. And now everything feels a little more real, my year of easy living feels dangerously close to over, and I've started thinking about all the many many things I kind of thought I wanted to do with this time off that I haven't done. Like learn to sew. And write a book. And figure out what I want out of life.

Because now there's a large pile of study guidees sitting in the corner, by the door, reminding me of what I was, and that if I don't get my act together soon, what I'll have to go back to. Procrastination isn't just for household chores.

As soon as it came, I pulled the box apart searching for the schedule - that list of assignments and lectures that will rule my life until the end of February. When I studied for the California bar I treated the BarBri schedule like a bible, and for once in my life I acted like a fundamentalist. But this time, I have more time, so it will be a little different. BarBri condenses the entire formal study schedule into a 6 week program. So if I followed the program exactly, I wouldn't have to start until sometime around New Year's eve. But since I have the time to do so, I'm going to start a little earlier, stretch it out a little longer, so that those first two months of 2008 aren't quite as all consumingly all law all the time. Because . . . to be honest, I don't do all law all the time. That's kind of why my last job didn't work out so well.

Yesterday afternoon, all I was consciously avoiding was delivering a gift basket to a neighbor and scrubbing my bathroom. Now I've got a stack of books reminding me of all the other things I've been avoiding all year, and will probably continue to avoid, knowing me, until they refuse to be ignored any more.

Last Minute

So, I did finish cleaning out the carport this morning. Fever and all. It didn't take as long as my whining would have suggested because I had done a lot of the work a month ago when I first got back from Belize. And I was just in time, because look - it's snowing! This sight won't be so exciting in a couple of months, or maybe even in a few weeks, but right now the snow is still novel and delightful and I love watching it come down from my cozy chair by the fire. Especially knowing that my car is safely tucked away and I won't need to unbury it when the time eventually comes that I need to leave the house.

Have I mentioned that I haven't gotten around to buying a snow shovel yet? EVIL procrastination. EVIL.

I Suck

For oh so many reasons. But today, the suckage is a result of my evil EVIL tendency to procrastinate. Thwo subjects of my procrastination are coming back to bite me. First, the dreaded, hated, unpleasant task of taking my garbage to the landfill. (More accurately, the "solid waste transfer station", since nothing is actually left at the "dump" of my childhood anymore. I don't even want to know where they take it.) I put off going all weekend, even though I really need to, and then got all psyched up to go today, only to remember it's a holiday. So my THREE BAGS of garbage will just have to remain on my over-crowded porch (I can't leave it outside or animals will rip it apart) for another day. Gross. (Luckily it's so fucking cold that it doesn't actually smell, but still, GROSS.)

The second thing I've procrastinated on (well, there are way more than two, but the second one I'm regretting today)? Well, cleaning out my carport. I really really need to make enough room in the carport to park my car before snow starts accumulating. And once there's enough room, I need to use a magnet to pick up all the nails and screws and other things that could destroy my tires. And hahahaha, guess what, this is so funny, it's supposed to snow five inches starting this afternoon. Oh, HAHAHAHA. God. And of course, could I do this unpleasant but necessary task when it was warm, and sunny, and otherwise comfortable? Of course not! No, I have to wait until the last possible minute, when it's 15 degrees outside with windchill, and did I mention that I have a fever?

Another Reason To Stay in Idaho, or One Less Reason to Leave

I just found out that an Anthropologie store will be opening in downtown Boise sometime soon! I'm doomed. I wonder if there's any way I could survive splitting my time between working at Anthropologie and a spa? I'd be dirt poor, but I'd have adorable clothes and home accessories and my skin would be fabulous.

The facial was excellent by the way. I adore the woman who gave it to me, and she's phenomenal at her job. I came out feeling slightly drunk with relaxation, the way I've seen people look after they get a hot stone massage or one of the spa's detox wraps. And my skin looks great. I think this might have to become a regular indulgence.

Indulgence

Because we're in the slow season, the spa is letting members of its unlimited yoga club and, more importantly to me, its staff, get services at 50% off the regular rate. Of course, I always get 40% off, but that extra 10% . . . I'm getting an inexpensive high-quality facial this morning. And I have the next 5 days off. I love my life.

Not Very Green

I'm doing my damndest to speed global warming and not feeling very good about it. Since I bought my new car in May, I've driven almost 14,000 miles. In FIVE YEARS I only put 28,000 miles on my last car. This is . . . not good. But I can't help myself. I want to go places! This week I drove to Newport for a very very short visit. I left on Sunday and returned on Tuesday for an almost 700 mile roundtrip. Ridiculous. The weather was perfect, I had some stuff I needed to retrieve from my old bedroom, I wanted to see my mom and play scrabble with Zach before winter sets in and the roads get bad and I'm too nervous to do more than drive to work or the grocery store and I don't see anyone on the days that I'm not working. Anyway, I needed to confess that ridiculous extravagance. It was a lovely trip, really perfect, but . . . I feel bad.

***

In other news, my BarBri materials are on their way. Can you feel my terror and dread through your computer?