Progress

A checklist of things accomplished and to be accomplished since the beginning of 2009:

* New exhaust system on car (ostensibly to pass this year's E-Check, though also to keep me from inhaling unhealthy amounts of carbon monoxide and keep me from smelling like the interior of an auto repair shop 24/7): check.

* Power steering on car repaired and functioning nominally: check.

* Possibly impulsive and ill-timed purchase of new, very speedy PC from MicroCenter, partially on a $200 gift card I'd received for Christmas: check.

* Heater unit maintenance to clear out a few years of dust buildup: check.

* Completion of re-inspection by Inspector Dickhead: check.

* Cleveland Indians 2009 spring training: in progress.

* Record Den sales status as of end of February 2009: cautiously optimistic following an absolutely awful January.

* Pointless obtaining of permit/plumber inspection for new water heater installed last year (by licensed plumbers, I might add) in order to get the city of Willowick off my back for this year once and for all: pending.

* Next six months of car insurance paid off: pending.

* A couple more dental fillings in April (which, if nothing else, finally closes the book on that ongoing project): pending.

* Dad's status on physical rehabilitation (following a late January bout with pneumonia in his other lung): pending.

* Current pace of Amazon sales: tortoise-like.

* State of condo cleanliness: cluttered.

* Setup/installation of new possibly impulsive and ill-timed purchase of new, very speedy PC from MicroCenter, partially on a $200 gift card I'd received for Christmas: delayed while trying to backup and offload ridiculous amounts of files from this one.

* 2008 income taxes: delayed until I can get needed dividend info from Dad.

* Scheduling of an ultrasound test at LakeWest Hospital (a very cheap and cost-effective procedure, I'm sure) to ascertain that Chuck is no longer hanging around: delayed awaiting the completion of "bill week".

Things are gradually becoming better than they were when I last updated this blog. My overall mood is improving considerably. There is a new U2 album next week. Baseball season starts in just over a month. Best of all: summer's comin'.

NP: (Various Artists) Cafe Del Mar Volume Five

Breather

Hi. Taking an hour break between applying coats of paint to the trapdoor access to the upstairs bathroom (located in the foyer ceiling) and the upper windowsill of the bathroom itself. After seemingly vanishing from existence for a wonderful two months after finding some new stupid shit to bitch about, Inspector Asshole has returned from whatever sabbatical he was on and now wants to schedule a re-inspection, like, yesterday. Good for him.

I think there is some kind of limited zen state I can achieve while painting. I can lose myself in the job and shed irritation with life and just kind of Be for as long as it takes to complete what I'm doing. Granted, dripping paint onto surfaces of different colors kinda hinders the calming effect of the chore a bit, but luckily, we've had none of that tonight.

Maybe I should do this more often. Anyone out there need a room painted by a rank amateur anytime soon?

I'll write some more eventually, but I've been in a pretty bleak place moodwise for the last week or so. Life sucks. It'll pass.