Umm…”hello?”….is this thing on?
Okay then, let’s begin.
Despite evidence to the contrary, I was not abducted by covert government operatives for indoctrination into a super secret black ops program designed to replace water-boarding with sweet pickles as the preferable method of torturing suspected terrorists. No, not at all. Sweet pickles have been torturous (to me anyway) from the moment some demented soul decided to subject an innocent cucumber to their sick and twisted experiments. Nope, they didn’t need my help with that.
Instead, I’ve been in a summer/heat-induced coma, at least as far as blogging and email is concerned. I returned safe (perhaps not sound) from Washington D.C. on Sunday the 18th. Had a nice time. Pretty amazing to see the monuments up close and personal. Even more amazing to see paintings and sculptures (in the National Gallery) by artists whose names are familiar to us all. Almost overwhelming, really. I took Monday the 19th off to recover, and have been recovering ever since. I must be getting old (“no, really?” 😉 ) as I did not anticipate just how draining 5 days of 8+ hour conferences plus sight-seeing would take out of me. Couple that with all the work that piled up the week I was gone and it being a busy time of year and my evenings have found me either vegging in front of the television watching Veronica Mars (for the first time) or, more recently, riding a horse around wreaking havoc in the Xbox 360 game, Red Dead Redemption.
Even in my zombification I have missed you all and you haven’t been far from my thoughts, merely far from my fingertips. Looking forward to getting back in the saddle. Sorry, its been all old west in my thoughts here lately. So that is my story.
Rumor has it that we will be moving from our current work facilities to our new ones in August. Of course that has been rumored each and every month since April, so I’m not crossing my fingers. As I began packing my personal belongings today (to meet the July 31st deadline), I couldn’t help but be curious about the sadness that came bubbling up to the surface. Some of the items that make my space personal have been with me for many years in this building, through 3 separate office moves and 3 promotions. A new building means new rules, one of these being more oversight into what one is allowed to bring into the new space. So while I long for that ‘new office’ smell, heating and cooling that works (I hope), and a shorter and more “purty” commute to work, I can’t help but feel really attached to this decrepit old building and my admittedly large and, if I do say so myself, cool office. Though largely devoted as work space I had enough room in this office to indulge in a bookshelf related almost entirely as a very tasteful shrine to Neil Gaiman and J.R.R. Tolkien; a corner wall that was a visual homage to Alice in Wonderland, particularly as reimagined by American McGee; and some really nice signed original art panels from Richard Sala’s comic, Peculia.
I have no doubt that most of this will have to remain at home when it comes time to bring a little personality into the new space. What I find interesting about this is that at 41 years of age I slip quite easily into emotional attachments and anthropomorphizing physical objects. How will my Neil Rat, my Hellboy Red Hand of Doom, or my Death mini-bust feel if I have to leave them behind in the new move? Perhaps they wouldn’t feel so bad if I had space for them at home, but home is full and they will most likely be relegated, at least for a time, to some sort of storage space. Where it is cold, and dark, and they are alone. Will they plot against me? Will they be sad? Sure, I’m overstating it a bit, but I truly have assigned emotional value to these objects which function as symbols of the self and have helped my work space to feel like a safe place, especially in the midst of the chaos that surrounds my actual job. As a reader I know full well that I do the same thing with books. They are more than the mere physical object, to be sure. They live. They are friends. And I hate putting my friends in a box.
And so, as I tape these last few boxes up and begin to plot and scheme about how some of these items might work their way either into the home décor or back with me to the new space, I rest securely in the knowledge that I am not alone in this. Crazy? Maybe a little, but I am not alone.
Oh my, I think I understand what you mean. And I don’t think you’re crazy at all. But you know, as melancholy a feeling as it gave you to pack your friends into a box, I have to tell you that the biggest feeling *I* have right now is RELIEF!!! As I read the title of your post, and even as I read the first few paragraphs, I just got so upset—seriously, stomach-churning, tears-brimming upset. For whatever reason, I thought the “moving on” you were talking about and the place you were leading to in this post was to say goodbye to blogging. Honestly, I got myself in a bit of a state and almost couldn’t continue reading. I am ever so grateful I did! So please forgive me my relief, okay?
Welcome back Carl.
Good luck with the move, and if you do *have* to leave Neil Rat and friends at home in storage, just imagine the fun you’ll have rediscovering them when you find a space for them 🙂
Nice to have you back, Carl. These moves never proceed without some “adventures”, but once settled in it seems to be fine. I made a lot of them in my career and the best thing is always the view, if there is one. the last office I had was on the 9th floor (of 10) and had a great view of a couple of historic landmark buildings, including a courthouse. And morning sun.
Take pictures. Share them. Welcome back.
Richard: Its nice to be back. The parking lot is the main thing that needs to be finished before we can get a permit to occupy the building and thankfully they are FINALLY getting to work on that. I do have a window, but no kind of view in the new building. It is a one story affair and my office faces the back which looks out on a fence and the apartment complex behind. Not complaining, at least I will have natural light, which is a must. That view on the 9th floor sounds fantastic. I go to meetings at a historic downtown KC building and they are up on the 14th floor of a very large building. I lust after their views whenever I am up there.
Fence: That is true. Packing everything up today was something like rediscovering things just because it had been so long since I spent any time admiring them.
Debi: So sorry for that. The post was kind of hodge-podge and I just couldn’t think of any title for it and that seemed like the most appropriate. Didn’t mean to give you a scare. I appreciate the sentiments though and am glad I would be missed if that were the case. No worries though, you all are still stuck with me.
Glad to see you back Carl. I wish you well with the move, can only imagine. My work place, this coming Monday, will be starting our remodeling/construction phase. Should be glorious…I say that in jest. It will be a big pain…moving patients here and there to accommodate construction but I (as well as my co-workers) hope the payoff will be good. In the meantime, 7 months of disruption. Hope it is only 7 months.
I have to tell you, as I read about your sentiments towards your stuff, I just could not help thinking about Toy Story 3. I could not help thinking that your stuff is talking amongst itself…wondering where they will be placed, and hoping for the best. LOL. Really…Woody and Buzz Lightyear were playing in my head…rallying the troops, telling that it is okay that they will be stored in the attic because that means they are still loved. Have you seen Toy Story 3? If not, you should…a good movie. The day after I saw the movie, I was tossing some junk toys…you know, the McDonald type yuck…anyway, I threw one into the trash and seriously had a moment of deep hesitation…I almost took the thing out of the trash because all I could hear was the darn thing saying…”No! Not me! Don’t Throw me away!”. I threw it away. LOL 😀
Again, glad to see you back.
I had to laugh at your anthropomorphizing because I used to do that with my Poppets to the point that I gave them their own blog with (I hope) fairly unique voices. The blog is gone, but I sitll do speak for them, at times. They get awfully tired of being cooped up in that ridiculous little sequined bag, you know. 🙂
Good luck with your move! Hopefully, it won’t be too traumatic.
welcome back!..I was beginning to wonder if there would be an RIP challenge come September!!
I hate moves.. be it “home” or “work” it’s a big PITA! I hope the move goes smoothly and you find a proper place for some of your “goodies”!!
“I slip quite easily into emotional attachments and anthropomorphizing physical objects…I hate putting my friends in a box.” This gave me such a connection to Toy Story 3, which my 19 year old son and I saw a few weeks ago. He looked at me in the parking lot after the film, and said something about he always wondered if his toys had feelings. Somehow, that doesn’t seem bizarre to either of us (you included?).
I, too, have been in a heat-induced coma, and Carl, I’d move anywhere with air conditioning. You’ve probably heard me sing my familiar refrain of, “Damnit! Where is the cool air so I can breathe?” when I go back to school.
May we both hang on to our sentiments and our sanity.Blessings on you.
Glad to have you back. It’s always nice to read your eloquent posts, and I feel a certain kinship with our eclectic interests. Best of luck with the work-move.
Logan: We do indeed! I was watching a game video about Heavy Rain in the Gamestop store the other day and was thinking that it was you who had played that and posted about it recently. Does that sound right? The game looks amazing. Makes me wish I had a PS3.
Bellezza: School buildings and air working air conditioning seem to be an oxymoron, at least that is my memory of just about every school I attended. I have yet to see Toy Story 3 but want to, I enjoyed the other two. Every so often I think of my childhood teddy bear sitting in a box in the basement and I feel bad about it.
Deslily: I’m not a fan either, even when it is a move I want to make. We will for sure be having R.I.P. I’m really excited about it and it will be here before we know it.
Nancy: Yes indeed, Poppets don’t like to be kept in the dark. It encourages them to plot and scheme…and we don’t want that.
Ibeeg: Another Toy Story 3 plug! I’m going to have to see this film. 🙂 I’ve always found the idea very clever. I also like stories where book characters come to life and/or have lives of their own. The Jasper Fforde books spring to mind, as does the Time Warp Trio book about the library…can’t recall the title right now. Its good to be back. I have A LOT of your emails to catch up on now. 🙂
I’m positive Edward Scissorhands and Faith (BtVS) plot and spar when I’m not looking. How else can books and knicknacks fall from the shelves? It couldn’t possibly be MysTic’s fault, she’s far “too purrrfect” for that.
Welcome back and good luck with the move.
@Carl: Aye, ’twas me talking about Heavy Rain. The game was pretty awesome. Very tense. Narrative and plot took precedent over gameplay, and coupled with beautiful graphics the game was a hit. Maybe one of these days it’ll come to 360.
Logan: That is what I thought. Good to know the ol’ bean can still recall some things right once in awhile. I love it when games are about story over gameplay. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does it is a real immersive experience.
Mish: they are plotting, don’t you doubt it for a second. 🙂
I had to laugh at your personification. I do the same thing. I felt bad the other day for the paper at the very bottom of the printer stack that doesn’t get used as new paper is refilled in on top of it. My dad blames such craziness on Walt Disney.
Welcome back! So glad I’m not the only adult who anthropomorphizes things. Yeah, I’ve got some “friends” in storage right now — poor things. It’s probably really stuffy in that box they are in …
We have had such odd weather here lately. It is usually quite hot this time of year, but we’ve only had short periods of high heat. I was watching the weather across the nation yesterday and the whole map looked flipped over. All those eastern and mid-western states with the kinds of temps you usually see here in the west; and then there was the us enjoying some nice temperate 70s. I’ve probably just jinxed it. Dang.
Yeah. Typing too fast while tired. I meant to type “and then there was us,” not the united states. I think I need to turn the computer off and go to bed.
Terri B: 70’s….I’m so envious of that. If only…. I am thankful that we’ve been getting rain fairly frequently as at least it has kept things green and not dried everything out which has usually happened by this time of year.
Jessica: Disney may have had an influence, for sure. Then again I was talking to my teddy bear long before I saw my first Disney film.
Hope the time off did you some restful good! Welcome back 🙂
Ha! My office is my car, so there aren’t many decorations, besides the empty coffee cups on the floor of the back seat!
Think of it as an adventure! Surely you will be able to do some decorating….. and everything will be squeaky clean!
Carl,
I don’t think Death will mind being in a cold, dark space alone. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s got used to it. 😉
Welcome back. We missed you.
What I love about this–aside from the relief of knowing that you will still be blogging–is your worrying about your bust of Death. But I see Stuart beat me to it. So, welcome back. Good luck with the move. Don’t leave anything behind that might plot against you 😉
ds: I will certainly try not to, but only time will tell just how successful I am at it.
Stuart: She probably won’t, but then again that might be what bothers me most. 😉
Qugrainne: I spent part of yesterday pouring over a few (overdue) library books about decorating and came up with some fun ideas for my new office space as well as a few things I want to try for my space at home. So I’m getting excited about the move again. Now, we wait and see if it ever actually happens!!!
Glad to hear you and your family are okay. See how we all get nervous when you “disappear’? I hope you like your new space.
Cyn
Yeah, and now he’s gone and done it again. He’s not even visiting other blogs…
Richard: Sorry, I’m still in heavy ‘catch up’ mode at this point. I have 70 emails to get to still that have piled up since the trip. Ugh. Its the whole ‘need a vacation after your vacation’ deal here! My fingers are crossed for a quick return to normalcy.
Cynthia: I just hope we can sometime get into our new space. 🙂 The August dates are pretty much shot at this point, although that hasn’t been made official, so now it is looking more like September. And in September it may look like October! Oct, Nov. and Dec. is my favorite 3-month period of the year and I do not want to be moving during that time. I want to be settled because we have several major work projects all happening during that three month period. Keep your fingers crossed.
I just sent you an email that is sorta time-dependent… not knowing you were so far behind. Sorry.
Oh you are so not alone with this idea that our things have inner lives of their own! lol I used to think my dolls all had lives as soon I left the room, and the toys knew things. *sigh* if we admit this as adults, they’ll come and lock us away, won’t they? 😀 I hope you have space for some toys at work. I’ve started collecting dunnys for my cubicle at work. A very bad sign since I and my friends haunt the local toy store hoping for more! and these little figures definitely have lives of their own! lol