Nekkid, Clueless and Feelin' Good: March 17, 2001

Saturday,
March 17, 2001

And a tip of the shilleighlie to you, don't you know

And what a fine, fine St. Paddy's day it is, too, and me in my t-shirt as green as an Irish spring, with the corned beef and cabbage boiling on the stove and a wee drop of that darlin' Bailey's waiting for me afterwards.

My only annoyance is that they aren't playing "The Quiet Man" on any of the Texas local stations or the cable channels. What's SPD without The Duke, that lovely Maureen O'Hara and the gorgeous Irish countryside as the background for their tumultuous romance, dammit?

Okay, maybe I'm just spoiled from an upbringing in Chicago (and if I really wanted to, Icould get off my ass and go rent it at Blockbuster). Besides, by now you would assume I'd be used to different cultures and traditions. Still, it just doesn't seem like St. Pat's day without little Micko snorting and saying, "Impetuous -- Homeric!" when he sees the bridal chamber the morning after.

However, the grease in that corned beef (lovely stuff, but man it coats the roof of your mouth) has prompted me to get off my butt and do some cleaning around here. Particularly in my office, which I still need to set up (having this computer nook in the foyer has been so comfortable that there hasn't been any real impetus to get everything set up in there).

Doing the office shouldn't be too bad. It's mainly a matter of

Putting up all the pictures and decorations (to get them out of the middle of the floor). This is more significant that it sounds, because I have a lot of shit that needs to go on the walls -- covers of all the anthologies that have published my stuff, my own published artwork, that incredibly sexy Rolling Stone cover of Mulder and Scully in bed (soon to be joined by that incredibly sexy Rolling Stone cover of DMB), my treasured unicorn poster, various framed needlework pieces, assorted street signs, etc. Hey, I never denied being a packrat with rococo tendencies, okay?
Deciding where I want the small bookcase to go (to get it out of the middle of the floor so that I can uncrate the last two boxes of books) -- right now I'm leaning towards turning the little computer stand on end and slotting it against that wall, as I need to leave space on the opposite wall for my writing desk and the futon we'll eventually get.
Uncrating the last two boxes of books (to get them out from the middle of the floor -- see a pattern here?) and figure out what actually belongs in the office, what should go in the living room and what, if anything, should be in Lyndon's office.
Putting the assorted Barbies, toys and costumes away. Go ahead and laugh, people, but kids adore me. And with all the theater work and cons I've done, I have something of a hefty costume collection going here (in fact, the pastel-colored object at right is my very first corset, designed as part of a peasant girl costume and still one of the most comfortable things I've ever built. And directly to the right of it is my black leather corset, but that's another story. . .)

Of course, once I get the room squared away, I then get to sort my closet.

Oy.

At least I had the good sense to buy two of those 4-drawer storage towers. I swear, these things are a godsend for keeping art stuff, quilting and sewing supplies, and other odds and ends in one place, yet safely separate (yes, let's not put the paints in with the good fabric, shall we?). In fact, judging from the way I'm filling the big bottom drawers with fabric, I may need to get a couple more of these.

And then I get to start on Lyndon's office. And no, sweetie, I'm not unpacking anything, I promise -- I'm just setting up your desk and bookcases. Your camera equipment and computer collections are safe from me.

Besides, from the way some of those boxes have been growling for the past couple of months, I wouldn't go near them without a cattle prod and chainmail gloves.

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