I have some gift certificates to send out to extended family, and then I am done! I put the last physical items on order, all set to show up by Monday-Tuesday of next week at the latest. I feel good about it. My spouse will cover off her niece and nephew, while I figure out mine. And that should be that. Unless I am struck by a last minute excellent idea for my spouse, I can start to focus on wrapping gifts now, instead of lines, full parking lots, and spending more money.
We have opted for one bigger gift per child, something that they really, really wanted, instead of a flood of filler presents. If I had my way both kids would get musical instruments to pull them away from heavy device usage. I’d much rather see them learn to play a guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, or brass instrument, then go on, and on and nauseum about “brain rot” this, and “brain rot” that. Ugh! Then we could jam together and make some fun musical memories as a family.
Speaking of which, I intend to go to Long and McQuade today to find some new guitar picks with texture on them, as mine are too slippery, and fall out of my hands while playing with any sort of vigour. Either that or I need to find Pine tar, or hair spray to add some tackiness to them, so I don’t drop them mid rhythm. Smooth soft finger tips aren’t all that helpful. I guess climbing hasn’t roughened them up enough yet. We did take a full month off, so some calluses have reverted back to healthy skin again.
I’m also looking for a noise gate pedal to cut down on feedback from my amp while playing. I could do without the run away Eeeéeeeeeeeee that becomes deafening the second I stop playing, and want to tune a string for a different song. We will see what options there are in the price range I’m willing to pay, which is not much. Ha.
The household purge gas moved along smoothly. Each day this week I have scoured a new location, and cleaned up as well as I could. Now if we had a big bin out front I might get a little more adventurous, but the clear out has to conform to our current three bag maximum, so I need to save space for regular day to day garbage that we produce from eating, and living regularly. I can’t use all three bags on purged materials. This is where strategy comes into the mix. Luckily the blue bins can house some of this junk too. A life saver!
I think getting right to ten boxes of crackers, and such out of the pantry was an added bonus. The green bin will be full this next pick-up day. Rancid oil smells so bad. White powdery chocolate is gone. Four year old Smarties — gone too! Cereal that was opened in September has gone as well. The kids opened it, ate it for two breakfasts, then promptly forgot all about it, and have zero interest in eating the remaining 95% of the box. Out it goes then! Bye-bye. See ya!
Problem is I am fast approaching the limit of what I can get rid of. Not necessarily a bad thing. But the tiny house, she’s a still a very, very tiny you see. No amount of junk clearing can make the walls longer, or the square footage expand. Try as I might, it hasn’t worked yet! Ha! Even if I got rid of the doll houses, art station, toy boxes, and racks of toy filled bins, the house is still small. But then it would be empty. I don’t want an empty minimalist wet dream of a home, I just want it tidy, and not completely cluttered with junk.
Besides a new refrigerator, and probably a new AC unit, we need to think about a new couch / seating situation. I think our current sectional is too large for our home. It takes up a lot of space. It’s faux leather, and both the dogs, and children have torn this thing to shreds. To shreds you say!?! Ripped, and worn through seams, with a couple springs showing. We have the Loud House couch in our home. Busted up heifer of a thing.
I think we need a love seat, and an arm chair because all five of us (including the dog) rarely all sit here together all at one time. Not that we will replace any of those three items any time soon unless forced to do so. It is something to consider. Until next time. Onwards & upwards.
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