Girl in Gotham v2

Not even a week in, and I’ve missed a day already.  It was unintentional, really.  I ran around all day yesterday.  Got cookies, went to the Clay Festival and then to the Handmade Cavalcade for holiday shopping.  It was freezing outside and I walked a lot and caught up with a bunch of people.  Also met some really cool crafty types who I intend to connect with again.  It was a good day.  But, by the time I got home it was after 7pm.  I ate dinner, sat down on my bed to watch some TV and promptly fell asleep.  It was way earlier than I’d intended and it was way earlier than I should have fallen asleep.  But, I was apparently exhausted.  I woke up at about 1am.  I was half awake for a while longer and then fell back to sleep.  And then I actually slept in this morning until 9:30.  So, clearly, I was tired.  But, I realized that I not only slept through the creative energy that I generated while out and about yesterday, but also my Holidailies posting.  So, oops.

And not really much to post about today.  I was waffling about going to the LeSportsac sample sale and feel a tiny little triumph that I resisted the temptation to go, because the last thing I really need is another LeSportsac (much as I love them.)  However, truth be told, it wasn’t completely a triumph of will that kept me away.  It had more to do with the fact that it was ridiculously cold outside (it was even cold in my apartment) and I was more  than happy to be a couch potato.

I did start working on some jewelry, but didn’t get anywhere near as much as I wanted to get done. Especially not in comparison to the mess I created, pulling out every last bead, wire, and supply that I could find.  So, now here it is, close to 11pm.  I haven’t much to show for the day, but a lot of lounging, DVR watching, and hey, I did finish another entry.

And back to work tomorrow.  Isn’t my life thrilling?

Confronted with the fear of a blank page (or screen, as the case may be), I turned to the Holidailies Writing Prompts to start this month-long exercise in trying to get back into a regular habit.  The prompt for the first entry is “Introduce Yourself.” Does that instruction lead me to write an abbreviated biography like a normal person?  No.  Instead it triggers within me a sometimes maddening, sometimes entertaining trail of words and music.

I’m so easily suggestible that even the slightest of connections can force a phrase or even a whole song from the recesses of my mental filing cabinet (you might call it my brain).  For whatever reason, I have a savant-like knack for song lyrics.  This includes pop, rock, jazz standards, folk, some country and anything by Rick Astley that my roommates chose to play incessantly my sophomore year of college. However, most often, the presence of the Showtune Gene in my DNA* leads the way and my “gift” manifests through songs from the musical theater canon.

Which takes me back to the writing prompt for this entry…”Introduce Yourself.” Which led me to ask, “Who am I?” which then led me to sing “Who am I….who am I….I’m Jean Valjean…”  from Les Miserables.  The logic might seem lacking to the casual observer, but I feel certain that my fellow theater geeks, can see the the connection, however flimsy.

As if that weren’t enough, I also suffer from a constant, nagging earworm affliction.  Which means, not only do I find myself at the obscure Les Miz reference, but, until some other tune replaces it, Jean Valjean is the only song in town. So, I guess, in a way, the Holidailies prompt worked.  I’ve now introduced myself as a musical theater geek who can’t stop quoting showtunes and has them on a loop inside her head.  Welcome to my brain.  Aren’t you glad you don’t live here?

Happy Holidailies, Day 1!

*presence of said gene also proving that I am indeed a gay man, trapped in a straight woman’s body.

It happens like this every year.  Things are going along at a pretty good clip.  The pace is manageable.  And then November hits and life becomes insane.  Before I blink, it’s Thanksgiving.  I’m suddenly scrambling to find gifts, send out cards, work, sleep, eat, and keep up with what feels like a year’s worth of stuff to do, crammed into just a few weeks time.  This year it seems even worse.

I seem to have been neglecting the vast majority of my friends.  I forget to return phone calls.  I have literally hundreds of unopened emails and every time I check one thing off of my to do list, it feels like three more things replace it.  How is it that I’ve already started receiving holiday cards, when I’ve barely even thought about sending them out?  I wanted to make most of my holiday gifts this year, and yet I haven’t started a single one.  All the best intentions and it feels like I’m barely keeping pace.

Sometimes I wish I could control my life like I can control my DVR.  Fast forward through the boring moments, rewind and repeat the good moments or the one I’ve missed, or just slow things down a little bit.  The slowing things down might help right now.

Wishful thinking, I know.  It will go by in a flash and then I’ll be in Florida for ten days.  I’ll be able to relax, see friends and family, eat good food, sleep as much as I want and maybe slow down my life just a little bit.  But for now, I take a deep breath and try to manage as many details as I can at a time.  Take it easy on myself when I’m not able to juggle everything at once and know that being perfect, dotting every last I and crossing every last T isn’t what it’s about.  I have to remind myself to savor every crazy day.  I do love New York City in December.  I love the twinkling lights, the cold weather, the holiday markets, the parties, the shopping, the gifts, and the manic energy in the air.  And I don’t actually mind the pace.  But, I’d enjoy it even more if I could just hit pause, rewind or slow a few more times before the year is out.

So, I’ve been lazier than I could possibly imagine about writing here.  Life always seems to get in the way, whether things have been going well (and they have been) or not.  A couple weeks ago, my friend Josh was talking about his web site and that he hadn’t updated in a long time, and that we’d been having cool conversations about stuff.  He suggested that we both start updating regularly.  This led me to thinking about actually doing Holidailies, especially since December was fast approaching (It’s here!  I can’t believe it).  So, I sucked it up and signed up for it and so did Josh.  I’m trying to get Gen to do it too, but so far, no such luck.

Holidailies is running a little late this year, so the commitment is to update daily from December 5 through January 6.  Despite that, I’m beginning today.  I’m gonna try my hardest to keep up with it.  Not sure I’ll have much of interest to say, so, we’ll see how it goes.

Meanwhile, I’ve also made the commitment to myself to start updating my other site, Girl in Gotham Designs.  I created the site on Labor Day weekend and also created an Etsy store.  However, I’ve not put anything in the store, or added anything to the site.  I need to take some photos and put some stuff up for sale.  It’s December!  Now is the time people are buying gifts and it would make sense that I had some things available for sale…at least a few pins and stuff that I’ve already made and are just waiting to be purchased, if only people knew they existed!

I’m doing this all to give myself the kick in the ass I need to start being more creative and productive and doing the things I’ve set out for myself.  But, still, right now it’s all a big…we’ll see. Meanwhile, you can keep track of me here, or on the Holidailies web portal.