A Day Off (plus, my Clean House, and why I'm glad I'm not on Hoarders)

I thought about pulling out a project I completed recently and passing it off as a project from The Box, since I'm not completing one today. I thought I could keep the continuity of the blog, not have to cash in one of my self-issued Get Out of Jail Free Cards, and resume business tomorrow. But then I thought, "Just keep it real, Michelle." (what I really thought, honestly, was, "Why would you lie about that? What's the point? Doesn't that dilute the whole project?"). So...no new project today. This is the first day back to school after Christmas break; it's 8:00 pm, and I am exhausted. I will be sound asleep by 10 pm, if not before. I thought this would be one of my days off from The 28 Days Project, even before I began it, because I knew I'd be tired and pressed for time. So instead of beating myself over not doing something new, I am giving myself a little pat on the back for recognizing ahead of time that I have limitations. Plus, it's January...nothing good can come from not getting enough sleep, running down your body, and being inside with germy germs all day long.

I did, however, go through The Box and look through things. I have plenty of projects in there that could go beyond January and well into February, if I want to. I sorted out some stuff, repurposed some supplies that I knew I would never make into anything, and pared down. I also came up with a list of "second tier" projects, things I can tackle if I have a burst of energy (and a bunch of time). We'll see where that goes. It was fun to take a look at the work ahead of me.

Part of this project is the result, I think, of being hooked on the show Clean House. My house is nothing - NOTHING - like the ones on there, but since watching it I've been very motivated to clean things out, get rid of clutter, and enjoy empty space. Thus, getting rid of The Box. And just when I thought the families profiled on Clean House were living in clutter....last night when we couldn't sleep, Kate and I watched part of an episode of Hoarders on A&E. Holy crap. I mean...wow. Just, wow. Some of those people make the Clean House people look like neat freaks. One of the women last night had so much stuff, she had a narrow pathway she had created to get to the small cubby/clearing on the floor she had created to sleep. It was amazing and horrifying. That show does what I think is missing on Clean House, which is offer counseling (heavy-duty, if needed) and long-term help. It made me feel better about my life.

That being said, I'm off to sleep in my bed. Which is not piled with crap. And I don't have to forge a path to find it, either. What a bonus.