January 06, 2006

Stuff



It isn't often that I mess around on line looking at items I cannot afford to purchase. Today, however, while waiting around for co-workers to finish a meeting so that we could grab lunch, I messed around on line looking at items I cannot afford to purchase. I discovered these exciting and aesthetically cool cocktail glasses, which my office mate pointed out are wasting volume. Nevertheless, I fell in love with their simple beauty and even though they are inexpensive, Craig and I rarely drink cocktails much less have kitchen cabinet space for 4 of these exquisite art forms, so I did not order them. We have, however, been hosting parties again lately. Nothing formal, but for the Rose Bowl we invited co-workers and building residents over for drinks and appetizers. I find great pleasure in appetizer-making, and even greater pleasure in witnessing party attendees enjoy appetizers. Wednesday I did not make anything unusual, but I still took great pride and felt happy to host guests. There was wine, beer, and later, shots from the fifth of Jack Daniels that remained on our counter from the previous gathering in our apartment building. It was a lot of fun. I think all involved enjoyed themselves.*As for our new year and its commencement, so far 2006 is moving along well. We've only gone to the gym once, but will return now that we've broken ourselves in. I have created several new music mixes, one which includes a quiet Ani DiFranco song I found from long ago, two basic acoustic songs by lesser known Joe Purdy, who has a song in an episode of Lost as well as one in Grey's Anatomy (we received the first season of Lost on DVD from my family and have been catching ourselves up on what we missed last year) and a song by an old favorite from college, Neutral Milk Hotel. The iMixes I put together are ideal motivators to work out. When Craig and I went the other day, I climbed aboard the ski machine. Oddly, I've never skiied. I needed Craig's assistance with the panel of many buttons that may as well have been marked in Latin, they were so confusing to me, and once he got me moving, the Pod was blasting good music into my brain and I was sure I'd be the best worker-outer ever! But 10 minutes seem to take 10 years to drag by, and the following 10 were even longer. At least the intelligently constructed iMix that I listened to while I sweated through my first work out of the new year did help somewhat. I kept thinking to myself, in jagged fragments, panting in my mind as well as from my exhausted lungs, Just one more song, one more song.*Anyway, despite our many apartment purchases since we returned to Richmond, there are still items left unbought that we need (translation: we want). After promising myself to minimize my spending in 2006, I went ahead and ordered our new Dell computer. It should be on its way. And to house the Dell, we're going to need a desk. And the desk, Craig desires, should look cool. These are luxuries, yet imperative components of a home. See how one can become consumed with stuff? It's unreasonable for a woman my age to want so many things. I've got my health, my heart, my mind and my Craig. Why do I also daydream about cute clothes, neat jewelry, a manicured hairstyle? And gadgets? I own so much already in an ethereal sense, why do I look at stuff and want it so badly? Two days ago I received a call from my best college friend JZ. She asked me to be her Maid of Honor this June! How inexplicably excited I am for that, what a treasure to be asked to do that for her! When I feel down about not having new clothes, new this, or new that or the other, I try to push the material weight of wanting to the very back of my list and remember things like being asked to be Maid of Honor for a girl who means the world to me. Or tonight, maybe Craig and I will watch more episodes of Lost and have dinner together. Or Sunday we're attending the work holiday party (a little belated) at a 4 star brunch in the Jefferson Hotel downtown. So really, as badly as I wanted to wave the plastic card filled with money across the computer to buy stuff today, I don't really need to, when I have so much in my hands as it is.*Those are really cool glasses, though.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's good you bridled your glasware fetish. I once had to go to counciling for my inablility to not purchase glassware that really had no purpose and still is collecting dust on shelves or packed in boxes that haven't been unpacked since we moved years ago.
It's hard when you move into a new place too, your old stuff just doesn't look the same and you find yourself buying things for that space specifically. When you move, you wonder what you were thinking in the first place.

11:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cool things are fun to look at and sometimes fun to have but after they are purchased and you end up only using them once you begin to wonder why you thought they were necessary to have. I know exactly how you feel - needing and wanting stuff, I honestly think buying things has a chemical effect on the brain making us humans/Americans feel slightly euphoric after a puchase. I say "Americans" loosely because the only people I have to truly compare us to are the Japanese and their simplicity. Having a child does not help with the accumulation and organization of stuff. We are trying to keep the loft free of clutter but it always seems to creep up on us.

You are right, though, a desk is necessary for your new computer :) and since it is necessary why not get a "cool" desk.

Please tell JZ CONGRATS! for me. It has been so long since I've seen that girl, for whatever reason I thought she was already hitched, silly me.

9:13 AM  

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