OakMonster’s Den

On my way to work this morning, I had an epiphany.

I am way too content with my life, and therefore I lack the motivation to do anything else.

Look at it point by point and see if I’m crazy.

I love my body so I’m not really that motivated to work out. Genetically, I am not set up to live until I’m 100 years old. Since I don’t plan on having kids, there is not really a reason to live that long anyway. All I have to do is outlive Brandon. However, I am changing my eating habit, and that is working quite well for me so far.

I love my job despite the occasional bitching and moaning. (I mean, who doesn’t!) I don’t want to be in management so I’m settling in nicely where I am at. There is no need to claw my way to the top because I am not aiming for the top. I am just happily carving my own little niche in the organization like a little career trench I can move around laterally, playing all the important roles for the team without getting shot.

The commute is ridiculously simple with this bus route. Not to mention that I am saving the planet everyday, riding this bus.

Everything is going so swell that I don’t want to change a thing. I am pleased with life in general that I don’t need any more and I don’t want any less.

But somewhere deep in this lovely contentment, I think I got subconsciously bored.

That was why I haven’t wanted to do much of anything but watching hours and hours of television. Even before the flu and the antibiotics. I mean, I didn’t even want to cook–or blog! That right there should’ve sent a signal. But I was so comfortable where I was, I didn’t even see it.

Through television, I was escaping my content little life to somewhere else where things were different than what I have.

Now that the problem is brought to light, I have been plotting all day to make some changes.

I bought SiamesePixie.com (which right now is pointed to OakMonster’s Den content) with plans to extend my line of shirts and raise more money.

I looked up classes to take just to get me out of the routine. I was looking at a local dance studio that offers hip-hop as well as modern dance, and a kung-fu class at the local college. I was thinking of some cooking classes. But I could easily grab recipes and hit the stove on my own for that. Culinary school was very enticing to me but I don’t think I can afford it.

I planned on doing all the projects I dreamed up but never executed. Like putting up a photo wall in my den with the Post-It photo paper. Like updating Boren Consulting website. (Please don’t go there right now. It’s kind of embarrassing.) Like making my scrapbook since I haven’t done it for the past two years. Like making Brandon’s kilt and my own Renaissance Faire costume.

Yes. That’s some list I have going on for myself. But one thing I definitely accomplished today though.

I got all the tax paperwork and bills sorted, ready to be worked into Microsoft Money tomorrow. Oh, and I can see the office’s carpet again. One small step for the OakMonster.

The Contentment Wall? You’re going down, buddy.

Today is the day I clean my den. Not because I want to, because you know I never REALLY want to, but I have to. My appointment with the tax lady is Thursday.

Today is the day I am done with Amoxicillin that has zapped the life out of me for the past week and a half.

Today is the day I get my life back.

While Olaina continues to struggle with her clinical depression, I felt like I shared her pain for the past week. That feeling that you don’t want to leave the bed or do anything at all. The antibiotics may be curing the sinus infection, but at the same time poisoning my life. I mean, I didn’t have energy to move about or do anything. I didn’t even have the energy to purposely be lazy. I trudged in to the office and made the best of each day, looking forward mostly to the naps I get on the commute in and out of town. My stomach was upset most of the time that I don’t want to eat; or if the mood strikes and I actually eat something, I would end up miserable afterward.

I’m off of it today. And I felt AWESOME.

It’s also a lingering effect of having spent yesterday in San Diego with Olaina and Justin. That tax appointment, it was actually for tomorrow. Brandon originally suggested that maybe we shouldn’t go to San Diego so I could get the paperworks done. Instead, I postponed the tax appointment.

Tax paperwork or hanging out with two coolest people on the planet? Gee. Tough choice.

And it was 100% worth it.

Brandon and I headed down earlier than usual so we could catch Jumper. We were hopeful that we wouldn’t have to evacuate the theater again. The Movie God couldn’t possibly be that cruel. But then again, after the movie was over, although entertaining, I kind of wish I didn’t have to pay that much to see it in theater. Excellent idea for the movie and well-executed for the most part, but they didn’t get to flush out the story. And Rachel Bilson is definitely more annoying on big screen. LOL.

But then again, the company was worth every penny.

Before the show, we had a superbly divine lunch at Urban Solace. Justin and Olaina manage to find all of these awesome places to eat. Urban Solace looked like it was going to be a snooty joint, but it wasn’t. The menu was simple home cooked foods with enough flares that it is extraordinary but not overly gourmet. Olaina wrote about our experience there but here’s my official thoughts.

And yep, after the movie, we went to the bar. My first beer in weeks! I was so happy. And I was lapsing my antibiotics a bit so I didn’t have the usual nausea. I thought the Guinness would’ve finished me, but it didn’t. Hooray for everyone!

On our way back in the car, Brandon pointed out an SUV with a white fluffy dog sticking his upper half of the body out the back window. We started to talk about dogs. And I started to bark at the truck pulling up next to us at the stop light.

Then Olaina started barking too.

Then I said, “Two bishes in dah back, yo!”

We all lost it.

We went back to Justin and Olaina’s place for a bit longer. Olaina wrote about that too.

(I know, I know. We’re overlapping left and right over here. We were having too much fun we forgot to call dibs on who gets to blog about what. Haha.)

On our drive back, Brandon and I both agreed that we are going to accomplish our goal for the weekend today. We started off a little late, but we did get to the mall for food (so I could decipher what was in the chicken and wild rice chowder at Paradise Cafe) and shopping. We also did get to the grocery store to stock up. I watched Alton Brown and Jamie Oliver and got inspired all over the place so dinner for the next few days would be blog worthy, I hope.

Brandon is putting new speakers in my car right now. And as soon as I finished up this entry, I am going to at least get my office sorted out so I can start in on tax paperwork.

It’s amazing how a neglected office of 2-ish weeks can turn into a total nightmare. An avalanche of paperwork threatened to flow off my desk, so I just put the damn tray on the floor. Now my chair is rolling over the overflow. Brilliant plan, Oaks.

Oh, and have I mentioned before that my office is essentially the pit of death, where all the clutter in the apartment goes to die? Oh yes. Any clutter left in the living room that I never got to, either Brandon or myself would just haphazardly toss into my office to get sorted out. And the past few weeks of me being out of commission, the office resembles a New Orleans household without the water damage.

But at least I have the energy to attack it.

I’ve never been so happy to do a chore.

ETA: After all that big talk about getting to my paperwork, I only cleared a bit of a path into the mess. I ended up doing laundry, making dinner, and doing dishes instead before I got sucked into CSI marathon on Spikes with episodes I haven’t seen before. But hey, at least I can walk through the room now and I am all caught up with unanswered emails. Slow progress is still progress!

BBC reports about a possible link that excessive Vitamin E intake may increase risk of lung cancer.

As fas as I know, my mom has been taking Vitamin E supplements for years for her skin.  One  of the things she told me to take later on in life along with calcium, pretty much.  It’s the dry skin that runs in both sides of the family, she said.  We need to nourish from outside and inside.

Could it be that her vitamin intakes actually cause the cancer?  It’s far fetched, but this report said it’s possible.

I know.  I’m reaching.  It’s been many months, but I find myself struggling to make sense of things sometimes still.