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Friday Blog Roundup

This is where I prove yet again that I am dumber than a napkin. I sometimes feel like that befuddled farmer in the riddle with the fox, chicken, and bag of feed, endlessly trying out different combinations even though a seven-year-old can usually solve that problem within two minutes.

I am constantly behind on things. Or, at least, I feel as if I am behind on things. Here is a case in point: I was behind on returning emails specifically about Bridges. I had been placing everything that required a long response and opening multiple spreadsheets in a folder and then I was falling farther and farther behind. But if I sent out an email to everyone saying, “hey, I’m sucking hardcore at email”–especially people who don’t know me and are writing me for the first time–I was worried that I would be met with the obvious question: why are you sending out an email saying that you’re sucking at email instead of just answering the email.

So that wasn’t a solution.

And then I realized that I could add a status report in that permanent post at the top of my blog and I could call it “my status” making it quite clearly a status report. And I could write things like “I am sucking it hardcore at email this week” and people would know to check there if they were waiting on something from me. It would sort of be like the equivalent to Twitter except that it would only be about what was happening vs. witty observations about the Wonder Pets.

So…um…if I ever seem dormant or unresponsive or behind on things or plotting…you can check that top post that is always on my blog and if nothing is written there…well…perhaps I have been consumed by tigers.

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IComLeavWe started yesterday. I feel like I should give you something good to comment on in this post. I mean, it would suck to get through this entire post and then linger at the bottom thinking, “I want to leave a comment; not just because it’s part of IComLeavWe but because I want her to know that I read her words. But there is just nothing to comment on here. I mean, yes, she’s dumber than a napkin and I can write that I agree with that assessment, but is that rude? And I know that I’ll find out the story behind those pictures tomorrow (oh, you don’t actually know that yet, but you’ll know it in a few more lines). And she picked some pretty cool posts this week. But damn. I just don’t know what to say.”

So here is a question:

How are you with endings? What is the worst part for you–the time beforehand, the end, or the time after? I am not talking about the saddest of goodbyes, the ones that are terrible in every single moment, but more along the lines of the end of camp or the end of a trip or a visitor leaving. How were you on the last day of college or saying goodbye to neighbours before a move or finishing up a job?

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The story of last week’s Show and Tell will need to wait one more day because the person who needs to receive something before she sees the story will not get it until Saturday. So…um…the very same pictures (but now with story!) will become this weekend’s Show and Tell. And now you probably understand that sentence in that long-winded sample internal monologue above.

But in the meantime, why don’t you click over to Bridges and participate in the True View Friday Open Thread?

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Okay, the blogs:

I really loved this post by Nonlinear Girl, perhaps because the feeling she describes is something we are all familiar with from time to time. That feeling of everyone standing a little too close–even when they’re across the room. She writes: “But here is the thing – even when you care about people and enjoy their company, sometimes too much time with no break turns fun into torture. For me, two days was the breaking point.” It is a sweet little post of realization and self-knowledge and I simply liked it very very much.

Alexa at Flotsam is having what she calls an “enema of the soul” and frankly, as difficult as it is to read (and I am fairly certain that she won’t mind if I mention the fact that if we follow her analogy to its ends, it means that the words we’re reading are watery feces?), it is also painfully beautiful and so deeply raw. She drew me in with her intial post, Prelude, that chronicles why she needs to write it and, perhaps, why we need to read it. I have been back for each part of the story. I hope she finds catharsis at the end of writing it.

Walking the Journey has a beautiful, simple post this week called “I Know” that begins: “I know that I am hard to talk to, I am sure you wonder if you have said the right thing or the wrong thing or if saying nothing at all was the best choice.” Anyone who truly wishes to understand should read this post–I know that she is preaching to the choir here, but you should send others to read it.

Lastly, Miss Inconceivability, who I got to meet face-to-face this summer and is this wonderful, warm, friendly woman, has a deeply painful post about ending her journey to add to her family. The line that ripped open my heart came towards the middle when she writes: “But I can’t help but feel angry (there I go, talking about my emotions, again!) and it has been really hard for me, these past several weeks, to get through the anger and the resentment and get to the place in my heart where the love lives.” Please not only read this post because it is one of the best things I read on the Internet this week, but to also circle Frenchie with love. Because she really really needs the wagons right now.

The roundup to the Roundup: A status report letting you know what song is on continual loop in my head will always be in that top, permanent post on my blog. I asked you a question about endings so you’d have something to comment about. Check out the Friday thread at Bridges. Oh, and be here Saturday evening because I have a fantastic story to go with those pictures and one of you came very close to guessing it last week. The winner will be announced.

0 comments

1 Fertilized { 08.22.08 at 7:38 am }

The waiting part for me causes so much anxiety. I anticipate and fantasize situations and then usually have anxiety filled letdown after the event of goodbye is over/

2 Marie { 08.22.08 at 7:45 am }

I have a hard time actually finishing anything. I always leave things ondone. When the company leaves is about 2 days before the house get back in order. I work on lots of projects; but probably need to work on some endings.

3 Jen { 08.22.08 at 10:13 am }

I do not think you are dumber than a napkin. But my two brothers-in-law did consider trying to get their dad’s dog to eat a napkin last Thanksgiving. They are pretty sure that if they put a dab of gravy on it, she would have eaten it, no questions asked.

4 Shelby { 08.22.08 at 1:10 pm }

Hi! I’m new to your site (and new to the world of IF blogging, but blogging in general, not so much).

Now, about endings: I agree with fertilized (which is a state I would love to share in someday soon). I think the lead-up to an ending in generally worse than the actual letting go or looking back. This has been true for leaving jobs (a skill I am quite adept in), moving, saying goodbye to friends as they move, finishing trips of a lifetime, etc. I usually get pretty melancholy the day before, but once it’s done, I find closure from somewhere.

By the way, love the blog!

5 Ginny { 08.22.08 at 2:27 pm }

Just leaving a comment 🙂

Not sure on the endings question, it really depends on the situation I guess. Sometimes it is relief, others happiness & others sadness.

I think the hardest endings for me are books though & it was the first thing I thought of when I read your question. If I'm reading a really good book or it is the last book of a series and a new one isn't out yet, I feel a bit sad for awhile, LOL.

6 Carrie27 { 08.22.08 at 6:12 pm }

The hardest part, for me, is leading up to an ending. I hate anticipating the ending, because then all it does is force me to think about it and not enjoy the current moment. Ultimately I find myself wishing for the end to come sooner just so I can get it over with.

7 Bea { 08.23.08 at 8:18 am }

Terrible at endings. Big relief when they’re over. I find them awkward.

Bea

Phew! Glad I’ve reached the sign-off point here! Kidding…

8 nonlineargirl { 08.23.08 at 1:17 pm }

Thanks for the mention (and kind words).

As to your question – I am the worst at endings. I hate to leave a party, a dinner, whatever. I hate to move, even when I want to go.

9 Jen J { 08.23.08 at 6:21 pm }

I have a really tough time with the hard endings. When I left my job to move north and get married it was so hard for me to leave & say goodbye! Even though I knew that I was ending something for something better I just about made myself sick over that ending.

Maybe that's why I keep putting off the end to Infertility treatments? The ending process.

10 Io { 08.24.08 at 6:44 pm }

I am very behind on things. As evidenced by when I am commenting on this. So I feel ya’.

11 beagle { 08.28.08 at 12:55 pm }

I valye the roundup now more than ever because I just can’t read as many posts as I used to.

You may be behind on things, but you’re still ahead of most of us!

🙂

12 beagle { 08.28.08 at 12:56 pm }

That would be value, I value . . . cleary my writing skills were lost with the reading ones!

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