a change in the weather

Funny enough, I seem to have been doing fairly well on the resolutions (which I was just reminded of this morning). While far from perfect, my progress is a far cry form the usual “hey, neat idea; shame it didn’t work” results I’ve been getting over the past few years. The smoking is still occasional, but truly rare. Who has time to drink anymore? And even a single hard cider over cheesy fries is enough to make me all nappish.

The house I was looking at has a boundary issue, which is a real show-stopper for me, but the good news is that I know what I qualify for (even though it’s a pittance) and have begun the process of finding where I’m going. The boys and I haven’t hiked yet, though we have taken some walks in a more urban(e?) setting. Yesterday during the school holiday I ended up renewing my library card and rediscovering the online catalog we have in the valley. We each took home a movie (mine is Snow Falling on Cedars, which I haven’t watched yet) and Dragon and I each found a book we just couldn’t live without (mine? The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter -- hard to believe I’ve never read it, but there you have it).

Overall, it’s really about having goals and become a legitimate person at long last. The simplifying isn’t happening yet at the visible level, but I can feel it percolating around in the ether, and I see things differently. I am actively looking forward to the donation stack that is forming in my mind, even though it will mean a ton of work, mostly involving carrying stuff down the stairs. The only good part of moving All Those Books will be using the cat to scan them in to Library Thing when I unpack them. Wherever that might be.

The time has come for the boys to have separate rooms, and that’s the biggest factor in finding a place to live: three bedrooms, not just two, and preferably a house so that we can keep the pets. It’s not easy, and anything we can afford will likely mean a serious increase in the petrol bill to accommodate a commute. But it will be my life, and that’s what matters.

I feel more alive that I ever have in my whole life.