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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
Keeping the Madness at Bay (Industriousness)
If you read the most recent Asatour entry, you
know that I'm not completely thrilled about being here in Korea. Although my
quarters are shaping up nicely, a hole is a hole. When one must spend a
significant amount of time in that hole, madness can creep
in.
So how does one go about keeping the madness at bay? Well, I, for one, read a lot. I watch TV. Yes, I eat. Quite a bit, in fact.
I'm also developing this strange cleaning fixation. It's as if I think on a subconscious level that if I can just get this place clean enough, it will be a tolerable set of quarters. Hasn't happened yet, but not for lack of trying. In addition to buying various and sundry cleaners for bathroom and kitchen, furniture polish, Lysol disenfectant spray, carpet cleaning spray, glass cleaner, and enough plug-in air fresheners to make the entire place smell like an invisible garden, I also rented a carpet steamer over the weekend. When I first saw the results, I thought it was a waste of money, but it does seem to be somewhat cleaner (I spilled the bottle of carpet detergent, but luckily it was on the carpet, so I didn't have to clean it up. The self-cleaning mess). Oh yeah, and today I bought a Swiffer wet mop thing.
In addition to the general obsessive-compulsive cleaning disorder, I also do something that I swiped, originally from Erich. Every Tuesday is my religious day. It's my main cleaning day, and when I do laundry. Any trash that has collected gets taken out, any clothes in the floor get washed and put away, I clean the bathroom and the kitchen and put everything into an orderly arrangement.
After cleaning myself up and donning freshly-laundered clothes (for the most part. In the interest of complete disclosure, I'm still wearing the mainly-clean shorts I was wearing whilst doing laundry), I attend to my altar. Yes, I set up an altar. It's got things on it that I like or that represent to me my association with the Aesir.
Again taking a cue from Erich, I take everything off of it and clean it. I dust with Pledge the top of the dresser (I don't actually keep anything but altar supplies in the dresser; it's dedicated to this esoteric function alone, which isn't easy in this tiny place), and clean the candle holders with glass cleaner. I make sure everything is free of dust. Once everything is shipshape, I hold a bit of a one-person blot. I light the candles, and, one by one, replace the items on the altar. Something I just thought of is that every Tuesday, I draw something. I have a big piece (well, sketchbook-sized) of paper and, although I am no artist, I place some kind of heathen symbol or glyph on the paper. During the blot I offer the piece of paper with the new addition back to the Aesir and Asynjur. I usually offer some sort of alcohol, as well.
I consider this an expression of Industriousness at its finest.
So, what do ya'll do?
So how does one go about keeping the madness at bay? Well, I, for one, read a lot. I watch TV. Yes, I eat. Quite a bit, in fact.
I'm also developing this strange cleaning fixation. It's as if I think on a subconscious level that if I can just get this place clean enough, it will be a tolerable set of quarters. Hasn't happened yet, but not for lack of trying. In addition to buying various and sundry cleaners for bathroom and kitchen, furniture polish, Lysol disenfectant spray, carpet cleaning spray, glass cleaner, and enough plug-in air fresheners to make the entire place smell like an invisible garden, I also rented a carpet steamer over the weekend. When I first saw the results, I thought it was a waste of money, but it does seem to be somewhat cleaner (I spilled the bottle of carpet detergent, but luckily it was on the carpet, so I didn't have to clean it up. The self-cleaning mess). Oh yeah, and today I bought a Swiffer wet mop thing.
In addition to the general obsessive-compulsive cleaning disorder, I also do something that I swiped, originally from Erich. Every Tuesday is my religious day. It's my main cleaning day, and when I do laundry. Any trash that has collected gets taken out, any clothes in the floor get washed and put away, I clean the bathroom and the kitchen and put everything into an orderly arrangement.
After cleaning myself up and donning freshly-laundered clothes (for the most part. In the interest of complete disclosure, I'm still wearing the mainly-clean shorts I was wearing whilst doing laundry), I attend to my altar. Yes, I set up an altar. It's got things on it that I like or that represent to me my association with the Aesir.
Again taking a cue from Erich, I take everything off of it and clean it. I dust with Pledge the top of the dresser (I don't actually keep anything but altar supplies in the dresser; it's dedicated to this esoteric function alone, which isn't easy in this tiny place), and clean the candle holders with glass cleaner. I make sure everything is free of dust. Once everything is shipshape, I hold a bit of a one-person blot. I light the candles, and, one by one, replace the items on the altar. Something I just thought of is that every Tuesday, I draw something. I have a big piece (well, sketchbook-sized) of paper and, although I am no artist, I place some kind of heathen symbol or glyph on the paper. During the blot I offer the piece of paper with the new addition back to the Aesir and Asynjur. I usually offer some sort of alcohol, as well.
I consider this an expression of Industriousness at its finest.
So, what do ya'll do?
Posted: Tue - August 17, 2004 at 11:58 PM