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Sunday, May 26, 2013

"Tension"

I’m a problem solver.  I see situations and figure out ways to make things work better.  I cheer people up and look for solutions.  I suppose it’s all based on my very selfish need to have my world to run happily and smoothly.  It’s difficult for me when people won’t cheer up.  “Tension” is an over-nice word for my feelings when the world is chaotic.

It’s been one of those weeks when I can’t fix the problems.  I can’t resurrect the dead and I can’t make survivors happy.  I can’t keep certain people out of jail or self-destructing.  I can’t even find my brother’s cat.

When I told my brother that the word of the week was “tension”, he gave a derisive laugh and said I could blog about his life, “in fact, tell the whole sordid story!”  Well, I won’t.  I have self-imposed limits for this blog of keeping it to one typed page or less, and I’m pretty sure my brother’s love life takes more than a page.

Let’s just put it this way, his scheduled May 18 wedding day has come and gone, and he’s still single – and in the process of dashing those hopes and dreams, he lost his cat.  He’s missing the cat much more than the fiancé, and he isn’t missing his potential mother-in-law at all.  I have to admit I’m not missing either woman and am quietly thankful he very narrowly dodged a bullet.

In the meantime, we’ve spent the weekend moving his stuff to my place, and I am convinced that man stuff is much heavier than woman stuff.  His weight bench attacked me when I tried to pick it up, which just goes to show that exercise is bad.  I’m not quite sure why lumber also attacked me.  It was by the weight bench, so maybe it was in collusion with the exercise stuff.

Mom and I agreed Brian owns too many books, and way too many artists’ coffee table books.  Them things are extra heavy, no matter how much inspiration might be found inside.  He also has piles of old textbooks, books on philosophy, comic books, notebooks, sketchbooks… Paper is heavy.  I swear he’s responsible for the death of an entire forest for his current store of knowledge and creative writing and drawing.  He also is very fond of rocks and metal.

So, I can’t mend the world or broken hearts, and I can’t find the cat, but I figure I can put my brother on the market in search of a better life partner.  He’s 42, obviously fit because of all that blasted exercise equipment, just as obviously literate and artistic, and interested in various forms of philosophy.  He loves pets, and would probably be willing to love your dog or cat provided it isn’t one of those little yippy things that jumps on him all the time.  He likes dogs you can take for a 10-mile hike in the park.  He has some money too because I found a jar of coins.

As for the other unsolvable problems in my world this week, prayers are appreciated for Phil and his family, Chris, the heartbroken, sick, and catless, and oh yeah, that I get through an internal audit this week at work.

I’m going to spend the rest of my 3-weekend in the garden or find my kitchen counter under all the superfluous stuff from my brother’s kitchen…

These are doodles with my new Faber-Castell PITT artist pen.  It’s a marker that’s kind of like a brush, with waterproof ink, and comes in different colors.  I love it.  Much happiness can be found in new art supplies!

20 comments:

  1. What a week you get attacked by lumber and a weight bench, and I get attacked by mad goose that kamikazed into my head! You, trying to help your brother, and me trying to get my daughter into college :)

    I like the purple pictures. Send me the money jar...I think I'm gonna need it!

    Good Luck to you Brian~always happy thoughts of you. Prayers to you Chris~Get your shit together. Also happy memories of you too Chris. Good Luck Linda!

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  2. Thanks ML! Brian says "Thank ya kindly", and I'll pass on the other message :)

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  3. Tired of moving them and convinced I'll never look at them again, I just finished taking 4 big boxes of books to donate to charity... They should make books that revert back to trees when you're done with them... if you want... like a magic button. Good luck with the audit and best wishes to the bro. 42 is young. Believe me.

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  4. That certainly is enough tension for one week Linda...a big hug to your bro and one for you for being there for him and providing a bolt hole until he can get back on his feet. It sounds like he had a lucky escape though?? I really hope you find his cat x

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  5. Now there's some tension, but it's guiltily fun to read about it!
    Your jilted brother sounds like a good catch. I'll take him. Wait, what do I do with the husband I already have?!
    Best wishes for your week ahead tensions!

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  6. Have fun with your new doodle pen. Good job so far. I thought tension was a good theme. If it wasn't memorial day I would have posted for that.
    P.S. I use my own body for weight like with push-ups. I guess I can't attack myself!

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  7. I agree! A new type of art pen/ gadget can cheer me up too and notch up the enthusiasm meter! I've used that pen as well, it is a dream!

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  8. 42 is seeming young to me too, but a girl just called my brother "too old" the other day. I guess it's all perspective. Thanks for making him smile Abby, but he agrees that your husband may pose a problem :)

    Off to play with my doodle pen! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

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  9. That seems an awful lot of tension for one person! Is your secret job Superwoman? Is there anybody to cheer you up for a change? At least drawing with your new pen brings some joy to you and for us to see, too.

    I don't no about your brothers 'sordid' story, but apart from that he seems to be a great catch. If it weren't for the age difference and a whole ocean between us I'd line up for him. And tell him that 42 really is still young enough. Who wants to date girls anyway!

    Crossing fingers for your audit.

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  10. I had a lot of tension last week... too many things on the calendar. I ended up nixing 2 of those "obligations" and guess what - I'm still breathing, things didn't fall apart and the tension left. I'm awake now though, at 3:35 am for some mysterious reason. Tension? Or was it the spoon full of ice cream before I went to bed?

    I hope your smart, strong, young brother gets back on his feet soon.

    I'm not an artist, but I can relate to you liking your new pens. I love finding a "feel-good" pen or pencil to write with. I can tell by your doodles that you're having fun.

    Blessings to you, your brother, and all the other people, Problem Solver.

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  11. Thanks everybody! I'll tell Brian to look you up if he ever goes over the big water Heike :) I only woke up an hour early today with my obsessing over my tensions, so I guess I'll count my blessings Anita. Here's to hoping for a peaceful week to all of us!

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  12. Oh my goodness, what a week! It sounds like your brother dodged a bullet (twice), though I am very sad to hear about the cat. Perhaps his will show up a few days late like they often do, a bit scruffier and telling no tales.

    I don't know if men's stuff is heavier than women's stuff, but it certainly sounds like your brother's stuff is heavier than most stuff. Books, metal, rocks. Yeah, who needs a weight bench? :D

    I like the line quality of your new pen. Hmm, maybe have to look into them!

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  13. Man stuff is definitely heavier... I recently packed up the house I share with my boyfriend and I think three quarters of it was all his stuff, including a library's worth of random books! :)

    Best wishes to you and your family in this topsy-turvy time, and I really hope you find the cat - maybe your brother packed it?

    I like your drawings - the pen is a good colour!

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  14. Thanks! So far, no cat, and my dog has been getting some extra love lately. Maybe I shouldn't complain about men's books since I'm glad to see someone reading -- plus I don't want to admit to how many books I might have around :)

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  15. Linda, you are a wonderful sis. I bet your brother is deeply grateful and admires you for your perspective and action.
    Don't you worry on bit about your audit! Being such a great sis, you must be an awesome colleague as well.

    Cheers to you and restored happiness to your brother (although it might take some time),
    Paula

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  16. Look at it this way, Linda: You need some weeks with tension to be able to really appreciate when you are able to fix everything. It's just like where I am living. It's raining all the time, but when the sun comes out once in a while, the whole city is cheering and there isn't a better place to live. We need contrasts in our lives, and yes, the down periods aren't necessarily fun, but so will the up periods be instead. Besides that, yes, I know paper is heavy, and it's only when you move you really figure out how much those books, magazines, notebooks and, yes, in particular those coffee table books weigh (I just moved not long ago...).

    I guess lumber must be bad too?!

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  17. I'd like to try to be happy all the time, but I know we need rain to get flowers too. It's easy to be a good sister when I have a good brother :) Thanks for the comments!

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  18. I was just telling my husband that hardship must be necessary so that we know how to be happy when it's over. (As I said above, May is a rough Month for me.)

    I like your rain and flowers metaphor. I'll have to use it. :)

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  19. Rain and hardship might be necessary, but I'd like to try things when it rains when I'm sleeping and all the hardships are over :)

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