More stuff

That is really my life.  Stuff and more stuff.  It has been quite a few weeks since I last posted.  Sorry about that, but life sometimes intrudes.  My job is actually becoming that, with all the positives and negatives of that.  I still continue to try and have some sort of a life, however unsuccessful I sometimes am at that.  All together, it makes for spotty blogging.  I will try and catch up in this post.

But there was a beautiful sunrise through the fog.  I need to share that before I go on.

My high school reunion...

I recently attended my high school reunion and while it three weeks ago or more, I am still processing all that it was.  First, I am convinced that the saying that old friends are the best friends is indeed true.  Having a base of common experiences is an expedient way to maintain friendships but also a way to rediscover old friends and to remember that old friends are still friends.  Does that make sense?  Knowing what playground one played on or where 2225 Keith St was is or can be an introduction or a reminder of where were we are from.  I have reconnected with several friends and that has been beyond fun.  They are, as my friend stated far more eloquently than I ever will, our heritage.  Whether we like it or not.  But mostly, I like it.    We are older (all of us) grayer and thicker (most of us) and slightly worn and tattered (all of us) but we are us, and all are metaphorically richer and more dimensional than we were 35 years ago.  And that is a good thing.




Work has become more challenging.  It is seasonally busier as I might have expected, but it is also more challenging for other reasons.  Change is difficult.  Always.  I haven't been able to figure out how to avoid this fact ever, and KCC is in the midst of change.  Sometimes I do feel that as new things are introduced, people associate new things to the new guy (me) and sometimes I face some/most/all of the blowback.  I know that this isn't always the case, but I am pretty sensitive to this.  I don't mind conflict, really.  But geez, I which conversations would start with "hey, what's up?" rather than you did/didn't/were/are/etc.  I have gotten several emails that start that way.  They make me defensive and limit/stifle conversations.  Oh well.  We will get through it.  Change, I do believe, is good.

One good thing is that I have bought two printing presses in the past month.  I have written here before that if (and I really do say if) I was ever an artist, I wanted to become a printer.  I have had presses in the past and haven't done too much with them.  Now, as I think about the upcoming very long winter, I have to think about occupying myself.  I found a tiny press at an antique show a few weeks ago, and it's big sister/brother on Craigslist this weekend.  I drove 210 miles to rescue it and the 6 drawers of type.  I'm in love!!!!  Together they are so cute.  And I start therapy later in the week, in case people are worried.   It really is quite nice, with some of the more than 75-year-old paint still in evidence.    Can you imagine why I might be single?  I am so cool, and that I have 2 presses in my living room confirms my coolness...

All in all, things are going OK.  It isn't easy being where I am, and that may be my biggest challenge.  Maintaining relationships of any kind is difficult, and I rue that. Part of that is just the way it is, but it can be insurmountable.  And that is hard and it sometimes hurts and is frustrating, but it is what it is.  It is frustrating that there are really only three kinds of frozen pizza/cheese/Cabs to choose from in town, but lots of different kinds of beer and cuts of pork.  Hey, a positive--there are at least 6 brands  of fried pork rinds to choose from, and more if you count the varieties ( bar-b-que, spicy, etc).  You can't say that everywhere.  I have averaged about 28+ miles per gallon with my car, but then I realized that there is no/zero/nada city driving involved in my life.  I rarely slow below 45 MPH.  It is hard to choose which place to eat if I want to go out--do I go to one of the two bar/diners, McDonalds, or to the gas station with the microwave? 

I have figured out that the way to survive/thrive is to expand my world a bit.  I was in up north a few weeks ago for a great concert with Allison Krause and Willie Nelson.  That was 90 miles away.  I was in Detroit (200) miles away, and and and...  I note it and whine a bit, but in the West, people drive that far for groceries or a movie.

Now, if I can just figure out how to set type upside down and backwards, I will be set until spring.