A.D.D. Really Kicks in This Time of Year!

It's this time of year that makes me realize how "bad" my A.D.D. is. I got up a little after 5 a.m. to start in on the dreaded Christmas decorating. I just about kill myself to get it all done in a day. Anyway, after getting the coffee and tea going and putting on some Christmas music, I started in. My plan was to start in the kitchen, finish it and then move on to the next room. It never works out that way---no matter my good intentions. As I'm getting out stuff, I might as well take it to the room it's going to go in. Sure, having a huge Christmas closet is a plus (and a major selling point when we bought this house 14 years ago), but it's still one heck of a lot of hauling up and down stairs. I have to put away all of my regular decorations to make room for the Christmas stuff. I try to remind myself that it's good exercise.

I have the entire top shelf in the pantry full of Christmas stuff. Butch gets on the step stool and hands it down to me while I hand "big" stuff (mostly lamps and floral arrangements) up to him. This year, I told him to hand down everything that's up there, as whatever I don't use, is going. I've been in a major clean out mode for awhile now. I guess it's because I don't have room to bring in new stuff. 

*Gone is the cornucopia that's about 3 ft. long that I haven't used in at least 6 or 7 years. Even when I did use it (like twice), that much fruit started to rot after a few days. 

*Gone is the huge "eggplant" soup tureen that has never seen any soup. 

*Gone are half a dozen pairs of candle holders. If you've ever seen my candle "cabinet"---well, it's downright ridiculous---how many candles and holders I have. 

*Gone are angels, figurines, ornaments and assorted other decorations.

*Gone are a half dozen tablecloths (I don't even have tables that size anymore), assorted napkins, towels and 2 needlepoint (store-bought--not handmade) angel pillows. 

* Almost gone (and may be after this holiday season) is this huge, ceramic, gingerbread girl, hot drink dispenser that I've had for about 5 or 6 years that has never been used. I got it as a gift and thought it was really cool. After putting it in the "get rid of pile", I pulled it out to give it one more chance. If I don't use it this holiday season, it's gone. 

See there, my A.D.D. kicked in and side-tracked me from where I was going with this story.

As I'm decorating, I'm also washing everything so that it is all sparkly, shiny and clean for the season. I went to put a decorative plate on the bakers rack. When I moved something that had to be put away, I noticed some brown "drips" running down the wall. Looks like hot chocolate. Can't imagine when that happened as we don't usually drink hot chocolate. Oh, wait, I think the girls had some when they stayed with us a while back when Steph was out-of-town on business. How it got "sloshed" there I'll never know. Anyway, I went to the sink to get the dishcloth and decided that the water was dirty and cold. I emptied it and started a new sink. Then while that was filling, I decided that the dishcloth was pretty cruddy. Took that to the laundry room and thought, "well, I might as well start a load". Then I noticed that Margarita washed some jeans of Butch's, but folded them. He likes them "hung" (just like him---LOL), so I hung them up. Got back to the kitchen just in time to prevent the sink from overflowing. Poured myself a cup of tea. Remembered that I hadn't taken my medicine which requires food, which I hadn't had yet. Made myself a half a bagel and started eating it in bites here and there while unloading the dishwasher. When I'm working, I don't sit down and eat. Didn't like the Kenny G Christmas music that was playing, so I decided to take my iPod upstairs and put the 692 Christmas songs I have on it. Had to call Steph because with a recent software update, I didn't know how to do it. Left that to "sync" (side note---I never remembered to go back and get it for the rest of the day). Took my medicine that got caught in my throat because you can't really take a pill with hot liquid. It leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth too. Then I needed a kleenex. When I went into the bathroom to get one, I remembered about the stuff I have stored in the vanity. Got that out and decided to just go ahead and decorate the powder room. Went to the front porch for fresh greenery (I have the ladies that do the outside decorating cut extra for me). I noticed that one of my wreaths on the front door was higher than the other. Fixed it. Took the greenery inside and placed it in the powder room. Had to go to the laundry room cabinets to get the Christmas towels. Put the washed load in the dryer. Put out the fresh towels and admired my first "finished" room---even if it was a teeny one.  I remembered that I needed to get some things out of the library cabinets. As I was getting out my Murano Christmas trees, they were all sweaty---I don't know how or why that happens, but they are like that every year when I get them out. I stopped to wash them and set them to dry. I noticed the plate that I wanted to put on the baker's rack and then saw the hot chocolate drips. It was exactly  3 hours and 12 minutes from when I first went for the dishcloth. Story of my life!

What I've learned so far this holiday season:

*Dipping hand-painted ornaments in dishwater because they are dusty is not a good idea as the paint will run.

*Leaving Cremora in the cream container for a year turns into concrete---took 6 hours of soaking to get it all out.

*I'm burning the "good" candles---what the heck am I saving them for---that's why I have a kazillion.

*Artificial trees shed when they get old too.

*Spending 8 hours on hard wood floors in slippers makes my plantars fasciatis flare up.

*Although Christmas decorating is exhausting work, it sure does look good when it's done.

*Even though the decorating has only been done for a couple hours now, I'm totally dreading the "take-down"---which will be here before we know it.

*I can go 8 hours without going to the bathroom.

*When you discover that the pants you've been wearing all day are inside-out, you're so tired that you don't even give a s**t!