stefakessler.com

Tag: life

  • Stefa, where the hell have you been loca?

    First off, I’d like to apologize for the title of this post.

    I’ve only seen the first Twilight movie and I was at least 30 when I did. I’ve never read the books. I only have peripheral knowledge of the book series or film franchise. I can’t even pretend to be cool enough to like it. Again, my sincerest apologies.

    Still, the question remains: Where have I been?

    Well, I certainly haven’t been on the solo writing retreat that I had lovingly planned for myself.

    Because I had to cancel it. Because we finally got the call that we’re moving to Upstate New York and we had two weeks to get my house ready to show.

    And we did a hell of a job too. Decluttering is one of my favorite activities. I love getting rid of things, so I was very excited about that part of everything. We had the least successful garage sale on the planet, then made a hefty donation to Goodwill. We also managed to paint two bathrooms, lay down a new floor in one, and install a brand-new sink in another.

    Pictures were taken last week. We list next week. And I am in a weird in-between time that I don’t know how to handle.

    Which is part of the reason why I’m writing this blog post- I don’t know what to do with myself.

    I’m good when I have a project to work on. I’m good when I have nothing to do for the foreseeable future and can dabble in my hobbies. I am not good at transitioning from balls-to-the-wall mode to sit-and-wait mode. And I am very bad at sit-and-wait mode in general.

    It’s like when you have a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon, so the rest of your day is totally shot. You can’t possibly accomplish anything when you have a doctor’s appointment later.

    And so, dear reader, I’ve decided to write to you.

    I’ve written nothing in two weeks. I’ve read nothing. I’ve watched surprisingly little TV.

    I have:

    • Gone to a concert
    • Seen a Broadway play
    • Met a writing friend for the first time. Shout out to E.M. Gussler.
    • Eaten my way through a Columbus culinary bucket list that lives only in my head:
      • Marmont Speakeasy
      • Cobra
      • Chapman’s
      • Cento (Friday)
      • Bonifacio (next Tuesday)
    • Played pickleball
    • Gone to book club and offered to host this month
    • Gotten a facial
    • Gone to a Guardian’s game
    • Spent two full hours searching for my husband’s passport two months before we go to Scotland (I found it!)

    Yes. All in the last two weeks. I suppose I play as hard as I work.

    So what comes next you ask?

    • List/Sell the house
    • House hunting trip/buy a house (we have no money, so this will be fun)
    • FIND A JOB- I’d love to be a full-time writer. But that’s a distant fantasy. I have interviews tomorrow and next week for two jobs that I really want.
    • Complete my Columbus culinary bucket list
    • Throw a going away party
    • Have ANOTHER garage sale
    • More pickleball
    • Go to the Doodah Parade for the first time
    • Visit a friend in Portland, OR
    • Complete the next two semesters of my Master’s
    • Lucy Dacus concert
    • MOVE

    And that’s all in the next month and a half.

    And a month after we move, we go to Europe for two weeks.

    And THEN I can settle into a routine.

    THEN, maybe I can write again.

    ttfn