Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.

And you get to join in if you feel like it.

The hard stuff

Headache.

You know that horrid phrase about eyes being bigger than stomach?

I keep being convinced I can get more done than I actually can.

And then getting overwhelmed.

Also, what made me think that scheduling teleclasses four days in a row would be a good idea? I have no idea.

Tired tired tired.

All I want to do is the sleep.

This does not happen to be especially good for the aforementioned getting done of things.

The iguanas. They are multiplying.

Iguanas. They’re everywhere.

Oh, I’m hilarious. Except not at all.

Really. Is there anything more embarrassing than being an hour late to a teleclass?

Yes, there is. If it’s a class on the topic of SYSTEMS. And a class that you’re hosting.

Luckily, Mark Silver is a genius and a sweetheart and a seasoned professional, and totally rolled with it and taught what was — I’m sure — a completely brilliant class.

And I got to be on the tail end of it to hear some good stuff.

But yeah. Um. I don’t have anything more to say about that.

Other than yes, I am happy to take one for the team and demonstrate what it looks like when systems have a hole. Look! Mine do! Mine do!

My favorite dress has died a tragic death.

Did that not just happen to my favorite pants as well? Yes.

Clearly this is a sign that I have to stop wearing the same thing every single day.

Or that it’s time to change my look.

Or that there is no sign but everything is slightly worse than it was before.

Endings.

My gentleman friend and I do not see eye to eye on the topic delayed gratification.

So we ended up watching the (sniff) final two episodes of Life, the beautiful, beautiful show that I wanted never to end.

Because, as he pointed out, there’s no point in saving your favorite treat to eat last if you’re just going to keep it in the freezer for the next twenty years.

And yeah, he’s right. And of course I’d already put this off for four months. But oh how I did not want it to end.

And even though I know it already has ended, somehow not seeing the ending made everything more bearable.

There is so much pain in things being over sometimes. Luckily, this gave me a topic for my habits detective-themed bohemian salon. So. Silver linings. But I still feel sad.

Stupid teabags.

You know those teabags that talk to you and give you advice and tell you to radiate kindness or whatever?

“Whether you give or share, are kind or not, never let your grace fall” — the teabag.

Somehow that completely got on my nerves. WTF, teabag? That MAKES NO SENSE.
  
*sings* This is nonsensical tea! It makes no sense to me!

Though bonus points to @zenatplay for responding thusly: “Teabags are notoriously vague and nonsensical. Bourbon would never say such a thing.” So true.

The good stuff

Ketchup!

Oh, finally.

So much catching up happened this week.

I’d been stuck in the middle of this four part series on “what to do when no one is buying your stuff” that I’m putting up at the Kitchen Table.

And so I — finally — finished that and answered a bunch of questions and generally feel better about everything.

Another giant iguana de-piling.

Remember when I deconstructed a giant pile of iguanas and doom?

Well, another one showed up and has been taunting me. Or haunting me. Possibly both. Anyway, the comfort and the win:

In the two hours I set aside for preliminary de-piling, somehow I was actually able to disappear most of the pile itself. Almost all of it.

And then I had a shivanautical epiphany that allowed me to realize what was creating the piling to begin with. So I’m kind of also hoping that this is my last big pile like this.

But even if it isn’t. Yay for now. Sparklepoints!

Putting up the sukkah!

Well, watching my gentleman friend put up the sukkah, while making admiring sounds from a distance.

Some people just look really good on top of ladders, is all I’m saying.

Anyway, we have a sukkah! The first ever Hoppy House sukkah! And I think also the first ever time I’m not teaching in Germany during sukkot in years.

See also: this excellent contest that describes the guidelines for sukkah-building.

Presents!

Actually, we get presents all the time.

Mostly for the Playground. Often for Selma. Even, on occasion, for me.

But this week was full of marvelous ones.

Is there anything better than a present box? Yes! A present box that says on it: “I am a present box! All stripey and full of presents! Yay for my existence.”

Thank you, Taylor. You are the best sender of boxes.

And then we got a box full of gorgeous handmade hats for the Playground — from Julie. Hooray!

And also a fairy door. Who doesn’t need a fairy door? I know.

Um, speaking of presents.

Of all the interesting — and even bizarre — gifts that people send?

So far THIS package received this week wins for weirdest. Possibly ever! It contained:

• A giant bag of peanuts.
• Within the first giant bag of peanuts: another — smaller — bag of peanuts.
• A cucumber.
• Two packets of Hollandaise sauce mix.
• Two pieces of green cloth, one solid and one print.
• A marionette … camel. With a ring tied to it.

Clearly I’m being proposed to by the most interesting person on earth. Or I am totally misreading this. Who cares? Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!

Or maybe not. I don’t know. You’ll have to explain the cucumber first.

Hey, a non-depressing week in the world of sports.

For a change.

Did you see the Giants take the Dodgers TEN to TWO? It was amazing. Well, I didn’t see it. I listened to it, because we don’t have a television. But it was still amazing. And then I watched clips.

Man, being that happy kind of hurts. I’m so used to the torture, I don’t even know how to take this whole “winning” thing.

Then, in case you follow Berlin soccer, which you probably don’t (I don’t even think my German readers do?), in a spectacular upset which made everything better: FC Union didn’t lose to Hertha. Ohmygod.

Then they went on to lose to pretty much every team in the country, but we’re not going to talk about that.

Also Colleen was here.

Yay! We played at the Playground.

And I finally destuckified a stuck.

More about that on Sunday.

But I am mostly over my weird impossible stucknesses about having a Facebook page for The Fluent Self, Inc. (pirate ship at large!).

It’s here: http://facebook.com/TheFluentSelf

It will be our secret bar. Details to come. In the meantime, stop by and have a drink.

And tonight … dinner with Denise. It’s happening!

Remember how a few weeks ago I put out a Very Personal Ad for the right dining room table? And promised that once we had one, we’d celebrate by inviting Denise over to dinner?

Well. I found the table. But it was crazy expensive. So I VPA-ed (in my head) for an interim table that would be beautiful and functional and could then move into my office once the table-of-my-heart is a more reasonable thing.

Found it! Ridiculously affordable. Completely right. Very attractive.

The dining room can now be dined in. As can the sukkah. See? Options. Everywhere. This is good for me, since I often have difficulty seeing options anywhere. Options!

And … playing live at the meme beach house it’s the Fake Band of the Week!

My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”

This week’s FBOTW is brought to you by Sheridan (hi, Sheridan!).

He says:

Today at work I am judging a cupcake baking contest. As a result?people have been sneakily transporting cupcakes around me all morning?(the judging is anonymous). For some reason my brain segued this into?a band name:

The Stealth Cupcakes.

Of course, it’s really just one guy.
I adore this. And yes, I am totally buying the new Stealth Cupcakes album.

And wonderful things this week.

Colleen’s piece on emptying out her life (“My stuff saved me for a long time, so I saved it right back.”)

And Rupa on why it’s good to be bad.

That’s it for me …

And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.

Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?

And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious day and a restful weekend-ing.

And a happy week to come. Shabbat shalom. And chag sameach. Happy week of gourds.

p.s. The Rally (Rally!) is filling up. If you can swing it, get in before I rewrite the copy to explain why it’s so fabulous.