Monday, November 17, 2008

Depression stole $10

I'm not an organized person at home.  Back in the day, when I used to work full time, I would be very organized at work, but it's like I would leave it there when I clocked out.  When Depression moved in, he made it worse.  I coined a phrase (although it probably isn't original).  He turned me into a Functioning Depressive (is that even a word??).  Outside my front door, everything was "normal."  I'm doing all the stuff I normally do, usually with a smile on my face.  I even managed to go to Kohl's on Friday and buy two new sweaters (they were 1/2 price - love a sale!).
 
But Depression would sneak in if a friend asked "how's it going?" and I'd fall apart.  Quietly, though, hiding behind my sunglasses.
  
But you should see the inside of the house.  OK, maybe I don't need to go on "Clean Sweep" or Oprah's messiest house shows, but really?  It's a mess.
 
Mail, for example.  We keep mail in a basket on the steps, just inside the front door.  The last few weeks, I haven't really gone through it, except to pull out the bills.  As of Sunday morning I had Three. Steps. Full.  Of mail.  Crazy, right?  Magazines, catalogs, ads, junk mail, you name it.  It was there.  So, Sunday morning I had had enough.  I sat down and started going through the stacks.
  
There is was.  
 
From Kohl's, a $10 gift card to use on anything.  Something they had sent in the mail a couple weeks back.  I vaguely remembered at the time thinking "Cool!  I can always find something at Kohl's."  Did I remember on Friday that I had it?  No.  Depression wanted it for himself.  Could I use it for something else?  No.  It expired on Saturday.
 
Stupid Depression.  Now he's stealing money, too.  I bet he and High Blood Pressure went on a shopping spree.
  

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh me...you are not alone. By my back door is a pile in a basket to go through. With two children and all the papers that come home they all seem to land in my "to go through pile."

Mine is not depression but pure overload. Don't be to hard on yourself. You will get more coupons.....Christmas is on the way. UGH!

Michaela said...

So familiar. I can't even tell you how so.

Today is my "I don't care, hell or high water, I'm cleaning this whole freaking house. I'm actually making progress. Once everything is straight and neat, tomorrow is scrub and mop and sweep and scrub on my knees day.

I want my house and life back.

Kool Aid said...

@cricket - Good to know I'm not alone, here! I know I'll get more coupons, but the frustration is that I could have saved $10 more if I had tried better to stay on top of things. Oh, well...

@michaela - I hear you. One of these days I'll get my house in shape.

Julie said...

I tell my girlfriend that her piles of clutter and chaos just means she has a very active and lively life! It's certainly not sterile. :)

Kool Aid said...

Well, I certainly do have an active life. And usually, there is a method to my madness. Most of the time I know exactly which pile of stuff I need to go to to find something.

And life should be anything but sterile!