Polgara.net: The Official Website

One of the things I’ve been trying to part with in my quest to declutter my apartment is my impressive stash of stuffed animals, dating back to my wee baby days. I washed the ones I decided I could live without, and brought some to Out of the Closet to donate.

Guess what? You can’t really donate stuffed animals anymore due to the federal lead laws that went into effect in 2009. No one wants to risk the ridic fine for selling any objects that don’t comply, so they just don’t take accept those items anymore.

Well that makes things harder.

Thanks to Toy Story (damn you, Pixar!), I can’t bring myself to throw my toys away, so they spent a couple of weeks riding around in the back of my car. But one day, in the company parking garage, I came up with a solution when I saw my boss’s top-down convertible parked nearby.

Yes, I did. I doll-bombed his car.

Everything is unpacked, and has been since Memorial Day. Got rid of stuff thanks to Craigslist and my friends who didn’t mind taking in some of my old books and childhood Barbies. My new couch arrived, and the kitties and I have been breaking it in. Kristen helped me assemble the beautiful Ikea standing closets pictured above. I’ve been spending my evenings knitting and crocheting instead of wondering what else needs to be done. It’s pretty awesome.

Today my new bistro set arrived and is now packed in my car, ready to be taken home, assembled and placed lovingly on my balcony. My new gas grill has been ordered and will arrive on Tuesday. By this time next week, my balcony will be pimped out for summertime.

It’s all good.

*knock on wood*

Last week I was in Houston for a conference, where I taught a workshop/tutorial on how to create a WordPress blog, and presented at another workshop on how to attract an audience to your blog.

The first one was a piece of cake–I could create a dozen WordPress blogs in an hour, and be watching TV while I’m doing it. Part of me felt like a big fake for the second one, though–I have few if any followers on any of my blogs. I’m ok with that, since it’s not my job to get readers (I just like to ‘talk’), but if I needed to, I know how it’s done. I’ve been swimming in the social media pool since before it was ever called social media. I know what attracts readers, and what keeps them, because I’ve been sucked into blogs, websites and posting boards….and I’ve left them. I’ve been anonymous, and I’ve had followers–I’ve even given an autograph or two in my lifetime.

I didn’t say any of that at the workshop, I just let them all assume I knew what I was talking about, because in actuality, I do. I’ve just never put it to the test.

Also in Houston, I saw bats. A quarter million of them. It was pretty awesome.

So, I moved. My friends and I painted the new apartment, I went into a frenzy of packing, and after $500 and eight hours with two professional movers, my stuff was officially transferred from West Hollywood to West L.A.

Living room, painting and filled with stuff

It’s been a rush, to be sure. The new place is smaller and I’m trying to readjust my thinking as I try to purge the excess from the many boxes. I’ve always been very attached to “having stuff”, even if it’s just stuff I shove under a bed or into a closet. Having it has always been the key for me. Now, I’m working on asking myself, “So what if I *don’t* have it? What will change?” This week I gifted several of my prized collectible Barbies. I’m shipping yarn to a friend tomorrow. I’m starting to think it might even be possible for me to let go of the Buffy action figures. ?!

Tomorrow I’m going to Ikea to purchase two PAX wardrobe units for my bedroom, and I’m very excited. I’ve been living out of suitcases for two weeks now (my dresser did not survive the move, and the new place as ONE, TINY closet), and I’ve reached a point with the boxes where there just isn’t any place left to put things. And Saturday, WeHo is having a shredding/recycling event at City Hall, so I may even get to unload 15 years of paper in one fell swoop. Seriously, I’m getting all tingly.

ION, I went home to Massachusetts last month for my friend Rebecca’s wedding. It was a great week (Red Sox game! Karaoke! Bar hopping in Boston!) and a great wedding, and I even learned that Mr. Darcy actually had a first name. I did not know that. (It’s Fitzwilliam, btw. Or maybe FitzWilliam?)

That’s all the news that’s fit to print–for now, anyway.

Yes, it’s true. I’ve lived at my current residence for 10 1/2 years, despite leaky windows, insect infestations, and noisy neighbors, but I finally got the motivation to go out, find a place, and actually sign a freakin’ lease. (Really, it was the combination of all three of those at one time that finally convinced me.)

My new place is in West L.A.–five minute commute to work! My new place has a balcony with a clear view of the eastern sky–private outdoor space all my own to enjoy a book and a cup of tea! My new place has ONE closet–holy crap. So I’m currently in the process of packing and trying to purge, although the purging isn’t going all that well so far. Hopefully it’ll pick up once I reach the Hall Closet of Doom.