What have you been procrastinating about?
Posted on May 27th, 2009
by
tinkonthebrink
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for May 27, 2009:
Recently I've been procrastinating about pretty much everything in my life except making this door that's going in our kitchen. I didn't want it to look ordinary and it needs to have a cat door in the bottom and it started as a wooden screen door so I cut pieces of wood to frame out the cat door (which is lockable so the cats can be banned from the kitchen while I'm cooking, which is one of the reasons for the door) and I had this ornate metal grate that I found at architectural salvage place a long time ago. I'm going to suspend it in the top screen with copper wire. But before that, there's been the painting. Primer, mottled black acrylic, two washes of burnt umber the second one streaked with a little black while wet, a transparent bronze glaze, then the torn pieces of handmade banana leaf paper then a thin wash of umber again to age the paper then the sealer. Then the same thing on the other side. Paint the hinges and the mending plates I decided to use for the wood frame around the kitty door - now they're old looking, copper and brown and they got just as many coats of paint as the door and then sealer. Drying time for each step. Paint the kitty door black because everyone knows that makes things invisible (?). Wood everywhere, sawdust, the dining room table covered with paper and hinges and metal plates for days now, the living room table used as a work surface for the door. The kitchen piling up with dishes, nothing else getting done except going to work for half of each day with Little Bit and doing my notes. Monday night I took time away and played cards with Krissy and Albert. I felt a little guilty but I've gotten over it. Last night we went out for dinner at our favorite dive and played pool. Night before last I only slept about an hour. It's gone from "let's put a door on the kitchen" to this insane art project obsession now.
When I'm done, which might actually be today, I'll post a picture of the door.
For now, I'll just tell you that it kind of matches the bathtub (although I have to say, that's a terrible pic of the tub. It is not that shiny or bright at all, the colors in the photo were very oversaturated, but that image is stored in Krissy's computer because that was a dark time when my computer was unwell and I'm just too lazy to go get into her computer, send myself the pic and color correct it. So just imagine it looking much darker and less shiny than that shot).
Okay, back to the door now.

Help




I would love to soak in that tub…while everything else waits.
Oh, Tom, I thought of that when I read the question, the “waiting” thing…that procrastination is such a self-blaming, shaming word while “waiting” is just patient and kind. I would rather think I'm waiting to do all these other things until I'm done with this one. Waiting seems much much nicer.
This door is going to be a masterpiece, I just know it. Looking forward to that picture!
If the door looks anything like your tub it's going to be a masterpiece!
I think what you've been doing is prioritizing, not procrastinating or waiting. You are doing what needs to be done first, first. The door needs to be done. Then the other things can be done. That's easy and right. :-)
Now, if you were just sitting on the couch eating bons bons and waiting for the door to paint itself, that would be procrastination. :-)
I can't wait to see that door. I'm supposed to paint the back bathroom and bedroom this weekend to get it all spiffed up for a new roommate, which we don't have yet, because we don't want to put out the word that we're looking for one until we have the rooms all nice and ready.
Synonym…now is the time to learn to knit sox or something…let the bathroom wait….you'll get to it.
That would be procrastination. Putting off as a habit…that's the 'pro'-word.
BIting the bullet, doing things right, taking the time to think things through and get the order in order so you don't have to “do it over” again …That's just plain common sense and guts. It takes real courage to change a plan when that's the right thing to do, even when it's inconvenient.
That door will be georgeous as will the whole room.