It all started when MOTH came to visit me at work the first time. He appreciated the touches that I had done to my office, but really felt it just wasn't me. Perhaps the glaring and humming florescent lights or the high gloss white walls? Anyway, that got me thinking about making some changes.

Then my parents came to see where I work, and mom made a comment about how institutionalized these kids are, and how bad the glaring white walls were. MOTH took his case to mom about how the office wasn't me.

The final straw was trying to work with some of the autistic kids, and watching them stim on the buzzing of the lights or the slight flicker of the fluorescent. The glare from the walls made them even wilder. It was HORRIBLE.

So I drew on my vast hours of watching Changing Rooms and the sub-par American version, Trading Spaces, and I made my pitch to the higher powers to allow me to paint. This was not an easy task. Apparently, someone once dripped paint on a rug and so now all painting has to be done through a work order. The problem is that I wanted a rag-on paint job, so I finally convinced them, that for therapeutic reasons, I needed to have this done and I needed to have it 2-tone and I needed to do the ragging part myself. The maintenance guy is pissed, because he just wants the whole world painted white, but that's too bad. I win. Woohoo!

So, after they painted the base coat of pale green, I applied a darker green, 4 parts glaze to 1 part paint. After I spent one whole day ragging and not even getting one wall finished, MOTH and finchie came to my rescue. We spent one night until 10 and the next night until 7:30 working non-stop on it. And then today we went back and put the finishing touches in. We installed my wall cd-stereo unit. I took my Ansel Adams art from our living room and we hung it there. We put up a small shelf, a clock, and lots of my ladybug things on the shelves. (Did I tell you all that aside from Piglets, I collect ladybugs?).

And then I put up the Wallies. Do you know Wallies? My baby sister turned me on to these a few years ago. oh. My. God. They are the best. They are wallpaper cutouts. They come in a billion styles, but I of course used the ladybug ones.

The biggest change was lighting. We went to Target and I got 2 floor lamps for $7.99 EACH! The matching desk lamp is kinda cool. It's amazing how much a change in lighting can help. It's so calm and quiet with the new lighting.

We cleaned and rearranged and stood back and just took it all in. From not me at all, to TOTALLY me!

We sat in there for a long time, and then for snicks we turned the overhead lights on again. JEEPERS. As annoying as they were, I had no idea until I had the chance to compare them against incandescent lighting.

I can't wait to go to work in a week. Pitbull and Chickie are going to be unbelievably jealous. And the BEST thing is that MOTH helped me, and so while I sit in my new lush realm of tranquility, I can have a bit of him near me. I AM SO LUCKY!

TODAY'S QUOTE

"I have a hobby...I have the world's largest collection of sea shells. I keep it scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen some of it... "

*Steven Wright*

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The Digital Bastard's Claim as of 8/17/02:

Beginning Weight: 204.5

Goal #1: 184 (Met 5/19/02)

Goal #2: 164.5

I hope to meet my final target by May 1, 2003

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