Searching for 'Whelmed'

Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Chastity: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?
Bianca: I think you can in Europe.
- 10 Things I Hate About You 

I've been on the lookout for "whelmed" lately. I'm trying to prove that you don't have to go to Europe to find it. On the other hand, a little European adventure right about now might be the perfect escape . . . .

The thing is, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. While I know this is always the busiest time of the year in our household, I seemed blessed with seasonal amnesia and over the course of winter, I forget just how manic things can get at high summer. These days, just when I feel like I've gotten my arms wrapped around everything again, another shoe drops.

Bars need to be made for the neighborhood potluck (which I didn't attend because by this time in the summer I hate all people . . .joking . . . erm) . . .

Or the garden suddenly looks awfully thirsty . . .
Or I have a board meeting on my day off, followed by an interview for a freelance article, which means I don't get to town on my day off to do laundry and pick up groceries until after 4 in the afternoon.

Too many of the brief hours I spend in bed each night have been spent tossing and turning - worrying about how I'm going to get everything done the next day. On Monday morning, I realized enough was enough. I emailed one of my freelance editors and asked him to reassign one of my articles for the month. I've been a  reliable, hard working freelancer for this company on a monthly basis for nearly three full years, but I needed a (temporary) break.  I needed to go find whelmed.

Where does one find whelmed?

The berry patch is a good place to started. I picked my first two quarts of the season yesterday morning. Then yesterday afternoon, as though I hadn't proven my hunter-gather skills enough, Andy and I went out in the boat and I ended up landing a 21-inch whitefish. (Not what we were fishing for, but a welcome surprise.)
(My mom said she just loves dead fish pictures [sarcasm], so the photo above is for her. Forgive the crazy eyes and dopey, tourist-y hat. I'm trying to avoid sunburn this summer, which explains the hat, if not the eyes.) 

I think we can all agree that the last thing I need is another proverbial fish to fry, but an actual, physical fish to fry was pretty darn tasty and helpful in my quest for "life balance."

After a tasty dinner of fish, Andy headed off for training, I spent some quality time with the garden, fertilizing and watering at my own pace, enjoying the twilight and letting tomorrow worry about itself.

Where do you do to find "whelmed"

7 comments:

  1. Not sure it exists but if I ever find it, I'll be sure to share my secrets. This post had me laughing out loud a lot so I seem to like you being a bit overwhelmed :)

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  2. I would like to be whelmed by those bars haha! They look really good!

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  3. I'm a freelancer too and when I get to tossing and turning about deadlines, etc., I find a partner and play the "And then what?" game.
    You state your (first) problem and your partner answers "And then what?" Continue until done.

    Example:
    I don't have time to get the laundry done today.
    And then What?
    I won't be able to go to town for another week.
    And then What?
    I'll be wearing dirty clothes.
    And then What?
    I'll stink.
    And then What?
    You and everybody I come in contact with will smell my dirty clothes and think I stink.
    And then What?
    I'll have to explain why I stink and get a reputation for being stinky.
    And then What?
    They'll say, why didn't you just wash your undies in the lake?
    And then What?
    I'll tell them the lake's really fishy lately and it'd just make my clothes stink more.
    And then What?
    I don't know, leave me alone.

    By now you should be whelmed about that chore and can move onto the next one.
    Roxy

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  4. To worry about tomorrow robs todays of its possibilities.
    Cant remember who said it...
    LOL. I laughed when reading one finds whelmed in Europe.
    Somewhat I agree. I find life here more rushed, restless and my former whelmed being needs much more quality and detaching from the outer world then formerly in Europe.
    Whelmed I used to and still find in certain classic compositions, my absolute fave:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9DOtuPLqNI
    being in nature, close to a tree, cooking or DIY. What helps me to not lose the whelmed to easily is my daily Qi Gong breathing exercise.
    Now where I shared my secrets, may I have some of these bars...

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  5. That is quite the impressive fish! Don't let life lead you, you lead life. I know. Easier said then done, but whenever I achieve that balance (as short-lived as it may be!), I feel the most at peace!

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  6. I agree - it's a summer thing! I look forward to summer only to spend half the season wishing I was curled up in a blanket watching TV while the snow falls. I'm right with you - hitting the "super-overwhelmed" stage of summer. I keep repeating the mantra "It's just summer ... it'll slow down soon ... It's just summer ... it'll slow down soon ... " Even though I know full well it won't - it still helps!

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  7. Whelmed is definitely a place I'm currently on the hunt for, so glad you found yours! That fish looks tasty indeed!

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