163 days and...

163 days since we sold the business.  I'd like to say I'm getting bored, but I'm not really.  I know I want to do something else, but I'm kind of waiting and watching.  I think something will come up that screams "THIS IS IT!!!"

In August, I went to Des Moines with Kathy to help judge the Mid-Iowa club's show.  Well, on our trip there, she was telling me that Ken (her husband) had been working at Enterprise for awhile.  I asked doing what, and she said they basically drive cars from one location to another - part time.  It sounded like something I might like to do "in the interim", while I wait for the universe to drop the next thing in my lap, so I applied.  And I started with them in early October, and I LIKE IT!  It's just minimum wage, mind you, but it is stress free, I'm meeting lots of nice people.  I've morphed into the 10:00 crew and I like it.  I work with a lot of the same people, but yet I get to work with someone new almost every day.  There are a few strange cats and oddballs, but for the most part, I like it.  But I've still got my eye out for the "next thing."  And it might be as simple as finishing my book.  I just need to get past this block about where it's going next (or more about how I will get it there!)

But now, I'm having a little "plant block" as well.  I'm just feeling overwhelmed by my plants, and I'm seriously considering choosing 100 favorite Hoyas and getting rid of the rest.  Or letting them die off naturally, meaning the ones that aren't doing that fantastic for me, just give them up.  Maybe ship them off to Marco in Florida and see if his climate will fix them up...I don't know.  But I think I'm experiencing some plant burnout, because I'd almost rather TALK about them than actually take CARE of them.  

So I just went out to water for a few minutes and found megalaster all but dead.  Strike it from my list!  I whacked it back to nothing and I will set it on a windowsill somewhere, and if it decides to make a serious comeback, I'll consider putting it back in my collection.  But for now, that brings my number down to... about 200 species.  TOO MANY!  And that doesn't include ANY of my succulents or cacti!

Going through my list... these are the ones I don't want to part with, and how long I've had them, maybe some comments about why I want to keep them.  I put an * by the ones that I absolutely can NOT live without under ANY circumstance...

aldrichii (10 years)
amoena Java (7 years), up-potted this year and seems to be happy!
australis (11+, 0006 & Lisa just a year), I like them all!
Ban Ngong Ngoy (3 years), just because it blooms so easily
bhutanica (10 years), because it's an aggressive grower!
callistrophylla (8 years), leaves of course
cardiophylla (4 years), nice sized, shiny leaves
carnosa rubra (16 years), nothing special except it came from Bob Smoley
all the other carnosas, K8, KP, KQ, ssp. carnosa,except Chelsea which is ehhh
caudata (3 years), if I can get the dang thing to grow for me!
Chicken Farm (2 years), stunning leaves!
clandestina (2 years), interesting, super succulent leaves
dasyantha (6 years), because it looks so beautiful and flowers easily
*deykeae (7 years), if I had to get rid of all but 5, this would be one of the keepers!
DS-70 (13 years), one of my old favorites - love how succulent it gets
el-nidicus (7 years), finally growing and I love the rubbery leaves
finlaysonii (7 years), gorgeous leaves, pretty flowers
fungii (11 years), large, veined, matte leaves, huge flower clusters
glabra (1 year), I'd like to get the large leaf clone as well
hueschkeliana (10 years), it's a tiny gem
inconspicua (8 years), easy to grow, not a space hog, succulent leaves
'Iris Marie' (10 years), just 'cuz I want to get the dang thing to bloom!
'Jennifer' (8 years), for it's magfificent leaves and perfect flower balls!
'Joy' (3 years), the leaves knock my socks off!
 kanyakumariana (6 years), great name, cute leaves
kerrii (forEVER), all clones are worth keeping, but only one of each
Ko Chang (2 years), super succulent and splotchy leaves
*krohniana (3 years), all 3 clones, love the heart shaped succulent leaves
Kumning Kina (6 years) if I can figure out how to grow it well
*latifolia & loyceandrewsiana (10 years), I'm putting them together next year
longifolia (?), easy bloomer, long leaves
lucardensiana (3 years), love the silver dollar sized round leaves
*macgillivrayii (10 years), love the super succulent, almost black leaves
*macrophylla (16 years?), my #1 favorite of all time!
mac variegated (8 years), just because it's a mac!
macgregorii (3 years), because it took me so long to get it growing nice!
meliflua (8 years), for the outstanding flowers
memoria (4 years), fantastic leaves, hangs beautifully
merridithii x crassicaulis (8/6 years), both clones have outstanding leaves
merrillii (8 years), I love it growing in my Chinese teapot
micrantha (7 years), a compact, easy to grow species
'Minibelle', shepherdell & shepherdii (10/9/? years), love their long leaves!
 mitrata... if I can learn to grow it well!
nicholsonaiae (11 years), but only one!
'Noel' (1 year), because it looks so much like 'Joy'
'Nong Nooch' (8 years), very cool leaves, nicer than fin
obovata (forEVER), probably just the silver flecked clone
*onychoides (?), for the almost black, succulent leaves
pallida (8 years), love the compact way it grows!
polystachya (6 years), because it's so similar to macrophylla
pottsii (7/3/>1), 3 clones, nice thick leaves!
pubicalyx (6 cultivars), beautiful flowers, nice growers - cut back on how many and how big... (*PS)
'Rebecca' (4 years), only because it's my $200 Hoya!
*retusa (4 years), because it's so weird
rotundiflora (6 years), for it's square leaves (need a new one!)
*sigillatis (8 years), for it's uniquely pink and splashy leaves
surigaoensis (3 years), outSTANDingly large and shiny leaves!
tjadasmalangensis (1 year), love the large leaves!
treubiana (2 years), love the long, thick and shiny leaves!
tsangii (3 years), love how delicate it looks
verticillata (9 years), both green and variegated, easy bloomers!
vitellinoides (4 years), very, very veined leaves knock me out!
*wayetti (forEVER), old favorite - both green and variegated
wibergiae (3 years), love the subtle silver flecking
                     
Maybes...
coriacea (6 years), it's grown out to be large and TRIED to flower last year
crassicaulis (7 years), it's looking really good since in the SR
juannguoiana (5 years), a nice looking and succulent species

That's around 90... it would give me a lot of room!  I'm sure as I pare it down, I'll find some I'd rather keep than not, and if I limit myself to 100, that means I have to let one on the list go to keep another.  I think this would be a good thing for me to do as I will appreciate the ones I have more, and it will feel like less of a burden to take care of them...

More about it later...