Just call me...
Taupe Armageddon. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! And Michael shall now be known as Axe Diesel.
Go find out what your name would be if the Mooseburger had been your mom.
9.15.2008
Feeling sick to my stomach...
All I think about is this damned presidential election. I am most of the way through a brand new bottle of Pepto (seriously? Buy some of their stock b/c we have a long way yet to go) and have been hitting the Tums pretty hard, too. I want to write about the more interesting stuff going on around here, not that there's much of it, but still. I can't. All I can think about is McSame and the Mooseburger. God. Just seeing their faces in the paper or on the internet makes me want to throw up. Forget seeing them on tv--our gov't voucher for the HDTV adapter box thing-y still hasn't arrived and maybe that's not a bad thing. Except that the season premiere of House is Tuesday and I'm dying to see it. I love me some Hugh Laurie...
Anyway, I leave you with a picture of a warthog statue that we encountered during our visit to Sonoma in August.
No, I did not hump it. Don't even ask. There were like, a hundred people there and I was not about to subject myself to public humiliation for your viewing pleasure. You know who you are.
All I think about is this damned presidential election. I am most of the way through a brand new bottle of Pepto (seriously? Buy some of their stock b/c we have a long way yet to go) and have been hitting the Tums pretty hard, too. I want to write about the more interesting stuff going on around here, not that there's much of it, but still. I can't. All I can think about is McSame and the Mooseburger. God. Just seeing their faces in the paper or on the internet makes me want to throw up. Forget seeing them on tv--our gov't voucher for the HDTV adapter box thing-y still hasn't arrived and maybe that's not a bad thing. Except that the season premiere of House is Tuesday and I'm dying to see it. I love me some Hugh Laurie...
Anyway, I leave you with a picture of a warthog statue that we encountered during our visit to Sonoma in August.
No, I did not hump it. Don't even ask. There were like, a hundred people there and I was not about to subject myself to public humiliation for your viewing pleasure. You know who you are.
9.05.2008
The little red cart makes its debut...
We recently took the little red cart and Esme to the local farmer's market. We have since decided that Esme only gets to go every other week while the little red cart gets to go as often as it wishes.
In other news, things around here are just plain busy. I'm finishing up my second week as a receptionist working for 3 chiropractors (free treatment for me!) and they like me so much they want me to stay thru the end of December. It turns out that finding a PT temp job was a lot harder than I would have thought. Companies either want someone temporarily FT or permanently PT. Anyway, everyone is very nice and it's only 12 mi. from home and it's really close to a Caltrain station. I will start taking the train to work on Monday. The work pays well but it's 30 hrs/week plus transportation time. It's not bad, but more than I wanted to do in combination with school. So far I seem to be making it work.
I'm finishing up the 3rd week of my online classes and they seem to be going pretty well so far but it's definitely different from sitting in the classroom and going to lab. I'm amazed, tho, by how many people seem to squander their opportunity to do well in these classes. Quizzes in one class are open book and open note. They consist of 15 questions and you have 25 min. to answer them. You are told to keep time b/c the computer doesn't do it automatically and either the other students are losing points for going over 25 min or they aren't getting the right answers or a little of both. It's true that these quizzes are a little tricky but if you read the material and took good notes to supplement the powerpoints, you should still do reasonably well. And yet...many of them don't. The thing I don't get is that this particular class is taught by the director of the ABSN program that we've all applied to...not setting a good example, now are we?
But I digress. School is okay but there is a lot of material to cover, mandatory group work (thankfully I have a good group who submits things early so we're always on time) and you don't have the opportunity to sit in a classroom and get a lecture on things like, oh, acid-base balance. Which I struggled with last quarter. But you can call the professors and do online chats and things. I can see how this would be a big problem for people who aren't very self-directed. You'll be please to note that while the school application process was part of the early August shitwich eating issue that all of my stuff got mailed and was received by the school (as far as I can tell, anyway) and now I just wait to find out if I'm accepted. 80 applicants were submitted for the campus I applied to and there are 48 slots. Notice will be given sometime in October so keep your fingers crossed for me.
Lastly, we're just about all unpacked. Or as unpacked as we're going to be. We've got plenty of organizing to do and we still need to purchase a shelving unit for the living room but we seem to be making it work so far. I have pics to post from our "Worst. Shakespeare. Play. EVER." trip including many a "Tree?" pose throughout Sonoma. I'll get to that....sometime...maybe...you know, in October after the fall quarter is over...we'll see...
9.01.2008
8.21.2008
It isn't just me...
Hurray for this article in Slate. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who can't figure out how the hell to do those damn sudoku puzzles and doesn't think crossword puzzles are the bee's knees. Which is probably a good thing or else Michael and I would fight over the puzzle page at the end of the Sunday Times magazine. I'm more than happy to leave crossword puzzling to him and I will carry on with the reading parts. You know, before I fall asleep with my glasses still on and the book splayed open on my chest.
Hurray for this article in Slate. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who can't figure out how the hell to do those damn sudoku puzzles and doesn't think crossword puzzles are the bee's knees. Which is probably a good thing or else Michael and I would fight over the puzzle page at the end of the Sunday Times magazine. I'm more than happy to leave crossword puzzling to him and I will carry on with the reading parts. You know, before I fall asleep with my glasses still on and the book splayed open on my chest.
8.20.2008
The Neti Pot - Day 1...
Michael and I met our new GP this week at the medical office complex from hell and she was very nice. She recommended we use a neti pot which I already have (thank you, Hefk!) but have not yet used. So, I decided today was the day. Our doctor recommended using it in the shower since it's kind of messy until you get used to it but I didn't want to get in the shower yet (showering before tennis=waste of water) so I followed the directions that came in the box and did it over the sink. And I think I did okay. It didn't really go down the back of my throat which was good but I was not prepared for the resulting drippy nose. I blew my nose a few times after I was done but then it kept dripping. Is it supposed to do that?
In the meantime, I had the fabulous idea to unpack my china (seriously, why the hell did I take this stuff from my mother?) so I could put it in the cabinet (now safely secured with earthquake straps--a topic for another time) and managed to drip all over the glass shelves I was cleaning. Gross, I know. By now, the dripping has stopped but I'm left with a bit of sinus pressure on the left side in both my frontal and nasal sinuses. Is that supposed to happen? How soon does that weird there's-something-liquid-up-my-nose feeling go away?
Michael and I met our new GP this week at the medical office complex from hell and she was very nice. She recommended we use a neti pot which I already have (thank you, Hefk!) but have not yet used. So, I decided today was the day. Our doctor recommended using it in the shower since it's kind of messy until you get used to it but I didn't want to get in the shower yet (showering before tennis=waste of water) so I followed the directions that came in the box and did it over the sink. And I think I did okay. It didn't really go down the back of my throat which was good but I was not prepared for the resulting drippy nose. I blew my nose a few times after I was done but then it kept dripping. Is it supposed to do that?
In the meantime, I had the fabulous idea to unpack my china (seriously, why the hell did I take this stuff from my mother?) so I could put it in the cabinet (now safely secured with earthquake straps--a topic for another time) and managed to drip all over the glass shelves I was cleaning. Gross, I know. By now, the dripping has stopped but I'm left with a bit of sinus pressure on the left side in both my frontal and nasal sinuses. Is that supposed to happen? How soon does that weird there's-something-liquid-up-my-nose feeling go away?
8.18.2008
Great Sexist-pectations...
You know, it's 2008. Not the 1800s, not 1950 but 2008. I know that sexism is alive and well but recently I got smacked upside the head with it. Twice. Not in major, frontline news kinds of ways but the subtle little shitty ways that are so part of everyday life that most people don't even think about them.
The first time was at the bank. Michael and I went in to open new checking and savings accounts and I took the initiative and I told the banker what we wanted. And what did she do? She listed Michael as the primary on our jt checking. Why? Because he's the husband. He's the man and I am the lowly woman who does not get to be listed as the primary on the checking account. And I was so stunned by it that I didn't know what to say. Then she asked me where I worked and when I said I didn't she asked if I was a homemaker. A homemaker? Do people even do that anymore? I am a woman who happens to be a wife who isn't working and that makes me a homemaker? WTF, people?!? Why can't I just be unemployed? Why can't I just be a person who is not currently employed but is looking for a job. Why not ask me if I am a job seeker not a fcking homemaker?
The second time occurs when getting quotes for car and renter's insurance. I called the broker Michael used during grad school and the company with the most competitive quote wants a copy of our marriage certificate because we have different last names and need to prove that we are actually married. Now, this is not the broker's fault. But I did tell her how appallingly sexist this policy is and if the quote weren't so dang competitive, I would have asked for a quote from another company. I wouldn't mind if they applied this policy across to the board. If you insist that all couples provide a copy of their license, then fine. That's fair. But to single out people like us is total crap. And if it weren't for Michael's minor fender bender in the snow last year, I would go somewhere else but we just can't afford it. But, by Ogg, they are going to hear from me.
You know, it's 2008. Not the 1800s, not 1950 but 2008. I know that sexism is alive and well but recently I got smacked upside the head with it. Twice. Not in major, frontline news kinds of ways but the subtle little shitty ways that are so part of everyday life that most people don't even think about them.
The first time was at the bank. Michael and I went in to open new checking and savings accounts and I took the initiative and I told the banker what we wanted. And what did she do? She listed Michael as the primary on our jt checking. Why? Because he's the husband. He's the man and I am the lowly woman who does not get to be listed as the primary on the checking account. And I was so stunned by it that I didn't know what to say. Then she asked me where I worked and when I said I didn't she asked if I was a homemaker. A homemaker? Do people even do that anymore? I am a woman who happens to be a wife who isn't working and that makes me a homemaker? WTF, people?!? Why can't I just be unemployed? Why can't I just be a person who is not currently employed but is looking for a job. Why not ask me if I am a job seeker not a fcking homemaker?
The second time occurs when getting quotes for car and renter's insurance. I called the broker Michael used during grad school and the company with the most competitive quote wants a copy of our marriage certificate because we have different last names and need to prove that we are actually married. Now, this is not the broker's fault. But I did tell her how appallingly sexist this policy is and if the quote weren't so dang competitive, I would have asked for a quote from another company. I wouldn't mind if they applied this policy across to the board. If you insist that all couples provide a copy of their license, then fine. That's fair. But to single out people like us is total crap. And if it weren't for Michael's minor fender bender in the snow last year, I would go somewhere else but we just can't afford it. But, by Ogg, they are going to hear from me.
8.13.2008
No more shitwiches...
At least for the time being. So, I realize that my little bloggy post there was cause for concern for some of you--rest assured, things are returning to normal. Many of you were at the wedding and have already heard my tales of woe. For those of you still in the dark, here is the recap:
At least for the time being. So, I realize that my little bloggy post there was cause for concern for some of you--rest assured, things are returning to normal. Many of you were at the wedding and have already heard my tales of woe. For those of you still in the dark, here is the recap:
- Less than 24 hours before closing on the sale of our house, the stupid buyers start freaking out over the crack in the basement that I disclosed in our first contract and had noted that I was taking bids for repair. I had since brought someone in to repair it and he did a damned fine job. However, I did not think to ask for a receipt esp. since I paid in cash. He's an industrial engineer by trade but is retired from that line of business and rehabs houses in the neighborhood now. Great guy. Anyway, butthole buyers keep acting like we're lying and even tho you can see that the concrete in the SE corner is a different color and texture than the rest of the floor, they claim that it wasn't fixed. So our realtor spends the afternoon trying to call in contractors to no avail. Long story short, Michael sends them an email detailing what we had done and includes a diagram. Thurs. am while I am in transit to the east coast the paperwork is signed and we are no longer the owners of that house. I land at O'Hare around lunchtime and treat myself to a cold beer and a sub-optimal portobella sandwich (hey, at least it wasn't a shitwich).
- At the same time, I am experiencing extreme frustration with the idiots at Sylvan Learning Ctr in Mt. View. I arranged to have their facility privately proctor my stupid NET exam for nursing school and after dealing with the headache of making said arrangements and taking the test, thought everything was a done deal. I could not have been more wrong. Turns out that somehow the testing company neglected to include the Big Brown return envelope or the idiots at SLC misplaced it when they opened the package. So, I took the test the Friday before last. They call me Wed. am when I am trying to tie up loose ends, finish laundry and pack before my early morning flight on Thurs. They never sent my test back to the testing company for scoring. They wanted me to come bring them a shipping label. I'm confused as to why they aren't using the one that should have been included with the test. The girl I'm talking to is confused. I hang up and call the testing company. The customer service rep says it will be faster if I just go buy a Big Brown envelope and drop it off at the test site. I call back. The girl tells me they have the envelope...they were confused about when I wanted them to mail the test back to the testing company...WTF?!?!? I make the girl promise me that she will personally get in her car and drive the test to the nearest Big Brown Flush it Down drop box or business. I hang up and go back to packing and laundry. I get a call a few hours later from the director of the school of incompetence asking me why I haven't dropped off a mailing envelope for them yet. Seriously? My god, what the fck is going on over there?!? Another long story short, she calls the testing company and gets their UPS shipping acct no. and drops off my test. I get some BS excuse about "I'm really busy...blah, blah, blah." Well, I'm busy, too, and I paid you people $55 to hand me my test and then to take it to fcking UPS after I finished with i. Idiots. SLC is run by incompetent boobs so if you or your future kids needs their services I would consider going somewhere else. Idiots.
- So, now the good news. The house sold and after our mortgage, HELOC, realtor and closing fees were paid, the remainder was wired to our checking acct. Woo! Also, I got my test scores Mon. night and they were good enough for the nursing program. I did better on the math section than the reading comp--go figure.
- The just plain old news is that I got an email yesterday from the school saying that they have completed the first portion of application review and apps now go forward to the faculty. They have 80 apps for the San Mateo campus and only 48 spots. Keep your fingers crossed that I'm one of the 48. If I don't get into this program I really don't know what to do with myself. I can't keep treading water until I can get in somewhere...sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have stayed in OH until I finished my degree. Blarg. Anyway, no sense worrying about it now. I should hear sometime in October.
8.06.2008
My luncheon with the Universe...
Me: What should I order...hmmmm....the portobella mushroom with goat cheese and roasted red peppers looks yummy...
Universe: No, I think you should order the shit sandwich platter.
Me: Shit sandwich platter? That doesn't sound tasty at all.
Universe: Waiter? This lovely lady here would like to order the shit sandwich platter. Chop, chop!
Me: Universe, what have I done to piss you off?
(Waiter brings platter of shit sandwiches, places platter in front of me)
Universe: Here, Kelly, have a shit sandwich. They sure are delicious, aren't they?
Me: Nom...nom...no, this is terrible! I would really rather have the portobella...
Universe: No, no, this is so much tastier. Here, have another...
Me: Nom...nom...this sucks...nom..nom...could I at least have the lemon curd tartlet for dessert?
Universe: No, you may have the shit tartlet. Eat up!
Me: What should I order...hmmmm....the portobella mushroom with goat cheese and roasted red peppers looks yummy...
Universe: No, I think you should order the shit sandwich platter.
Me: Shit sandwich platter? That doesn't sound tasty at all.
Universe: Waiter? This lovely lady here would like to order the shit sandwich platter. Chop, chop!
Me: Universe, what have I done to piss you off?
(Waiter brings platter of shit sandwiches, places platter in front of me)
Universe: Here, Kelly, have a shit sandwich. They sure are delicious, aren't they?
Me: Nom...nom...no, this is terrible! I would really rather have the portobella...
Universe: No, no, this is so much tastier. Here, have another...
Me: Nom...nom...this sucks...nom..nom...could I at least have the lemon curd tartlet for dessert?
Universe: No, you may have the shit tartlet. Eat up!
8.04.2008
I guess the cat's outta the bag...
Well, most of you don't know this but the neighbors do...the sale of our house is pending and we close at the end of the week. We've chosen not to discuss this with anyone other than our parents--mostly for superstitious reasons but also because this is so hard. We love our house (although I had some serious moments of intense dislike while prepping it for sale) and our neighborhood and are so sad that we must turn over the keys to new owners. I hope they love our house as much as we do and hope they don't do anything horrible to it like paint the woodwork.
There was a time when we thought we'd live there until Michael retired from the university. But when the tenure process didn't work out and we found ourselves here in CA, we carried on smartly to do what needed to be done. And now that we're (mostly) settled into our new digs and getting used to our new surroundings...I don't know...it's just hard. I wish I could have picked up our house and our neighborhood and moved it here to CA. It's not even that I'm so attached to Dayton...Michael is, but I'm not so much. But I do miss our friends and the familiarity that comes from having lived someplace for a number of years.
What makes it harder is that the buyers have already called the utility companies to transfer the billing and I can't help but feel annoyed that they're doing this when it's not their house yet. I know it's stupid to feel this way but it's our house until they sign on the dotted lines. Our house. I can't believe other people are going to be living in our house...
I think it's good that we live so far away because that gives us the physical distance to lend us the emotional distance we need. We'll always have fond memories of our time there. Admittedly, it's a relief to sell so quickly in this market and to have gotten a good sale price, at that. It's also nice not to have a rent payment plus mortgage payment every month. Still, I can't help but feel sad. I'm really going to miss that house...
p.s. I found the futon hardware--hurray!
Well, most of you don't know this but the neighbors do...the sale of our house is pending and we close at the end of the week. We've chosen not to discuss this with anyone other than our parents--mostly for superstitious reasons but also because this is so hard. We love our house (although I had some serious moments of intense dislike while prepping it for sale) and our neighborhood and are so sad that we must turn over the keys to new owners. I hope they love our house as much as we do and hope they don't do anything horrible to it like paint the woodwork.
There was a time when we thought we'd live there until Michael retired from the university. But when the tenure process didn't work out and we found ourselves here in CA, we carried on smartly to do what needed to be done. And now that we're (mostly) settled into our new digs and getting used to our new surroundings...I don't know...it's just hard. I wish I could have picked up our house and our neighborhood and moved it here to CA. It's not even that I'm so attached to Dayton...Michael is, but I'm not so much. But I do miss our friends and the familiarity that comes from having lived someplace for a number of years.
What makes it harder is that the buyers have already called the utility companies to transfer the billing and I can't help but feel annoyed that they're doing this when it's not their house yet. I know it's stupid to feel this way but it's our house until they sign on the dotted lines. Our house. I can't believe other people are going to be living in our house...
I think it's good that we live so far away because that gives us the physical distance to lend us the emotional distance we need. We'll always have fond memories of our time there. Admittedly, it's a relief to sell so quickly in this market and to have gotten a good sale price, at that. It's also nice not to have a rent payment plus mortgage payment every month. Still, I can't help but feel sad. I'm really going to miss that house...
p.s. I found the futon hardware--hurray!
7.28.2008
It's Christmas in July!
I know I only just packed all these boxes and boxes of stuff from our house in Dayton but opening them this weekend was like having Christmas in July. Ooh! My fiestaware! The coffee pot! Our bed! Our sheets! The clasps for the dog's crate! Whee!
All of the fun-ness was overshadowed a smidge by the occasional discovery of broken or damaged items. Our headboard has an enormous gouge mark in it and a chunk of wood is missing from the face. The mattress is broken. We can sleep on it for now but it will have to be replaced soon-ish because the springs are already poking out of the side of the fabric. The place where we bought it only has locations as far west as OH and WI...I'm just not sure it can be repaired, anyway. Boo. Also, an entire box of coffee cups has to go in the trash. Some of those cups were favorites...the ugly one from LAX that my friend Karen brought me...the pretty blue and white one Gwen's parents bought me when they took me with them to visit Grg her freshman year at Wesleyan...and the funny "disappearing" Bill of Rights mug from my SIL. Boo. I know they're just coffee cups but I love them. Some favorites survived so there's my silver lining.
The furniture is scuffed and lots of things are wobbly. The top of the ship case broke but Michael will have it all fixed by tonight. Oh, and the paint roller extension bar is squashed flat at a pancake. Not a big deal but if I thought it would be squashed beyond repair I would have just given it to my dad. Still can't find the hardware for the futon...we might need to buy new screws and things...All in all, tho, not too bad. The moving company will be hearing from me tomorrow. The headboard and mattress damage is just to great to overlook and losing the futon hardware is just a plain old pain in the arse.
The house is coming together nicely and we're slowly finding places for all of our things. We don't have nearly enough closet space but we're going to hold on to a few of those plastic tubs and will make use of the space saver bags for linens and clothes. The garage has plenty of space and we should be able to park the car in it shortly. We're still sorting out some stuff but I think we can make it all work. But first, I need to empty out the rest of the stuff in the apartment. More pics soon!
I know I only just packed all these boxes and boxes of stuff from our house in Dayton but opening them this weekend was like having Christmas in July. Ooh! My fiestaware! The coffee pot! Our bed! Our sheets! The clasps for the dog's crate! Whee!
All of the fun-ness was overshadowed a smidge by the occasional discovery of broken or damaged items. Our headboard has an enormous gouge mark in it and a chunk of wood is missing from the face. The mattress is broken. We can sleep on it for now but it will have to be replaced soon-ish because the springs are already poking out of the side of the fabric. The place where we bought it only has locations as far west as OH and WI...I'm just not sure it can be repaired, anyway. Boo. Also, an entire box of coffee cups has to go in the trash. Some of those cups were favorites...the ugly one from LAX that my friend Karen brought me...the pretty blue and white one Gwen's parents bought me when they took me with them to visit Grg her freshman year at Wesleyan...and the funny "disappearing" Bill of Rights mug from my SIL. Boo. I know they're just coffee cups but I love them. Some favorites survived so there's my silver lining.
The furniture is scuffed and lots of things are wobbly. The top of the ship case broke but Michael will have it all fixed by tonight. Oh, and the paint roller extension bar is squashed flat at a pancake. Not a big deal but if I thought it would be squashed beyond repair I would have just given it to my dad. Still can't find the hardware for the futon...we might need to buy new screws and things...All in all, tho, not too bad. The moving company will be hearing from me tomorrow. The headboard and mattress damage is just to great to overlook and losing the futon hardware is just a plain old pain in the arse.
The house is coming together nicely and we're slowly finding places for all of our things. We don't have nearly enough closet space but we're going to hold on to a few of those plastic tubs and will make use of the space saver bags for linens and clothes. The garage has plenty of space and we should be able to park the car in it shortly. We're still sorting out some stuff but I think we can make it all work. But first, I need to empty out the rest of the stuff in the apartment. More pics soon!
7.24.2008
Picture time!
This is the dog trying to beat the heat by digging a hole next to this
lovely bush and then laying in it.
Hello, crazy Jurassic Park-looking plant in the backyard!
This is the dog hiding in the rose bushes because I was inside using the vacuum.
She is such a big baby.
This is Michael's "fierce" face. He does "fierce" better than I do.
Of course, nobody's "fierce" is as good as Gwen's.
Guess where we went?
lovely bush and then laying in it.
Hello, crazy Jurassic Park-looking plant in the backyard!
This is the dog hiding in the rose bushes because I was inside using the vacuum.
She is such a big baby.
This is Michael's "fierce" face. He does "fierce" better than I do.
Of course, nobody's "fierce" is as good as Gwen's.
Guess where we went?
7.23.2008
Move in day!
We're (almost) all moved in--yay! The storage unit is empty and our tiny little house is full of our enormous furniture and the garage is chock full of boxes. The BRs are painted, the floors vacuumed and cleaned and now it's time to put the bed and futon together and start unpacking. Sort of. I bought more contact paper this morning and some cleaner for the cabinets in the kitchen and then I can unpack. I was planning to do that this afternoon but I've been waylaid by our house in Dayton.
Got a call from our realtor re: some stuff that needs to be fixed and now I'm scrambling about trying to call some contractors to fix this stuff for us. All I have to say is that it is an absolute bitch trying to sell your house when you don't live in (or near) it. That house is a 100-year-old monkey on our backs...sigh...but now we have a lovely back yard to enjoy! And a large covered porch! And beautiful weather! And boxes to unpack! Did I mention the back yard?
We're (almost) all moved in--yay! The storage unit is empty and our tiny little house is full of our enormous furniture and the garage is chock full of boxes. The BRs are painted, the floors vacuumed and cleaned and now it's time to put the bed and futon together and start unpacking. Sort of. I bought more contact paper this morning and some cleaner for the cabinets in the kitchen and then I can unpack. I was planning to do that this afternoon but I've been waylaid by our house in Dayton.
Got a call from our realtor re: some stuff that needs to be fixed and now I'm scrambling about trying to call some contractors to fix this stuff for us. All I have to say is that it is an absolute bitch trying to sell your house when you don't live in (or near) it. That house is a 100-year-old monkey on our backs...sigh...but now we have a lovely back yard to enjoy! And a large covered porch! And beautiful weather! And boxes to unpack! Did I mention the back yard?
7.22.2008
Still painting...
I'm still painting the 2 bedrooms. Actually, I'm only painting one bedroom as the other is fini. I hope. We did a combo of brush and roller on the trim and I felt that yesterday's rolled parts could use a touch up. I finished the windows this morning but will have to see how they look when I go back this afternoon. Still have to do the doors but will attempt that this afternoon. I will post some pics soon.
Tomorrow is furniture move in day so there is a lot to finish before 7:30 am tomorrow. I still need to finish the trim in the master BR and vacuum and mop the floor with some oil soap. Then, we will be ready. The next couple of days involve cleaning the kitchen cabinets (not sure they've been cleaned in the last 10 years) and putting down new contact paper. Then lots and lots and lots of unpacking. Then? We'll be ready for house guests. Who wants to come for a visit?
I'm still painting the 2 bedrooms. Actually, I'm only painting one bedroom as the other is fini. I hope. We did a combo of brush and roller on the trim and I felt that yesterday's rolled parts could use a touch up. I finished the windows this morning but will have to see how they look when I go back this afternoon. Still have to do the doors but will attempt that this afternoon. I will post some pics soon.
Tomorrow is furniture move in day so there is a lot to finish before 7:30 am tomorrow. I still need to finish the trim in the master BR and vacuum and mop the floor with some oil soap. Then, we will be ready. The next couple of days involve cleaning the kitchen cabinets (not sure they've been cleaned in the last 10 years) and putting down new contact paper. Then lots and lots and lots of unpacking. Then? We'll be ready for house guests. Who wants to come for a visit?
7.15.2008
Pics of the house!
The kitchen. Appliances look fairly new-ish and I like the floor and laminate on the countertops but I'm not a huge fan of the dark cabinets. A fair bit of cabinet space, tho.
The "dining room" if it can be called that. It's more like the other side of the living room. It will easily accommodate our enormous dining room table and that's the important thing.
Sigh. The bathroom. It is tiny. Look at that tiny little midget toilet. This makes me miss our bathrooms in Dayton like you would not believe. This bathroom has been kept clean and there's no icky mold in the grout so all is not lost. Don't like the shower doors but removing them will be a later project.
Just one shot of the backyard. I'm not sure that you can tell that the planters there are resting inside a water garden sans water. The fountain is off to the left...I'm not sure if it's still functional nor am I terribly interested in the maintenance of a water garden and fountain but maybe next year.
Stay tuned; more pics to come!
7.11.2008
Tell me I'm crazy...
Because I must be certifiably insane. Despite all the painting/sanding/cleaning/packing/scrubbing/more painting/painting/painting that I did in the 3 months from job offer to move I find myself wanting to paint. I'm crazy, right?
See, we're moving into a rental house and all the walls are white. White. Ick. Admittedly, the crazy 1970's gold patterned wallpaper in the bathroom was really ugly, but they've since painted those walls white and it's okay in the bathroom and even the kitchen but not elsewhere. And they did take down that hideous dark wood paneled wall in the living room but now, you guessed it, the wall is white. But, we're starting small and there won't be any prep work. We're going to paint the 2 bedrooms in Adobe Straw (by Behr but we're going to find an equivalent in Valspar) and after that, we'll consider doing the living room and dining room later on.
I also want to take down the shower doors and replace with a curved shower rod and a cute shower curtain...not sure if we'll do that right away. I would also like a "tall man" toilet like the ones we purchased for our house in Dayton. After that, some nicer window treatments to cover up the ugly vertical and horizontal blinds that are all over the house and spiffing up some of the landscaping out back will be about it. Really. I swear. I know Michael is reading this and shaking his head (hi, honey!) but it'll be worth it. Right?
Because I must be certifiably insane. Despite all the painting/sanding/cleaning/packing/scrubbing/more painting/painting/painting that I did in the 3 months from job offer to move I find myself wanting to paint. I'm crazy, right?
See, we're moving into a rental house and all the walls are white. White. Ick. Admittedly, the crazy 1970's gold patterned wallpaper in the bathroom was really ugly, but they've since painted those walls white and it's okay in the bathroom and even the kitchen but not elsewhere. And they did take down that hideous dark wood paneled wall in the living room but now, you guessed it, the wall is white. But, we're starting small and there won't be any prep work. We're going to paint the 2 bedrooms in Adobe Straw (by Behr but we're going to find an equivalent in Valspar) and after that, we'll consider doing the living room and dining room later on.
I also want to take down the shower doors and replace with a curved shower rod and a cute shower curtain...not sure if we'll do that right away. I would also like a "tall man" toilet like the ones we purchased for our house in Dayton. After that, some nicer window treatments to cover up the ugly vertical and horizontal blinds that are all over the house and spiffing up some of the landscaping out back will be about it. Really. I swear. I know Michael is reading this and shaking his head (hi, honey!) but it'll be worth it. Right?
7.09.2008
Wiped Out...
This will be short because, as you can see by the title, I am wiped out. Got back yesterday from bridesmaid/whirlwind to the beach land and am tirreeeeddddd. I'm missing all of you already but am glad to be back. I have a massive "to do" list to tackle but now, I'm going to lay back down on my couch and read my book.
p.s. I realize I was remiss in mentioning Michael now has a blog: Life, Hope and Vittles. He tells the story of our adventures with Cletus much better than I do.
This will be short because, as you can see by the title, I am wiped out. Got back yesterday from bridesmaid/whirlwind to the beach land and am tirreeeeddddd. I'm missing all of you already but am glad to be back. I have a massive "to do" list to tackle but now, I'm going to lay back down on my couch and read my book.
p.s. I realize I was remiss in mentioning Michael now has a blog: Life, Hope and Vittles. He tells the story of our adventures with Cletus much better than I do.
7.02.2008
Adventures in Bicycling...
Now that we're Californians and all, we need to do the California thing and ride our bikes everywhere and, for the ladies, be skinny, tan and blonde. Let me tell you right now: I will be neither tan nor blonde. Skinny wouldn't be bad but I don't think that's in the cards. Anyway.
So, this week, I decided that I would ride my bike, along with Michael, to his office and then I would bike home. This is a 10 mile round trip and while it's mostly flat, it involves plenty of pedaling and racing to intersections to make as many lights as possible. And it's been fun so far (and good exercise) but it can be a little scary at times and I'm still working on my bicycle fierceness. One problem is that I don't have a really "good" bike, not that it's a bad bike, but it's not a California bike. It's not a $600 lightweight, no kickstand, cool-looking bike with helpful foot thingies that keep your feet on the pedals. But it'll do. Michael is going to take it to a bike shop this weekend to have the gears adjusted which will help tremendously.
The bigger issue is my lack of fierceness. I need to be more aggressive around cars when I'm riding. This is hard b/c I am convinced that they will run my ass off the street. Most roads around here have designated bike lanes but in CA, there are legal U-turns so this morning I watched a car make a U-turn and nearly mow down the guy in front of me b/c the driver drove right into the bike lane in order to execute his turn. And where there are no bike lanes, I need to be more aggressive about taking up enough space in the road to keep cars from forcing me off the road and into the gutter. And my husband kindly alerted me to the fact that I need to leave plenty of space between me and parked cars in case a driver opens her car door in front of me. I don't fancy myself the star of some video you'd see on those funniest (stupidest) home video shows where some poor guy gets hit in the nuts or, in my case, I go flying off my bike and do a face plant in the street.
This morning's ride was my last for at least 6 days since I'm taking the red eye tonight for Alissa's and Todd's wedding. That'll give me time to work on my fierce (maybe Gwen will help me with my look) so that when I get back I'll be ready.
Now that we're Californians and all, we need to do the California thing and ride our bikes everywhere and, for the ladies, be skinny, tan and blonde. Let me tell you right now: I will be neither tan nor blonde. Skinny wouldn't be bad but I don't think that's in the cards. Anyway.
So, this week, I decided that I would ride my bike, along with Michael, to his office and then I would bike home. This is a 10 mile round trip and while it's mostly flat, it involves plenty of pedaling and racing to intersections to make as many lights as possible. And it's been fun so far (and good exercise) but it can be a little scary at times and I'm still working on my bicycle fierceness. One problem is that I don't have a really "good" bike, not that it's a bad bike, but it's not a California bike. It's not a $600 lightweight, no kickstand, cool-looking bike with helpful foot thingies that keep your feet on the pedals. But it'll do. Michael is going to take it to a bike shop this weekend to have the gears adjusted which will help tremendously.
The bigger issue is my lack of fierceness. I need to be more aggressive around cars when I'm riding. This is hard b/c I am convinced that they will run my ass off the street. Most roads around here have designated bike lanes but in CA, there are legal U-turns so this morning I watched a car make a U-turn and nearly mow down the guy in front of me b/c the driver drove right into the bike lane in order to execute his turn. And where there are no bike lanes, I need to be more aggressive about taking up enough space in the road to keep cars from forcing me off the road and into the gutter. And my husband kindly alerted me to the fact that I need to leave plenty of space between me and parked cars in case a driver opens her car door in front of me. I don't fancy myself the star of some video you'd see on those funniest (stupidest) home video shows where some poor guy gets hit in the nuts or, in my case, I go flying off my bike and do a face plant in the street.
This morning's ride was my last for at least 6 days since I'm taking the red eye tonight for Alissa's and Todd's wedding. That'll give me time to work on my fierce (maybe Gwen will help me with my look) so that when I get back I'll be ready.
6.27.2008
The downside to CA...
Well, to be honest, there is more than one downside but today it involves the fact that being this far away means that I can't be proximal to my mother when there's trouble in the family. My mom's cousin and step-sister by marriage is dying of cancer and while they weren't terribly close, it's still a sad time. My mom's family has been through a lot of late and I wish I could be with her during these times. But now that I'm out here, I can't just hop in the car and drive East. Boo.
On top of that, we've started looking for an apartment and the cost of living here is enough to induce an anxiety attack. We've discovered that anything that costs less than $1600/month is almost always a crap hole. And, frankly, the older I get, the less likely I am to lower my standards on things like this and I am not living in a crap hole just to save a couple hundred bucks a month. I told my financial planner as much last night. I also told him I'd rather postpone retirement (why yes, we do have a retirement plan and I highly recommend that you get one) by a few more years than live in squalor. Not that we'd ever live in squalor but you know what I mean. So...it looks like something in the $1800 to $2000 range for us. That is a lot of money. A lot. And, yes, I knew it would be like this and the cost of living in most large cities is about the same but still. The sticker shock. It kills me. Boo. I say boo.
Well, to be honest, there is more than one downside but today it involves the fact that being this far away means that I can't be proximal to my mother when there's trouble in the family. My mom's cousin and step-sister by marriage is dying of cancer and while they weren't terribly close, it's still a sad time. My mom's family has been through a lot of late and I wish I could be with her during these times. But now that I'm out here, I can't just hop in the car and drive East. Boo.
On top of that, we've started looking for an apartment and the cost of living here is enough to induce an anxiety attack. We've discovered that anything that costs less than $1600/month is almost always a crap hole. And, frankly, the older I get, the less likely I am to lower my standards on things like this and I am not living in a crap hole just to save a couple hundred bucks a month. I told my financial planner as much last night. I also told him I'd rather postpone retirement (why yes, we do have a retirement plan and I highly recommend that you get one) by a few more years than live in squalor. Not that we'd ever live in squalor but you know what I mean. So...it looks like something in the $1800 to $2000 range for us. That is a lot of money. A lot. And, yes, I knew it would be like this and the cost of living in most large cities is about the same but still. The sticker shock. It kills me. Boo. I say boo.
6.24.2008
My first week...
Well, it's been a bit more relaxing, to say the least. I spend a decent amount of time surfing the 'nets in an effort to take care of business re: the house or trying to find out where the nearest farmers market/CSA/bookstore/T@rget/etc. are located. Now that we've liberated our bike pump and found the helmets, I can ride my bike to all these wonderful places. I'm also looking out for discounts and deals of events and attractions and I am all about using my triple A card and entertainment book for coupons.
In the afternoon I read, walk the dog, cook dinner, write postcards, watch a little f00d network, unpack a box, you know, the usual stuff. Not too strenuous. Until yesterday.
Yesterday I went a little "weekend warrior" on a Tuesday but I didn't do it on purpose. I've been trying to get back into a regular exercise routine now that I no longer have to paint or pack and move heavy boxes around so yesterday I did some circuit training (why didn't I think this one through?) and then walked 4 miles to meet Michael for lunch. We had lunch at this really yummy vegetarian restaurant (sesame eggplant with brown garlic sauce and rice mmmmmm....) and then I picked up my bike from the storage unit and rode it the 4.5 miles home. Then I carried my bike up 2 flights of stairs. Yeah...I'm a smidge sore this morning. And clearly out of shape. Durr.
So, what have we done that's fun and exciting? Well, we went to the alumni event in the city last Thurs and that was fun. I met 2 people who are not just alumni but are from our beloved Lanky-town. One of them had Grg's dad in school. It was nice to chat with people who are from the same little town as you. We took the train in, which was nice, but the trip home took longer since the train stopped at every station. I, of course, fell asleep on the ride home. Can't do that while you're behind the wheel.
Friday, our trailer arrived and I spent the afternoon supervising the movers as they unloaded our stuff into our storage unit. Unfortunately many of our boxes are smooshed and caving in and the stand to our large oval mirror was broken. Until we unpack everything I won't know how much damage has occured but let's hope it isn't too extensive.
Saturday, we did some digging in our storage unit. I found the boxes with our mail, dry goods, clothes and cleaning supplies. We went back on Monday to unearth the tupperware, dish drainer and bike pump and helmets. My socks and underwear? Still MIA. I have one pair of socks that I wash, like, every other day because I refuse to buy more. They're in that damn storage unit somewhere! Along with my sports bras and tennis clothes. Need to find those, too.
Sunday, we didn't make it to Sonoma because there was N@SCAR race and I wasn't about to go anywhere near that. Instead we went into the city and met up with friends. We went to a museum that, alas, we did not enjoy b/c it housed mostly modern art. I don't like modern art. And let me just say that from now on Costa's girlfriends are NOT allowed to pick the museum anymore. Ever. Had I known we were going to be subjected to modern art, I would not have wasted the money on admission. Then we headed down to the Embarcadero and had coffee before heading home to the pooch.
Haven't decided what our plans are for this weekend but now that we have our bikes we'll probably do some exploring around here. We don't have locks yet (they're on order) so we can't really take them into the city yet unless we're not planning to get off of them to do anything fun. I want to check out the farmer's market, maybe visit the fruit stand and go to the library.
I leave you with this photo of a jackaranda tree from the park next to the "compound." They remind me of a purple version of japanese cherry trees and are absolutely gorgeous when they are at their peak of season. In fact, this picture doesn't do it justice. Maybe that's because it isn't a picture of the whole tree. Or because I took it instead of a real photographer.
Well, it's been a bit more relaxing, to say the least. I spend a decent amount of time surfing the 'nets in an effort to take care of business re: the house or trying to find out where the nearest farmers market/CSA/bookstore/T@rget/etc. are located. Now that we've liberated our bike pump and found the helmets, I can ride my bike to all these wonderful places. I'm also looking out for discounts and deals of events and attractions and I am all about using my triple A card and entertainment book for coupons.
In the afternoon I read, walk the dog, cook dinner, write postcards, watch a little f00d network, unpack a box, you know, the usual stuff. Not too strenuous. Until yesterday.
Yesterday I went a little "weekend warrior" on a Tuesday but I didn't do it on purpose. I've been trying to get back into a regular exercise routine now that I no longer have to paint or pack and move heavy boxes around so yesterday I did some circuit training (why didn't I think this one through?) and then walked 4 miles to meet Michael for lunch. We had lunch at this really yummy vegetarian restaurant (sesame eggplant with brown garlic sauce and rice mmmmmm....) and then I picked up my bike from the storage unit and rode it the 4.5 miles home. Then I carried my bike up 2 flights of stairs. Yeah...I'm a smidge sore this morning. And clearly out of shape. Durr.
So, what have we done that's fun and exciting? Well, we went to the alumni event in the city last Thurs and that was fun. I met 2 people who are not just alumni but are from our beloved Lanky-town. One of them had Grg's dad in school. It was nice to chat with people who are from the same little town as you. We took the train in, which was nice, but the trip home took longer since the train stopped at every station. I, of course, fell asleep on the ride home. Can't do that while you're behind the wheel.
Friday, our trailer arrived and I spent the afternoon supervising the movers as they unloaded our stuff into our storage unit. Unfortunately many of our boxes are smooshed and caving in and the stand to our large oval mirror was broken. Until we unpack everything I won't know how much damage has occured but let's hope it isn't too extensive.
Saturday, we did some digging in our storage unit. I found the boxes with our mail, dry goods, clothes and cleaning supplies. We went back on Monday to unearth the tupperware, dish drainer and bike pump and helmets. My socks and underwear? Still MIA. I have one pair of socks that I wash, like, every other day because I refuse to buy more. They're in that damn storage unit somewhere! Along with my sports bras and tennis clothes. Need to find those, too.
Sunday, we didn't make it to Sonoma because there was N@SCAR race and I wasn't about to go anywhere near that. Instead we went into the city and met up with friends. We went to a museum that, alas, we did not enjoy b/c it housed mostly modern art. I don't like modern art. And let me just say that from now on Costa's girlfriends are NOT allowed to pick the museum anymore. Ever. Had I known we were going to be subjected to modern art, I would not have wasted the money on admission. Then we headed down to the Embarcadero and had coffee before heading home to the pooch.
Haven't decided what our plans are for this weekend but now that we have our bikes we'll probably do some exploring around here. We don't have locks yet (they're on order) so we can't really take them into the city yet unless we're not planning to get off of them to do anything fun. I want to check out the farmer's market, maybe visit the fruit stand and go to the library.
I leave you with this photo of a jackaranda tree from the park next to the "compound." They remind me of a purple version of japanese cherry trees and are absolutely gorgeous when they are at their peak of season. In fact, this picture doesn't do it justice. Maybe that's because it isn't a picture of the whole tree. Or because I took it instead of a real photographer.
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