The Old House is Closed
The keys have all been turned over and we can pick up our check this afternoon. No more ducks...at least none nesting in my backyard here in Arizona. No more cranes or herons. I'll miss them but I'm sure I'll see plenty of wildlife in Wisconsin. Ducks, herons, loons, porcupines, groundhogs, otters, deer, fish, snapping turtles, black bears, woodticks, deerflies, (lions and tigers and bear, OH MY!).
42 Days Before We Head to Wisconsin (This is purely a tentative number and may change depending upon unforeseeable circumstances.)
Today will and has been spent unpacking boxes and making a multitude of holes in the new walls to hang up all of my wall art. Maybe I need to buy one of those nifty wall hanger thingies that I see for sale on TV (AS SEEN ON TV) that claims to help you hang your pictures perfectly the first time every time. Nah! I'll have all the pictures hung before that. I wouldn't want to put the spackle and paint people out of business.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
When talking about the flamingo, "this long-legged pink wading bird is named for the people of Flanders, the Flemings, as they were called. Flemings were widely known for their lively personalities, their flushed complexions, and their love of bright clothing. Spaniard explorers in the New World thought it was a great joke naming the bird flamingo, which means 'a Fleming' in Spanish." (From Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, by Robert Hendrickson)
Friday, April 30, 2004
Thursday, April 29, 2004
1 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we walk away from the old house never to see it again)
Tomorrow we won't own the old house anymore and I'll have to start another header for my blog. I'll think on it. I haven't been very good about keeping count. I think my next header will be a countdown for the time left before we can head to Wisconsin and The Lake.
Today is HTP and my wedding anniversary. We've been married 26 years. Happy Anniversary to us! We're not going to celebrate right now. Things are still too busy and messy here. Maybe I'll go out and get some steaks for the grill and chill some champagne. We'll celebrate our anniversary next month when things settle down a bit.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In reference to that bizarre creature, the moose, "Captain John Smith, one of the original leaders at Jamestown, wrote accounts of the colony and life in Virginia, in which he defined the creature as Moos, a beast bigger than a stagge. Moos was from Natick (Indian) dialect and probably derived from moosu, 'he trims, he shaves,' a reference to the way the animal rips the bark and lower branches from trees while feeding." (From The Chronology of Words and Phrases, by Linda and Roger Flavell)
Tomorrow we won't own the old house anymore and I'll have to start another header for my blog. I'll think on it. I haven't been very good about keeping count. I think my next header will be a countdown for the time left before we can head to Wisconsin and The Lake.
Today is HTP and my wedding anniversary. We've been married 26 years. Happy Anniversary to us! We're not going to celebrate right now. Things are still too busy and messy here. Maybe I'll go out and get some steaks for the grill and chill some champagne. We'll celebrate our anniversary next month when things settle down a bit.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In reference to that bizarre creature, the moose, "Captain John Smith, one of the original leaders at Jamestown, wrote accounts of the colony and life in Virginia, in which he defined the creature as Moos, a beast bigger than a stagge. Moos was from Natick (Indian) dialect and probably derived from moosu, 'he trims, he shaves,' a reference to the way the animal rips the bark and lower branches from trees while feeding." (From The Chronology of Words and Phrases, by Linda and Roger Flavell)
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
3 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we walk away from the old house never to see it again)
I've started hanging paintings and such on the walls of the new house. It won't be long and there won't be more then a bit of bare wall visible to the naked eye. I've got way too much wall art. I have way too many doodads and dust-catchers too. I already packed up one and half boxes of doodads to go to Wisconsin. Maybe I'll find a spot there for them. It's a bigger house. Almost virgin territory. I'll have to put in more shelves but things don't seem to get as dusty in Wisconsin. Off to Wisconsin with at least some of these dust-catchers.
My fans will be installed today. Yeah!!! We were going to wait to get ceiling fans until next fall but as soon as the temps reached 90°F here we hurriedly decided that we couldn't live without them for even the two months that remain until we head out for Wisconsin.
*****
My fans have now been installed and look great. They're working great too. Yeah!!! I can now concentrate on other important matters.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
When it comes to that beautiful red bird, the cardinal, "One would think that such an attractive creature would have given its name to many things, but in fact it is the other way around. The bird's name comes from the red-robed official of the Roman Catholic Church, who in turn was named for being so important--that is, from the adjective cardinal, from the Latin cardo, meaning 'hinge' or 'pivot.' Anything cardinal was so important that events depended (hinged or pivoted) on it." (From It's Raining Cats and Dogs, by Christine Ammer)
I've started hanging paintings and such on the walls of the new house. It won't be long and there won't be more then a bit of bare wall visible to the naked eye. I've got way too much wall art. I have way too many doodads and dust-catchers too. I already packed up one and half boxes of doodads to go to Wisconsin. Maybe I'll find a spot there for them. It's a bigger house. Almost virgin territory. I'll have to put in more shelves but things don't seem to get as dusty in Wisconsin. Off to Wisconsin with at least some of these dust-catchers.
My fans will be installed today. Yeah!!! We were going to wait to get ceiling fans until next fall but as soon as the temps reached 90°F here we hurriedly decided that we couldn't live without them for even the two months that remain until we head out for Wisconsin.
*****
My fans have now been installed and look great. They're working great too. Yeah!!! I can now concentrate on other important matters.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
When it comes to that beautiful red bird, the cardinal, "One would think that such an attractive creature would have given its name to many things, but in fact it is the other way around. The bird's name comes from the red-robed official of the Roman Catholic Church, who in turn was named for being so important--that is, from the adjective cardinal, from the Latin cardo, meaning 'hinge' or 'pivot.' Anything cardinal was so important that events depended (hinged or pivoted) on it." (From It's Raining Cats and Dogs, by Christine Ammer)
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
4 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we walk away from the old house never to see it again)
My new washer and dryer work just fine. I hate doing laundry but it is a necessary part of life. Having a functioning washer and dryer beats the heck out of going down to the river and finding the best set of rocks with the rest of the women in town.
A person becomes complacent about modern conveniences. What about the dishwasher? I remember when the only dishwashing "machine" that we owned were the five members of our family when we were growing up. Hot water and dishsoap (don't use too much...you only need 1/2 tsp.) in one sink and clean hotter water for rinsing and a drainer. Those who didn't actually wash the dishes were manning dish towels to dry and put away the dishes. Of the two chores, I must say that I would have preferred washing to drying. When we were at the cabin in Wisconsin, we had to boil the water for washing on the top of the stove.
The stove is a modern convenience that we take for granted as well. Thankfully I never had to cook over a wood-burning stove. I try to avoid ironing clothes (I religiously check fabric labels...if it needs ironing, I don't buy it) but I appreciate the fact that I have a 'modern' iron, not one of those old irons that needed to be heated on the top of a wood-burning stove or even earlier by the fireplace. Can you imagine ironing clothes back then in the summer by an open fireplace?
I could go on and on about those items that we take for granted. The vacuum cleaner, the refrigerator, the microwave oven, the gas grill, the air-conditioner, the toaster, electricity even. We've come a long way. And yet we still complain. I'm not fond of loading and unloading the dishwasher but it sure beats the way I had to do this chore when I was young. I'm not fond of doing the laundry but it sure beats the way my great-grandmother had to do this little chore. I'm telling you right now that there is no way that I'd be living here in Arizona if there wasn't any air-conditioning. Right now I'm bemoaning the fact that I have to wait until tomorrow for the installation of my ceiling fans despite the air-conditioning.
Yes, we still all have to have something to complain about. That minute it takes to reheat my coffee in the microwave sure seems to take forever not to mention the four whole minutes it takes to bake a potato! I remember when it took an hour to bake a potato and you sure as heck better remember to stick them into the oven one hour before you knew that the roast was going to be ready to serve or you may as well get out the pressure cooker (another modern convenience of the time which periodically tries to make a comeback) to cook up the potatoes to mashed potatoes (8 minutes at 15# pressure...or was that 10#?).
I'm doing the laundry today. I'm blogging while the washing machine and the dryer help me with this chore. I've got a computer. I've got a T.V. I'm not complaining....much. My husband still doesn't help much with the housework. Somethings just don't change.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"According to Greek legend, the god Apollo's earliest adventure was the single-handed slaying of Python, a flame-breathing dragon who blocked his way to Pytho (now Delphi), the site he had chosen for an oracle. From the name of this monster derives the name of the large snake of Asia, Africa, and Australia, the python." (From Thou Improper, Thou Uncommon Noun, by Willard R. Espy)
My new washer and dryer work just fine. I hate doing laundry but it is a necessary part of life. Having a functioning washer and dryer beats the heck out of going down to the river and finding the best set of rocks with the rest of the women in town.
A person becomes complacent about modern conveniences. What about the dishwasher? I remember when the only dishwashing "machine" that we owned were the five members of our family when we were growing up. Hot water and dishsoap (don't use too much...you only need 1/2 tsp.) in one sink and clean hotter water for rinsing and a drainer. Those who didn't actually wash the dishes were manning dish towels to dry and put away the dishes. Of the two chores, I must say that I would have preferred washing to drying. When we were at the cabin in Wisconsin, we had to boil the water for washing on the top of the stove.
The stove is a modern convenience that we take for granted as well. Thankfully I never had to cook over a wood-burning stove. I try to avoid ironing clothes (I religiously check fabric labels...if it needs ironing, I don't buy it) but I appreciate the fact that I have a 'modern' iron, not one of those old irons that needed to be heated on the top of a wood-burning stove or even earlier by the fireplace. Can you imagine ironing clothes back then in the summer by an open fireplace?
I could go on and on about those items that we take for granted. The vacuum cleaner, the refrigerator, the microwave oven, the gas grill, the air-conditioner, the toaster, electricity even. We've come a long way. And yet we still complain. I'm not fond of loading and unloading the dishwasher but it sure beats the way I had to do this chore when I was young. I'm not fond of doing the laundry but it sure beats the way my great-grandmother had to do this little chore. I'm telling you right now that there is no way that I'd be living here in Arizona if there wasn't any air-conditioning. Right now I'm bemoaning the fact that I have to wait until tomorrow for the installation of my ceiling fans despite the air-conditioning.
Yes, we still all have to have something to complain about. That minute it takes to reheat my coffee in the microwave sure seems to take forever not to mention the four whole minutes it takes to bake a potato! I remember when it took an hour to bake a potato and you sure as heck better remember to stick them into the oven one hour before you knew that the roast was going to be ready to serve or you may as well get out the pressure cooker (another modern convenience of the time which periodically tries to make a comeback) to cook up the potatoes to mashed potatoes (8 minutes at 15# pressure...or was that 10#?).
I'm doing the laundry today. I'm blogging while the washing machine and the dryer help me with this chore. I've got a computer. I've got a T.V. I'm not complaining....much. My husband still doesn't help much with the housework. Somethings just don't change.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"According to Greek legend, the god Apollo's earliest adventure was the single-handed slaying of Python, a flame-breathing dragon who blocked his way to Pytho (now Delphi), the site he had chosen for an oracle. From the name of this monster derives the name of the large snake of Asia, Africa, and Australia, the python." (From Thou Improper, Thou Uncommon Noun, by Willard R. Espy)
Monday, April 26, 2004
5 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we walk away from the old house never to see it again)
Our son made it safely to school this morning, I hope. We haven't heard anything to the contrary and since the school hasn't called demanding blood, I'll assume that this is the case. This was his first day driving to school from the new house. It's a longer trip from here so he had to get moving a bit earlier then he's been accustomed. On top of that he spent half the night setting up his computer system. Priorities, don't you know.
All the papers are signed. We're all ready for closing. The new buyers want to walk through the house but HTP is going to take care of that charming little chore. The new buyer, an engineer, and HTP, another engineer, will probably end up talking about the Cat 5 wiring, and everything else electrical. I can stay home and unpack some more so I don't have to stand there and pretend to know what they all are talking about.
After some minor surgery with a wirecutters and a bolt cutter, I "adjusted" the 11" pressure rods for my sidelight window to fit the 10 3/4" opening. I feel so talented. Now we all can walk naked through the house because no-one can really see us from the street. I also installed the pressure rods for those stupid decorative windows that are located on either side of my bed so I could install cafe curtains to cut the glare from the sun shining on my computer screen. Unfortunately, the only cafe curtains available look like they belong in someone's kitchen. At this point I don't care. Eventually I plan to take a stained glass class and replace the kitchenesque cafe curtains with stained glass. Same goes for the sidelight by the front door.
HTP is busy unpacking boxes for and of his office stuff. That'll keep him busy for a while. "Do you have any liguid or something and a rag or paper towels to dust off these shelves?" I drop everything that I'm doing to show him where the paper towels are located right there in front of his nose and where the Pledge is located, right where all the rest of the cleaning stuff is located. This all reminded me, of course about that old email funny about how many women with PMS are needed to screw in a light bulb but I guess HTP has some excuse because we've been in this house for less then a week...BUT THE CLEANING SUPPLIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KEPT UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK AND THE PAPER TOWELS ARE ALWAYS SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER!
*****
Q: How many women with PMS does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One! ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb! They don't even know that the bulb is BURNED OUT!! They would sit in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it out. And, once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past 17 YEARS! But if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find them 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE WRAPPER THE STUPID LIGHT BULBS CAME IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE A FOOT DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS HOUSE!
I'm sorry.... What did you ask me?
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"It was once wrongly believed that the leopard was a cross between a 'leo' (a lion) and a 'pard' (a white panther) -- hence the name 'leopard'.'" (From Why Do We Say It?, by Nigel Rees)
Our son made it safely to school this morning, I hope. We haven't heard anything to the contrary and since the school hasn't called demanding blood, I'll assume that this is the case. This was his first day driving to school from the new house. It's a longer trip from here so he had to get moving a bit earlier then he's been accustomed. On top of that he spent half the night setting up his computer system. Priorities, don't you know.
All the papers are signed. We're all ready for closing. The new buyers want to walk through the house but HTP is going to take care of that charming little chore. The new buyer, an engineer, and HTP, another engineer, will probably end up talking about the Cat 5 wiring, and everything else electrical. I can stay home and unpack some more so I don't have to stand there and pretend to know what they all are talking about.
After some minor surgery with a wirecutters and a bolt cutter, I "adjusted" the 11" pressure rods for my sidelight window to fit the 10 3/4" opening. I feel so talented. Now we all can walk naked through the house because no-one can really see us from the street. I also installed the pressure rods for those stupid decorative windows that are located on either side of my bed so I could install cafe curtains to cut the glare from the sun shining on my computer screen. Unfortunately, the only cafe curtains available look like they belong in someone's kitchen. At this point I don't care. Eventually I plan to take a stained glass class and replace the kitchenesque cafe curtains with stained glass. Same goes for the sidelight by the front door.
HTP is busy unpacking boxes for and of his office stuff. That'll keep him busy for a while. "Do you have any liguid or something and a rag or paper towels to dust off these shelves?" I drop everything that I'm doing to show him where the paper towels are located right there in front of his nose and where the Pledge is located, right where all the rest of the cleaning stuff is located. This all reminded me, of course about that old email funny about how many women with PMS are needed to screw in a light bulb but I guess HTP has some excuse because we've been in this house for less then a week...BUT THE CLEANING SUPPLIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KEPT UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK AND THE PAPER TOWELS ARE ALWAYS SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER!
*****
Q: How many women with PMS does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One! ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb! They don't even know that the bulb is BURNED OUT!! They would sit in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it out. And, once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past 17 YEARS! But if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find them 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE WRAPPER THE STUPID LIGHT BULBS CAME IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE A FOOT DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS HOUSE!
I'm sorry.... What did you ask me?
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"It was once wrongly believed that the leopard was a cross between a 'leo' (a lion) and a 'pard' (a white panther) -- hence the name 'leopard'.'" (From Why Do We Say It?, by Nigel Rees)
Sunday, April 25, 2004
6 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
Unpacking continues. I finished unpacking all my desk stuff. Since all that stuff came out of my desk I knew that it all should fit back into the desk. It was a struggle. I ended up throwing away a mountain of stuff (only the stuff that probably should have been thrown away before I packed it up in the first place but I wasn't all that organized at the time). My kitchen is all organized. I finished that up yesterday but I still can't see the top of my kitchen table. My dining room is all unpacked too but there's still stuff on top of that table too. Today will be spent making a small area habitable for our son who is returning late tonight from Reno. It would be nice if we had a freshly made up bed waiting for him and clean towels in the bathroom. He'll have to worry about setting up his own computer system. I doubt he'd want anyone messing with his system...even his Dad.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"Before the Norman conquest of England, French hunters bred a keen-nosed dog that they called the St. Hubert. One of their rulers, William, took a pack to England and hunted deer--following the dogs on foot. Saxons had never before seen a dog fierce enough to seize its prey, so they called William's animals hunts, meaning 'seizure.' Altered over time to hound, it was long applied to all hunting dogs. Then the meaning narrowed to stand for breeds that follow their quarry by scent." (From Why You Say It, by Webb Garrison)
Unpacking continues. I finished unpacking all my desk stuff. Since all that stuff came out of my desk I knew that it all should fit back into the desk. It was a struggle. I ended up throwing away a mountain of stuff (only the stuff that probably should have been thrown away before I packed it up in the first place but I wasn't all that organized at the time). My kitchen is all organized. I finished that up yesterday but I still can't see the top of my kitchen table. My dining room is all unpacked too but there's still stuff on top of that table too. Today will be spent making a small area habitable for our son who is returning late tonight from Reno. It would be nice if we had a freshly made up bed waiting for him and clean towels in the bathroom. He'll have to worry about setting up his own computer system. I doubt he'd want anyone messing with his system...even his Dad.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"Before the Norman conquest of England, French hunters bred a keen-nosed dog that they called the St. Hubert. One of their rulers, William, took a pack to England and hunted deer--following the dogs on foot. Saxons had never before seen a dog fierce enough to seize its prey, so they called William's animals hunts, meaning 'seizure.' Altered over time to hound, it was long applied to all hunting dogs. Then the meaning narrowed to stand for breeds that follow their quarry by scent." (From Why You Say It, by Webb Garrison)
Saturday, April 24, 2004
7 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
Unpacking continues. My two missing shelves have been recovered. I can now finish unpacking my kitchen. I also plan to unpack all the boxes of stuff that needs to be put back in my desk. That should take all day.
I've got to introduce my dogs to the dog next door. I'm a bit reluctant because that schnauzer is a bit rambunctious and she outweighs my chihuahuas by quite a bit. Maybe I'll just try the bark collar thing again for a while.
I'm going to try and stay off my feet today. Stupid me, I cut the bottom of my foot yesterday on some broken glass from a light bulb. Yup. Stupid me dropped a light bulb and not only broke it but stepped on it with bare feet. Then to add insult to injury, I had to clean up all the blood that I dripped all over the place. I'll probably get some weird disease too because, as my mother would say, I was definitely a member of the "black foot" tribe at the time of the injury. I shudder to think of all the tiny little germs having a hayday right now on the bottom of my poor foot. I suppose I should be wearing shoes today but when have I ever liked wearing shoes and besides. My foot feels a lot better with nothing touching it.
Unpacking continues. My two missing shelves have been recovered. I can now finish unpacking my kitchen. I also plan to unpack all the boxes of stuff that needs to be put back in my desk. That should take all day.
I've got to introduce my dogs to the dog next door. I'm a bit reluctant because that schnauzer is a bit rambunctious and she outweighs my chihuahuas by quite a bit. Maybe I'll just try the bark collar thing again for a while.
I'm going to try and stay off my feet today. Stupid me, I cut the bottom of my foot yesterday on some broken glass from a light bulb. Yup. Stupid me dropped a light bulb and not only broke it but stepped on it with bare feet. Then to add insult to injury, I had to clean up all the blood that I dripped all over the place. I'll probably get some weird disease too because, as my mother would say, I was definitely a member of the "black foot" tribe at the time of the injury. I shudder to think of all the tiny little germs having a hayday right now on the bottom of my poor foot. I suppose I should be wearing shoes today but when have I ever liked wearing shoes and besides. My foot feels a lot better with nothing touching it.
Friday, April 23, 2004
8 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
I'm still unpacking. You may have noticed that I haven't closed my blog with a trivia segment lately. There is a very good reason for this. I can't find the box where I packed my book. It's there somewhere but until I find it there will be no trivia segment to my blog.
I have my kitchen almost completely organized. The movers delivered two vital shelves for my kitchen buffet to my daughter's place by mistake. I was relieved to discover that they had merely been misdirected instead of tossed.
My new neighbor stopped over this morning after breakfast. She's ready to kill her husband. They're still in the process of unpacking. I sympathize with her sentiment. We stood outside the front door and comiserated. Moving is like giving birth only it takes a bit longer to move then it takes to actually give birth. Husbands really need to learn that they shouldn't take to heart everything that wives say during the course of labor.
My plants are all happy because I managed to set up the credenza in a place where they would receive the proper amount of light. All my plants are now in one general location so the summer plant sitters won't have any problems finding them all.
My next project is to set up my toiletries. We've down-sized our master bathroom with this house. We now have only one medicine cabinet where we used to have two. I also lost four drawers. I must learn to share. I must become more creative in my organizational skills. I've got three boxes of toiletries that will have to all fit into one and a half drawers, no medicine cabinet, and what little space there remains under my sink. Thank goodness we still have two sinks. HTP took the medicine cabinet. He'll have more space them me. Grrrr!!!!!
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
I told you that I wouldn't be having a trivia segment until I find my book. What are you doing reading this? Go away! Shoo! Scat! I'm supposed to be unpacking.
I'm still unpacking. You may have noticed that I haven't closed my blog with a trivia segment lately. There is a very good reason for this. I can't find the box where I packed my book. It's there somewhere but until I find it there will be no trivia segment to my blog.
I have my kitchen almost completely organized. The movers delivered two vital shelves for my kitchen buffet to my daughter's place by mistake. I was relieved to discover that they had merely been misdirected instead of tossed.
My new neighbor stopped over this morning after breakfast. She's ready to kill her husband. They're still in the process of unpacking. I sympathize with her sentiment. We stood outside the front door and comiserated. Moving is like giving birth only it takes a bit longer to move then it takes to actually give birth. Husbands really need to learn that they shouldn't take to heart everything that wives say during the course of labor.
My plants are all happy because I managed to set up the credenza in a place where they would receive the proper amount of light. All my plants are now in one general location so the summer plant sitters won't have any problems finding them all.
My next project is to set up my toiletries. We've down-sized our master bathroom with this house. We now have only one medicine cabinet where we used to have two. I also lost four drawers. I must learn to share. I must become more creative in my organizational skills. I've got three boxes of toiletries that will have to all fit into one and a half drawers, no medicine cabinet, and what little space there remains under my sink. Thank goodness we still have two sinks. HTP took the medicine cabinet. He'll have more space them me. Grrrr!!!!!
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
I told you that I wouldn't be having a trivia segment until I find my book. What are you doing reading this? Go away! Shoo! Scat! I'm supposed to be unpacking.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
9 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
The Movers Arrived. Let the Unpacking Commence.
Our movers arrived yesterday at 9 AM and immediately called in for reinforcements. With the additional help, they were finally able to move all but the smallest tidbits from the old house to this new house by 11:30 PM. It took three trips and we made them put together the beds, the china buffet, the dining room table, my computer desk, the entertainment center (the furniture, not the electronics) and at least part of HTP's huge monster of an office desk. I think it was that desk that finally made them throw in the towel. Move day wasn't too tramatic, just hectic and there was that dust devil that hit during that first trip so we had to shovel all that sand out of the garage...but other then that I just felt like I'd been beaten up and dragged through the bushes backward.
My computer system is up and running. This is only because HTP couldn't mess with his system because his desk is still in pieces and our son left for his jazz competition in Reno last night at 8 PM. I am thankful that I have my system up and running. I just have to figure out how to get HTP's desk assembled again so he won't drive me insane everytime I want to use the computer.
Unpacking has commenced. Thankfully unpacking is a bit easier then packing. At least it is when I can find the boxes that I want which are buried under other boxes of stuff that I don't want...yet.
The Movers Arrived. Let the Unpacking Commence.
Our movers arrived yesterday at 9 AM and immediately called in for reinforcements. With the additional help, they were finally able to move all but the smallest tidbits from the old house to this new house by 11:30 PM. It took three trips and we made them put together the beds, the china buffet, the dining room table, my computer desk, the entertainment center (the furniture, not the electronics) and at least part of HTP's huge monster of an office desk. I think it was that desk that finally made them throw in the towel. Move day wasn't too tramatic, just hectic and there was that dust devil that hit during that first trip so we had to shovel all that sand out of the garage...but other then that I just felt like I'd been beaten up and dragged through the bushes backward.
My computer system is up and running. This is only because HTP couldn't mess with his system because his desk is still in pieces and our son left for his jazz competition in Reno last night at 8 PM. I am thankful that I have my system up and running. I just have to figure out how to get HTP's desk assembled again so he won't drive me insane everytime I want to use the computer.
Unpacking has commenced. Thankfully unpacking is a bit easier then packing. At least it is when I can find the boxes that I want which are buried under other boxes of stuff that I don't want...yet.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
11 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
1 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
This is crunch time. I've got today to finish up all the packing. *Laughs hysterically* Actually everything is under control. * More hysterical laughter* I didn't have any dental problems yesterday so that's something I won't have to worry about. The movers are coming tomorrow morning. I'm doing laundry for the last time in this house. I packed most of the dishes and only saved out those we'll need tomorrow morning for breakfast. All dishes are now being washed the old-fashioned way. OK. Not so old-fashioned really. I don't have to boil the water on top of the woodburning stove but I do have to wash them in the sink, by hand.
We have to go over to meet with the security idiots (specialists extroardinaire) who have goofed yet again. We still haven't been able to arm our system. (Note to all burglars: We have a whole houseload of stuff that is currently unoccupied and unprotected other then flimsy locks. Please try to avoid disturbing the neighbors when you come and steal our stuff.) On the plus side, we can bring over another load of stuff that someone can steal. And we get a break on our household insurance because we have a security system (which doesn't work but that's beside the point).
This will probably be my last blog post until HTP and son get my system up and running at the new house. I'm willing to bet HTP and son will wait to do my system install until after their own systems are up and running. Such is life. I am the low man (woman) on the totem pole when it comes to computer technology. Maybe I'll get faster results if I threaten not to cook any food or wash any clothes or unpack vital household items until my system is up and running. That's a thought.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"Because the little stiped mammal could squirt his foul yellow spray up to 12 feet, American Indians called him seqankw, or segonku, the Algonquin dialect word meaning simply 'he who squirts.' Early pioneers corrupted the hard-to-pronounce Algonquin word to skunk, and that way it has remained ever since." (From Animal Crackers, by Robert Hendrickson)
1 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
This is crunch time. I've got today to finish up all the packing. *Laughs hysterically* Actually everything is under control. * More hysterical laughter* I didn't have any dental problems yesterday so that's something I won't have to worry about. The movers are coming tomorrow morning. I'm doing laundry for the last time in this house. I packed most of the dishes and only saved out those we'll need tomorrow morning for breakfast. All dishes are now being washed the old-fashioned way. OK. Not so old-fashioned really. I don't have to boil the water on top of the woodburning stove but I do have to wash them in the sink, by hand.
We have to go over to meet with the security idiots (specialists extroardinaire) who have goofed yet again. We still haven't been able to arm our system. (Note to all burglars: We have a whole houseload of stuff that is currently unoccupied and unprotected other then flimsy locks. Please try to avoid disturbing the neighbors when you come and steal our stuff.) On the plus side, we can bring over another load of stuff that someone can steal. And we get a break on our household insurance because we have a security system (which doesn't work but that's beside the point).
This will probably be my last blog post until HTP and son get my system up and running at the new house. I'm willing to bet HTP and son will wait to do my system install until after their own systems are up and running. Such is life. I am the low man (woman) on the totem pole when it comes to computer technology. Maybe I'll get faster results if I threaten not to cook any food or wash any clothes or unpack vital household items until my system is up and running. That's a thought.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
"Because the little stiped mammal could squirt his foul yellow spray up to 12 feet, American Indians called him seqankw, or segonku, the Algonquin dialect word meaning simply 'he who squirts.' Early pioneers corrupted the hard-to-pronounce Algonquin word to skunk, and that way it has remained ever since." (From Animal Crackers, by Robert Hendrickson)
Monday, April 19, 2004
12 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
2 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I won't be able to do too much today. Dental appointment. *Shudder* I really hate going to the dentist. Concidering my dental history, he's sure to find something wrong and then I'll have to schedule in a multitude of followup visits for repairs before we head for Wisconsin.
I think I may just have things under control, packing-wise, but all depends on HTP and son. Both of them seem to have this laid back approach to packing. Hey Guys! Tomorrow will be arriving right on schedule! The movers should be here right on schedule too! Are your ready? Doesn't look like it to me.
Hey Mink! You never told me whether or not you wanted me to bring you that antique bed! I need to know. Now! I don't know if I can bring you the dresser and desk even if you do want it. All depends upon U-Haul and how large of a trailer we can rent and how much stuff your bro wants to bring to Wisconsin.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
The word "Ferret comes from the Latin furritus, for 'little thief,' which probably alludes to the fact that ferrets, which are related to pole cats, like to steal hens' eggs. Its name also developed into a verb, to ferret out, meaning 'to dig out or bring something to light.'" (From Cool Cats, Top Dogs, and Other Beastly Expressions, by Christine Ammer)
2 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I won't be able to do too much today. Dental appointment. *Shudder* I really hate going to the dentist. Concidering my dental history, he's sure to find something wrong and then I'll have to schedule in a multitude of followup visits for repairs before we head for Wisconsin.
I think I may just have things under control, packing-wise, but all depends on HTP and son. Both of them seem to have this laid back approach to packing. Hey Guys! Tomorrow will be arriving right on schedule! The movers should be here right on schedule too! Are your ready? Doesn't look like it to me.
Hey Mink! You never told me whether or not you wanted me to bring you that antique bed! I need to know. Now! I don't know if I can bring you the dresser and desk even if you do want it. All depends upon U-Haul and how large of a trailer we can rent and how much stuff your bro wants to bring to Wisconsin.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
The word "Ferret comes from the Latin furritus, for 'little thief,' which probably alludes to the fact that ferrets, which are related to pole cats, like to steal hens' eggs. Its name also developed into a verb, to ferret out, meaning 'to dig out or bring something to light.'" (From Cool Cats, Top Dogs, and Other Beastly Expressions, by Christine Ammer)
Sunday, April 18, 2004
13 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
3 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I've packed up everything in the guest room. I've dragged my son out of bed so he can pack more of his stuff. I know he's packing but I don't see much progress. It doesn't look like he's packed a thing but he must have because we've hauled two loads of filled boxes of just his stuff over to the new house. He must take after me. Mr. Pack Rat.
Someone actually asked HTP yesterday as he was loading stuff into the car, "Are you guys moving?". HTP and son almost burst a gut laughing as they came inside to tell me that they refrained from answering ala Bill Engvall, "Nope. We just thought we'd pack all our stuff into boxes to see how many boxes it'd take to fill up the car."
So what am I going to be doing today? Packing, loading stuff into the car, unloading stuff over at the new place, going to an orchestra practice at the church, packing, loading stuff into the car, unloading stuff over at the new place....what do you mean that I have to go out to order a tuxedo for my son so he can go to prom?! Oh...did I forget to tell you that I also have a dental appointment tomorrow? There goes Monday!
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
The word Gorilla was "first used in a Greek translation of 5th century BC Carthaginian explorer Hanno's account of a voyage to West Africa. He reported encountering a tribe of wild hairy people, whose females were, according to the interpreter, called gorillas. In 1847 the American missionary and scientist Thomas Savage adopted the word as the species name of the great ape and by the 1850's it had passed into general use."
(From Dictionary of Word Origins, by John Ayto)
3 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I've packed up everything in the guest room. I've dragged my son out of bed so he can pack more of his stuff. I know he's packing but I don't see much progress. It doesn't look like he's packed a thing but he must have because we've hauled two loads of filled boxes of just his stuff over to the new house. He must take after me. Mr. Pack Rat.
Someone actually asked HTP yesterday as he was loading stuff into the car, "Are you guys moving?". HTP and son almost burst a gut laughing as they came inside to tell me that they refrained from answering ala Bill Engvall, "Nope. We just thought we'd pack all our stuff into boxes to see how many boxes it'd take to fill up the car."
So what am I going to be doing today? Packing, loading stuff into the car, unloading stuff over at the new place, going to an orchestra practice at the church, packing, loading stuff into the car, unloading stuff over at the new place....what do you mean that I have to go out to order a tuxedo for my son so he can go to prom?! Oh...did I forget to tell you that I also have a dental appointment tomorrow? There goes Monday!
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
The word Gorilla was "first used in a Greek translation of 5th century BC Carthaginian explorer Hanno's account of a voyage to West Africa. He reported encountering a tribe of wild hairy people, whose females were, according to the interpreter, called gorillas. In 1847 the American missionary and scientist Thomas Savage adopted the word as the species name of the great ape and by the 1850's it had passed into general use."
(From Dictionary of Word Origins, by John Ayto)
Saturday, April 17, 2004
14 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
4 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Woohoo! I miscounted! I have one whole more day to pack then I thought I had! Break out the champagne! Relax! Take a break! I can sit down and put my feet up. Like that's gonna happen! Panic has set in! I've become delirious. I need more boxes! HTP is going to drop me off at the new house so I can finish up in the kitchen to free up some boxes. While I'm doing that, he's going to go dispose of some toxic waste from our garage (we tend to stockpile that sort of thing) and get more boxes. But first we need to load up the car with all kinds of stuff. There is a rule. Never go over to the new house without a full load of stuff that needs to go over there. I'm sure I can dig up something to take over there.
Speaking of digging...I need to dig up the milk cactus from my backyard and put it into a pot to bring over to the new house. The milk cactus is mine. They can't have it. It's an heirloom. I also need to dig up some of my aloe. That's an heirloom too but I only need a small bunch. It's managed to be very fruitful and multiply so I can't take the whole thing. Unfortunately the milk cactus has grown a bit too since I planted it. Should be interesting to see me out there trying to uproot it.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Physicists at the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands released a report in 2000 on their study of diamagnetics, during which they claimed to have "levitated" a frog, a grasshopper, a pizza....and a sumo wrestler. I wish they were here right now to levitate these heavy packed boxes of "stuff".
4 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Woohoo! I miscounted! I have one whole more day to pack then I thought I had! Break out the champagne! Relax! Take a break! I can sit down and put my feet up. Like that's gonna happen! Panic has set in! I've become delirious. I need more boxes! HTP is going to drop me off at the new house so I can finish up in the kitchen to free up some boxes. While I'm doing that, he's going to go dispose of some toxic waste from our garage (we tend to stockpile that sort of thing) and get more boxes. But first we need to load up the car with all kinds of stuff. There is a rule. Never go over to the new house without a full load of stuff that needs to go over there. I'm sure I can dig up something to take over there.
Speaking of digging...I need to dig up the milk cactus from my backyard and put it into a pot to bring over to the new house. The milk cactus is mine. They can't have it. It's an heirloom. I also need to dig up some of my aloe. That's an heirloom too but I only need a small bunch. It's managed to be very fruitful and multiply so I can't take the whole thing. Unfortunately the milk cactus has grown a bit too since I planted it. Should be interesting to see me out there trying to uproot it.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Physicists at the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands released a report in 2000 on their study of diamagnetics, during which they claimed to have "levitated" a frog, a grasshopper, a pizza....and a sumo wrestler. I wish they were here right now to levitate these heavy packed boxes of "stuff".
Friday, April 16, 2004
15 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
4 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Good News! My movers told me that there wouldn't be any problem taking a load of stuff over to my daughter's place on move day (not Mink...that's a bit far at $50/hr). That means I can concentrate on packing and moving small stuff this weekend instead of moving huge objects that don't even fit in my car over to her place which would mean repeated trips and bungy cords. This may just all come together afterall though I still don't have a clue where to put all this stuff.
My appliances are being delivered sometime between 11 AM and 2 PM. That's my delivery window. I suppose it narrows the time down somewhat. Usually all one gets from delivery people is a window anywhere from 6 AM to 7 PM and heaven help you if you aren't there when they get there because they leave. Heaven help you even if you are there and don't hear them knock on the door before they run away. They do that on Fridays.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In 1994 the Japanese meteorological agency concluded a seven-year study into whether or not earthquakes are caused by catfish wiggling their tails. They're not. What a relief! And besides, everyone knows that earthquakes are really caused by crickets and cicadas.
4 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Good News! My movers told me that there wouldn't be any problem taking a load of stuff over to my daughter's place on move day (not Mink...that's a bit far at $50/hr). That means I can concentrate on packing and moving small stuff this weekend instead of moving huge objects that don't even fit in my car over to her place which would mean repeated trips and bungy cords. This may just all come together afterall though I still don't have a clue where to put all this stuff.
My appliances are being delivered sometime between 11 AM and 2 PM. That's my delivery window. I suppose it narrows the time down somewhat. Usually all one gets from delivery people is a window anywhere from 6 AM to 7 PM and heaven help you if you aren't there when they get there because they leave. Heaven help you even if you are there and don't hear them knock on the door before they run away. They do that on Fridays.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In 1994 the Japanese meteorological agency concluded a seven-year study into whether or not earthquakes are caused by catfish wiggling their tails. They're not. What a relief! And besides, everyone knows that earthquakes are really caused by crickets and cicadas.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
16 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
5 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Happy Tax Day! I hope you got your taxes done.
On this tax day, April 15th, 2004 (my taxes are in the mail), I'm concentrating on packing up most of my kitchen today. Tomorrow is the day that my new appliances are being delivered to the new house. Anyone who knows anything about such deliveries knows that the delivery people will never tell you exactly when to expect them. My window is sometime between 8 AM and 5 PM. This could mean that I'd have to spend an entire day out at the new house. I figure that if I pack up my kitchen today and take it out there, tomorrow I can unpack the kitchen stuff and organize my new kitchen while I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for the delivery people (and the concrete people we want to come fix our driveway). I suppose you could call it an advanced form of thumb twiddling. I can't take my entire kitchen over there today. I still have to cook because we all need to eat. Life must go on even if we are split between two houses right now.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
A 2003 study carried out by scientists at Edinburgh University found that fish feel pain. (So do plants, I've heard. I still have to eat something.)
5 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Happy Tax Day! I hope you got your taxes done.
On this tax day, April 15th, 2004 (my taxes are in the mail), I'm concentrating on packing up most of my kitchen today. Tomorrow is the day that my new appliances are being delivered to the new house. Anyone who knows anything about such deliveries knows that the delivery people will never tell you exactly when to expect them. My window is sometime between 8 AM and 5 PM. This could mean that I'd have to spend an entire day out at the new house. I figure that if I pack up my kitchen today and take it out there, tomorrow I can unpack the kitchen stuff and organize my new kitchen while I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for the delivery people (and the concrete people we want to come fix our driveway). I suppose you could call it an advanced form of thumb twiddling. I can't take my entire kitchen over there today. I still have to cook because we all need to eat. Life must go on even if we are split between two houses right now.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
A 2003 study carried out by scientists at Edinburgh University found that fish feel pain. (So do plants, I've heard. I still have to eat something.)
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
17 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
6 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I promised myself that I would only read one chapter of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown last night. I have no control over my addiction. I love to read. I finished the book at around midnight. It was a good book! Was is the operative word here. I suppose this is a good thing. Now I have nothing to read so I can concentrate on this packing and moving thing. I won't have a book sitting on my bedside table begging me to read it anymore. I may actually get 8 hours of sleep tonight. Probably not. I never do get that much uninterrupted sleep. That's probably why I like to read so much.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Colorado State University scientists concluded that Western Civilization causes acne.
6 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I promised myself that I would only read one chapter of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown last night. I have no control over my addiction. I love to read. I finished the book at around midnight. It was a good book! Was is the operative word here. I suppose this is a good thing. Now I have nothing to read so I can concentrate on this packing and moving thing. I won't have a book sitting on my bedside table begging me to read it anymore. I may actually get 8 hours of sleep tonight. Probably not. I never do get that much uninterrupted sleep. That's probably why I like to read so much.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Colorado State University scientists concluded that Western Civilization causes acne.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
18 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
7 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Laundry and packing, packing and laundry, more bubblewrap, more boxes, laundry and packing, packing and laundry. And so goes my day. One trip over to the new house with a load of boxes of stuff and then more laundry and packing. As soon as our son gets home we'll make another trip with stuff to the new house. I'm going to try and make at least two trips to the new house a day with full loads from now on. Don't worry if you don't see a blog from me. I'll be packing and loading and toting and carrying and loading and packing. I'll try to blog up until I have to breakdown my system.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
What beer did E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial drink in the 1982 movie?
E.T. drank Coors Light.
7 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Laundry and packing, packing and laundry, more bubblewrap, more boxes, laundry and packing, packing and laundry. And so goes my day. One trip over to the new house with a load of boxes of stuff and then more laundry and packing. As soon as our son gets home we'll make another trip with stuff to the new house. I'm going to try and make at least two trips to the new house a day with full loads from now on. Don't worry if you don't see a blog from me. I'll be packing and loading and toting and carrying and loading and packing. I'll try to blog up until I have to breakdown my system.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
What beer did E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial drink in the 1982 movie?
E.T. drank Coors Light.
Monday, April 12, 2004
19 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
8 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
After taking the day off yesterday (a day off from packing and moving but still busy with company and cooking so I guess you really can't call it a "day off"), I'm eager to get back at the packing and moving. I still have a lot to do. After breakfast I will start loading up the car with another load of stuff for the new house. I'll spend most of the day tomorrow packing as I do laundry.
*****
Another full day later and the window coverings are all installed. Another load of boxes have been taken to the new house. And we've got yet another security company screw up that needs to be fixed. I offer up a silent prayer that HTP doesn't kill one of these guys and that I can eventually get everything all packed up into boxes and moved over to the new house before the movers come to move the big stuff and failing that, that I can at least get everything all packed into boxes so the movers can move it along with the big stuff. Tomorrow is another day. Laundry day. I'm sure I can pack up tons of stuff tomorrow...between loads. Unfortunately, I'm running out of boxes.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
CIA Toys
It looks like a felt-tip marker but it is really a blister-causing weapon. Don't mistake this pen for your Sharpie, and be careful: you wouldn't want it leaking in your pocket. A little over three inches long, the marker distributes an ointment that creates blisters on the skin. In order to activate the applicator, press the tip down on a service for one minute--then simply apply a thin coating of the colorless oil over any area, such as a keyboard or door handle. The ointment will penetrate clothing and even shoes, and will cause temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. Blisters will cover the skin wherever contact is made within 24 hours and will last for about a week.
8 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
After taking the day off yesterday (a day off from packing and moving but still busy with company and cooking so I guess you really can't call it a "day off"), I'm eager to get back at the packing and moving. I still have a lot to do. After breakfast I will start loading up the car with another load of stuff for the new house. I'll spend most of the day tomorrow packing as I do laundry.
*****
Another full day later and the window coverings are all installed. Another load of boxes have been taken to the new house. And we've got yet another security company screw up that needs to be fixed. I offer up a silent prayer that HTP doesn't kill one of these guys and that I can eventually get everything all packed up into boxes and moved over to the new house before the movers come to move the big stuff and failing that, that I can at least get everything all packed into boxes so the movers can move it along with the big stuff. Tomorrow is another day. Laundry day. I'm sure I can pack up tons of stuff tomorrow...between loads. Unfortunately, I'm running out of boxes.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
CIA Toys
It looks like a felt-tip marker but it is really a blister-causing weapon. Don't mistake this pen for your Sharpie, and be careful: you wouldn't want it leaking in your pocket. A little over three inches long, the marker distributes an ointment that creates blisters on the skin. In order to activate the applicator, press the tip down on a service for one minute--then simply apply a thin coating of the colorless oil over any area, such as a keyboard or door handle. The ointment will penetrate clothing and even shoes, and will cause temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. Blisters will cover the skin wherever contact is made within 24 hours and will last for about a week.
Sunday, April 11, 2004
20 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
9 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Here comes Peter Cottontail. Hopping down the bunny trail. Happy Easter Everyone! I'd write more but I have to get to church before the sun comes up.
*****
OK. I'm awake now. Really. Not. At least I'm back from church and I've had breakfast. It was so cold on the patio where we played for the sunrise service that my clarinet wouldn't stay in tune and my wedding and anniversary rings kept slipping and sliding on my fingers so they would get in my way. We sounded alright but thank goodness for the most forgiving "audience" one could have. My son played his trumpet for the 9:15 AM service. He got to play inside. I think the church's neighbors may have complained the last time they were awakened by trumpets in the morning. The rest of my day will have nothing to do with the new house or packing. It's Easter! I'm going to make a ham, German potato salad, green beans and a tossed salad. And for dessert, we're having strawberry sundaes.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
More CIA Toys
It looks like a pencil but it's a .22-caliber pistol. Like the cigarette gun (see April 10th Blog), this comouflaged .22 comes preloaded with a single shot. The weapon is fired in the same manner as the cigarette: simply turn the pencil's eraser counter-clockwise and squeeze. The only difference between the weapons is that the pencil has a greater firing distance--up to 30 feet.
9 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
Here comes Peter Cottontail. Hopping down the bunny trail. Happy Easter Everyone! I'd write more but I have to get to church before the sun comes up.
*****
OK. I'm awake now. Really. Not. At least I'm back from church and I've had breakfast. It was so cold on the patio where we played for the sunrise service that my clarinet wouldn't stay in tune and my wedding and anniversary rings kept slipping and sliding on my fingers so they would get in my way. We sounded alright but thank goodness for the most forgiving "audience" one could have. My son played his trumpet for the 9:15 AM service. He got to play inside. I think the church's neighbors may have complained the last time they were awakened by trumpets in the morning. The rest of my day will have nothing to do with the new house or packing. It's Easter! I'm going to make a ham, German potato salad, green beans and a tossed salad. And for dessert, we're having strawberry sundaes.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
More CIA Toys
It looks like a pencil but it's a .22-caliber pistol. Like the cigarette gun (see April 10th Blog), this comouflaged .22 comes preloaded with a single shot. The weapon is fired in the same manner as the cigarette: simply turn the pencil's eraser counter-clockwise and squeeze. The only difference between the weapons is that the pencil has a greater firing distance--up to 30 feet.
Saturday, April 10, 2004
21 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
10 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I ran out of bubblewrap again! Ahhh! OK. That does it! I'm going to resort to the old tried and true use of newpaper wrapping. It may not be the cleanest method but it works. I used up all my extra towels so it'll just have to be newpaper time.
You may have noticed that I seem to have nothing to say about anything but packing, moving, and all that is related to the new house. This may be true. Sorry. Get used to it. Life may be going on around me but my world right now is focused almost completely on "The Move".
However, I do have to get to church at 4:30 AM tomorrow because I play at the sunrise service for Easter. I have no idea what I'll be wearing tomorrow, other then it won't be jeans or shorts and a t-shirt. My son has to play at the 9:15 AM service. I'm making a ham dinner with German potato salad and green beans, mixed green salad, and whole wheat rolls. I bought all the fixings yesterday. I plan to have "lupper" (a word combination made up from the words "lunch" and "supper") on the table by 2 PM. I could have used the word "lunner" but then people may have thought I meant "lunar". I try to avoid controversy and confusion at all times.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Toys of the CIA
It looks like a cigarette but it's really a .22-caliber gun. This brand of cigarette packs a powerful puff. Intended as an escape tool, the weapon only carries a single round, but with good aim it can inflict a lethal wound from close range. To fire the cigarette, the operator must twist the filtered end counterclockwise, then squeeze the same end between the thumb and forefinger.
Warning: Don't shoot the weapon in front of your face or body--it has a nasty recoil.
10 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
I ran out of bubblewrap again! Ahhh! OK. That does it! I'm going to resort to the old tried and true use of newpaper wrapping. It may not be the cleanest method but it works. I used up all my extra towels so it'll just have to be newpaper time.
You may have noticed that I seem to have nothing to say about anything but packing, moving, and all that is related to the new house. This may be true. Sorry. Get used to it. Life may be going on around me but my world right now is focused almost completely on "The Move".
However, I do have to get to church at 4:30 AM tomorrow because I play at the sunrise service for Easter. I have no idea what I'll be wearing tomorrow, other then it won't be jeans or shorts and a t-shirt. My son has to play at the 9:15 AM service. I'm making a ham dinner with German potato salad and green beans, mixed green salad, and whole wheat rolls. I bought all the fixings yesterday. I plan to have "lupper" (a word combination made up from the words "lunch" and "supper") on the table by 2 PM. I could have used the word "lunner" but then people may have thought I meant "lunar". I try to avoid controversy and confusion at all times.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Toys of the CIA
It looks like a cigarette but it's really a .22-caliber gun. This brand of cigarette packs a powerful puff. Intended as an escape tool, the weapon only carries a single round, but with good aim it can inflict a lethal wound from close range. To fire the cigarette, the operator must twist the filtered end counterclockwise, then squeeze the same end between the thumb and forefinger.
Warning: Don't shoot the weapon in front of your face or body--it has a nasty recoil.
Friday, April 09, 2004
22 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
11 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
More packing. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. The movers are coming, the movers are coming! Ahhhh!!!!! I can do this. Where did all this stuff come from?
I have to go over to the new house today to let the carpet guy in so he can tack and tape our carpet. I'm not sure if the painters are over there painting or not. They should be but they have the key so they can let themselves in and out. I may be installing, helping to install, more window coverings. I can bring another load of stuff over to the new house at the same time. I've packed up a few more boxes and they're ready to go.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
More about The Beckoning Cat
Sometimes Maneki Neko has his left paw up, sometimes the right. The left paw signifies that the business owner is inviting customers. The right invites in money or good fortune.
Most Maneki Nekos are calico cats; male calico is so rare it's considered lucky in Japan. But Maneki Neko may be white, black, red, gold, or pink to ward off illness, bad luck, or evil spirits and bring financial success, good luck, health, and love.
Maneki Nekos made in Japan show the palm of the paw, imitating the manner in which Japanese people beckon. American Maneki Nekos show the back of the paw, reflecting the way we gesture "come in".
The higher Maneki Neko holds his paw, the more good fortune is being invited.
11 Days Before the Movers (I have to have everything packed!)
More packing. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. The movers are coming, the movers are coming! Ahhhh!!!!! I can do this. Where did all this stuff come from?
I have to go over to the new house today to let the carpet guy in so he can tack and tape our carpet. I'm not sure if the painters are over there painting or not. They should be but they have the key so they can let themselves in and out. I may be installing, helping to install, more window coverings. I can bring another load of stuff over to the new house at the same time. I've packed up a few more boxes and they're ready to go.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
More about The Beckoning Cat
Sometimes Maneki Neko has his left paw up, sometimes the right. The left paw signifies that the business owner is inviting customers. The right invites in money or good fortune.
Most Maneki Nekos are calico cats; male calico is so rare it's considered lucky in Japan. But Maneki Neko may be white, black, red, gold, or pink to ward off illness, bad luck, or evil spirits and bring financial success, good luck, health, and love.
Maneki Nekos made in Japan show the palm of the paw, imitating the manner in which Japanese people beckon. American Maneki Nekos show the back of the paw, reflecting the way we gesture "come in".
The higher Maneki Neko holds his paw, the more good fortune is being invited.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
23 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
I have painters working on my new house. My interior wall is completed. My exterior wall is almost completed. My gate comes on Friday. I can start installing my window coverings. I need to get more smaller moving boxes so I can pack up more stuff to take over to the new house. I moved some stuff into the new garage cabinets. After two days of battling we have the starting of a security system installed. We've got a few more battles to fight but I expect that we'll have a security system up and running by next weekend. My fountain grass was yanked out and replaced with red yucca. Yeah! My drawer organizers fit my drawers and look beautiful and are just waiting to be filled with silverware etc.
On a related note, we (HTP and I) have decided to postpone any celebration of our anniversary at the end of this month until mid-May. It's related because we just don't dare take any time off from moving and closing to do anything other then grab a burger at McDonald's.
Needless to say, our diet has gone by the wayside. By the time we get back home each night we are just too tired to cook supper. Last night we grabbed a bite over at Burger King. Lunch? What lunch?
We missed lunch because we were baby-sitting the security guy...and I mean that literally. He was a baby, a youngster, an idiot who dared come right out and tell HTP that HTP didn't understand wiring and electical/telephone systems. HTP didn't kill him. And I didn't kill him when he punched huge holes in my wall before HTP could stop him and kindly show him exactly where the wires for the security system were behind the wall in my living room. The baby suggested that the builder would come back and patch the holes that he'd punched in the wall. I told him that he just didn't understand how the "system" worked. My builder is not going to come back and patch holes that were punched in a wall after closing. Idiot! Note to self. Get someone to patch holes in the wall so the painters can paint said wall.
*****
And then later in the evening....
We just got back from the new house. After a quick meeting with the security people at their place of business to iron out security system issues, we ran over to pick up more packing boxes and bubble wrap. Then we ran over to the new house so we could install window coverings. HTP installed the window coverings....and I helped! Of course, we couldn't install all the window coverings because the painter isn't done yet. He did agree to patch the holes in my wall tomorrow. They have a lot more painting to do too but it looks nice. And it's not pink! It's peach!
Our fans came today. Two of them. We're supposed to get the other two tomorrow. I have to schedule the fan guy to come out to do the install. HTP thought I should go out and pick a light fixture for the kitchen but I told him that we can wait until we get back in October. I'm not even sure I really want to get rid of the thing....yet. I may be able to live with it. It isn't too awful. It serves a purpose. We'll see. Too much is going on right now anyway. I've still got construction dust floating around my new house. Let's wait until the dust settles a bit.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
If you've ever walked into a Chinese or Japanese business and noticed a figure of a cat with an upraised paw, you've met Maneki Neko. "The Beckoning Cat" is displayed to invite good fortune, a tradition that began with a legendary Japanese cat many centuries ago.
According to legend, that cat, called Tama, lived in a poverty-stricken temple in 17th-century Tokyo. The temple priest often scolded Tama for contributing nothing to the upkeep of the temple. Then one day, a powerful feudal lord named Naotaka Ii was caught in a rainstorm near the temple while returning home from a hunting trip. As the lord took refuge under a big tree, he noticed Tama with her paw raised, beckoning to him, inviting him to enter the temple's front gate. Intrigued, the lord decided to get a closer look at this remarkable cat. Suddenly, the tree was struck by lightning and fell on the exact spot where Naotaka had just been standing. Tama had saved his life! In gratitude, Naotaka made the little temple his family temple and became its benefactor. Tama and the priest never went hungry again. After a long life, Tama was buried with great respect at the renamed Goutokuji temple. Goutokuji still exists, housing dozens of statues of the Beckoning Cat.
I have painters working on my new house. My interior wall is completed. My exterior wall is almost completed. My gate comes on Friday. I can start installing my window coverings. I need to get more smaller moving boxes so I can pack up more stuff to take over to the new house. I moved some stuff into the new garage cabinets. After two days of battling we have the starting of a security system installed. We've got a few more battles to fight but I expect that we'll have a security system up and running by next weekend. My fountain grass was yanked out and replaced with red yucca. Yeah! My drawer organizers fit my drawers and look beautiful and are just waiting to be filled with silverware etc.
On a related note, we (HTP and I) have decided to postpone any celebration of our anniversary at the end of this month until mid-May. It's related because we just don't dare take any time off from moving and closing to do anything other then grab a burger at McDonald's.
Needless to say, our diet has gone by the wayside. By the time we get back home each night we are just too tired to cook supper. Last night we grabbed a bite over at Burger King. Lunch? What lunch?
We missed lunch because we were baby-sitting the security guy...and I mean that literally. He was a baby, a youngster, an idiot who dared come right out and tell HTP that HTP didn't understand wiring and electical/telephone systems. HTP didn't kill him. And I didn't kill him when he punched huge holes in my wall before HTP could stop him and kindly show him exactly where the wires for the security system were behind the wall in my living room. The baby suggested that the builder would come back and patch the holes that he'd punched in the wall. I told him that he just didn't understand how the "system" worked. My builder is not going to come back and patch holes that were punched in a wall after closing. Idiot! Note to self. Get someone to patch holes in the wall so the painters can paint said wall.
*****
And then later in the evening....
We just got back from the new house. After a quick meeting with the security people at their place of business to iron out security system issues, we ran over to pick up more packing boxes and bubble wrap. Then we ran over to the new house so we could install window coverings. HTP installed the window coverings....and I helped! Of course, we couldn't install all the window coverings because the painter isn't done yet. He did agree to patch the holes in my wall tomorrow. They have a lot more painting to do too but it looks nice. And it's not pink! It's peach!
Our fans came today. Two of them. We're supposed to get the other two tomorrow. I have to schedule the fan guy to come out to do the install. HTP thought I should go out and pick a light fixture for the kitchen but I told him that we can wait until we get back in October. I'm not even sure I really want to get rid of the thing....yet. I may be able to live with it. It isn't too awful. It serves a purpose. We'll see. Too much is going on right now anyway. I've still got construction dust floating around my new house. Let's wait until the dust settles a bit.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
If you've ever walked into a Chinese or Japanese business and noticed a figure of a cat with an upraised paw, you've met Maneki Neko. "The Beckoning Cat" is displayed to invite good fortune, a tradition that began with a legendary Japanese cat many centuries ago.
According to legend, that cat, called Tama, lived in a poverty-stricken temple in 17th-century Tokyo. The temple priest often scolded Tama for contributing nothing to the upkeep of the temple. Then one day, a powerful feudal lord named Naotaka Ii was caught in a rainstorm near the temple while returning home from a hunting trip. As the lord took refuge under a big tree, he noticed Tama with her paw raised, beckoning to him, inviting him to enter the temple's front gate. Intrigued, the lord decided to get a closer look at this remarkable cat. Suddenly, the tree was struck by lightning and fell on the exact spot where Naotaka had just been standing. Tama had saved his life! In gratitude, Naotaka made the little temple his family temple and became its benefactor. Tama and the priest never went hungry again. After a long life, Tama was buried with great respect at the renamed Goutokuji temple. Goutokuji still exists, housing dozens of statues of the Beckoning Cat.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
24 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
To line my drawers and shelves or not to line my drawers and shelves, that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to.... OK. I'm really trying to figure this out. Why do people line their drawers and shelves? I remember why I used to do it. I used to line the drawers to protect the wooden bottoms of the drawers from getting dirty because it was so hard to clean them. I still line the drawers of my bedroom dressers for that reason. But this isn't an issue with the drawers in my new kitchen or my current kitchen for that matter. I could spill a whole can of coke in one of these drawers and I'd still be able to wipe it right up. These new drawers have a built-in lining. The same holds true for the shelves. I was told that you should line the shelves to protect your dishes and glasses from chipping. I can understand this reasoning but in all the years that I've put dishes and glasses into my cupboards, I don't remember ever having this problem. I have been known to drop a few glasses and plates on the floor. They break. I have lost a few glasses to the water dispenser on the fridge. But I've never lost any from putting them into the unlined cupboards. Unless someone can give me a good reason to line these drawers and cupboards, I fear they will have to remain unlined. Sorry Martha.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
We all know that it is often difficult for people to say they're sorry. For the equivalent of $2.50, the Apology and Gift Center in Tianjin, China, will send someone to apologize for you. The company claims to br thriving; in Chinese culture many people fear that making an apology will make them "lose face". And for anyone who can't afford $2.50, there's another alternative: saying "I'm sorry" live on the popular Beijing People's Radio show Apologize in Public Tonight.
To line my drawers and shelves or not to line my drawers and shelves, that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to.... OK. I'm really trying to figure this out. Why do people line their drawers and shelves? I remember why I used to do it. I used to line the drawers to protect the wooden bottoms of the drawers from getting dirty because it was so hard to clean them. I still line the drawers of my bedroom dressers for that reason. But this isn't an issue with the drawers in my new kitchen or my current kitchen for that matter. I could spill a whole can of coke in one of these drawers and I'd still be able to wipe it right up. These new drawers have a built-in lining. The same holds true for the shelves. I was told that you should line the shelves to protect your dishes and glasses from chipping. I can understand this reasoning but in all the years that I've put dishes and glasses into my cupboards, I don't remember ever having this problem. I have been known to drop a few glasses and plates on the floor. They break. I have lost a few glasses to the water dispenser on the fridge. But I've never lost any from putting them into the unlined cupboards. Unless someone can give me a good reason to line these drawers and cupboards, I fear they will have to remain unlined. Sorry Martha.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
We all know that it is often difficult for people to say they're sorry. For the equivalent of $2.50, the Apology and Gift Center in Tianjin, China, will send someone to apologize for you. The company claims to br thriving; in Chinese culture many people fear that making an apology will make them "lose face". And for anyone who can't afford $2.50, there's another alternative: saying "I'm sorry" live on the popular Beijing People's Radio show Apologize in Public Tonight.
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
25 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
Woohoo! I feel really guilty but woohoo! I get to stay home and do laundry! I know that seems a bit of a strange thing to crow about but I have the benefit of knowing how much chaos there will be at the new house today. The wall will be finishing up. The garage cabinets will be installed. The phone will be installed. The security system will be installed. The exterior wall will be installed. The neighbors will be over there closing on their new house so I expect they'll be popping in and out. I failed to tell you that we were visited by two sets of existing neighborhood neighbors yesterday. And I just got a call from the painter. He'll be there too. HTP just left to go to the new house. A warrior going into battle. I promised that I would join the frey as soon as the laundry is finished or as soon as our son can give me a ride over there after school. Whichever comes sooner. If the laundry isn't done before our son gets home from school, it'll have to wait until later tonight. I feel guilty. I guess I'll have to pack up a few boxes of stuff here while I'm doing the laundry. No excuses now. The painting will be done and we'll be able to move a lot more stuff over.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Do you live in a haunted house? Ultraviolet, a company in England, offers "Spooksafe" insurance policies that will pay up to $100,000 for "death, injury,or damage to personal effects caused by a ghost or poltergeist." (Or aliens.) And if you can prove medically that you've been transformed into a vampire or werewolf, the policy pays $1 million. According to Simon Burgess, chief underwriter, the company has already paid out on one ghost-related murder. "We had a firm of investigators look into it," he said, "and they were convinced that a ghost was responsible."
Woohoo! I feel really guilty but woohoo! I get to stay home and do laundry! I know that seems a bit of a strange thing to crow about but I have the benefit of knowing how much chaos there will be at the new house today. The wall will be finishing up. The garage cabinets will be installed. The phone will be installed. The security system will be installed. The exterior wall will be installed. The neighbors will be over there closing on their new house so I expect they'll be popping in and out. I failed to tell you that we were visited by two sets of existing neighborhood neighbors yesterday. And I just got a call from the painter. He'll be there too. HTP just left to go to the new house. A warrior going into battle. I promised that I would join the frey as soon as the laundry is finished or as soon as our son can give me a ride over there after school. Whichever comes sooner. If the laundry isn't done before our son gets home from school, it'll have to wait until later tonight. I feel guilty. I guess I'll have to pack up a few boxes of stuff here while I'm doing the laundry. No excuses now. The painting will be done and we'll be able to move a lot more stuff over.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Do you live in a haunted house? Ultraviolet, a company in England, offers "Spooksafe" insurance policies that will pay up to $100,000 for "death, injury,or damage to personal effects caused by a ghost or poltergeist." (Or aliens.) And if you can prove medically that you've been transformed into a vampire or werewolf, the policy pays $1 million. According to Simon Burgess, chief underwriter, the company has already paid out on one ghost-related murder. "We had a firm of investigators look into it," he said, "and they were convinced that a ghost was responsible."
Monday, April 05, 2004
26 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
I spent the day over at the new house. No internet yet. No phone yet...except for the cell phone. My new wall was constructed. It looks great! They (the builders that we hired) are coming back tomorrow to sand down the drywall joints, cut, paint and install the baseboards, texture the walls to match the existing walls and put the carpet back in place. All will be in place for the painters to come in. I actually feel like I built that wall myself but they did a far better job then I even imagined. While all this was going on, HTP was constructing shelves for my hall closet that we are converting to pantry space.
HTP also installed my new hot water tap seconds before the water softener/reverse osmosis guy came to install the reverse osmosis system and the water softener. On top of all this the landscaper came to dig the footings for our new exterior landscape walls and gate.
As I write this I finally have figured out why I'm so tired. I don't think I sat down for more then 5 minutes today. I ran to check up on HTP, I ran to check up on the interior wall progress, I ran to check up on the RO guy, then I ran and checked up on the interior wall progress, then I ran to check up on HTP, and then the air-conditioner went on and HTP wanted me to turn it off but the controls were locked so I couldn't shut the darn thing off so I had to call the customer assistance people to ask them how to unlock the controls and they told me that the information was in the packet of information that we got at closing but that stuff wasn't there so I had to have them walk me through the instructions over the phone...the cell phone that charges .35 a minute...and then the landscape guy came and wanted to see the plans for the exterior walls and HTP told me that it was in the green folder in the red bag with all the papers but there were two green folders in the bag so HTP had to be more specific and roll his eyes at me. And then I decided to go check the mail that is kept a block away at a bank of mailboxes around the corner from our house. No mail. The pest control guy came and had to be told what I wanted treated. And then I had to check up on the water softener installation, and the wall construction and then I had to call to see if our son had made it home safe from school. The permission slip that he needed signed for his trip to Reno for the jazz competition is due tomorrow so I had to have him bring the permission slip to the new house so he could pick me up so we could go to the bank to have the permission slip notarized because our society has gotten paranoid about such things and lawyers demand notarized permission slips these days. And then after our son picked me up and we took care of the permission slip, I had to drain the reverse osmosis tank because that's one of those things that you have to do when you get a new system set up and I watched as the wall guys finished up their work for the day and cleaned up their mess and I watched HTP finish up his work on the shelf installation project. I was so worn out that we stopped and picked up chicken (pre-cooked chicken from the deli) and salad fixings (caesar salad lite) for supper.
I'm not going to go to the new house tomorrow morning. HTP has to go to let the wall builders in, the garage cabinet people in, the security system people in, and he has to finish up the shelf project. I'm not going to be sitting on my hands here at the old house. Someone has to do the laundry and that someone is me. I'll have our son drive me over there after school tomorrow.
I'm exhausted. Our son and I just finished loading up the car with stuff to go over to the new house for tomorrow but that's all for today. Tomorrow will easier. Right?
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Fearing that they might be losing business from women whose husbands hated to shop, the Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, came up with an unusual idea in 2002: "The Shopping Boyfriend", a real-life person who acts as a temporary boyfriend or husband to be dragged along from store to store. "The Shopping Boyfriend is the ultimate retail therapist," said a mall spokesperson. They are "enthusiastic, attentive, admiring, and complimentary," and, if necessary, they'll even say "her bum looks small."
I spent the day over at the new house. No internet yet. No phone yet...except for the cell phone. My new wall was constructed. It looks great! They (the builders that we hired) are coming back tomorrow to sand down the drywall joints, cut, paint and install the baseboards, texture the walls to match the existing walls and put the carpet back in place. All will be in place for the painters to come in. I actually feel like I built that wall myself but they did a far better job then I even imagined. While all this was going on, HTP was constructing shelves for my hall closet that we are converting to pantry space.
HTP also installed my new hot water tap seconds before the water softener/reverse osmosis guy came to install the reverse osmosis system and the water softener. On top of all this the landscaper came to dig the footings for our new exterior landscape walls and gate.
As I write this I finally have figured out why I'm so tired. I don't think I sat down for more then 5 minutes today. I ran to check up on HTP, I ran to check up on the interior wall progress, I ran to check up on the RO guy, then I ran and checked up on the interior wall progress, then I ran to check up on HTP, and then the air-conditioner went on and HTP wanted me to turn it off but the controls were locked so I couldn't shut the darn thing off so I had to call the customer assistance people to ask them how to unlock the controls and they told me that the information was in the packet of information that we got at closing but that stuff wasn't there so I had to have them walk me through the instructions over the phone...the cell phone that charges .35 a minute...and then the landscape guy came and wanted to see the plans for the exterior walls and HTP told me that it was in the green folder in the red bag with all the papers but there were two green folders in the bag so HTP had to be more specific and roll his eyes at me. And then I decided to go check the mail that is kept a block away at a bank of mailboxes around the corner from our house. No mail. The pest control guy came and had to be told what I wanted treated. And then I had to check up on the water softener installation, and the wall construction and then I had to call to see if our son had made it home safe from school. The permission slip that he needed signed for his trip to Reno for the jazz competition is due tomorrow so I had to have him bring the permission slip to the new house so he could pick me up so we could go to the bank to have the permission slip notarized because our society has gotten paranoid about such things and lawyers demand notarized permission slips these days. And then after our son picked me up and we took care of the permission slip, I had to drain the reverse osmosis tank because that's one of those things that you have to do when you get a new system set up and I watched as the wall guys finished up their work for the day and cleaned up their mess and I watched HTP finish up his work on the shelf installation project. I was so worn out that we stopped and picked up chicken (pre-cooked chicken from the deli) and salad fixings (caesar salad lite) for supper.
I'm not going to go to the new house tomorrow morning. HTP has to go to let the wall builders in, the garage cabinet people in, the security system people in, and he has to finish up the shelf project. I'm not going to be sitting on my hands here at the old house. Someone has to do the laundry and that someone is me. I'll have our son drive me over there after school tomorrow.
I'm exhausted. Our son and I just finished loading up the car with stuff to go over to the new house for tomorrow but that's all for today. Tomorrow will easier. Right?
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Fearing that they might be losing business from women whose husbands hated to shop, the Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, came up with an unusual idea in 2002: "The Shopping Boyfriend", a real-life person who acts as a temporary boyfriend or husband to be dragged along from store to store. "The Shopping Boyfriend is the ultimate retail therapist," said a mall spokesperson. They are "enthusiastic, attentive, admiring, and complimentary," and, if necessary, they'll even say "her bum looks small."
Sunday, April 04, 2004
27 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
After concidering the matter for about 10 seconds, I decided not to consign my furniture with Terri's Consign and Design. If it comes right down to it, I'd rather donate it to the Goodwill. I'd get more for tax right off then they were going to give me to sell it. I'll probably give it to my "in-town" daughter since it would be too hard to transport it cross country to Mink.
We took another load of stuff over to the new house last night. We've got a mailbox out there now too, complete with key. It'll be interesting to see how much will fit into that tiny mailbox.
I finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown last night. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend it to anyone that is looking for a good read. On a side note, I don't think that I'll be discussing it anytime soon with my Catholic husband. Though it isn't a book that I would normally choose to read, I may have to see if I like any other books by that author. Angels & Demons might be interesting.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
*Toy stores in the United States and Great Britain started selling a new action figure in 2001: Invisible Jim. Like other action figures, Invisible Jim is packaged in a box of clear plastic and colorful cardboard. The only difference is that there's nothing in the box. The makers of the "toy" say it's good for kid's imaginations and perfect for "anyone with a sense of humor".
"We get the odd phone call from someone who says, 'We got an Invisible Jim but he must have fallen out. Could you send me another doll?'." said distributor Chris Marler, adding, "When we got the first shipment, we weren't sure it had actually arrived."
*Taken from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.
After concidering the matter for about 10 seconds, I decided not to consign my furniture with Terri's Consign and Design. If it comes right down to it, I'd rather donate it to the Goodwill. I'd get more for tax right off then they were going to give me to sell it. I'll probably give it to my "in-town" daughter since it would be too hard to transport it cross country to Mink.
We took another load of stuff over to the new house last night. We've got a mailbox out there now too, complete with key. It'll be interesting to see how much will fit into that tiny mailbox.
I finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown last night. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend it to anyone that is looking for a good read. On a side note, I don't think that I'll be discussing it anytime soon with my Catholic husband. Though it isn't a book that I would normally choose to read, I may have to see if I like any other books by that author. Angels & Demons might be interesting.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
*Toy stores in the United States and Great Britain started selling a new action figure in 2001: Invisible Jim. Like other action figures, Invisible Jim is packaged in a box of clear plastic and colorful cardboard. The only difference is that there's nothing in the box. The makers of the "toy" say it's good for kid's imaginations and perfect for "anyone with a sense of humor".
"We get the odd phone call from someone who says, 'We got an Invisible Jim but he must have fallen out. Could you send me another doll?'." said distributor Chris Marler, adding, "When we got the first shipment, we weren't sure it had actually arrived."
*Taken from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
28 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
We were just ready to head out the door to go over to the new house to meet with our wall builder when we got a call from our wall builder. Now I'm not sure when or if we actually will be getting a wall built today or not. One of his work guys didn't show up for work today and we're told that they didn't plan to work tomorrow (even though he told us that they would) which was a relief to me because I have church tomorrow and it would have been hard to manage being at two places at the same time. We were assured that they would definitely start work on Monday if they don't get out there today. So we have to wait until we hear whether or not they plan to come out today or not so we can let them into the house to work. Regardless, I have to go out there today to bring all this stuff over there that's packed into the car because I don't want to go to church tomorrow in a car that's packed full of stuff. It looks like I've been garage saleing. On the plus side, you notice that I could write this blog. On the minus side, it sure would have been nice to sleep a little longer this morning. It's a grey day which is always conducive to sleeping in.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In 1787, as the Constitutional Convention was being held in Philadelphia to draw up the country's new constitution, political factions were already beginning to emerge. There were "Federalists", who wanted to create a strong federal government by giving it powers that had previously belonged to the state governments. And there were "Anti-Federalists", who opposed the new constitution which promised to give powers that had previously belonged to the state governments to the federal government. The "Federalists" won. The new constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789.
We were just ready to head out the door to go over to the new house to meet with our wall builder when we got a call from our wall builder. Now I'm not sure when or if we actually will be getting a wall built today or not. One of his work guys didn't show up for work today and we're told that they didn't plan to work tomorrow (even though he told us that they would) which was a relief to me because I have church tomorrow and it would have been hard to manage being at two places at the same time. We were assured that they would definitely start work on Monday if they don't get out there today. So we have to wait until we hear whether or not they plan to come out today or not so we can let them into the house to work. Regardless, I have to go out there today to bring all this stuff over there that's packed into the car because I don't want to go to church tomorrow in a car that's packed full of stuff. It looks like I've been garage saleing. On the plus side, you notice that I could write this blog. On the minus side, it sure would have been nice to sleep a little longer this morning. It's a grey day which is always conducive to sleeping in.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
In 1787, as the Constitutional Convention was being held in Philadelphia to draw up the country's new constitution, political factions were already beginning to emerge. There were "Federalists", who wanted to create a strong federal government by giving it powers that had previously belonged to the state governments. And there were "Anti-Federalists", who opposed the new constitution which promised to give powers that had previously belonged to the state governments to the federal government. The "Federalists" won. The new constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789.
Friday, April 02, 2004
29 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
We closed on the new house this morning. Of course, with the rain that was coming down, we were only able to verify that the interior checklist of "things to fix" were fixed...kind of. We still have calico cabinets but I've been told that they will try their best to take care of me. I'm not holding my breath. Thankfully, there was one other female (a saleslady) at the walk through who agreed with me that the cabinets are "calico". We signed all kinds of papers and we now have the keys to our new house. They gave us a gift. Toilet paper, paper towels, a canvas bag, some bottled water and some snacks. Actually, I thought that was far more practical then the coffee mugs that we got from Coventry. We have our gate cards for getting into the developement too and a whole lot of reading material. I can now start moving things into the new house...but I won't. Not yet. The wall construction starts tomorrow morning. After the dust settles I'll start bringing stuff into the new house.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
America's Founding Fathers were vehemently opposed to the idea of political parties. England's political parties seemed to spend their time battling one another instead of working together to advance the national interest, and the Founding Fathers hoped to avoid that.
We closed on the new house this morning. Of course, with the rain that was coming down, we were only able to verify that the interior checklist of "things to fix" were fixed...kind of. We still have calico cabinets but I've been told that they will try their best to take care of me. I'm not holding my breath. Thankfully, there was one other female (a saleslady) at the walk through who agreed with me that the cabinets are "calico". We signed all kinds of papers and we now have the keys to our new house. They gave us a gift. Toilet paper, paper towels, a canvas bag, some bottled water and some snacks. Actually, I thought that was far more practical then the coffee mugs that we got from Coventry. We have our gate cards for getting into the developement too and a whole lot of reading material. I can now start moving things into the new house...but I won't. Not yet. The wall construction starts tomorrow morning. After the dust settles I'll start bringing stuff into the new house.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
America's Founding Fathers were vehemently opposed to the idea of political parties. England's political parties seemed to spend their time battling one another instead of working together to advance the national interest, and the Founding Fathers hoped to avoid that.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
30 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we have to get out of this house)
1 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)
I have been blogging for exactly one year today. It's been an experience. I regret to say that this will be my last blog. I'm tired of blogging. I hardly ever get any feedback. No one really reads this thing. Why do I bother?
1 Days Before Closing (The time that remains before we can move into the new house)
I have been blogging for exactly one year today. It's been an experience. I regret to say that this will be my last blog. I'm tired of blogging. I hardly ever get any feedback. No one really reads this thing. Why do I bother?
April Fool's!
Sorry to disappoint you all. I am going to keep blogging. It doesn't really matter that hardly anyone gives me any feedback. Even though over half of the over 4000 hits I've had on this site are me checking to see if anyone has commented on my blog, that leaves 2000 hits that are from someone else. Wow! Someone else besides me reads this?! Woohoo! Warm fuzzy feeling. I did note that everytime I mention POGO, I get at least 3 or 4 hits. Mahjong Garden! Word Whomp Whackdown! HAH! More hits. Pogo Badges. More hits. OK. I'll stop now. (Pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo.) I'll have to sneak a mention in every so often to see if I can increase my readership. Blogging is actually a cheap form of therapy. It also allows family and friends an opportunity to check up on me (yes, I'm still here...I haven't gone anywhere...closing isn't until tomorrow) without me sending endless e-mails to them over cyberspace. And just maybe, there a few other people who may read this and get a tiny glimpse into "me". Because this blog is all about "me". Hah! Me! And I'm not even going to apologize for it. My blog! Me! I may not be able to control other parts of my life but here in my blog I can write whatever I want....but I won't say anything that I wouldn't want my Mom to read...or HTP....or that would hurt anyone's feelings because...that's "ME" and that's what this blog is about and I have the power.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Some Last Words of Wisdom From the Buddha
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the live of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
"Your work is to discover the world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."
Sorry to disappoint you all. I am going to keep blogging. It doesn't really matter that hardly anyone gives me any feedback. Even though over half of the over 4000 hits I've had on this site are me checking to see if anyone has commented on my blog, that leaves 2000 hits that are from someone else. Wow! Someone else besides me reads this?! Woohoo! Warm fuzzy feeling. I did note that everytime I mention POGO, I get at least 3 or 4 hits. Mahjong Garden! Word Whomp Whackdown! HAH! More hits. Pogo Badges. More hits. OK. I'll stop now. (Pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo.) I'll have to sneak a mention in every so often to see if I can increase my readership. Blogging is actually a cheap form of therapy. It also allows family and friends an opportunity to check up on me (yes, I'm still here...I haven't gone anywhere...closing isn't until tomorrow) without me sending endless e-mails to them over cyberspace. And just maybe, there a few other people who may read this and get a tiny glimpse into "me". Because this blog is all about "me". Hah! Me! And I'm not even going to apologize for it. My blog! Me! I may not be able to control other parts of my life but here in my blog I can write whatever I want....but I won't say anything that I wouldn't want my Mom to read...or HTP....or that would hurt anyone's feelings because...that's "ME" and that's what this blog is about and I have the power.
Today's Little Bit of Trivia
Some Last Words of Wisdom From the Buddha
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the live of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
"Your work is to discover the world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."