So, anyone who knows me (and probably quite a few who don’t) know that my life has been almost completely consumed with buying a house since, oh, about February.  Well, I’ve been living in said house for ten days now and just have some random thoughts to share with you about being a homeowner.

So, here we go, randomness…

1. No matter how much you preplan where everything will go in a new house inevitably you will change something after you move in, unpack, and get things put away.  I’m sure I’m not completely abnormal in the fact that I rearranged the kitchen four times and moved the linen closet around twice in a matter of ten days.
2. Unless you custom design a house (and even then I doubt it would be perfect) something will not make sense.  For example…ten days and I’m still reaching for the kitchen light on the wall that it ISN’T and having to turn around and flip it on on the wall that it is on.  And don’t even get me started on the kitchen cabinets.
3. OK, speaking of kitchen cabinets, seriously, I know I’m not the only person who has dishes and glasses and other kitchen stuff.  Who ever thought of making cabinets that are so stinking narrow that you can barely fit things in?  I finally have the dishes and glasses in sensible places but that leaves the spices in the only available cupboard which is the one that isn’t wide enough for a spice rack so they are all one level.  No big deal EXCEPT that I always seem to need to empty the entire flippin’ shelf to get to the one jar I need.
4. Utilities.  Yes, I knew there would be more utilities in a house then in my apartment.  But seriously, can these people not work together a little bit?  I have to write once check to the sewer company, another check to a different company for garbage pick-up, another check to a completely separate company for water service, and another check to a fourth company for electricity, and let’s not forget the fifth company that I have to write a check to for gas.  Yeah, FIVE companies and that’s not even talking about cable or internet service.  Seriously?  FIVE different companies?  I think they are in cahoots with the postal service or the check printing companies or something.
5. Noise. I lived in an apartment and had the most annoying LOUD neighbors but OMG I never realized how noisy a house is. Seriously this thing hums and rumbled and moans louder than having the three kids around WITH frends over. What the heck…quiet would be nice.

Seriously, though, it may sound like I’m complaining, I’m not.  (Well, maybe I am but only because I have to find something to complain about and this really is a pretty amazing thing being in this house and knowing that it’s MINE.)

After ten days I couldn’t be happier.  Well, if someone would help me figure out where to hang the stuff that is supposed to go on my walls but is still sitting in boxes I might be a little happier.  And well, if someone wanted to help me figure out a layout and design option for my office/craft room I’d probably be a lot happier.  Oh, and if someone wanted to help me figure out what the heck to do with the beastly flower bed that is really just a weed patch I know I’d be a lot happier.  But, I do love my house.  I love coming our the bend each night and seeing my driveway.  I love pushing the garage door opening and knowing it’s the door to MY garage opening.  I love putting my car in the garage and knowing that I’m home.  (Heck, I really love parking in the middle of the garage and knowing that I can take up as much of it as I want LOL.)

So, there’s some random thoughts from a homeowner. 

Uh, is anyone else watching this show?  It looked kind of good so I decided to record it.  Seems like I missed the first episode somehow, but whatever. But….what the heck are they making these people cook?  By no means am I a 5-Star chef.  I’m not delusional enough to think I’d even coming close to being America’s Next Super Chef  or anything even close.  But, I can cook.  I’ve never had anyone spit out something I’ve made.  I often get compliments on my cooking abilities.  I’ve had some flops, but most cooks have.  But, for the most part I can take what I have and make a meal worthy of guests.

So, this show takes “America’s Worst Cooks” and sets them in a competition.  Cool.  So, week two and they have them making some fancy dish that I’ve never even heard of let alone attempted to cook.  A Razz Cherry reduction over some fancy Duck thing.  The reduction is fine, but they chef acted like they were idiots because they had never heard of a Razz Cherry (which is a dried cherry infused with raspberry juice — or something like that).  Most of the cooks assumed the Razz Cherry Reduction was some type of raspberry and cherry sauce reduction.  Makes sense to me.  The guy looked at them like they had four heads.

So, totally not sure about this show. But, of course I’ll watch it next week.

Just like Biggest Loser which I’m getting pretty annoyed with but can’t seem to not watch.

I think I should just go read my Kindle.

Very, very frightful

It’s COLD.

That would be FREAKING cold to anyone who doesn’t know what cold is.  Do you like the little igloo so you really know that it’s going to be COLD this week?

The past ten days have been interesting for anyone who hasn’t heard.  My dad’s been visiting since the middle of November.  Thanksgiving my brother and I took him to the ER.  He was in for four days and had surgery.  They released him (I thought he was fine to go home) and was home for 48 hours before I took him back.  He’s still there.  They’re doing lots of tests trying to figure out why he’s been having these issues for so long.

It sucks something fierce having him in the hospital.  And, it’s been 10 days now (cause really the two days he was home were just like having him in the hospital only I didn’t have as far to go to visit).  But, I lost confidence in his medical care in California quite a while ago so I really like that someone new and not at all associated with his regular doctor is reviewing his case and giving us some idea of what’s going on.  I feel like we’re getting answers and even if I don’t like all of them I feel like they are the truth and that we’re actually doing something.

Of course, ten days in the hospital and I’ve been there every day and he’s getting feisty.  That’s a nice way to say that he was a complete jerk today.  I finally left because he was just being mean.  You can only be called a “pest”, “annoying”, “a pain” so many times before you just want to walk away.  So, I did.  I told him he was being mean, he was a jerk again so I left.  When I left he said “you know I’m just kidding” but after a while it gets old and annoying.  We had a bit of an argument and he said “see you tomorrow” and I said “maybe”.  He was kind of snotty when he said “if I call you tomorrow and ask you to come you will”.  I just looked him in the eye and said “maybe, but I won’t be here if you’re going to continue to be mean to me”.

It’s not like I’m being mean.  Yes, I ask him to go for walks quite a bit.  IT’S GOOD FOR HIM.  Yes, I encourage him to get out of bed and sit in the chair.  HE NEEDS TO.  When I ask I look at his response, I can tell if he’s really tired or if he’s just being lazy.  (Heck, I usually know if he’s really not up to a walk before I even ask!)  If he’s just being stubborn or lazy I’ll push a little but I have NEVER forced him to get up.  If he’s tired and falls asleep I just sit there and read or I’ll leave.  One time I kept waking him up and that’s only because he asked me to because he wanted to sleep that night and didn’t want to sleep all day.

So, yeah, today was a little annoying.  I didn’t get there until late because I HAD to do some laundry and some cleaning.  But, he did not need to be such an ass to me.

Do you remember when Taco bell tacos were $0.29 each? I remember being able to eat at Taco Bell for under $1 (and getting more food than I probably should have eaten) when I was in high school. Heck, I remember days of scrounging for coins and having to forego the soda because all I could find was enough for two tacos (at a whopping $0.64 or something like that with the tax).

Today I went to get two tacos from Taco Bell (because I’d forgotten my lunch in the fridge at home when I left this morning).  I knew I had $2.00 and some change in cash and figured it was fine.   (I figured $0.79 with inflation.)

Dude, Taco Bell tacos are $0.99 EACH now.

EACH.

Two tacos was $2.10 with tax.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not super expensive but still….

I was tripping out big time when I went through the drive-thru.  I know it shouldn’t have tripped me out so much.  I know, inflation, but dang.

Memories…   I’m remembering going to Taco Bell after church and buying 25 or 30 tacos for the family and some friends for lunch.  We were only allowed tacos because anything else was more expensive.

The painters have been staining some fascia in the shop the last couple of days.  It stinks in here.  As in full-blown-headache-want-to-vomit STINKS.  But, I have to work.  I had an important conference call today and I can’t let the work pile up around me.  So, I have to be here.  But, I can’t stand the smell.  So, I have the shop doors open and the windows in the office open.  Ahhhh, I can breathe.

There’s only one problem.  It’s 22 degrees outside.  22 DEGREES.  My fingers are freezing.  The heater is running almost nonstop in here.  It’s COLD.  I did finally have to close the window in my office because I couldn’t stand it any longer but the window in the reception area is open.  Blech.

OK, maybe not quite yet but tomorrow marks the beginning of the end.

The snow is supposed to start falling tomorrow and we’re supposed to get 12 inches.  Then Sunday the temperature is a dropping.  As in low, really, really low.  Like a high for the WEEK of 20.  (In case you need clarification on what that means” baby, it’s getting COLD outside.)  Our lows are supposed to be really low, like BELOW zero.

So, it’s back to the grind of mountainous piles of snow everywhere.  Ice.  Slippery sidewalks.  Ice.  Extra blankets on the bed.  Heaters.  And, ice.

Seriously, seriously over.  You don’t believe me?  Check out the temperature when I woke up the morning.

And, in case you don’t know how to read my indoor/outdoor thermometer the number on the left is the outside temperature.  The number on the right is the inside temperature and the number on the bottom shows how early I was up this morning.

And to prove that my thermometer isn’t broken…

It’s even time stamped for you.  You do notice the date, right?  OCTOBER 9!  But, that’s not the best part.  No, check this one out.

Need I say more?  But don’t worry, it’s not the first flakes I’ve seen this “winter”.  I saw two Monday night only I’m in denial on those.

I love Idaho, I’d just love more than one season in Idaho.

Besides the fact that the picture is bad (it was on my camera phone because I still haven’t bought a new camera ti replace my broken one).

Besides the fact that this was the weather a couple weeks ago.

Besides the fact that it’s 6:40PM and the outside temperature is triple digits.

Besides the fact that the outside temperature actually dropped 2 degrees in the time it took me to get the energy to get up and get my phone to take this picture.

No, what is really wrong with this picture is that my house has been closed up against the heat since 9AM with my (crappy) A/C running since early afternoon and the INDOOR temperature is 80.8 degrees.

Dude, that’s sucks.

Is it too early for me to start talking about moving to Barrow, AK? I think I need to win the lottery so I can have a summer home. I’m not picky…I’ll take either the green one (third row down) or, today, the fixer upper (fourth row). How cute would these neighbors be? I can’t even begin to tell you how good this looks right now.

Sigh…next time I complain about the heat remind me of this, please.

If you can’t find me I’m probably on a plane headed to the farthest North American City.

Yeah, right.  Sigh.  I’m NOT  morning person.  Anyone who knows me knows that.  It’s just a fact of life.  Well, Saturday night I picked up a friend’s kids so she could go on the church staff retreat.  The kids are great.  Very polite, nice, and the boy (11) even took out my garbage yesterday for me with no arguments.  They even complimented me on my cooking last night.  It’s been great.  But, this morning I had to get up at 6:30AM to get them up.  And, 11 year olds don’t just get up when you say good morning.  No, you have to remind them a couple of times to get up.  I’m not used to that.

We got up and dressed without any problems and I drove them to school.  There school is across town from me.  Which isn’t a problem except that the oldest starts school at 8AM and the youngest at 9AM.  So, I dropped the oldest off at 7:30 (because he wanted to see his friends and, theoretically, so he could eat breakfast — although he admitted that doesn’t happen) then I took the youngest to get a donut.  Unfortunately the donut place was closed so we went to Safeway instead then I dropped her off.

Another thing some of you may not know but I’m neurotic about my house.  I don’t deal well with clutter.  It makes me nervous.  Well, despite my offering (many times) for them to sleep on the air mattresses in my office they wanted to sleep in the living room.  That’s fine, except that means there are pillow, sheets, blankets, air mattresses and dirty socks all over my living room.  Not to mention empty glasses and snack plates.  But, OK, it’s only  a couple days (if it was longer I would have insisted they sleep in the office).  Then I come in to my office to work and there are clothing articles all over.  Have you heard of a suitcase???  That’s where I keep my clothes when I’m traveling!  LOL

OK, seriously, I’m not complaining.  The kids are great, I’m having fun having them here (well, except the 6:30AM alarm).  I’m just neurotic.  I’m used to my simple, quiet, ordered life.  Disorder unsettles me — OK, it makes me crazy (although that’s pretty much an all-time thing for me LOL).

Oh, and I put the hooks up ALL BY MYSELF yesterday.    So, now two of my hanging plants are hanging AND I put the hook up for my windchime out front.    I’m really proud of myself.  The third hanging plant is going to stay on the ground…I might get a table or something for it but it’s heavy and I’m afraid it’s too heavy for a hook.  I really don’t want it to fall so I’d rather it stay on the ground.    It looks fine as  a table plant so I’m not worried.

The windchimes sound nice.    I have my window open and i can look outside and see the flowers and hear the chimes.  And, you can smell the flowers when you walk up.  All my neighbors have commented that they smell so good walking up the stairs.    We’ve determined it must be mine…although it might be the lady next door.

Till later…

Not out of frustration or anger or panic.  No, I fell ASLEEP at my desk.  My head HIT the top of the desk waking me up.  Seriously!  Other than the fact that I haven’t been sleeping good for the past two+ weeks there is NO reason why my head and my desk should come into intimate contact at any point in time.

I think my life sucks right now.  I think I need to sleep tonight.

Till later…