kamikaze butterflies

Ever since our friend told us he knows a woman from work who might be interested in buying the house I've felt a weird knot in my stomach. Not the type of "no, this isn't right" knot. More like butterflies who are fitted with leg weights so they keep bouncing around rather than fluttering.

I sent our realtor an email about the person who might be interested. I've not heard back. I fear that with each day that passes the kamikaze butterflies are going to get even more out of control, leaving me to feel like they've broken through and are beating me up from the inside out.

I breath.

The whole sell our house/buy a new house dance is interesting. We have found a few homes (I've shared them with you, Mom) that we wouldn't mind seeing the inside of in person. We're blasting through our list of things to do before listing, quickly. However, I feel like time is standing in mud that is up to its calves.

I'm a RIGHT NOW girl. I try to not be, I try to know that NOW doesn't have to happen at the exact moment my mind feels it should. NOW could be in two months. But NOW I'm wanting things to move along quicker. A test in patience, which I don't always exhibit.

I breath.

I am working this whole weekend. I hope it keeps my mind off of house house house stuff. I hope that while I'm out of the house Kev will paint the laundry space (it's hardly a room) and finish the fan trim (exhaust fan in bathroom).

If (and it's a HUGE if, I understand) but IF this woman does happen to come by, tour the house, fall in love and make an offer prior to us listing...I would laugh and laugh and laugh. Not in the maniacal way, but in the "I can hardly believe our luck" as I thanked those lucky stars.

I breath.

the list

So much black, no?

Close...so close...

house

Well, the list we made at the beginning of this whole house selling thing is rapidly becoming nothing but a big black mark. I just took a photo of it but can't seem to email it from my phone. Oh well. It's pretty impressive.

Kev is rockin' the exhaust fan in the bathroom. He started the project yesterday before his double header basketball night. They lost the first game, won the second. I didn't go. Figured he could use some "him" time. Anyway, before he left he started cutting the wood surround for the fan. This week he'll finish caulking and then paint it.

Next week we get the pictures taken of the house. There will still be a few things we have to take care of before we list the 11th, but with an entire weekend off (me) things should be done before we know it.

Okay, must get ready for work. Boring post, I know...

r.i.p.

We've had another casualty here at the homestead. At around 1:30 I woke up (I honestly don't remember why/how, I just remember all of a sudden being awake). Kev came back saying, "I think they have one." I was not 100% sure what "one" he referring to, but I had a sinking suspicion.

Back track: Chloe, Simon and Josie had all been interested in something under my dresser all day today (I assume all day, but in reality I don't rightly know how long Mr. Mousie was under there). I suppose it was all day yesterday, because if you look at the time it is now the 27th...early.

Back to the story: So Kev is standing there, lights are all off (and seeing since I was in a rather deep sleep it's understandable as to why they would be off). He goes to get the dustpan and turn on the hall light. We're discussing if it is still alive and just playing 'possum when Simon grabs it and gives it a toss into the air. Discussion over, it's DEAD.

The thing is, we never know there is a mouse until we find (or smell) it's corpse. Normally it is surrounded by cats as well. And a big nosey dog. There isn't droppings in the house, that we see. There isn't holes in bags of food (thank the all mighty doG). There isn't any indication that we have mice.

The thing I wonder now...how in the world will I ever get back to sleep?!?

learning and other bits and bobs

I'm working the second half of the day at the kids store. I'm learning as I go. I'm not feeling quite like a fish out of water anymore.

This morning I started my day with driving out to our Hillsboro location (it's roughly a 25 minute drive from where our office is located). While driving and drinking my coffee a car rolled by with three people waving frantically at me. Huge smiles crossed their faces. I knew it was because the KU sticker we have on the window. My fellow Jayhawks. I smiled and waved back. It made me laugh all the rest of the way into the store.

Tomorrow I have a day where I'm not having to be at any of the stores to work on the floor. This makes me happy. I have much to do at the office and will be there most of the day. I'm hoping tomorrow night I will be able to run things with Kev over to Jill and Mark's garage. We have just the furniture to remove. Any boxes that I'm packing now will just go into our storage.

We drove around and looked at houses yesterday. Of the eight homes, four were marked off. One is soooo cute, but only about 500 sq/ft larger than what we have now and it's at the top of our price range. There is another really sweet one we loved and it's a great price, pretty good location, not a bad size. We're wanting to walk through both but are worried about looking too early and falling for a home before ours sells.

I've got Mahjong Monday tonight. I'm hoping a new friend will join me. Kev and I taught her and her boyfriend how to play a couple of weeks ago and they are hooked. They're getting ready to close on their house and so she's feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I'm hoping she will come with and just relax a bit. It'd be the first time she and I hung out alone. I'm kind of excited.

We had our friends over last night with her 13 and 14 year old. Josie wasn't so sure of them. I think they kids were just loud enough to make her nervous. She warmed up a bit, but wouldn't go near them if they called her.

Simon, on the other hand, is a lap whore. He will sit on anyone who makes a lap. He was smitten with the kids. Chloe even made an appearance, which surprised Kev. She loved the 14 year old girl quite a bit. It made me smile.

Okay, with an hour left I am going to get my things together and clean up the store...

my arms are cursing my very self

I did all of them. I stood, raised my arms, bent at the waist, raised my heart, and thanked the sun...all 108 times (without #9).

Now, my arms don't want to function. Lifting my beer to my lips is a trial. Eating my garden burger was almost torture.

I can't think what tomorrow will bring. Although I thank my body for allowing me to make it to the 108th salutation. I thank it for carrying me through each and every day. Some days more gracefully than others. Today, she was graceful.

not the end of the world...

I am currently working at the kids store. Kids. Shoes. Parents. Now I adore kids, don't get me wrong. And some parents are rockin'! However, the shoes...drive me batty! No two brands run the same in length, some are wider than others, while some run short, some just are dumb. Nothing different than at the regular stores I work at (selling shoes from ladies size 5 and up). It's just the combination and the unknown. I don't know kids feet. I am learning, though.

I have had two great kids/parents in today that I got to help. Both resulted in sales, one in a hug. I was smitten with the little girl. We'd been trying to get her to run in the shoes to see if she'd trip on the toes (a sure sign they are too long, I've learned). I knelt down and she bolted into my arms. OMG! It's like crack. I want more hugs from little ones. I think I need a Henry fix soon.

I had a woman tell me yesterday (when I was at one of the "regular" locations) that there is no way I could love Henry as though he were my own. I disagreed with her. She was adamant about nobody being able to love kids that are not theirs as though they were, it was just not possible. I pulled out the big guns of:

"well, when your body does not let you have the kids you so desperately want, and your close friends have babies, you can love them with every fiber of your being...I even have pictures of him on my phone...he lights up when I enter a room...I love him like no other child...I don't ever get tired of being with him..." the list continued. I came back around to the first part though. Her husband looked at me with sympathy in his eyes and annoyance at his wife.

I have decided when complete strangers ask when we are going to start having kids I am not going to sidestep the question anymore. I am going to be honest and tell them when my body lets me. And so far, it ain't letting me. It hurts more than anyone could know, well, anyone other than families who are going through this as well.

My friend and coworker Jessica agrees that you can love others kids as much as your own. And when you are the parent of the child in question, it warms your heart knowing your baby is loved so much.

So I will work at the kids store, play with my friends babies and children and be the best darn aunt I can be. Henry will be spoiled beyond belief!

the last bits

We only have a few more things to do around the house before July 11th. That is the Wednesday we'll be listing.

1. Build bit of fence on North side of the house.
2. Paint laundry room.
3. Finish off the exhaust fan in bathroom.
4. Move boxes to Jill and Mark's garage.

Other than that, we just have to keep the house clean. That could be the toughest part yet.

my dog doesn't like...

...throw pillows.

Just about every day we come home we find the two pillows from one of the sofas on the floor.

Just now, I went back to the bedroom and the two new pillows I just made were...on the floor. The bed was a bit disheveled looking as well.

She's sacked out on the floor herself, nowhere near the pillows. She must be tired after all that bed unmaking and pillow tossing.

Help me when we list this house!

my boys

I went into the bedroom this morning to give Kevin a kiss goodbye. I couldn't resist taking this picture (as well as two others). Simon was using Kev's head as his own pillow, which you can see.

I swear, that little (ahem) orange kitty makes my heart swell with love. He's the most annoying creature on the face of this planet and at the same time we can't imagine life without his ass (in our faces when we are going to bed, lying on the couch, or at any given time). I should say he's not always annoying, just anywhere from 5:30-7:00 on most mornings.

You look at that picture and think "him? annoying?" Trust me, the photos is AFTER he's been fed breakfast and the little bastard goes back to bed.

Simon has been ever so helpful when it comes to packing up things, as well. Making sure that the boxes are...boxes, I suppose. He has a thing for them. It's weird, taking photos off the walls, getting Kev's chest of drawers ready to go into storage, clearing everything off the counters in the kitchen. It's slowly hitting me that we are going to sell our house. The place that the trio and we have known for the last four years. We always knew that it wasn't the house we wanted to live in for more than that, but it's still a bit sad. However, I think when we find the right house for us (and trust me, I feel like I've seen one, but know at the price it is listed it will go faster than we would be ready for) I think I'll be okay. I'm looking forward to moving on and moving into a bigger place.

Tomorrow we might go to the open house at that house...you know, to make my heart cry. We will be listing after the weekend of July 7th. For that weekend I have both Saturday and Sunday off and Jill and I are building a fence (unless Kev and I do it sooner, but that is highly doubtful). It seems surreal to me, listing in three (!) weeks.

As for the knitting front, I've got some great 100% cotton that I am busy making dish clothes for various family members who at this time shall remain nameless. I'm playing with stitches and enjoying myself. As for the sewing, I bought some amazing blue and green striped fabric that I've started making into 20" pillow covers for our bed. Must make this place look amazing since strangers will be walking through and judging us. :)

Hope everyone has a good Wednesday. Think of us chopping wood and doing other random chores we must get done before listing. Let's hear it for cooler and cloudier days coupled with yard work!

brought to you by the letter C

Scattergories...it's harder than it looks!

Rules: Use the first letter of your last name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question... Now Go!


Your Last Name:
Clock

1. Famous singer/band:
Clash, the

2. 4 letter word:
Crap

3. Street name:
Couch (not pronounced like the thing you sit on)

4. Color:
Cream

5. Gifts/present:
CD

6. Vehicle:
Camry

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop:
Cards

8. Boy Name?
Carl

9. Girl Name:
Christine

10. Movie Title:
Clerks

11. Drink:
Cocoa

12. Occupation:
Cart driver (at the airport)

13. Flower:
Columbine

14. Celebrity:
Chris Rock

15. Magazine:
Cat Fancy

16. U.S. City:
Cleveland

17. Pro Sports Team:
Cavaliers

18. Fruit:
Cherry

19. Reason for Being Late for Work:
Car out of gas

20. Something You Throw Away:
Corks from wine

21. Things You Shout:
Crapdammit!!

told you so, dad

You are a PC

You're practical, thrifty, and able to do almost anything. Appearances and trends aren't important to you. You just like to get the job done.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

tonight i will soar

Change of plans. Originally, when I found out the Yarn Harlot herself was going to be back through town, I was going to go to Powell's tonight to listen to her speak, commune with knitterly people, and have a lovely evening (possibly even meeting up with Kat). However, the opportunity arose to take a partners yoga workshop. No, Kev's not going with me. Jill is. She's my partner in my practice, although I would have no objections to Kev getting more into it.

I'm excited, yet a bit nervous, about tonight's practice. I know to expect to be challenged. I know to expect to be sore tomorrow. I know to expect feeling amazing. I just don't know how scared I will be. Perhaps surrounding ourselves with the other people and their partners, as well as Diana and Lisa Mae will give me a sense of calm. Diana and Lisa Mae are my favorite two yoga teachers in town. Diana is our yoga teacher, Lisa Mae is one we have taken classes from WITH Diana.

I do not hold any expectations of how I will look tonight. Or how my practice will look, I should say. I will do my best and soar.

outbid

Got too rich for my blood.

Depression has set in.

Ah well.

ulcers and ebay

The bidding has commenced. I've got just about 4.5 hours left until I find out. Of course this means I am perched in front of the computer, hitting the refresh button every minute or so. Ugh, I need to stop. But I can't!!!

And Dad, it won't affect the purchase of our house. I know my limits and boundaries and know when too much is too much. However, I am confident I will be the winner of the beautiful RUBY clutch and you all will see an image of me holding it in the near future. Because face it, that's what you all really want to see.

In other news...

Kev is working for a little this morning. He is going up to Seattle tomorrow for work and so he only gets one day off. That day was Sunday (or will be Sunday, not sure). He is going to be getting off work early, however. He stayed about an hour late yesterday. When he gets home I think we are going to bust a few moves and clean this house more. Perhaps I can convince him of a trip to the Deep Hole to procure wood and the necessary fasteners so I can build me a fence. Hmmmm.

I suppose I should get my bootay ready for the day and get out of my jammies already. But it is just so hard to tear myself away from the computer and my dear, dear ebay...

note to self

Never again try to be "ahead of the game" by calling in your dogs prescription.

Scenario:

Wednesday I call in Josie's Proin script (for her weakened bladder...she leaks small amounts when she barks). She has 10 pills left. Enough to last her five days.

Thursday I drop by the vets office at 4:45 to pick it up, cuz it should be ready to pay and go. Am told that it will be a few minutes because it's not been pulled yet. I don't have a few minutes because I have yoga. Office gal wants to start talking yoga. I don't have time for that either. I tell her I have to go NOW in order to get my friend and then to practice. I have ten minutes left until I have to pick up my friend.

Thursday, during practice I get a message left on the voice mail saying "it's ready!"

Friday I have to work out in Tanasbourne and don't have time to run by to get it ever.

Sat/Sun they are closed.

Monday was the day for me to get it and my brain went fuzzy. By this time she is officially out of her pills.

Today I go in to pick them up. YEA! They are ready. I pay, I jet home. I pull the bottle out of my bag to give one to Josie. Bottle is already opened, foil gone. Call vet to vent about the entire situation. Tell them I love them and it must be something about me actually calling before she only had two pills left (which is my normal MO). Woman on phone sounds PISSED at the staff and tells me a full, unopened bottle is ready and I can come get it. I tell her that I am taking two pills out of this bottle (one for today and one for tomorrow morning) and I will get it tomorrow. There is a bottle of wine waiting and I've had a rather craptastic day.

That will teach me to try to be on top of my game...

common courtesy, where are thou?

I designed an ad for our kids shoe store combined with a toy store next door. I gave the toy store a proof to look at a full week ago. I told them I needed to know by the end of the week because it is due on the 5th. When do I hear back that they don't care for it? TODAY, THE 4th!

I'm not doing anymore ads with the toy store. My boss told me they can go...well, I can't write it here.

So I've changed it and am now sending it to the magazine. I just hope the fact it's the original, smaller, size they will not have a ton of space left over.

ebay is an illness

Which color?

I was outbid thus far on the lighter pink one. Although I could rally and still get it. However I've never seen the ruby pink before and I've always craved the celedon. ARG!!! The pink is the only one whose time is up tonight. The other two have a couple of days left.

I know, I know. But ebay really is evil...

dear trio

To my three loving and wonderful animals:

You bring such joy to my life. You three always make me smile. I can not remember a time when you were not all here, in our world.

Chloe, you have been lucky enough to know both Bob and Fred. They were two special kitties, weren't they? You cleaned Bob until the very end, when he'd given up. You owned Fred, which you particularly enjoyed. We have photos of you scowling down at him from atop the dresser. He has fear in his eyes. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the shelter. I can hardly believe we just celebrated your 10th birthday! I don't like to think of it, really. Even though people keep telling me "cats live long" I still don't like to think of it. Although we joke that you are going to outlive us all! We also warned Simon at the three year anniversary of when he became part of the pack to watch his back. You're a sneaky one, Chlortence Evelyn Jones.

Simon, my dear pudgy Simon. How much do I love you? You entered our lives shortly after we lost Freddie Lumpkins. I will never forget the day we picked you up at the shelter. Your right cheek shaved because you'd gotten into something they couldn't wash out...and by cheek, you know which I mean. ;) You came in and immediately took over. Something Chloe was not too thrilled about. You couldn't have cared less. You filled a big void in our hearts left by the sudden departure of Fred. I like to think he knew you needed us.

Josie...oh Josie. My first dog ever. I didn't think I could love another soul as much as I love you. You entered the house knowing that Simon was the king of the house (among you guys, that is). You have nibbled on his back doing that sweet little "flea biting" thing, making his eyes roll back in his head. I swear! I saw it! You persist in smelling Chloe and wiggling whenever she is near, winning her over. I promise you, she does love you. The two of you girls are so close to actually snuggling it kills me. You also have given the sweetest of kisses to a baby who is dear to my heart. You made Henry's Mom love you even more with your delicate, tip of your tongue, kiss. Then, you turned to me and slurped up my entire arm. Wiggling the whole time. Josephine Sassafras MacGillicuty MY dog. It still wows me to think you are all MINE! Well, I suppose you think Pops is pretty special seeing as he makes the sun and moon rise...

I can not imagine life without you three in it. I love you so much and am honored we are the family you live with. Thank you for your love.

old salmon river

We got up earlier than I thought we would yesterday. Normally I am the early riser. I wake with the animals as they start bugging me for breakfast. I sometimes think Kev is laying there awake, waiting for me to get them before he has to. If I tell him the night before that I'm sleeping in it works and he will get up to slop the pigs.

Yesterday he was up before the stomping even started by our middle child. I got up shortly after and suggested we use the gift certificate I'd won for a great breakfast place. His response was "don't you want to go hike?"

You can see what my answer was. We've not hiked together in quite sometime now. What with his changing his job from a Mon/Tues weekend, to a regular weekend, to a split weekend (Wed/Sun). We tried to go on Sundays because he was playing basketball on Wed nights for a little while. I figured he wouldn't want to hike in the morning and then go play ball in the evening. But there was always too many people out on the trails so we just sort of stopped going.

Because he is the manager of his shop he sometimes has to work crummy hours (and because of my status at work I can pick and choose my days off). He worked all day, open to close, on Wednesday (yes, that is a normal day off). I decided to put in a few hours on Wed so we could actually hang out on Thurs.

I digress...

I had found a hike that looked good, not too hard, and just long enough (5.2 miles, 100ft gain in elevation). It was about a 45 minute drive towards Mt Hood.

Josie was all knowing and having a conniption fit until we finally were all in the car and heading there. Even while in the car she was a wreck. She could hardly wait to get out and go. go. GO!

The weather here has been a bit on the warmer side so I am glad we chose a hike by the water. It was cool while we were close and just a few feet off the banks we could feel the difference. We saw amazing things, heard the water crashing over the rocks and just enjoyed spending the day together. It's been a long time...too long.

We spoke of the fact that he would possibly be playing basketball again on Wed nights, but if we did get up early enough and plan to do so, we could get a hike in in the morning as well.

I've missed my time with my husband and our dog. I know they have missed it just as much.

and it begins

For almost the entire month of June somebody at work is taking off on their normal days. This means what we can't get covered by other employees, Charles and I must work. Today I get to go out to the location furthest from where I live to work for five hours. It could be worse, I could be closing (that store closes at 9pm).

I don't want to sound like I am complaining. I'm not. I'm just preparing myself to be really tired. :)

I've not worked on the floor for more than one day a week in a long time. The next five days, I'll be working on the floor. Only Saturday is a full 8 hour shift, but I am sure I'll still be a whiny baby who is tired and blah blah blah. Yeah, tell me there are many worse things in the world to whine about and I'll tell you I know.

I suppose this is what I get for even thinking that I kind of missed working on the sales floor full time. I know, I know. I was just asking for it, wasn't I.

Lucky for me I have a bag full of goodies and fun things to keep me occupied while out there. It's a slower store in the mornings normally (yeah today will be a crazy day I am sure since I just put it out to the universe that I have things I can do, that I WANT to do). I have a dish cloth I am knitting. Some people knit copious amounts of socks, I knit dish clothes. I also have some embroidery to take along. Our dear realtor admired a small pillow I made with a carrot embroidered on it. The whole thing measures about 4" square. She loves it quite a bit. Because I love it quite a bit and I'm not wanting to give mine away I decided to make her her very own. I will have to take photos of it when it is done.

Okay, must go down a latte, make a second and get myself on the road to work. At least we filled up yesterday on our way out to hike Old Salmon River. I have photos of that to share too once I get them unloaded from the camera...oh so many things to share.

Latte!