home

My dear friend called tonight. She needed an ear to bend and someone to hug. She's going through a break up right now. Well, they are on a break. We know how that normally works out (although if there are any readers out there with on a break stories where they-or friends-ended up together i'm happy for you).

I had just started making the beef stew for dinner. I'd hoped to have it done shortly after Kev got home but forgot that it takes about two hours to cook. Anyway, she called and asked if I was home. I told her to come over.

We were in the kitchen so I could keep an eye on dinner while we chatted over a glass or two of wine. I hope she feels as home here as I do. I want my house to be warm and inviting and comfortable for all my friends and family.

I gave her a hug and told her she always had a home with us. When she needs to be in the company of others, we are here for her. Whenever.

In just a couple of days my parents will get to see this beautiful space we are lucky enough to call home. We will winterize my garden, decorate, eat, drink, share. I can hardly wait!

posts are fleeting

Last night in bed I was thinking of a great idea for a post. It would be grand. It would be the best post ever. It was fleeting because now it is gone. I even said to myself last night, "well, another post that won't get written, nor remembered in the morning."

Things are shaping up here at the homestead. Kev keeps wandering around saying, "I really love this house" to me. I keep saying, "I do too!"

The only thing I don't like? The fact that there are boxes still. I know, it's not even been a week since we moved in. However, I lived among boxes the last month at the old house. I can't stand cardboard right now. It dries out my hands, makes my nose twitch, and really is not doing anything esthetically for the decor.

My parents get here in three days. The bed is almost made (sorry Mom, I know you said you had sheets to bring but I found our blue sheets in one of the boxes and can't have you coming into a room with an unmade bed) in their room. Furniture is arranged, but nothing on the walls or any decorative touches. The way I am thinking, we can do a bit of work on the garden (between the rains) and when it is raining, decorate my house! I know that my mom will love this idea!

My favorite thing, right now? The fact that I am sitting at my writing desk in the living room upstairs while writing here. The router is downstairs in the new cave and my connection isn't dreadfully slow...sigh...it IS comcastic. Damn! ;)

Okay, must go finish getting ready for work. Even though work is pesky and gets in the way of organizing things, it's a nice break from said things.

tired doesn't even begin to describe

We are in. We've been in. We're exhausted.

The house is really coming together. The bedroom was the first to get put together by me and the cave by Kev. It feels great to have two rooms done. The kitchen is almost done, but there is one more box of random kitchen stuff to unpack. It's got the crock we need for the cooking utensils. I've been wanting that crock all day because as it is, right now they are all hanging out in a box. Yeah, not the look we're going for.

Okay, off to watch dumb tv and just sit.

I'll get photos as soon as we find the camera.

waiting is hard

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I would write things that were interesting (well, I thought they were at least). I would write things that didn't pertain to listing a house, looking for a house, purchasing a house, or painting a house. Where did those times go?

I'm ready to be in. I'm ready to have things set up and to not have to leave our new house every evening. I'm ready to have the boxes broken down and taken away by the recyclers. I'm ready to have all my dishes and food there so we can cook a real meal instead of getting Subway on the way over or heating up French bread pizzas (although they were really really good).

I'm ready to see the cats investigate and explore their new surroundings. I'm ready to clean this little gem of a house one last time before letting its new owner in. I'm ready.

the word of the day

We got to the house by about 7:15 tonight. Not enough time to paint two coats in the living room, but enough to paint the first coat and tape off the bedroom. We're going to head over tomorrow after we're off work and paint the second coat in the living room and the first coat in the bedroom. This gives us time Tuesday night to paint the second coat in the bedroom in preparation for moving in on Wednesday.

I must say, it's hard to come back to our first little gem each night since Friday. Kev wants to take sleeping bags tomorrow, but I can tell you...that ain't gonna happen! I needs to sleep in a bed. Especially before having to unload and "reload" a store these next two days.

What is that, you ask? Well, we are closing one of our stores at work tomorrow around 2:00. We will be unloading all the clog racks so that the racks can be removed and the store can be painted. Tuesday we are closed all day so we can install the new clog racks and load them back up with clogs.

So yeah, I'm exhausted working on being spent and heading towards incapacitation.

again with the tired

I've moved many things today with the help of some pretty amazing people. Kev worked until about 2:30 today and up until that time Jill was my right hand girl. Shannon came over to meet the house and helped us with a HUGE load of boxes. I swear, she drives a clown car or something. Every time she'd leave the "rental" with another box Jill and I figured she'd take it to the Subaru eventually. Nope, fourteen bagillion boxes all fit in her sedan.

So after the loading in of all those boxes, Jill and I finally got to priming the house. She cut in and I rolled with the paint stick (after running to pick Kev up). The paint stick, best invention ever! The living room has now got two coats of primer on the walls and Kev just finished taping the place. We opted to not tape prior to priming because enough of the red had gotten on the trim and eventually Jill and I will paint the trim.

We took Jill home, went by the house to feed the crew and pick up Josie, went to the Deep Hole to pick up two gallons of green paint before heading back to the house to start painting. At that point we'd not taped so...painting will happen tomorrow. We did, however, pick a blue for the bedroom and I'll pick that up on Monday (hoping that Powell Paint is open on Mondays). We're hoping to get the bedroom painted on Tuesday so that it is easier without all the furniture in the space.

The spare room will wait, because we've not figured out the paint colors. I'm waiting for Mom and Dad to come and help with colors for it. The hall will eventually be painted as well, and we've got the color chosen for it. There just isn't enough time to paint everything we need to, which is really the whole house, before we move in.

I have almost all of the kitchen unpacked. Just one more box of "wine glasses and random stuff" which has been deemed "very fragile" and the stuff here we are living with. I am sure Mom will help me organize things a bit better, but I do feel good about having as many boxes unpacked as I do.

The funniest thing of the night? Josie. Every single time we'd go to the basement, she RAN downstairs with us and would wiggle. She likes the basement...who knew?

Okay, I'm tired and ready to go drink some water before heading to bed. Tomorrow, I work at Tanasbourne (the furthest store from me) 11-6. Then, paint baby!!!

Will share pics as time allows and they are taken. :)

and we're in!

We moved almost all of the stuff that was at our friends house for the past four months (Thanks Jill and Mark). We have two more loads to take over tomorrow. Kev works in the morning, but I am off all day. Jill and I are going to prime the living room and probably take a few more loads over. Our goal (Kev and my) is to have all the boxes taken over so that the guys who are moving us just have furniture to move.

The house is perfect. It's just lovely. It's home.

There are still tomatoes on the vine. There are some ears of corn ripe for the picking. There was a lovely note waiting for us when we got in. The garden is organic, from the beginning. She wished us love, health, rest and nourishment in the home they called their "own paradise" for many years. It is our own little paradise.

We already got welcomed to the neighborhood by Francesca and Sophie (neighbor and her dog). It's just home.

Thanks for all the excitement everyone. I can't wait to get the pictures taken and loaded to share with you all!!!

so. very. tired.

Tomorrow. We get in tomorrow. We bought another paintstick tonight after we went out for a celebratory dinner. We'd had one before but it saw its last paint a little while ago. It started leaking and we figured it would be better to get a new one rather than drip paint all over our new house.

Our new house. Three finer words do not exist right now in my world. Or do they? Got three finer words for me?

Bed calls.

signed sealed and almost delivered

We have signed the paperwork. By Friday we will be able to be in! I'm not excited what-so-ever, I am sure you can tell.

Debbie and Alia were both there (mortgage broker and realtor respectively) and made it easy and fun. They both looked over things, put their two cents in when they felt necessary and generally made our lives much easier.

We have one key and Nancy will be leaving the others behind. I am hoping we get to meet her on Friday. I'm going to go by a bit early so I can chat with her (Alia said that Nancy was hoping to meet us before leaving). I wrote her a card, just in case we don't cross paths. We're going to stop by and drop it in the mailbox today on our way to buy a washer and dryer.

We're ready. 100% ready. Okay, maybe not 100%, but we are close and almost fully packed. We just have to make a few more arrangements (the 1800-got-junk truck to be booked) and we'll be set to jet.

Sigh...

don't box me in

T minus three days until we sign the paperwork (which will turn our hands into claw like appendages for all the signing we will do). Five until we get to get in the house. I'm down to counting on one hand.

When I have something I am looking forward to and am counting down the days, I like to have the visual of how many days that is. Being down to ONE hand is an exciting time for me. Nerdy, I suppose. But it is me. :)

We took a break from packing last night and went out to eat with our friends, Jess and Erik. We ate at a great place in NoPo (that's North Portland) and then headed to their house for some Wii action! Kev and I dominated the tennis courts, but he was really carrying me. When Jess and I teamed up, we got schooled.

It was a fun night. I can't wait to have them over to the new place to play Wii on our system. The only time they've ever been over was when the house has been in disarray because of the packing. They are new-ish friends to us. We met them through mutual friends. Anyway, they know we don't enjoy the living among boxes of our stuff so they invited us over for a retreat of sorts.

I feel bad, leaving the critters behind, but what are you going to do? Josie would have been okay to take, but the cats...not so much. They would have tried to eat Marquez (Jess's bird) and I'm not sure how Zelda (their dog) would have reacted to them. I don't know how Josie and Zelda would get along, either. Zelda is a bit younger and much more playful. Josie just doesn't know how to play with other dogs. She's kind of played with two dogs before, but we don't hang out with those dogs humans anymore.

I am heading to work shortly. I've got to work the next two Sundays, which kind of sucks since we could have used next weekend to move move move. However, by moving on a Wednesday, we're getting 15% off the truck rental and the guys who we hired to do the heavy lifting cost less, too. So really it's not all that sucky. I will be taking the next two Saturdays off so that Jill and I can prime and paint our living room before my parents get here on the 2nd of October. It's the only thing I really want to have done. Mom and I will arrange furniture when they are here. I will have the kitchen set up, most likely, though.

As enthralling as this post has been, I'm sure you have better things to go and read or do. So, until next time...

hitting home

It's hitting me that this is no longer OUR house. We don't own it. We are simply living here for the next week and a half. I am sure that Greg is anxious to get in. But then again, we're just as anxious to get into our new home.

I am not sure why I am choosing to stare at the computer again. I just spent 6 hours (with a few breaks) working on the site for work. Not the blog for work, jut our website. I still have much to do in the way of updating, but I am well on my way. I got the biggest chunk done and will just have the smaller sections to deal with on Tuesday.

My dreams were odd last night. Well, dream. We pulled up to the new house, ready to unload our truck and we find the neighbors all filing in and out of it, carrying stuff. The seller hadn't cleared anything out and they were looting the place. I cruised through, shooing people out, to make sure nobody had taken the patio furniture. I saw someone picking up a chair and screamed that it STAYED! They set it down and left. There was something about Josie in there as well, walking with her in the new backyard. I don't remember much of that part, though.

Now I can't stop thinking about Jen and what her father used to tell her about nobody else wanting to hear about her dreams...it always made me laugh. Big hugs to my dear friend back in the KC, MO.

officially gnomed

We showed up to sign the paperwork that would officially make us renters on Friday the 14th. Who should be waiting for us, but Jerome.

Alia loves gnomes. She collects them for herself and when the time is right, she "gnomes" her clients. We did not close with her friend, Kara. Rather we had to sign with Pam because Kara was at a class. Pam was a bit confused, but simply said something like "Kara said he is supposed to go home with you?"

I've never been happier. Jerome will be thrilled living in our new garden. He'll have butterflies and hummingbirds as friends. He'll make me smile every single time I look at him.

date is set

Wow, in exactly two weeks we'll be in the process of moving! Guys are hired, truck is rented, utilites set up.

We had the electrician out to the house this morning to take care of a few last things on our repair addendum. He was great. Got things done well and quickly. Didn't cost both arms and legs, just one leg.

We go out this afternoon to sign the paperwork for the sale of our little gem of a house. We've got the check for Greg for the rent back of two weeks. I also wrote a note saying we've got the utilities coming out of our name on the 28th except the trash, which we are paying for through the 2nd and could he take the bins out to the curb for us on the 1st? :) If he says hell no, then I'll drag them out on the 30th, but I seriously doubt he'll be a jerk.

It's all happening. It's wild and exciting and scary and fantastic all at once.

The cats will be sad when we no longer live among boxes, but they'll get over it when they see the hummingbirds that frequent the backyard at our new house.

really?

I suppose it would have been a smart idea to figure out where we were supposed to go to sign the paperwork for the sale of our little gem this morning...BEFORE this morning.

We're rescheduling for Wednesday because by the time we figured out where we had to go, it was too late to be able to get there and back in time for me to be to work at the outlet. BAH!

This is why Alia likes to close for sale and purchase with the same company. She says you can often sign both sets of papers at the same time, eliminating the run around and confusion of where you are running to.

Ah well. Wednesday will be a full day. We have the electrician coming at 8:00 in the morning and then later in the afternoon we'll head out to the title company to sign. Sadly it won't be with Kara (Alia's favorite at Fidelity), but at least we will be one step closer to our goal.

The one thing that has worked out during all this? Kev has run to the store to get cereal for him and bagels for me. Otherwise, I'd have had a breakfast of French Press. And a girl can't live on coffee alone.

not often

It's rare that I allow myself to have a day of doing nothing. Normally we are doing laundry while vacuuming and picking up the house. Sometimes we help each other. Like today we're only doing laundry-because we have to be clothed this week-and that, we're doing together. Sometimes we fly solo (I love it when the cleaning bug bites Kev in the ass).

Today has become a pj day for us. I did not wake thinking it would be, but we honestly had no plans with anyone today and with the move coming...let's just say we've become a smidge lax in our house cleaning ways. I think I just heard my mom faint. :)

We do have some more boxes to pack (only the cave and the kitchen left), but honestly if I pack more of the kitchen we'll be standing over the sink eathing things that only come in pocket form and are microwaveable.

When I began packing the kitchen last weekend, I looked in the dishwasher first to see how full it was. It was close to needing to be run so I figured those dishes would stay out. Obviously we use them often enough for them to be dirty (aside from the two colanders that had potatoes die in them). In addition to those dishes I kept out some essentials just in case we wanted to actually cook something. Which we recently have.

Kev's got a bite taken out of the closet in the cave. The dvd's, video games, and board games are all boxed and labeled. Ready to be taken to our new cave (which he keeps talking about with a far away look in his eye). We are kind of stalking the new house. We drive by almost every time we go anywhere in its vicinity. Still not 100% sure when we are closing, but it is either the 20th or 24th.

So I am allowing myself to relax, not think about anything, just be.The last time I'll have a pj day in this house. It's beautiful outside and with the windows open we are getting a lovely breeze (why didn't we replace that window sooner?). I'm listening to all the sounds that we get to live with for the next couple of weeks. Some I enjoy (like the sound of the bat hitting the baseball). Some I am ready to be without (can anyone say sirens and lilac bushes I'm horribly allergic to?).

I hope all are doing well. I might turn off the cell for a nap so if you call, Mom...I'll call you back.

sometimes i succumb

Last night Kev was a wee bit later than he originally told me he'd be home. I'd decided (alone) that we would go out to dinner to celebrate the things that have gotten done to the house thus far. I also felt as though I was doing all of the organizing of it all so I deserved to be taken out to dinner.

I called to ask him if 7:30 had become 6:30 and he informed me he'd made tentative plans with a friend. I neglected to really hear the word TENTATIVE and instantly got my feelings hurt. I mean, he should know that I had plans instinctually...yeah, right.

I told him I was a bit hurt by the news, but it would be fine. I just was wanting to have dinner with him, that's all. He said he still had to eat before he possibly met up with his friend and we could go to our favorite Mexican place (which is closer now to our new house!!!). I moped a little but said fine.

We went, ate, talked. I apologized for being a giant baby about things, but that I felt I was doing all the leg work for getting stuff done. He thanked me (again) for getting it all set up. We laughed and smiled and were fine.

He ended up not catching up with his buddy. The guy didn't answer the phone when Kev called (the plan was for Kev to call him later in the evening). So at 9:30 he announced he was turning off his phone.

Why do I succumb to being petty and stupid? It has been a long time since Kev's gone out with his pals. Why can't I just remember that and tell him to have fun and be careful? I always tell him to be careful, even though he has never shown me he's not.

9:00, the new 7:30

I spoke with our contractor yesterday about getting the window installed. He asked which would be better, 7:30 or after 1:00. Honestly, I'd prefer after 1:00, but I'd already scheduled time with one of the two newest newbies. So, 7:30 it had to be.

I told Kevin last night that I'd appreciate it if he were up when the window guy was here. You know, support me...make me feel like I'm not the only one doing stuff around here (which I'm not, but after yesterday I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by my life). He is up and in the shower, but guess what time it is? 8:05. Guess who is NOT here yet...window guy.

I text messaged our contractor with "8 and still no window guy" and promptly got a call. "What's your address again?"

I'm trying to breath. I'm trying not to freak out. I'm trying not to go screaming out my front door at the inconsiderate BOOB who is out there blowing their horn for someone inside one of the neighbor's houses.

---

He just called back to verify the address and tell me his guys is on his way. I guess the contractor dude had to go to the airport early this am, went back to bed and did not hear his alarm. My question: Why didn't he set it up with his window dude last night?

As long as it gets done...

the time draws near

Soon, when you come to this site to read what words I have written down, you won't see anything about the sale and purchase of our home(s). I look forward to writing the posts about what funny things we learn about our new place. I crave figuring out how it is all going to be put together. I dream of color.

We got the word that the seller is agreeing to each of the things we asked her to fix before closing. There were two large things needing attention (the oil tank and the sewer). We are allowing more time until the close date. We are thankful that we asked for the full two weeks of renting back our little gem. We're not sure what date we will close on our new house, but we're thinking about a week later than originally thought.

We will probably be moving the week of the 24th. The week before my parents come out to help with who knows what. I can hardly wait...but wait I must.

oh baby i'm so tired

Kev, Josie and I just got home a little bit ago from a long walk. Where did we walk, you ask? Well to the new house and back. It was a lovely (long) walk. Josie is currently crashed out. Kev's playing some video game. I'm chatting online with a dear friend.

Kev and I will just blurt out things that are floating around inside our heads about the new house. Something I just said:

"I think it's sweet that the first few things that my mom is worried about and asking about are things that pertain to Josie. Like we need to get a fence built first so Josie is safe in the backyard. And will Josie be okay with the stairs, will she slip and hurt herself? I really didn't realize that Mom loves Josie as much as she does."

Thanks Mom!

four down, forty to go

The kitchen pack up has commenced. I've gotten four boxes done today. Kev's going to work on the cave after he's done taking a shower. I will be taking a break. There are certain items we can't pack yet, such as food. That and cook wear. Although I can pack up certain items we won't be using between now and then. I suppose I will pack a few more boxes today before really resting.

I might have to take a nap, though. Getting up at my regular time on a day off kind of is no fun. I'm the one the animals wake to feed them, though. I've attempted to tell Kev in the past that he's got breakfast duty, but often times he sleeps straight through them. OR if he does get up to feed them I end up getting up then, too. Which leads to the questions of why he's having to feed them if I was going to get up anyway.

We are making headway with the whole packing thing, though. The sewing room is all done, except the things hanging on the walls. I will possibly take the artwork down throughout the house later today. I can use a box to house what is left (we took many photos down and they are already packed up at Jill and Mark's).

I am ready to move. Kev is, too. Last night on our drive home I made a comment of "we'd be home by now if we were in our new house." To which Kev replied, "I can't wait!!!" As time gets closer and closer we are getting more excited about the move. I've only had a couple of pangs of sadness about leaving our little gem of a home, but honestly...they are fleeting. The new space is so great. Greg is going to love living in this little gem. He is perfect for it and it for him.

I'm done being consumed by all this house stuff, though. I'm ready to move so I can figure out where my knitting will be housed. I'm ready to move so I can actually pull out the knitting and knit! It feels like eons since I have done any. I have a couple of things on the needles that I didn't pack right now. One was being used as a staging item. The other I picked up because I needed to knit something. Fingers were going through withdrawal. I may have to pick the staging knitting up today and get cracking. It's a gift for someone I love dearly. ;)

Okay, break taken...back to packing.

bringing toaster back

I have been without my beloved toaster since two weeks prior to listing the house. For those of you who don't know how long it's been, since the end of June! Why, you may ask, did I pack up the toaster and send it into exile in Jill's garage? Because we were making the kitchen look more spacious and less cluttered. It worked, I admit that. However, I MISS TOASTY BAGELS! I'm eating a bagel right now. It's been broiled. Not. the. same.

I keep thinking "not much longer, two and a half weeks." That is what sustains me and keeps me from going to Jill's house and raiding their garage. The thing is, it's a big toaster. Probably too big for the new kitchen. So in theory I could go out and buy a smaller toaster now, just to be ready. But probably is the key word. I just don't know. If I bought a toaster now only to find that my original fit just fine, I'd be out the money. And I know ya'll won't believe this, but...money doesn't grow on trees or even sprout out of the ground of my new garden.

So I wait. Getting more and more impatient by the day for a real toasty bagel. One that is crunchy on the outside and soft in the center.