cleaning out, new acquisitions,classy slippers

I saw a few comments about the crafts in the last entry. I didn't bother answering any of them via email because I knew I was covering it in this next entry.

So one day about a week ago or so, I got tired of seeing the over filled baskets in the hall closest. They were put in there to make life easier for us instead of having all this little stuff scattered in there. The system seems to work well, except when we get lazy and just toss stuff in...which is most of the time. *laffz* Anyhow, I got it cleaned up and had to re-adjust what got put with what other items. At one point, my items only took up one basket. Thanks to my mom (and a great sale at Bath and Body Works) my stuff now takes 2+ baskets. Oh my! You see, mom used to work for Gottchalk's and was forever getting samples from the girls at the perfume counters to send off to me. If that wasn't enough, she'd send perfume sets for Christmas. Some of you remember that I'd mentioned getting the same set two years in a row. You can see them in the above photo...one's still in its box. Anyhow, she's telling me that she's looking to get into a different industry and not stay in retail so I'm hoping this is the last of the perfume because as it stands, with as often as I wear it, I have YEARS worth of scents in those baskets! If she ends up in retail again, I may send her the picture and just write "Please, for the love of God, NO MORE!" *laffin* I may do it anyhow just to get a laugh out of her.

This little beauty I found in the local Salvation Army store. If the matching piece had been in better condition, I would have bought it too. I figured it was a great deal at $4.99 as something like that runs nearly $10 or more brand new in the department stores. That piece next to it is a dolly my mom had sent me for Christmas. The kitty will look better with some of the other "girls" but I don't have them unpacked yet. I'm hoping to get a nice lighted case one of these days so I can get them displayed properly. As it stands right now, there isn't enough room for them to come out of their boxes yet. Besides, I don't want to unpack them to simply have to pack them back up in a few months. I reminded hubby about our choices again today regarding the living arrangement we're in but I don't think he was overly receptive to that kind of conversation yet. All I got was an "I know" but no details. Men!


A few weeks back, hubby called me from work and let me know that his friend had just come back from vacation and had very generously bought all his friends a bit of beach front property. Wow. Ok, maybe a time share? That would be cool. Get outta the house for a weekend and put the camera through its paces. Then I noticed a couple days later the item below sitting on the DVD case under the thermostat:
Ok, quit ya groaning. Don't you dare tell me you didn't see THAT one coming from a mile off!

The last picture is for punkn Deanna. These are the leopard "they're classy cuz I say they are" slippers I mentioned in an earlier entry. They're my favs to wear around the house. If I could wear them out to every place else, I would. Could ya see me popping into Olive Garden wearing these?
Had a follow-up appt with the allergy dr today to discuss how the treatment is going. She's said that it seems like those that have the roughest time with the build-up shots (like I've been having) tend to have better results in the long run and the serum helps. That's good to hear. We're hoping to get me off the expensive daily pill and have me down to just the OTC meds and possibly just the one spray during peak season. That would be awesome. Good news though...all this hard work for my weight is paying off. No, I didn't get weighed...but I did have my bp checked. I came in with a beautiful 115/60 (normally I'm a 120/80 or 118/78 or so). Yeah, I'm stoked.

After the appt, we went shopping a bit. Stopped in to Burlington Coat Factory because their window advertised a HUGE clearance sale. Gosh that store's gotten rough looking. I don't remember shopping in one of them before with it looking so rough. Ahh well. Found a nice pair of jeans that fit but would feel nicer with a couple more pounds gone. Definitely NOT "that time" jeans. They don't have the stretch that my usual pairs have but I was pleased to see the 22W fit anyhow (especially after the 24W I tried on before it wouldn't even snap!). God bless the Gloria Vanderbilt lines! Best bet? The original tag price was $21.98 (which makes me suspect it was a first mark down price and they'd been much higher at one point) and the mark down price on the tag now? $9.99. Yep. A bit over $10 and I have a nice pair of jeans. Women's sizes NEVER come that cheap. I may have to pop in again another day and give a proper look around.

Went to AC Moore because I needed to replace some of my brushes. I walked out with only 3 new spotters (brushes are expensive...*sigh*) but that's ok. It'll do. I have a few more items I want to pick up but since they didn't have the canvas sizes I wanted, I didn't bother getting the rest of the supplies for the projects in mind. JoAnn's is less than a half mile from the townhouse and in easy walking distance so I'll just wait until a coupon shows up in the paper and get the stuff later. I'm in no hurry to do those projects yet anyhow. I still have plasters to paint. I have about 10 pieces that I just finished the other day. All that they need is the felt glued to the bottom so I think I'll do that tomorrow. Or maybe Monday.... I really need to consider an internet free day during the week so I can concentrate on my crafting. It might be a Sunday or Monday. I haven't decided yet which day. I do know it needs to be a day when the hubby isn't around to pester me.

Afterwards we went to Best Buy and I drooled over the toy I've been wanting. Some of you might remember that I'd mentioned it sometime before this past Christmas but never got it (if I had you KNOW I would have blogged about it). I just didn't see spending nearly $200 on an item I can get via Amazon for $150 (and if I get it during one of those no shipping costs if you spend x amount...that'd be great!). If I get the smaller one, I can get it for around $85 on Amazon. Not a bad deal, but not something I can justify after spending over $30 on Amazon already this last week.

I met a couple neat bloggers the last couple days or so and would like to welcome them to my corner of the web. Feel free to wander around all the blogs that seldom get maintained. There's plenty for everyone here. While I was checking out their sites, I found a couple that I really like and have added them to my blog roll. There's another game I may just end up playing one of these days ...actually 2 new games. With one of them I'm thinking of adding a twist to it. Maybe adding these games will inspire me to at least post a bit more often.

I think I close this for now. I have one more entry that's in draft form right now (read: the pictures are loaded, I just gotta write about 'em) that I expect to drop either tomorrow or the next day. There's yet another sitting in my email inbox and there are a few more pix in the camera to upload...I got some new nail polishes. You should SEE the shade I'm sporting today (and no it's not Adam Lambert blue!).

Fun Monday

This week one of my new bloggy buddies, Pam (http://thedustwillwait.blogspot.com/), is hosting the Fun Monday game. This week's subject is:

Show me in pictures or tell me in words what defines the place where you live. I want to leave the interpretation open to include any possibility.

She went into detail as to what she meant in her post called THE DUST WILL WAIT: Invitation: Play Fun Monday on February 9 . Boy did SHE open a can of worms because she really DID leave it quite open for interpretation! I can hear some of my usual readers groaning at this point because they know me real well. You leave a little loophole and I'll open it nice and wide (case in point the Letter Game which resulted in a multi-entry arc on the letter M). I promise...I will NOT do that this time (although with all the moving I did Im sure I could do several entries on just this topic). I will, however, dissect it in my usual obsessive way. Starting right with the subject itself.


The two verbs I'll be concentrating on are:

Define: (v): To describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain
(Im using the 2nd definition of the word as it's the one that best fits this situation)

and

Live: (v): multiple definitions
4. To reside; dwell
5. To conduct one's life in a particular manner
6. To pursue a positive, satisfying existence; enjoy life

(4-6 used as that is what Im beliving her to mean for the assignment...4 will stand alone while 5 & 6 will be combined)

as well as this noun:

place: (n):
1. a. An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space.
b. Room or space, especially adequate space


2. a. The particular portion of space occupied by or allocated to a person or thing.
b. A building or an area set aside for a specified purpose


3. a. A dwelling; a house:
b. A business establishment or office.
c. A locality, such as a town or city



(definitions gotten from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/)



That all said, I could just wuss out and post a picture of the town I presently reside in ... as the running joke in my family is that I actually live in a gypsy caravan (and live everywhere as well as nowhere at the same time). I spent a good deal of my adult life on the move and everyone pretty much puts my address and phone number in pencil because they changed so often. To be honest, almost anywhere I hang my hat (not that I normally wear one, but if I did) is home enough for me. But this isnt about where I call home, this is where I LIVE....which is another story completely.


I could also just put up pictures from Google of the battlefield or the museums, but my friends all know I won't do that. For one reason, I really have no interest in being in any of those locations and for a second reason...it's simply just too easy (who wants to use Google when they can use the pix they actually clicked while out and about?). Besides it doesnt show the Manassas I see day to day. The area I exist in is mostly businesses, strip malls, restaurants and townhouses (not to mention vanity plates that are seen on every other vehicle!!). Even with the economy the way it is in this day and age, we have sections of expansion.

On the road in the picture above, we have a new Walgreens, Panda Express and Chik Fil A being built. I suspect there will be another business or two going in sometime in the future.




The townhouse that I'm presently occupying, well at least for the next 18 months or less, is situated in a cul de sac behind one of the many strip malls on the main road in the area. We are definitely in the minority racially in this neighborhood. The neighbor in the unit to the left there is the one Im continually griping about. The neighbor to the right (in the grey townhouse) is really nice. I bearly even know when he's home. I can't wait to move though. Im hoping we get into an actual HOUSE on property without the neighbors so darned close as I feel like a sardine in this place (even though technically this place has more square footage than the house in Texas did).

Although that picture alone would satisfy the goals of the project, it's not truly where I LIVE. My closest buddies (that have known me for roughly 5 years and in some cases a bit more) know that where I LIVE is truly in a much much smaller place. I love music and working on decor for my places online. So realistically, I LIVE here:



Yeah, it's perpetually a mess. I just like everything within arm's length because I never know when Im going to need something. I must have about 3-5 projects running at all times in the place where I live.

riding, neighbors from hell, new music and poopie bags

Calories burned: 350.3
trip miles: 10.00
ave mph: 20
total miles so far: 96.31
total calories burned to date: 3371.9

Today's ride courtesy of whatever obnoxious video game the neighbors from hell (yeah...I finally found a set that deserves that title) have been playing. They have the volume up so damn high that I can hear the game on BOTH LEVELS of my townhouse. The noise was particularly annoying while I was in my livingroom (where the bike's located). I think they have their tv right up against our adjoining wall which doesnt help matters. I have a bad feeling that this is how most of the winter will be though because the kids will be indoors most of the time then. God help me if they have a snow day. They must have a game console or something in the one upper bedroom too because yesterday they decided they were gonna play a game (unbelieveably loud) at 9frigginam. It woke me out of a sound sleep. Like I was telling Chicago tonight, it takes something worse than a 4.0-5.0 earthquake to get me out of a sound sleep. I can sleep through alot too...car rides, tv going, washer, dishwasher...it dont matter so it does take alot to rouse me when Im tired. Hubby ended up beating the hell outta the wall to get them to turn it down to a reasonable level. It used to be the noise was every once in a while...but now it's gotten more frequent and louder. I think I've gotten to the point of not being so polite anymore. Im actually considering giving them a big ol taste of their own medicine.. It's worked well with other neighbors that cant be bothered to be courteous....and with rather decent results. I really do hate being rude though, honestly. When I set up our place, anything that was going to make an unreasonable noise was placed on an inner wall wherever possible. The TV couldnt be due to the wiring and such but that's not the neighbor we're having trouble with. I keep the TV down to a reasonable level and use the captions whenever possible. However, Im considering moving my stereo to the outer wall and turning the speakers around so they face the wall.....Im thinking...maybe some Alter Bridge or Ozzy Osbourne will make the point very nicely. Im also reconsidering being kind enough to not vacuum the upstairs after 8pm at night. I think that if I decide that it needs to be done at 3am...then so be it....ooh that carpet DOES need a good steam cleaning too. You know what I'll end up doing though? Contacting our landlords to see who is over that particular unit and then filing a complaint that way....because Im really not *THAT* rude. Maybe I should just start packing now...


Last week my mom sent me an Amazon gift certificate for the floss and my time so I went shopping. I bought myself a couple Christmas cds that I'd been wanting for the last year or so. They came in on Tuesday, so I was able to come home with 3 new cds. YAY! The Christmas albums were both mostly the standard carols and a couple new songs to add to my collection, nothing fancy. One was the Aly & AJ one from a couple years back and the other was Rick Springfield's. Both will be going into the stereo cd changer when the season comes. I cant wait.

While I was taking care of Dharma's needs the other night, I looked down at the baggy of baggies that I use to dispose of her kitty waste in and thought of a certain entry that a darling friend of ours wrote. After washing my hands quite thoroughly, I grabbed my camera and got this shot. Now, although the bags themselves do not have instructions on them...the package they're contained in does. It tells you in 3 different languages (incase the pictures themselves cant manage to convey the message) what exactly the baggies are for. You can also see by the picto-directions that these are indeed made for the left handed person. Thank goodness I have a tendency towards being ambidexterous. Otherwise, I dont think I'd EVER manage to be able to use them!

Oh...and no, I dont let my nose get close enough to the baggies to find out if they actually smell like lemons as pictured on their packaging

....and Im not about to either so dont go there.

new vanity and a flea bite

A few weeks back I got a call from the repairman. I think it was the day after I made a crack in someone's blog about them being lucky that their stuff is repaired in a timely manner. It seems the owner of the property *finally* said the stuff could be fixed.

(INSERT HUGE EYEROLL HERE)

I was looking back to see if I mentioned that they had sent a repairman for measurements...another one, not that first guy when we first moved in. Well, after several months of waiting and bitching, they'd sent a second dude to take measurements. It was a Wednesday afternoon. He told me that generally when HE says it needs repair, it'll get done. I guess they'd had problems with the last guy. Anyhow, we got talking and he had been under the impression we'd only been there a month or so...he was surprised when I told him how long this stuff had been waiting. I told him that I realized it wasn't the landlord's fault but the property owner's and I also stated that it was my opinion if you couldn't afford to fix the property you were renting out to others that maybe you should consider selling it to someone who could. Now, if you own the place and are living there...AND the repair wasn't really threatening anything in the home (sure enough the vanity and storeroom out back weren't exactly emergencies, just inconveniences), then by all means wait to fix them. However, if people are paying you good money to live in your home....well then everything should be in working order...period. Mind you, if this had been an apartment complex...you can be sure I would have been reporting it to the BBB.

Anyhow, so the new dude comes in and gets the measurements and assures me it'll all get done. He even goes to say that he'd see if he could get it done that week (remember, he came in on a Wednesday afternoon). Thursday, no call.....Friday, again no call. Okay, I didn't really expect that it would get done that week anyhow because surely he had other places that needed doing as well. The following week, I stayed close to home...just in case. No call. Another week goes by, and still no call. It got to be 3 weeks and I pretty much decided I was going to call and raise hell on Monday. Friday afternoon, just as I was making the decision to really piss some people off about this...the repairman called. (insert small eyeroll here) He said he'd be in with his crew on Monday around 830-9am. Hubby wasn't too happy because it was the Monday before he went on nights and he really needed to be sleeping in the day hours to get his body back to the night schedule. LOL. Ah well.

They showed up on time on Monday. All repairs were done in about 4 hours time. We now have a shed with a door frame that's FIXED so it'll lock, a brand new vanity AND a screen for the sliding glass door. The only reason it took so long on the repairs is because when he was in for measurements, he'd just eyeballed the patio door instead of taking an actual measurement. *shakes head* Never EVER assume that things in homes are built to "standard".

Trying to keep myself occupied over here. I've freshened not only my 2 busier pages here but my MySpace as well. While I was at it, I switched my SCSis's MySpace back to her off-season monkey decor (she's a rabid Yankee fan). I had an interesting project show up last evening that kept me occupied for an hour or so....actually longer now that I think of it if you consider I had to "shop" via Google. It allowed me to play with a program that I don't normally use over here. Now that I have the hang of it though, I may play around with it more often!

I've caught several movies the last few weeks. Some I've seen before and a couple that....well I never would have thought to watch if they hadn't been on TV. I popped in The Emperor's New Groove and Kronk's New Groove one day just for some noise. Lord knows I've seen them both several times. I also watched The Wild and Ironman over the last week or so. On TV, I caught the first two Pirates of the Carribbean movies. They were better than I expected. That Johnny Depp's a real hoot. I got so I didn't know whether I wanted to cheer for his character or slap him across the face. There were some really funny moments in both of those movies.

So.... last week's shots went a whole lot better than they have been going. Infact, this week, there was minimal to no reaction at all. The lump was no bigger than a flea bite and hardly itched at all. Now, either the Aveeno hydrocortizone is really working... or my body is finally adjusting to the medicine. You know what the shocker is? We had increased the dosage from a .15 to a .2. Now with every other shot, the reactions had gotten worse and worse...even when we reduced the dosage. This time, however, it's the complete opposite. *shakes head* I can't wait to go in this week for my shot so I can tell the nurse.

this n that

Just another entry in the vein of a Seinfeld episode....alot about nothing. Ive got a few more pix on the computer desktop that I wanna get shared before I file them away. This first one to the left my hubby's tat. For the life of me I cant remember if there was a story behind it or not. It's a pretty cool dragon though. I wouldnt want anything quite that big on myself...just something small and enough to help identify me. Not that that's gonna happen because I really hate needles.

This picture to the right is the plant that has the bloom from my bee and flower picture. Personally, I think the bugger's a weed. The door to the right of the plant is my neighbor's and the cement to the left is my front step. This next picture to the left is of the same type of plant. At least the blooms and leaves are the same. It's that big plant behind the mailboxes. To show you how tall the plant is fully grown, it's 6' behind the mail boxes and the top of the mailboxes is taller than me and Im 5'5" tall (official measurement from the dr's office).

The picture to the right here is those bushes in the front of my townhouse. Strange thing...they look like they're going to be blooming.....*AGAIN*. I fully expect the flowers will emerge by next week or so. I've never known a plant that blooms more than once in a season....but both of this will be. *sigh*

There's a townhouse in my cul de sac for rent. It's been empty for at least 8 months. How do I know? Because it was empty when we moved in. They have brand new windows in the second story..those were replaced just a couple months ago. I think they really want to rent this place out as they have 4 "For Rent" signs in the windows. I got a good look at the property owner when he was in the neighborhood the other week and considering the state of the world today (and where many of America's boys and girls are right now), Im not sure this place is ever going to get rented to be honest. No offense, but I know I surely wouldnt rent from him.

a semi-busy-nothing-important-but-alot-getting-done kinda week pt1

Monday night before going to bed, I popped on the site that has my medical file and requested refills for my medicines. I know I wont have time this coming week to deal with them so I figured to get them outta the way. While requesting the refills, one of them popped a flag up telling me that it was going to need to contact my doctor because there were no refills available. Well damn, I didn't realize it had been so long. I suspect that when I had gone in the dr only gave me 2 months worth of prescript. Well you dumb-head! My files said I was on it for months now. Sheesh I hope the next dr is a bit brighter.


Tuesday we had a stop or two before the doctor's office. Hubby's in the middle of consolidating his collection of comics in the catch-all room and needed some more small boxes, bags and boards to get them at least protected properly. The boxes were bought mostly to make them more manageable (they're mostly in long boxes which are a bitch to move from one area to another....especially since they're too heavy for me to help out right now). We ended up going to 2 different comic shops for bags n boards...wiped them clean of their stock and STILL don't have enough for him to complete the project. Yeah, he's got THAT many books. He's got a good portion done though and has my old desk set up in there with things neatened up some. It's so neat in fact, that I can go in there farther than the litter box (which is just inside the doorway).

Sometime after the trip to the comic stores we popped on over to the dr's office (there was a trip to WalMart in between but that will be dealt with later). We were about 30 minutes or so early. I got myself checked in and talked with the receptionist for a bit, getting my next 5 appointments set up. I let her know that it was getting to be that time of year to have that "special" appointment so I may as well set it up on one of the Tuesdays to either go before or follow my allergy shot. She told me that 5-7 days prior to "that" appointment that I was going to be required to do lab-work so we got that appointment set up as well. On the 19th of August, I'll be going for lab-work so I have to go in a tad early and fast before hand. *bleah* The appointment isn't until 230pm so I may just stay up a bit later the night before and grab a snack before bedtime. I hate 12 hour fasts...they always give me a nasty headache. The appointment on August 26th is not only for my shot but for "that" dr appointment. I was told to check in a bit early and they'd see about getting me my shot first and then the dr would see me. This way I'm under the dr's observation during the 30 minute wait period that I have after my shot. *wrinklez nose* helluva way to spend my 2nd wedding anniversary..eh? Well anyhow, I got shot number 2 this week. Yet again, it itched like a big ole skeeter bite for about a couple hours. At the time, it didn't lump up or go pink. There was simply a small red dot where the shot was administered. Then, it got worse. By Tuesday evening, I had a pink patch at the injection site that was roughly 2" in diameter and it lumped up like a spider bite. It stayed itchy and pink into Thursday with the spot feeling tight like just before a spider bite heals. Oh how I look forward to next week's shot *sarcasm*.

While there, I picked up my meds. Thank goodness that some of them are a 3 month allotment! Good heavens are some of them expensive. Most especially my Astelin. The bottle has 50 days worth of doses in it. I wish it was cheaper but it works...so I guess it's worth the money. I'll be so glad if they take me off it eventually. Even though it works, it tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth....both literally and figuratively. Everything...dr's appointment and medicines cost me roughly $150 this week. *sigh*

I made a decision regarding my kitchen window treatments. I have decided I really don't want to bother with the blinds I have up. Even if I get them spotless, they're really still kinda jacked up badly. As much as I'd rather just replace them, that middle window requires a special order because it isn't a standard size. This cost money and I'm really not up for spending extra money for a custom-made blind if we won't be here more than 18 months or so. Unfortunately, I've made this decision AFTER the season containing the pattern I bought so the matching tier curtains...well WalMart doesnt carry them anymore. My biggest choice was to either buy all new curtains again so the tiers and valances match OR find something that at least matches colorwise. I opted for the latter. NO, the fabrics dont match...no the cut doesnt match BUT the tiers are a solid white which brings out the bit of white that is in the tiers. I think it'll all get left with the townhouse. I'm pretty sure the next people won't want the jacked up blinds anymore than I did so I'll pitch them with the next trash day. I'll be getting the curtains up this next week. I have to do it before our trip because I have company showing up the weekend after we get back here and I may or may not have time to do it then.

Busy busy busy

Boy has the email inbox ever been busy today thanks to the wonderful questionnaire that iggy sent along. I'm sure we all got it a few times over today. Between that and the back and forth communications with my gal in NJ regarding her wedding in a couple weeks and hubby checking in on me. *whew* It took me most of the morning to get through my edjumakatshunalz (got a few of those to post in another post or two...so Tori you could probably skip those when you finally rejoin us), then the blog entries (there's a couple out there that need to be working on theirs too.... :P~~) and a last minute suggestion about a bumper sticker idea (I sent him 3 and now he has trouble choosing! LOL Careful whatcha ask for hun...). On top of that I'm in the midst of doing laundry so I'm up and down the stairs more frequently than I'd really care to be doing. Anyhow....

Taking it back to the 2nd of July...I made another unsupervised excursion out of the safe confines of my town home to the Haircuttery. It had been a couple months since the last cut and it was really beginning to need it desperately. I also opted to spend a little extra (OK...alot more)and have them color my hair as well. Every time I try to do it the color doesn't look quite right...at least not how I imagine it to look. It's either to orangy or too dark and I look all washed out. My stylist opted for a blend of two colors that looks great on me. It's closer to my natural color but it still has some of the red hi-lights that I love so much ( I HATE the blond ashy hi-lights I got naturally). I'll have to get hubby to take a pic the day I go back in for a touch up. Gotta make sure the metallic hi-lights are still gone for the wedding on August 2nd ya know. Especially since I know my gal was showing them several years back so if she hasn't taken to coloring....well I'll look younger than her and her sister. ~grinz~

On July 5th, I got to spend time with my SCSis. Boy we had a wonderful time. They were due in somewhere around 1130 and 1pm. Yeah I know according to Mapquest it's about a 40 minute drive at best BUT it doesn't take into account how horrid the traffic can be...plus they had a couple other stops they wanted to go to before they got here. On the way in they noticed the Air and Space Museum, so when they got here she pointed out that Bull Run was just down the road. Ummmm...I know I don't get out often but I'm pretty aware of what kinda historical crap is around me and I don't care too much about it thankyouverymuch . Well...that's the look she got when she point out Bull Run was close. Then she mentioned that the Smithsonian Institute's Air and Space Museum was there. OK, not my thing but she was trying to find a way to spend a bit more time than just lunch with us so OK, I guess I'm game.

Since hubby and I hadn't eaten yet, we all went to lunch first. The place was OK. I'm not in any real hurry to go back to it again but I wont complain if we do. The food was good but I don't really think it was worth the price (ka-chingville). After we went to the Museum. We were hoping to catch an IMAX movie while there but the machines that print the tickets went on the fritz and Lord knows when they'd come back up so we decided to just hit the museum and more than likely will go back another day when they visit. Like I said before, this place wasn't really my type of thing so I was merely aim n shooting my way through. Here I am, the slowest member of my party because my knees are whack and I'm so heavy that being on my feet for long periods can be quite bothersome to not only my feet but my sciatic nerve, just cruising through and making better time through the sections than the rest of them. It allowed me to get some really neat pix of the planes, satellites and such though (not to mention some "alien" pix for iggy's enjoyment). After I get this entry posted, I'll put the links for my Photobucket accounts over to the right on the homepage so ya'll can see the pix if you care to. The folder on Photobucket is 2008-07-05 Air and Space Museum or something like that. Make sure you get the right year as I have 2 Air and Space Museum trips in there...the other's from a Dallas trip. There's more than a hundred of that museum trip with SCSis...fair warning.

When we were done with the museum, SCSis decided she was ready for an adult level beverage so we carted ourselves off to a sports bar in the area. The idea was to have a drink or two out on the patio and then go to the restaurant we had in mind for supper. After our first round, we pretty much decided it might be a good idea to just stay there. We brought our drinks in and were seated. They had a trivia game going with these electronic answer pads so SCBro grabbed one of those and we played as a team. SCSis had a bit under her belt already and when her hubby asked for a team name she decided on the FluffBunny. *shakes head* Of course the name wouldn't fit and he starts fishing for a new name ....to which I blurt out (thanks the the second daiquiri) yes it does FlfBny. *shakes head again* Yeah, it don't take much....not at all. We had supper and played 4-5 rounds of trivia, winning all but the last game.

They brought us home and wouldn't you know, there wasn't a space to park ANYWHERE in a 4 block radius of the townhouse. Thank goodness they'd been driving and not us because after a long day if I'd gotten home and our spot was taken I would have been pissed. It happens way too frequently for my liking. Now if the vehicle is in and the flashers are on, more than likely it's an emergency. However, it's generally someone that's come for a visit and obviously cannot read that it's reserved. Many of the people in this cul-du-sac have been here a while though and should know to instruct visitors to not park in the spaces with numbers on them. Shoot, I've been here since March and all my friends and family know where to park. *inserts eyeroll*

From the blogs I'm seeing a couple of my fellow bloggers are in the hospital so have them in my thoughts today . I am happy that Tori's getting her eye taken care of and will be outta pain soon. Looks like it may be in time to be healed nicely for the wedding she's going to in August. Marmy's back in for her knee. I'm a little worried about her because it shouldn't be taking this long to get it sorted out. I hope they get it fixed up nicely so she's got one less thing to worry about. She seems to be keeping her chin up from what she writes in the blog but I know it's ~gotta~ be frustrating to say the least when something that was supposed to fix a problem does nothing more than generate more troubles. My thoughts are with both of you two today as you get things taken care of.


As many of you know, I've been having fits getting my allergy stuff sorted out. The allergist had assured me that she did, indeed, write the script for the Manassas Clinic. I got an email on Tuesday morning from her stating that the serum was in the refrigerator at her clinic and that she'd send it to where it needed to go. That email arrived around 9:30am. Hubby had a 3:50pm appointment at the dr's so I figured while I was there that I would ask and see if it came in...maybe get my first shot taken care of . Well, when I got there...the serum hadn't shown up yet (they called and it was in transit) but I was brought back to meet the nurse who would be giving the shots. I went through with her a basic scheduling. The shots are administered on Tuesdays and Fridays. Because hubby works Fridays (and the fact it's $15 every time I go in for the shots), I told her it'd have to be once a week ...it didn't much matter if I could get the shots twice a week. The only way Friday works right now is if I take a cab in and that's extra money out of pocket. Once hubby goes nights in September, I may be able to come up with a second trip in a week but right now I just don't see making a special trip by cab if I didn't have other business up that way already ya know? Oh well....so I set my appointment for next week...the 22nd.

So I sat...waiting on hubby to come outta his appointment when a delivery showed up. The receptionist laughed when she saw it grab my attention and said "No...it's not for you". LOL She sounded like me talking to the dog when she acts up as I'm handling food! Not a few minutes later, the nurse poked her head out of reception and called me back...it had arrived via a different carrier at the other entrance. YAY. I was brought back and she explained what the shots were going to be. Each of the 1st 3 vials would have 4 shots a piece in it. Each shot more of the allergen would be injected....each vial would be 10x stronger than the vial before. When I start a new vial, the smallest possible dose is given. She gave me my first shot...hardly felt it. Well at least hardly felt it until it started reacting to the serum. It got all pink and itchy but no bump which is good. I was sent to the waiting room to fill out a questionnaire while I waited for the serum to start working into my blood stream (they like you to wait for 30 minutes in case a bad reaction happens). Another 20 minutes later, hubby came out from his appointment and was surprised to find me sitting with paperwork. I told him I had another 10 minutes or so before I could go so he stepped out to pollute his lungs (man I wish he'd quit). The nurse called me back again and asked me some questions (which I didn't have an answer to...I've sense gotten the answers and written her via the medical site with the info) , then checked on the injection site. Told her it itched ...like a skeeter bite but wasn't too bad.

Not much more happened after that. Went to the Dairy Queen for a late lunch/ early dinner and then grocery shopping. Didn't need much , just the staples. About an hour after the injection I ended up with a slight reaction...runny nose and coughing, almost like I had a cold but it cleared up after a while.


Oh...my desk! We got the room torn down, carpet vacuumed and shampooed and the desks put back up. As you can see there's a bunch more room now. I took the pic from the doorway and as you can see, I'm not blocked in anymore! There's pretty much space for everything now too. We had to get that cart on the right near the trash can for the printer but it didnt fit where it needed to be so we moved my file cabinet to the left and put the cart near the window for the phone and other small equipment. At least it gives room for the one project that was hogging my desk, namely his box of pictures. I'm working on scanning them and putting them in a photo album. I'm liking the cubby holes for all the little stuff, I was tired of digging around for things when I needed them.

I guess that's about it. It's time to go downstairs and get the load outta the dryer and folded.

*HUGZ*

Not much going on around here. Just the usual. A couple thought provoking blogs have pretty much kept me quiet the last few days as I ponder the subject matter. I think I pretty much said all I had to in the comment on the one though; if I dissect the topic it'll just result in a long rambling entry (no surprise there) as my mind freely wanders about the subject matter and doesnt come to a definite decision on anything (I hate seeing both sides of issues...it really sux and makes me feel like Charlie Brown at times)...much like my MySpace blogs on Wednesday mornings during American Idol season. No definite answers just alot of why it'd be right ifs. Now many of my readers will know exactly which topic Im touching on but my other readers, that dont share that particular aspect of my life, are scratching their heads believing that they finally found proof I went off the deep end. In any case, events like that seem to happen in that particular world a few times a year and once a year there's always a blow-up of nuclear proportions so this was no real surprise. The only surprising things were 01) the time of year it happened in (from what I noticed they usually happen in the autumn) and 02) for the first time in 4 years, I wasnt involved in it in any shape or form (whether it be the stirrer or the receiver) so Im mighty glad of that. Dont get me wrong, I dont like knowing my friends went through this problem....not at all. It was enough to have me decide to pull down the ads from all my sites. If another site goes up that I feel good about, then I may just be convinced to put another ad up. Until then, however, I'll be staying out of chat for awhile. Sorry. Anyhow...on to other things.

The other one that got me to thinking was Tori's. In one of her entries she asked which Harry Potter character we saw ourselves as. Im going to quick apologize to Tori for hijacking the comment section to ask a few of my friends who I seem to liken. It wasnt right and I should have brought it over here if I wanted to ask it. Anyhow, I went and found a bunch of those quiz thingys you find online and most of them place me in with the Hermiones but I also got Luna and Ginny as results also. What I didnt admit to in her comment section but I will here is that I actually got a Dumbledore result too. I've always said I had a bit of an old soul. I guess that just proves it. Iggy was quick to point out that I had gone through alot in my life and as such really couldnt be classified as a student and had suggested I was more like Lily Potter with a little Proffessor McGonagall and Proffessor Sprout put in the mix. If I recall he tossed in some Firenze and Rolanda Hooch. I know a reference was made about how I'd fit into the HufflePuff House and I have to agree as I most closely resemble the character traits of the house. On the otherhand, with the comment that I was much like Lily places me firmly in Gryffindor. Why? Because every result in those quizzes (with the exception of Luna...who was a Ravenclaw...which house character traits closely fit me as well) were all Gryffindors...as well as many of those that were suggested (Lily Potter and Proffessor McGonagall....Prof Sprout was a HufflePuff). The only question is which houses Firenze and Rolanda Hooch would fall in. I know he was a Centaur (very cool choice by the way Iggy) but I dont recall what house Rolanda was in. All I recall was that she taught flying and was the ref for the Quiddich matches. I suspect with the traits she displayed that she was more than likely a HufflePuff too (loyalty, honesty, fair play, and hard work). Oh and yes Tori, from what was said in the last book...Hermione and Lily sound an aweful lot alike. I suspect that's why the Harry and Hermione characters were never intended to become a love interest for each other as she was too much like a mom. So, if Iggy's going to place me predominantly with Lily Potter (it was due to her fiercely protectiveness of her child right?) then I have to guess that I have a bit of Molly Weasley (nee Prewett) because she was just as fiercely protective and a pinch of Buckbeak as well. Anyone who's seen me working in a chatroom will probably agree that if you get on my bad side it's like getting Fluffy, Norbert(a) and Buckbeak rolled up in one mean-ass critter (Karla for sure can confirm this one). So Im going to ask in here (just in case you've missed Tori's blog)...who are you in the Harry Potter world?

*gets sidetracked* Oh look, their emblem was the lion and the element is fire....hmm Im a Leo with an element of fire...I guess that settles it. *gets back on track*

I know Iggy's already said he's much like Hagrid and I really have agree with that and I know Tori's said she's Luna/Hermione. I dont know Tori as well but from the way she writes, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

While we were out last week, we stopped off at McKay's Used books and after not finding something I'd like in the music section....I wandered into the youth books. I've pretty much decided to get some of the books I'd read as a child. It would be nice to be able to read them when I like and not have to pop into a library to borrow them...especially since most of the books take less than a day to read if I read straight through. I bought The Secret Garden (19th edition from July 1982), The Black Stallion's Filly (Im guessing the 2002 printing as that's when the artwork is copywrited for) and King of the Wind (the latest date is 1976 but the cover looks like it's in way too good condition). I've got all but the garden one read right now. I've also decided to make a list of all the books of each of the horse series that I need for the collection and plan on getting them all eventually. While writing out the list I looked up a couple of titles and found out they were actually each book 2 of a 3 book series. Well then, I just added those down as well . It'll give me something new to read as well as the old stories that I loved so well.

While we were getting ready to go out last week, I got an interesting shot from out my office window. You can just see it in the center there. It's not often you see the moon out as late as 930am.....

This coming weekend my SCSis is coming for a visit. Her and her hubby will be travelling to DC to see the fireworks for the 4th and want to take us out to supper. Originally it was supposed to be them seeing the fireworks and then coming afterwords but we all decided it'd be too late to do anything on the 4th, especially since it's nearly an hour drive in bad traffic between us and the Capitol. It was decided that she and her hubby would come in on Saturday instead and we'd do lunch or supper that day instead. I cant wait, it's been almost 2 years since I saw her last. I wish they lived a bit closer. *laffz* Actually she says the same to me when she and I get on the phone. Im considering getting my metallic highlights covered this Wednesday. I know that if it looks like crap, SCSis'll be honest enough to tell me so. This way I have time to get it fixed before the wedding I have to go to in August.

I may be offline for a couple days this coming week, so heads up. Hubby decided he doesnt want his desk any more because it's too big for the spot it's in. Im using an old pic because I want to spare everyone the chaos that's our office. What you cant really see in this pic is that there's ~maybe~ an inch between those two desks. His is the one with all the cubbyholes (something that I could really use with all the "projects" on my desk...) on the left. To the left of his desk is the closet. There is just enough room for a file cabinet between him and the closet. The closet door doesnt shut because all the stuff he has crammed in there....or is it because he needs things handy so he keeps it open?? Anyway. He's got little to no room over there. Less, actually, because since this pic was taken he's bought a new computer which has a larger tower (less leg room now) and a bigger monitor (less desk space now). He's decided he wants a smaller desk , so we'll be moving his one with the cubbies over to my corner and moving the one that's presently mine to the other room. Not sure if he's going to buy a new one or use the small one that's in the bedroom (the one that used to sit in our guest room for my sewing machine while we lived in Texas).

Well, Im gonna scoot. Hubby wants to watch a movie....

Where'd the day go?

Wow. Where'd the day go? I know I have a freaky sleep schedule, but damn! I was up by 4pm. Yeah I know that sounds late, but when you dont get to bed until 6am most nights (no matter how hard you try to get there early) 4pm rising time isnt really unreasonable (especially when your sleep is coming in 3-4 hr naps all night and not a solid through sleep). It just makes for a day that feels mighty short. Ive only been up 9 hours and it feels like Ive been awake forever. Then again, I've been pretty much on the go since my feet hit the rug too. I've found my vanity in the bathroom and got everything in there reorganized. Hubby's got the new towel bar up and is in the process of getting my handheld massaging shower head installed. He's taking the time to do some caulking too so it may be another day or two before it's actually up and I can use it. Man, I cant wait.

I went downstairs and got all the dishes put away. Not sure what it is with the husband of mine. I think maybe he got used to us having to do the dishes by hand because I swear he doesnt know how to check the dishwasher any longer. How hard is it to pop the door open and check to see if the dishes are clean or dirty? If the dishes are dirty within the dishwasher, then place the ones you just mussed up and put them in there...not the sink. We've got a bit of an existing bug problem as it is (we still need to call an exterminator), no need to leave the dirty dishes out to attract more ya know. Oh...and while you're at it...if they're clean in there, how hard is it to unload the washer? If the dishes are still a little damp, put them in the dish rack on the counter to finish drying....*sheesh*.

After I got the dishes done, I popped a couple Freshetta (sp?) pizzas in the oven for us. While they were cooking I started the laundry (got 3 loads done...just have to fold one of them before bed) and shampooed the last section of the downstairs rug. Thank goodness that's done. Now all I have to do is put that part of the living/diningroom back together, hook up the guests' computer and bail my table off....then it'll be liveable downstairs. WHOOT! I cant wait. When the carpet was done and one load of the laundry made it to the dryer and next into the washer, our pizzas were done. They were ok for frozen pizza. Personally, if Im going to eat frozen pizza, I'd rather have DiGiornno's but neither of us likes the same kind of pizza so we dont bother with the bigger pies (he loves the thin crust all meat pizzas while I like something with a bit more to it...a deep dish is good....meat, double cheese, peppers and mushrooms...yummy).

We got about half of the spare/storage/catchall room taken care of. There really isnt much I can do in there because alot of it's his junque (as opposed to junk which just gets thrown out) and all I'll end up doing is asking "where do you want this?" so I pretty much gave up on that fast. We have a trip to make to the dump again...or the storage rental we have to get rid of these extra boxes. He also told me he wanted to get some more Rubbermaid storage totes for some of that in there. Basically, he gave up on the room already. Although he could very easily take some of it out to the truck NOW and get it loaded up. *peeks behind me* Judging from where he's at (on his puter) I guess he's down for the night. I did manage to get a section of the carpet shampooed in there though and Im just waiting on it to dry so I can put kitty's new potty in there (now that her box is on the second floor, I've changed to those disposable ones as it's easier...wont need to take it down to clean and back up the stairs again). I've also taken the time to get most of the upstairs hallway steam cleaned. I cant do the whole landing because Dharma's potty is out there and a few other items that I have no place for right now. Ah well. Little at a time things are getting done.

I've got my resume all fixed up purdy and I have 20 copies printed up as well as my cover letter. This week I dropped an email via the Payless Shoe Store's website and it's supposedly going to the district manager's email for review. I've also done an online application for JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts. Neither have gotten back to me yet. While we're out later I think I'll have hubby swing by Catherine's so I can drop off this one that I have filled out and ready to go. I've been meaning to walk over this week and do it myself but I never seem to get up in enough time to deal with it. I guess I'd better start setting the alarm and forcing me to get my lazy ass out of bed at a "real" hour (as opposed to the "weird" schedule I normally have...now who was it that called my schedule that again??).

Goodness, Im telling you some people!! Everyone knows not to call me on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (and Thursday this week) because Im not likely to be the most pleasant person to talk to. Why? Because Im busy watching my program and taking notes for my MySpace blog(s) of course. So I get a call an hour to an hour and a half before my show on Wednesday. Ok, I got plenty of time right? It gets to be close to show time and I get quieter and quieter on the phone...a real good hint that I've got my mind elsewhere right now and it's probably a good idea to wrap up what you're saying. Ohhhh no. The caller keeps talking and Talking and TALKING.....(hence the comic sitting on my home page). I finally had to shush them and say..."wait a sec...Bo's talking". That'd be a good hint that maybe you've overstayed your call right? Nope. She didnt stop until after the program was over....a good 2 and a half hours PAST when she called in the first place. *shakes head* If we hadnt been friends for over 30 years I woulda hung up on her. If that wasnt bad enough...she called again not a half hour later to talk more. I'm pretty much talked out at this point. Worse yet...she called again around 11pm. It was a total of 4 and a half hours.....I dont even talk to my mommy that long. I told her if she really wanted to keep up with me she needs to go to my blog and read like almost everyone else does...LOL. Now granted, a good part of the conversation was asking me to come help her out in a few months but that can be summed up in 20 minutes or less. Once I say let me think about it...that's pretty much the end of the conversation. If Im sitting there trying to come up with ideas that are better....well that tells you that I dont think it's possible for me to go. If this had come up a year or so ago, I wouldnt have a problem...I would have just packed to go. But right now, I need to get a job and I cant be having something like that hanging over my head right now. Does that sound cold? I hope not because it's certainly not meant to be that way. The second call was basically to follow up on the first and the third...well it was to let me off the hook because her husband doesnt think it's feasible to do what she wants anyhow (something I'd suggested in the second call...). Man, she's lucky I love her to death!!

Thursday she called again....at least 4 times. I know she called once while I was on the stairs and couldnt get to the phone fast enough. Of course, a message wasnt left. Then she called twice more while I was on the phone with my NYBro (his conversation took only an hour) and I wasnt about to interrupt that call. He only calls once a month and like I'd told her the night before (when someone else was calling in while she had me on the phone...) I dont interrupt my calls. If Im on the phone with you and someone else calls in, I ignore the second call unless it's someone Im expecting (plumber, landlord, parents...whatev). I did call he back after and left her a message "Tag you're it". She called back a few minutes later and the phone hung up after one ring. *Shakes head*. She called again Friday (*sigh*) and we talked another 22 minutes. World record. Mostly it was an apology for being a "nuisance" and to brag about her job. That's fine....let her brag because she deserves it in this case because it was really good news. Then she bragged about her sister (blood) and how well she was doing (thank goodness it's about time). Someone called Saturday night while I was busy *scrolls the caller id* yep...was her again. She only called once and didnt leave a message. I guess it wasnt overly important. *shrugz*

Ohhh sorry about that long whine session. *takes this off that topic*

Later today when I get up from my sleep session, we'll be taking a load of stuff to the storage area. Hubby said if Im not awake yet that he'll go by himself and get me up when he comes home. I'll probably just get up and get ready even if it means only a 5 hour nap for me. Maybe I can get him to take me to IHOPs ( or Denny's for breakfast...that'd be nice). I know he's planning a trip to Walmart too so maybe I better plan on getting up anyhow because I have a couple things I need to pick up.

Monday we've got to get the yard done. The backyard definitely needs a mowing. I think while he's working on that I'll shampoo what I can of the office. It's definitely smelling alot less like pets up here now which is good especially since we havent been here long enough for our own "furbabies" to have left this odor. We also have to get our taxes done on Monday. I told hubby that they need to be done before I find a job because you know they're going to need both of us there for me to sign the paperwork. Tuesday he has a class of some sort to attend but said something about being able to reschedule if need be. Ohh and good news. Hubby's back on days starting in May. Hot dayum.

Just other little pix n such

Again we have a picture of the hallway, this time looking from the livingroom to the front door. The half bath is the first door on the right this time and the doorway past the pictures is the kitchen. The last door way (if it can be seen in the pic) on the right is the front closet is where I keep that cart I mentioned in the first entry. On the left, the double doors hide the furnace and the door past that is what hubby has lovingly dubbed "Harry's Closet". Most people will understand that reference...if you dont feel free to ask. Im sure if I dont get in fast enough to ask Tori , Chicago or one of the others will be glad to answer you. The new thermostat can be seen in this picture too...to the left there. The boxes of furniture in the hallway.... well the blue and green box needs to be built still. It's a small computer cart so we have a place to set up the laptop downstairs (or maybe one of the spare computers). The smaller box next to it is a media shelving unit that has been built since this picture was taken. The white shelves on the left used to hold my crafts but some of it broke and it doesnt work well where I need it to so it'll stay in the hall for now. It's a good place for his cowboy boots and maybe one of the small tool kits.

Hubby managed to get one of the older bookcases put together (after scavanging off other ones) and now I have a place for my board games. It may not stay there though as I have a hunch that we'll need that spot for something else. The base on the doll on the left is busted a little and one of the posts that go into her feet to hold her in place broke. It was just a matter of time as those are full-body porcelains and so are quite heavy for the bases that I was given. The piece in the center was made by his gramma (?) and is nothing more than potpourri and string lights in a jar with a doily over the top. One of these days Im gonna actually plug it in and see if I really like it. Those and one other set of dolls are more than likely the only ones I'll put up for now. I've got 3 other boxes of them and I need to see how much more space we have for decor. I have my stereo up but Im not certain how to hook the speakers up. They dont have plug in speakers like most stereos do. Im gonna see if I can get hubby to show me how sometime this week. Im in no hurry though as there isnt enough space down there yet and most importantly there's no computer down there so who wants to be down there when I can be up here in my office talking to my friends? You can see the one bookcase to the left of the stereo hasnt been unwrapped yet. Why? Because it's damaged beyond reason and cant be used. We're going to disassemble it and throw it away once we can get back to it again!
To the right here shows part of my wedding display and you can see I got my tunes up and ready to be put in my stereo (if I ever manage to get the stereo hooked up). That's a new shelving unit. It wasnt bought because the old one got damaged but simply because I'd run out of room so we bought a larger one and are using the smaller one elsewhere in the livingroom. I think Ive only bought 2 new cds since I got here. Not much sense in buying more when there really isnt anything out that Im wanting right now (with the exception of my Amazon wishlist) and Im not streaming...so why bother? I may just go through what I got and get rid of a few....see which ones will make good second hand store fodder.

Although not much has really been gotten together in the livingroom yet (there's ALOT of books and dvds n such), I did manage to find the perfect wall for my wedding pix. It's just the perfect size. The patterned thing to the bottom right is the futon. Not very comfortable for us short people but it'll work while we're here. You can see more chaos beyond in the dining area....I'll be so glad when everything is sorted. We've both gotten tired of it so there are days when we dont do much with the place. Oh...before Im asked....that empty frame at the top is for my brother and sister's picture if I can ever get one from them. While taking the wedding pix we completely forgot to get one of them and us (she didnt want anyone handling her pricey camera and he was taking video.....hey...I've never seen that video...hmmm).

On the to do list for the leasing company, I'd told them the door bell didnt work either. I know there is one because the main part of the unit is over the front door (you can see it in some of the earlier pix I think) and there is a button (which also needs replacing). They havent dont jack diddly with it yet so we installed a knocker that we bought from Habitat for Humanity.I dunno if you will able to enlarge the picture any but it's a lion's head with the knocker portion in it's mouth. The knocker is crooked though. Hubby thinks that's why they ended up with a few of them at HFH...because they werent perfect. Who needs perfect so long as the bugger works!

I think Im going to close for now as Im tired and should have been in bed a couple hours back. There are 3 entries and Im sure Ive missed something along the way. I still have carpets to clean upstairs but cant until the downstairs is sorted and done because Im not having the steamer brought up just to bring it down in a day's time to finish the diningroom. Besides, there's still a box in the office that hasnt been dealt with and it aint mine so I aint doing it (I dunno where he wants that stuff anyhow). Ive got more pix I took of these trees that started flowering in my area this last week. Oh great...and Im prolly allergic to them too. It happens no matter where I live...New Orleans it was the magnolia trees....everywhere....and they made me sicker than a pack of dogs. In Texas? It was that friggin crepe myrtle....damn was everywhere like a friggin weed. Here? There's a beautiful tree with white dainty flowers.....and my allergies got worse this week ...about the time they bloomed. Ohhh and we made a trip to get legal here in Virginia this last week. I dont think I've ever taken a worse state id pic:

Hallway and Downstairs bath

Ignore the date and time stamps. I have a bad habit of forgetting to put the date and time in when I change out the batteries.


Here's a pic looking from the front foyer down to the livingroom. As you can see there's a helluva lot of chaos going on in the livingroom still at this point. Oh look...I caught Katy sitting there looking at her daddy too.... The pictures you see to the left are ones that I did myself. They were put up to hide the ding in the wall where the movers shattered the thermostat. I really need to put one more up there so I'll be looking for another one of those kits. They dont sell them in the stores anymore so I'll have to go to the company's website and see if they still make those particular kits. Last I knew they still made them but not in those colors anymore. I may have to get one in blue, assuming I can get them at all. If not, I'll see if I can get 3 of another style to do and then place those in the office or the hallway upstairs.
You can see the stairs in this first pic. Im getting better at going up them and as long as Im not making too many trips, my joints dont hurt as much as they did the first week. I still cant carry much up them but at least I can get my fat ass up there without much difficulty. Coming down is still a bit of a problem though. Each step is only 8" wide so even my shoes extend over the edge a little. I have taken to going down them sideways and my knees grind horrible as I do so.

That doorway to the left is the half bath downstairs. It still needs a bunch of work. There was hardware missing on the toilet seat (which I do believe hubby has fixed already) and the vanity was missing a door knob (which I took care of). Excuse the mess on the vanity though. We're still having a slight problem in there. We'd had someone in to give the landlady an estimate for fixing the boarding under the vanity and the cupboard under the kitchen sink because I'd noticed some water damage in both areas. Well a few days after the dude was through with an estimate, we developed a helluva leak under the bathroom sink. We peeked underneath figuring it may be a pipe or something easy to fix and ut-oh...it wasnt. So I called the leasing office to let them know the sink was leaking and no it wasnt a pipe that was an easy enough fix for hubby to do. They ended up sending in a plumber to see if he could fix it. He looked underneath and said that no it wasnt a pipe (oh really?) and that the sink itself was rusted through (gee...like I said the SINK was leaking *sigh*). He'd send in an estimate to the leasing office and it would be at least the following week before anything could get done. Well this week....we got to Friday and we still hadnt gotten a call about this thing. Im really getting tired of having to wash my hands in the kitchen when I should have a perfectly servicable sink in my bathroom dammit. The landlady said that she'd faxed the estimates over to the property owner and she was just waiting on them to make a decision. She also said it was possible the property owner would want to send over her son to see if he could beat the estimates that were given. I dont care...just get it fixed. For all I care the property owner could send the son and he could go to the local Habitat for Humanity store and pick up the nice white vanity I saw there and use that so long as it gets done. Far's Im concerned it doesnt need to be new...just servicable and nice looking and not rusted through like this one is. Ah well. I let them know that coming this next week I was going out job hunting and I'll need a minimum of 2 days notice before they send anyone here to do any kind of work. Period. Other additions we made were the toilet paper holder (not pictured) and the round towel ring next to the sink as it had neither. They were cheap fixes. That yellow framed picture you see has a penguin in a bubble bath and under it says "Peace and Quiet". It was one of the items that was in the box of momentos from my gramma's house. It doesnt match anything in my main bathroom as I have a beach theme going in there so it never got put up in the house in Texas. However, here I have another little place to put it so I think Im going to add any additional decor as a suppliment to that picture. Maybe some black, white and yellow towels for that room....or orange...eww. no not orange. *shrugs*

Kitchen update

As you can see...my kitchen is basically put together. If you've seen pictures of the one I had in Texas, you'll notice it's a tad smaller. However, there's a place for everything. It doesnt look like it from the picture as my bananas arent up on their tree and the bread isnt on top of the frige where it belongs. I still need to figure where to put the potholders too. What you dont see in this picture is the water pitcher I bought a couple days ago at the secondhand store (for $2.99). Right now it's right by the knife block and holds all the cooking utensils that I use most often. We'd originally gone to the secondhand store for end tables but didnt find any we liked so we ended up picking up the pitcher and a wooden kitchen chair ($10) so I have someplace to sit outside (I refuse to sit in those cheap-assed plastic chairs that hubby has out there).

The picture to the right has the best shot I can get of the valances I was mentioning in one of my other entries. They cost us $7 a valance and there are 4 of them up there. Not exactly what I was looking for, but they'll do just fine. The blinds need a good cleaning and I'll do that early next week during a nice day. Temps have been kinda spotty here lately. You never know what we'll get. Definitely not good enough, in my opinion, to be outside working with the water hose. I'd love to just get them replaced but the one in the center is a custom made so I gotta see how much it's going to be to get one to fit. I wish they'd used standard measurements....would be so much easier.

The kitchen gets a little chaotic on laundry day as the washer is in there on the right, next to the door. In reference to the picture the black item on the right is the dishwasher. To its right is the sink and to the right of that (off the picture) is the washer. I ended up buying a little cart for all my cleaning supplies as this place seems to have too many cupboard space where I dont need it and not enough where I do. The cart fits very nicely in my coat closet near the front door and is on casters so I can drag it wherever I need it on the first floor (I keep a separate bucket upstairs for the cleaning supplies needed up there). I feel like a hotel maid everytime I pull it out but at least it helps me get done what I need to. You'll notice that there are some shelves over the washer. As much as I'd love to put at least my laundry supplies up there, the shelves arent tall enough to fit the standard size bottle. Hence, the cart. The shelves dont look like they were there when the townhouse was built so Im guessing that the first washing unit in that spot had been a stacked washer/dryer. When the dude had come in for the furnace I'd mentioned how silly it was to have to go out in the shed in the backyard just to dry my clothes. At this point, I'd be happy to have a stacked unit because the full size dryer is a pain in the ass as I cant hear the buzzer on it and tend to forget I have stuff out there. The furnace dude said that I wouldnt want it that way in the summer. My best guess is that it gets really humid here in the summer....more humid than Texas. *shrugz* I guess we'll find out soon enough huh?

It's getting there, but damn Im tired of screwing and pounding

So last Saturday, we did nothing at all in regards to the TH. Both of us were beat and my legs were acting up. Not sure what's wrong with them but I'm keeping an eye on them to see if there's any changes for the worse on them. I suspect it's mostly because we've been eating out ALOT (which means much more salt than I normally would consume) and Ive been on my feet for hours at a shot. Im hoping by staying off them for a bit they'll get better. It's next to impossible though with a staircase to navigate on a daily basis. Anyhow, all of us really needed a rest so that's what we did (yeah the dog climbed behind hubby like that and just got that comfy all on her own).

Sunday...I'm blanking on. The camera date on the pix says we spent time in the TH though. I'm sure we hit WalMart for supplies but I cant be for certain whether it was before we went or after. More than likely it was after. I know we've practically been living there lately. Time was definitely spent in the TH though with me attempting to put together the kitchen (which was almost set to go until a couple of days ago..now I got loose ends all over my counters again). I'm sure Sunday was an 8 hour day here as well. I started putting the curtains up but discovered one of the packages of curtain rods for the bedroom was missing the brackets. It may have been that evening we went to Wally World for like the ba-zillionth time...this time for a new set of double rods (kept the first set as the rods themselves can be used separately on single brackets for in the spare room and the office). I have absolutely no idea why they called for a dual bar in there. There is only one pocket on the curtains and the valance is attached. You try and put a dual rod in there and the curtain wont wrap around the window and keep the light out. I did manange to organize quite a bit in the room (until we brought the stuff over from the apartment) and at least we had a nice place to sleep...and the bathroom was looking ok and even the office where hubby spent most of the day was coming together. At least the office was to the point where the Comcast installer could come in and do some work (remember the last entry said we rescheduled because he was running late and we really didnt have the place put together enough anyhow).

At least the most important rooms in my house were nearly set...well until Tuesday when we brought the rest of the stuff over and the other additional things we wanted that we got at Wally World. Now the sections pictured look a tad chaotic again. Just a tad though, not as bad as the storage room . The livingroom looks just as bad because many of our bookcases got ruined in the move. Granted they weren't the best quality but you do expect professionals to do a better job than they did. We're still finding hidden damages as well so it wasnt just the loaders and unloaders....it was packers as well. Needless to say I dont plan on using ANY of these companies again. Thankfully we have 9 months to file a claim, plenty of time to get everything at least checked out even if they dont get unpacked totally.

Monday. Comcast day-part deux. We got up at 6am so we could get some breakfast and go to WalMart for the curtain rods I needed and a few other things. While there I decided to get another valance for the kitchen window. I had 3 for the 3 windows but with as narrow as the side 2 are, it would have looked funky if there wasnt as much gathering at the top of the valances in the middle as the side windows. It took me about 30 minutes to put the second curtain up in the bedroom and about another hour or better to get the valances up. Why so long? Because Im terrified of using hubby's power tools so all building I do is done manually. I start a little hole with a nail and hammer, then I put each screw in by hand (hence the title of my blog....mmm hmm I KNEW what you were thinking...you pig!). It takes a while and I manage to work up a good sweat, but I get the satisfaction of doing it all by myself. Those window shades are really jacked bad and need to be cleaned off but that can wait for warmer weather. I'd love to replace them but that middle window is a bitch. The 2 on the sides are 23" and easy to find but that mashoogana one in the middle is 41". The 39" blinds are too small and the next size up is a 42". I could always get the 42" but then it means putting the brackets on the out side of the window frame and although I dont mind that, it's difficult with this window so we're gonna hit the blinds stores around the corner and see if they have one in the size we need. Oh...I managed to get my wedding corner set back up too. I was gonna set it up in the small foyer but I was afraid the door would get slammed on accident and something would fall and break so I relocated it to the dining area. The grey to the left is my stereo and where the plaque is on the right? Well underneath is where my music shelves are now.

By 930am or so I asked hubby if they were supposed to automatically reschedule us for installation of the cable or were we supposed to call? It must have been a good question because he called to make damn sure we were on the schedule and yes we were. By 1130am or so, there wasnt anyone at the TH yet. Hmmm last week's schedule was somewhere between 9-12 and when we rescheduled they were supposed to put us in the same time spot. I remember hubby saying to make it same time next week but make it Monday instead of Tuesday. So he calls again to find out where the hell the guy is because we've been at the TH since 830am and have other running that needs to be done. Oh yeah, we're on the schedule but we're *just now* told that it was for 12-3pm. It would have been nice to know this when hubby called the first time idiots! He told them to just get someone there as soon as possible. I know he was just waiting for another reschedule because he was gonna tell them sure but the installation damn well better be free. Shit...we coulda slept in some, something we both desparately need at this point. Hubby decided he needed to get the heck out of the TH for a bit so he left me there and headed back to the apartment to walk the pooch. Not 10-15 minutes after leaving the TH, the cable dude showed up. *shakes head*. I called hubby and handed my cell to the cable man and they talked a bit so all were on the same page (I dont trust my memory to be able to relay instructions....go figure I can remember stories from way back when but something told to me just a few days ago...nope, nadda chance). With his directions, the cable guy went to work getting things set up and I sat in the dinigroom and put together my new shelving unit for my music. I really could have used my old one as it wasnt overly wrecked but it was really too small for my needs now. I've got one now that mu music collection can grow into and right now it still has room for all my classical and other instrumental cds (Yanni, Lao Tizer, etc) as well. I'll have to get a pic of it later as Im too tired to be taking that staircase right now. In fact as soon as Im done here, Im headed to bed....a little early for a change.

We stayed at the apartment Monday night and got the rest of our stuff moved to the TH the next day. I was all hooked up and ready to go for Idol that night. WHOOT. We're still finding problems here. I had to have a repair guy in just the other day to get an estimate for the landlady on replacing the boards under my kitchen sink and the sink in the half bath. It looks like they'd had some water damage and failed to tell the leasing office. No damn surprise. Just yesterday a leak that was in the making erupted in the half bath so I had to tell the leasing office to add it to the list. Sad as we'd hoped (hubby, myself and the leasing office) it wouldnt need to be repaired too soon. AH well.

The kids are adjusting to the new digs ok...sorta. So long as they dont have to take the staircase for anything they're fine. It's funny, really. The dog has pretty much got the hang of going down the stairs....it's coming up that's the problem. Her legs are just too short and she has not enough muscle in the hind ones to get her fat butt up the stairs. She does try though. The cat's another matter. She's like me and doesnt like the stairs period. Im hoping she gets the hang of them soon. She's terrified of going down (I've got scratches on my thigh where she caught me with her hindlegs to prove it) and going up was a problem at first as well. As of today, she still squeals everytime we start to take her down (she really tries hard to carve us up too) so what we've started doing is leaving her at the halfway point so coming down doesnt look too scary as it isnt so high up and going up isnt a major struggle. Well she doesnt even attempt going down, just turns tail and makes her way up the stairs and gives me the stink eye when she arrives at the top. After the first night I ended up resorting to bringin up a bowl of water for both and the cat's dish of food so she wouldnt starve. I reckon she'd been without food or water for nearly 24 hrs at that point because her food downstairs wasnt disturbed which means she never left the second level all night. I figure the dog can and will make the trip downstairs a few times during the day and can eat and drink down there. The cat, on the other hand, is just too freaked to do so. The dog's used to stairs because there's a flight of them at the in-law's place and she's been there before. The cat has never seen a stair in her life. All 4 yrs of her life she's been in a house with no stairs and the only ones she's ever seen were through the cage door as she was being transported. I think this is my fault to be honest. Instead of releasing her downstairs and letting her explore on her own, I brought her straight up stairs and released her where her litter was going to be. I never even imagined that my cat would get traumatized by a set of stairs.

Hmmm. Now that I see it how they see it, I can see why it's scary. This pic of the stairs was clicked at about their head level looking down. No wonder neither likes it. I know I aint fond of it and my head sits a HELL of alot higher.

What else? Hmmm I know Im forgetting something yet for the life of me I cant remember what it was. I guess that means I better close this and get my butt to bed.