moved in - sort of....

It's been a while, huh... we moved in. and life kinda went weird for a while. Work has sucked, and I'm not figuring it will improve. But - "it is what it is". The move itself - the movers were great - "Two Marines and a Truck" vet owned company that only hires vets. I Like that! it took a full day, and the boxes were everywhere. Chief has been on leave and took on the rest of the move. The cleaning crew did the apartment cleaning. We need some furniture, the desk for Chief and other office furniture, a love seat and chair for the den, a dining room table, a dresser.... but staying with the plan, getting the desk and office stuff soon, the rest isn't urgent.

The new bed arrived, very comfortable and big! unfortunately, as the days went on, the smell of mildew got very strong, we thought at first it was a comforter that had been bagged up, then maybe the new mattress pad. Washing didn't help. Then, we tried baking soda on the mattress and left it for a day - vacuumed... and nothing. It's only getting stronger. We are trying to get hold of the store, but that damned snowstorm yesterday shut the place down. Now I know why the cat hasn't been willing to sleep on the new bed. Last night we used the old one, that's in the spare room. Cat curled up where he always sleeps...

It snowed like crazy yesterday - they told us it would be a dusting... hah. And guess what - we never did buy a snow shovel! Hopefully we can get out and buy one today.

so - more boxes to unpack. Later!

LAW

Day 14 - Back to the familiar

The Picture - to understand why I call it the familiar - we built our own house back in the Frozen Tundra - took us 18 months with working paying jobs and all that... so to see Chief with tools/level/on ladder - familiar!

went to work today - another 10 hour day... wish I could say it was worth it, but it wasn't. Not enjoying what I do, where I do it, and for whom. Does it make a difference in anyone's life? nope. It pays the mortgage on the aforesaid house. That's all.

Packers coming... no, not completely ready for them, since we ran out of boxes. so they'll be moving stuff, I'll be packing, cat will be in bathroom. he's stressing already, I can tell he's really upset, so it'll be a hard day for him today. Me, I just want this over.

have a safe and pleasant day... those of you in Massachusetts, my sympathies and my disappointment are boundless. What were you THINKING??????

LAW

Day 13 - or how we spend a long weekend

Taping, taping, Painting, cleaning, packing. The owner finally got the carpets cleaned, on Saturday! he's had two weeks - picks our first painting day... so we packed, took down curtains at the apartment (taking anchors out of greenboard walls - sucks!) spackling, packing... did I mention packing?

The picture? well, the bedroom isn't going to be cafe au lait. It's rising sun warm yellow, like the living room and den, because I'm so sick of trying to find the colour! every time I think I have it, we put a little on the wall from the sample pot... and let's see, it's either babyshitbrown, or pink. neither of which is acceptable. So a little more painting today, some closet rod putting up.. then more... wait for it......................packing! Trying to get the entire kitchen moved before the movers come. yes, makes no sense, but I really hate trying to find where something was stowed. Tucker? sound familiar??

Finding some strange quirks in the house - I could NOT for the life of me figure out what this funny sound was, then I realized. It was tipping rain, over an inch yesterday... It was the sump pump circulating on.. running for a minute.. then off. So, THAT works. The big question remains - what will the cat think of the new digs? We move in 2 days, I'll let you know!

LAW

Day 12

Day 12

Chief's Xmas/Anniversary present: Weber Charcoal Grille with Gas starter, attached table and bin for charcoal.

Back to normal life...

Ok.. not Normal in the sense most people understand, but normal for us! After a lovely day off, spent showing him the new townhouse, buying a king size mattress, and a wine bar/rack (it was less than 1/2 price!!) and driving around our new neighbourhood, finding the disc golf course, the regular golf course, the trails and the Sikh temple, I went back to work, husband checked into the unit and then went to the commissary... only one call asking if I could think of anything else we needed. THERE is the great change. Pick up the phone and talk to each other! So so wonderful.

Day 11 - my present! the box is carved Camel bone (I collect little boxes.. this one is pretty cool) The ring and earrings, from our lovely trip to Ireland.

Day 12 - the scarf. For a friend. Sis, sending today!



Have a wonderful day.

LAW

Home.

So.. I'm at work, and the cell phone rings... and it's Chief. Who tells me he's on the way to the airport... he'll be home tonight! This is superbly wonderful news.. but.... the apartment is a wreck, I didn't change the sheets, my schedule is thrown all out of whack here! What to do... take off work an hour early, tell the attorneys they'll have to work it out themselves, I'm gone tomorrow. Dash home (well, Metro doesn't dash, but you know what I mean) change the sheets, run the hoover, etc etc.. Go to the airport - wait, wait, wait, wait (turns out the pilot messed up and had to go round again..) and then - there he was. 361 days. done. another one over. whew.

Lobstah Roll call

Some folks probably think I've lost the little bit of mind I have left... how do you call on a lobstah roll? That, I don't know, but to us the lobstah roll call means he got to Bangor Maine, met the same superb folks The Maine Greeters, made the call to me sitting in the parking lot after having his lobstah roll and smoking his first CONUS cigar. He's at a Camp Swampy kinda place now, outprocessing. So... let's hope for Tuesday or Wednesday!



The Picture today - choices, choices, choices...

I had a pretty good day - went to the Commissary - couldn't figure out why it was so crazy busy - ah ha.. Guard Drill weekend, and everyone coming in to do their monthly shop. I just realized I forgot the non sugar sweetner he uses....

Packed (surprise) then went to a store to pick up something special, friends came to help me and took it to the new place for me. wish I could tell you more.. but he sometimes reads this and don't want to ruin the surprise.

Need to clean the apartment - vacuum 'round the boxes!

LAW

cleaning a kitchen

I wish the previous tenant had done more than a cursory wipe of the counters. Yesterday was a glorious day outside- sunny but windy, so I was glad to be inside, in the new place with lots of sunshine flooding in. The owner was there doing paint touch up - builders white, ugh! I cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned. Three hours on the kitchen! still can't get all that sticky off the bottom shelves and drawers. LARGE bottle of goof off purchased, I'll spend some time today doing that.

Heard from Chief - wheels going up. Where he is now... dunno.

Was going to go to the commissary yesterday afternoon, drove by - they were parking on the street, the entire parking lot was jammed.. so I'll be heading there this morning. Going to be a busy busy day again. Can't wait for the end of the month. Husband home, moved into a new place, the old place cleaned - and maybe a chance to just sit around in my jamies and watch TV with the cat in my lap. sigh... heaven.

Take care everyone, enjoy your Sunday.

LAW

Again - with the packing...

It's got to be some kind of osmosis or thought transference. The man ONLY calls when I'm in the elevator or somewhere else that TMobile doesn't get coverage in my building!!! sigh. Today - I'm home or at the new place - get great coverage there. hopefully he'll call again.

Spent a fascinating evening at Home Depot, getting paint samples. Now, to understand why I actually enjoy the Orange Box, you need to know that I used to work for them, as a kitchen designer. When we were building the house in MN, when we were planning it, we spent more time in HD than anywhere else on weekends! So I still love it (except the plumbing aisle, the one with the rough in plumbing connectors etc.) Restocking that aisle is a miserable experience. The Paint chips - do you KNOW how many shades of white/pale there are? and really - the names of the paint - SRSLY, Somber Stone? Cinnamon Sunset? hm. I'll be taking them over to the new place today, and hoping that the owner will help me pay for the paint in a couple of the rooms. Builders White - it's cold and not what we prefer to live in.

The Day 7 picture - this is how you bring home boxes from the office when you are riding the Metro. LOVE the IKEA bag, carries so much STUFF. It also is the reason for lots and lots of packing tape! the big IKEA sale is this weekend... but I'm staying away. I just cannot figure out everything we are going to need in the house! the Bed Bath 20% coupons - love them too!

Off to clean/pack/move etc... Talk to you tomorrow.

Day Six - packing...

packing, packing... ugh. the apartment is filling up with boxes, with no where to put them. Poor Chief, when he gets back, it's gonna be "hi sweetie (kiss kiss) here's the tape, close that box, and hey, change outa those ACUs, put the painting clothes on, let's go!"

I've been waiting for a call from him for 3 days, since he doesn't have computer access anymore... and when does he call? when I'm in the elevator with no coverage! arrgh. but this time, he did call back. All is well. going smoothly. Yeah, the whole "don't say anything, OPSEC stuff" does get old, doesn't it?

Went to the new place last night, to pull off the really gross contak paper lining in the drawers and bottom shelf of the cabs. and look what was waiting at the front door. Yeah! getting closer... Forgot the GooGone, and scissors to cut the new shelf liner, but will do that tonight. taking some of the cookie sheets, and small appliances over tonight. This weekend is going to be sooooo busy.

We have a dusting of snow here, and schools are late/closing. jeez. talked to some folks in Wisconsin yesterday, Blizzard is Howling and they are still carrying on. I'm just so so so glad I'm not in Minnesota this winter. The last time we had a really snowy winter, I think I spent more time shoveling, digging out, and trying to keep a wood burner going, than I did anything else. not fun.

So, y'all, have a good Friday. Don't forget, wear red today!

LAW

Winter in DC - 365/Day5

The picture - a burst pipe on the second floor of the Springfield Metro station parking ramp. water/ice/frozen cars, this was my morning wake up yesterday. GOOD MORNING, it's DC, and it's COLD. It's been cold here, abnormally cold here. My folks in Florida are suffering from the cold - they aren't use to 20s! Oh, perfect, just turned on the news - snow in our forecast. This town doesn't do snow really well. Matter of fact, it's lousy at it!

This apartment is, I think, making me ill. If I'm here for a long time (about 8 hours will do it), I get the feeling I'm getting the flu, and the migraines are starting up again. Betcha it's mold again. So there's one reason to stay at work, and to go to the new place a lot. Mold is one reason I'm worried about some black stains on the carpet at the new place - reminds me, I must must must call the realtor again - but work has been INSANE.

Plans - in flux. Chief is closer to coming home, and then it's going to be crazy crazy for a few weeks while we move. work is getting intense, lots of projects due. sigh. wish they'd spread out a little! In the area of a good thing, I found out my department head really does have my back - which is a great feeling! Got so many political posts I want to write - but that'll have to wait.

Talk to you later, y'all!

LAW

Tuesday = Kitties!

Tuesday - my night to clean cages at the shelter area in PetSmart. We have a great group of cats in right now, some are sweet, some are cranky, some are scared because they just moved in. We get our cats from the various high kill shelters in our area. We don't euthanize our cats, they are with us until they find their lap to sit on. We have them in centers, and in foster homes. So... I can't choose. Here are just a few of my buddies for my Day 4, including the young lady who is my helper.




My helper Shannon



Smokey



Candice (the tortie teenager) and Daisy (her ginger mom)



Rose and Laurel, mom and daughter - Can you believe some jackass declawed these two? All FOUR paws.

Of water, packing and forgetting a birthday...

The answering service didn't give the right address to the emergency guys.. FAIL. another reason to get the hell out of the building! Ended up having to take the day off, waiting for repair guys. yeah, I really want to use up my time off on their screwups. gr.

packed some, slept some, worked from home some. And forgot a great friend's birthday (hanging head in shame... sorry Brittany!)

it's 11 degrees out right now, and time to get moving.

deployment gremlins - struck again.

what an incredible start to the New Year. First, went to the new place and checked on the water and water heater (they turned on the water on Friday, wanted to give the tank time to fill and I was packing yesterday) then went to PetSmart and we adopted 4 of our cats out, with another doing a Foster to Own. Just so cool! The silly people who decided to try to pull an attitude with me - I brushed off.

Got home exhausted. Decided to go to bed early - went in the bathroom - and the Gremlin of this Deployment smacked me upside the head. Water ... coming out of the electric socket in there... Water + electric = a very bad evening. The GFI did pop (and the automatic litter box isn't working in the other bathroom as a result) but I'm waiting for the emergency guy... for over two hours now. close to midnight, and I'm beat.

I just knew the gremlins were NOT done with me yet. jeez

so - 365 Day Two

Happy New Year, Y'all

Thought I'd put the Southern in here too. So, my dear readers, 2010 is here. It's gotta be better than last year! For one thing, Chief is fixin' to get ready to get moving soon, and moving the right way this time. Yeah! More good news, we rented the new townhouse.

I'm thinking of doing Project 365 - a picture a day. Here's my first. The new place, the kitchen. YES, a wall oven/electric for baking, a JennAire gas range, lots of prep space and storage. Whoo hoo!



The family front: Son's Father in Law lost his long battle with cancer, this was a very sad holiday season for them. Our Granddaughter, who will be turning 4 next week, is doing well in preschool, after the usual learning how to play well with others lessons - oh and yes, she IS the cutest child on the planet, in case you had forgotten. Son is studying a lot, studying hard and taking lots of online classes, and holding down a really great grade point average, even after taking Macro econ and maths, lots and lots of maths. ugh.

I'm going to try to start school myself, but with all the moving etc., it'll have to wait a couple months. But yes, my children, I need to get out of what I do now.

Time to go pack boxes. oh, I don't like moving... just DON'T like moving.

LAW