The Absentee Blogger.

I find it funny that I feel guilty when I haven't blogged in a bit. And this time it has been a bit. Ten days to be exact and that was only a video post. I feel guilty for myself more than anyone else.

I have this grand vision that every morning I'll wake up early and sit at the dining room table drinking coffee and blogging. I would do a morning post everyday & a night post 3 times a week. It hasn't happened yet & I don't know if it ever will, but every night when I fall asleep I think to myself, "Tomorrow morning I'll wake up early to blog."

I am not a morning person, although I do think it must be nice to be one. Waking up early with the entire day ahead of you. I am a night person, I wake up late with only half the day left.

Much to my chagrin, I have always loved staying up late. When Handsome Randy is in town our regular bedtime is 3:30, not because we're just home from the bar & full of drinks, but because we just stay up late.

At one time we would stay up late and I would blog. Then it changed to staying up late and settling in the new house. Well, the house is all settled but I took a knitting class and now it's that we stay up late and I knit. I do think about blog posts while I knit, but then I need to change yarn, start a new row, or find a lost stitch...what about my blog again?

So at last dear readers, please bear with me. I will find a writing routine again soon enough. The new house is all settled and I am 2/3 done with the hat that I am knitting. Maybe, just maybe tomorrow morning will be the one that gets me out of bed early to blog.

xoxx

He Made It.

In the period of time Handsome Randy & I have been together I have developed a few rituals to keep me sane upon his tour arrival & departures. Mainly this involves cleaning & food. On both occasions, I clean our house top to bottom and go to grocery store and splurge on things I typically don't such as Fruity Pebbles & Jell-O Pudding.

This morning at a little bit past 8am he phoned to let me know he was outside. I had only gone to bed an hour before as I spent the night cleaning. It was not all that grueling, I kept getting distracted by things on television such as General Hospital, Law & Order, & Roseanne. This arrival home had a little more weight to it than usual. He left on tour a mere 2 weeks after we purchased our house. I had an incessant need for everything to be perfect. Thus the night was not only spent cleaning, but hanging pictures and finally putting those boxes away in the laundry room.

And he's home. We both can't stop smiling at each other & I can't wait to share a whiskey tonight before we retire to our treehouse bedroom.

xoxx

15 Bags of Leaves.

I felt triumphed when I counted 15 bags. Then I went to work & heard stories of yards that produced 30 bags of leaves or in one case over 90. What amazed me about my first raking experience on Fillmore Street is that I truly enjoyed it & had a sense of pride over it all. Sort of like when one finishes painting a room; it's a nice change that was accomplished by your own hands.

And since I'm writing about the yard & house...there is this walkway next to our garage that I didn't know existed until a week or two after we moved in. I love it. I don't really know why, I suppose it's just one of those things, an added bonus, if you will. I think it's such a pretty spot. If I were about 25 years younger I'd be plotting to build a fort here.

xoxx

A Great New Time Waster.

http://www.modwallsblender.com/blender.html

You will spend hours here.



So a little back story. Every part of our new house is just what we would want except the bathroom. In the coming year we are hoping to remodel the bathroom. I am currently torn between mosaic tile & pebble tile. I stumbled upon this site tonight & spent far too long.

xoxx

A Shift

Handsome Randy is currently on the road and will be for a while. I spend so much time at our new house just being and puttering and glowing and feeling old (in a very good way).

This coming weekend my dad & stepmom are coming to Minneapolis for a wedding & they're staying with me. I think this officially seals my fate as an adult. I now live in a house that my parents feel comfortable and excited to stay in and I am comfortable and excited for them to do so.

Many aspects of Homeownership seem to Adultate me. When my Uncle Chris is over helping with random things like installing new stairs outside (today) or fixing the lock on our garage (Monday) and he asks me for a tool and not only do we have it (thanks in large part to him) but there is a convenient place for it & it's there.

I am consumed with gardening. I have planted so many perennials in the past few weeks and I still have more in my garage & at my mom's waiting for me. Listen to me, I am trading perennials with my mom.

There also seems to be coffee on all the time since we acquired our new residence. For me this is also synonymous with adulthood. So whenever anyone stops by to visit (or install a small staircase) it's ready to serve. My grandparents seemed to always have coffee on, and this house seems to bring out a lot of my grandma that's in me; I keep a sheet covering the sofa at all times (except when company's over) so it won't get dirty.

I'm not complaining. I love this shift, in fact I am reveling in it.

xoxx

The House Pre Us

So as I've been tearing down wallpaper, changing out doorknobs & pulling down paneling I haven't been able to help but imagine the lives that were once led in this old house of ours.

Built in 1950, the house was essentially in the same family until us. The daughter of the people who built it bought it along side her husband in 1967. For 42 years they held the title to this house & raised 6 children.

As I enjoy my morning coffee in a very quiet dining room, I imagine those six kids bustling about getting ready for school as their mother chases them to hurry in the morning.

As I tore down the bathroom wallpaper I thought about the person who picked it out, loved it & was excited for it to be completed. I imagined it to be the mother whose name was Joanne. I see her applying the wallpaper during the day when she had the entire house to herself and proud of her work. I also think about how excited she must have been so many years earlier when they gutted the kitchen and added the dining room. The kitchen is state of the art 1971: double oven, countertop range & a dishwasher all in sleek almond. Oh, and all the walls are wood paneling. Groovy.

Sometimes I think about the kids, like when I was painting one of the bedrooms as found traces of pink paint everywhere. I envisioned one of the daughters excited to have her own room to decorate as she wished (which included a super sweet wall of mirrored tiles) and to give her privacy.

Other times I think about Dwaine, the dad & husband. The six hooks that are painstakingly placed at each entrance as well as the 6 outlet power cord that is hardwired into the bathroom wall. And then there's the GIANT garage that has all sorts of intriguing shelves, hooks and capped off outlets.

I grew up in one house, a house which my mother still lives in. The houses each of my parents grew up in are mere blocks away from our house and relatives still live in both of them. I get it, the vibe of the house, and it seems that we are in sync with it.

xoxx

weird dreams & ramblings

Promises of a return? I guess they were somewhat empty. Bear with me as I try to make good on them.

And, please do note that every night as I fall asleep I think about this blog & come up with phenomenal posts, it's just that by the time morning comes they are all blurry & not nearly as profound as they were while I drifted off to sleep.

There once was a day when I felt really, truly proud of my multitasking abilities. I could make a dinner while sending an email while watering the flowers while kissing my handsome man. Now? Well it seems the very thought of packing up our house takes up all the energy I have let alone actually doing it & going on with my daily life as usual. I can't decide if it's the move that's overwhelming or the new chapter in our life the move represents. Or maybe, just maybe I am lazy. Probably a little of all three.

Yesterday morning as I was waking up I had a crazy dream. I was on the shores of Lake Superior (which were much like the shore of Hawaii), it was filled with tourists in bathing suits. It was me, Randy, a friend of ours & her young son. The little boy and I went off to swim in a pool. We swam underwater but could never seem to get to the top to catch our breath. We realized there had been a tsunami while we were underwater. We finally made it to the top to catch our breath, found our way out of the water and back to Randy and our friend who were safe. We all embraced. Then Randy decided to go for a swim in the water to see what he could find. I begged him not to, but he insisted only to return a few minutes later with a new pair of Spandex biking shorts that he found floating amongst the debris. This was exciting as he has been lamenting over his need to new biking shorts for months.

I don't know what this means or if it's even relevant, but the story & images have stuck with me.

Thanks for reading, wish me luck and energy for packing & have a fantastic day.

xoxx

Getting in Focus.

Today is Thursday yet it seems like maybe it should be Tuesday. The last few days have been a blur as I have been so sick with some stupid virus that for two whole days left me sleeping in our bed or on the bathroom floor because it required me to be in there so often. Yes, it was that kind of virus. Good times.

And now I am left thirsty (a little dehydrated yet), hungry (a little skiddish to eat my regular stuff) and trying to get that blur into a focused picture. Handsome Randy is leaving today for a month long tour. The last few days of his homestay were not spent in the usual nor ideal ways. I was cranky, critical & crabby which probably made it quite hard to want buy me much needed Gatorade. But he smiled, kissed my forehead, took me to the doctor and brought me Gatorade and bananas despite his very real work deadlines and crabby ladyfriend.

Yesterday when I came to and it hit me that he was leaving in less than 24 hours I wanted to cry. Actually I did cry for a good solid minute and I felt such dispair for having been so out of it and so sick and so crabby that I think it made me feel worse rather than better.

But this happens everytime I am sick. When I come out of it it's almost as if I mourn the time I've lost from being ill. Everything feels out of whack as I haven't been to work, the house is a mess and I never once watered my plants. The feeling of neglect toward my life is overhwhelming. So I do what comes best to me, I cry. Then I wipe my nose, water my plants and slowly put my routine back in motion. It all gets better that way.

While HR was home we definitely accomplished our mission and bought a house, one we both love and can hardly wait to make our own. I, gleefully, have been granted full license to choose colors and what we do with our extra bedrooms as he is just happy to have a "comfy house". In the midst of my virus, we had our house inspected. While it is all kind of a blur to me, it was nice to just be there for two hours. We sat around talking and it was so comfortable and filled with nice energy. Fillmore Street will be a great place for us. We can hardly wait.

So here's to being virus free, lucky enough to have a partner who is not only Handsome but very patient and forgiving of his sick lady and to our upcoming and very happy home.

xoxx

The Secret is Out

Okay, okay. So the big secret that I intermittently elude to from time to time is that we are hoping to buy a freaking house in the very near future.

It's not really a secret, I guess, and it certainly doesn't need to be. It's just that sometimes I feel that when I really really really really want something to happen it's best not to talk about it but rather to just keep it close to me. I am finally learning in my thirties that this might not be the best route.

So let me dish to you, and forgive me if you know the gory details already.

This winter, Handsome Randy & I decided it was time to purchase a house. We feverishly looked through out February & March kind of racing against the clock as he was leaving on a tour in early April. Our hope was to have a house picked out by the time he departed with a closing date scheduled for when he arrived home again.

The weekend before he left we put an offer in on a lovely old house in the neighborhood I grew up in. But it was a short sale, which despite what the Wikipedia link I provided says and the name implies, they are really not all that short. In fact it seems they are very long. Very, very long.

It has been 3 months and counting. We still have no idea if we submitted the best offer (there were many others) and if we did, we have no indication of when it would all be resolved and the house would be ours. We could find out tomorrow (unlikely) or next year (probable).

This long wait, in addition to new weirdo neighbors below, HR's impending travels & a lame-o landlord have me ready to move right now. So ready in fact, that sometimes at night I fall asleep coming up with strategies for packing up our house when it comes time to do so. I will relish the moment I can legitimately look for boxes, let alone actually put things in one.

So. HR arrives home from on Sunday and beginning Monday we will be back on the lookout for the ideal abode. Keep your fingers crossed; we only have one week before he has to depart on another expedition.

So there. I put it out there for all the universe to see. Perhaps something will come of this. I, of course, will keep you posted.

xoxx

Finishing Sentences.

Thank you, Camille, for sharing this on your blog. This was a nice one & I felt it was too good to pass up.

I recorded the first thing that popped into my head upon reading each phrase.

Outside my window
The quiet night, a wet street that leaves evidence of yet another fabulous summer storm & some drunkards stumbling home from that one bar by our house.

I am thinking
about the inclinations I have and the emotions that arise in me because of them. Yep, pretty vague.

I am thankful for
my job. My handsome partner in crime and the love I incessantly feel for and from him. Our home, our impending home (wherever it may be) & all that lies ahead for us in that realm. My pals and comrades, my family. My talents. My everlasting optimism. My cats. The opportunities I have had and those that are coming my way.

From the kitchen
lots avocado, olive oil & sea salt lunches, a pretty mean cold press in the fridge & the best fresh whipped cream you will ever have.

I am wearing
this great brown calico 70s dress that I recently acquired from Rewind.

I am creating
songs, baby blankets, dresses, stories & other writes, photos, and a plan for my post apron wearing life.

I am going
to go crazy from anticipation. I will post a more detailed post when I know something. I don't know when this will be as we've been waiting for nearly 3 months as it is.

I am reading
Vodka Neat, a mystery recommended by grandfather.

I am hoping
for continued prosperity in health, love & happiness through my life.

I am hearing .
the podcast that I am listening to (The Story), Asha the cat meowing intermittently, the hummmmmm of the fridge, cars driving by and the splashes of water their motion causes.

Around the house
it's a little too quiet; HR is on tour.

One of my favorite things
falling asleep to the music of a thunderstorm on a hot, hot summer night.

A few plans for the rest of the week
a ladies bbq, lots of work, bike rides, matt & sara's wedding(!!) & a pedicure.

A picture to share
This my friend, Becca & her sister Emma. We Rocked The Garden last weekend & had the best Saturday ever in the process. I love this photo - it was a great moment & I was excited to have captured it.

xoxx

How Neighborly.

A year ago our landlord moved out of our fantastic duplex & a college freshmen moved in. We were nervous about this, as, well, we were once college freshmen and frankly enjoyed a good party back then. Surprisingly, the young frosh was MIA nearly all summer appearing once in a while with a piece of furniture and once sent us a random and excitable text about the plant he found in the back yard (yes it is what you are thinking). This was par for the course once school began. We think he was home during the school year, but he was so quiet that it felt as though we had the entire house to ourselves.

A few weeks ago the young frosh moved out and in moved a 3 women. While their relationships are not confirmed (we haven't asked), it is widely believed that they are mother and two daughters. They are not loud (no parties, loud music, or fighting) but they are definitely present. I hear the front door open and close often, the washer is in use almost everyday, and wafts of good food escape beneath the crack of their back door. This is nice, a comfort in fact & I think I will really appreciate it when Handsome Randy goes back on the road.

But still, their presence is something I have not yet gotten used to.

About 30 minutes ago someone knocked on our front door.

Okay, wait. Before I continue, let me just set the scene a bit more. The front door to our actual apartment is up a flight of stairs and behind the locked exterior door to our duplex. However, the exterior door has been unlocked more than locked since the lady trio moved last week. I have decided to care very little about this as the exterior door only leads to their front door and up a flight of stairs to our front door. There is access to nothing else. Besides our door locks, is always locked thus I feel secure.

So back to the knock on the front door.

It's 1:30am. I assume it's one of our new neighbors, but at the same time it could be someone who came in through the unlocked front door.

I freeze and listen, waiting for the knocker to go away. In the mean time I think about all the CSI, Law & Order, & NYPD Blue episodes I have seen and the crime scenes they have depicted of people senselessly murdered in their homes only because they answered the door when they weren't expecting anyone. Dramatic, I know, but in the moment it seemed really pertinent to the situation. Not to mention my father is a man of the law & has told me many times not to answer the door when I am home alone & not expecting anyone.

So the knocker goes away and I hear a door open and close. I tip toe to our porch to see if they exited outside (they didn't) and then I conclude that it was probably one of the lady trio downstairs.

Then I begin to think what they might need at this hour. A cup of sugar? Advice? Perhaps our car headlights are on (I looked outside, they were not). Or maybe they're in touble and need help.

I have to go downstairs and see.

I call HR. I tell him what's happened and that I plan to knock on their back door momentarily and that I just wanted him to know in case when he arrived home something had happened to me.

Yes I said that. Yes I was serious. But I saw this CSI Miami episode last night and...nevermind.

HR stays on the phone with me (I put the phone in my pocket, out of sight) and I go downstairs and knock on the Lady Trio back door.

The mom answers with a jovial, "HI DAHLI!" and leads me to their dining room where she produces our bathroom rug and a few of our towels. She came across them in the dryer and didn't want to just leave them downstairs on top of the dryer*.

Really? How nice. How thoughtful. I am so appreciative. I am so happy.

I am also such a dramaqueen.

We say our goodnights, I lift my phone to my ear in time to hear HR's stunted laughter.

"I'm Okay," I sheepishly say. He says he's glad and I give him a brief summary before hanging up.

I plod up our back steps, a little embarassed but mostly relieved. I find myself wondering if I would knock on their door upon finding stray laundry in the dryer. Probably not. I would probably fold it but then "just leave it" in the basement on the table near the dryer assuming they would find it later. I would feel really great about making the effort to fold someone else's laundry oblivious the shame I should feel for simply leaving it there, in the basement.

Maybe I have to re evaluate my neighborly practices. Maybe I should take a few notes from the lady trio downstairs.

xoxx

*While this is very kind, I am puzzled as to why one wouldn't leave those things on top of the dryer or on the table nearby which is in place for this exact situation. I was apparently too lazy or spacy (or both) to stop by our onsite dryer and pick up the rug and towles that finished drying sometime yesterday thus I deserved such an unknown fate for my bath wares.