I have to admit, I have never really been in a situation where I owned a home and had permission and ability to do pretty much what ever I want.
K and I could have gotten away with not doing anything. But we are painting a few walls and changing some flooring.
We get to choose what the floor looks like. I think that is rather decadent.
I will probably pick bamboo flooring for my little office. It is 8 by about 5 with a closet in there. I will blog, play and generally goof off in there so I need to make it mine.
I picked a parchment like color for the walls and was thinking of painting the opening lines from my stories and other favorites on the walls.
The house is coming along great. We might shift the command HQ to there later this week, after phone, internet and cable are installed this week end.
So that is why I am not posting much just now.
The rush from work to house is keeping me occupied.
It is storming here so I doubt we will get much moved from the container to the house today.
But there is an office to be painted and boxes to unpack and sort out.
Pictures? Yeah, sure, one of these days. When I remember to take the camera with me and then bring it back to the rental. Or I just might wait until the cable is installed and I can do it from our new home in the making.
Be well.
C
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Closing
We close in a little bit, here.
K and I did the in depth walk through last night and the place looked smaller than both our minds had built it up to be.
We chose smaller for the lower taxes and smaller payment so we aren't a slave to our mortgage.
But it seems smaller than before.
We will fill it up with our things and energy and life and it will become ours.
The dogs have yet to smell it other than a faint whiff on a shoe or pant leg.
Strange how damn hard this has all been.
Is it really necessary for it to be so complex to buy a house?
The yard is larger than I remember, that makes me smile. Even at the thought of mowing it with my new reel mower, I smile.
Today we own a mortgage and gain a new roof over our six heads.
I will post pictures soon, I hope.
Unless I am too busy making a new home happen with my family.
Be well, all.
C
K and I did the in depth walk through last night and the place looked smaller than both our minds had built it up to be.
We chose smaller for the lower taxes and smaller payment so we aren't a slave to our mortgage.
But it seems smaller than before.
We will fill it up with our things and energy and life and it will become ours.
The dogs have yet to smell it other than a faint whiff on a shoe or pant leg.
Strange how damn hard this has all been.
Is it really necessary for it to be so complex to buy a house?
The yard is larger than I remember, that makes me smile. Even at the thought of mowing it with my new reel mower, I smile.
Today we own a mortgage and gain a new roof over our six heads.
I will post pictures soon, I hope.
Unless I am too busy making a new home happen with my family.
Be well, all.
C
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Princess Puppette
Time marches on.
Puppette is still a stay at home dog.
With all the hub bub around buying a house and getting ready to move again, life in boxes... I have not had the time or energy to launch myself against Risk Management at Hospital One in order to get Puppette to work with me.
I have a box of papers, the policy and procedure from Hamsterville Hospital and all my recognition awards for animal handling. That box is somewhere in our storage container.
Anyhow...
Puppette has grown older, 8 now, and I am relaxing the rules a bit.
She still must come when called, must obey the basic obedience commands she learned so long ago. She does respond, but at a more leisurely pace than years gone by.
I have relaxed some demands on her. She lives a life of semi-retirement. But she still comes to the door most mornings and looks at me so expectantly, as if to say, Why am I not going with you.
Her life, for six years, was going to work and offering a golden head for loves and pats. She brightened more people's days than I ever could. Her interactions with patients were sometimes miraculous and always rewarding to all parties concerned.
On Friday, she was waiting on the deck and I went into box the doxies. I got back to let her in and she was standing by the truck with that look on her face.
I called her in and she walked to me so slowly. She wants to go with me. The routine that has defined our relationship is gone and she wants it back.
But I am relaxing with her. She still can't have vitamin C so I can't give her the strawberries or blue berries or raspberries she begs for.
But I did something so out of character the other day.
I gave Puppette a french fry.
Yes, me, the champion of all dogs living healthy non human food filled lives gave Puppette a golden arches french fry. It was gone in a flash, but the look on her face clearly indicated the offering was enjoyed. The begging, beseeching look I got for the next ten minutes said she wanted to try another.
She now looks at me very expectantly when we go through the drive through and she smells fries.
I made the mistake of thinking once would be ok. She is older, and much smarter, and will never forget that fry.
Maybe, someday, if I feel bad that we can't walk the halls of Hospital One as the team we make so well, I will give her another one.
Maybe, someday...
C
Puppette is still a stay at home dog.
With all the hub bub around buying a house and getting ready to move again, life in boxes... I have not had the time or energy to launch myself against Risk Management at Hospital One in order to get Puppette to work with me.
I have a box of papers, the policy and procedure from Hamsterville Hospital and all my recognition awards for animal handling. That box is somewhere in our storage container.
Anyhow...
Puppette has grown older, 8 now, and I am relaxing the rules a bit.
She still must come when called, must obey the basic obedience commands she learned so long ago. She does respond, but at a more leisurely pace than years gone by.
I have relaxed some demands on her. She lives a life of semi-retirement. But she still comes to the door most mornings and looks at me so expectantly, as if to say, Why am I not going with you.
Her life, for six years, was going to work and offering a golden head for loves and pats. She brightened more people's days than I ever could. Her interactions with patients were sometimes miraculous and always rewarding to all parties concerned.
On Friday, she was waiting on the deck and I went into box the doxies. I got back to let her in and she was standing by the truck with that look on her face.
I called her in and she walked to me so slowly. She wants to go with me. The routine that has defined our relationship is gone and she wants it back.
But I am relaxing with her. She still can't have vitamin C so I can't give her the strawberries or blue berries or raspberries she begs for.
But I did something so out of character the other day.
I gave Puppette a french fry.
Yes, me, the champion of all dogs living healthy non human food filled lives gave Puppette a golden arches french fry. It was gone in a flash, but the look on her face clearly indicated the offering was enjoyed. The begging, beseeching look I got for the next ten minutes said she wanted to try another.
She now looks at me very expectantly when we go through the drive through and she smells fries.
I made the mistake of thinking once would be ok. She is older, and much smarter, and will never forget that fry.
Maybe, someday, if I feel bad that we can't walk the halls of Hospital One as the team we make so well, I will give her another one.
Maybe, someday...
C
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Rules of the road
OK... I know, I have had at this topic before, but it is such a big thing.
It is unsafe to drive out here.
Seriously.
Out west, it is slow enough and the population sparse enough that there is at least a small fear of the law catching you if you violate motor traffic laws. You do not pass on the right, you never pass on a double yellow unless you are in the fit of road rage, you stop at RED lights and STOP signs.
Out here, it is merely a suggestion to a great many motorists.
Not a day goes by, literally, that I do not see someone blow right through a red light, a no turn on red corner, cross over the double yellow around a blind corner in the road.
I now hug the white line on the RIGHT of the road to keep from being pasted by some inattentive cell phone yacking self involved person driving, almost invariably, an urban assault vehicle.
This is a hands free municipality, but no one cares. They all have their cell phones to their ears driving mach 1 down windy roads.
I am in near constant fear of dying in a collision with a multi tone ChevyFordCadillacGMC monstrosity that some rich person is driving to self proclaim their insecurities.
Recently, at a major intersection, my turn lane had a dedicated green light. The two intersecting lanes also had dedicated green turn lights. I sat there as 5 cars ran each of the intersecting lanes red lights so my dedicated turn light cycled green to yellow to red. THEY DID NOT FUCKING YIELD TO A RED LIGHT!
I drive 35 mph in a 30. I have people pass me on the double yellow on blind corners and uphills.
There are times I wish I could just telecommute my job. Tell Ms Smith to do ten more short arc quad sets then switch to an isolated hamstring isometric. But it does not work that way.
California drivers, my dear fellow Washingtonians (the state, not the cess pool capitol of these here supposedly united states) are not bad drivers, they obey the laws of the road except the speed limit. Here, it is the worst.
I wish I could just stay home and not drive here anymore. But, alas, not to be.
Buckle up.
Drive safely.
Watch out for the other guy, he might be on vacation from Long Island New York. God save you if he is behind you or in oncoming traffic.
Drive defensively, no one else is. Except two lost Hamsters in the East.
C
It is unsafe to drive out here.
Seriously.
Out west, it is slow enough and the population sparse enough that there is at least a small fear of the law catching you if you violate motor traffic laws. You do not pass on the right, you never pass on a double yellow unless you are in the fit of road rage, you stop at RED lights and STOP signs.
Out here, it is merely a suggestion to a great many motorists.
Not a day goes by, literally, that I do not see someone blow right through a red light, a no turn on red corner, cross over the double yellow around a blind corner in the road.
I now hug the white line on the RIGHT of the road to keep from being pasted by some inattentive cell phone yacking self involved person driving, almost invariably, an urban assault vehicle.
This is a hands free municipality, but no one cares. They all have their cell phones to their ears driving mach 1 down windy roads.
I am in near constant fear of dying in a collision with a multi tone ChevyFordCadillacGMC monstrosity that some rich person is driving to self proclaim their insecurities.
Recently, at a major intersection, my turn lane had a dedicated green light. The two intersecting lanes also had dedicated green turn lights. I sat there as 5 cars ran each of the intersecting lanes red lights so my dedicated turn light cycled green to yellow to red. THEY DID NOT FUCKING YIELD TO A RED LIGHT!
I drive 35 mph in a 30. I have people pass me on the double yellow on blind corners and uphills.
There are times I wish I could just telecommute my job. Tell Ms Smith to do ten more short arc quad sets then switch to an isolated hamstring isometric. But it does not work that way.
California drivers, my dear fellow Washingtonians (the state, not the cess pool capitol of these here supposedly united states) are not bad drivers, they obey the laws of the road except the speed limit. Here, it is the worst.
I wish I could just stay home and not drive here anymore. But, alas, not to be.
Buckle up.
Drive safely.
Watch out for the other guy, he might be on vacation from Long Island New York. God save you if he is behind you or in oncoming traffic.
Drive defensively, no one else is. Except two lost Hamsters in the East.
C
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Where to start...
It has been a full and busy 2 weeks.
We have signed contracts and are moving into the financial side of the deal. We have a tentative closing date on mid July. the house is great, with little or nothing to do upon moving in!
Ahhh. A fenced yard for the pups and a great Kitchen for me, an art room for K.
Another brilliant thunderstorm last week where the lightning was so fast and intense that the thunder was a constant low rumble that sounded like distant un-muffled motorcycles. the sky turned a dark dark grey and the lightning flashed like a strobe light. Two lightning/thunder moments were so close there was no perceptual lag between the two. The noise is so awe-full, meaning full of awe. Bugsy sat up and bayed his defiance at Thor's hammer in the angry heavens.
That made me laugh. I called my sister and shared the storm with her.
It got hot as hell, into the 90's with humidity of 80%+ so we were all miserable.
Puppette will get her summer hair cut in about a week.
So that is all.
I have been noticing more things, differences between the Westerners and these Easterners. But that will wit for another day.
Stay cool.
C
We have signed contracts and are moving into the financial side of the deal. We have a tentative closing date on mid July. the house is great, with little or nothing to do upon moving in!
Ahhh. A fenced yard for the pups and a great Kitchen for me, an art room for K.
Another brilliant thunderstorm last week where the lightning was so fast and intense that the thunder was a constant low rumble that sounded like distant un-muffled motorcycles. the sky turned a dark dark grey and the lightning flashed like a strobe light. Two lightning/thunder moments were so close there was no perceptual lag between the two. The noise is so awe-full, meaning full of awe. Bugsy sat up and bayed his defiance at Thor's hammer in the angry heavens.
That made me laugh. I called my sister and shared the storm with her.
It got hot as hell, into the 90's with humidity of 80%+ so we were all miserable.
Puppette will get her summer hair cut in about a week.
So that is all.
I have been noticing more things, differences between the Westerners and these Easterners. But that will wit for another day.
Stay cool.
C
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Flowers
Something I have noticed out here in the wacky ass east:
K's mom, and several other women I have met, and a few girls, have all said basically the same thing.
"Don't buy me flowers, they just die."
One girl went on to say she'd rather have that money spent on a pedicure, or a dvd or cd.
Odd.
Out west, most women I knew, and a few girls, would love to have a nice bouquet of flowers from a friend or relative to say "Hi, I am thinking about you and wanted to send you something beautiful"
(Sorry, sounds like an FTD commercial)
So I was struck. I asked this girl saying this a few more questions. She thinks that flowers are too expensive.
I asked, "What if your sweet heart grew them himself and cut them from his own garden?"
"I'd still rather have the pedicure." She said.
How sad.
Again, and I make this statement often so no one thinks I am stupid, but in the general sampling I have found, this is a common feeling.
Sad that some people would not want a little piece of beauty as a token of a loved one, but would rather have a tangible luxury item.
Is it just the younger girls? No, I find it, like I said, with K's mother.
Things are just different out west.
Go buy some one some flowers, not a pedicure.
Be well.
C
K's mom, and several other women I have met, and a few girls, have all said basically the same thing.
"Don't buy me flowers, they just die."
One girl went on to say she'd rather have that money spent on a pedicure, or a dvd or cd.
Odd.
Out west, most women I knew, and a few girls, would love to have a nice bouquet of flowers from a friend or relative to say "Hi, I am thinking about you and wanted to send you something beautiful"
(Sorry, sounds like an FTD commercial)
So I was struck. I asked this girl saying this a few more questions. She thinks that flowers are too expensive.
I asked, "What if your sweet heart grew them himself and cut them from his own garden?"
"I'd still rather have the pedicure." She said.
How sad.
Again, and I make this statement often so no one thinks I am stupid, but in the general sampling I have found, this is a common feeling.
Sad that some people would not want a little piece of beauty as a token of a loved one, but would rather have a tangible luxury item.
Is it just the younger girls? No, I find it, like I said, with K's mother.
Things are just different out west.
Go buy some one some flowers, not a pedicure.
Be well.
C
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Storm
As I write this, I am sitting next to an open window listening to thunder and rain.
The work day ended and I was walking to the back room to enter my charges on a really bad program when I heard someone say" It's getting dark."
I knew there awas a chance of a t storm so I listened. But when you are in an institutional building made of cement and brick and mortar, it is heard to hear the outside world.
I sat down and logged in and, while waiting for the older Compaq p.o.s. to load up, I heard a rumble. It must have been very loud outside, because I could hear it so well in that back room.
I finished and helped a colleague out to her car with some paper for a presentation she is giving tomorrow. It was pouring.
I drove home noting the wet roads, the over full gurgling storm drains and the whish whoosh of cars hitting standing water.
The rain tapered as I got closer to home.
I was listening to the radio and thought I saw a bright flash. I killed the tunes and rolled down a window. I noticed there was no rain splashing down from above on the road to my house.
I had out run the rain, but the thunder was less than a 5 count from the lightning. Less than one mile.
I raced up the hill and into the house to free the puppies.
Poni won't pee in the rain.
I got them into the yard and every one was a peein' when I heard white noise coming at me. I looked down the block and saw the rain hitting the shiny slick asphalt. It was coming on, no stopping.
Bugsy squeezed off some solids but as the first drops of rain hit Poni's head, all her orifices locked down.
I put the puppies in and kept Puppette out to finish her duties. She lolly gags in the rain, but doesn't like the thunder.
I grabbed the mail, grabbed the garbage can and came in. Puppette got a towelling oof, I stripped out of pants wet to the skin and typed this.
The rain is still coming down, the thunder is still crashing about. puppette sits at teh foot of the bed, panting in stress and because it is warm. A warm spring rain.
Just listen...
The work day ended and I was walking to the back room to enter my charges on a really bad program when I heard someone say" It's getting dark."
I knew there awas a chance of a t storm so I listened. But when you are in an institutional building made of cement and brick and mortar, it is heard to hear the outside world.
I sat down and logged in and, while waiting for the older Compaq p.o.s. to load up, I heard a rumble. It must have been very loud outside, because I could hear it so well in that back room.
I finished and helped a colleague out to her car with some paper for a presentation she is giving tomorrow. It was pouring.
I drove home noting the wet roads, the over full gurgling storm drains and the whish whoosh of cars hitting standing water.
The rain tapered as I got closer to home.
I was listening to the radio and thought I saw a bright flash. I killed the tunes and rolled down a window. I noticed there was no rain splashing down from above on the road to my house.
I had out run the rain, but the thunder was less than a 5 count from the lightning. Less than one mile.
I raced up the hill and into the house to free the puppies.
Poni won't pee in the rain.
I got them into the yard and every one was a peein' when I heard white noise coming at me. I looked down the block and saw the rain hitting the shiny slick asphalt. It was coming on, no stopping.
Bugsy squeezed off some solids but as the first drops of rain hit Poni's head, all her orifices locked down.
I put the puppies in and kept Puppette out to finish her duties. She lolly gags in the rain, but doesn't like the thunder.
I grabbed the mail, grabbed the garbage can and came in. Puppette got a towelling oof, I stripped out of pants wet to the skin and typed this.
The rain is still coming down, the thunder is still crashing about. puppette sits at teh foot of the bed, panting in stress and because it is warm. A warm spring rain.
Just listen...
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