Sunday, July 18, 2010

Week Three, Weekend!

Weekend Update:
This has been a big weekend, definitely not without its emotional ups and downs. My productivity level has skyrocketed in the last few days. Let's hope this lasts a while...

Friday I arrived early to clean up and get ready for painting. I had a small crew of four friends (with one self-appointed foreman...ah, gender stereotypes) help to prep and paint the sunroom and an "accent wall" of the living room. I can state with authority that it is infinitely more satisfying to paint colors than it is to paint primer. And, I would definitely say that it is more fun to paint with friends! We had a good time and got a lot done. Later in the day, I had been planning to continue work on the floor, but I ended up working on more painting (a large cabinet and trim work) and applying plaster, which is a new favorite hobby. I spent the evening out to get my mind of housework, although I must say that I ended up frantically shoving paint chips under my dining partner's nose, demanding to know if the colors "went".

Saturday was the final real moving day. I got my piano, washer, dryer, and other miscellany over to the house. This was real undertaking, and fortunately I functioned as foreman and cheerleader of this operation rather than actual mover. The afternoon was spent moving my brother's furniture up to his new room. More painting ensued. I also took a drive around with the guy who is helping with a variety of handyman jobs, to search for some boring but necessary pipes for the gas stove. This led to a discussion of the comparative costs of gas and electric stoves. Ultimately, I realized that at a $150 plus a day's labor, the old gas stove that I received free from a friend was probably not going to miraculously become a great stove. So, much to the chagrin of the handyman who had already taken measurements, I deemed it appropriate to buy a new stove.

Sunday was an incredibly successful day, as I was both able to purchase bathroom paint (a frothy light green) AND pick out my new stove all in one decidedly un-fell swoop. The stove thrilled me, in particular, because it was originally priced at around $900, and I was able to get it for a mere $400, including free delivery. My love/hate relationship with Lowe's is definitely on an upswing. Thank you to the Lowe's store for a marvelous experience--we'll see if they can maintain a positive or at best neutral stance in the future. Anyway, I also painted the bathroom (as a side note, you'd think with all this practice I would be quite a painter by now, yet to the contrary, I return to already-painted rooms to find even bigger splatters of paint on the floor than before, with little tears of paint sliding down the walls in conspicuous places). I also posted an ad on Craig's list trying to get my miniature horse, Quickie, moved. Surprise of all surprises, I was successful! A lovely family from my native Randolph offered to move him with all his accoutrement for a very reasonable rate. He is now blissfully stowed away in his one-acre pasture. I just await the morning when he demands his breakfast by pressing his oblong head into my dining room window.

Changes are happening quickly. And most importantly, I am finally truly living at the house now that my brother is here to live with me. Thank god for siblings! The saga of the house anxiety is finally over. It's only up from here....

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