So, I think I mentioned in an earlier post that we only recently moved to Wausau, WI. My hubby accepted a new job here, and it's an awfully long commute from where we used to live in South Dakota, so... we moved. One thing we agreed on with this move was that the critters were coming with us. After all, they've all been with us since they were babies - TJ since the day he was born - and it's not their fault that we had to move, is it? They're not disposable. They're furry family members, and I just refused to leave them behind.
So. We get here and land at a hotel - the LaQuinta Inn - that allowed us to have the animals in our room with us. How cool is that? Not all hotels are pet-friendly. But because they had a king room available, and we had a crate to keep the cats in, we were golden. And for three weeks, it really wasn't horrible... except that we could not leave Lily in the room while we were gone, because the cats had to be in the crate. And, there was no way to cook anything in the room, so we had to eat out a lot. See the problem here? Fast-food drive-thrus got really old, really fast. We were so grateful the night that one of the managers told us to just go, and she'd keep an ear out for Lily and check on her if she started howling or barking. But still. You can't live like that forever.
Trying to find an apartment where the landlord allows pets, and most particularly large dogs, is very hard. So many of them have been screwed over by irresponsible pet owners in the past that those of us who are responsible get left out in the cold, as it were. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Taking furbabies to a shelter was not an option, buying a home was not and still is not an option (but we're working on it!), staying in the hotel indefinitely was not an option.
After three weeks of searching we finally lucked into the little place where we live now. It's not my dream home, but it'll do for now. It's 1/8 of an 8-plex that's built in the shape of a plus sign, with four units on each level, each with its own exterior entrance. Those of us upstairs have decks off the living room, and those downstairs have patios. Each unit is basically four rooms with a bathroom just off the eat-in kitchen (a feature I don't really like, but it is what it is). Imagine a 20x30' box divided into four roughly equal parts and a small wart (for the bathroom, of course) off one of the short ends and you've pretty much got it. Tiny, cozy, simple.
Anyway.... when we moved in, the building was full. There was a small family below us - a man, his girlfriend, and his son. The man and girlfriend were maybe our age. We *never* heard them. Not even the boy, who was maybe 9 or 10. But then they moved out, and after a couple of months, a young man moved in with his girlfriend and one of her daughters. And they are LOUD.
Neither of them were working when they first moved in; he does little aside of playing video games all day and half the night. And he gets really into them and jumps around and thumps and bangs and yells. And we talk to him and remind him that we can hear everything upstairs. And he and his girlfriend get into "discussions". And we talk to them, and remind them that we can hear everything upstairs. Rinse, lather, repeat. It was to the point where I was getting nothing done during the day because I was too tired to move, and the hubby, bless his heart, was falling asleep at work. This is BAD. So a few nights ago, when I was lying on the couch at 1:30 a.m., hoping that the noise would quiet down, finally having to step out on my deck to remind him yet again that we could hear everything upstairs, I had had enough. So I sent an email to my landlord. And lo and behold, things have quieted down, at least after 10:30 or so at night.
At least for now. Because shortly after the new couple moved in downstairs, the folks in #2 were evicted, and then the folks in #6 moved to be with family, and then the little Asian lady who lived downstairs in #4 left because "there are too many white people here and I don't feel comfortable any more". And according to our friends who live in a similar building across the parking lot, all three of the empty units have been rented, and the first of the new tenants is supposed to be moving in this weekend. Hopefully they are not also LOUD. But we are already looking for another place, just in case. And running into the same issues we had in finding this one. Sheesh.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Friday Morning!
One of the things you will find about me is that my life is very boring.... this morning is, with the exception of it being payday, pretty typical of my mornings since I left my Really Awesome Job in Rapid City.
Woke the hubby at quarter after seven, fed and watered the critters, made coffee and got himself out the door and on his way to work. Then Lily and I went out for her daily morning constitutional. She doesn't particularly care for the frost on her feet so we weren't out for long; she came in after just a few minutes and curled up on her nice cozy bed, where she still lies, dreaming.
Today is payday, so I spent some time balancing the checkbook and paying bills, then washed the dishes and started some brown rice to go with whatever else I make for lunch. Eep - rice! BRB!
Okay, rice is safe. Whew! I hate it when I put something on and then get busy and forget about it... the smoke detector in this tiny little apartment of ours is hard-wired into the electrical system and goes off at the slightest hint of smoke. Plus, it's loud and freaks the critters out.
**********************
Wow! Talk about sitting something down and forgetting about it... I wrote that last sentence at 10:45 a.m. It is now 2:21 p.m. In the interim I have talked to my daughter, walked Lily, had lunch with the hubby, done a search for houses on the internet, made a few phone calls, and completely re-arranged the bedroom.
So speaking of my daughter... she called to tell me about her first ultrasound. The baby is about the size of a jelly bean right now, so she's probably somewhere between 6-8 weeks along; that puts us sometime in June for a due date. The ultrasound today was to measure they baby so they could give her a more exact date, but she and her intended got to see the baby's heart beating - cool bonus! Hubby and I are so excited for them. And excited to be welcoming a new life into the family.
Confession time... <hangs head in shame> I ate an entire can of pie cherries for breakfast. So there. It had to go, I tell you! It has been taunting me from the shelf for at least a week now! So now it is gone, and I won't be tempted anymore.
Geez, it's almost half past two. Need to make the finishing touches to Bedroom #1, and start working on Bedroom #2. What I really want to do is sit and do some hand-sewing, so that will be my reward for finishing the bedrooms and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. So I guess it's back to mundane tasks for me... catch y'all later!
Woke the hubby at quarter after seven, fed and watered the critters, made coffee and got himself out the door and on his way to work. Then Lily and I went out for her daily morning constitutional. She doesn't particularly care for the frost on her feet so we weren't out for long; she came in after just a few minutes and curled up on her nice cozy bed, where she still lies, dreaming.
Today is payday, so I spent some time balancing the checkbook and paying bills, then washed the dishes and started some brown rice to go with whatever else I make for lunch. Eep - rice! BRB!
Okay, rice is safe. Whew! I hate it when I put something on and then get busy and forget about it... the smoke detector in this tiny little apartment of ours is hard-wired into the electrical system and goes off at the slightest hint of smoke. Plus, it's loud and freaks the critters out.
**********************
Wow! Talk about sitting something down and forgetting about it... I wrote that last sentence at 10:45 a.m. It is now 2:21 p.m. In the interim I have talked to my daughter, walked Lily, had lunch with the hubby, done a search for houses on the internet, made a few phone calls, and completely re-arranged the bedroom.
So speaking of my daughter... she called to tell me about her first ultrasound. The baby is about the size of a jelly bean right now, so she's probably somewhere between 6-8 weeks along; that puts us sometime in June for a due date. The ultrasound today was to measure they baby so they could give her a more exact date, but she and her intended got to see the baby's heart beating - cool bonus! Hubby and I are so excited for them. And excited to be welcoming a new life into the family.
Confession time... <hangs head in shame> I ate an entire can of pie cherries for breakfast. So there. It had to go, I tell you! It has been taunting me from the shelf for at least a week now! So now it is gone, and I won't be tempted anymore.
Geez, it's almost half past two. Need to make the finishing touches to Bedroom #1, and start working on Bedroom #2. What I really want to do is sit and do some hand-sewing, so that will be my reward for finishing the bedrooms and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. So I guess it's back to mundane tasks for me... catch y'all later!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hand-Sewing Epiphany....
So I'm working on the facing on the neckline of a linen tunic... and it suddenly occurred to me how easy it is to keep it the same-ish size all the way around: by using my finger as a gauge. *Grin* Pictures to follow later; right now I have to run out and meet up with the hubby to run some errands.
So here we go....
I never know what to write. I sit down at my keyboard with all these grandiose ideas about what I want to put into words, and then - blank. Utterly and completely blank. So I'm just going to type whatever pops into my head while I'm sitting here. And you'll forgive me if these blogs ramble a bit, won't you? Also, typos; one of my "helpers" (kitty #3, Sassy), is doing her best to make sure I hit all the wrong keys. Some days this is worse, when Kitty #1, TJ, and Kitty #2, Bandit, decide they want in on the action too. And when our Great Dane, Lily, demands attention as well, it can be kinda difficult to do anything else. *Grin*
So.... a little about me, I guess. I'm a 40-something mom of three great kids and grandma to one precious little boy who left us way too soon. We just found out that we are to be grandparents again, sometime next May or June. It's a little emotional, but we're both really excited. I think the waiting is harder now that I'm *not* the one who's carrying the child.
I'm married to a broadcast engineer whose job keeps him very busy. We've moved a *lot* over the year, most recently to Wausau, Wisconsin. Which I love, because there are many places here that remind me of where I grew up (north central West Virginia). And, it puts me a lot closer to a whole bunch of really cool people I've been wanting to get to know better for a while now.
Okay, I have *got* to change the channel - three hours of 24/7 weather is a bit much. Be right back.
***
That's better, a crafting show. I think it's about quilting but right now the nice lady is appliqueing a star onto a piece of fabric, and showing viewers how to turn those pesky corners. By hand, of course. By hand is always better! And quilting is yet another one of those Things I Really Want to Learn. Also on that list are weaving, casting, and woodworking.
Some of the things I already do are calligraphy, illumination, sewing (hand and machine, but I am positively addicted to hand-sewing now), crochet, a little tiny itty bitty bit of knitting (still learning), singing (though rarely in front of anyone), and photography. I also enjoy rollerblading and ice skating, though I don't get to do either as often as I'd like.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand I just realized that it's edging closer and closer to noon, which means I need to get off this machine and go figure out something to make for lunch for the hubby and me. More later.
So.... a little about me, I guess. I'm a 40-something mom of three great kids and grandma to one precious little boy who left us way too soon. We just found out that we are to be grandparents again, sometime next May or June. It's a little emotional, but we're both really excited. I think the waiting is harder now that I'm *not* the one who's carrying the child.
I'm married to a broadcast engineer whose job keeps him very busy. We've moved a *lot* over the year, most recently to Wausau, Wisconsin. Which I love, because there are many places here that remind me of where I grew up (north central West Virginia). And, it puts me a lot closer to a whole bunch of really cool people I've been wanting to get to know better for a while now.
Okay, I have *got* to change the channel - three hours of 24/7 weather is a bit much. Be right back.
***
That's better, a crafting show. I think it's about quilting but right now the nice lady is appliqueing a star onto a piece of fabric, and showing viewers how to turn those pesky corners. By hand, of course. By hand is always better! And quilting is yet another one of those Things I Really Want to Learn. Also on that list are weaving, casting, and woodworking.
Some of the things I already do are calligraphy, illumination, sewing (hand and machine, but I am positively addicted to hand-sewing now), crochet, a little tiny itty bitty bit of knitting (still learning), singing (though rarely in front of anyone), and photography. I also enjoy rollerblading and ice skating, though I don't get to do either as often as I'd like.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand I just realized that it's edging closer and closer to noon, which means I need to get off this machine and go figure out something to make for lunch for the hubby and me. More later.
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