Settling in
Sep. 30th, 2014 09:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sereneWe drove to San Diego on Sunday. Yesterday (Monday), we cleaned and shopped and hung out with mom. I took her to the hospital for a sprained ankle she got a week ago, and we went out to dinner together. It was nice.
The apartment needs a TON of work, but we're tackling things a little at a time.
Rather, James is tackling things a little at a time, and I'm doing the best I can with a bum knee and a serious case of fatigue. It takes me longer and longer to recover from that drive.
I started keeping a plan book (called the Adventure Book) with lists of things to do/fix/buy, and another little list of things I've accomplished. Today's accomplishments were applying for unemployment (may not get it, but I applied), shopping for stuff for the apartment, and doing a load of laundry. Things will feel more homey once our stuff has come, but we're doing what we can.
Picked up some paint sample cards at the home-improvement store whose name I will not mention (it's mom's fave), and we'll see which ones we like, then get some test paint to slap on the walls so we can see how we like it. Then we'll paint the apartment while we stay in mom's spare room.
One thing we're going to have to pay someone else to do is the wiring. James used his moderate amount of electrician-y knowledge to look at the wiring for a bit before he decided it's really kind of falling apart and needs a pro.
Tomorrow, we need to pick up more (ever more!) hardware and stuff for the fix-up, and some nonslip stuff for the tub, and oh, gosh, let's see: toaster, nightlight, lightbulbs, refrigerator thermometer, etc. And then I will scrub the holy hell out of the kitchen so we can start eating at home. It's fine to eat out sometimes, but after a few days, I crave my own food in my own kitchen. In the morning, we'll go to Ikea for the chairs and eat their breakfast, but I'm hoping that by lunch, we'll be eating at home.
All the work and trouble aside, though, we have a shower that works well, my mom is happy to pay for materials and labor to get the place in shape, and we're happy being together and working on this extensive (oh, man, very extensive) home-improvement project. When we're done, we will have a cute little apartment, a very functional project room (with a sewing machine, our exercise equipment, and the piano), and a beautiful backyard with lots of plants and places to sit and hang out in the shade.
Eventually.
Some day.
I hope.
The kid misses us, and I hope she finds a way to move down here soon. I don't exactly miss work, but I loved my job and wish I could have brought it with me.
Mom took us to dinner with her friend, who was having a birthday, and my uncle. It was fine. I don't think I've ever been to Black Angus before. Mom has been having a good time feeding us since we've been here. She doesn't cook much any more, which I would mind, except that her food safety awareness has gotten even worse as she's gotten older, and I'm afraid to eat the things she cooks, so I'm sort of glad we've been going out instead. We agreed to have Sunday dinner at her place once a week, and this week she's planning to make roast beef. There are worse ways to die than by eating my mom's amazing roast beef.
Tomorrow, applications open for grad school. I plan to apply. If I get in, I have almost a year to get ready to be a student again.
The apartment needs a TON of work, but we're tackling things a little at a time.
Rather, James is tackling things a little at a time, and I'm doing the best I can with a bum knee and a serious case of fatigue. It takes me longer and longer to recover from that drive.
I started keeping a plan book (called the Adventure Book) with lists of things to do/fix/buy, and another little list of things I've accomplished. Today's accomplishments were applying for unemployment (may not get it, but I applied), shopping for stuff for the apartment, and doing a load of laundry. Things will feel more homey once our stuff has come, but we're doing what we can.
Picked up some paint sample cards at the home-improvement store whose name I will not mention (it's mom's fave), and we'll see which ones we like, then get some test paint to slap on the walls so we can see how we like it. Then we'll paint the apartment while we stay in mom's spare room.
One thing we're going to have to pay someone else to do is the wiring. James used his moderate amount of electrician-y knowledge to look at the wiring for a bit before he decided it's really kind of falling apart and needs a pro.
Tomorrow, we need to pick up more (ever more!) hardware and stuff for the fix-up, and some nonslip stuff for the tub, and oh, gosh, let's see: toaster, nightlight, lightbulbs, refrigerator thermometer, etc. And then I will scrub the holy hell out of the kitchen so we can start eating at home. It's fine to eat out sometimes, but after a few days, I crave my own food in my own kitchen. In the morning, we'll go to Ikea for the chairs and eat their breakfast, but I'm hoping that by lunch, we'll be eating at home.
All the work and trouble aside, though, we have a shower that works well, my mom is happy to pay for materials and labor to get the place in shape, and we're happy being together and working on this extensive (oh, man, very extensive) home-improvement project. When we're done, we will have a cute little apartment, a very functional project room (with a sewing machine, our exercise equipment, and the piano), and a beautiful backyard with lots of plants and places to sit and hang out in the shade.
Eventually.
Some day.
I hope.
The kid misses us, and I hope she finds a way to move down here soon. I don't exactly miss work, but I loved my job and wish I could have brought it with me.
Mom took us to dinner with her friend, who was having a birthday, and my uncle. It was fine. I don't think I've ever been to Black Angus before. Mom has been having a good time feeding us since we've been here. She doesn't cook much any more, which I would mind, except that her food safety awareness has gotten even worse as she's gotten older, and I'm afraid to eat the things she cooks, so I'm sort of glad we've been going out instead. We agreed to have Sunday dinner at her place once a week, and this week she's planning to make roast beef. There are worse ways to die than by eating my mom's amazing roast beef.
Tomorrow, applications open for grad school. I plan to apply. If I get in, I have almost a year to get ready to be a student again.
Sounds great!
Date: 2014-10-01 07:56 am (UTC)Re: Sounds great!
Date: 2014-10-01 12:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-01 03:12 pm (UTC)Send me your new snailmail address?
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 11:27 am (UTC)