My Latest Life

I am trying to get used to the new me leading my latest life. As I recently wrote to Jack, I hope it's a short segment. I am surprised that I don't hate it, although I must admit I am having a bit of trouble being submissive (not the word I'm looking for exactly but I am too lazy, I should say, the new me is not resourceful enough to come up with the right term. . .) both at home and now at work. I have two men issuing orders and I am the one that must ask how high when they say jump. I am not sure how this, like many other things these days, happened -- I only know that it has and here I am. It really seems, and I may be inferring that something that is only coincidence is more relevant, but it does seem that since we got married, Brian has become more and more controlling. He has to tell me what to do and when to do it and offer unsolicited advice on everything from how I make my bed to where I keep my shoes to how I sit when I am at the computer. . . But at least I can offer a wide range of retorts to him, though they do nothing other than pacify me. . .

So now, I have this boss who is unable to delegate even the menial tasks to someone new on the scene, even someone who has a college degree and (literally) decades of experience in the working world of an office existence. I mean, I am working my way through the task-list, and generally doing an okay job, but after an entire month on the job (part-time, but even yet. . .) I am still not allowed to answer the phone!! Should I be insulted?? Or should I question my capabilities?? I am going with insulted. He did explain that it is of the utmost importance that a mistake not be made with the appointment calender, and I did make a couple of errors the first few times he handed me some trial appointments to book and breathed down my neck while I tried to make them, but once I figured out where I was messing up, like after the next 2 tries, I had it down, but I'd already sabotaged any chance I had of telephone answering this year. I'll try to be patient and hope the new year brings me a renewed opportunity. After all, if I did make a mistake and the world did come to an end, 2010 is a much more appropriate year to end on -- more dynamic!

So aside from the issues with the telephone answering, there are other aspects to the job. I enjoy interacting with all the animals, just as I thought I would. If only I'd really thought this through and realized that there was a lot more to it than just seeing a variety of animals. I don't know what I was thinking. First, there are the surgeries --quite a number of them, really. It is quite amazing how many animals are out there, and how many new ones are arriving on the scene and need spaying and neutering etc, etc. Not to mention the cases of cats with BB's in their legs and dogs with torn ACL's (or the canine equivilent) and tail amputations and tumor removals and cat enemas. . . None are anything I want to witness, let alone participate in. But I am. Last, but not least, are the euthanasias. Now, this is something that I condone, but again, not something that I want to participate in any more than absolutely necessary. However, as it happens, I am the one that has to hold the animal while the vet injects the potion, which means I am the one holding the animal while it dies. Not what I was envisioning for myself in my mid-life. In any life. I take a little consolation in being that person and at that at least a kind and caring touch is the last thing these animals experience, but that does not make it worth while. I actually can't quite believe that I am really doing this. It is one of the many things these days that cause me to wonder whether or not I'm living parallel lives. . .
Well, having had to go in to work this am, on my day off, to put a cat named Madeleine to sleep, I may be feeling just a little resentful (ya think??) but I am hanging in there, hoping that I can bale sooner than later. Speaking of which, the espresso-mocha that I took out is likely soup by now, so I will write more later about the rest of my latest life, and maybe I'll be in a better frame of mind by then, esp. if I do it directly after the ice-cream break. . .

We're in the money. . .would that it were true. . .

So I am really employed now. . . two jobs, neither of which I know anything about. One thing is for sure -- it should keep my brain occupied -- I don't need to do Sudoku anymore -- each day I am learning something new. I guess that's good -- although my "old" job wasn't exactly ho hum. . . I really could never complain about it being the same old, same old. . .

But anyway, no time to blog, there's money to be made. . . it's almost laughable, but I got my first paycheque today from my Vet Ass. job. . . and meager though it was, I have to admit, it feels good to actually be making money -- even a small amount.

All about work

I am back in the world of the working and I'm here to report that it is tolerable. Strange to think of how my identity has changed. For some reason I associate it with this island -- I'm not sure why I am so hard on it, but I am. I think at another time I would have had such a romantic vision of the island, and would have found it idyllic in so many ways. But now it symbolizes -- I don't know exactly what -- regression I guess. . . And regression in many ways -- comfort and security, health and welfare, happiness -- it has all declined significantly. Maybe it just has to go down before it comes back up. The cycle of life, so-to-speak. One of these days I may figure it out. In the meantime I will continue to stumble along.

So I have worked a week at my new job, but I am trying even harder to get the other new job. It's a full-time job just trying to get a part-time job! We spent the last 2 whole days getting info. out and it's been stressful! We both had our first drug tests ever on Friday. So that was something new. Then we had to get the employment package together and send it off on Sat. Of course, the closest FedEx location that is opened on a Sat. was at the airport, so it involved another trip into Seattle, which meant another entire day lost. I don't know why I decided to involve Brian in this application. Have I said that before?? He just makes things so much more difficult than they otherwise would be, if it were just me on the application. For example, on Fri. I wanted to get into Seattle early and get the paperwork complete and either send it out Fri. or at least get the fax out on Fri. But of course, Brian waited until Fri. am to discover he had no idea where his passport was, then spent the entire morning tearing apart the place looking for it. In the end, he found it, but we didn't get our of here until noon. I know, I know. It could have just as easily been me searching for my passport. Only I did get my stuff together the night before so I'd be ready to go, so IF I would have been searching, it still would have more than likely been Thur. night. . . On the plus side, we did get to take 2 great walks in Lincoln Park! That was definitely the best part of both days!
Anyway, I do hope we get this job. We'll be "in the money!" Ha. . .Ha. . .Ha. . . That IS a laugh!

More sh_t -- literally!

A quick note that I can't help adding, just so when I look back, I will have some confirmantion that my life was, indeed, as bad as I made it out to be.

So last Tuesday, I had a fun day planned for the dogs & I. We made the long journey out to the Argus Ranch so we could have a "practice session" on their agility course. I booked it over a week in advance and was really looking forward to it.

Of course, we made the trip, and got out to stretch and pee before the session, only to discover that Hanna was peeing blood. Not a good sign, in fact, I panicked, and we did an about face and headed back to Seattle. I took Hanna to the vet, and he tested her urine, even sent some away to the lab, thinking it was a urinary tract infection, but the test did not show any bacteria. He gave her antibiotics to take, and it is Sunday today, and she is better, but what was responsible for the blood?? I am concerned, esp. considering that Maddie's initial symptom of her cancer was blood in her urine. Not to mention that Tuesday was a total loss. Plus the bill -- $235.00

Wednesday I found out I got the part-time job with the Vet. Good news or bad?? Good question. I took it, but I have to say I am not excited about it. On the other hand, it is part-time and 6 minutes away, and might be a bit interesting. But I am still not excited about it.

I spent Thursday in a frenzy working on paperwork for the SAS job. We are still in the running for that. But it was a long day with a lot of paperwork. May be indicative of how that company is run. I'd still like that job. Don't know what I'd do if I got it. Hopefully I'll find out.

Then on Thursday, I had a loose crown, so I immediately called a local dentist and made an appt. for Friday. As it turns out, the crown was not that loose and it took a hell-of-an-effort to get it off, only to be ridiculed by the dentist for my poor teeth. I hate going to new dentists! As if I don't know I have poor teeth? Do they think I don't know I have a mouth full of fillings?? Where would I have had to have been to not know?? The end result was that the crown was reluctantly reattached, but the warning was issued; what I really need is an implant so I'd better start saving up, because that is definitely not the only one I need. Bill to re-affix the crown that likely wouldn't have needed to have done for who knows how long if I'd just let sleeping dogs lie: $150.00

Saturday we got a call from the Robbs -- aparently the sewer was backing up into the basement over at Orchard. So we called a plumber and he got the blockage taken care of. The good news was it didn't happen while we were living there. The bad news -- the bill, which of course I paid for -- $831.00.

Add all that up plus the cost of my new computer, which was $950.00, and you could say it's been a pretty expensive week.

Thoughts on the Economy

I sat and watched quite a few of the Sunday morning talk shows and I have been checking in with many of the evening news/editorial shows and it got me thinking something that I've thought before, but never felt strongly enough about to articulate it. Why does everyone always, or at least almost always, talk about the same thing from the same standpoint -- they all seem to ask the same questions and come to the same conclusions? I know the former is a function of what the news item is "of the day" but the latter? I know you will get difference between the republican and the democratic perspective. But beyond that, there seems to be very little variation even if the participants in the discussion are different people. I guess it is because most of these people want to "approve" the questions they're going to be asked, so the real "tough" questions just never get approved. It is why Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" & some of the other late night talk shows have become some of the better resources for the truth, rather than the spin. Take the economy, for instance. The bailouts seem to have flopped and bonuses seem to be alive and well, while lending hasn't loosened up at all, but no one is asking why or what can be done to correct the situation. Everyone, including the administration and the congress who came up with the plan, agree, in varying degrees, that lending needs to loosen up and that bonuses aren't what we want to see as a result of the bailout, but no one knows why it is happening or how to fix it. Does that strike anyone as odd? You engineered the bill, so now engineer a revision to address the issues. And admit that you must have left out some critical elements because the results do not meet the intent.

This is only one of the many issues, besides Afghanistan & Health Care, that are not being pursued. Why isn't the stimulus package impacting the unemployment rate. Why am I hearing of major public works projects being put on hold due to lack of funding when this stimulus package is supposed to be so all-encompassing? We hear all about the sky-high unemployment rates, but what we don't hear is how inaccurate those numbers actually are, because of all of the people, like my husband and myself, who can't find jobs, but don't qualify for unemployment because we are self-employed.

As I see it, an entire section of this so-called american life is being ignored. The very foundation this country is built on, the pursuer of "the american dream", the small business owners, the independent contractors, the entrepreneurs, all who contribute substantially to the vitality of the economy during the "good times" are suffering at least as much as the banks on wall street or the employees who have been laid off, but who is helping them out. . . where is their bailout? No one is going to extend their health insurance coverage, there is no one handing them a thousand dollars, let alone 7 or 8-hundred million. . . Many of these people are the ones who were leveraged or over-leveraged, invested in their business trying to either keep their business afloat or get it ahead. Their unemployment insurance is their credit card -- I know this from personal experience, and I also know that the credit has dried up and not only that, even if it remains, it is far from reliable. It could be taken away at any time, or the interest rate could increase, and in many cases has, making it unusable. When are these people going to get a break? They could use a bit of recognition, first, and a boost, second.

A smattering of government contracts will help a few, but many others, from restaurant owners to retailers to electricians to massage therapists are hurting. Where is the stimulus to provide start-up funding for new business? Imagine trying to get back on your feet after you've just lost everything. You try to qualify for financing when you don't have a job because you were self-employed and your business went under or you just plain don't have any work to sustain you. Why is nobody talking about this very important & critical sector of the population?? This country consists of more than union workers and bankers. The dialogue should start addressing the plight of all americans. I can't believe it hasn't yet.

While I am going on, I need to add this bit about Health Care. If the Democrats can't put aside semantics and get it together among themselves to pass a meaningful health care bill, they don't deserve the seats they occupy. Shame on Pelosy and Reid. Why is no one saying anything about their leadership -- or lack-thereof. If the Democrats can't get their agenda passed now, there is NO HOPE! Step up to the plate, make the tough choices, take the hard line, and get something done!! No more watered-down compromises. I really, really, hope that they have a plan to implement some of the stuff they've left out once this bill gets passed. If they can pull a "republican-style" stunt and get the bill to pass in one form, then revise it to fit their agenda once it passes, it would be brilliant, but so uncharacteristic -- too devious for the dems. Or is it? As I have been known to say, "the public doesn't always know what's good for it".

My Computer Died Today :(

Well I had a bit of a peaceful interlude for a day or so, but it is back to it today with the death and then subsequent resurrection of my computer. Who knows what happened. . . It was nothing I did to kill it and nothing I did to bring it back to life. It is just a wake-up call to let me know that the end is near and I'd better get backing up -- problem is, I have no idea where my backup CD is or even where the blank CD's are. . . I don't know how much more of this I have it in me to take.

We were supposed to start working on the Wood Stove today -- Brian keeps saying that it will be A LOT of work, and I say, then let's get down to it!!! But it isn't happening. Today he went up into the attic to check out the situation, but ended up getting distracted by all of the junk up there -- it was a gold mine for him -- more junk!!!! JUST WHAT WE NEED IS MORE DAMN JUNK!!!! So as a result he got carried away bringing a small fraction of it down, with my help of course. I REALLY do feel that I am so close to reaching my limit. . . I just don't know what happens when that limit is reached. . . There really is no way out and nothing better coming up in the foreseeable future.

I guess there is a bit of good news -- Firstly, Brian brought home a third dishwasher and although it had a little leak, it has been repaired and it now works!! Not only that, but the other two dishwashers have been removed from the house(!) and now sit in the store with the rest of the junk. The other bit of good news, I guess, is that I made the short-list on 2 of the many jobs that I applied for. I should find out next week, mid to end of the week if I get one of them and if I make it to the next level for the other one, the one I really want, but really, truth be told, I doubt I'll get. I doubt I'll get either of them, and if I do, I don't even think it'll be a good thing. Menial work for no money -- something to really celebrate! Enough whining for now -- it is not a good day.

Flashback - Mexico Vacation - December 2006

I thought I'd digress and put something in here that isn't all doom and gloom and reminds me of better times past and hopefully of better times ahead. It is an account of a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico we took a year or two ago. So without further adieu,

How We Became “Cat-People”
or
All in a Mexican Day-trip (Part 1)

It all started innocently enough -- we were on our 4th trip to the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico enjoying the 89* temperature and trying not to spend too much time “en repose”. . . Being someone who has vacationed with Brian before, (many times by now) I knew it would only be a matter of hours until he would suggest ditching the resort and heading out to explore. I managed to squeeze in one semi-tourist activity, which involved a ponga (which is a boat, not an animal) ride to Quimixto, a small, remote fishing village accessible only by water, south of Puerto Vallarta. There we chose to hike (rather than ride horses) to a waterfall and swim in the fresh and exhilaratingly cool (who am I kidding, it was cold!) water.

We wandered through the town, seeing how “real” life is lived in this part of the world. We were able to swim on a secluded beach, which is always our goal on any tropical vacation) and eat a fabulous lunch at one of several palapa restaurants. The area is also known for excellent snorkeling. We had a charming guide who is a good example of many of the young men we have met on our excursions to Mexico -- open, warm and happy to share his beautiful country with we lucky gringos. His name was Efram (as in Efram Zimbalist, Jr. -- the only way I could remember it) and he was working towards becoming a kindergarten teacher. The much older “captain” of the boat was very jovial, and although we were unable to speak the same language, he managed to show us many interesting sites on the boat ride out and back.

Well, having gotten that “tourist activity” out of the way, Brian could be contained no longer. The next day we rented a car and headed North to Sayulita and my favorite spot in that area, San Francisco, known locally as San Pancho. We spent the day poking around and I suppressed the urge to rent a surfboard and batter my body in the larger-than-we-remembered surf. (Not really, while the surfing-thing was something on my “To-do" list, my previous experience cured the urge and relegated surfing to the other list -- the one of “things I would have liked to do, had I started at an earlier age. . .”) San Pancho is worth driving the extra few miles for. It is a few phases of progression behind Sayulita, with only a small gringo population, and a few very distinct features. In addition to the relatively undeveloped beach that runs the entire western edge of town, there is a large lagoon, which is a designated conservation area, where one can view birds and various other animal species.

While there are some vacation rentals in town, they are less prevalent than in Sayulita and one is able to wander the streets and get a real taste of old Mexico. There is a large new development near town called Las Olas, where, if you look up onto the hillside, it is hard to miss a structure that resembles an Islamic temple, obviously looking quite out-of-place. In doing a little exploring, we managed to locate the caretaker, who gave us a short tour and told us we could rent the place if we were interested in staying for the night! The rent was quite reasonable, and the story of how it came into being was amusing, so if you get there, it would be worth a look or even a stay. While it was impressive in scale, it was a little eerie in atmosphere, so be forewarned.

On the way back to Puerto Vallarta, we encountered the one damper of the day. It was a poor dog on the side of the road, standing next to his dead buddy who had been run over -- he had such a forlorn look on his face -- it created a lasting image that was hard to shake, especially to two very ardent dog-lovers.

The next day, we decided to keep the car and head south, beyond any of our previous destinations. Our goal was to reach Costa Careyes, an area we’d heard about and become interested in visiting. It was a bit of a hike -- 150 miles (+/-) but that didn’t mean we got off to an early start, after all, we were on vacation to relax and that didn't include rising before the sun or getting a cup of coffee "to go". The drive was quite enjoyable, despite its length, and we were tempted to do some exploring along the way, but decided to leave that for another trip so that we might actually reach our destination and be able to get back at a moderately reasonable hour. We were cruising along the relatively smooth highway, well into the trip, having given up on the Mexican music station in favor of Brian's effusive running commentary. He was pointing out the huge vultures at the side of the road, and as we came up to a group of them, we saw they were gathered to feast on a dead cat. As if that wasn’t bad enough, on the center-line of the highway, crouched a teeny, tiny kitty, most likely the baby of the vulture feast and not much bigger than the can of diet coke that I was drinking. He was white and orange and blended in pretty well with the yellow line he was on, but we knew despite his camouflage, he would not last long in that location. What could we do, but a U-turn and hope our rescue effort would not be in vain.

As we re-approached the scene, we found the kitty now on the side of the road and out of eminent danger, but by no means “home-free” considering the group of vultures drooling over him. So we scooped him up and the next thing anyone knew, he was in the front seat of an air-conditioned car with two gringos who weren’t particularly cat-people wondering what the next step should be. I took the driver’s seat in deference to my allergy to cats, and Brian became the primary care-giver. (The kitty was lucky he didn’t know how scary a prospect that really was. . .) Since there was no SPCA or equivalent nearby that we knew of, we did the only thing we really could do -- carry on with our day. Be sure to read part 2 to find out how a Mexican day trip is actually possible, or even enhanced by the presence of a tiny kitty who we named Felix.

Life As I Know It

Now that we are "settled", let's see, we have a fridge, a range, a washing machine, a dryer (if you unplug the Hot Water Heater, you can use the dryer) cold and HOT running water in 2(!)sinks, a NEW toilet, I mean, we are living in the veritable lap-of-luxury!! As a result, I have managed to re-focus what little energy I have left into the job search. It is not going well, in case you were asking. Talk about an exercise in not only futility, but humility. I am worth less now than I was fresh out of high school. It is the pathetic truth -- not even an exaggeration. (I wish it were!)

These are the jobs I've applied for: Vet. Assistant/Receptionist (got an interview for that one, a $12./hr part-time position here on the island), Insurance Inspector (have a telephone interview coming up for that one -- no glamour, but flexible hours and also part-time) (also, I applied for it with Brian so we are a team -- their suggestion, not mine, but at this point, I am reaching for whatever it takes. . .), dog walker, tutor, instructor for the LSAT or something like that, I don't even remember by now, several architecture jobs, most of which require experience on either school or hospital projects, assistant to a realtor (does it get any lower? you betcha. . . that was one of the jobs I was hoping to get. . .) what else. . . well, for general, menial jobs, not office but "on the floor" jobs at Safeway, Whole Foods, Ikea, I know there's more, but my mind is blank, now that I am trying to think of them all.

The jobs that pay approx. $10/hr are hard to go after with too much gusto if they aren't located on the island, since by the time I make the commute and pay for the ferry, I will end up with very little money in my pocket. But I do recognize that some is better than none, and since I have reduced my expenses, I can exist on a fairly meager salary. The problem is, I won't be able to keep Brian living in the manner to which he's become accustomed. So far, it hasn't really sunk in with him, or at least the basis for his existence, shopping for junk, has not altered because now he has a bonafide reason and actual things that he needs -- replacement faucets, windows, vent-pipes, you name it. . .So while he isn't making the caliber of purchase he was making, he is getting to buy, and that's the main thing. I will say that he is not enjoying this any more than I am, other than the getting to shop for junk part. I think it is especially tough for him, because he is now getting to live the reality of his dreams -- and he's realizing that the dream is not always what it professes to be. . . one of the few life's lessons that I've learned by now, imagine, only a few of life's lessons have actually been learned by me at this middle age of 47. . .not because I haven't had them, I just think I am a slow learner in some of these areas. . .Anyway, I learned this lesson through the experience of owning my VW van. I actually like dreamers, I have been known to be one, but compared to Brian, I am a hard-core realist -- B & W, no gray what-so-ever.

So I just had a phone call returned from my home/car insurance agent, whom I called to cancel my policies. He is a good salesman, plus I kind of like the guy, but he convinced me to keep the min. liability on my car plus the ins. on the houses, with increased deductibles. These are the phone calls of my reality. We have also let the health insurance go. No health insurance for the first time in my life. At 47. Just when things start to go wrong. Not a good feeling.

Especially because right at this moment I have a bit of an injury, that I think incurred as a result of the extended, fairly intense Otter Island Row that I did not last weekend, but the weekend before. It is an annual event and this is the third time I've done it -- with never a problem before -- it is a scenic row along the Snohomish (I think) River and its tributaries in Everett, with a Salmon BBQ that follows the row. It is always a lot of fun and this year it, along with the Agility Trial I did the previous weekend, were the highlights of my summer!! Alas, I think I did something as a result of not rowing for so long, then launching into it full-on, and I have some sort of tendinitis in my left forearm muscle, the extendor I think is what I saw on the Web MD diagram, then I did some major work at home a few days later, and now it is swollen and sore if I move it certain ways and makes a funny noise too. It has been over a week since I injured it, so I am concerned. I know it isn't life-threatening or anything, but I want it to heal, because I really, really want to get back to rowing. I NEED some physical activity, and I like to row and I know that these sort of injuries can go on and on. . . So I perpetuate the misery of it all. . .



I have been taking the dogs out on the extensive system of horse trails that are on the island. Who knew?? They rival KVI beach in their appeal, esp. on high tide days -- they really are great for extended dog walks -- and do provide some exercise to the old Mama, and a lot of fun and excitement for "the guys". Brian has been joining us when he's here, but luckily, mainly for me, he has a job building a deck, which he has been procrastinating on, like only a builder can, and finally yesterday and today he is working on that, so we have peace and tranquility -- I love it!! The downside is that now it is time to think of heat, which we are lacking, and the longer we put that off, the more desperate we'll become for it. But I will defer to Brian's motto "Why do today what you can put off for tomorrow?"

One glimmer of good news -- our Henri-boy's photo was chosen to be on Martha Stewart's website's profile of Italian Dog Breeds. His photo was submitted among 50 others by the Bracco Club, so I didn't even have anything to do with it. It will be fun to see. The other glimmer of good news is no rats yet. . .but touch wood, they could start showing up any day. . . I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best, on the rat front and others. . .


BTW, the above shot is NOT the photo that will be on the MS Website. . . in case you were wondering. . .

The Beat Goes On

It just never ends around here. . .really, it is hard to imagine how this is going to end up. . .I can pick up where I left off, which would be to say that we just got the shower back up and running and how did it happen anyway. . . I think it was just in the course of fixing the bath plumbing -- no, I know, it was when he was installing the new dual flush toilet we foolishly purchased at Costco (I mean, we couldn't pass it up, Brian had already purchased a (used, of course) elongated-bowl toilet at Second Use for $50. (!) and here was a brand new, dual flush, elongated-bowl toilet for a mere $80. (!!!) How could we resist??) So anyway, he had installed the toilet and was in the midst of installing the new integrated sink/countertop (that I had told him not to buy because I want the cabinet gone from the bathroom, but as usual, my words fell on deaf ears. . .) so the new sink was going in and at the same time we were cleaning out the disgustingly clogged drain, and of course the process was grueling in its involvement and Brian could not get the sink hooked up -- at least 4 trips to Island Lumber and the newly-unclogged drain was still leaking. . . we were getting frustrated, but little did we know, our frustration was just beginning. I think I decided to do the dishes in the midst of the process only to find there was NO Hot Water -- which was one thing we thought was safe, since it was a relatively new hot water heater installed within the last year. . .by now you likely know the drill, and our problems began with the beginning of the trouble-shooting process. Brian couldn't find the shut off breaker to the thing -- it was hard-wired and it did not appear there was a breaker on the property that controlled that power. Of course, it took quite a while to go through all the breakers, not only in the house, but in the store, in the apartment above the store, in the post office, in the garage, in the crawl space below the store. . . there are a lot of ways to control the power to this place, but none of them were hooked up to the hot water heater. . . So luckily Brian has a few (?) tricks up his sleeve and he managed to disconnect the HWH without curling the remaining hair on his head any more. We packed up the thing and hauled it off to True Value where it came from with a full warrantee (one wee bit of luck) Long story short, we installed the new HWH and it STILL didn't work, there was no power to the thing and we had no idea where the power was coming from anyway, so we were stuck -- high and dry -- ended up being 4 days without Hot Water until Brian was able to attach the wiring of the HWH to the dryer outlet, so now we don't have a dryer, but we do have hot water -- and so the beat goes on.

Every Dog Has His Day

Two days without Brian and I'm starting to feel optimistic. . . well, I'm not sure that's the reason, but it is surely part of it. . . We are getting used to this place, decrepit as it is, and are getting back into the swing of things. We (the guys & I) roused ourselves at 6 am yesterday and went to the Argus Ranch for a day of Agility. It was a l o n g day -- they always are, but this one was even longer since we had to tack the trip to and from plus the ferry ride on to each end of the trip. We had some fun, esp. Henri, who happened to be the dog who was having his day. . . He was on fire -- and burned up the courses -- and his speed did not trump his accuracy in 4 out of 6 runs! He finished in 1, 2, and 3rd place and got one more Q, so that was a great showing!! Not only that, as always, he had FUN!! Hanna, on the other hand, looked like Coco Chanel at a Monster Truck Rally -- she would have rather been anywhere else than there. . .or so she let on -- and she made me work for each and every jump or tunnel that she gave me! And believe me, she was not giving them out too generously. . . She got one Q on her first run of the day and it was down hill after that.

Brian had the compound (Hyannisport West as it has become known in certain circles) to himself and he even managed to get a few things done in between football games. . . Although he did not get the bathroom drain unclogged or the dishwasher fixed so really, whatever he did, it was not enough. . . (which is what he would say I say all the time anyway, so what is the point. . . Does he in fact, have a point??) Whatever, I don't know, but what I do know is the dishes are piled high. . .see for yourself. . .





This sink is the best part of this junk-pile. I think it was actually in the workshop when Brian bought the place -- I don't think it was even one of his "treasures". . . If it was, he would surely not let us use it for this place -- he is "saving" all of his treasures for a project more worthy. . . if you can believe it! I do love the sink, it is the quintessential "wet area" -- you can splash water and be as messy as you want and it can handle it. It is perfect for our lifestyle, inwhich the sink is used for things like washing dog bowls and cookie sheets in my case, or dog shit off your shoes in Brian's case. We have gotten into a few "conflicts" over that last use esp. in the Orchard House, where there was a sink in the basement (4(!)sinks actually before we rented out the unit) where the shit could have been washed off the shoes far from any food prep areas. . . Here the only other sink is the one in the adjacent bathroom and that one has a distinct drainage problem. . . so the dog shit is definitely not a good idea. . .

The only problem with this sink is that it pools water in the back corner, not through any fault of its own, but rather because the back leg needs a bit of a shim under it to compensate for the slope of the floor. A good "Shim" in the right spot is the key to living in this house -- we have them everywhere, even under the espresso machine. . .you should see how difficult it is to roll out a pie crust -- it is impossible to keep the rolling pin from taking off. . . Needless to say, Brian is not thrilled with the sink -- he prefers something a little more "conventional". . .

So other than interior design decisions, we have not been too productive out here I hate to have to admit. . . It really feels most of the time like we are pilgrims or pioneers or whatever you want to call them. . . Everything is SO difficult AND time-consuming! It took several DAYS to get the washing machine hooked up, and even now, when it drains, water comes up into the kitchen sink. . . The dishwasher needed to have a wall outlet installed so we could plug it in, so Brian did that, and we ran it 3 times at the most, and it crapped out. . . of course it was one that Brian found on Craigslist for free or at least next to free I'm sure. . . but still, all the time spent getting it in, now taking it out, it is not a deal. . .but don't tell Brian that. . . The bath tub faucet was leaking and Brian tried to fix that and ended up having to replace the entire supply pipe including adding shut off valves at the tub, since they were so screwed up. . . of course that took a few days. . . I know there's more, but you get the picture. . .it is overwhelming. . .and that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the more major projects like the roof, of which about half is covered in 6 mil poly to keep it from leaking, and the heat or lack of it, both of which I am sure we will soon be noticing are deficient.

We did pick up a vent to use with the "new" gas fireplace we bought, but the fireplace will not do the trick, we need to install a wood stove I think, if we are going to be warm this winter. I REALLY hope it is a dry, mild winter. . .ha, ha, as if that's even a possibility. . .

Well, I have not been writing not for lack of inspiration, but mainly just because I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge the depth of our demise. . . some days it feels positively insurmountable. . .

Today we have a break from Brian because he actually has a bit of a job (bit being the operative word. . .) He is getting the gutters to install for a buddy of his. . . so 2 days of my own thoughts and not having to decipher the irrational verbage that I am bombarded with daily. . . it really is a refreshing break! A bit of a job is a good start, but we need more than that! Let it be noted that I am not just implying that Brian is the only one who needs a job or at least some money, the distinction being that Brian does not see a relationship between the 2, but who am I to judge at this point. . .


Know anyone that wants to buy a dump truck?

Big day - we got a fridge!

We had a bit of a day off today -- we went to town & picked up our new(to us) fridge - purchased, no, stolen, for a mere $150. On Craigslust, oops, typo - or could be a freudian slip since The "L" Word is playing in the background (Brian insisted on watching the episode he fell asleep half-way thru the other night. . . He just got very frustrated listening to how everyone apologizes to eachother & is so concerned about each other's feelings -- I mean, imagine that. . .
Anyway -- what was I saying last night? We are in -- but we were a day late getting out, just as I was afraid of and we still have a garage full of stuff to move plus all the pots on the deck plus a few fix-ups so it is not yet final. This place is pretty much in the state I expected it would be in -- the floors aren't all in, nor are they sealed, & now all of our furniture is in so the "moving" is not even close to being done. The hole in the ceiling & walls where the chimney was have been patched, & we now have a kichen sink & a stove but all that happened yesterday. I have some photos but I can't figure out how to get them posted from this phone so they will have to wait for the laptop to be operational which should happen on Wed.
We did take a break on Sun. Aft. And took the dogs to the beach for a couple of hours. It was a perfect late summer day - warm, sunny, & breezy -- it felt GREAT! I need a day or 2 of rest -- we both do although Bruno insists we must persevere -- even though there is compelling evidence to the contrary -- yesterday he was looking for something in his pockets & realized he had his shorts on backwards & today we stopped at Ikea to get a utensil rack for the kitchen & he left it leaning against the side of the truck. . . Or maybe that's just the status quo -- who can even remember what that is?

We're in. . .

Just lost the post because of the crappy cell phone reception on this I-phone! Well it is just another drop in the bucket of defeatism I am carrying. In a nutshell -- it went pretty much as expected -- and the state of affairs here is also pretty much as predicted -- grim. I will try this again sometime.

Days fly by and it is now 6 days until we move. Of course, we made great progress yesterday, so today Brian decided to sabotage the track to a on-schedule finish that we were on. Stu and I tore out all the carpets yesterday -- it was liberating! Imagine carpet that has been in there for decades -- literally! You could have grown a garden in the dirt that was under the carpet in the study/library area! It was unbelievable. The good part is that under the carpet and the subsequent dirt, is old lino -- not the old, old asphaltic based stuff, but old enough to be pre-vinyl. It is not old buggy decaying wood decking as predicted by Brian, so that is a relief. Brian, by the way, spent the entire day yesterday, filling in a hole in the kitchen that he uncovered when he tore out the cabinets. The floor and wall between the porch and the kitchen were rotted away to the extent that you could see the dirt floor of the crawlspace through the exposed floor boards -- there must have been a leak in the pipes under the kitchen sink, and it was rotted to nothing. Not to mention the 2!! rats nests UNDER the kitchen cabinets. Now those set me back a few notches in my anticipation of the move, or should I say, my lack of anticipation grows stronger with the discovery of each rats nest! I am not a fan of all the spiders, but the rats really make me squirm. . . I don't know if I can co-exist peacefully with rats. . .I know I managed to live, albeit, a bit squeemishly, with mice, when I was living out on the "Rolling J Ranch" all those years ago, but I thought those days were gone. At 47 I was thinking things were supposed to start to settle down and one could begin to coast for a while, but apparently, that is not in my game plan. . . I have to accept that unconventional means just that, and the expectations of what to expect go out the window -- you can't have it both ways baby! Anyway, I am rambling, mostly because I am dead tired! I mean DEAD TIRED!! I would love to blog the night away, but I only have the energy for a brief spurt of a blurb, not really enough for a full-blown blog -- I wish I did, I have a lot to say.

One thing I know is that whatever I do, it is in the best interest of my attitude to NOT, at any cost, go into the workshop. That really sent me into a tailspin this morning. I mean, it is so hard to just accept that we have to move out into this hovel because "we" are flat-broke, when Brian has tens of thousands of dollars of "stuff", mostly purchased at Second Use in that workshop. Well, it is not confined to the shop anymore, it has overflowed into the store, both the main floor and even upstairs. . . He admitted that he likely has over $100,000. worth of "stuff", inventory, whatever you want to call it, in storage. It is hard to even know where to start with a list. He has 3(!) wood-burning stoves, an entire oak staircase, 2 or 3 (!) (again with the !) cast iron bath-tubs, countless old cabinets and windows and doors, and a heartland gas range and a 6-burner Thermador gas range, not to mention the commercial Viking range and hood that he got out of the old Routt Memorial Hospital. . . I could go on and on, but you must get the picture. He has a sub-zero refridgerator (that he didn't mention to me that he bought because he knew I would go ballistic after the 3 month sub-zero debacle we went through with our Orchard kitchen) and get this, he has the old refridgerator from Orchard that he wanted us to use in the new house, but it turns out it isn't working, so now, instead of using the sub-zero, he is looking for ANOTHER refridgerator!! To buy!! Second-hand, of course!! My blood boils just thinking of it. Which is why, you see, I can not go into that shop, or my attitude plummets and I have a hard time keeping the peace -- it is all I can do not to go into a full-blown rant. . .

Where was I?? Oh yeah, the sabotage. Brian decided that the old brick chimney in the corner of the kitchen just HAD to come down, not only did it have to come down, but the bricks needed to be salvaged, so Stu spent the entire day on that, and he got about a third of it taken down. Great! At that rate, we will be moving into a house with a huge hole where the chimney was and easy access for all the rats in the area to come right in, not to mention no new floors. . .one of my only requests. . .how can I be surprised? At least Brian was "kind" enough to drive me to the drive-thru' bank on the way to the job-site this morning so I could take out $400.00 to pay Stu! I tell ya, Brian is such a great guy!! Then tonight, he pulled a stunt that I haven't seen since high school -- he didn't have money for gas for his truck, so we had to go pick up the new to us washing machine and dryer in my car. . . When I couldn't contain my sarcasm at that move, he said he didn't have time to go to the bank to get the money before we had to be at the pick-up place, but still, that is pretty lame. . . So I paid for that too -- the new washer/dryer. It was only $100. -- from a real nice woman -- her email was "tinky louise", so you knew she would be a character! Then we pulled up to a BRIGHT ORANGE house -- a really great deep orange, and she had a (I was going to say fat, but I think chubby is more appropriate) white bull-dog who was a real character named Jelly Biscuit! He was so lovey and attention demanding -- I'm sure the guys would have loved him! Anyway, we did get a deal and I know this woman would have been someone who I would have liked to get to know -- she is pretty cool, but she is moving to Virginia to care for her ailing parents, so I don't know whose shoes I'd rather be in right now. . . I find myself doing that a lot these days. . . comparing shoes. . . and it's not very often I wonder. . . usually it is not my own. . . but another thing I am not, is a care-giver!

Anyway, the rollercoaster ride continues, the (fading fast) romantic side of me loves the property out there and knows this is kind of a cool thing to be doing, aside from the circumstances that are necessitating it. But the tired, complacent side of me really wonders what it is going to be like living in a rat-infested, spider laden house that needs propping up at the least, a new roof, all new windows, unless you want to put plastic over the existing ones like the tenants did. . . etc, etc. . . I like romance, but I think the typical aging process is overtaking me, and the comforts of heat, and security and cleanliness are becoming priorities. . . I'm not saying I need to live in a new mobile home in a gated trailer park, but. . . what?? I doesn't matter. I have a LOT more to expand with on this topic, or should I say expound? but Brian just told me I have to go to bed! WE have to get up EARLY he says. WE have to go pick up some garage doors and a gas fireplace he found on Craigslist in the am. -- in Puyallup -- be there at 9. Then on to the Island for a full day. So it will have to wait. I must do as I'm told. Besides, I know I have a lot to say, but right now, it is gone from my mind. . . hopefully it is temporary and I'll remember it tomorrow. But I know that doesn't always happen. Which is why the blog is good. You can just write it, then it is there, and not subject to memory. Always tenuous, the memory. Esp. with the amount of crap I've been breathing in these days. At least that's my latest excuse. It's always something with me. At least that's what I'm told.

9 days left and counting

This is my first entry. I am starting it half-way through the move, and since I am dead tired by the time I arrive home at 8 pm, by the time I make the dogs their gourmet meal and throw together a sandwich for myself and my dahling husband, Brian, the last thing I really want to do is sit at my computer -- but it has been suggested that it may be a good thing to do, esp. after my appeal for help at a low point I had yesterday. I sent out a cryptic email to a few close friends who I thought would understand -- I can't remember exactly, but it was something about hell on earth or living hell -- well I know hell was the operative word. . . Anyway, I, along with Brian and our two dogs are in the process of moving down -- we are moving out of our lovely home in West Seattle into a property on Vashon Island that really could be described as uninhabitable -- interesting,, cool,, oh yeah, unique in a huge way, but livable, not so much. . .(I can't believe I just used that expression, but in this case it really works, so I'm going to leave it against my better judgement. . .)

So we are trying to get the place together enough to move into, by the time we have to be out of our home, in 9 days. We started about a month ago, right after we rented our house to a perfect couple, ironically, from Vashon Island. Anyway, I will go into details hopefully another time, but as I was saying, there is SO MUCH to do, and SO LITTLE time left, and Brian was getting bogged down with the details, so we sat down and put together a schedule of completion, which Brian promptly ignored and continued going down the path of superfluous tasks. I think the schedule idea sort of backfired, since Brian is the king of having his back up against the wall and all the schedule did for him was emphasise how much time we had in front of us, unlike what it did to me, which was send me into a panic.

So anyway, I tried to impart my sense of urgency upon Brian, but it was lost on him, and I shouldn't have been surprised, but I am going to have to move into that hell-hole, so my concern is hard to moderate! Plus, I know from too much experience how Brian and his deadlines pan out -- usually IF they have a successful ending, it only happens with at least one or two near-all-nighters at the BITTER (and I must emphasise BITTER) end.

Anyway, of course I was the looser of the battle, and I could not contain my frustration, so my only outlet was the email -- not really intended as a call for help, it was more of an appeal for understanding. . . and I knew who to appeal to. I have to say, I have THE BEST friends in the world -- the BEST dogs and the BEST friends! So if other things in my life a lacking in the quality department, I make up for it in these two areas!! I had two phone calls last night from friends who didn't quite know how serious I really was. Which was touching. I wasn't desperate, just frustrated, and I don't know what I would ever do if I reached the point of desperation, but who knows, maybe I would send an email. . .so it's good to know that it would work. But first thing this morning, the barrage of emails began, and my friends (and one spouse) carried on a dialogue about my situation and several suggestions of how to deal with it, not to mention corrections of fellow friend's suggestions, and when I finally took a break from the drudgery, the laugh that I had as a result of reading those emails, was exactly what I needed!! My day got instantly better and I began to feel a tiny bit hopeful, not that we'd get everything done that I thought should be done by the time we moved in, but hope that I'd be able to deal with it. . . I finished painting the bathroom and put another coat of paint on the back bedroom and hopefully tomorrow will see an end to the painting. Although I wish we were using low VOC paint, we are not and that oil-based KILZ is killing me!! Plus, who knows how long it will take for the paint smell to dissipate. . . Is this me -- two negative thoughts for every positive one?? I should think about that. . .

Well I NEED to get to bed -- I keep hearing about how I am holding up the process because I am not up by 6 am, okay, 7 am, well, I will say I am almost always up by 7:30 . . . There may be some truth to that. That's all I'll say about it!