Averygoodun's Personal File

So those who follow me on that other site will know by now that my life is in major flux right now, as Geoff accepted a job in Albuquerque, NM. Which is approximately 2000 miles from here. He moves (with our stuff) in the end of May, while Page and I stay here for another week or so to finish up the major school events.

It will be excellent, and we're happy and excited and all that, but, well, there's so much to be done in the meanwhile. We're fortunate in that two days after our home went on the market it received an offer (which we accepted). But... omg, there is just so much to do. On both ends. And logistics to unravel out the wazoo.

I'm writing this post as much to try and motivate myself to write a to do list as to communicate, because with the immediate blitz of activity out of the way, I'm struggling to motivate myself into doing everything else that needs doing. Granted, this is my first day of alone-time in nearly two weeks, so I may just take it as a (well-deserved) holiday. I'm happy to do all that I can do, but it's wearing. Especially the patience needed for everything.

That said, I really am looking forward to this move. I will miss my friends around here terribly, but I am so looking forward to sunshine almost every day. And the horizons. Both Geoff and I drifted toward the hotel's driveway to gaze at the horizon the morning after we arrived for our whirlwind house-hunting tour. It'll be weird to have the mountains to the east of us (volcanoes to the west!), but it's a surprisingly beautiful city we're moving to. Not pretty, per se, but beautiful. And the architecture is SO much more to our taste. While I like Cape Cod houses, and New Englanders, the preponderance of salt boxes and colonials here will make pueblo style buildings a happy thing to observe for the next decade.

The main benefit of the move, however, is going to be our proximity to family. It's only a 6-hour *drive* to my sister and her family, so if there are family emergencies or celebrations, we can go! (Alas, we'll be moving two weeks too late to attend my niece's graduation. Boo!) And everyone else in Colorado is way closer than she is. We'll be able to see Geoff's parents every month!

And, did I mention the weather's better in Albuquerque? Because, well, we left New England in the cold gray, and came back to it starting to drop cement-like snow two days later. This last week. We need the moisture out here, but I am not loving the fact we've gotten our winter's worth of snow (and frigid cold) over the past 6 weeks. That's supposed to be a Front Range thing, not a New England thing!

Ah well.

Anyway, that's enough muttering. And puttering, probably. I need to... do stuff. What stuff, I still haven't decided, but do stuff I must.

Cheers!

I hate making calls. Really, I'm almost phobic about it. Not quite, but it's amazing how long I have to psych myself up to make any call besides one to Geoff. Even calling family makes me nervous.

Ah well. I do need to find out whether Page is a Canadian citizen due to the date of his birth or not. So I guess I will call. At some point. Soon. Honest.

In other news, it was almost 80 degrees here yesterday. I sunbathed (for vitamin D purposes), and even as exposed as I was (sports bra and swim-skirt), I was getting uncomfortably warm by the time my 15 minutes were up.

However, later in the day, I persuaded Page to come outside with me, and I cleaned and weeded the garden while he regaled me with details about the new world he's creating. I had the thought that perhaps JRR Tolkien's mum (or, more likely, his nurse), went through something similar. It wasn't too bad, as my body was busy and my mind idle, but, wow. He can still talk.

While he was talking, I managed to weed most of the strawberries out of the ornamental garden out back. I still have a dozen or so to pull up, but I think I may have a chance of keeping up with them come spring. I also managed to pull up most of the alders that had taken root last year. My poor neglected garden really was neglected last year. I think I got out only a few times in the spring, and then... nothing. For the entire summer. And fall. (I lay the blame on the basement. It sucked everything out of me. Everything.)

But spring is definitely coming. Crocuses are blooming, daffodils and hyacinths are emerging, my honeysuckle is budding, and the creeping phlox is greening. And the grass, too. It even smells oddly fertile around here. It's a month early, but spring is definitely coming. Most people are pretty happy about this, and I figure I might as well join them. As long as we don't get a front-range spring with two foot snow drops that break all the trees and kill all the flowers, I'm okay with winter being done. I certainly don't want a deep freeze to come along at this point!

I have also been productive in the basement. Two wall panels are done(ish), and cabinets have been installed on them. I've also put up one unit of pegboard and organized the more necessary tools on it. It's a temporary storage solution, as many things will go on the as yet unfinished walls, but it's getting there. And it's all accessible!!! Oh, man, is it nice to be able to use the basement to construct things again. And, I am constructing things. I've almost finished the column to cover the support beam, which is the first step to creating the storage cabinet for the laundry area (which will double as an art storage place; it'll be double sided), which should improve life for us me significantly.

Painting... I haven't been so productive. I did put in a week of labor getting "Herald" framed up nicely (enough) so as to put it in the Art Association's Spring art show at the mall. That went up last Saturday. I still have yet to go down to the mall to photograph the show. Ah well.

I've also started sketching with watercolors (well, watered-down acrylics; use what you have) in preparation for a painting I want to do. I overworked the first sketch, but it's not too bad. I'll share a photo of it eventually. I think that also happened on Saturday... Heh.

Otherwise, life has been spent drinking tea and running around in a daze. I sure would like this basement done so that I can take a guilt-free weekend off. But it's getting there. It is. Finally. Almost a year later... *grunts*

Anyway, I ought to go. Lunch to eat, instruments to deliver, husbands to ferry... Yep. Exciting stuff. ;-)

I think Spring has arrived! It's still early spring, as the cars and grass are still frosted over in the mornings, but, well, crocuses! Blooming, even! And signs of life from other plants! And surprises! Like, I gave my neighbor my orange poppy, because the color didn't go with the surrounding plants. I was away when she dug it out, and it seems she left bits of root, because I have three tiny little poppies sprouting up around where the original one was! Their color still won't go with the surrounding plants (and there's now a purple sedum there that'll crowd them horribly), but I figure I'll have prepared room to transplant them into as soon as they die back this summer.

Of course spring also means the onset of allergies. I've started Page on his inhaler and the controller medicine that he was given at his physical. I'm hoping his wheezing and cough is asthma, actually, as a friend recently had a bad case of pneumonia, and since we were all exposed to her germs pre-diagnosis... (After breakfast he coughed a deep-sounding cough and said it hurt, pointing to the middle of his left rib cage. *meeps*) Well, I'll know by tomorrow, I suspect. I was bad and sent him to school even with the wibbles.

Meanwhile, I've been single-parenting since Sunday, and it seems I will be doing so through Saturday. We both miss Geoff. And poor Geoff is going to be utterly wrecked when he comes home. I wish I could make doctor's appointments for illness in advance, because I'm pretty sure he'll be needing one by Monday.

And my school continues. Only a month left of classes, actually! This semester has been such a breeze so far! It's been far more restful than last semester was! Excel is fun, and Sage is... well, it is. At this point, it's routine. Easy as long as I pay close attention to all the details, especially dates and GL account numbers.

The thing that is stressing me out about school the most is the extracurricular stuff, actually. Like, I feel guilty about dropping out of PTK, but, well, also glad, because there's drama going on in there that I really don't want to deal with. And there's an art fair that I'm participating in on Saturday, but I'm woefully unprepared for. That's what I'll be doing tomorrow... *meeps*

But I should go and get moving. A friend is coming over to help me cook today, so I need to at least make sure the kitchen is presentable and the bathroom is clean. Oh, and do the shopping... :-)

Happy Spring, ya'll. Happy, happy Spring!

So fucking tired of the teenage attitude from my not-even-close-to-adolescence child.

So. Fucking. Tired.

I'm not sure what's up with either of us, because we've been at each other for weeks now. Actually, I'm not sure it isn't all (or mostly) on me, as he's been irritating the snot out of me for a couple of months. *thinks* Okay, maybe it's only been a couple of weeks, but they've been really, really long weeks.

That four snow days right before winter break didn't help, I don't think.

*breathes*

I don't know. I'm just generally pissy right now. Annoyed at everyone and everything. I hope I can blame it on lack of sleep (fucking daylight savings) and such, not on my body rejecting the anti-Ds. After all, last time an antidepressant wore off, it induced rage...

*breathes again*

Probably, though, it's that there's still lots of snow on the ground and even more snow in the forecast, and it's been one bloody long winter. I need to get my outside projects going so as to keep my sanity. I hate being on hold.

Right. Gonna go do something. Something productive, even, I think.

*nods*

So I was utterly useless yesterday because I had the absolute temerity to shovel out half the driveway the day before. It seems moving six inches of powder is too much for my delicate system, but it was too shy to say anything at the time.

*blows raspberry at shoulder and back*

On top of that, I actually missed church this morning because my back was hurting so much. As I was going through my early-morning ritual, I realized I was taking extreme care of how I positioned myself just so I wouldn't be setting off the huge pain sensors.

Fortunately, Geoff spared a few of his precious (not being facetious) pre-church minutes to give me a back rub. That and the short nap afterward seemed to help enough that I'm not clenching my jaw to the point of pain. Still sore and needing to be very, very careful about lifting things, but I can at least get comfortable in various postures.

But, oh, I do hate being utterly useless. Especially when everyone else around me is being active and helpful. Ah well. I will pacify my guilt with the knowledge that I have been doing lots and lots up until now. And there's lots I can do that won't injure me further.

And I have been helpful lately! ( tl;dr: A longer than expected winter vacation equals seriously hyped up kids )

( My hair is no longer wonderful to me )

( Today's activities )

( Geoff starts his high travel season tomorrow )

Aaaaaaannnnnndddddd, that's about it. Given the time it is and the lack of people home from church, I'm guessing Geoff got Page a playdate, and is spending that time at work preparing for tomorrow's trip. He's such a good husband, giving me so much alone time. Although, really, what I'd like is a bit more time alone with him, but, well, it's human nature to never be happy with what blessings have been bestowed, right?

Hope you all are safe, warm and doing what makes you happy.

- There is a black, life-size, lego spider on the computer desk that gives me a start every time I spot it. It's shaped just like a black widow. I should tape it to the last 'spiderweb' Page had me hang up in a corner however many years ago.

( More... )

- The humidity level is down to something reasonable, finally. The air isn't hard to breathe for its thickness, anymore. Yay!

- I got a bit of a back rub this morning, which helped tremendously. I might be able to skip the painkillers today because of it (though probably I'll still take the anti-inflammatories).

- I submitted my final Word Lab last night and got a 95%. Normally, I'd be a bit upset about that grade, but this prof is so persnickety that I'm happy. Only the final to go, and I'm done. I'll find out my final grade on Saturday or thereabout.

- Page is busy reading an old Superman anthology of Geoff's, meaning he's not talking or otherwise making noise. It also means he's no longer trying to jump on the furniture in a way that isn't disallowed.

- Shiv updated "A Law to Herself"! (Has it really been 5 years since the last update? Really?!?)

- I got my guys to pick up their stuff, leaving the house reasonably tidy once again.

- Upcoming vacation. Oh, god yes.

- I'm going to paint again today. In fact, I'm going to go do that right now.

- Well, I'm glad I took Page into the doctor, as, apparently, the skin all around his left eye is infected. It does look absolutely terrible, with red, swollen lumpiness taking over, and I gave him a tylenol tonight because the pain started spiking. I can't remember her diagnosis, but, yeah. Oral and topical antibiotics have been started, as well as lots and lots of mandatory cuddling (his insistence, not mine. I only use the corporate cuddling tactic in extreme anger situations).

Plus side: it isn't contagious.

- I am on the second to last week of computer class. Thank god. It is kind of nice to learn all some of the things that Word 2010 can do, but, lord I don't like my teacher's rubric. Still trying to decide whether to take the Excel class with her next semester or save it for the Spring when I can choose a different teacher... I think I'm starting to lean towards a computer-filled Spring semester. Maybe take Human Growth and Development this fall...

- It's hot out. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwt. And it's supposed to get hotter as the week wears on. I suspect that tomorrow will find me actually dailing a phone to call friends with pools. (That is if Facebook messaging fails.) At least it dips into the 70's at night, which lets the (rising) humidity sink onto the ground a bit.

- The backyard might be completed soonish. The last pile of dirt was spread out today and the capstones were put in place, so it looks like they only have to have a few guys with rakes come over and finish up the smoothing out before they spray grass seed everywhere. Except, of course, for where they're still trying to figure out the drainage problem related to this house.

Did I mention how the other night I dreamt that the construction of a throughway was endangering the entire neighborhood, with houses of incremental closeness being torn down by earthmovers, and the neighbors in complete denial? *rolls eyes at drama queen subconscious*

- My bowl of rocks is very pretty... (Geoff isn't here to mention how tempted he always is to reach in and grab one of the "cookies". They are nice and round-like. :-)

- I have the foundation plants of my backyard design picked and planned out. Basically. I still have to choose a variety of rhodo, but otherwise I'm set. The fence will be lined with evergreen shrubs (the rhodo, pieris, and one each of China Girl/Boy hollies), and a golden elderberry will stand in front of the rhodo and pieris. I have yet to figure out the placement of the detail plants (hostas, ferns and the like), but I will. Oh, and a Sweet Autumn Clematis will be encouraged to climb all over the shed.

Oh, I am looking forward to having a shed!

- Bully for England, passing the gay marriage law. I wish conservatives here could see it the way Cameron does. Ah well. In time. Related to that, Page and I watched ST:NG, season 5's "The Outcast," which was a blatant allegory about the place of gays in American society. I am glad that in twenty years it isn't quite so bad in most American urban areas anymore, but it is discouraging that we have to keep having the same conversation over and over again. And that Riker's voice of reason gets overruled again and again and again...

Aaaaand, that's about it. I am feeling better, both mentally and physically, than I was yesterday around this time, even if it doesn't show through my words.

First, an apology. I'm sorry I haven't been commenting on many (any?) of your posts lately. I have been reading and sending good vibes and well wishes and cheers and such your way, but I have been in a less than communicative mood lately. Basically, I'm so peopled (or stressed) out that I don't even want to interact in the digital sphere.

I'm also sorry for all the whining, but I don't in any way expect absolution for that because I fully intend to continue doing it. In fact, I am about to start another round right now! ;-)

( At least I will put it all behind a cut. )

Cheers!

And by that I mean that I can now feel it through my warm fuzzy.

However, the air is still cold (there was a layer of frost on the car this morning), so the warm fuzzy is definitely still needed.

My front garden is giving me almost no end of pleasure. As soon as the sun is shining on it today, I will be taking pictures. I've already taken a couple pictures of my backyard daffodils (lovely, lovely flowers) through the window. When I'll post these photos is another question entirely, as I'll need to figure out where. I suppose my deviant account would do, but I'm not sure I want random garden photos there, and I'm not sure I want to take the time and effort to make these garden photos something that could be described as "art". *shrug*

But really, I need to concentrate on getting a fair amount done today.

I really don't want to.

I read so much yesterday that my eyes were stinging by the end of the day. Dimming the lights in the evening helped, but, sheesh. Such sensitive organs, eyes.

But. Need to get reading again. And editing. And write that damned bibliography (I really, REALLY don't wanna do that). And finish the stew I started yesterday...

*sigh*

And, really, there's no time like the present, is there? *blows raspberry in Buddha's direction*

Cheers!