Lunch break

There may be a tiny dot of light at the end of the tunnel today. It's not terribly bright, but the light is at least consistent and glowing a tiny bit brighter every day. I started to tackle the garage this morning. I'm taking a lunch break, now. I did this so far:

I'm in the middle of my ninth trash bag, and it looks like I will be driving around town trying to find new homes for more garbage. There's no way it stops here, and there's no way 9+ bags of crap are fitting into the big bin that the city of Dallas empties out every Friday. 

In the field of archeology, I have located the box my maternal grandmother's wedding ring came in, my mother's old purse from her time on the Air Force, the bible I got for confirmation and my notebook from my time in high school as a peer helper.

When I had to get out of the garage and return to the air conditioning, I took it upon myself to find the appropriate paint colors for each room and touch up whatever nail hole filler and paint flub I could have seen. While I was doing that, I took a Sharpie and wrote the name of the room on each can of paint. If the next owners want to keep the colors or touch anything up, it should be easy to see which color was used on which wall.

Anyhow, I only stopped to eat yet another Lunchable. It was a quick, convenient thing to do the other day, so I picked up another one on the way here. I also picked up some Gatorade. Probably for the best, since this is an awful lot like a workout, only with more dirt and trash bags. 

I'm also a member

Cas and I started out our day today by heading to a bank branch to check on a few things.  Mostly, we were absolutely puzzling over a charge to our account that was described as "customer withdrawal."  We had no idea what it was or how come the amount was so specific.  The nice bank people allayed our fears and showed us a scan of the temporary check we wrote out to the locksmith who changed our locks.

We dropped some stuff off at his apartment, hit a Bed Bath and Beyond and made our way to a salad place for lunch.  It was delicious.  It was also across from the Costco.  We had carefully considered Sams v. Costco.  In the end, they were pretty well matched in reviews, but Costco actually pays their employees a living wage.  We went Costco.

We are now members:

It was productive.  We had discussed actually joining a warehouse club when we got into a place together.  Neither of us ever had the ability to use bulk items before.  Now, we have a house with two people in it, and there's a fair shot we may actually need larger amounts of toilet paper or a big bag of chicken breasts.  

In the late afternoon, I headed out to my old house and Cas headed to the gym.  Tomorrow is trash day on my old street, and both the trash can and the recycle bin are totally full.  I decided to see if anyone was living in the other half of the duplex yet.  Since the place still appeared to be empty, I filled up their trash can and recycle bin, as well.  I also bagged up two more large bunches of garbage and took them over to my parents' house.  I am distributing my garbage throughout the area.  

I will go back tomorrow and clean up some more, and by the time I get there, the trash will have been emptied.  Yay!  I know I can make more.  

The big dig

Last year on my birthday, Dad and I went on our trip to Boston.  We took a few tours while we were there, and one of the trolley drivers made several references to a construction project where they filled in some land and built on top of it.  They called it The Big Dig.  That's what I think I should call the process of culling through my things and keeping only what's necessary.  It's like archaeology to me.  I am uncovering layers of history.  A few days ago, I found this:

I just need headphones and batteries, and I can see what was on that tape.  I bet it was a good one...

I continued the big dig in my kitchen yesterday.  Everything was removed from the carpeted areas of my house so the guy my mother recommended could come in and work a miracle.  He did, in fact.  The Berber carpet that was in four rooms and a hallway in my house was absolutely gross.  It had stains on it when I moved in, and I tried to run a Dirt Devil carpet cleaner on them.  That seemed only to piss off the stains.  Steve got every single one of them out and stretched the carpet in the places that needed stretching.  It was a rental property before I lived in it for ten years, so I can't imagine the depth of some of the dirt.  I was so impressed that I called our realtor Steve and had him put carpet guy Steve on the list of preferred contractors he gives to new homeowners.  

While the carpets were being resurrected, I was packing up and sorting through more stuff in my kitchen.  I had stuff I had pulled from other rooms to work with while Steve was there.  That's when my archaeology turned up this gem:

For my 21st birthday, my paternal grandmother sent me a butterfly.  I assume it was this one, but there's no way to be sure.  It seems like the one, though.  It was fake gold plated with rhinestones in the wings.  The thing is, the 21st birthday butterfly came with a suction cup on the back, and this one was in the same box as a metal stand.  Maybe the birthday butterfly had two different options for a display method.  I may never know.  

Almost 20 years ago, though, I received this or something very much like it for my birthday.  Because there was a suction cup, I licked the back of it and immediately stuck it to my forehead.  It became a running joke in the family.  One year, Grandma asked Mom what she should get me for my birthday, and Mom told her to get something with a suction cup on it.  Maybe that sounded as strange to Grandma as it does to me, but she obliged, and I had a second suction-cup thing to stick in my window.  In fact, it's still in my old kitchen.  I need to pull it off of the window when the big dig continues.  

Republican Candidate #17

Whew.  I was ambitious yesterday.  I got up and headed out pretty early in the morning with the intention of preparing my old house for the carpet cleaning it will have today.  That meant I had to clear every single thing off the floors in the front bedroom, the living room, the dining room and the master bedroom.  I had already accomplished a quarter of that before the day started, but that didn't mean I finished fast or anything.

I did get it all cleared away, though.  Everything is pretty much boxed or bagged.  I had a multi-box system going.  I had one box for the trash, one for recycling, one for future charity donations and one or more for actual packing.  In my dining room, I had a kitchen box, a bedroom box and an office box because I had used the room as a staging area after the table went in the garage sale.  Everything was in there.

I was a perpetual motion machine until I decided to break for gourmet lunch.

After that fancy meal, I was back to work.  Nobody had answered the ad I posted on Craigslist about my washer and dryer, either, so I was starting to worry,  They had been in the living room, which had to be furniture-free for the cleaning.  By four in the afternoon, I decided to drive off and handle it later.

The office at my old house was full.

Cas and I decided that it would be smart to play trivia last night.  We needed one normal thing in our lives that didn't involve moving appliances or rolls of shipping tape.  I went to new home, showered, drove back to old home, moved the washer and dryer back to the laundry closet place and went to trivia.  

We got Laura and Jerone to come out and play, and our team was called Republican Candidate #17, since we're pretty sure there are already 16 declared candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. We tied for first place with another team of rather surly individuals.  They had pretty much been glowering at us all night.  We were having fun- celebrating when we were right about stuff and cursing our luck when we were wrong- they were quietly sitting at the next table over, watching us.  It was creepy.  

I didn't even know we were in a race for first with these jokers until much later on.  I just thought they looked rather unpleasant.  

The tiebreaker round was just for us and the other team, and there were five questions.  We got two of them; the grumpy people got three.  Laura turned around and said how much fun we'd had and how exciting it was to have a tight race like that.  The girl on the team (with a hideous nose ring right in the middle of her nose that reminded me of the bull in those old Bugs Bunny cartoons) didn't really respond to that sentiment.  She only stopped to gloat that she got the Elizabeth Cady Stanton question because her name is Elizabeth.  I guess I'd call them sore winners.  They seemed really aggravated that we had the nerve to also know things.  Whatever.  We're an awesome team.  

Cas and I look pretty good, especially since we both spent the day trying to get out of our old homes and into our new one.  

Spoons and spatulas

I left my new home just after 7:00 this morning so I could get to my old home before the heat really kicked in for the day. I had to mow the grass at my old house.

I realized quickly that the fence Danny and I removed had landscaping stones around its base. They had become obscured over the years, and today, the lawnmower found several of them. That provided me with the opportunity to sit down on my driveway and pluck rocks from the dirt. Not how I had planned to spend my morning. 

But I finished up before it got too hot. That led to the front bathroom and bedroom, both of which are now empty and clean. 

I also packed up all of the stuff in my master bathroom. 

I even took up some really worn out linoleum tiles from my kitchen and replaced them. 

When I stopped to eat something, I went for the yogurt I had left in the fridge. I just didn't have a spoon. So I did this:

Seemed like the best delivery method available. 

I worked really hard, and I didn't leave until around 3:00. When I got back home, I couldn't wait to shower. It was the best shower in a while- hours-old lawn clippings and perspiration went down the drain with the soap bubbles. 

I think it may be time to get a nap in, though. I had a sandwich with some soup, and this time, I had a spoon available. 

Sausage fest

For extra fun today, I spent my traditional Sunday with dad working on my old house. I had him moving a refrigerator, unhooking a washer and dryer and installing the toilet paper holder in my front bathroom.

I certainly know how to have a good time.

After the fun of fixing things, dad drove to my new place with my ladder. I forgot to have it put in the moving truck, and it fit better into a PT Cruiser than a Ford Focus. 

In the new 'hood, Cas and I went out with dad for beers. It is Sunday, after all.  Later in the day, Cas headed to the grocery store. When he got back, I took the opportunity to use my recently moved ladder (thanks, clown car!) to change the light bulb in the master bedroom. 

On the way to purchase the bulb, I saw these asshats: 

Quick question- if traditional marriage is so fantastic, where are their wives? Wait, I know this one. Their wives are drinking together and commiserating about their poor spouse choices. 

Talk about a sausage-fest. 

Fun theme day, too. Cas and I had pasta and Italian sausage for dinner. We sat down and are at our recently placed dining room table. If you ask me, that was a far superior sausage-fest. And afterwards, we made a final determination about Frank and Claire. Still horrible people, as it turns out. And we're all caught up. Now, we need to pick a new show to watch together until House of Cards releases season four. 

Aunt Jane

I had an iPhone 4 in my car. It was my intention to find it a new home, and failing that, take it to Entertain-Mart to recycle it for a few bucks.

When the whole family was in town for Danny's wedding, I gave the phone to my aunt Jane. She was without a phone. 

She wrote an email the other day to say how much she is enjoying having it. In the message, she said how much my cousin Annie (her daughter) liked having me around. She was also under the impression that Cas had Swedish grandparents. In fact, Laurie has the Swedish heritage, but who can keep track? 

Jane was once married to a proud Swede, and my dad and all of his siblings are half Norwegian, so you can imagine the rivalry. 

Anyhow, I finally got a chance to write her back today. Enjoy: 

Jane,

I am so glad that the phone is working out for you! I had it in my car with every intention of recycling it for a few piddly dollars, but only because I didn't know anyone who needed it. I love serendipity. I'll tell you a story about that phone in a moment, but I want to clear the air, first.

Laurie is the one with Swedish grandparents. Cas is mainly German. And I do remember the excessive Swede-fest that was once your home decor. If memory serves, you had a Christmas tree adorned with Swedish flags. I told Cas about the whole thing, and apparently, it does make a difference to him that my people are Norse. He said, "Well, yeah, because Norwegians are better." I certainly have found the right guy.

Anyhow, we're in the process of moving, so this is the first chance I've had to write back. It's a bit of a whirlwind.

Now, the story with the phone. I met Cas for the first time on my 38th birthday. (41 is just over a month away) A friend was having a party that just happened to fall on that day. I went, and I spent most of the evening talking to a very nice guy. We got along great, but he was a little slow on the uptake, so when I gave him my number, he didn't call. I chalked it up to bad luck and went on with my life.

That same friend organized a happy hour about six months later, and there was Cas again. We chatted and went our separate ways. Still, no call.

Finally, as the next school year was drawing to a close (I'm 39 at this point... Talk about a delay) I see this fellow again at a gathering for this same friend's birthday. It was at a restaurant. At some point in the evening, I excused myself to go to the ladies' room. I had my phone in my hand, and when I went into the bathroom, I realized my pockets were too small for it. I placed it on the top of the toilet paper dispenser, as I am sure most people would in that circumstance.

Evidently, I left it there. When I couldn't find the phone, Cas offered to call it so I could hear it ring. Someone had turned it in at the bar, and I got the phone back. I also had his number in my missed calls. Finally...

Later on that night when I was at home, I sent a text message to say thanks for the help in locating my missing phone, and that was when we scheduled our first date. So, you see, that phone is very lucky.

I'm glad you're making use of it. I figure that makes us even from the time when you have me the little, purple dinosaur that was on your desk. (Photo attached) I remember how I asked for it, and you were hesitant to say yes. I still have it, and it will be on my desk in my new house very soon.

I need to get back to it, though. Hope you're having a great weekend. It was wonderful to see everyone, and from the second-oldest of the Hinds cousins to the youngest of them, I must say, I really like Annie, too. If you only get one kid, you got the best one.

Take care!

Heather 

Truck parade

Yesterday started out with two men packing up my furniture and putting it on a truck. They followed me from my old house to my new one. That was after the U-Haul the night before when my brother and my dad delivered my couches. Today, we had an AT&T truck and an air conditioning truck out front. Tomorrow, Cas will have his own moving truck in our new street. It has begun.

All of that stuff is in a different house now- a house with cool air and Internet. 

We both left the new place just after two so we could keep working on emptying out our respective old places. 

The plan is to reconvene at eight so we can eat dinner and go to bed, which is now at the new house. 

Of course, I broke one of my pretty pink fingernails today. So be it. We all knew their days were numbered. 

Here I am, though, back in my duplex filling up garbage bags, boxes and a recycling bin. 

We had dinner last night and watched a DVD copy of Blazing Saddles, which fits right in with our typical entertainment choices. We picked up one of those dinner-for-two stir fry bags from the grocery store, along with the stuff I wanted to have so we could start our first morning in our house together with French toast and strawberries. Good call, too. Good breakfast. 

I haven't got a ton of time. I have to get right back to work on this house and hit the road at 6:30 or 7- depending on how badly I need a shower when I leave here. It looks like I will probably need one before I can be ready to chill out on the couch with my fella prior to flopping on the mattress again tonight.

It's still a bit of a whirlwind. No matter, though. I'm in good company. 

Whirlwind

That's the word I would use for the day we've had. Cas and I got going on the morning. I put a whole load of boxes in the car and headed to the new house. Cas wanted to meet at 11:30 for lunch. After that, we went for our final walk through with our realtor Steve.

We walked through the house and headed over to the closing. This time, it worked. We got the house. The first round of paper-signing was excellent practice, I suppose. 

After that, we came back to the house and opened the bottle of champagne Steve gave us. Jeanne wanted to see the place, so we hung out in our furniture-free home for a moment until she arrived. We found a way to relax. 

After Jeanne's tour of the house, we headed to the Home Depot and had a copy of our key made. Since we're changing the locks soon, we only needed one. Somehow, the sellers only left one. Seriously, Pam and Rashid? One key? Whatever. 

We also picked up a big jug of preventative insect repellant. Cas really hates bugs. 

Back to the house, Cas went around inside and out with the spray while I unpacked some kitchen boxes. I got out of there just in time to pick up Danny and make my way to the U-Haul place for my 6:00 reserved time. We got a truck, drove back to mom and dad's house, picked up the couches they wanted to give us, drove them to the new place, put them in the living room, drove to my old place, picked up my motorcycle, drove back to mom and dad's house, dropped off the bike and returned the truck. 

Whew!

And back to the old house I went to prepare my furniture for the movers who are coming between 8:30 and 9:30 am tomorrow. 

I am so exhausted I can't think straight. I guess that was clear when Danny and I were headed to the U-Haul place to return the truck. He was driving and I was in the passenger seat. We went around the corner and started down the street to return the truck. A few feet down the street, I told Danny to stop the truck so I could get out and take my car to the U-Haul location. Duh. We were going to return the truck, but we failed to ensure our return from the place. I guess we could have walked? I'm sleepy.

And I should hit the sack soon, too. I have movers in the morning. Ready, set, whirlwind. 

Picture perfect

Today, my cousin Kris sent a folder of photos from her gig as a wedding photographer on Saturday.  These are my favorite photos from the ones Kris took at Danny's wedding.  First, Danny being Danny when tripping on the words a little:

It  was cute.  He had to ask Becky to repeat herself so he could get it right.  Then there was the shot of me apparently checking something out to my left as I walked up to the front.

This is a pretty darn good shot of me and my brothers.  I like a good bro pic, and it's rare to have us all dressed nicely at the same time.  It's even more rare to have us all dressed according to a color scheme.

 The reception was across the hallway in the same venue, so we didn't even have to walk outside to get there.  It was a pretty fun reception.  I have this habit of grabbing Danny's head as though I am trying to palm a basketball.  I have no idea why I do it. but he made the funniest face when I did:

And finally, this is my Aunt Jane, dad's youngest sibling.  She was the subject of the most joyful photo of the evening. (except those of the bride and groom- those crazy kids were pretty thrilled...)But it's not about me or Jeff or Jane or my weird habit of grabbing hold of Danny's cranium.  It's about this:That's it for now, though,  I painted the rest of the front bedroom today.  I still have to work on the windowsill a little bit, but that's more touch up than full-on painting.  I have to get to sleep- one of my last times to do that here in my duplex.  We will actually close on the house tomorrow, but furniture happens the following day,  Actually, it's after midnight now, so technically, we close on the house today.  In fact, I am 12 hours away from owning a house with the best guy I can think of spending my life with.  I guess Dan and Laurie aren't the only ones grinning from ear to ear about a big commitment.  

Elvis has left the building

The invasion of the family has come to a close.  My aunts, uncles and cousins are fabulous people, but I have lived by myself for about a decade, so I am glad to have some quiet time today.  Yesterday, I picked up Cas and we headed to my cousin Rachel's house in Grapevine.  We had a good time with the folks, and we headed back to Richardson to hang out with Jeff, who is on the way home, now, as well.

Cas and I were kind of on the fence about our ability to go see a concert yesterday, but in the afternoon, we decided to pull the trigger and buy tickets.  We left from Richardson to go to Starplex and see Elvis Costello and Steely Dan.  I was far more excited about Elvis Costello than Steely Dan, but it appears that Elvis has lost a step somewhere along the way.  He wasn't hitting the right notes at some points, and it was very sad to me.  I love Elvis Costello.  I saw him at the Bronco Bowl many years ago, but this appearance was pretty different and awfully rough around the edges.  The headliners were spot-on, singing exactly as well as they ever have.  Elvis is 60- I Googled a little to try to figure out what happened to his voice.  In the end, we all decided it was probably the July-in-Texas heat and maybe a little alcohol making his performance less impressive than it used to be.  Alas, Elvis had left the building.

Still, here is a little far-away shot of Steely Dan:

And, of course, we took a concert selfie:

Cas' friends Adam and Jennifer came out for the show, and they brought some of those low rise beach chairs for us.  Good friends to have.  

This morning, Dad called me to invite me to lunch with Windy and his crew.  They leave town in the afternoon, and this is the last shot at uncle, aunt and cousin time for this go-around, but I declined.  I want to get back to finishing my house work so I can get out of this one and into the new one.  I'm about to go mess up my very fancy manicure, now, by painting the rest of my front bedroom.  It's not the most fun way I could spend my day, but I am ready to finish the work.  

Do you even bridesmaid?

My nephews have adapted the decidedly young and male habit of asking others about their workout habits for their own amusement.  The typical thing to ask, apparently, is, "Dude, do you even lift, bro?"

Instead of worrying over people's gym habits, they ask bros if they even do a bunch of other stuff.  Apparently, the most recent incarnation for them is Do you even America, bro?

Ah, to be a teenager.  So, to answer the question before it's asked, I do bridesmaid, bro.  I so freaking bridesmaid. 

I have endured all manner of brides-maidery lately.  I have a fancy paint job on my fingernails and toenails.  I own a shirt with rhinestones on the front that spell out the word bridesmaid.  I had my hair done by the maid of honor, and I got into a changing room where the bride and all of the bridesmaids got dressed.  I grew up with brothers, so when Bobbie Jo said it was time to get dressed, I naturally took my things and excused myself to the ladies room.  I popped into the handicapped stall, changed my clothes and returned to the group.  That is what I have always done.  If you are the only girl in a house of boys growing up, it doesn't naturally occur to you that you should change right there with other people.  

I came back to the room where everyone was getting ready, and I pretty much saw everyone else in their underwear.  Oh, that's what I was probably supposed to do.  Whatever- I grew up with male siblings, so I value privacy when I am in my underpants.  So sue me.  

I walked where I was supposed to walk, stood where I was supposed to stand and held the flowers I was supposed to hold.  After the ceremony, we took photos.  In the reception area, Cas was saving me a seat.  He was at the table with my parents and my nephews.  Jeff was the best man, so he and I joined our people at the table.  We had dinner and made toasts.  Jeff spoke first, then Laurie's sister got up to say a few words.  They both improvised a brief speech, but I wrote mine down.  I felt a little silly with my note cards, but I wanted to get it just right.  I thought it was for the best, anyhow.  Jeff could talk about Danny.  Ganice could talk about Laurie.  I could actually talk about both of them.  I have had the opportunity to see them become a couple.  I visit the house every Sunday.  I have seen a lot of them together.  

After dinner, toasts and cake, Cas and I headed over to the selfie station for a few prop-laden photos.  

It was a pretty huge night.  We saw Danny sing.  I had never seen him sing before.  I knew he was a big karaoke fan and went all the time before he met Laurie, but I had never seen him do it.  He's actually pretty good.  

There were seven aunts and uncles there, eight cousins, six second cousins, three nephews, two parents, two brothers and a brand new sister in law.  There were bunches of friends assembled and plenty of people from Laurie's family.  There was seating for 120 people, but I think they expected the head count to be something more like 110.  Still, it was a lot of humans, but it was a good night.  It's almost time now to get cleaned up and take Cas around to the whole assembled mass one more time.  My aunts and uncles will be heading to their homes today, so I wanted to give them one more shot at getting to know my guy.  

Table for 20

This morning, I was up pretty early getting ready to head to Richardson. I made a bunch of margaritas and lemonade drinks for the assembled crowd. Mom had absolutely knocked herself out making just about every kind of finger food she could imagine, but drinks are my area of expertise. 

As I was wrapping up my beverage construction, Aunt Sara and Cousin Ben arrived. In a little while, Aunt Jane and Cousin Annie came along. By the end of the afternoon, I was surrounded by family. Two uncles, four aunts, six cousins, four second cousins, three nephews, two brothers, two parents and a future sister-in-law. It was lovely to have everyone around, but a group that size can be exhausting. 

Most of the crew was headed out in the evening to have Tex-Mex, but when I started counting how many actual people would be at dinner, I came up with 20. That's only because a few folks were sitting out. 

It was just too many people. A restaurant would push together a massive table, and I'm sure it would have been pretty loud. I flaked. I was exhausted, so I went to Cas' place and watched some Netflix. Much more mellow. 

It was so mellow, in fact, that I dozed off on the couch. He was not feeling great, either, so we were really a super-fun couple. 

I did get a good laugh, though. Cas isn't always quick to check his mailbox at his apartment. His front door is pretty far from the leasing office. When I saw a pile of papers he was sorting through in advance of our move with a little bit of mail on top, I mistook it for a gigantic pile of just-retrieved mail. It was not, but the thought of that much unopened mail made me laugh. Have a look:

Anyhow, I'm totally beat, and I have to go do bridesmaid stuff tomorrow. At the end of the day, I'll have a new sister-in-law. Hooray! 

Pank. So much pank...

Yesterday was the day I put on my red tank top with the word bridesmaid spelled out on it in rhinestones.  It's not exactly my usual attire.  I took off late in the morning to get to the CVS and the liquor store on the way to meet with Laurie at a florist's shop.  I stopped and smelled the roses.  And I will be holding roses, as it turns out.  Laurie will be holding dark red roses with some deep purple calla lilies.

When we left there, I headed to Richardson and dropped off the stuff to make margaritas.  Laurie was wearing a tank top that said bride, her best friend's tank top said maid of honor and her sister's top was the same as mine.  I was glad to join them at the flower shop, because at the liquor store and the CVS, I looked like a lunatic.  My shirt needed context.  I totally made sense when I got to the florist.

When I met back with the ladies at a fingernail salon, I was the last to arrive.  The woman who welcomed me at the door immediately knew where I should sit.  She placed me with the group of girls in red, rhinestone emblazoned tank tops.

I got a gel manicure.  I had never had a gel manicure before.  I sat in a very comfortable chair while a pair of small Asian women filed, fixed, massaged and painted my fingers and toes.  Laurie got red, and the rest of us got the same color of pink.  We have been picking on Laurie for a while, now, about the way she pronounces the word pink.  She says pank.  My family has found this rather amusing for a while, now, so when I mentioned the pronunciation of pink, the other women from Arkansas said it the same way as Laurie.  Pank.

There was so much pank.

After that, I went back to Mom and Dad's house and helped out just a little.  I made drinks and scrubbed up some potatoes.  I wanted Cas to come for dinner with everyone before the rest of the people got into town.  Today, a steady stream of aunts and uncles will arrive, and the group will grow to a rather large size.  I wanted Cas to be able to sit with the smaller group so Jeff could get a better read on my guy.

For today, I have to get my pank fingernails and the rest of myself over to the house and help mom get all the stuff ready for the big bunch of aunts, uncles and cousins who will be arriving shortly.

If I had a million dollars

The first verse of that particular Barenaked Ladies song goes:

If I had a million dollars
I would buy you a house, I would buy you a house
If I had a million dollars
I'd buy you furniture for your house, maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman 

I don't have a million dollars, and I guess I didn't buy a house recently, so it's a real what if scenario.  Cas and I had dinner at Fish City and headed over to Grand Prairie for the show.  Colin Hay from Men at Work was on stage when we walked in.  He was by himself holding only an acoustic guitar, and he hadn't lost a step.  His voice was still strong and his songs were pretty.  Some of them were like old Irish folk songs, which is funny for an Australian.  He played until about eight, then the Violent Femmes came out.  They sang the things we all remembered, and it really looked like everyone on stage was having a great time.  I was having fun, and Cas was really happy we came out.

The Barenaked Ladies were the headliners, but they brought Colin Hay out for a few songs.  It was pretty great.  This kind of show defies explanation.  It was just a whole lot of fun.

Colin Hay borrowing an accordion player for one song:

The Violent Femmes:

Barenaked Ladies:

I was pretty amused that Colin Hay from Men at Work was the only one on the stage who was in a band with men in the name.  The Violent Femmes were all male.  The Barenaked Ladies were all male.  Two all-male bands named for women.  Amusing.  

I have to go to bed, now.  It's after midnight, and tomorrow, I have to don my bridesmaid shirt and go do girly stuff.  We are apparently starting out at a flower shop before we hit up the fingernail joint.  I have hopes that the immediate family will have a nice dinner with Cas so he has a chance to sit with Jeff and the kids before a whole slew of Hinds family members invade the house on Friday.  I think a smaller group would be much nicer for a get-to-know-you evening.  This all presupposes that I actually sleep now.  If I don't do that, I can't get going with all the chick stuff in the morning.  

The first losers

Cas and I met for a Bastille Day lunch yesterday.  It seemed only appropriate to have French food to commemorate the storming of the Bastille.  We had a plan to make it out of the restaurant in time to meet with our realtor and do a final walk-through of the house before closing.  The original closing date was July 22nd, but they offered us a chance to move it a week earlier, so we took it.

As we arrived for the walk-through, realtor Steve was on the phone.  There was apparently some kind of problem on the seller's end of things.  Their names are Pam and Rashid.  Apparently, Pam and Rashid had a debt through an out-of-state creditor, and the sale needed to wait until the 22nd in order for them to resolve the issue with that creditor without having the debt automatically taken from the proceeds of the home sale.  It was all a mess and a huge pain in the ass.  The punchline is that Pam and Rashid didn't sell us the house early, so we went to the closing and signed all of the papers for no reason.  We got no keys, bought no house and had no place to move into this morning.

Huge pain in the ass.

But, we will buy the house on the 22nd, as we originally planned.  Dangit.  But, onward and upward.  The plan for the evening was to play trivia with Cas, Jeff, Alex, Andrew and Jack- a team of six.  Jack was visiting his friend in McKinney, so it was down to five.  I called my friend Laura.  Back to six.  The twins decided they didn't want to come, so four.  No matter- we would still make a pretty good team.

Laura and Cas beat me and Jeff there, and they managed to scrape out a tiny table for us.  We managed to scoot to a slightly larger table after a few rounds of questions.  It was a fun game, but the place was completely packed with people who clearly hadn't played before.  They were loud, obnoxious and pretty much everywhere.

We had a few rounds that were pretty tough, though, and we managed to come in second place.  I had once heard that second place wasn't a winner, just the first loser.

Here is our team:

It was still a pretty good effort, and second place is respectable.  I guess we couldn't win anything yesterday.  Maybe we'll win everything next week...

I have to go and get my fingernails and toenails done tomorrow.  So girly of me...  It's something all the bridesmaids are doing, so I am down to clown.  

For tonight, Cas and I have tickets for the Barenaked Ladies.  I love that band, and I am pretty excited to go see them.  It's getting to be about time, in fact.  I should go get ready.  

Six of one, half dozen of the other

This morning, I woke up, painted a wall, sawed up some more fence pieces and cleaned up for a trip to Richardson.  I was there around lunchtime, and I got a chance to sit around and shoot the bull with Jeff.  Jack was in the room the whole time, and Alex joined us after a while.  Andrew even emerged in time.  It was good to have the whole bunch together.

After we hung around and ate a little, Jeff wanted to visit our cousin Holly and her three one-month-old babies.  We headed over there for a while.  Jeff had a unique conversation with Holly, since they are both parents of multiples.  Jeff started talking about how terrified he was when he found out he and Kitty were having twins.  Holly said she was pretty scared when she found out there would be three.  I checked out the new minivan.  I had to leave early to meet Danny at my house, but the guys stuck around.  Jeff's three kids got to hold Holly's three kids.  Too cute, if you ask me:

Six kids.  Three of my brother's kids; three of my cousin's kids.  It's probably due in part to the fact that Jeff's kids are so big, but the babies look really small.  Also, the triplets showed up a little early, but still, Jeff's teenagers are pretty big dudes.  

Traffic from Holly's house to mine was a nightmare.  There was a signal light out on a very busy thoroughfare on the way, so the drive took an hour.  Danny was at my house when I was still stuck about 30 minutes away.  I called him to tell him he should head on home, and the thing I needed help with could wait.  He offered to take the pile of firewood (cut up fence pieces) away to his friend's backyard fire pit, since he was there anyhow.  It was a very big help, since I really don't know how to get rid of stuff that the city won't pick up.  Still, I felt bad that I couldn't make it in time.  The access lane back on to the highway kept Danny waiting for an excessive time.  I felt bad about it.  I called him to thank him again and apologize for pulling him away from his commute and sticking him in this wicked traffic.  That's when he said his air conditioner seemed to be going out.  Crap.  Now, I am a really terrible person.  I tacked a ton of time on to his drive home, and his air conditioner went all wonky on the hottest day of the year so far. Double crap.  All in the effort to help his sister, who couldn't even be at the house.  I suck.

When I did get home, I sat down to write Alejandro an email.  I wanted to tell him where I am with fixing my place up for sale.  I have made the executive decision to take time this week for family stuff.  I want to see my people while they're visiting, even though I should probably be painting and cleaning.  That can wait.  How often do I get both brothers and a whole load of aunts and uncles around?  So, that's the plan.  We close on the house tomorrow.  I have a U-Haul Wednesday morning.  I will probably be able to sleep in my own bed in my new house Wednesday night.  Hooray!  Now, I just have to get all of my furniture ready...  

Oh thank heaven for 7 11

I hadn't seen Cas for several days, but he's starting to feel better, so yesterday we planned to get together for lunch.  I thought it may be smart to begin the day by setting up our checking account together before heading out to get something to eat.  After that, we went to lunch, then we set up service for several of the things we need in the new house.  

Because some of the online forms were starting to get downright frustrating, we actually got up from the computer and went to an AT&T store for the last piece of the puzzle.  We thought it may help to talk to an actual human.  

At the end of the day, we had a joint checking account, electricity, water and Internet.  The only thing we still need is natural gas- the site for that let us fill in the entire form, then the next screen said the site was down for maintenance.  Grr.  

But, we had accomplished so much already that day, there was reason to celebrate.  Because the date was 7/11, we apparently had to go and enjoy a free Slurpee at 7 11.  

We finished that off and had a nice appetizer with a pair of margaritas.  It was a big day with a lot of details to manage.  Perhaps not the biggest, most adventurous part of our summer so far, but we are going to want water and electricity and such when we move.  

The La Brea Car-pets

Oh, the day I've had...

Jim came this morning to hang my bathroom mirrors and get to the bottom of my electrical problems. He was here just after nine and out before lunch. All appears to be right in both areas now, and I was happy for the quick finish to his work. I needed a nap. 

For no reason, I had energy last night, and I decided to use it packing a few more boxes and starting the paint job in the front bedroom. After nap time today, I decided to put down the carpet tiles in the office. I guess I just didn't feel like painting another damn thing. I stopped for lunch and called my mom, so the work started in earnest late in the afternoon. With some distraction from Netflix and a pair of beers, I wrapped it up at 11:30. Behold: 

The carpet. I don't exactly remember where I heard "La Brea Carpets" before, but somehow, I associate it with Steve Martin. I would have checked my copy of Cruel Shoes to see if that was the case, but it's in a box already. Most of my things are in a box already, in fact. 

So, that's it. I'm beat, and my back is pretty tired of bending to place carpet tiles in the office. I'm ready to hit the sack and hopefully have a nice lunch with my sweetie tomorrow. It's been too long since we've actually seen one another, though that will cease to be a problem in the near future. 

Buenas noches. I'm out. 

Hall duty

Today was the last day of testing for the summer. I got to TJ this morning at eight, and I registered kids for the U.S. history test. Today, we had that and the algebra test. Pretty riveting stuff, I know. My kids were the ones taking the U.S. history test online. They wrapped that up just after noon, so our testing coordinator asked me to monitor the hallways and keep the kids from poking their faces into classrooms where other kids are still testing. So, yeah- this was my afternoon job today:

I'm not supposed to have my phone out during testing, but Cas texted me to tell me we had our closing for the house scheduled at 1pm on Tuesday. I had to read that, and I was almost obligated to respond. 

After hall duty was no longer necessary, my friend Laura and I were assigned the task of counting answer documents for a bit. It was a pretty dull way to spend the afternoon, but I probably be happy to see the money on next month's paycheck. 

Besides, it gave me and Laura an excuse to go out for an early happy hour after work, something we don't tend to do in the summers. 

That's it for the week, though. The next time I darken the door of a high school will be in August when teachers return to prepare for the fall semester. It's all house-buying, moving, family time and various other vacation activities for about the next month. 

Oooh, Matt Bomer *swoon*

One of my most serious celebrity crushes is Matt Bomer.  He came to my attention when I was watching the show White Collar.  He played Neil.  When he was in the last few seasons of the show, the writers started to find more and more excuses for their lead character to appear shirtless.  Good call.  He was also in the first Magic Mike movie.

When my girl students and I talk about celebrity crushes, I mention Matt Bomer first.  That's when one of them invariably mentions that Matt Bomer is married to a man, and the two of them have adopted a family.  I maintain that it definitely doesn't matter if Matt Bomer is gay or straight. I insist that doesn't change my odds.  I'd never meet him in the first place, and if I did, I doubt he would drop everything and sweep me off my feet- gay or straight.

I left testing at 1:30 today- pretty early for this week so far- and I was off to Richardson.  As I was walking to my car, I felt three big, fat raindrops land on my shirt and in my hair, but when I turned over the engine and made it to the exit of the parking lot, it was dumping rain so fast that I had my windshield wipers on their highest speed.  The rain was so intense that I didn't want to drive over 35 miles per hour on the highway.

I picked Mom up, we took off to the Studio Movie Grill and we got into a very sparsely populated theater for the 3:05 showing of the movie.

This was not great cinema.  It was exactly what I expected it to be- a bunch of male strippers get their old friend Mike back and head to a convention of male entertainers (code for strippers).  They have some adventures along the way.  The main guy gets the girl.  The other guys talk about their hopes and dreams, and of course, they all dance.  Oh, do they ever dance.  

It was a pretty great way to spend an afternoon, and I was glad to see the movie with Mom.  She and I went with my cousin Holly to the first Magic Mike, but Holly is a little too overwhelmed and exhausted to make it out to the sequel with us.  She may have had the need to stop and pump breast milk in the middle of the show.  Nobody could possibly find fault in that, but I am sure it would bother her to miss the dancing and carrying on just to perform that task.  

I go in for the last day of testing tomorrow.  It's not super-exciting, but I am almost up to $600 for the week so far.  I'm hoping to get the total to an even $700.  It would be a nice boost in my August paycheck.  Either way, it's money I wasn't counting on, so it will serve as a nice bonus.  

Time capsule

I was testing in my old classroom today.  Five years ago, I moved from TJ to WT White, and I took all of the important things that I was allowed to move with me.  That building has had its rooms re-numbered so many times, that I can't remember what the actual room number was when it was mine, though I think it may have been 225.  It was 222 when Mom taught in that same place.  It was something like 230 when I was on campus a few years ago.  It is 227 now.  I don't fully understand why they keep changing the room numbers, but with teacher turnover as high as it is there, I suppose it doesn't matter all that much.

I had to administer the TAKS math test and the STAAR biology test at the same time.  That wasn't exactly the best fun ever.  I read the instructions in a small group to the TAKS kids- there were three this time around.  After they were started, I read the instructions to the STAAR kids.  There were two kids taking the STAAR who, upon discovering that they would be dismissed for the day when they finished the test and be marked present for summer school purposes, finished in ten minutes.  I am sure they did their best work.  Hey- there's a reason they have to retake the test in the first place, just like there's a reason they are in summer school.

The majority of the STAAR testers finished in under an hour, leaving me with my TAKS kids.  One of them apologized for taking so long, and I told her to take all the time she needed.  I said, "Don't you worry for a second about me.  The only thing you should be concerned with today is doing your very best work on that test.  My schedule is not your problem; I'll be fine.  You get those questions correct."

I genuinely think I am probably the right person for this task. and that is probably why the testing coordinator puts me with the kids who are finished with school, but missing a test grade.  One of my colleagues yesterday stopped by my testing room and expressed great surprise that there was someone taking as long as my last kid.  I said the girl should take as long as she wants or needs- if I had gone to all 12 years (or 13 if you count kindergarten) of school and a test in the summer was the only thing holding me back, I would want to make sure I did everything correctly.  It helps to have enough compassion to put yourself in their shoes.

But back to my old classroom- it was just a little bizarre.  My mother had that room before I did, and I took it over.  I stayed there when she moved on to Dallas ISD Instructional Tech, and even still, when she moved to Region 10.  She had put felt on the bulletin boards.  She hung curtains over the bookshelf.  She even put a coat hook on the wall by the back door.  All of that was still there.  The same tables were in the room, as were the same chairs.  Even the same teacher desk was in place, though this individual put it at what I considered the back of the room.  Still, it was kind of strange to see all of the old stuff five years later still in use.

I took a photo for my mom.  Most of that was hers before I inherited it.

It was in a lot better shape than the room I was in yesterday, but then again, I would expect nothing less from anyone currently in possession of my old classroom.  It seems to belong to a health teacher, now.  There were all sorts of student-made cautionary posters about different narcotics and other drugs.  That used to be the most pimped-out computer lab in the building.  I had a green screen, a color laser printer, and a laundry list of badass software that other teachers envied.  Now, it's a place where, apparently, the woman who runs girls athletics talks about nutrition and sexually transmitted diseases.  Time marches on, I suppose.  But it was kind of a trip to see my old furniture still in use.  

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays

Indeed, it is Monday, and I went to work. I was administering the TAKS test again- it's my summertime gig that I do for a few extra bucks. It's easy, and they pay me extra to do it. Unlike the longer commitment of summer school, summer testing lasts four days.

I had exactly two girls taking the TAKS test, which has been phased out in favor of the STAAR test. The girls were trying to clear the last hurdle so they could get a diploma. I always feel bad for kids in that situation. They have done literally everything else necessary, but the test prevents them from being high school graduates. 

After I got both of my girls started, three boys came in to take the STAAR in my classroom-for-a-day. I got them going and set the countdown clock for five hours. The STAAR is timed.

So I had two girls on an untimed test and three boys taking a timed one. That's when the next two girls came in for the STAAR. So I set another timer. That was exactly as exciting as the day got. Following that, I stared at children while they answered questions. All totaled, I was there for seven and a half hours. Blegh. No matter, I was earning supplemental pay. I mean, I'm happy to help out, but money really motivates me more than altruism. 

Testing was at TJ today- my old workplace. I was actually just a few doors down from my old classroom. I was in Sara Coleman's room that later became Darrin Montena's room. I don't know whose room it is, now. I do know it was a mess. 

The blinds were in total disorder, the ceiling tiles were more absent and wrecked than present and intact, and the computers all looked like they were haphazardly thrown onto tables. No matter how dire things are in a classroom, I have always tried to make the best of it. I would straighten out the crooked things and badger building maintenance for new ceiling tiles. I would pick up my damn boxes off the floor. 

The thing is, if you have no obvious concern for the environment in your classroom, how can you expect the students to treat it and its contents well? No wonder the tables doubled as sketch pads. I was half tempted to add my own graffiti. Nobody would have noticed, and I certainly had the time. 

I'm back there tomorrow for the TAKS math test; today was the English test. I'm sure there will be a few STAAR kids who darken my door as the morning wears on. I'm happy to do it, though. It's more money in the refrigerator & water heater fund. 

For now, I'm off to bed. I have to be up and alert again tomorrow. That math test isn't going to proctor itself. 

Play ball!

At Kaboom Town on Friday, we had occasion to sing the national anthem. It's pretty much a must this time of year. The crowd at the park actually sounded pretty good, and thankfully, the singer on stage didn't warble on the high notes. Afterwards, I fought the urge to say play ball!

Saturday, I took my dad to the Rangers game, and I had the urge to say play ball after the anthem again. It would have at least been appropriate that time. 

Cas and I went to his mother's house around lunchtime for barbecue and some time in the pool. He was feeling off- mostly sleepy and headachy, if my understanding of the problem was correct. Rather than joining everyone in the pool, he went in and tried to close his eyes on the couch for a while. He was feeling pretty bad. 

Early in the day, Cas thought he may actually be able to make it to the ballpark for the 8:05 game. We bought tickets a few weeks ago. By the time we left Jeanne and Dave's house, he had determined that the game was out of the question. I decided to see if my dad could go with me. 

I felt bad that Cas couldn't go, but I wasn't going to let the tickets to a sold-out July 4th baseball game complete with a fireworks show go unused. 

After I left Cas to get some rest, I headed to Richardson. Mom wanted to feed us before we left, then Dad and I headed to Arlington. 

On the way, I did a little Google-fu and found that Humperdink's has a shuttle service. Lots of places in Arlington do, but Humperdink's came up first in my Google search, and they're practically on the same block as the ballpark. Sold. 

We each had two beers, then hopped into the cool, comfortable van for a ride to the outfield gate. Our tickets said we should enter at the home plate gate, but It wasn't nearly the long walk we would have had if we had parked in their lot. 

Our seats were literally at the top of the park. We went up all of the stairs they had, but it was still a great view. 

The game was pretty bad, and the Rangers lost 13-0. Dad and I left at the top of the 8th inning to head out to the shuttle pick up location, and when we got there, it turned out that we were standing in the perfect place to see the show. The fireworks were going off directly overhead. It was closer than I have ever been to a show like that. 

I checked in aith Cas a few times on Sunday, and he was better off around dinner time. 

I have four days of work this week. Summer test administration again. It's never fun, but it does provide a few extra bucks. I actually don't want to do it this year, but if I stop now, they may not call me next year. I'm basically doing it to keep my name on the list. Meh, okay. I guess I had better go in. 

Happy birthday, America!

It's Independence Day today, Last night, Cas and I went with Jeanne and Dave to Addison's Kaboom Town.  I went to mom and dad's house before noon to spend a little time with the folks before heading out to the big show.  When I left there, I had just enough time to get home and brush my hair.  Cas arrived at the exact moment I decided I could actually take a seat and relax.  No such luck.  I got into his car, and we headed for Jeanne and Dave's house.  From there, we got into one car and went directly to the park where Kaboom Town was taking place.  Jeanne had some VIP tickets, which meant we got some free food, a few free drinks and a nice place to sit for the event.  

There was an air show before the fireworks, and the sky was full of old military aircraft.  I know I thought it was very cool.  I believe Cas and Jeanne were entertained, as well, but Dave was clearly the most fascinated by the whole thing.  The last plane of the show had sparklers and fireworks coming off the wings.  That was pretty darn cool. 

The 36th Infantry Division Band started out the evening, followed by a rock group called Rhythm and Boots.  The Dallas Wind Symphoy played John Phillip Sousa marches and similar tunes during the air show, and the fireworks were accompanied by the worst music of the night.  A local radio station that I have never heard play a single country song managed to play scads of them during the show.  I get that country songs have a stronger tendency toward patriotic lyrics, but do they have to suck so bad?  

It was a fun evening, and we stuck around for almost an hour after the show ended to have a better shot at getting through traffic, which was a complete mess.  No matter, the hour we spent waiting out the traffic was also the showtime for another rock group.  

Today, we have to head back to Addison for a lunchtime picnic-style meal at Jeanne and Dave's house.  Chad, Becky and Zoey will be there, and apparently, we will all be swimming.  Cas and I are leaving from there to go to a Rangers game.  We have tickets to celebrate the 4th at the Ballpark.  They are always good for a fantastic fireworks show, and we have a pair of seats that are pretty high up.  We waited too long to buy tickets, so we got nosebleed seats, but that's okay.  We'll be closer to the fireworks show.  

Flores

I had a student many years ago named Azalea. She told me she had a sister named Daisy and a sister named Rosa. The family name was Flores, and all the girls were named for flowers. I thought it was cute. It sure beats some of the goofy crap I've seen on my class roster pages over the years. I hesitate to give examples for fear of someone finding this and having hurt feelings. No matter- I thought the Flores girls had neat names.

I saw azaleas, roses, daisies and all manner of other flora this morning. Cas and I got an early start and headed to the Dallas Arboretum. We walked around and checked out the flowers until about noon. 

We had coffee and a pastry beforehand and pizza after we left. That's when I went back to my house to get to the work of finishing up with the floor stripper in my office. 

Should my afternoon activity sound like too much fun, let me assure you it was not. I am grateful that I had some old tennis shoes in the garage that, for some reason, I hadn't yet thrown out. I'll be getting to that as soon as the dirty work is done, but they're pretty foul, now. 

Danny came by after work and helped me out with a few things, too. It's almost starting to look achievable... I still have a bit to do in prepping my house for showing, but I'm starting to genuinely feel that progress is happening.

Cas and I got an email from the woman who is doing our mortgage saying that we are still waiting on the title work and the evidence that the sellers have cashed our option check on the house, and pending that, we may be able to close earlier than the 22nd. I am SO PUMPED! As much as I love my little house, I am more than ready for this next adventure.