Irreplaceable

I kind of think that I am like most people. Most people have favorite things. Attachments that are hard to let go or leave behind. It seems so superficial to love something that can be replaced. When I am trying to convince myself that I can replace these beloved "things", I find myself convinced that they are irreplaceable.

My mother made me an orange, twin sized quilt when I was a small child. It has brown yarn tied throughout the blanket. There is a slight tear in the right corner of the quilt. The stuffing is barely there and the blanket is made up of mostly two pieces of worn cloth stitched together on all sides. My orange, twin sized quilt is one of my most prized possessions. It is a comfort to me when I am sick. It is what I reach for when I need warmth. I have been toying with the idea of storing my quilt to ensure that it is forever with me. My mother even gave me a replacement quilt that she had made for her bed. It is orange and made of the same material, but it isn't quite the same. It isn't worn in all the right places. I don't see myself giving my orange, twin sized quilt up to the vacuum sealing bags just yet.

Adult Thoughts...and Not the Dirty Kind

Do you ever have moments when you say to yourself, "I can't believe I am a grown up." Being grown up has lots of advantages, but I can name several disadvantages. First, grown ups have to clean their own bathrooms. I hate cleaning the bathroom, but as soon as I publish this little post, I am going to be scrubbing a toilet and floor. How glamorous.

Grown ups also have to pick up milk on the way home from work and if you forget because you are too busy jamming to "All Through the Night" by Cindy Lauper, you have to get in your car and get the stinkin' milk anyway.

Being a grown up means that most things are planned out for you. There are few surprises in my day. Surprises usually come in the form of a phone call from a friend or a boogery nose at kindergarten...theirs, not mine.

Budging Update

For all those that are curious, I was midwestern nice with the elderly budger. I said nothing. I let it go. I like to pride myself on my decency for decorum and respect in a season of lost etiquette.

What Would Sara Do?

Waiting in line at Kohl's today, an elderly woman started to make small talk with me. She pulled her cart up behind me and started in about the lines. I just smiled and nodded my head. It was like any small talk session, but I felt her cart creeping in on me. The line curved a little and as we approached the curve, Granny took this as her opportunity to BUDGE in front of me.

I know this was a strategy rather than early onset dementia. So, I had a choice. Call this budging, old person out on her rude shopping behavior and run the chance of her shaming me for not respecting my elders. OR I could ignore this lapse in etiquette and wait for her turn rather than mine. What do you think I did?

New Music

It is no mystery that I have a slight obsession with Cat Stevens. I have so many adolescent memories wrapped up in Cat's melodies and lyrics. Why a child of the late 80's and 90's would connect with this 70's folk god is also a great mystery, but it all started with "Peace Train" as I listened to the oldies station. It was followed up with the Cat Steven's tape that I never returned to a friend because I truly believed that I loved it more. Still have it. In my car.

So, you can imagine my joy now that Cat has a new CD out. He is no longer Cat, but instead, Yusuf Islam. All I can say is that I love Yusuf! My favorite song on the new CD is "Heaven/Where True Love Goes". I don't think the whole CD is fantastic, but most of it is amazing. Now, if you are into the Nickelbacky/EMO rock, you won't dig on Yusuf. If you love Cat, you'll love Yusuf.

At Last

Finally! My home is complete because I FINALLY have internet. I have some serious updating to do on this blog, online Christmas shopping to do, and writing quality emails to chums. All I want to do is belly up to the computer and spend a ton of time on the computer. Does this make me a huge nerd? I think so.

Stupid Verizon

They may not know it, but I am in a HUGE fight with Verizon. For four days in a row, they have stood us up. They were supposed to come to the house and hook me up with some sweet internet, but they let me down. I am a little bitter that I am no longer updating the blog, checking email with gusto, and reading the news like I am capable of. Up yours, Verizon.

On the otherhand, we got so much accomplished this weekend. The dining room is painted, boxes are unpacked, and we were able to enjoy some much needed TV time. Our TV wasn't turned on until Sunday night so we bought Scrubs, Season Four and we are lovin' it!

So, with luck and little anger, I hope that Verizon will pull it together and get over to my 'hood and hook me up.

Shorty

I am without internet at my new house. We've waited for three days for Verizon to get it right. They are quite forgetful and will say they are coming and then, they don't. Oops.

I do not like being without internet AND cable. I need to be informed somehow and yet, I am surviving on the radio time I get driving to and from work.

I have so much to say on the blog regarding my house, my life, Thanksgiving, and more, yet I do not have the proper internet time to construct worthy posts.

So, for today, this will have to suffice.

Top Five Stressful Things In My Life
1. Painting is a tedious task that has to be done.
2. I miss my old grocery store.
3. The hardware store is fast becoming the replacement for the craft store and I don't like it one bit.
4. I am making a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday and I haven't bought one ingredient.
5. Painting is a tedious task that has to be done.

Home

Whoa. I haven't posted since Tuesday! I hope I still have readers out there.

Basically, I have been busy with moving and school stuff. School stuff is boring so let me tell you all about my adventures in home owning.

First of all, I think I have a knack for handy work. Just this morning, I finished painting the banister, taped the dining room so I can paint this week, and hung a mirror. To most home owners, this seems simple, but again, we are not handy people. Along with my feats of handiness this morning, Tim and I hung three sets of blinds (one in the mudroom and two in the bathroom), raked the leaves, changed light plates, put together a bed, unpacked all the boxes, and cleaned some of the hardwood floors. Things are really coming together.

I anticipate in one week you will be feasting your eyes on photos of my handiwork. I don't want to post them until the rooms are completed.

It seemed very appropriate that last night we chilled out on the couch, ate macaroni and cheese, and watched Battlestar Galactica. When we can do that, we must be feeling like it is home.

Votin'

I voted in my third state today.

The very first time that I voted, I was 18 years old and couldn't wait to be part of this beautiful democratic system. My polling place just happen to be my high school so I voted and then, had a delicious breakfast bagel at the high school deli.

I have had other memorable voting experiences besides the first time. I remember the year that Bill Clinton ran against Bob Dole. I was living with my college roommate who was/is a strong Republican. She would sport Bob Dole pins and stickers like it was going out of style. I encouraged this type of enthusiasm because it is better than apathy. Maybe it was easy to take since there was no way that Bob Dole would beat Bill Clinton. The man needs Kryptonite to bring him down.

Today was special for many reasons but the most important of all is that I might be part of Rick Santorum's undoing. It could be special because of the elderly man that kept telling the polling ladies that his name was Forrest Gump and he really wouldn't come clean about his real name. Or at least when I was there.

Paint It Like You Own It

I have been saying for years that Tim and I are not handy people, but I think I might have been wrong. It was just that we were never put into a place to be handy. All this changed this weekend as we started our first home improvement project.

Like many couples, we have assumed certain roles in our marriage. I have always been the person to do the leg work leading up to any task or job that we do together. This was no exception. After two trips to the Home Depot and the Sherwin Williams store, I had gathered the items needed to paint our living room walls, trim, french doors, and fireplace mantle. After school on Friday, I started taping the walls. I was almost finished with Tim arrived and suggested that we get started painting the first coat even though the plan was to start on Saturday morning. I am so glad we did because it was a longer job than I even anticipated.

Decked out in my favorite long-sleeve t-shirt, one the I usually reserve for days when I am sick and need something comforting, and Tim in rolled up jeans for reasons I am still unsure of, we entered into what might be our most ambitious team effort of our marriage. Our weekends for the first six years of our marriage have been spent sleeping in, coffee on the outside, long drives, and doing really whatever we want. Those days are over now that we are homeowners, or at least, until the house is up to my aesthetic standards.

For everything that we love about the house that we just bought, there are still a few things that need immediate change. The peach trim and baby blue walls were job numero uno on that list! It just wouldn't work with our warm colored furnishings and I just could not do it. So, we/I settled on Humble Gold.

I was a bit frantic as it was applied because I didn't want a sunshine yellow, but rather, a warm mustardy gold. It wasn't until the white trim was painted that I started to realize that I had made the right choice. These photos were the product of Saturday's work. We worked all day today and are left with two walls and the banister that need a second coat of white trim and the touch up work.

I'll be sure to post the final product once we are all moved in and the tape is removed. Check out the peach trim. Sometimes all you can do is just shake your head in wonder.

Big Day

We are closing on our house today. Big day. I have to say that it is more stressful than joyous at this point. Once we get the keys in our hands, we'll be thrilled but until then, we will sign until we get hand cramps.

We've waited a long time for this day. We've watched all of our friends and families buy their first homes while we have moved from apartment to apartment. There are so many exciting things going through my head, but the one clear idea that stands out is the idea of warmth. I know that our home will be warm and inviting. It will be a sanctuary for us where we can leave in the morning and return to at night.

My excitement has translated even into the mundane duties that homeowners have. I can't wait until the spring when I can mow the yard and trim the landscaping. It is tempting to buy more than one color of paint because my mind is already planning out each room. Although it will cost money, I am even excited to have a tree removed that is crowding the house.

The house has given me a new role other than friend, daughter, wife, teacher. I am now a handy person. That is easier said than done, but I think I have a handy woman laying dormant inside of me. I couldn't have spent so much time with my father and not learned a thing or two about fixing and putting together.