"Payin' Out the Big Bucks!" or more appropriately, "Dealing with Decisions"

Our first mortgage payment is due next week and I've prepared my autopay settings for it to be automatically paid via my bank account each month. Who knew this would be so exciting?!?

Not ever, have I paid more than $500/month for my living space, and now, split between the two of us, I'll be paying $805... and I am sooo pleased! Our mortgage payment minus the home owner's assoc. fee and property tax is only $1405/month?!! I SO LOVE IT!

oh, and One more thing:
MY HONEY-MAN WILL BE HERE WITH HIS MOVING TRUCK TOMORROW!?!?
(semi-freaked out scream)

About THAT...
First of all, to get it out of the way, the semi-freaked out scream comes from the fact that my honey-man and I, we have never shared an address, let alone same-city addresses! For nearly 3 years now, our relationship has been based on his weekly commute to Vegas from L.A., and the frequency of my available 3-5 day 'weekends' spent in L.A... but I'm sure we'll be fine (although it's sure fun to joke about it!).

More seriously: Lots of different people have been asking me if I'm excited about my honey-man's move to Vegas, and I've gotten the general impression that most are quite disappointed with my response, in that most don't think I'm nearly half as excited as they think I should be. Some have flat out said so. In these exchanges, more often than not, I've found that I had remind people where we were when we first started out and where we were only 3 months ago: When I met my honey-man, I knew it then, I would have to move to Los Angeles, and once my MPA was done, I tried soooo hard to find a good job in L.A. so I could move there, so that we could avoid all this!!! And this then leads into my having to re-explain what it is I had been trying so hard to avoid: My honey-man's move to Vegas means that although he'll have much more time in his work week and far, far more stability, my honey-man will no longer have the kind of readily available, daily face-to-face access to his sweet son that he has so enjoyed for the last 3 and a half years = it is this glaring loss to come that causes such great pain.

As of tomorrow, we're entering the great unknown; we have no idea how this will all feel for us all, once the reality of this life-changing move sets in and some time has passed.

I told my honey-man today that I've been having a really diffiult time getting jazzed and a difficult time accepting my own good forture [no job change for me, our new home, us living in the same place, finally], regardless of any recent cheery blog posts re: my kitchen's yellow cafe-style drapes. For several weeks now, other than the day we had moved my stuff out of storage (I was literally jumping up and down that day), I've been unable to be really be happy without feeling guilty about it.

And today, thinking about all this and my developed sense of guilt, I realized something: If I don't let it go, and I allow it to overshadow everything that is going well in my life, IT WILL ALL BE A BIG, FAT WASTE - - and THAT would NOT help any of us, especially the angel boy-O.

On the 'Trail 90' Again

Last week, my friend Daly and her lovin' hubby helped me move my Trail 90 from my uncle's garage to our new home with their pick-up truck.

Daly took these pictures of our it-is-so-not-goin'-anywhere tie-down job!

Thanks for the pictures, grrl! ~ And thanks again for helping me out! You too, Johnny!!!

Have I told you that you so rock, Daly? Have I?

My Dearest Amish Friendship CAKE (not bread) Starter...

Wherever you now may be right now, traveling along the putrid sewer lines of the greater Las Vegas Valley Water District, I cannot tell you how very sorry I am to have failed you after nearly 7 long years of sweetest friendship, since your creation in early 2001.

I swear to you, my only thoughts had been for your safety! I left you behind only to allow you to remain cool and comfortable while I had to move into my new home and then wait a week+ for the purchase of our new refridgerator. I was going to come back for you this very week - - I was, I swear - - but sadly, returning to you one day too late... I'm so full of the deepest regrets, that I had not come back for you sooner. I imagine you may have felt abandoned, poor thing - - I will never forgive myself!

And for you to die at the hands of one who didn't even realize you were much, much more than a merely smelly, goopy paste? And to be sent down the drain of a kitchen sink?!? Oh, the loss! All that remains is your storage container that had once housed you so securely for so long (now bursting into tears).

Please forgive me, my lost Amish Friendship CAKE! Starter... please, oh please...

I promise to create a brand new batch of starter this very week and to do so in your memory, to be dedicated to you, to honor your 7 long years' worth of delightful Amish Friendship CAKE creations, and for all those who were able to enjoy your sweet and flavorful contributions, month after month.

Once you manage to clear the LVVWD treatment center, may you rest in peace.

My "I Hit a Cow" Story: Part VII

Well, some news on my "I Hit a Cow" story: Although liability was turned over in the cow owner's favor [Meaning, I was the one found at fault for hitting the broadside of a solid black cow that was out loose on a public '65 mph limit' state highway at night - - although neither insurance co., neither mine nor his, found me guilty of driving negligence], his insurance policy is written to pay for medical bills, regardless... and so, SEVEN MONTHS LATER, I'm getting reimbursed for the medical bills I'd paid... the first check came this week! Only 6 more to go!

"Update on the Yapper" or "Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 10"

Now, I could go on and on explaining how it was real hot over the past weekend, and so the Yapper had been taken indoors and what all I thought about that... yada, yada, yada - - but come Monday and last night, the Yapper was back at it, and well, the basic gist is this: I did nothing about it; I'm a big, fat chicken!

My honey-man will be here this coming weekend with his Los Angeles-loaded moving truck and before he heads back to L.A. for his final apartment check out, he'll be the one paying the Yapper's parents a visit and he volunteered to do it (BLESS HIM!), as long as I can wait until then... Um, yeah - I'll wait! Thanks, baby!

On 'Being a Good Neighbor'

Living in a townhouse that's basically a large structure with three different, separate contained units, consequently, we're living very next to our next-door neighbors. Generally, this is all very fine with me, especially considering there's a 6-inch airspace between all our shared walls that manages to make eavesdropping virtually impossible (unless you're really tearing it up, I suppose, although I haven't yet been able to hear a single vocal peep from anyone!). In fact, so far the only thing I've been able to hear through those walls has been the guy in the 2-bedroom unit entering his interior stairs from his 1-car garage, occasionally running up those stairs like an elephant! Oh, and I think he may have dropped a rather large piece of furniture or something big and heavy last week... Otherwise, I totally forget we're sharing walls with anyone.

So where's the big 'but' here?

Well, the other unit that's located to our east with a backyard situated right next to ours, they happen to have an old, white poodle-ish lap-size doggie, whom they leave outside in their backyard, tethered beside a pet carrier kennel - - and this doggie is a yapper! I mean, he's the yapper of yappers, barking 2 and 3 times for every timed second! NO JOKE! And you better believe it, cuz yesterday, I had tried to lay down for a cat nap, and instead, I wound up timing it! Having now spent a solid 2 weeks living in my new diggs, hearing this same dog just last night, barking beyond 1 am into the 2am hour, it is officially official:

I cannot handle
the neighbor's *!@?#!* barking dog
any longer.

Facts to Note: 1) It is probably safe to assume, for the obvious reasons, that these neighbors put their dog outside because they don't want it inside... 2) However, I can't know for sure why they don't want him inside... If they put him outside because they don't like him barking indoors, I can't know that's the case, seeing we have that fabulous 6-inch airspace between all our shared interior walls, unable to hear if he's barking, if and when he's ever taken indoors! 3) Moreover, the dog does bark when outside, throughout the day and night and with little reprieve; and 4) I do know that the owners DO know this dog is yapper - -

Background Info: Their first day in their new place, all moved in, they had a small gathering of friends and family and they'd fired up their BBQ grill in the backyard. Over our shared backyard wall, I talked with them briefly and welcomed them as my new neighbors. In response to my approach, the dog, who I'd already heard barking intermittently, well, he went freakin' nuts!!! - - Two early 20-something boys, who spoke English, excused the frantic yapping with this comment: "He's just old." I then laughed, made a friendly statement directed toward the disturbed doggie, and told them their food smelled really good, and then told them I'd see them later and went back inside... and the barking continued, along with this intermittent shouting: ¡Cállate la boca! Translation: Shut your mouth.

Soooo, when it's so blantantly obvious to me that this dog is a nuisance (and sadly, neglected), and yet they don't seem to care, I haven't wanted to confront my new neighbors about their dog's incessant barking... Instead, today, I sought to contact my Home Owner's Association, hoping to let them do the dirty work. Just 15 minutes ago, I'd gotten a return call from my HOA and was told all I had to do was fax over a written complaint...

But first, I called my honey-man to tell him I was emailing some things to him regarding his new business license and "...oh, and I got a hold of the HOA to deal with the yapper... and all I have to do is..."

I knew how he'd respond: He sooo called me on it! Immediately, I grumbled and pleaded... "I don't want to try dealing with people who obviously don't care" - yada, yada, yada... I even tried throwing out this totally lame-O cop-out argument: "But they don't speak English! How can I even talk to them?"

Going through the HOA is the coward's way... I need to instead be a good neighbor and give them the chance to choose to do something about it. My honey-man totally nailed me when he asked me this: "If a neighbor has a problem with you, would you want them to just report you without talking with you first?"

* sigh *

It may take me until Sunday to muster enough courage to tactfully confront them - - Wish me luck this weekend!

Owen's New Favorite Perch

Dressin' dah Windows

Behold, our kitchen window...
(plus a 9 dollar table cloth to match!)

It's my very first window treatment installation!

My sister came over last Monday night to help me put this thing up (before then, I'd had it on tension rods and it looked okay, but this is much better), and we also worked on the master bedroom's blasted windows (to be revealed later, when I have the sheer drapes adjusted and when there isn't so much clutter in the shot, although this kitchen shot is hardly pristine... And we also looked for fabric with which I could cover the seats of our six semi-ugly (also given to us for FREE) dining table chairs we have (only 2 shown above).

Already, They're Rulers of the Roost!

My Owen (see 'Mr. Lazer-Beams' on the left?) and my Otis (the lil' meatloaf on the right) are in Vegas now, after living with my honey-man in L.A. for the past year! It is sooooo wonderful to have them back with me ~
An they're having SO MUCH FUN in in their new gy-normous pad!

The picture above was taken last Thursday: I suspect that keeping 'em outta the kitchen, off the counters and the dining table may pose as quite the challenge - - what do you think?

Otis, demonstrating his wiley ways ~

Typical Owen behavior... already!
As of tonight, they've been in their new diggs for a week.

Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 9

He serves as an excellent reality check ~

Whenever my mind (the irrational and insecure side) is running away with me, enlarging some incident to the brink of an unproductive meltdown, he very quickly, yet very gently, helps me back to reality and assures without patronizing that all will be well... and if I ever get defensive, he always calls me on it.

It's so nice.
Yum.

"2Nite, 2Nite! Gunna Buy Me a Fridge, 2Nite!"

After work last Wednesday night, before my honey-man was to leave for L.A. the next morning, we went shopping for my first major home appliance purchase ever - 'major' is in like, hundreds of dollars here, not some toaster oven or a mere hand mixer. Yup, I needed to buy both a fridge and a gas dryer (but I'm most thrilled about the refridgerator purchase!).

Yes, I've been in my new place for over a week now without a refrigerator, and consequently, I have a new found deep appreciation for our ability to regularly access and consume a variety of fresh foods... For the past week+, I've been living on graham crackers, peanut butter, oatmeal and apples, bananas and cans of soup. Of course, it could have been worse. If I weren't working so many extra hours at work the past 2 weeks, I'd probably have been able to get more creative than that, but anyhow, there's an upside to this: Although not surprising, I've lost weight in the last week! This may be because none of the staple foods I've been eating are the kind I'd be apt to want more and more of, nor have I had much time to even remember to eat...

I digress.

At Home Depot that night, at one point towards the end of our 'choosing this one versus that one,' I was literally jumping up and down, overly excited about my pending appliances purchase - - Funny to see how 'growing up' does strange, unexpected things to a person.

Anyhow, by tomorrow afternoon, I'll be able to buy milk and keep it cold, and I'll also be able to do a few dozen loads of laundry! YAY!

You Live Where Now?

Welcome to my new home!
This is the inward view from our front door!

And d'is mah kitchen!

And this, I just thought this was funny ~ the In-SINK-erator?!?

Here's the west end of the living room, opposite the kitchen with lots of soft light from the northern exposure. (This part is supposed to be the dining room, but we're going to use it as a general living space).

And here's the view downward from the stairs into the east end of our living room...

Purty nyce, eh?

There's also a kitchen eating area and pantry and a laundry room and 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a backyard and a 2-car garage - yada, yada, yada - but all those areas are now absolutely buried in boxes and moving-in crap and cannot be photographed at this time! ...Well, on second thought, maybe later tonight so I can remember what we started with in terms of unpacking mayhem!

Early this morning, after spending my first night sleeping in my new place, IN THE DARK, I went through my list of utilities companies I must call to set up ASAP, to avoid any other service disconnections (whoops!)... Turns out all of them were scheduled to continue until May 8th, EXCEPT the power. Should be all good now.

Plans for tonight: Set up the master bedroom!