Pondering a StayCation

Here's the situation in which I find myself...

...I have tons of vacation and comp time to use up, and I probably should use it before things start getting really crazy in August/September at work again. So I'm thinking of taking an actual vacation this summer. But, I really don't want to spend all the money that comes from travel - taxis, hotels, cars, airfare, meals, petsitter, etc.

Which leads me to thinking I might become one of those statistics of people taking a "staycation" this year. Staying home, and just enjoying a week off. I would LOVE to have 9 days in a row to just sleep in, putter on my balcony, try out new recipes, read lots of books, go for long walks, see some movies, visit with friends, and just relax.

Plus, since I already live in one of the best tourist destinations in the country, I would love to check out some of the museums and other great DC locations that I still haven't managed to visit in my almost 7 years here. Maybe even rent a car and head down to Monticello.

So - readers - if you had a whole week off right here in DC (or in your own town wherever it is) what would you do?

Are there any great museum exhibits or must-see things going on in DC this summer?

I've got to start checking the calendar and just planning for a staycation of my very own.

Call Me Doolittle

I was reading a book last night, sort of a memoir, in which the narrator goes on at length about how he's not at all an animal person. He talked about not having had any pets growing up, and living in a suburb where there was not a single pet on their street. He never saw animals just around the neighborhood and now, as an adult, he just doesn't feel comfortable around animals.

Well, that just struck me as sad. Cuz I've had animals around me all my life. And thinking about this stuff gave me the perfect opportunity to do a little scanning so I can share with you all some of my favorite furry friends.

First of all, we were a dog family. Big time. Mom had her heart set on Scottish Terriers and the story goes something like she had a bet with my Dad over a football game and she won, so they got their first puppy. First of six - those Scotties were just as much a part of our family as any of us. I really can't imagine my childhood without them, and because they were all so amazing I can't wait to someday have some dogs -- yes, probably Scotties - of my own.

An early family portrait - this is roughly 1983. Reagen's on the left, holding Patty (my Mom's oldest baby) and I've got Bonnie. Patty was absolutely the oldest child of the family and always knew she was a queen. Look at her posing! She automatically posed whenever anyone pulled out a camera, total first child behavior. :-) Bonnie was a sweet girl who *loved* the farm and adored being outside with my Dad while he did his chores.

Here we are again, roughly 1991 or so? (Yes, Reagen's wearing a hypercolor shirt.) Dad's holding Mickey, our one and only male dog. All of our dogs were amazing but Mickey probably had the strongest personality of all of them, and he's the one we still tell the most stories about to this day. Mom's got Abigail on our left - Abby was the absolute baby but she made it to be the last dog standing and totally enjoyed the role of being queen of the house in her later years. Rory is on Mom's lap, and she was a little spitfire who we sadly lost way too soon. She and Abby were a crazy pair as puppies, and it's really too bad they didn't get the chance to grow older together. Maggie is closest to me, and she was another sweet girl who was a little grumpy as she got older. Poor girl had skin problems and was never very comfortable, but she was a perfect companion for those awkward teen years, cuz she would sit and cuddle for hours.


The dogs were a huge part of our lives, but we did have other animals, too. Like cats - lots of them. We had barn cats and pretty much shared them with the 2 farms next door, so we always lost count. There were usually about 50 or so cats roaming around each year, with 1-2 litters of new kittens every summer. Barn cats don't have a great survival rate, and ours were definitely more on the wild side so not very cuddly. But the dogs and cats always got along really well, and it meant we were never very far from having a little furry creature underfoot.

Sheep! We had sheep! For about 15 years, we had a flock of sheep that grew to be about 70 in number. We did sell the wool (I've carded raw wool) and the lamb, so we learned not to grow too attached even though they were dang adorable as little lambs.

This is Monster, our ram. We had him for about 10 years, and he was another very memorable character. For fairly obvious reasons, you only keep one adult ram at a time - and he very much enjoyed being the star of the show. Both Mom and Dad had some scars from his temper over the years.

Sometimes, a lamb would end up orphaned or for some reason the ewe wouldn't "take" to her babies - so we would bottle-raise them in the house. For weeks at a time. I think at the most, one winter, we had 5 lambs in the house. They would be making noise, crying and bleating for their bottles, all night long. Living on a farm is an adventure! And you don't always want to invite friends over...

We had goats, too! These were the first two, Nubians, who started our little mini-herd that grew to about 7 over time. They would eat ANYTHING and once I was standing right at this stall door as Billy (creative name) leaned over and started eating my coat right off of me.

Sometimes we had to raise orphan goats in the house, too. This is Penny and she had an identical twin sister we named Miranda. My goodness, they were adorable!!! Once they grew up we gave them to a neighboring farm.

We also had chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits (they really do reproduce like mad), and a huge koi pond filled with exotic fish. Animals everywhere!

After I left the farm, I kept up the family tradition of having a fish tank in my dorm rooms for years, and in my first apartment. I briefly had an adorable pet rabbit, all black, who I named Gatsby. Sadly, Gatsby had a very common rabbit disease and didn't make it very long. That was pretty traumatic for me, the first pet I had all on my own and he died so quickly.

All of this, of course, was preparation to bring someone very special into my life... the little girl who totally rules my world AND my apartment.... trusty cat Cleo!!! Pretty soon we'll celebrate our 12th anniversary together. Time flies when you've got a happy little face to come home to. :-)

Cuteness

Awwwww.... this is what a happy cat looks like. She has defeated her arch-nemesis, feather-on-a-stick, and is enjoying a victory nap.

Keepin' It Real

This is why friends are important, right, they keep your feet firmly planted on the ground? My very good friend Brunette just sent me this HI-larious card from someecards (the greatest site on the Internet - go ahead, waste a few hours). Yes, it's everywhere that our beloved (mostly) 16th President is celebrating his 200th birthday today, so she had to remind me as well. :-)

But, no, that's not enough for trusty gal pal Brunette, who has always done her homework. She also followed it up with a full list of the famous people who share my birthday, and her commentary -- which I have to share cuz it had me laughing at my desk. Her thoughts are in italics.

I heard on my way in to work that it's also Charles Darwin's birthday, which is cool. And now, with an assist from Wikipedia, here is an abridged list of shared February 12 birthdays:

1218 - Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shogun (d. 1256) [Shogun!]

1663 - Cotton Mather, New England minister (d. 1728) [reformed witch hunter; tried unsuccessfully to promote smallpox inoculations; son of the sublimely named Increase Mather] 1809 - Charles Darwin, English naturalist (d. 1882)

1809 - Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865)

1876 - Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933) [Namaste.]

1915 - Lorne Greene, Canadian actor (d. 1987) [Rawhide!!]

1930 - Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania

1936 - Joe Don Baker, American actor [who I'll always remember as the corrupt cop in Fletch] 1938 - Judy Blume, American author

1952 - Michael McDonald, American musician [a Doobie for your birthday]

1955 - Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host [woof woof woof!]

1968 - Josh Brolin, American actor

1968 - Chynna Phillips, American singer

1974 - Fonzworth Bentley, American hip-hop artist [the guy who carried Diddy's umbrella]

1979 - Jesse Spencer, Australian actor [Chase! I can't believe he's younger than us]

1980 - Christina Ricci, American actress

Reflections

By the time you all read this, it'll be my birthday! Hooray!

While my birthday buddies Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin are enjoying the big 2-0-0, I'm embracing the kinda ho-hum, boring age of 34. Goodbye Jesus Year, I failed at starting a new world religion. Hello, 34, most notable for being... twice the age of 17??? Yikes.

But, I love being in my now, ahem, mid-30's. I was explaining this to someone tonight, someone who has the benefit of a few more decades of perspective, and he totally agreed with me. I wouldn't go back to my 20's for anything. Sure, I had a lot of fun and felt a little more free and casual with a lot less stress back then, but... I feel like in my 30's, I and so many of my friends have just gained so much. Confidence, experience, respect, knowledge.

I'm so much more secure in who I am, and what I want, and what I believe in, and what I need from myself and others, and where I want to go in life *now* than I was 5 or, egad, 10 years ago. I've learned what is important for me to fight for, and what I can shrug off. I've learned what really pushes my buttons, and what I can live with easily. I can recognize the things I'm really good at, and the times when I should defer to others and ask for help. I've found ways to keep myself interested and entertained, and ways to (as we'd say on the farm) separate the wheat from the chaff and focus on what's really important.

I've learned how to value and make time for family, and how to express to them what I need in return. I've stopped worrying so much about what "other people" think, and instead focus more on the important people in my life. I've learned how to "embrace my inner dork" and wear it with pride.

I know there's a whole lot more still to learn in life, and I'm looking forward to all kinds of new experience in the rest of my 30's -- and, you know, someday hopefully going through the new experiences of having a great relationship and starting a family. So - other than 34 being a kinda boring number in and of itself - I'm just happy to be starting another new year with a great family and friends, with a job that I love and an apartment that makes me happy, with trusty cat Cleo by my side and more adventures to come here in our nation's capital.

Yay!



Photo source.

My Enemies List

After years of suffering and cursing nature's bounty... I finally went ahead and had a full-scale allergy test. I got the results today. So here it is, my list of mortal enemies:

Goldenrod. Interestingly, not ragweed. Even my ENT dad was surprised, cuz I guess ragweed is the most usual culprit for hay fever. Instead, goldenrod gets me. I should've known. It's my least favorite color of colored paper. (Photo credit)


What's this strange-looking thing? That's a mold spore -- yes, I am sparing you from some of the really gross mold photos out there. But this little puppy, I believe, is the reason why I often feel like crap on damp, humid, rainy days. (Photo credit)

Oh my God! It's a monster - run!!! That, my friends, is a dust mite. Gross, just all kinds of gross. If you want to learn more, click here and prepare to shudder as you get into bed tonight. (Photo credit)

My springtime nemesis -- the good old red maple tree. Does this mean I can't move to Canada?!?!?! (Photo credit)


Finally, my worst enemy attacks in the fall -- the birch tree! (Photo credit)

So my instructions? Keep taking allergy meds and dust and vacuum my apartment more often. I think I can do that.

Here's the best news of all. Guess what I'm NOT allergic to?

Blech

I'm still here, no worries.... but I'm right smack dab in the middle of my annual hell-week (kinda hell-2-weeks) with a huge event and board meeting in a few days. Stress is my middle name! And this year seems a little tougher than normal... perhaps because the whole outside world is feeling so uncertain right now, and it's starting to trickle down into the kind of work I do and into everyone's psyche overall. The economy, the election, the world, yadda yadda... it's a strange time.

And it's been a weird week overall.... drama, frustrations, complaining, uncertainty, and a family scare that I didn't even know was a scare until after the fact. Having adult conversations with your parents can still be really hard if they don't feel like sharing.

Sitting here tonight, knowing that I have to stay in to be accessible work-wise and that I need a restful evening to sort of decompress.... it's still hard to come to the realization that a baked chicken breast for one with a side of frozen veggies eaten in front of the computer may be just about the most depressing and lonely thing ever. Blech big time.

And in other news, holy cow, this Ike stuff is downright scary. The Weather Channel folks (I'm an addict when there's a Big Weather story) are even showing their panic this time. I swear, I just heard one of the on-location people give the following advice to anyone who hasn't evacuated: "No one is coming to rescue you. Look around and find something that floats. Strap yourself to it, and try to ride this out."

Wow. That's perspective. I wish everyone in the Gulf area the best of luck and hope that they've gotten out... it certainly makes my problems seem like a piece of cake.

Things That Start With B

Don't worry... this isn't going to be a post about Bristol Palin (poor girl). Instead, it's a quick recap of how I spent my very enjoyable Labor Day weekend...

...Barbecue - hooray for an end-of-summer cookout and fun conversations about books and theater and stuff.

...Baseball - I finally made my way over to the new Nats Park, and it's great! Even better cuz the Nats won, 8-4 over the Braves! Check out my fun pics of the Park below.

...Back-to-School Shopping - Yep, it was time to refresh the wardrobe, and with Onyah's encouragement I dropped a butt-load of money on some really great stuff. (Patent-leather and plaid shoes, so cute!)

Ah, the three B's (other than beets, bears, and Battlestar Galactica), a great way to spend the long last weekend of summer that I wish was even longer. It's so hard to believe we're already in September... but that means soon the weather will turn and I can start wearing all my new fall clothes!

Check out the Park:

This little kid is 7 years old, and he played both the national anthem and "God Bless America" on his trumpet. Great!

We had great seats - we splurged for the $33 level tickets, and they were worth it. I'd totally do it again!

That's a mighty big grassy W. Pretty cool.

Alas, even though he started out in the lead, poor Teddy hasn't won yet. But he's a good sport!

Just Enough to Be Dangerous

I have to give another shout out to This American Life, for all of the entertainment and educational value it brings to this particular American life. And I have to share one of my favorite little tidbits I've picked up from it this summer... the concept of "Modern Jackass."

To understand "Modern Jackass," you really should listen to the "A Little Bit of Knowledge" episode - at least 4-minute prologue- and learn the origin of this wonderful little phrase. From the site:

Host Ira Glass describes the thing that we all do at some point: talk
expertly about something we don't actually know anything about. It's so common,
explains This American Life contributing editor Nancy Updike, that some friends
of hers invented an imaginary magazine devoted to such blathering. It's called
"Modern Jackass."

I love this concept. Love it! Why? Because not only is it hilarious, it's also so true... and I do it ALL THE TIME. Ms. Updike calls herself and her friends out for being the type of people who occasionally read an article or see a documentary on something obscure and suddenly think themselves to be well-versed in the topic.

Think about how often you are in conversations where people are referring to things they've heard, or read it somewhere once, or maybe someone told them... and offering it up as Gospel fact, as if they really know a lot about the subject and are speaking as experts. I'm not finger-pointing here, I know I do it too!

How much misinformation are we all sharing with each other just because we know just enough knowledge to be dangerous?

Changing of the Guard

Once upon a time, I went to grad school at Carnegie Mellon. Even though I was an arts management student, the fact that I was at one of the top tech schools around found its way into everything... I was required to take MIS and learn every single feature of the Microsoft Office Suite. I learned relational database design and found myself having conversations with friends along the lines of "hey! cool cascade update!" I took desktop publishing and could pull together some manageable design projects using the Adobe suite. I designed a web site or two. And, the killer, I even took GIS as an elective and spent many, many late nights in the computer lab FTPing my giant file-size assignments to the TA.

What I'm getting at is... once upon a time, in an era known as "the late 90's," I was pretty darn computer savvy. When I started my first job, *I* was the smug kid who knew how to quickly overcome any computer issues, and I wowed and amazed my supervisors with the technological feats I could accomplish... the databases! the spreadsheets! the presentations!

Well.....

Somewhere along the line, something happened. Over the past year or so, I've started to notice something.

Suddenly, I'm the manager-type at work who now has to ask the, ahem, younger employees and interns to make stuff happen on my screen. Office has gone through so many different iterations, it's almost unrecognizable. Hardware has a lot more little wires and plugs than it used to. Printers and copiers are mega-machines, many generations past those old rolled-paper fax machines I started using.

And now, I have to ask for help. And there's a whole new generation of smug kids fresh out of school who can come fix something for me in a snap... and earn points doing it. And you know what? I let them.

I Got the Hook Up!

Just a quick update for those waiting with bated breath.... I made it! Survived the move, enjoyed a quiet first night in my new place, had success with Comcast this morning (I know, a rare occasion), and am unpacking slowly but surely. I *heart* my dishwasher, totally giggled with glee to see how CLEAN my first load of dishes came out... something my two hands and a Scotch Brite sponge were never able to achieve. The new neighborhood is quiet and friendly and I've got the rest of this week to get settled and explore. And, you know, from now on.

I promise a non-move-related blog post soon, when I take a break from the boxes.

Hooray for movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y!

The Countdown

Finally, after all this build up, it's now my last night in my 16th street apartment. Hooray! I am so excited for this move to be over.

I had my apartment sale this afternoon, and learned the joy of having very low expectations. I had a really random list of items for sale, like you do on these sorts of occasions, and with a somewhat dubious mindset I was setting my goal at 20 bucks. I figured that would at least have been worth my time, and I could then say I had given it a fair shot before junking a lot of things.

Guess what? I made $73.50! I sold the microwave, 2 microwave carts, a rug, a CD player, and some really odd items that I'd been carrying with me for years, like a massaging chair cover and a foot bath. Who knew? And that amount is almost exactly what the charge will be for the Zipcar tomorrow, so I'm a very happy camper.

And, 2 items that I'd sorta only reluctantly put up for sale didn't find any takers, so that means I get to keep them! Even though my wooden coat tree, which I'm proud of having put together myself, and my big, deep red rug aren't really *needed* in the new place, I'm happy to find a way to make them work. I really do love that rug, so I'm glad no one bought it!

Now, I'm just killing time and doing the little things.... ugh, packing up a bathroom and a kitchen are the worst. But it will soon all be over, and all for the better. Then I have to come back and clean... but that's a worry for another day. Wish me luck!

Put Your Thinking Caps On

Okay, folks, I'm moving very soon.... which means that by later in this month, I will no longer be able to claim a View from 16th Street.

So, after nearly 3 years, it's finally time to come up with a new name for the blog!

I'm happy to invite suggestions. Nice ones, only. :-)

Here are a few of the options I'm considering (note, this will be my 3rd place in DC):

The View from NorthWest
The View from Forest Hills
My Life In DC: Chapter 3
Third Time's the Charm
Back to the Red Line
Stef and the City

or, my current favorite:

Stefanie Says

Thoughts?

It's Better Not Knowing

Well, I just discovered a surprise. In the midst of a weekend of heavy duty packing, sorting, organizing, and basically tearing the apartment apart, I just took a break for a few hours in bed to rest and finish a book. (J-Lo, I can finally return your Fannie Flagg book! It made me cry.) Now, I was awake the whole time, and while I could hear Cleo running around in the living room it didn't sound unusual. Just sounded like the trusty cat was playing and jumping around on the cardboard boxes. She's been having a lot of fun with that lately.

So, I was definitely taken aback when I just came into the living room and saw, right there in the middle of the floor.... a tiny little dead baby mouse! And not a peep from Cleo, looking on from her perch on a chair just a few feet away. She just stared with great interest as I cleaned it up and disposed of the poor little thing. Am I just imagining the smug look of satisfaction in her eyes?

Or, in the wild kingdom battle of this apartment that we're soon leaving, is Cleo the undefeated queen of beasts?

Let's Do the Time Warp Again

I'm making lots of progress on the move prep, and I've spent most of this weekend going through all the random years' worth of stuff I've been storing in my giant, unnecessary closets. Downsizing is going to be very easy, cuz I'm just getting rid of tons of junk.

Anyway, going through all my storage stuff is like a trip down memory lane. I'm finding old journals, notebooks, keepsakes (like doodled-on Denny's placemats from 1996) - hey, I'm a packrat! - and especially lots and lots of old photos of friends, places, events, and crushes past. What a trip, seeing old pictures* and remnants of a life that still seems familiar, but is starting to feel very far away.

But - actually - not so distant anymore. Cuz while I'm sorting through all the stuff of a life, through the magic of the Internet I am actually starting to reconnect with the people of my past lives. Now on Facebook, I think I've reached a point were I have an equal amount of friends from each of the different segments of my life - childhood, college, Pittsburgh, and my different groups here. So on any given day, I am playing Scrabulous (ROCKS) with a friend from middle school, chess with the former IT guy at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Scramble with gal pals from college, and emailing current folks about what to do this weekend.

I do admit, sometimes there's a little cognitive dissonance and I have to remind myself who I knew when, but it's pretty amazing that so many of us are reconnecting after so many years. It's given new resonance to my own solitary trip down memory lane as I sort and purge, and in a way I'm actually finding it kinda grounding as I'm about to start a new chapter of my life, in my most grown-up (read: most expensive) new setting yet.

*(Note: I am so going to get a lot of these great old photos scanned, so perhaps I'll share some time soon...)

Sad Clown Face

Aw, the most heart-tugging little trend has started in my home. Even though it's now been about 3 weeks since the renovations in my apartment were complete, and so it's been 3 weeks since I've had to lock trusty cat Cleo in the bathroom, she's still afraid of it every morning. My poor sweet kitty is completely normal when we wake up in the morning, running around and enjoying her breakfast.

But, every day, at around 8 am - which is about when I'm out of the shower and getting dressed - she now quietly goes and hides in the closet or under the bed. Nothing soothing that I say will coax her out, and so lately I've decided to just let her hide until she feels comfortable again in the mornings. But the wary, anxious look on her face every morning just breaks my heart. I can't wait until she trusts me again!

In other news, lots of progress on the moving front this week. I've turned in my notice to the current building, set up an appointment to do all the paperwork in the new place, hired movers, set up my new utilities, and have even started packing. Wheee!

Moving Towards Moving

I am slowly starting to purge and prep myself for my first move in 4 1/2 years, and since I've still got about 6 weeks I'm not quite overwhelmed by everything, yet... I'm still starting out by methodically going through things. I have donated a lot of clothes already, and have more to go soon. I'll be going through my books to donate or pass on (any requests?), and then I'll start packing in earnest.

A few comments/questions as I move along...

Question: How long do dried herbs or spices stay good in the pantry? I've got some that date back to the Clinton Administration, I'm sure! Should I be tossing out some of the old ones that I don't use?

Question: Does anyone have recommendations and/or horror stories of local moving companies?

Finally, a bit of advice for anyone who is also planning a move soon. Don't do what I did, do NOT think it sounds cool to fill out one of those "EZ123" one stop web sites for moving estimates... the "fill out the form once and get 12 estimates!" thing is a curse, not a blessing, cuz now I'm getting stalked both on email and my cell phone by TWELVE different moving companies! They're calling, they're emailing, they're calling again to follow-up on their first call.... sheesh!

Lunacy?

What a week - I along with everyone else I know have been edgy, stressed, and exhausted. Is it no small coincidence that we're in the cycle of the full moon?

My brother and I talked about this last month, when he and a bunch of coworkers all had a similar week and pinpointed it to the full moon over Indiana. Who knows? Perhaps the brighter light of the big rock in the sky that week makes it harder to sleep? And we all get crazier with less sleep...

Last night, a group of us at happy hour had the same discussion, as one person asked if anyone else had been having a particularly rough week. Sure, allergies have been bad this week and the weather has made a definite turn, which always takes a little adjusting. But, lo and behold, as we enjoyed our HH the huge, brilliant face of the moon showed its mischievous face. Aha!

This isn't a new idea, of course. The word lunacy itself is derived from "luna" - the Roman goddess of the moon. And while the lunar effect, or as it's sometimes known, the "Transylvanian effect" (ooooh!), has pretty much been written off as pseudo-science, the old wives tale strength of the idea is enough that we're still talking about it.

I'm willing to believe it, that the phases of the moon can affect human behavior. (Not so far as vampires and werewolves, though I love those legends, too.) We humans are biological entities, theoretically subject to all of the same natural forces as anything else on the planet. If the moon can raise the tides, why wouldn't it have some effect on us, who are mostly water anyway? Debunk if you want, but I'm willing to cop to my full share of lunacy.

Operation Home Improvement

No, this time I'm not talking about my apartment renovations.... I'm talking about improving my home overall by finding a new one!

Guess what? Mission accomplished!

I used my beautiful Friday afternoon off - wow, it got hot - to go apartment hunting, and I nailed a good one! I met my own goal... and as of mid-June, I will be moving to upper Connecticut Ave. Whoohoo!

I loved the building, love the location, love the conveniences nearby, and the sales staff was pretty darn good. They had me at hello, when they offered me a cold bottle of water. :-)

The new place will be different, for sure, and there are pros and cons to the changes...

Pros:
- Central air conditioning (don't have it now)
- Dishwasher (ditto)
- Garbage disposal (ditto)
- Carpeting (I prefer it over hardwood, which I have now)
- Laundry on each floor (now it's in the basement)
- 1 1/2 blocks to Metro (now it's about a 15 min walk for me)
- 1 1/2 blocks to lots of ideal, convenient shopping (now it's further)
- Most importantly, from what I could see, no bars in the immediate vicinity (now I can hear 18th Street)

Cons:
- The apartment is about 110 sq feet smaller, so I have to downsize. That's okay, cuz right now I've got a pretty bloated life with way too much stuff I've been carrying around for about 12 years.... and besides, my current apartment is strangely shaped and I've never been able to really use a lot of that extra space. Plus I just lost some with the stupid renovations!

- The apartment is a LOT more expensive. I knew that, and I decided it was time to upgrade and make this change ("I have earned something better" has been my mantra), but it will be a squeeze. Stef will be bringing her lunch a lot more often.

So, that's the big news. Hooray! I'll be heading over again on Monday to put down the money and seal the deal. Then, in just about 2 months, my view will finally change. :-)

Renovation Report, Day 11

Ch-ch-changes....

Because they'd mostly been doing electrical work for the last week-plus, the changes in my apartment haven't really been that visible since the big initial installation of the heat pumps. Well, scratch that.

Today I got home and found.... they put up the dry wall! And now I can see *exactly* how much space I'm losing.... ouch.


Here's the living room. I am not going to be able to put my entertainment center and bookcase back in there... and that nook may actually be too narrow for even my couch. That had been my backup plan for rearranging. So I'm going to have to be more creative. Maybe my Poang chair and footrest can go in there, with a side table?



See how much they built out that wall? All of that gray part is just jutting out into the other room. Huh?

And here's the bedroom... harrumph.


Well, I guess it's all a good sign of progress, right? Maybe they'll actually be done soon?!?