My life is extraordinary. Take today, for example. My big project was to work on unpackimg. I started after a workout, stop at the bank. And a few chores. It took hours to unpack just 8 boxes. And it's been a huge week at work so I am tired (and a night out on Thursday, up to midnight) so today the hard thing is to stay at the unpacking and finding places to put everything.
Then Dan texted, and we evolved a plan for him to drop over. I was scrambling to do a final tidy and Renee called. She and Barry were outside to reclaim her truck that I'd been borrowing. Its battery took exception to sitting unused for a week.so they came over to jump it and go.
While we were in process, Renee mentioned that she'd been helping someone pack today. I said I should have offered boxes.as I have so many. Barry lit up and said "Boxes? I'll take em!" And he did! They loaded the extra carpet - removed from the office room, she'll use it in her garage - and then the boxes. Oh my god, it was such a gift and delight! Now I have room in the second garage to get to the rest of my stuff and gradually unpack.
I had no idea how I was going to get rid of them. And friends showed up and poof! Boxes gone!
Then Dan showed up with wine. We sat out on my upstairs deck in the beautiful warm evening. Just before he left he offered me a choice from the DVDs he had. "Charlie Wilsons War" is currently playing.
I am looking around at the walls wrapped in the paint that Kristem helped me pick. While I was gone, Peri supervised the painters. Theo installed a new showerhead; he and Holly and Renee and Barry moved me out of my storage unit.
I've unpacked the quilt that Maggie made me, the rug I bought in Jordan while on tour with the Ladies International Association of Munich, the photos of family ... Love everywhere.
I have a tribe. Love you all!!!
.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
OOOOO it's COLD!
In Rochester, packing up. Well, pre-packing. The professional packers come on Monday; so I am doing the sorting and organizing and throwing out that I managed to not do all last year while on my intense travel schedule.
Woke up to a beautiful looking day. Turned on the TV to catch the weather report. It's 23 degrees out!!!! So I won't plan on a morning walk but run up and down the stairs with boxes instead. And I'm very much looking forward to getting back Home West later in the week where the temperatures are humane.
Woke up to a beautiful looking day. Turned on the TV to catch the weather report. It's 23 degrees out!!!! So I won't plan on a morning walk but run up and down the stairs with boxes instead. And I'm very much looking forward to getting back Home West later in the week where the temperatures are humane.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The best thing that humankind invented
Libraries. And all they imply.
Sitting in the public library in Mt View, grateful for the connection. I moved into my place almost 2 weeks ago, have been camping there while deciding what to do about my stuff on the other side of the country, and getting some work done on the place and - oh yeah - working at a start-up that is getting more intense every week. And trade show season is upon us. Fellow marketeers will know what this means!
Tomorrow, I leave for FOSE, a big show we're doing in DC. I am the set up and tear down crew, booth captain plus I'll be working the booth too. What I've gotten done in the past 3 weeks for my day job is amazing (it's not trade shows! Not this year, thank god.) I am so tired and fried I'm surprised that my coworkers can't hear the crackle.
My plan today was to stop in at work, finish a couple things, print out my boarding passes and then get home to continue clearing out the closets as the painters come on Monday. To my dismay, nothing would print. (Yes, I cycled the power on the printers. Yes, I rebooted.) So I am at the local library, now with boarding pass in hand. Yay! And breathing in the smell of all these books. Kindle looks great and I will get one, soon. But for me, nothing beats the feeling of being in a room full of books.
My trip starts in DC, I'll get to see brother John & sis-in-law Amy over the weekend, then I go on to Harrisburg to meet with our US distributor. From there, I go to Rochester and spend a week. Meeting with a mover on the 18th, they'll estimate moving my goods and hopefully we'll schedule for the 23rd. Then back Home West.
I intend to keep the house in Rochester, now thinking of renting it out. I think this will get clear when I'm there.
And I am very much looking forward to my new place being painted, the new carpet in, and some furniture showing up so I can once again entertain.I'll post pics!
Sitting in the public library in Mt View, grateful for the connection. I moved into my place almost 2 weeks ago, have been camping there while deciding what to do about my stuff on the other side of the country, and getting some work done on the place and - oh yeah - working at a start-up that is getting more intense every week. And trade show season is upon us. Fellow marketeers will know what this means!
Tomorrow, I leave for FOSE, a big show we're doing in DC. I am the set up and tear down crew, booth captain plus I'll be working the booth too. What I've gotten done in the past 3 weeks for my day job is amazing (it's not trade shows! Not this year, thank god.) I am so tired and fried I'm surprised that my coworkers can't hear the crackle.
My plan today was to stop in at work, finish a couple things, print out my boarding passes and then get home to continue clearing out the closets as the painters come on Monday. To my dismay, nothing would print. (Yes, I cycled the power on the printers. Yes, I rebooted.) So I am at the local library, now with boarding pass in hand. Yay! And breathing in the smell of all these books. Kindle looks great and I will get one, soon. But for me, nothing beats the feeling of being in a room full of books.
My trip starts in DC, I'll get to see brother John & sis-in-law Amy over the weekend, then I go on to Harrisburg to meet with our US distributor. From there, I go to Rochester and spend a week. Meeting with a mover on the 18th, they'll estimate moving my goods and hopefully we'll schedule for the 23rd. Then back Home West.
I intend to keep the house in Rochester, now thinking of renting it out. I think this will get clear when I'm there.
And I am very much looking forward to my new place being painted, the new carpet in, and some furniture showing up so I can once again entertain.I'll post pics!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Land Speed record - from offer to close in 31 days
Whoo Hoo! Closed on my new townhome on Friday the 13th, my bestest day of the year.
Made the offer on January 12th. Process seemed to take AGES. I appear to be pretty impatient once I've made up my mind.
Am now working diligently to refloat the economy. Buying: bed, sofa, car, bedding, paint, carpet, lighting, services to spread the paint and lay the carpet, install the lighting. So much fun and fear rolled up all into one big ball of exhilaration.
Thought getting furniture I loved would be difficult. I'm particular about what I like. And it has been incredibly easy!! Was out a couple weekends ago with Kristen, in Capitola and I asked if there were any one off furniture stores there, had a vague memory of a cool store, so we pulled into Modern Life. Hah! over a decade ago, I got the sofa and chair that I loved there, after shopping on & off for several years. Walked in the store, and there's my next sofa. The next weekend, out with Peri in Redwood City, we started at the Macys Home store looking at beds. All of them too big. Asked the sales guy if there were other places, for modern furniture, he directed us to Ana just up El Camino. Walked in and Bingo! there's my bed.
Early last week, stopped in a carpet store near work, was looking through the reasonably priced samples when something gleamed at me from across the store. Zap! There's my carpet! Found paint colors I like at Home Depot yesterday, will check all of these in the place tomorrow because I've now got the keys, man. It's all coming together!
Next step is to find the service people to do the electrical and painting. I had wanted to have all this work done before I moved in, but life threw a bit of a curveball and I will likely move in next weekend. And I need a car, too. Have been using the Amazing Renee's truck while rooming at her place. I am so pleased that I have lived below my means and saved/invested...
Work is going well, I'm completing a bunch of projects and moving into a very interactice phase. I expect to be travelling again, soon.
Dating. Attempting to date. Really probably only getting fodder for wry commentary. This is an actual snippet from a guy's profile: "I do not like people who are selfish or self absorbed. I work out all the time." .... To quote Date Barry: "I am not making this up."
Trying to figure out what to do with my east coast home. I want to hang on to it, but don't like it vacant. Asking the Universe to send me a great caretaker for it, and soon.
Timer just rang, so it's time to go deal with Laundry. Am currently in the apartment, soooo looking forward to doing laundry inside my new home after I move in. This going outside and feeding quarters to industrial machines is, like, so college kid!
Made the offer on January 12th. Process seemed to take AGES. I appear to be pretty impatient once I've made up my mind.
Am now working diligently to refloat the economy. Buying: bed, sofa, car, bedding, paint, carpet, lighting, services to spread the paint and lay the carpet, install the lighting. So much fun and fear rolled up all into one big ball of exhilaration.
Thought getting furniture I loved would be difficult. I'm particular about what I like. And it has been incredibly easy!! Was out a couple weekends ago with Kristen, in Capitola and I asked if there were any one off furniture stores there, had a vague memory of a cool store, so we pulled into Modern Life. Hah! over a decade ago, I got the sofa and chair that I loved there, after shopping on & off for several years. Walked in the store, and there's my next sofa. The next weekend, out with Peri in Redwood City, we started at the Macys Home store looking at beds. All of them too big. Asked the sales guy if there were other places, for modern furniture, he directed us to Ana just up El Camino. Walked in and Bingo! there's my bed.
Early last week, stopped in a carpet store near work, was looking through the reasonably priced samples when something gleamed at me from across the store. Zap! There's my carpet! Found paint colors I like at Home Depot yesterday, will check all of these in the place tomorrow because I've now got the keys, man. It's all coming together!
Next step is to find the service people to do the electrical and painting. I had wanted to have all this work done before I moved in, but life threw a bit of a curveball and I will likely move in next weekend. And I need a car, too. Have been using the Amazing Renee's truck while rooming at her place. I am so pleased that I have lived below my means and saved/invested...
Work is going well, I'm completing a bunch of projects and moving into a very interactice phase. I expect to be travelling again, soon.
Dating. Attempting to date. Really probably only getting fodder for wry commentary. This is an actual snippet from a guy's profile: "I do not like people who are selfish or self absorbed. I work out all the time." .... To quote Date Barry: "I am not making this up."
Trying to figure out what to do with my east coast home. I want to hang on to it, but don't like it vacant. Asking the Universe to send me a great caretaker for it, and soon.
Timer just rang, so it's time to go deal with Laundry. Am currently in the apartment, soooo looking forward to doing laundry inside my new home after I move in. This going outside and feeding quarters to industrial machines is, like, so college kid!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Variable time
So 10 days ago I was annoyed with myself because it seemed like I had been looking for a place FOREVER. Hah! I thought about it - started looking in December. Of 08. 6 weeks. But I had a couple trips - oh yeah, I actually started looking mid-December, cause I got back to CA on Nov 29th, then had a trip to Pennsylvania on the 7th and 8th and waited til I got back from that trip to start looking. So that makes it 4 weeks.
Aaaand, I put an offer in on a townhouse last Monday, it was accepted. A flurry of activity sped this past week by in a blur - ZIP! Spent a couple evenings this week reading through what seems like hundreds of pages of disclosures. Made a lot of notes. Most of yesterday was dedicated to the process - met with my realtor and reviewed our notes, then went to the place and went through it thoroughly. Then talked with the president of the HOA for an hour, about how they spend, their attitude, etc. I like it.
I am so excited. When I saw this place I thought it was the sexiest place I have ever seen. I still think so and cannot wait to get in and start furnishing it my way.
Here are a couple of pics, this is their furniture. Oh yeah - will be looking for furniture. My decorating theme is "Whimsically edgy". I am enlisting all of you for help - I do not like the stuff in the conventional stores. Need pointers to places for unusual furniture - I like clean lines. I like color. I like offbeat. I like natural fabrics and wood and stone. I do not like overstuffed, slipcovers, thick legs, 4 poster beds. Don't even point out anything that's a repro from any dead french kings or english queens. Bzzt!
Gorgeous gorgeous.
Looking out through the kitchen.
Master bedroom suite #1. The closets all have built ins - no need for dressers, yay!
TWO fireplaces!! One down, one in my bedroom.
Aaaand, I put an offer in on a townhouse last Monday, it was accepted. A flurry of activity sped this past week by in a blur - ZIP! Spent a couple evenings this week reading through what seems like hundreds of pages of disclosures. Made a lot of notes. Most of yesterday was dedicated to the process - met with my realtor and reviewed our notes, then went to the place and went through it thoroughly. Then talked with the president of the HOA for an hour, about how they spend, their attitude, etc. I like it.
I am so excited. When I saw this place I thought it was the sexiest place I have ever seen. I still think so and cannot wait to get in and start furnishing it my way.
Here are a couple of pics, this is their furniture. Oh yeah - will be looking for furniture. My decorating theme is "Whimsically edgy". I am enlisting all of you for help - I do not like the stuff in the conventional stores. Need pointers to places for unusual furniture - I like clean lines. I like color. I like offbeat. I like natural fabrics and wood and stone. I do not like overstuffed, slipcovers, thick legs, 4 poster beds. Don't even point out anything that's a repro from any dead french kings or english queens. Bzzt!
Gorgeous gorgeous.
Looking out through the kitchen.
Master bedroom suite #1. The closets all have built ins - no need for dressers, yay!
TWO fireplaces!! One down, one in my bedroom.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Just keep walking ...
Been condo shopping. I have seen a couple that I like, and am still staggered at the prices. And they are down froma couple years ago! I mostly do want my own space, but also have very much been enjoying being Renees roomie. It's great to have someone to talk with and share chores with. Whoops, just remembered laundry in progress. better go attend that...
This seems like how I moved from Germany to Rochester, I stayed with Greg & Andrea for a few weeks before moving into my place. That worked out OK, so I am sure this will too. Time to fledge.
The weather here was insanely great this weekend. I talked with Beth HomeEast, and she was shovelling the driveway. Said it probably wouldn't get much past 20 degrees today. I am so happy to be in California. My life there is fading from memory, except every once in a while comes the jolt - holy crap! I have a house there!
So it feel like I don't know what I am doing. But I keep putting one foot in front of the other, hoping that I am making progress.
This seems like how I moved from Germany to Rochester, I stayed with Greg & Andrea for a few weeks before moving into my place. That worked out OK, so I am sure this will too. Time to fledge.
The weather here was insanely great this weekend. I talked with Beth HomeEast, and she was shovelling the driveway. Said it probably wouldn't get much past 20 degrees today. I am so happy to be in California. My life there is fading from memory, except every once in a while comes the jolt - holy crap! I have a house there!
So it feel like I don't know what I am doing. But I keep putting one foot in front of the other, hoping that I am making progress.
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