Guess What I'm Doing Right Now!

Right this very minute. Go ahead - guess! Its something that I haven't been able to do for 5 years. I AM DOING LAUNDRY IN MY OWN HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that's right - my new washer/dryer was FINALLY installed this morning! It took 4 separate attempts over the last two weeks for it to be delivered and (properly) installed, and truth be told I'm still missing a piece, but it ACTUALLY WORKS!!!! Which means I can now spend my time doing other things while my laundry is going in the kitchen. I can unpack boxes. I can watch TV. I can paint a wall. I can make dinner. I can do whatever I want, because I can now do laundry in my own house whenever I want to. This might literally change my entire world. What am I going to do with an extra 5 hours every weekend?

I'm so unbelievably jazzed over this whole thing that I've almost completely forgiven Lowe's internet sales department for the "4 attempt" debacle (this washer/dryer was originally supposed to be up and running before I even moved into the new house). I was planning to write a scathing post about the evils of big box stores and their lack of customer service, but I've decided to just let it go. I have a washer/dryer. It works. I'm happy!

P.S. Check out those fire engine red walls in the photos - thanks to G and the parents for applying that paint!

P.P.S. For some reason Blogger is being stupid and not letting me post pictures. So, for now, just imagine gleaming white appliances in front of fire engine red walls!

P.P.P.S. As of 5:00 this evening, Blogger has decide to allow my photos once again. Geez...

Move Complete!

Just a quick post to say that I am officially moved into the new house, as of about 3:00pm yesterday (that's when we all collapsed from sheer exhaustion and frayed nerves!). There are pictures to come and stories to tell (oh, the stories to tell!) but for now, let me just say:

IT'S GREAT TO BE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a Recession, right?

I'm not wrong about that am I? We are in the middle of a recession and unemployment is running rampant, right? And people are cutting back on luxury services, like pedicures and oh, I don't know, lawn care, right? I'm not just dreaming this bad economy up, am I? Because you wouldn't know from that last WEEK of phone calls I've been making desperately trying to find SOMEONE to mow my new lawn. I mean, I actually WANT to PAY someone to mow my lawn - and I'm even willing to pay quite well. But, I have called at least 12 different lawn care service companies listed on the BBB web-site, and NOT A SINGLE ONE has returned ANY of my phone calls. I have called multiple times. I have emailed. I have mentioned fliers and special coupons that these companies PUT IN MY MAILBOX. But nothing. I've got nothing. And my lawn is quickly turning into an amazonian jungle, and I've now got it in my head that my new neighbors already hate me for it. I'm sure that's why none of them have stopped by with a warm baked good to welcome me to the neighborhood. They're all meeting in the evenings and discussing the "new girl" who clearly doesn't believe in maintaining her property. I even thought about driving around my new neighborhood to see if I could find any enterprising teenage boys who'd like to make a few bucks over the weekend. Then I decided that might not endear me to the neighbors either. AAUUUGGHH!

You see, after emptying my bank account to pay for the closing on my house, I decided it would be more financially responsible of me to spend $30 - $60 to pay someone else to mow my lawn the one or two times its going to need it before real fall weather sets in, rather than spend $350 to buy my first lawn mower. I figure I could build up my funds a bit over the winter and then buy the mower. I'm not planning to use a service forever or anything - I'll join everyone else in cutting back on luxury services just as soon as I can. But right now I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO FREAKIN' CUT MY LAWN!!!!!!!!!!! Is that too much to ask?

And so it Begins...

Well, its been a week since the big closing. And the pressure is starting to set in! I have just a little over a week until I move at this point, and I feel like I'm moving in slow motion, like I'm not accomplishing anything. It doesn't help that I came down with a cold this past Tuesday (that's like my third one this summer - what the heck??? does kharma have it in for me right now??), on the very day that I had set aside to take off from work and give the new house its first deep cleaning. Well, I did clean the bathroom. That's done at least!

G and Cathy did hang out at Lowe's with me for a better part of the day last Saturday, and with their help I was finally able to narrow down my paint color selection and purchase mass quantities of cleaning products. The photo above shows my "wall of decision" in the living room. Its going to be green, I know that. But which one??

With any luck I'll be back in shape by Saturday and I can hit the ground running at the house!