New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve; and a year has passed since I started this blog. What have I learned?

No one reads my blog.

That's OK. I'm not a fantastic writer, and I really wanted more of an online journal than anything else. It's been a fun experiment. This is the first journal I've kept on a regular basis since I started college, and it's fun to compare this journal with the college ones. Today I write about my house, and a little about my job (I have a professional blog, but it isn't updated as frequently!) but in college I spent most of my time writing about guys. I can’t decide which is more entertaining to read.

One thing hasn’t changed -- my New Year's resolution in high school was to loose weight, and it's something I'm still struggling with today. The only difference is that in high school I wanted to loose about thirty pounds. Today I want to loose 150 pounds.

One of the largest reasons I'm overweight is because I've been lying to myself for years, getting away with lazy behavior because I'm (supposedly) undisciplined and without willpower. I've bought into the "lucky" lie -- I believed my lot in life is due to luck, not hard work.

Serendipity is a good friend of mine. I very luckily have a great family, and I'm healthy aside from my weight. I "fell into" a great job with good pay and a very high degree of job security. I'm luckily very satisfied with my life. I haven't had any major life trauma, or even major life drama. In many ways it looks like I've floated to where I am now, without much of a struggle at all.

While luck has played a large part in my life (especially where health and lack of trauma are concerned) it’s increasingly important for me to realize I DO work very hard for what I have, and to realize that an undisciplined person couldn’t achieve what I’ve achieved. Luck alone is not responsible – I have contributed to my success in many ways. I’ve set goals and I’ve achieved them. I am not as lazy as I’d like to think I am, and I need to quit using laziness as an excuse.

OK, just in case I need PROOF.

• I have twenty-eight years of schooling. I stuck to school because I knew the types of jobs I wanted required a degree. This meant living with Mom & Dad, studying, writing papers, and researching. Once I decided to teach for a living I went back to grad school AGAIN for a Master’s, taking courses that were generally useless, spending money and time to achieve a goal.


• I taught as an adjunct for seven years. I probably could have made more money elsewhere, but I knew I was in the right place gaining invaluable classroom experience. I sacrificed money for a long-term payoff.


• I developed the Web Design program as an adjunct by constantly creating new classes and upgrading my skills and my students’ skills. This was a lot of unpaid work – the DCCCD has never paid adjuncts for cirric. development, but this was important to me and to the students so I did it.


• I prepped and prepped and PREPPED for my job interview. I’ve prepped for lots of other things just as hard, and it’s time I acknowledged the fact!


• This year I decided I needed to join more committees and work on developing more college contacts. As a result I’m a member of five committees, probably more than anyone else in my division.


• Last year when I decided to buy the house I saved roughly $16K in nine months. Yes, I had special circumstances which helped (no rent, no utilities) but it was still a struggle.


• I bought a house. That in itself is a major paperwork nightmare.


• I paid off my student loans. How many people do that?


• I have exactly two debts. My house and my car. I am not in debt up to my eyebrows despite the easy availability of credit in out society. (OK, technically I have three debts, but I’m paying Dell off in a few days.)


• I cleaned out R’s possessions. I had a LOT of help – I can’t possibly overstate how much help my family was! – but I still had to organize it all, and do a lot of it on my own.


• I’ve painted two rooms in the house mainly without help. I’m going to start painting a third room very shortly.


• I’m very thankful for my family and try not to take advantage of them. I know I’m alone in this world, and unless I want to spend holidays by myself I have to make a positive difference in their lives. This means babysitting, encouraging, listening, and providing occasional financial support plus other less vital activities. And, most of all, being very VERY grateful I’m included in their lives, and letting them know it.


• I work at not getting depressed. When I’m depressed I just stay in bed reading books. Since I live alone I don’t have anyone to drag me out of my moods, so I have to develop coping strategies to help me deal with blues. This journal has been one of my primary coping mechanisms.


• I think of things to be grateful for, and look for things that give me happiness. Lately one of my biggest comforts has been the cats, who sleep on my feet contributing much-needed warmth and contact. I also really like the margarita-scented bath soap I bought last week. Everyday luxuries!

So the point of this ramble is that I can so loose weight, and I will loose weight. End of discussion.

---

So why aren't I out partying this New Year's, especially when I have invitations to two parties? Mainly because I wanted to spend the day productively, setting the tone for the entire year. I woke up early today so the Salvation Army could carry off R's belongings. They didn't get everything, there wasn't room in their truck. I'm going to call back on Monday and arrange another pickup.

I also wanted to spend the day working on the house. I've finished painting the studio except for the trim on the window. In a little while, when I start working again, I'll go finish sanding the bedroom floor so I can spend New Year's day painting it. I'd love to get the floor finished before Monday.

---

Painting is finished, except the trim on the window, but it’s really too late in the evening to sand (it’s actually nine minutes until the New Year) so I’m writing more instead.

I broke down and bought the desk and a chair at Office Depot. I’m ashamed I spent so much ($749) especially when I have TWO desks and TWO chairs at my disposal, but . . .

. . . neither of the desks would look right in the new study. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, that’s my primary concern. Apperance.

. . . if I moved the high-quality desk out of my school office I’d have to get Dad’s help, and then get my boss to buy me a new desk, after turning him down on a new desk last year. Both situations involve eating a fair amount of humble pie, which my diet regulates strictly.

. . . the desk I have at home was a make-do desk I intended to replace as soon as possible. It’s ugly, and remarkably cheap. I’m actually afraid to move the desk out of the room it’s in now, because moving involves disassembly, and it’s so cheap I don’t think it could be re-assembled.

. . . my favorite chair is dead. The upholstry is shot, especially in the arms. The lumber that makes up the frame is actually showing. It’s a wonder I don’t get splinters.

. . . the mid-century office chair I bought doesn’t have modern ergonomic featues like lumbar support. It’s also missing a wheel. I have the wheel somewhere, and have an uncle who could fix the chair, but I need an office setup quickly and can’t wait on missing components.

. . . I spend a conservative estimate of eighteen hours a week working in front of a PC. This doesn’t include classroom time. Since my life pretty much resolves around my PC I want to make my new study as comfortable as possible.

The desk and chair are (or will be, once they arrive on Monday) the most expensive things in my house. The next-most-expensive is my antique dresser from the 30s, for which I paid about $130.

My new desk is Office Depot’s best line. It isn’t as nice as my Amisco desk (I wish they were still making desks!!) but it’s the best I could get for the money.

Worst of all, I’m not really done. I want some short maple file cabinets and bookcases to put on one side of the room. I saw some maple vertical files somewhere, but they weren’t in the store I thought they were in. I’ll have to check Staples on Sunday. Maybe that’s where I saw them.

What Wireless?

OK, I didn't buy the desk after all, because I couldn't get in on the no-interest deal they're offering. Orifice Depot wouldn't even take my credit card application because I don't carry a 'major' credit card.

How stupid of them. I HATE that double bind. Since I do everything I can to stay debt-free, including NOT having a 'major' credit card, I'm penalized by not 'qualifying' for offers like this since I can't flash around an expensive piece of plastic. I did have one I wasn't using, but I cancelled it when I decided to buy the house so I'd get a better credit score. Now I wish I hadn't.

(Later)

Applied for the CitiBank UPromise card. It looks like I'll get it. And AFTER I get it I'll go buy the desk. That desk, which I saw as a luxe item earlier today, is a REQUIRED purchase late this evening. I'm currently typing on a kitchen table (too tall) while perched sideways in a very hard kitchen chair, with my feet resting on gallon cans of latex paint. You would not believe how sore I am.

Anyway, back to the wireless stuff. I was going to write about wireless earlier, as my last headline promised, but was distracted (as usual) by furniture. Part of the ongoing furniture dilemma is that I need easy access to a BUNCH of computer gadgets, including memory reader, USB hard drive, scanner, printer, Wacom tablet, and more. My current desk is a tangle of wires. All these devices are stored in a small hutch under the desk. The new desk doesn't have such a hutch, and I don't really want it to. So I need a way to satisfy my electronic longings AND my sense of style.

I thought for sure that some whiz company somewhere would have made a Bluetooth or WiFi USB hub, so I could just plug all my USB devices into the hub, and have them talk to the hub, which in turn talks to the PC across the airways. No wires! My desk could be practically empty, and all my devices could be in a cabinet behind a door!

It soulds like a totally obvious solution, huh? NO ONE seems to make this "obvious" device. Well, that's not totally true. Several companies have made such a device for USB printers, but not for hubs.

But all this gets me thinking -- what's the difference between one USB device and another? If that thingy works on a USB printer, shoudn't it work on a USB disk drive, too? Seems to me all the device would do is "wrap" the original information inside a Bluetooth-flavored packet. The PC would unwrap the packet, and then deal with the information.

So can I buy a printer adapter, and stick it to mu hub??

THRIFT: Today's thrifty move was to start using ice trays again. I need to buy a few more.

I also went to the DAV. I bought a microwave popcorn popper by Litton, an artifact from the early 80s. It proclaimed it was "self-buttering", which made it sound better than me beloved Back to Basics popcorn popper. Alas, I was disappointed. The popcorn didn't taste buttery at all, and it took longer to pop than the Back to Basics bowl. Three dollars down the tube.

Tomorrow I'm going back to the DAV. They had a foot rest for $10, and I've been wanting one for my computer setup. I hadn't checked prices, so I wasn't sure if it was a good deal. Tonight I discovered the cheapest one I can find online is an amazing $18.00. Plus the DAV's is HEATED, so it's worth even more, about $60.00.

Wireless Ways

I've almost got the study painted, and I've ordered the countertops from Home Depot. Tonight I might "play with electricity" and install the GFCI adapters. I've never done this task in the evening because it would mean working in the dark, but today I figured out I could run the shop lamp on an extension cord from the bathroom. DUH! I think I'll put Dad on speaker phone just in case I electrocute myself.

Tried to come up with a solution for the Desk Dilemma. I went to the Office Depot a few blocks from me, the one I always forget about, and found a Christoper Lowell desk for $349 that has enough panache to suit even me. Problem is it's DARK, while I wanted a blonde desk. Plus the price is a little high.

Back in a corner I found a different Christopher Lowell desk. This one isn't nearly as pretty, but it is blonde. And it's only $127. I could live with it. Unless I bought the little file cabinet that matches, and the two bookcases, and the vertical file.

OK, this is silly, but it's about to get worse. I went to OfficeDepot.com to confirm the price on the desk. The site has me groaning in dismay -- all the Christopher Lowell desks "retail" for $799 but Office Depot (the ONLY place possible the desks!) will generously sell them for $349.00. WHAT a load of crap.

Sadly it looks like I'm dealing with their crap. I fell in love with one of the desks on the website. Check out this stunner:



It's enough like my "dream desk" that I can live with it. Of course, it's highly expensive -- $399. How did Office Depot know that was the upper cap on my desk spending?

Since this desk is smaller than my existing desk I'll have to find a way to store my excess electronics. I had thought about getting a few vertical files and placing them along the walls. I still think that might be the way to go, especially if the ones I saw at Office Max are still there.

Have very bad "don't wanna work" disease today. C. and her friend F. are coming over tomorrow to go through the things in the garage, and I'd like to FULLY clean out the remaining closet before they arrive. I'll have to start working at some point.

Oh, screw it. I'm going to the other Office Depot to see if they have the desk in stock.

Coming to my $enses

This is my dream desk. I found it as a 3D model online, but I can't find a real-world equivalent anywhere.



Today I finally realized why I'll NEVER find it. That cool curved shape is just too expensive to produce. Oh, it's probably not THAT expensive, but once compared to the two predominate desk styles (boxy and leggy) it's obviously too expensive. A boxy desk is very easy to construct -- just produce all the pieces, nice and flat, and ship them to stores in nice, flat containers. Leggy desks are even easier. The desk top can be a nice innovative shape, and so can the legs. Everything still packs pretty flat, for easy shipping and storage.

My dream desk, on the other hand, would be difficult to fit in a box. It's obviously a custom job; one I can't afford to have replicated. I'm tempted to try to make the desk myself, but who am I kidding?

I should be in a good mood now -- I spent $500 in under 60 minutes this evening -- but I'm still drained by yesterday. I did call B and unload a little. She's agreed if the Parents get a divorce in their 80s she'll take Dad and I can take Mom. Of course, she thinks I'm crazy for even worrying about it, and I know she's probably (90%) right.

Anyway, part of today's 'splurge' was for a printer, which I really do need since mine is dead. The second part was for countertops for the studio. At least I had a little Christmas and Birthday money to offset the expense.

Hellacious Morning, Work-Filled Evening

Christmas Eve was wonderful. The entire family was there, and we enjoyed every second. We had our classic "Christmas Breakfast" for dinner that night, and watched the kids unwrap all their toys. Charlotte made Lily a princess costume she had to try on the second she opened it. Ryan's remote controlled SUV was a big hit. So was Robin's CD player and electric keyboard. Russell still doesn't quite get it. He wandered around opening other people's presents and playing with all the toys. He was especially fascinated with Lily's Fisher-Price dollhouse.

I spent the night at Mom and Dad's, and late in the night I threw up dinner. Twice. Ugh. I don't think I can eat scrambled eggs ever again.

I spent Christmas in front of Parent's cable TV, watching the Trading Spaces marathon and eating saltine crackers. Ended up staying a second night so I could go to Brownwood with Mom and Dad so Mom could meet her sister J and go back J's house in Middle'O'Nowhere, TX. I didn't really want to go, but did at Mom's request to keep Dad company on the trip back. And to alleviate Mom's silly fears about his driving by being on hand to grab the steering wheel if he does something completely wrong. I really didn't think he would -- right now he's still OK, especially during the day -- but his reflexes weren't what they were, and he tailgates too damn much and hits the brakes too damn slowly. Plus I think he's forgotten what turn signals are for. Right now he's OK, but in a few years we'll have to intervene somehow, and I'm very worried about how we can do this without completely alienating him.

The drive out wasn't so bad. Mom spent most of the drive talking about how things were when we were kids. It was interesting, but it made me sad to think about how much time she spends doing just that -- talking about the past. Anyway, it was much more important to me to see Mom and Dad holding hands as we drove down the highway. I sat in the back of the truck, basking in the glow of their successful relationship.

On the way back it was just Dad and me. As we left the parking lot I tried to joke with Dad a little, mentioning I had told Mom not to worry about Dad, that we had a good supply of eggs and bologna in the house. (His standard meal when she's gone is a fried egg and bologna sandwich.) That's when the trip went to hell in a handbasket.

Dad started by suggesting Mom didn't really care about him at all. I couldn't figure out what he meant, so I countered by remarking she had bought him groceries, and had printed off all the phone numbers she could think of, just in case something happened. She cared. He started ranting, saying if she REALLY cared for him the house would be clean, he would have meals on the table.

Completely out of the blue, blindsides, unsuspecting . . . I didn't know what to do. I was shocked. All I could think of is how they were holding hands just a few hours ago.

I interrupted, and said something like how they both had grounds for complaint. I wanted to move onto another subject, but he continued "And the only reason she asked you on this trip is so--"

At that point I managed to say quite firmly that I didn't want to hear it. He said "FINE."

We didn't say another word for then entire trip, except for once when I tried to lighten the mood to make a joke only to have him glare resentfully at me, and once when he said he needed to use the bathroom.

My mind careened from one topic to another, and in truth it hasn't stopped yet.

Don't they know by now that I don't want to get involved in their disputes? Do they have any idea how much their arguments have poisoned my views? How dare he try to involve me! He was JUST HOLDING HER HAND, half an hour ago!!! What kind of lie is marriage, anyway? Ya know, marriage must be more lonely than single life, because in a marriage people buy into the whole soulmate deal, and when things aren't harmonious you don't just hurt for yourself but for your mate and for the third-party trinity aspect for the relationship, too. I am not a marriage counselor. What can I do to help? Should I tell him to see a marriage counselor, heaven knows they need it -- all the unresolved issues about the businesses, and now new conflict over Mom's unnegotiated retirement, plus the dilapidated house . . . GODS, they need counseling. They both have so much resentment built up! Problem is they won't acknowledge it. Plus neither one of them have any conflict resolution stragegies, so forcing them to express their resentment would have disastrous results. I cannot believe this. He's right, sorta, Mom should be pulling more weight, but I'm not about to tell him I think so. Mom is probably clinically depressed, and I think that needs to be treated before anything else. Why else would she fill her days with such pointless activity? She's never going to be able to fix their relationship until she fixes some of her self-image problems. So help me, though, she shouldn't spend her time housecleaning. What is this, the 50s? She needs a job, or at least a vocation, and they seriously need Merry Maids. Is all this resentment going to explode in my face in ten or fifteen years? Will I have to shuttle my elderly parents to a divorce attorney? I can't split myself in two -- where will they live? They'll need care, and if they're divorced they can't live together, which means one of them will have to move in with one of the twins' families, like the twins need all that extra stress. Or into a nursing home, and I just can't afford that. And neither can they. GODS, the drive down was so nice! Marriage is such a fucking lie. But is it a worthwhile lie? And can you resent a person that much and still love them? I don't think I could ever hold equal amounts of hate and love in my body like that, except I do have a lot of resentment about my parents, and I still manage to love them so maybe it is possible, if you can love hard enough while hormones have control of your body, and if you can hold off resentment until the person has grown roots in your life. That means marriage is nothing more than a lottery against time. Which is OK because I can't buy into the whole soulmate crap -- it sounds too much like a Vulcan mind meld, and just about as believable. There isn't one person for every person, what is it, like three out of five married people have committed adultery, plus people in the survey probably lied anyway?

SO not a nice trip home. I hightailed it to Irving as soon as possible.

Ten minutes after I hit the front door I was in the back bedroom painting the molding on the studio doors. I had to do something. My favorite placebo, spending money, isn't an option now that I'm on a budget. So I painted woodwork instead, trying unsuccessfully to calm myself down. At least I'm getting something done. I've got a nice long to-do list for tomorrow, so hopefully I can keep my mind QUIET, and my resentment under control, 'cause I'm sure as hell not going to make matters worse by throwing my issues and resentments in on top of Mom and Dad's problems. I don't need to tell them how I feel, right? That's what blogs are for, right? Hmmm . . . not hearing anything . . .

Dallas in White

It's actually snowing outside. I'm sure when I was a kid I LOVED snow, but today I have a love/hate relationship with it. First off, it's cold. I don't like cold. I did get outdside long enough to snap six or seven photos, but that's all I'm prepared to put up with. Secondly, it impacts driving, and my driving skills are frayed enough that I want to stay off the road, even though I'm totally Jonesing for a few cookies from Celebrity's. Thirdly, it affects my appetite. I want baked goods, and chocolate, and other baddie foods. Good things? It gives me an excuse to spend the day in the warmest spot in my house -- bed!

Wait to Paint

I've lost some of my key painting supplies during Operation Redecorate, namely my paint tray, my roller, and my spackle. I'll have to purchase new supplies next week before I can even start on the studio.

Tonight at Target I'm buying a new cat collar, and then on Monday I'm FINALLY going to install the cat door. Then I'm closing off the cat door in the studio, and never opening it again. I can't believe how much dirt is in that room!

Went to Habitat for the Humanities and hit a post-Thanksgiving sale with 50% off lamps. I bought a trio of midcentury beauties. One is a plain table lamp with a teak-and-brass base, a matching floor lamp, and another table lamp in white and peacock blue ceramic with a teak neck. A fun trio, and only $40.00. Can't beat that!

Better. MUCH better.

Today I spent most of the day watching my nephew, who spent his time at Home Depot watching a "nomen." (Snowman.)

Also spent the evening moving everything into the guest room so I can start painting tomorrow. In the late evening I needed a break, so I went to Home Depot and picked up paint, and also went to see Dad, who fixed my broken sander. OK, I might be able to finish the floor now. Maybe.

But I'm tellin' you, it isn't my first priority any longer. Now I want to finish the studio ASAP so I can remove my remaining studio debris out of Mom's house.

The studio is a little out of character for me -- it's going to be lavendar, which is NOT one of my favorite colors. I don't know why, but I've felt strongly for a year now that the room needs to be light lavendar, with dark purple accents. The paint is eye-popping. My fingers are crossed.

Shoulda Bought a CONDO!

I’m just this close (.) (That close, see?) to freaking OUT! I hate my posessions. I hate my brain – why didn’t I just lay carpet or tile? Why the fuck did I decide to paint the freaking floor??? I was really REALLY going to finish it this week. And I really was, right up until I broke the second sander. This is too much. I’m breaking power tools left and right, tools which should be MORE than sturdy enough to take the abuse of one weak-armed woman.

So I say FINE. Be that way. Who needs a bedroom, anyway? I have a perfectly lovely living room. I’ll show YOU, stupid floor. I’ll start cleaning out the studio so I can paint it, and move all my studio stuff out of Mom and Dad’s. See if I care about a stupid bedroom. I’ll just clean out the studio, and pile everything in the garage.

Two or three hours later (OK, 45 minutes) I realize the garage is still pretty much full of Rachel’s stuff since I haven’t bothered to call the Salvation Army yet. There isn’t any place to put the stuff from this room. I’m absolutly drowning in unfinished projects!!!

Worst of all, the living room/bedroom is an official disaster area. I had it sparkling clean, but then I decided to really clean it and get rid of the last of Rachel’s stuff on the shelves. That small act has turned the one clean room into chaos. I’m starting to feel panicky. The first week of my vacation, and I haven’t done anything constructive at all.

Wait a sec . . . couldn’t I just pile everything into the guest bedroom? It’s pretty empty right now . . .

Operation Redecoration -- Wrap-Up

Everything took longer than expected, especially the paint -- it took FOREVER to dry between coats!! Dad bought Mom back to Dallas about 4:30, and was able to delay getting home until about 5:30. We completely had her fooled, right until she drove up the street and saw all our cars parked out front. At that time I had to meet them in the back driveway. I walked up to the truck, Dad rolled down his window, and Mom took one look at my latex-dotted shirt and said accusingly "What is going on?? You've been painting something!!"

I admitted we were redecorating a room in her house. She bent over double for a second, but quickly recovered so she could grill me further. I explained she couldn't come into the house yet because we weren't quite finished. She needed to leave, and spend about an hour shopping. Dad whisked here away, but they called my cell phone so she could chant "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

We knew at that point there was no way we could finish everything, but we wanted to pull together enough of the room so we would have something to show her. Some of the work will just have to wait.


Our paint palette.

C, R, B, and D work on damn stripes.

D waits for paint to dry

F removes tape from walls after stripes are finished.

The stripes were finally finished, so we started cleaning up and installing a few details. We a minor crisis hanging the stupid shelf brackets!!! Everything had to come to a grinding halt while we waited on them. Eventually R. secured them, and we were able to hang the curtain rod, which unsuprisingly took longer than any curtain rod I've ever hung in my life. Mom came home while we were working on the curtain, so B. entertained her on the back porch while we moved the furniture into place. By about 7:30 we had finished and were able to show her in.

I think she actually liked it. She's always a little hard to read, but I think she liked it. She didn't jump up and down like the best of the Surprise by Design "victims," but I think she's pleased with it. She said she liked it, several times, but I would feel better if she had started screaming "Oh My God!!!"

I know the curtains were a success, and the linens that matched her china. She thought we had planned far enough in advance to buy the matching items, and laughed when I explained it was pure, dumb close-out luck. The yellow stripes will probably have to grow on her (she isn't a stripe person) but I think when she sees it in daylight she'll appreciate the colors more.


The finished room -- note the perfect (but unhung) clock on the table.

A shot of what the yellow room looks with the green kitchen.

So what didn't we finish?

• Hanging the floor molding


• Hanging the crown molding


• Touching up the paint in a few spots


• Hemming the curtain sheer


• Hanging the pocket door back in place


• The cherry shelf brackets don't sit well -- we need to re-hang them!


• Hang prints and arrange nick-nacks.

It's a minor miracle we finished as much as we did. The stripes on the wall about killed us. I wish I had bought my watercolor pencils -- we had to use a plain pencil instead, and left pencil marks everywhere.

Tomorrow I'm going back to fix the paint, and D. has said he'd come back to finish the molding and install the pocket door. C. will come in next week to re-hang the brackets and hem the sheer. Now we know firsthand why all those decorating shows take two days!

The best part was how thoroughly we fooled Mom. She bought everything hook, line and sinker. She believed Dad really wanted to drive her around from flea market to flea market today, and she believed I was at home sanding my bedroom floor. She even believed my stupid story about why I had blue chambray fabric (Sharon??? Chambray???) and even believed the blue-and-white clock was really for me, even though she felt it was totally out of character.

No, I take it back. The best part was giving a gift like this to Mom. She has spent so much of her time, energy and money helping us make our houses look nice, so it was great to pay back a little of the love and attention she's shown us over the years. Operation Redecorate is a success.

Operation Redecorate -- Midpoint

Taking a quick break during Operation Redecorate. So far the walls have been primered, and the first coat of yellow has been applied. We've spent waaaaaaay to much time sitting around waiting for paint to dry. We should have papered the entryway as well -- we have loads of time.


The room before we started -- notice the walls, bare from wallpaper removal.


A little primer starts to even things out so it all looks more livable.


The first coat of yellow, with C and husband R.


Single Sharon was on time, but all the happy little families were an HOUR late this morning. C. and company arrived first, with B. and company on their heels. Thought we would never get started!!

So far we've only made two runs to the hardware store. One run for an extra roller brush and rollers. (COST: $32) The other run was for crown and floor molding, which I hadn't planned on but everyone else wanted. And switchplate covers, and a few other little things. (COST: $101)

This is getting to be expensive. I wish the pizza would get here. C. bought donuts and cinnamon rolls, but we can only eat so much sugar!

Need to get back to work. C. and B. are prepping the stripes, which will be a darker yellow than the wall's first coat.

Operation Redecorate Commences

For the past few days we've been debating on whether to re-do Mom's entry (our original plan) or the breakfast room, or both. We finally decided to decorate just the breakfast room because 1) the entry needs wallpaper, and we can't find what Mom has done with it, 2) it also needs one small floor tile which we should custom-order, and 3) we just wanna do the breakfast room.

Our inspiration is a set of Pfalzgraff dishes Mom purchased last year. None of us daughters really like the dishes, but we aren't decorating for ourselves, are we?




Today was the official kick-off of Operation Redecorate. C, her friend F, and I are went shopping for our supplies. Our first stop was Target where we purchased a small bowl from the set Mom likes, so we would have a color guide. We also purchased two cherry shelves. COST: About $15.00.

Since we weren't happy with the linens at Target we went to Linens and Things, just a few doors down. There, much to our surprise, we found all the linens designed specifically to coordinate with the Pfalzgraff dishes, ON CLEARANCE! We bought napkins, two seat cushions, a pot holder (for fun) and a bunch of other stuff. COST: $65.00.

Back to Target for some shower curtains we decided we liked after all, and for a curtain rod and a few other items. COST: $72.00.

Across the highway to Kohl's, where we found a tablecloth. Expensive but pretty. COST: $16.00.

Down the road to Home Depot for the largest purchases of the day -- paint, a dark blue rug for the floor, and painting supplies. COST: $202.

C. and F. left at that point, but I wasn't finished. Back to Target for two more seat cushions. COST: $15.00.

Dad called while I was collapsed at On The Border, and suggested I take Mom out to dinner tonight so he could look for the wallpaper. We also talked about the walls --- he said they needed texturizing, which I hadn't thought about!!!! Back to Home Depot. In Home Depot I read texturizer needs 24 hours to cure before painting. I'm in a panic. I called C, and she said we only needed that if we wanted a texture. She advised buying two gallons of Kilz instead. COST: $20.00.

At Hobby Lobby that evening I spy the perfect clock. I tell Mom it's for me. COST: $10.00.

I go home, write this, collapse, and plan to be asleep by 9:00 PM. I have to be at Mom's by 10:00 tomorrow morning.

Refinancing? Cleaning?

I'm thinking about refinancing my loan, and I haven't even been in the house a year. Interest rates have dropped by almost 1%, and I think my credit score has improved (although I need to check) so I can possibly save a few thousand dollars if I'm doing all this math right. Plus the rates are bound to rise soon, so I want to lock in on as low a rate as possible. Next week, after finals, I'll make some calls and see what's available.

Spent last night cleaning the living room. I managed to drag it out to a four-hour process. I really didn't want to clean (do I ever) but all the Christmas presents were scattered across the floor, and it was getting to be a little much. Plus I'm reading the Complete Tightwad Gazette, and as the author points out the quickest, cheapest way to make your home look good is to keep the house clean.

The Gazette is interesting reading. The author advocates saving aluminum foil, washing out ziplock bags, and making pot holders out of blue jeans. She's right -- doing all these "little things" will free up money for more important purchases -- but I can't see myself smoothing out bits of aluminum foil, or using folksy pot holders. (Not that there's anything wrong with cute or folksy -- it's just not my style!) Some of the other ideas in the book, though, are more interesting. She advocates using powdered milk for baking and even as a beverage, which makes good (if not tasteful) sense to me since I live alone and don't drink that much milk. I'm always amazed at how quickly the stuff goes bad!! The book is interesting enough that I'm planning on re-reading and making notes.

The damn sanding still is not finished. I had myself talked into renting a floor sander, but after reading the Gazette I changed my mind. I can do the job with the sander I already own. It will take more time, but my time is basically free. Tomorrow I'm going to sneak away from work as early as possible, go home, and FINISH THE FLOOR. I am sick of dragging it out!!

While You Were Out . . .

My sisters and I are preparing a "While You Were Out"-style Christmas surprise for my mother. "While You Were Out" is a TV show where friends and relatives redecorate other people's houses while the homeowners are out for the day. Charlotte, Becca, and I have decided to re-do my mother's entryway.

It SHOULD be an easy redo. She bought some wonderful wallpaper, but hasn't put the paper in place yet. She's even stripped the original paper off the walls. All we have to do is put up the new paper, and (optionally) paint the woodwork. And replace one broken tile in the entryway floor. Charlotte wants to stencil a mirror to add to the room, so we'll do that as well. Our only hangup is figuring out where Mom has hidden the wallpaper. I think we'll be able to find it, though, given enough time. Oh, and the single tile. I have my heart set on a small Art Nouveau tile, but I'm not sure we can get one in time. I'll have to try.

Charlotte and Rebecca are providing brawn in the form of husbands, and light entertainment in the form of children. I'm bankrolling the project. Wednesday Charlotte and I will shop for supplies. Saturday at 10:00 AM we start WORKING!! Dad will try to buy us six hours, but I don't know how successful he'll be. I'm sure Mom will figure something is up before she makes it home.

The entryway is such an easy project that I'm VERY tempted to do the breakfast room as well. I've had a "dream" dining room in mind for Mom every since we saw the Carol Endres wallpaper. Mom fell in love with the patterns, but bought a not-so-pretty floral paper instead. She doesn't really like the floral, but she can't bring herself to trash her investment. What I want to do is paint the walls a deep blue, a little darker than denim, and then place a Carol Endres border at the top of the wall. As a finishing touch we'd get new curtains and a new tablecloth. We'd also hang a bunch of her vintage photos, which should glow against the blue walls. I'm thinking blue-and-white curtains.

Sounds so simple, doesn't it? I wonder what disasters will crop up.

OUCH. That HURT!

I know my finances have been out of control. I'm just not used to paying a mortgage yet, and I'm not really used to my large paycheck, either. So today I decided to actually budget. Since I like simple solutions, A Better Way to Save: The 60% Solution seemed painless. Instead it was more like ripping a band-aid off an open wound.

I'm not in any trouble (yet), but I haven't been saving anything, either. And I always seem to get caught a little short in August, September, and January, thanks to the crazy paycheck cycle for full-time faculty. I constantly have to dip into the overdraft account my bank so happily provides. I'm smarter than this, and I used to be a consummate manager. It's time to re-learn old habits.

So I tried on the 60% budget for size, and that's when I started screaming in pain. First, I deliberately knocked a few hundred dollars off my paycheck, since it fluctuates so dramatically from semester to semester. Following the strategy, I can only spend about half of my usual 'fun' money. I did get up enough courage to total how much I'm spending at restaurants, and last month's tab came to over $200. That doesn't include groceries, never mind furniture and books.

Now at least I have a hard number to keep track of. I think maybe I can add that high.

(update)

I'm sanding the floors again. It's taking for freaking ever. The "new plan" is to rent a floor sander on Friday, and hopefully return it that same day. I'm worried about the tile and the walls, though -- must research floor sanders and see what I'm getting into.