Monday, November 21, 2005

7 Random Things

Currently, the only angst in my life is centered around the frivolous and it's a nice respite. I'm still weary from dealing with heartache and illness and death, so these minor irritations are a welcome relief from the Really Important Stuff. I know that one day, life will become bleak again with sadness and loss. But for now, I'm still living in Colorado and I'm enjoying a level of contentment that I've never experienced before. It still feels like a new, shiny pair of shoes. I have to get used to it. In the meantime, here's what's up.

  • Curtains were installed on Friday and they are all wrong. The panels are extremely wrinkled and the valances are too small for the huge windows. I called my contact person and told her I was "distressed." (This word seems to do the trick whenever I call manufacturers - they seem to be able to deal with it better than anger and it certainly gets more attention than when I have a calm, professional demeanor.) She told me not to worry, we can easily make adjustments, determine what's needed and then "go from there." I think that's code-speak for You Are Going To Spend A Lot More Money.
  • Dad moves in with us tomorrow. I've spent the last two weeks getting his room ready with new carpet walls and doors. His stair lift will be installed tomorrow morning, so he'll be living La Vida Loca with plenty of space and privacy. This is a far cry from when my mom lived with us in our little house with one bathroom. Dad's a lot more independent with a bunch of hobbies, so I think it will be easier this time around. He can be persnickety, but then again...so can I. I'm looking forward to the Duel of the Persnickets. The first issue that will come up is his refusal to let me hire someone to help him bathe. Oy vey, I'm certainly not going to do it.
  • Husband placed a mug of hot coffee on the new kitchen table yesterday, leaving a big 'ol white ring. He did the same thing three years ago, which is why we had to buy a new table in the first place. How can we be so different about this stuff? I understand accidents, but mindlessness is something that I have difficulty embracing.
  • Denise and her husband had to remove a big pile of wood from behind Dad's house prior to the sale closing last week. The wood hadn't been touched in over 10 years and it was swarming with maggots. eeek
  • I ran for the HOA Board and lost by 7 votes. I spent 4 hours campaigning, i.e. going door to door and I met some great neighbors. Husband likes to say that I Lost...but I Won. Because he doesn't want to see me get embroiled in the HOA disputes throughout the neighborhood. I'm not sure what's worse: Losing or being hated by my neighbors.
  • I had surgery 4 years ago to remove a fibroid the size of a grapefruit. We had hoped that I would be able to get pregnant, but it didn't happen. Now, they're back and I'm wondering why I didn't just have the whole thing ripped out when I had the chance. I really, really don't want to go through that surgery again. I'm feeling rather fed-up with my womanly plumbing - I feel let down.
  • My neighbor up the street has a problem with rattlesnakes. They lunge through the air at her as she walks up to her front door. She's from Nebraska, so she's not phased by this at all...although she was "disturbed" by the 5 foot bull snake on her driveway. eeek!

Gotta go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving now - my sister and her family are flying in tomorrow. A bunch of them are going to go snow boarding on Friday and then we'll all go swimming at the Rec Center on Saturday.

In the meantime, I need to learn how to cook a turkey.