I was walking, so I'm taking a breather before driving back the four blocks to fetch it home. Picture later.
All this and a red velvet cream cheese cupcake from Bleeding Heart Bakery -- a perfect Saturday.
( Domestic blithering... )
- Mood:
tired but happy
I had some friends over last night to see the place and after they helped me sort out my breakers so I could label them, we went wandering around Oak Park. We had a lovely dinner at one of the two nearby Indian restaurants (even though the billing got hilariously confused and they accidentally threw out my friend's leftovers so made her up a half-order fresh to replace it) then toured around and checked out the bookstores and the independent coffee shop (where I am going to go myself in a little bit).
I still don't have a gym and I'm still having trouble with the cost of the very nearby one. I think it's just too expensive for me to justify. I have these limitations on what I"ll spend on things and this one exceeds what I think the service offered is worth about $20 which, especially when multiplied by 12, is a lot of money. In fact it's enough to buy membership to another gym for a year or almost.
I also can't find my cookbooks and recipes and I'm worried they ended up in the wrong box and got donated. Probably not; I'm probably panicking over nothing and just need to sort through the few bins in my storage closet, but I'm still fretting.
I'm trying-out gyms now, and this one seems pretty expensive to me but is just over two blocks away, and it is not a busy facility (it actually is a tennis center with a fitness center, too, but the emphasis is on the tennis and that part is busier). Not being busy is a plus. Towel service and a pretty sweet locker room are pluses, too. Proximity is a HUGE plus -- hard to not go when it's so close.
I must mull, though, because it is more expensive than my last two gyms were... but not that much more expensive than my last gym in Fort Wayne was. I'm going to visit at least one more and maybe two before I decide for sure. I definitely need a gym, though, to balance my way-sedentery workdays.
I'm for-real all settled in now. I brought home the gorgeous picture I had professionally framed (I'm not sure I ever had that done before -- it looks fantastic), and Nuala immediately went on an unrelated spazzy tear, ran into it, and knocked it flat on the floor with a loud bang (it was leaning out of the way against the counter, but she somehow managed to bounce off of it and send it smacking down onto the hardwood). I was horrified. I'd already bumped it into the wall a couple of times carrying it up the stairs and was worried about that (it's kind of big), and I hadn't even gotten it unwrapped yet to check on it, and if it got broken, that's a LOT of money right down the drain, so she got totally yelled at and went and hid under the file cart for a few minutes until I babytalked her back out and apologized. She can't help it if she's a spazz.
Meanwhile, the new Roomba arrived today -- the day after I ordered it. Shockingly fast, but I suppose they have a center here in Chicago? Dunno, but dang! Fast. It's really cool and shiny and didn't get stuck on anything. It also "goes home" when it's done as this one came with the home base (which was considerably extra back when I bought Pangur Ban so I never had one before). When it's done cleaning, it goes back home and locks into its charger. Amazing. I need to come up with a name, but after the confusion over Pangur's name, I'm going to wait a bit and see what fits.
Pangur is not dead or trashed. I cleaned him, packed him back up in his box, and put him down in the storage closet. I'm thinking I might try to Craigslist him when I put the portable clothes washer up for sale. We'll see. No hurry just now, but I do need to get some things out of that storage closet as there really isn't any room left which is a bit tragic for a non-packrat.
A lot of it is, I'll admit, boxfuls of empty original-packaging boxes, though, so not as bad as it seems.
I've replaced the desk leg damaged in the move; I've bought new storage solutions for the office. I've purchased new rugs and curtains to fit the new space. I've bought more hangers because the new closet allows me to hang up so much more stuff. The new bed is awesome and the old dresser is back to being the dresser and looks lovely with the rest of the items. I've donated yet another carload of stuff to charity.
A few pictures, posters, and things are hung up but there is a lot less wall space to adorn here, so most of my pictures and posters are down in the storage closet. I also have two new pictures I want to have matted and framed which will take up the remaining wall spots once that's done.
I have a plastic bin-ful of stuff I plan to eBay and some of the posters will get sold that way, too. Some will be kept and stored. (the new Priority Mail shipping rates have made me ready to eBay again -- flat rates for the win!)
A friend is on her way here, and the plan is to wander the town this afternoon. Tomorrow I have one last day off to just kick back and enjoy the new place without any need to do anything to it. Though maybe I'll take the pictures to be framed ;) Michael's is having a sale...
I love this place. I love this town. I'm glad I did this.
Eleven days 'til closing day, and the bedroom furniture set is finally gone. I sold it on Craigslist three weeks ago but the buyer wasn't able to get here until yesterday due to family issues. Glad she's the one who bought the set: she loved it and is very excited, and I'm very happy it went to someone who loves it as much as I did when it was new to me (still really like it, but I want something different now, 10 years later).
Last night, then, was my first night sleeping on a mattress on the floor (ever, I think), and it was surprisingly comfortable. Didn't notice much of a comfort difference if any between being on the bed vs. the floor. This is good as (a) it means I can continue to be well-rested over the next few weeks until I get a new bed, and (b) it frees me up to really look at more platform bed options. I have an Ikea bed picked out that I like, but I might shop around a bit more and see if there's something else -- maybe something that would include delivery and set-up! -- that I'd like as well or better.
I've reached the point in my packing where I should probably just wait a week until the last 2 - 3 days before closing and moving so I don't pack anything I need over the next few days. I'm going to contact the Salvation Army to come and get my remaining unneeded shelf (if they will) and the coffee table, and then that will be that. Anything else I can haul to a drop-off location in my tiny car.
The refrigerator is empty of all but condiments and half-and-half, though I'll be getting the sandwich supplies for this week's lunches later today, and the freezer just has a few things, mostly veggies, I've been working on using up and will continue to do so. It can make for some odds-and-ends meals, but those can be tasty, too.
Alas, I really like this stripped-down life. I think I'll be very choosy when I unpack and perhaps sell-off or donate even more stuff than I already have. I always feel uncomfortable with the weight of too many things in my life. It's a constant tension between the me who likes to have books and DVDs and art on the walls and the me who wants to have no extraneous stuff in her life, nothing that isn't being used or appreciated on a regular basis.
I took my little 2-door Echo packed FULL -- and I mean really full -- of stuff to the Salvation Army yesterday. I went in to find out if there was a manned drop-off -- there wasn't exactly but they sent a guy back to the loading dock to take my stuff, and I felt *so* much better with that all gone. Saturday, the bedroom furniture goes at last. My much-discussed and loved and only recently-purchased (December) credenza was first to go -- sold for a bit more than 2/3rds what I paid for it, so fare-thee-well. I think the new owner really will love it, too.
There is still a shelf and a battered and eternal coffee table that I probably should keep until I replace it but which I'm pretty determined not to as I feel it has bashed my shins in quite enough over the years, and it is wobbly and I would just like to say good-bye to it, though we have been through much together.
The gym membership is cancelled and more than half of the year's fee refunded; my first year's insurance on the condo is paid in full; the broken TV is gone, too, replaced with a lovely, portable flat-screen TV I adore (after buying The Wrong One first and having to take it back).
The beautiful, beloved red microwave is gone to my niece to take with her to college as the condo has a nice built-in one and there was no need for my shiny red darling. My brother (her father) also took away a couple of small wall shelves and two folding camp chairs to give to my parents. Several small odds and ends of other shelves and storage helpers have been donated. The storage room and all the dresser drawers are emptied.
I have a parking space reserved, the movers scheduled, the TV/internet/phone installation scheduled, the box to return my current TV equipment sitting by the TV. I even found the name of a really good and reasonably priced petsitting service in the area for my future needs.
I spoke to an electrician who thought the work I wanted done would be extensive and expensive, so I'll probably wait to see what I really want done after I've lived with the current set up for a bit before I get an estimate for that. I've lived with only 2 breakers here with not too much trouble (only a bit in winter), so this way I can evaluate what really needs to be done before haring off and spending too much. I have little fix-it things do to and items to buy for at the condo when I move ithat I'll want to spend money on up front .
All the paperwork is done and now we just wait on the closing date at the end of this month. I'm tired but happy and eager to move but glad for the extra time to get everything organized.
It's down to what I'm using, what I might use, and wall decorations now. Meanwhile, I'm out of decaf coffee and I'm starving, so I'm off on a quest of another kind.
I had tickets to go see Neil Gaiman speak at the Chicago Trib Printers Row Lit Fest today, but I ended up not going. Instead, I went to meet with my new real estate agent.
Yes, after mumblety-some years of being a happy renter, I am looking into buying.
But I'm not going crazy. I'm looking for a condo, not a house.
My dream condo would be a in an older building (like pre-WWII older) with cool details (for instance, this apartment which is somewhere near 100 years old, has picture rail in the living and dining rooms) in an urban setting (I'm aiming at Evanston specifically and closer to the Northwestern campus and downtown than to The City which is immediatley to Evanston's south) where there would be at least some amenities withing walking distance -- a coffee shop, dining, groceries, drug store, that sort of thing. There is quite a big area of Evanston where if you lived on its encircling residential streets, you could walk to pretty much anything you'd need including clothes shopping. Which would ROCK.
I'd also like a designated parking space, a bathroom with a decent-sized counter and NO WINDOW in the BATHTUB (a weird Chicago-area commonplace).
I don't think any of that is too much to ask.
Now to just go get pre-qualified for a mortgage. *gulp*
I ordered this great big shelf/credenza thingy, and the delivery guy arrived (UPS -- my nemesis!) just a few moments ago after me waiting all day, worried to leave the house lest the box arrive while I was gone and not be delivered. The delivery guy -- my age or older and wiry and not a very big guy -- tells me the box is too big to bring up to my door (something that's never happened before -- when I have stuff delivered, they always bring it up) and he wanted me to sign for the box which wasn't even down in the lobby yet.
I said, fine, bring it into the lobby and I'd sign for it. I figured I'd either wrestle it up myself or find a couple of people to help (my landlady has been moving apartments from one floor to the next floor down so she has
Anyway, he gets really pissy with me about not signing, and I told him I wanted to see the box first. He made such a stink, that I said, "Do you want me to call UPS and tell them you're being really pissy?" He stomps out, leaving the little electronic signing thingy in the lobby and eventually comes back with the box on the trolley, and, oh my word, it IS big and it IS heavy. I hold the doors open and he puts it inside the inside door, and I said, "I've never had anything delivered that didn't come to my door," and he said, "I know. Do you have anyone to help?" And I said, "No. Hey, you want to take one end, and we'll try to get this up there ourselves?"
Shockingly, he was game. I think he'd cooled off and decided he'd been a jerk at first, and maybe it was me holding the doors. *shrug* In any case, he was really nice after that, and we wrestled that ridiculous box up the stairs (I live on the 2nd floor which is Old Building 2nd so it's more like 2 1/2 or 3rd floor, bless him) and through my door. I offered to buy him a cup of coffee but he brushed it off and waved goodbye.
Dayum. Now I have to put this thing together!
Yes, Chinese food -- delivered to my door!
But before that, it's time to take a deep breath and format the harddrive. I've been backing up and double-backing-up all day, saving out lifehacker.com's instructions, finding all my CDs and asking myself repeatedly if I really really really want to do this (answer: yes, but also I have a laptop, so if it goes horribly, I will still have a working computer).
Several years ago (my computer is about... uh... four years old?) my computer had a major fail and after my brother got finished with saving it, it had two copies of XP on it. Trouble was, the other copy wasn't mine so I've been stuck not being able to do anything much to the computer but updates ever since (like adding on things such as IIS and the like). Also, there's just a lot of memory taken up with duplicate files, confusion about what is and isn't being used, generally slowness and sluggishness and... well, I hate a mess.
I have an external backup drive holding all important things (especially my iTunes library). I'm just now remembering to go deauthorize my computer for my iTunes account. I've backed up my Outlook stuff and favorites. I have a laptop holding duplicate copies of everything else important.
And so, once more unto the breach, dear friends!
Wish me luck!
( Cut for possible cat cleanup TMI )
I got my hair cut on Saturday, too (Saturday was busy). I remembered why I cut it off several years ago -- long hair is fun, but it gets in the way! So now I have a cool zingy shorter cut (not short) which I love. I went shopping after, got a great new scarf and a cool vest (Though I'm still a bit unsure of that purchase--if I'll get the use out of it mostly) at Urban Outfitters. Tried out a non-chain coffee shop and think I will stick to Starbux next time because *eugh* -- watery mocha = DO NOT WANT. And I popped into my favorite used book store in Chicago: Myopic Books. Met the store cat who was a cutey and bought a couple of paperbacks. I found a great parking space by the park (the Wicker Park of the neighborhood's name) where people were playing unidentifiable-to-me sports and there's a neat dog park at the end, so there were TONS of cute pooches running around. All in all, quite a charming afternoon.
I had my eyes tested on Friday and my prescription's changed ever so slightly. It's been three years with these glasses, so I went today to get new ones, and all the frames I liked were almost exactly like my current pair. I could get new lenses, but the problem is that these are old, and I think they're getting a little fragile. I don't want to put new lenses in them, have them break, and then have to buy a whole new pair when I could keep these safely as backups and enjoy a new pair. But a new pair would be expensive and to just rebuy what I have, style-wise... urgh. So I left without purchasing. I'm not in a rush to buy new glasses, at least, though it would be nice to see how much sharper things would look through the new prescription. There's a shop in Old Orchard that looks as if they might have a more interesting variety of spectacles, so I'm going to check them out before I decide what to do...
Did some laundry and a little writing, too...
Neither Flora Poste nor Jane Austen nor I can abide a mess. It niggles at one so. I finally have the coat closet cleaned out, and I feel MUCH better. But the question remains. What am I to do with the 20-inch glass mirror ball? I looked on eBay and others are selling similar things for amounts not worth the effort to post, sell, and ship. I like it, though. I have nowhere to hang it at the moment. I could ask my landlord to put a hook up somewhere. I might do that. I'm not going to do it myself -- the ceilings here are too nice. If anyone's going to put a hole in one of them, it'll be the owner and not me.
After driving around for 2+ weeks with my trunk full of things to donate somewhere and failing an attempt to give the trunk-full to Salvation Army (long, boring story which I am omitting), I found a donation bin that took clothes & shoes and have returned the odds and ends that do not fall under those classifications to my storage closet in the laundry room in the building's basement. Also put a box-full of knick-knacks I'm not displaying and don't know what to do with in there, AND the glass mirror ball. I have the air conditioner out of the window and now need a box for it so I can put THAT in the storage closet, too. Oh, the irony -- to NEED a box after breaking down, cutting up,and hauling dozens and dozens of them to the recycling center. Now I'll probably have to go buy one!
But, OH, do I feel as if I've finally made actual progress, rather than just moving piles around to various locations, hoping the mess will sort itself out. I've found places for things, and I can now relax. Also cleaned off desk and made a new (if rather flimsy) leg for my keyboard (since I broke said leg off two weeks ago and have been propping the keyboard on a book ever since).
My friends all look at me askance when I say things are a mess because, really, even I know they aren't. I'm entirely too tidy -- it's a compulsion. But I need order somewhere in my life. The living space being organized fulfills that need.
So, for the moment, all's right with the world.
- Mood:
calm - Music:"My Happy Ending" by Avril Lavigne
I left for my hometown Thursday evening, stayed at my parents' house, and worked at the office Friday. We had a staff BBQ my department hosted which is why I was there in person. Fortunately, I was there or one guy would've had to do all the food-prep work alone as the rest of the gang were in various stages of sick. Anyway, it was a success and it was fun to be in the office for a day and see everyone.
( Mind the Gap )
- Music:"The Sun and the Moon" by Mae
I've started back to work on Diplomatic Entanglements and am in the middle of chapter eight. I hope it'll be ready by next weekend, but we'll see. Tricky bit I'm working on so can't rush it. I rushed chapter seven which has bugged me ever since.
Did a bit of freelancing, slept in both days a bit, went out to eat with friends a few times, and -- delightful treat! -- saw Audra McDonald at Ravinia tonight. Wow, is she AMAZING. What a voice, what a personality, what a stage presence. Thanks to friend JP for the invite!
Things I didn't do that I "should" have done:
—laundry
—sweeping
—errands
—general tidying
—work out
And now, I'm going to go get ready for bed and READ which I haven't done for ages.
Perfect ending to a lovely, lazy weekend.
- Location:off to bed...
- Mood: calm
- Music:"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens (yes, again!)
GAH! Wedding tomorrow to which I shall have to drive BACK home to Indiana. I'm doing it as a daytrip so shall be home that night. But STILL. May I please stop having to run around for a few weeks? I'm exhausted. At least I'll still get a proper weekend in, what with Labor Day.
Want to enjoy new apartment...
New shelves were ordered Tuesday, I think, AND they arrived already! Also the screen I bought to hide the litter box. Very nice it turns out. The office theme, decor-wise, is (mostly) Japan-related art. Anime, movie posters, etc., and the screen goes with that. However, I do have the Mulan movie teaser poster which is GORGEOUS but not Japan-themed. So technically, I guess this is the Asian room. Y'know, with the Scandanavian desk.
Nevermind...
I just cleaned a bathroom for the first time in over five years. Because, before I moved, I had a maid, and I had a maid because I was never home so when I WAS home, I wanted to relax and not do housework. So I had a maid. Every two weeks, my apartment was magically cleaned and tidied, the bed linens changed, things dusted, kitchen mopped, floors swept, and bathrooms cleaned... bliss.
But now I work from home so have more time to spend doing the housework without feeling as if all I ever do is work, commute, and clean.
...I miss my maid.
Nuala (pronounced NEW-luh, btw, and not, as my former neighbor used to, new-AH-luh) has continued to be more needy than before and very, very, veeeeery verbal. And needy. Liffey, however, is pretty much back to normal. And this may be normal for Nuala. I didn't used to be home so much, so maybe she wandered the house meowing all the time before, and I just wasn't there to witness it?
Took more cardboard 'n' stuff to the recycling center and bought short Starbucks vanilla latte (which the barista made too hot and it is tiny but just right for this middling-warm day).
Had brunch with friends at the inestimable Walker Brothers in Evanston Wilmette this morning. Lovely way to start the day, though we left late so it was into afternoon by the time we'd finished and parted company.
Spent most of yesterday hanging up pictures and deciding where to put the as-yet unpurchased new bookshelves and screen which will hide the litter box from the world (the one thing I truly miss from my old apartment was the wonderful half-bath/cat bathroom). I still have boxes awaiting the bookshelves and other boxes awaiting... my deciding what the hell to do with them. And my parents' cooler which was left behind accidentally on moving day and which will return to them Labor Day weekend but until then, here it sits. If I didn't have to haul things around so much right now (due to the moving/needing new stuff situation), I'd put it in the trunk until then just to have it out from underfoot. I wonder if I could put it in the back seat without it sliding around and driving me mad? I might do that...
Am trying to find grocery with Steep 'n' Brew's Icing on the Cake coffee... several are listed as carrying the brand but I don't know if they have that flavor (HOPE!)
I'm heading off on a coffee quest now!
I have this little portable washer that is just the Greatest Thing Ever (for someone who was without laundry facilities for several years and always had to tote stuff to the laundromat), but it has a weird aspect to it.
For some inexplicable reason, the people who made my little washer decided that its "I'm Done!" announcement should be musical.
Okay, that's fine. But it's weirder than that.
For reasons unfathomable, the song the washer plays at cycle's end is "Jingle Bells."
I kid you not.
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jennawaterford- Jenna Waterford
- Scribbling in the Trenches
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