Thanks guys! I had one of those days where every time I climbed the stairs to get something, someone needed me in the basement or vice versa, and I must have climbed both sets of stairs 30 times, I swear. The painting is done, and looks wonderful (except for lots more scrubbing of paint from the hardwood floors), the landscaping is done and looks like the realtor will like it, but I think they turned my yard into an anonymous golf course (no offense Cate!), and I managed to get the dining room cleared out for staging tomorrow and to meet with my friend's husband who traded some things for an incredible amp for K. He talked our ears off about music and his recording studio, which we must visit before we leave, and I gave him a drum set which he really was over the moon for, so that worked out great. He also took a lot of super heavy Ikea storage cabinets which we don't want to ship again, so we were all really happy. I crawled in bed after K and her friend brought me a slice of pizza from the best pizza place in town, and I am thinking of just going to bed and waking up early. My back is really tired, or I'd do another round of packing. I am sore in between the shoulder blades. Funny spot to be sore! I am so glad I can rescue my plants. It's really nice having a screen house with happy veggies and herbs in it. Can't wait to have my own yard where no landscaper is ever allowed to step foot again! There are so many things left to do. I am so glad my house won't be swarming with contractors tomorrow so I can concentrate and get things nice for staging.
Marsia's Diary
- Thread starter Marsia
- Start date
Cate
Long term member
Things are moving along, M. Having your yard look like a golf course would help you move away from it. I don't like neat gardens either (or the use of weed killers) & we don't mow at our house. A brushcut once or maybe twice a year is all we do. Having a day without any contractors sounds wonderful, but having a future garden without a landscaper sounds even more so.
K is so stoked about the amp! He talked about the famous bands he opened for with the amp there and K was so happy to hear about the amp's history. It was really fun hearing all the amazing effects it can do and I was blown away that there is this whole music language that K knows effortlessly that sounded impossibly hard to understand. I like how sound has this whole engineering component that seems like magic. We once made a Chladni drum experiment with chia seeds on it and vibrated sound through the drum and got some mandala patterns from the chia seeds vibrating into symmetrical patterns on the drum face. It was for an elementary school science project, and I learned so much about frequency, so I did follow a little of what they were talking about with the amp.
I got a new workout with my arms yesterday. The painter forgot to caulk where the kitchen backsplash joins the counter, but he'll come do a walkthrough (inspection of his team's work) today, so I got the counter scrubbed, and while I was at it, completely deep cleaned the appliances, kitchen windows, window sills ,and backsplash and it took hours and hours. The handy man showed up to work on doors, so no contractor-free day unfortunately. And what he did was let himself in without ringing the doorbell or calling. He pulled the doors open because he knew they didn't lock well. So when I came from the basement, he was in my house, and I screamed and lectured him on not breaking and entering basically. There are actual metal posts locking the doors correctly now, so that won't happen again, but wow, no boundaries. This is why I do not like charming, flirty people - they seem like they are testing boundaries and not being genuine, because they don't even know me as a person and are acting like they are attracted. It really has always icked me out. I told the realtor about it, and I think she talked with him about it, because he was really accommodating all day. We had trouble because we couldn't find the whole house water shut off even after calling the water company. So the water company will come out and flag the location today. And the porch lights would not come on after I put the face plates back after painting. It turned out that whole bank of lights in the entry was jury rigged all wrong and not grounded, and the wire to the electrical box had shorted out. It could have burnt down the house, so it was good we caught that. Well, the electrician the realtor sent out caught that. And the light bulbs I got that for the wall sconces that were recommended on the website were smart lightbulbs that I didn't read the descriptions of because that website usually has perfect recommendations for what bulbs go with their lighting fixtures, and the smart bulbs made the sconces blink because it was a signal to set up the bulbs, so I have to return those. So a funny fussy day, but the kitchen is sparkling and everything is set to finish scrubbing paint off the floors, mop, and put the staging together today.
It's funny but deep cleaning the kitchen removed the last feeling of hominess in there, and it's like with the garden, too neat and tidy and it's just anonymous like Cate said. I really can't wait for us to have our own space. I have a date set in late September for my divorce hearing. I got so happy that there is a date after which I will be free of J. I want to go dance on the rooftops afterwards!!!
I got a new workout with my arms yesterday. The painter forgot to caulk where the kitchen backsplash joins the counter, but he'll come do a walkthrough (inspection of his team's work) today, so I got the counter scrubbed, and while I was at it, completely deep cleaned the appliances, kitchen windows, window sills ,and backsplash and it took hours and hours. The handy man showed up to work on doors, so no contractor-free day unfortunately. And what he did was let himself in without ringing the doorbell or calling. He pulled the doors open because he knew they didn't lock well. So when I came from the basement, he was in my house, and I screamed and lectured him on not breaking and entering basically. There are actual metal posts locking the doors correctly now, so that won't happen again, but wow, no boundaries. This is why I do not like charming, flirty people - they seem like they are testing boundaries and not being genuine, because they don't even know me as a person and are acting like they are attracted. It really has always icked me out. I told the realtor about it, and I think she talked with him about it, because he was really accommodating all day. We had trouble because we couldn't find the whole house water shut off even after calling the water company. So the water company will come out and flag the location today. And the porch lights would not come on after I put the face plates back after painting. It turned out that whole bank of lights in the entry was jury rigged all wrong and not grounded, and the wire to the electrical box had shorted out. It could have burnt down the house, so it was good we caught that. Well, the electrician the realtor sent out caught that. And the light bulbs I got that for the wall sconces that were recommended on the website were smart lightbulbs that I didn't read the descriptions of because that website usually has perfect recommendations for what bulbs go with their lighting fixtures, and the smart bulbs made the sconces blink because it was a signal to set up the bulbs, so I have to return those. So a funny fussy day, but the kitchen is sparkling and everything is set to finish scrubbing paint off the floors, mop, and put the staging together today.
It's funny but deep cleaning the kitchen removed the last feeling of hominess in there, and it's like with the garden, too neat and tidy and it's just anonymous like Cate said. I really can't wait for us to have our own space. I have a date set in late September for my divorce hearing. I got so happy that there is a date after which I will be free of J. I want to go dance on the rooftops afterwards!!!
Congratulations! Careful you don't slip though
i don't mind people who are just generally charming and semi-flirty with everyone, up to and including 95-y/o folks of all genders, but when they turn it up with every single person they find visually attractive I get the icks. To each their own, I guess.
I hope the house sells quickly so you won't have to live too long in a house that is no longer really feeling like your own. It can be such a pain to have to keep your house in pristine condition while selling...
But so good that it is looking so good!
Good for you telling that guy that it's not ok to just walk in! That would freak me out as well.
But so good that it is looking so good!
Good for you telling that guy that it's not ok to just walk in! That would freak me out as well.
Cate
Long term member
That handyman fancies himself as a "handy" man & stepped way outside his boundaries. You should be able to feel safe in your own space, M. Good for you giving him an earful. I just sent him one through the ether. That is not flirting or being playful. It is wrong.
It is amazing how much work you are getting done. I would probably not love our home so much if it was super neat & clean & staged. *shudder*
September divorce date? I am going to come dance on the rooftop with you ( on crutches! )
It is amazing how much work you are getting done. I would probably not love our home so much if it was super neat & clean & staged. *shudder*
September divorce date? I am going to come dance on the rooftop with you ( on crutches!
)Thanks everyone! The handyman is being really accommodating and nice now. I think he tested my boundaries and found that I have a backbone. Liza, that handyman didn't just walk in, he pried locked doors apart and started working on them instead of ringing the doorbell or calling. Then when I came into the room and screamed, one of the things he said is how it must be a little worrying being all alone. Luckily I could tell him I wasn't alone, and K saw him a second later when she came from the basement. He was really testing me, so I was glad I had a witness that he broke in. He did good work all day while my realtor was there, so I am feeling ok about him though I do check every lock and window after he leaves!
Well today my back told me that I have to ask for more time because it is going to go out if I don't. I have scoliosis, and if I overdo it, my back can go out to the point of me needing to sleep on a mattress on the floor so I can crawl to the bathroom when needed. So when it gets like this, I've learned to listen. I postponed the picture day, and that day is forecast for rain anyway. I took it a bit easier today and potted up big plants and scrubbed J's shower 3 times, the last 2 times with bleach it was so bad. I don't think he ever cleaned it, but I didn't clean his room or bathroom since it was his only chore I asked him to do. So I really had a massive scrub, which was what made my back say "Enough!"
The house is about 2/3rds staged, but 2 rooms have all the stuff thrown into them that I didn't know what to do with, and I have a ton of cleaning and tidying. I could hire people, but really a lot of it is just patiently sitting down and sorting a bunch of piles of stuff that got shoved together randomly. So nearly done, but having to slow down some!
Well today my back told me that I have to ask for more time because it is going to go out if I don't. I have scoliosis, and if I overdo it, my back can go out to the point of me needing to sleep on a mattress on the floor so I can crawl to the bathroom when needed. So when it gets like this, I've learned to listen. I postponed the picture day, and that day is forecast for rain anyway. I took it a bit easier today and potted up big plants and scrubbed J's shower 3 times, the last 2 times with bleach it was so bad. I don't think he ever cleaned it, but I didn't clean his room or bathroom since it was his only chore I asked him to do. So I really had a massive scrub, which was what made my back say "Enough!"
The house is about 2/3rds staged, but 2 rooms have all the stuff thrown into them that I didn't know what to do with, and I have a ton of cleaning and tidying. I could hire people, but really a lot of it is just patiently sitting down and sorting a bunch of piles of stuff that got shoved together randomly. So nearly done, but having to slow down some!
Oof, that's beyond creepy and I'm glad K was home.Glad you're listening to your back and not pushing beyond the breaking point. Scrubbing the Evil Exes' gross bathroom would upset any sensible body even without being exhausted already!
Cate
Long term member
Oh, M. Your poor back! Cleaning bathrooms is just the worst job in the house. I preferred having a shower curtain that you could put through the wash. I used to have different ones to change the look of the bathroom. Potting up big plants & scrubbing showers is not my idea of taking it a bit easier. I hope you get through this without putting your back out! I won't be able to type in the forum for a couple of days but you will be in my thoughts xo
I'm glad the handyman is being more respectful now. Good for you being good and firm with him.
I hope you can get through this without putting your back out. I've also learned the lessons a couple of times over with my back! I know for me getting stressed really contributes to it as well. That combo of work like scrubbing washrooms combined with the stress of time would really do it to me as well.
I hope you can get through this without putting your back out. I've also learned the lessons a couple of times over with my back! I know for me getting stressed really contributes to it as well. That combo of work like scrubbing washrooms combined with the stress of time would really do it to me as well.
Thanks Llama, Cate, and Liza! I'll be careful, Cate! You, too, please don't push yourself too much to be back to normal too fast! I took it easy yesterday and just made lists of things I still need to do, organized stuff so it's all in the same piles for packing and moving downstairs, did laundry and other things that didn't involve lifting. I lifted one normal-weight box, and my back said, "Don't do that again!" So I am incredibly relieved that everyone agreed to a new deadline. Llama and Liza are right about the emotional stuff contributing a lot to stess and my back being a mess. Scrubbing someone's shower who you don't like when it's so bad you have to come back to it with harsh chemicals was not good, plus bleach really affects me, and opening the windows didn't help with the insane humidity. It is to the point where when you walk outside, your sandals are covered in warm condensation! So opening windows feels like having your face near a pot of boiling water. Also the deadline was just so unrealistic for how much work this house needed to pass inspection and for how much I needed to do in a buyer's market here so the house can compete with other houses. It's a lovely house, but it needed freshening up and basic repairs. Anyway, all that made me extremely tense, and I was already exhausted. I got to the point where when I climbed the stairs, all the energy felt like it drained out of me, and I wanted to sit down and cry. I feel way better this morning. I just have very sore arms and my back's a bit testy.
It's really looking lovely now. The realtor is magic at staging. I don't know why she hired a stager (who she paid for) to give advice. What she did was much nicer than what the stager recommended. It also looks way better with tall plants. I even took my pot of sugar cane and put some house plants in with them and made a nice wild looking pot. The other house plants needed something so I put a 12 pack of coleus in with them, and now everything's really pretty with the pink and white leaves of the coleus throughout the house plants. So I have at least 4 days to finish up, depending on if the photographer works on weekends. I hope not because I really hate rushing something as non-fun as packing and deep cleaning. It's awful enough without rushing.
I also think I am purging a bunch of feelings that were pent up because I just needed to do stuff without feeling anything for a while, Now the end is in sight, and the feelings want to express themselves. I need to have some time each day to stretch and meditate. I think I found my August challenge!
It's really looking lovely now. The realtor is magic at staging. I don't know why she hired a stager (who she paid for) to give advice. What she did was much nicer than what the stager recommended. It also looks way better with tall plants. I even took my pot of sugar cane and put some house plants in with them and made a nice wild looking pot. The other house plants needed something so I put a 12 pack of coleus in with them, and now everything's really pretty with the pink and white leaves of the coleus throughout the house plants. So I have at least 4 days to finish up, depending on if the photographer works on weekends. I hope not because I really hate rushing something as non-fun as packing and deep cleaning. It's awful enough without rushing.
I also think I am purging a bunch of feelings that were pent up because I just needed to do stuff without feeling anything for a while, Now the end is in sight, and the feelings want to express themselves. I need to have some time each day to stretch and meditate. I think I found my August challenge!
You're a rockstar, Marsia. And meditating every day sounds like an excellent August goal. Don't overdo it with the stretching please!I'm glad you are listening to your back when it says to stop. You are doing an amazing job and I hope you won't feel rushed with the rest of the packing and the cleaning. I don't know if I would add any August goals besides just getting through this. I think if it were me I would be taking every opportunity to just plain old rest whenever possible!
Thanks Llama, Liza, and Emily!! I am feeling a lot better now that the deadline is a lot more doable! I didn't get so much done today. The day went so fast and I just got the clothes and linens in storage washed and folded - about 5 loads, and some organizing done. I think I am thoroughly burnt out and needed a day of just taking things a little slow. We are having heavy rains from tropical storm Debby, and may lose power any time in the next 3 days. We are forecast for 30 inches of rain, and I just scared a cute little bird off the porch by mistake. I hope he comes back. We are about 45 feet above sea level, so should be fine, but I filled all the containers with water and made up a bunch of food in case there's no electricity soon. I also got a warning about a potential tornado on my phone, but it looks like it missed us by just a few neighborhoods. I'm so tired and the tornado danger has passed, so going to bed now!