Greetings from the Coldest House on the Block

Long time, no talk, Internet.

I didn't mean to drop a Big Serious Entry on you and then disappear, but work has been keeping me hopping. Also, I'm kind of lazy.

The window guys are here today, replacing my old back door/window combo with floor-to-ceiling faux French doors. They cut the house open around 11, and I am debating whether putting on my parka would be an extreme reaction.

I've taken advantage of my desire to be away from all the noise and stuff by: 1) moving all the firewood left over from last year down to the basement in preparation for fresh firewood coming in; 2) taken a load of garbage/recycling to the dump/recycling depot; 3) cleaned the garage from top to bottom, and; 4) done several loads of laundry.

I'm very glad I made extra spaghetti last night so that I could just microwave the leftovers for lunch. Woooo! (Except I dropped the container on the floor, broke a corner off, and didn't notice until I had scarfed half the spaghetti. Here's hoping I don't die from punctured intestines!)

I have another load of garbage that should probably head over to the dump, but I'm very tired. I know that I will have more work to do in the garage when H&H bring over a load of firewood (I love you guys!), and I'm really looking forward to firing up the woodstove, letting the cats out of their dungeon, and having a really really long, hot shower when the window is finished.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

And so I'm back...from outer cyber-space

So, I took a little vacation from the internets. It wasn't really planned, but it was refreshing nonetheless. I went back to Ontario for almost three weeks, and some good times were had.

But now I'm back in Faro, and it's time to get 2011 rolling. Obviously, the past two days didn't count (I spent the majority of both of them in bed, watching Fringe). They were like a warm-up ^_^

I don't have a big list of goals for the coming year or a list of resolutions. I have ideas for the future, but nothing concrete. The only thing I am sure of is that I am going to conquer Candida Albicans this year and start feeling better. I ate a lot of stuff that I shouldn't have eaten over Christmas, and the new year is going to be a lot cleaner.

Of course, having said that, I am waiting until next week to start on the cleanse that Kara ordered for me, because the Wents are going out of town for a week and I have to make my own dinners. Me + making dinner = recipe for disaster. (This is not to put any guilt on you, Kara - I promise, there will be no pizza this week ^_^)

Today will include a lot of cleaning, possibly assembling my new bookshelf, and hopefully sitting down in the afternoon with a movie and Hunter's quilt. I'd like to get that finished before I settle in to work on the Crazy Cowboy quilt for my sister.

w00t w00t1

ADHD Goldfish

I swear, I am having the hardest time concentrating today.

The headache that kept me home yesterday is not quite gone. I thought it was, but a few hours at work this morning have sent it back behind my eyes, throbbing away. Grrr.

I need to answer my interview questions for the travel blog, and come up with some appropriate companion photos. (Kara, I may ask for more of yours ^_^) I need to work on some crucial proposals. I need to pack!

I leave for Ontario on Monday. Between now and then, I need to do several loads of laundry, clean my house, put my Out of Office reply on the office email, and attend the Council Open House (taking care not to eat any of the sugary treats I know will be there).

All these tasks would be easier if I wasn't flitting around like a nectar-drunk hummingbird*.

So, I guess it's time for my old friend, the Checklist. That'll put me on the right track.


*I really like that metaphor.

Still here

You thought I was in a drunken stupor all this time, didn't you?

Well, I wasn't.

I did have a drink Friday night, and a couple last night, but nothing major. I went to Matt & Kara's Friday night to check out the work they're doing on their backyard - it looks pretty good now, so I can only imagine how great it's going to look when it's complete.

I drove to Ross River yesterday morning to put up a sign at the Canol Footbridge. I didn't know where I was going, and there weren't really many people around to ask, but I asked the man at the hot dog stand (which was actually just across from the bridge). And then I was starving, so I bought the most expensive hot dog in the world - seriously, it was just a hotdog, like you make at home. I could have bought a whole pack of hot dogs (and buns, too, if I were still in Ontario) for that.

But I was really hungry.

I filled up with gas at the General Store, so now I have no excuses for not going to Ross for gas (since I know how to do it and how to pay for it now). Then I came home for my last day of snuggling Titus. Heather came by to pick him up in the evening, and now I find the house is a bit too quiet.

Now the mad rush to get my house presentable for my parentals is on. I want them to see me living in a neat and tidy house (even if most of my belongings are stored in Rubbermaid containers). They'll be here in just over 2 weeks, so I need to get crackin'.

Sunday Brunch

Well, it was not actually brunch - more like a late breakfast, but it was nice. A few strips of turkey bacon, some hashbrowns mixed with salsa, and an egg. Yes, salsa contains vinegar (and probably sugar, too) so it wasn't quite dysbiosis-halal, but it was a nice little brekkie.

It's a greyish day in Faro - Kennie used the word "snain" for what they're having in Ross, but here it's intermittently drizzly. That's unfortunate, because today is the town's Clean Up Day, in preparation for next weekend's Festival. I don't know about the general public, but I certainly am less than enthused about picking up trash in this kind of weather. Even the thought of the Hot Dog BBQ to follow is not lifting my spirits.

But for the next two hours at least, my focus is on the house. There are prospective buyers coming to look at the place on Wednesday, so I need to get it spiffed up. Ever since I got a dining room table, I have been piling things on top of it. I guess I needed a gentle reminder that piling things is a common habit of hoarders, and I do not want to be a hoarder, do I?

Off to work!

One is the loneliest number...

Well, my main hang-out crew has departed for Mayo for the week, leaving me blue. I hope they have a great time, though - I will just have to remember how to occupy myself.

I am thinking that a quick round of "Clean House" and some "Spring Decluttering" might be just the ticket. It's amazing how much stuff I have accumulated... particularly when you think of how little storage I have here.

I've also got some new projects on the go, quilt-wise. I haven't bought any new fabric - I'm using mostly scraps from the Rainbow Quilt (and the Mermaid Quilt), a stack of four fat quarters I bought last month when I went to WH with Kara, and a fifth fat quarter that Lucy gave me for looking after Oscar. The projects - baby quilts. I want them to be cute, but I don't want to get emotionally invested in them. Then perhaps I can try selling them.

Because I bought them before the fabric-buying-embargo, I don't need to have any guilt about them. I keep telling myself I am not allowed to buy more fabric until after the Crane & Sheep Festival, but with a new truck and insurance payments to think about, plus the new computer, it's beginning to look more like no fabric until September, which sucks.

On the other hand, the last pieces for the red quilt should be arriving shortly, so I can work on quilting that over the summer months, which should keep me occupied.

Oh dear, I think this is turning into a quilting blog.

To recover - I would like to buy the materials needed to build a coffee table when I go in to WH to pick up my truck. It would be nice to have a table I'm less worried about scratching or setting on fire than the one I am currently borrowing. I'm just concerned I am going to wind up with too much stuff to fit in my hotel room.

Okay, then. Clean House it is!