LOWES AND RUGS

Got the last of our stuff out of storage last weekend but we're still in a mess.

The previous owner put real hardwood floors through most of our new abode. Naturally, that means rugs. We went shopping and to my surprise, Lowe's had a great selection. That's where, in fact, we bought several.

This is a sample I eyed wistfully but my guy hated it. Don't know why. It's a beautiful baby blue.

This is one he liked. We bought it in ivory for the living room and entrance way.

.
Here you can see one of them, along with the hearth and a box of electronic gizmos still not unpacked. (Hey, we're working on it! We're working on it!)

And this one went into a guest room. You can see the edge of one of the beds.

I didn't know Lowe's had such a great selection of rugs along with other things, including moving cartons, hardware, ceiling fans, et cetera. They have really been our go-to place for our move!

I admit I've noticed salespeople hurrying off whenever we show up, though. Don't know what that's all about.

I HATE CLEANING HOUSE

Always have and always will.

So we bought a house and guess what that means. Cleaning. Yep, it isn't brand spanking new but was reasonably clean. Still, when I move into a place I want to make sure it's absolutely sparkling. That way I know it's my dirt I'm diving into when I do regular cleaning.

So instead of being down in the Village -- where the sequel to the movie The Anchorman is being filmed -- and gawking with the other locals, I've been stuck inside a newly painted house.

I can't complain too much. My guy has been working like a peon ever since we closed last month, supervising the roofers, the tilers, the carpeters, the floorlayers, the painters...He helped paint, too, and now he's doing some stuff we didn't have painted and later decided needed painting, like the insides of drawers and cabinets that looked good but were the wrong color.

Oh, and he's been moving stuff out of our storage unit, too.

While I've been scrubbing bathroom toilets, tubs, tiles and a shower that wanted to keep its stains. And scouring closet shelves and the refrigerator, after dusting bookshelves and putting away all the books brought from storage. I still have the microwave and the range to clean, along with a metal rack to hang pots and pans. And that reminds me, the ceiling fans must be dusty... Ughhhh.

So far, the cats aren't helping. They've been barfing up hairballs because we've been leaving them alone and won't tell them what's going on. So not only am I polishing up the new place, I'm having to pick up after them at the old place.

If you haven't caught on by now, I'm pretty annoyed. I want to catch a glimpse of some real Hollywood actors! I want to see lights, camera, action! And I really really want to see the end of this housecleaning morass I've been dragged kicking and screaming into!

HOUSE RENOVATIONS

Again I am home while my guy works at the new house. He's been upbeat for weeks now, getting everything done. And buying man toys like garden hoses, lawn mowers, and chain saws.

He's pitched right in with the painters, painting shelves and other things that don't require expertise. He's been cutting back shrubbery and watering the row of amaryllis in the front.  He and the painters helped lift the new water heater into the attic. Thank goodness, he didn't get on the roof with the roofers. At least I don't think he did.

Anyway, he's been participating or overseeing everything that's been done so far. Right now, he's there watching the floor guy lay the flooring.

He's having such a great time. Too bad it can't go on for a few more months.

FASCIA PROBLEMS

The fascia on our new (to us) house has weathered and rotted and must be replaced.

In case, like moi, you're not quite sure what fascia is, it's the boards going round the house right under the eaves that, in our case, gutters are fastened to. I wouldn't have realized they were rotted but my guy did when we first looked at the house. He's been chomping at the bit to get them fixed ever since we closed. So the men have come today to start work. He's there supervising and, I hope, staying out of the way.

Once the fascia is fixed, the roofers should start. We've picked out the paint shades, too, so soon painting will also commence. Still waiting on new water heater and other things, but it's getting there.

If only we didn't actually have to move stuff! Like two sofa-beds and other big furniture.

PAINT

I've been looking at paint. I know today's colors are rich and bold and vivid, that pastel is out. But I like light colors and luckily so does my guy. (He's learned from living with me!)

Today we got a sample of pale, pale gray I want to use throughout the living room, dining and kitchen areas. My guy is obligingly painting a wall with it this afternoon so we can see what it looks like. At least I hope he is. He finally got all the tiny little shelves down. To his horror, they were glued to the wall so part of the sheetrock peeled off that he now has to fix.

Yesterday the plumber spent all afternoon wrestling the old hot water heater out of the attic. Oh, and it seems the attic stairs are only wide enough to get a skinny water heater replacement. It's on order and should be here next Friday. Since the flooring was kind of bending under the weight of the old one, we're having to reinforce that, too.

The dishwasher's sitting out in the middle of the floor because it wasn't level and needs to be fastened in securely. He's got to put down some plywood and a block of wood in the back. Or something like that. I don't understand these things. Luckily, he does.

He's also getting bids on painting, roofing, replacing fascia, tile, carpet and wood flooring... The cats and I are staying in our condo where it's nice and cozy, though I occasionally run over to look at carpet or take him a sandwich.

The cats have no idea, heh heh heh. They think they're settled for life.