Category: Blog

So, the painter says he’s outta there at the end of the week.  That means I need to contact Mike the Electrician to get him in the first of next week to fix the various issues.  Also, we’ll be able to start moving some things into the New Digs over the weekend.  It would be A Good Thing and Worthy if the Rug Guy #2:  The Installer could manage to get in next week and do his thing, too.  Fingers crossed.

We have visited the cable company and lined up the change of address/service.  I think.  We are assured that we will be able to keep the phone number that we’ve had for 28 years, though there had initially been some question about that for reasons that I never did understand.  I mean, we were first given the number when we were living in Waterville and brought it across the river(s) with us when we bought this house.  Why bringing in back across the river(s) would be any kind of problem is beyond me.  But!  Whatever the problem was, it has been made To Go Away, and that’s good enough for me.

The cable guy of course pulled up our account while we were talking to him, and was impressed that we’ve been with “the company” for twenty years (actually, we’ve been with several companies and never changed once:   we subscribed to mint.net, back in the day, which was then sold to Roadrunner, which was then sold to Time-Warner, which was then sold to Spectrum.  And here we are.) — and also noted that we, err, didn’t subscribe to a cable plan.

We explained that we used the service to access the internet and our landline.  Oh, said the cable guy, so you stream movies over the internet?  Well, no; we said not so much that, either, really.  We might watch the occasional DVD on a night off, but mostly we read.

Read, the cable guy repeated, on a rising note.

Yes, we said; read.  Books.  We come from the past, where people read for enjoyment.

A moment of silence, then:  So, it’s a lifestyle thing, said the cable guy.

That’s right, we said gently; it’s a lifestyle thing.

On the business side of life, we’ve signed two contracts over the last week.  One to tidy up an existing contract; and the other for the publication of A Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume Four.  There’s no publication date set yet; we’re to deliver the manuscript in August.

I think that gets us caught up.  Hope everyone is having a pleasant Monday.

Oh, the flowers are starting to bloom at the New Digs.  Here’s a pic from the back yard:

Today, there are no contractors on my schedule.

The painter is at work in the new house, and figures to be done by the end of next week. The contractor has been chosen to install the pantry which is even now being constructed to April’s specs.  Rug Guy Number One: The Measurer has been to the house and measured my office, and the bedroom.  Rug Guy Number Two: The Installer may call today to set up an installation time, but probably, says Rug Guy Number One, that’ll be Friday.

The estimate for the actual physical moving of Stuff from Here to There  has landed — they figure five hours to load and five to unload which — eek!  On the other hand, it took us almost 30 years to fill the place up, so — fair enough.

Just to show we’re Serious about this, shelf paper has been purchased.  Also BIG Post-it sheets, in order to create signage for the moving guys.  LR, DR, SHARON’S OFFICE, STEVE’S OFFICE, TECH ROOM. . .and so on.

To recap in Short Form: Things are still on schedule for us to shift by the end of April.  We will then do turn about with the various contractors, in order to get the old house ready to sell.

Today, I will be doing laundry, and packing, and perhaps taking a nap — all these early morning meetings are catching up with me.  Also, I need to start thinking about a short story.  And a novel, too — I haven’t forgotten the novel, trust me.  But it will be easier, in this brief day or two of relative peace, to think about a short story, and getting it off the to-do list will open a (relatively) uninterrupted swath of time for the novel.

The cats have been diligent in rewarding normal behavior.  Yesterday, we had page proofs to go over, an activity which was enthusiastically endorsed by both Belle and Trooper.  As I write this blog post, I have Trooper in his basket to the left of my keyboard, and Sprite in her basket to the right, both asleep and determinedly unconcerned.

And that? Catches us all up, I think.  Hope your week is running on-schedule, with quiet-time inked in.

Here’s a picture of Belle, helping with the packing.  What a work ethic that cat has!

 

So!  The week in review.

Easter Monday is a weird sort of half-holiday in Maine; banks are closed, but mail is delivered, some businesses are open, others aren’t.  Steve and I celebrated by reporting in to the vampyres for blood draws, then going to the New Digs to Measure Stuff.

Tuesday morning, starting at 8 am, we hosted a stream of professionals, starting with the cleaners, the painter who couldn’t take on the job in our timeframe, but who kindly called an associate to come see us, the oil burner technician, the home security technician, and the painter.

Wednesday, at 10 am, I met April at the New Digs so she could measure the little alcove where the new pantry will go and check her design.  Also, she took the door of a kitchen cabinet away with her in order to match the new pantry to the existing cabinetry.  The cleaners were already hard at work — a team of four, with ladders deployed, mops and vacuums to hand.

Thursday, at 8 am, Steve had a doctor’s appointment.  After, we stopped at Day’s Jewelers to get batteries put in my watch (My watch has three batteries in it.  Why on earth does my watch have three batteries in it?), have my moonstone ring resized so I can wear it again, and to find a time to bring in the wall clock for repair.  We accomplished two of these things, but Day’s no longer accepts clocks for repair.  We did, however, locate a horologist in Palermo, and Steve delivered the clock directly to her.

Friday, we met the painter at the New Digs, at 8 am, and walked through the house with the color chips, showing him which room will be which (very simple paint job — my office at the back of the house, and the living room at the front of the house (the Window Rooms) will be a deep gold.  The rest of the house will be a very pale yellow.

We took a small ride in the sunshine, after, to Newport, to View the Ice on Sebasticook Lake, then came home, promising ourselves lunch and a nap, but!

As we were sitting down to lunch, our electrician, who had been having the Week from Heck, and had missed two curtain calls, phoned to say that he could meet us at the New Digs at 2:30.  So! no nap for us, but a fruitful tour of the electrical systems with Mike.

Last night, I finished writing a commissioned piece, passed it by Steve and got his input.

Today, Saturday, we slept in.  After I finish this post, I’ll revise the piece per Steve’s suggestions, and send it off; then pull all of the linens out of the bedroom closet, sort and pack them.  I’ll probably get into other trouble, too, but that’ll be a good start.

On Monday, the painters start — at 8 am — and the tech from Dead River is supposed to appear at about the same time to make the necessary upgrades to the New Digs’ heating system.  Steve will cover those appointments, while I make a short dozen phone calls, of which the most pressing is setting up an time with the mover to come over and give us an estimate and schedule our move, now that we know when the painter will be done his work.

It all looks in train for a shift in household by the end of April.  I fear we’re the weak links here, with the packing, but we shall contrive.

And that’s the week in review.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Marc Knopfler, “Heavy Fuel.”  Here’s your link.

So, this morning, it was a visit to the vampyres for both of us, followed by visiting the new digs to putter a bit and to hang up a set of OUR windchimes; then to Goodwill to donate a couple, three boxes of Stuff, then to the HomeStyle Kitchen and Bath where Owner/Designer April built (on computer) the pantry we’ve been trying to find ready-made; then to Home Depot to consider paint and carpet; then home for a late dinner, and a hard root beer.

I’m now trying to crank up enough energy to do something useful around this house.  This may not happen, though there’s no lack of Things to Be Done.  However, we promised each other we wouldn’t kill ourselves getting this thing done, and we really have had a full day.  Watching someone design a piece of furniture to spec is exhilarating and exhausting.

Tomorrow, we need to have the door open at the new place at 8 a.m., in order to accommodate a long list of pros, who will in the fullness of time be providing us with estimates for work to be done.

Wednesday, Owner/Designer April will stop by at the more civilized hour of 10 a.m. in order to take measurements and fine-tune her design.  Mike the electrician is also supposed to stop by, but we don’t have a firm date-or-time for him yet.

Our goal is to be wholly established across the river(s) no later than April 30.  I think that’s doable.

*crosses fingers and goes to take a nap*

Quiet anniversary* at home. We of course exchanged gifts on Friday.

Steve has put himself in line for making supper: ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans, I believe.

I’ve started the laundry, and have done a minor bit of packing. What I really need to do is take a “break” and clear my desk, which has acquired mounds of Stuff that can’t be packed just yet. I think I’ll make a CURRENT box and put it beside the desk, so I can get at the Stuff, but it can’t get at me, if you know what I mean…

The cats Are Not Best Pleased with the various piles of boxes around the house. They’re taking it in shifts to sit on us and persuade us to less disruptive behavior, and napping off the stress.

I believe I’ll put on Pandora the next time I’m out in the living room; some nice, mellow acoustic guitar won’t be out of order.

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend.

__________
*For those just joining us, this is the fortieth anniversary of combining the Lee household and the Miller household, the choice of date being the day the lease ran out on Steve’s apartment.

So, Steve and I, and our agent, did the final walk-through of the new house this afternoon.  All the repairs we had requested have been done.  We’re still dithering over the relative uses of two rooms — which only matters because whichever room wins Master Bedroom, we need to buy a piece of furniture in order for it to function in its designated capacity.  The two spaces under dispute are very different in size and layout, so — first decision.

Anyway — the walk-through was the beginning of an event-filled weekend.

Tomorrow. . .is closing.  After that, we’ll entertain the locksmith, then more measuring,  discussion; paint chips and. . .yeah, all that stuff.

Saturday, the Hugo finalists will be announced.  And more boxes will be packed.

Then!  Hat Trick Sunday, which is not only Easter, and April Fool’s Day, but also! the fortieth anniversary of the day Steve and I moved in together.

Monday. . .an early visit to the vampyres for both of us, then more packing, I daresay, and a quiet day at home to prepare us for!

Tuesday.

Tuesday is when All The Pros have been summoned to the new house, where they will  Scrutinize the Situation specific to their skill-sets in order to produce estimates and set timetables.  At least one of those pros will fill the oil tank.

Wednesday, for a change of pace, there’s a doctor’s appointment inked in, but for the foreseeable while, packing will be our lives.

So!  What’s coming up across your weekend?