Silly cousin Ann. But you did get me to blog tonight so I thank you for that ! My Jiminy Cricket conscience of blogging called tonight to catch up and reminded me I hadn't blogged in a while. I tried the excuse of being too busy but she called my bluff on that old excuse so here I am. Should I be unpacking those last 4 remaining boxes of "stuff" that sit in my little dining space? Probably. Would I rather be snuggled on the couch with a box of tissues watching another heart throbbing adventure of "OUTLANDER"? You bet your bottom !! Do I have to be packing my suitcase to get ready for my epic journey across the country for the next 52 days? ABSOLUTELY !!!!!!!! But I really would rather share with you the nonsense that is in my head. So here goes and more the pity that you are here reading this. . . .
Cousin Ann's phone call came tonight, as she put it, "Before things got CRAZY". This is actually a quote from someone in my family who has known me for over 67 years and she still has not realized that CRAZY is a constant state for me to be in. Crazy is where I dwell. It isn't some place that I visit occasionally when things get particularly out of control. Rather it is my comfort zone of reality where I find myself living 24/7. I came to this conclusion a long time ago when it seemed that everyone else around me seemed to be INSANE! Just one of those things when one day you look around you and decide that everyone is nuts! That the world has gone to Hell in a hand basket and everyone has totally and completely lost their minds. And then you realize that if your only option is that the entire world is crazy or perhaps maybe it's just you that's nuts you accept the fact that it must just be you.
so with that established things can not GET crazy when they already ARE crazy. That being said, It sure has been crazy around here ! Last week I had a friend from out of town visiting for the week. We ran around every day for 6 days going here and there visiting friends and taking a short cruise to Freeport in the Bahamas. Now I'm back and am packing for the marathon journey consisting of two weddings, visiting multiple friends and family, some babysitting and much sight seeing. And hopefully all this is to be done before things get crazy.
But if we really stop and think about that phrase I am afraid it is way too late for us all. I know my crazy ship has sailed long ago but just stop and take a long hard look around folks. It's 2016 . . . It's a presidential election year and all we have to look forward to is Hillary Clinton OR Donald Trump.
SORRY FOLKS THE CRAZY SHIP HAS LEFT THE PORT AND IS SINKING FAST !
Monday, July 25, 2016
Sunday, July 10, 2016
TOP TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT PACKING TO MOVE
# 10 BUBBLE WRAP
# 9 FINDING THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS/DECADES
# 8 PLAYING WITH OLD TOYS
# 7 EATING FOOD THAT YOU FIND
# 6 TRYING ON OLD CLOTHES THAT YOU FORGOT YOU HAD
# 5 LAUGHING AT OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
# 4 FINALLY THROWING OUT THAT UGLY DISH YOU GOT FOR YOUR WEDDING
# 3 REMEMBERING WHEN YOUR KIDS WERE THAT LITTLE
# 2 WISHING YOU HAD KEPT ALL THOSE STAR WARS FIGURES AND BARBIES IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOXES
AND THE NUMBER ONE TOP TEN GOOD THING ABOUT PACKING TO MOVE IS
KNOWING THAT I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER
DO THIS AGAIN !!!!!
The next time I move it will be in a wooden box with 6 handsome gentlemen carrying me into a church for my funeral mass ! AMEN !
# 9 FINDING THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS/DECADES
# 8 PLAYING WITH OLD TOYS
# 7 EATING FOOD THAT YOU FIND
# 6 TRYING ON OLD CLOTHES THAT YOU FORGOT YOU HAD
# 5 LAUGHING AT OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
# 4 FINALLY THROWING OUT THAT UGLY DISH YOU GOT FOR YOUR WEDDING
# 3 REMEMBERING WHEN YOUR KIDS WERE THAT LITTLE
# 2 WISHING YOU HAD KEPT ALL THOSE STAR WARS FIGURES AND BARBIES IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOXES
AND THE NUMBER ONE TOP TEN GOOD THING ABOUT PACKING TO MOVE IS
KNOWING THAT I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER
DO THIS AGAIN !!!!!
The next time I move it will be in a wooden box with 6 handsome gentlemen carrying me into a church for my funeral mass ! AMEN !
Monday, July 4, 2016
THE FAN WASN'T THE ONLY THING THE POOP HIT
Oh Lordy Lordy me ! I must say it was not a pretty sight. No sir ! Not pretty at all. If this had been a true poop flinging contest there would have been poop every where ! Walls, ceiling, floor . . . You name it . . . it would have been covered three feet deep. There was a volcanic eruption of the magnitude of Vesuvius at it very worst ! And that eruption all came from me because MY real estate agent and the buyers of my house pushed me just ONE tiny push too far. You know that old proverb about the straw that broke the camels back? Well, I had the push that broke my calm. Just one thing too many that my realtor came to me with that the buyer wanted. Just ONE MORE thing that MY REALTOR came to me with like I should roll over and play dead and give these people anything they asked for.
Pardon me but I thought that when you signed a contract with an agent you were "hiring", (in a sense), that person to be your representative for the sale of your house. This agent should now act in your stead and in your best interest to get the best deal for you. They should negotiate for you. They should act on your behalf and they should handle all the details. Isn't that why they get 6% of the sale price of the house?
NOT MY AGENT !!!! OH NO ! Miss Thang would email me or text me everything the BUYER wanted and then say something like, "They'll probably walk if they don't get this." so stupid me would give it to them. From day one when I decided to use this agent I have listened to the advice of persons around me who all meant well. I hold no fault to them for loving me and trying to help. We were all fooled by this realtor. She is the worst !!
And so last Thursday when I turned around in the kitchen of my house and there she stood, uninvited and most unwelcome, telling me I must sign another addendum to extend the closing date another 2 weeks I not only did not sign her paper but I erupted as only Papa Danny's child can when pushed too far. It started slow and built to a boiling, seething, raging, eloquent, detailed list of everything I disliked about this woman and all that she had done and not done during the time of our association. As she stood with her mouth open and not able to get a word in even if she wanted to I finished up what I had to say and told her to take her paper, which I would not sign and get the hell out of my house.
That evening my daughter called all upset because I could have cost the whole deal to fall through, to which I replied, "So what. I'm done being pushed around by this woman and the buyers. Everything will be fine. Stop worrying!"
Everything did work out. Hopefully closing is the end of this week. Hopefully I won't have to talk to my agent again and hopefully I have learned Mother still Knows Best and I should trust my gut and not listen to any one but myself.
Pardon me but I thought that when you signed a contract with an agent you were "hiring", (in a sense), that person to be your representative for the sale of your house. This agent should now act in your stead and in your best interest to get the best deal for you. They should negotiate for you. They should act on your behalf and they should handle all the details. Isn't that why they get 6% of the sale price of the house?
NOT MY AGENT !!!! OH NO ! Miss Thang would email me or text me everything the BUYER wanted and then say something like, "They'll probably walk if they don't get this." so stupid me would give it to them. From day one when I decided to use this agent I have listened to the advice of persons around me who all meant well. I hold no fault to them for loving me and trying to help. We were all fooled by this realtor. She is the worst !!
And so last Thursday when I turned around in the kitchen of my house and there she stood, uninvited and most unwelcome, telling me I must sign another addendum to extend the closing date another 2 weeks I not only did not sign her paper but I erupted as only Papa Danny's child can when pushed too far. It started slow and built to a boiling, seething, raging, eloquent, detailed list of everything I disliked about this woman and all that she had done and not done during the time of our association. As she stood with her mouth open and not able to get a word in even if she wanted to I finished up what I had to say and told her to take her paper, which I would not sign and get the hell out of my house.
That evening my daughter called all upset because I could have cost the whole deal to fall through, to which I replied, "So what. I'm done being pushed around by this woman and the buyers. Everything will be fine. Stop worrying!"
Everything did work out. Hopefully closing is the end of this week. Hopefully I won't have to talk to my agent again and hopefully I have learned Mother still Knows Best and I should trust my gut and not listen to any one but myself.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
I'M STILL LAUGHING
Or maybe it's not so much a laugh as a cackle. Or a crazed insane gurgling giggle that I can't stop that is accompanied by incessant drooling as I sit rocking in a corner of my clutter filled room. I find that slapping myself in the face with an old worn out flip flop helps to calm me even more as I chitter on and on like a chipmunk on acid.
Have I painted a vivid enough picture of how my week is going so far ? The move yesterday was a piece of cake compared to the aftermath of returning to the "EMPTY" house today only to find that it is far from empty. How did I miss so much stuff and where are those moving guys when I still need them ? Thanks to the help of a good friend and a couple of hundred garbage bags the house is now, once again, ALMOST empty. And my condo is now even fuller than it was before. Maybe tomorrow I'll stay here and put some of this stuff away.
I don't like having 2 houses. But since I am so pissed off at my real estate agent I may have 2 houses for the next year. Today I told my realtor to get out of my house and stuff the contract where the sun don't shine. I want nothing more to do with her or the buyers. I'm not giving in on one more thing with this sale and it is time for her to start representing me and stepping up and standing up for me, her client. It was quite the show. I was at my finest. You should have been there. I'm not sure if my house is still under contract since the contract ends as of tomorrow and since I did not sign the addendum agreeing to push the closing date to July 11 I may no longer have a contract on my house. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
And I am still laughing !
Have I painted a vivid enough picture of how my week is going so far ? The move yesterday was a piece of cake compared to the aftermath of returning to the "EMPTY" house today only to find that it is far from empty. How did I miss so much stuff and where are those moving guys when I still need them ? Thanks to the help of a good friend and a couple of hundred garbage bags the house is now, once again, ALMOST empty. And my condo is now even fuller than it was before. Maybe tomorrow I'll stay here and put some of this stuff away.
I don't like having 2 houses. But since I am so pissed off at my real estate agent I may have 2 houses for the next year. Today I told my realtor to get out of my house and stuff the contract where the sun don't shine. I want nothing more to do with her or the buyers. I'm not giving in on one more thing with this sale and it is time for her to start representing me and stepping up and standing up for me, her client. It was quite the show. I was at my finest. You should have been there. I'm not sure if my house is still under contract since the contract ends as of tomorrow and since I did not sign the addendum agreeing to push the closing date to July 11 I may no longer have a contract on my house. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
And I am still laughing !
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
WHERE'S MY TEE SHIRT ?o
Do I at least get a tee shirt for moving ? You know . . . the tee shirt that says, " I survived down sizing a big house and moving into a little condo in the Sizzling Summer Heat of South Florida". I think I can cross this off my bucket list of things I NEVER EVER want to do again.
FIRST; of all NO ONE in their right mind over the age of seventy should ever consider moving. EVER !
SECOND of all; NO ONE in their right mind of any age should ever consider moving in the months of June, July or August, or even September for that matter. EVER !
THIRD of all; NO ONE in their right mind should ever try to condense the contents of 7 rooms into the space of 3 rooms in the span of 3 months time. It is proven fact that it can not be done. EVER !
And last but not least NO ONE of any age at any time should ever have to move all their stuff by them selves. So aren't I lucky that I have the family and friends that I do.
Today was "M" day. After having discussed the idea of selling my house with Keri and Steve back in April the decision was made to put it on the market and within days we had a buyer and within weeks I had a contract. The closing date was set for JULY 1 and the race was on. Two and a half months to pack up 12 years of house and home and find a new place to move to was a massive challenge that brought me to my knees and beyond but through a lot of prayer and love I have made it through and come out the other side. God carried me many days when I couldn't stop crying. He sent my children to hold me up, he sent my best friends to cheer me and today I had 2 young men carry a ton of boxes into this tiny space where I'll rent for a year until I figure out where God wants me to go from here.
What I can't figure out is if I should empty the boxes or just rearrange them into different shapes each week to make it interesting. I would go to bed except I can't find my pillow and I'm not sure just which pile in the bedroom has a bed under it. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my adventures here in SAN MATERA my new community across from the Gardens Mall. Very lovely if I do say so myself. My condo needs some cleaning up but the community is lovely.
FIRST; of all NO ONE in their right mind over the age of seventy should ever consider moving. EVER !
SECOND of all; NO ONE in their right mind of any age should ever consider moving in the months of June, July or August, or even September for that matter. EVER !
THIRD of all; NO ONE in their right mind should ever try to condense the contents of 7 rooms into the space of 3 rooms in the span of 3 months time. It is proven fact that it can not be done. EVER !
And last but not least NO ONE of any age at any time should ever have to move all their stuff by them selves. So aren't I lucky that I have the family and friends that I do.
Today was "M" day. After having discussed the idea of selling my house with Keri and Steve back in April the decision was made to put it on the market and within days we had a buyer and within weeks I had a contract. The closing date was set for JULY 1 and the race was on. Two and a half months to pack up 12 years of house and home and find a new place to move to was a massive challenge that brought me to my knees and beyond but through a lot of prayer and love I have made it through and come out the other side. God carried me many days when I couldn't stop crying. He sent my children to hold me up, he sent my best friends to cheer me and today I had 2 young men carry a ton of boxes into this tiny space where I'll rent for a year until I figure out where God wants me to go from here.
What I can't figure out is if I should empty the boxes or just rearrange them into different shapes each week to make it interesting. I would go to bed except I can't find my pillow and I'm not sure just which pile in the bedroom has a bed under it. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my adventures here in SAN MATERA my new community across from the Gardens Mall. Very lovely if I do say so myself. My condo needs some cleaning up but the community is lovely.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
KAELIN YOU CRACK ME UP !
Not that my other grand kids don't amuse me but I am packing up my garage today and in particular all my holiday decorations. Most of which MUST GO ! This is a HUGE trauma for me. Any of you who know me know that I love love love the holidays. I am, after all, the woman who has been know to celebrate Ground Hog Day. When I was teaching that was the high point of the school year. After all, what else are you supposed to do with the beginning of February when every one is feeling so down and out after the let down from Christmas and the doldrums of a long and cold winter. Celebrating a cute, cuddly little ground hog by making sock puppets with googlie eyes and crazy hair popping up from their tissue box "burrow" while singing an upbeat song parading around the building entertaining everyone with a class full of adorable 4 year olds just has to brighten everyones day.
But I digress. . . So here I am emptying boxes and boxes and boxes of holiday decorations putting item after item in the Goodwill box because my one bedroom condo just can't hold any of this STUFF when I come across a dopey little vase. It's shaped like an igloo with a penguin standing next to it. (It probably came with flowers in it some Christmas past.) As I'm deciding that is has to go I realize it feels funny. I look at it closer only to see that Kaelin had enhanced its decorations last year while she was here. I remember the day she was here at my dining room table working with modeling clay. The vase was on the table and Kaelin had taken it upon herself to add some finishing touches to the already colorful features.
The more I looked at it the harder I laughed ! After I managed to stop the tears from rolling down my face and get control of myself I carefully wrapped the vase in bubble wrap and put it in the box marked KITCHEN ! It would be just as easy to peal the clay off and put the vase
in the Goodwill box but then I wouldn't get a good laugh every time I looked at it. And a good laugh is so much more important than saving space. Especially when that laugh makes me think of one of these precious grand kids.
But I digress. . . So here I am emptying boxes and boxes and boxes of holiday decorations putting item after item in the Goodwill box because my one bedroom condo just can't hold any of this STUFF when I come across a dopey little vase. It's shaped like an igloo with a penguin standing next to it. (It probably came with flowers in it some Christmas past.) As I'm deciding that is has to go I realize it feels funny. I look at it closer only to see that Kaelin had enhanced its decorations last year while she was here. I remember the day she was here at my dining room table working with modeling clay. The vase was on the table and Kaelin had taken it upon herself to add some finishing touches to the already colorful features.
The more I looked at it the harder I laughed ! After I managed to stop the tears from rolling down my face and get control of myself I carefully wrapped the vase in bubble wrap and put it in the box marked KITCHEN ! It would be just as easy to peal the clay off and put the vase
 |
| Note the back pack ! |
Saturday, June 18, 2016
THE SINGING TERMITE MAN
As promised I will tell you about yesterdays surprise gift from God and I will also manage to kill some time procrastinating. As you see I am honing this art to a very fine skill and I invite one and all to come see the show at the end of next week when I realize I only have 5 days remaining to get out of this house. I assure you all it will be quite the show.
As for yesterdays TUESDAY SURPRISE on Friday . . . remember my mother-in-law Rita ? She always believed that God sent her a surprise EVERY Tuesday. Except sometimes her surprise wouldn't arrive until Thursday or Saturday or perhaps it arrived early on Monday. But when ever something out of the ordinary happened she would declare it to be her Tuesday Surprise ! And so yesterday, on Friday God sent me my Tuesday surprise in the form of a very talented termite exterminator.
During the home inspection for the sale of the house termites were found in a small closet in my bedroom. The closet had been altered to make a recessed shelf in the den for a TV to sit on. Therefore the closet no longer could be used as a closet as it was a mess of wood beams and wall board. That's where the termites came from. Just a tiny little nest of buggers that had a nice little hidey hole all to them selves. They had apparently been there for the 12 years we had lived here. We never noticed them because we had stored suitcases in there along with a metal file cabinet so we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. They had plenty to nibble on and had no need to travel. But now they were found and had to be exterminated before I could sell.
In comes Ariel Hermoso from the pest control company. A very nice gentleman equipped with the normal squirt guns that one would expect an exterminator to carry along with his mask. (Our modern day Lone Ranger!) Naturally . . . we get chatting and he tells me about his daughter and how he met his second wife and her kids and his kids and do I play the piano ? With that he starts playing a few chords and starts singing some gospel music. WOW ! WHAT A VOICE ! This guy could charm the termites out of the walls with his voice alone. Absolutely beautiful voice. And he is spraying for termites ! He tells me he sings in his church choir and how I can go on youtube to see some videos of him. So naturally I have the computer on and as he is crawling in the closet we listen to a concert with him singing along from the closet. I'm sitting at the computer, tears rolling down my face at the beauty of this music and how it is touching my heart and the gift this man has and he is killing bug not 10 feet away from me!
Does God work in mysterious ways or what ? Was that not a gift from God or what ? I was so hyped up for the rest of the day that I should have been so blessed to have been given the gift to have met this man and had the opportunity to have heard his beautiful voice praising God in my presence.
WOW !!! Do you think the termites died happy ? Do you think termites have ears ? Do you think I better get back to work ??
As for yesterdays TUESDAY SURPRISE on Friday . . . remember my mother-in-law Rita ? She always believed that God sent her a surprise EVERY Tuesday. Except sometimes her surprise wouldn't arrive until Thursday or Saturday or perhaps it arrived early on Monday. But when ever something out of the ordinary happened she would declare it to be her Tuesday Surprise ! And so yesterday, on Friday God sent me my Tuesday surprise in the form of a very talented termite exterminator.
During the home inspection for the sale of the house termites were found in a small closet in my bedroom. The closet had been altered to make a recessed shelf in the den for a TV to sit on. Therefore the closet no longer could be used as a closet as it was a mess of wood beams and wall board. That's where the termites came from. Just a tiny little nest of buggers that had a nice little hidey hole all to them selves. They had apparently been there for the 12 years we had lived here. We never noticed them because we had stored suitcases in there along with a metal file cabinet so we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. They had plenty to nibble on and had no need to travel. But now they were found and had to be exterminated before I could sell.
In comes Ariel Hermoso from the pest control company. A very nice gentleman equipped with the normal squirt guns that one would expect an exterminator to carry along with his mask. (Our modern day Lone Ranger!) Naturally . . . we get chatting and he tells me about his daughter and how he met his second wife and her kids and his kids and do I play the piano ? With that he starts playing a few chords and starts singing some gospel music. WOW ! WHAT A VOICE ! This guy could charm the termites out of the walls with his voice alone. Absolutely beautiful voice. And he is spraying for termites ! He tells me he sings in his church choir and how I can go on youtube to see some videos of him. So naturally I have the computer on and as he is crawling in the closet we listen to a concert with him singing along from the closet. I'm sitting at the computer, tears rolling down my face at the beauty of this music and how it is touching my heart and the gift this man has and he is killing bug not 10 feet away from me!
Does God work in mysterious ways or what ? Was that not a gift from God or what ? I was so hyped up for the rest of the day that I should have been so blessed to have been given the gift to have met this man and had the opportunity to have heard his beautiful voice praising God in my presence.
WOW !!! Do you think the termites died happy ? Do you think termites have ears ? Do you think I better get back to work ??
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