Although, I am still feeling really wiped out from that head cold, and my sinuses and chest do still feel a touch congested. All normal, I suppose. For that I guess I could insert Jackson Browne's Running on Empty. But for those of you who would like to not revisit two very über-80s songs, I'll stop there.
I'm just really excited about my move this weekend; I finally caved and upgraded my cable box, too. I got the digital box last year when I got my TV given my VCR no longer worked well as a feed to my TV. The only reason I kept my VCR was that I do sometimes tape something to watch later, but the picture from the VCR to my HD TV is really awful; despite the fact I bought a new tape to use, the image looks like I'm using a 20-year-old cassette for recording, as a VCR cannot feed an HD picture to my television. Plus, over about a 6-week period, my VCR loses time. I have to adjust it by about 3 minutes every month and a half, despite the fact it has a digital clock. Go figure.
Since Comcast is coming on Tuesday to get things hooked up for me anyway, I decided to go ahead and get an HD channel box as wel. Andrew's been after me to do so for the last few years at least. Verizon also offers HD television channels over the FiOS line, but for about 4 times as much in price as I'd be paying. Since my apartment complex offers expanded basic for free, all I have to pay is the difference between the package I want and the price of expanded basic. So instead of $49.95 for the package Verizon offers, I only have to pay $15.95.
Yes, Andrew -- I know. Comcast is stretching its bandwith by cramming so manny HD channels into it. But for $15.95 per month, I can't complain; I did check the package Verizon offers, and it's actually fewer channels that I'd be getting overall; about the same in HD, but I'm also upgrading to a package that includes channels I don't have now -- like BBC America, Bravo, the Science Channel, VH1 Classic, Turner Movie Classics and a bunch of others.
So, yeah, you get what you pay for sometimes, but I think $15.95 is pretty fair for what I'm getting. Oh, sure. I could stay with my $1 a month digital package, but I'd still be stuck using my gimpy VCR. Overall, it's a savings of $53.40. Not bad.
And sweet -- I can fast forward live programs. No more ads! Woo hoo! I can also rewind a live program, so if I miss a line or something, I can act like it's already recorded. Pretty damn cool. A new toy!
Tuesday should be kind of amusing; Verizon will be there around the same time to hook up my FiOS internet connection (which way surpasses anything Comcast can offer in speed and connectivity), it'll be interesting to see if they start duking it out. Nothing like having two competitors coralled into a small area.
I guess I'm slowly dragging myself into the digital age; I had my answering machine still out for a long time, despite having my calls forwarded to my cell phone and its voicemail; with the new and cheaper (but better) phone service package I recently signed up for, I decided to forgo the answering machine and set up the voicemail feature -- mostly because I have less counter space in my new place, and I got tired of dusting the rarely-used answering machine.
I've been slowly dragging my friend Walt into doing more stuff online (such as paying bills that way, rather than using checks), so perhaps I should put my money where my mouth is, too. (But don't expect me to get rid of my turntable and records!)
If Andrew could have his way, I'd be fully iPoded, iPhoned, 320Gb-ed for my computer's hard drive, a monitor much like my HD TV, enough RAM so that my keystrokes would echo, and using a processor with a speed that would sheer off the atmosphere of Jupiter.
Perhaps someday...but given I'm limited now to just a laptop and an external hard drive box so I can still access my old tower's information, I think I'll wait. I can say that the laptop Andrew put together for me -- while nothing close to being able to sheer off the atmosphere of Jupiter -- is still better than the geriatric, limping system of my tower. I haven't upgraded that thing in a long time.
So, Mom, sure; if every once in a while you see something you want me to record for you to watch on a channel you don't have, I'd be glad to do so if it isn't conflicting with something I'm already recording. I get the Digital Classic Package as well as most HD channels they offer (a few are premium). I can't do what Dad and Andrew can with their digital recorders and do more than one channel at once, but that's okay.
But even with the upgrade and the additional channels, it's still going to be what Bruce Springsteen said in his song: 57 channels and nothing on....
I have been enjoying one thing already about my digital basic package, and that's the ability to hit the "Guide" button on my remote and be able to scan through what's playing; I haven't been able to do that for years as I haven't gotten the paper with the weekly guide since I lived with my mom. Kind of nice. I can also hit an "Info" button and get the summary of a show.
So the Big Move is this Saturday; I'm offering beer and pizza for lunch for those helping. Then I have three days to get fully unpacked. I'm going to try to do as much as I can in those days, and then my plan is to do two boxes each evening when I get home, and / or hang up pictures. Well, first I'll have to get the furniture settled. Most of it can just be put down where I want it when it comes in, though. It's the finessing of it that gets tedious.
And I have to remember to go in and change my address everywhere...oy.
Whether it's cross-country or the 600 feet of my move, it's just as much work!
-- H
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
It's My Last Sunday Here!
Kind of sad, actually...I was planning on spending this weekend getting the last bits packed up and spending some time out on my terrace, but my plans got stunted by two things; first that I'm now down to the things I can't pack because I'm using them (I already had to go to the store and buy replacement food for stuff I'd packed, thinking I wouldn't use it....). I also need some larger boxes because I'm down to pillows and towels; the book boxes my mother gave me are too small. I can get larger ones at my dad's tonight when I go over for dinner.
The second thing that got in the way was that I awoke on Friday with full understanding of why I'd been feeling physically out of sorts all weekend: major head cold. Blah.
I did try to go in and work on Friday, but by 10 am I realized I couldn't make it. I was staring at easy emails and thinking, "Huh? What?" At that point I went home and crashed on my couch for the rest of the day, yesterday, and most of this morning. I feel better now -- mostly just feeling wiped out and like I can't get enough liquids in me.
As much as I dislike being sick, I'd much rather it be this weekend than next one.
It's just a really weird feeling to look around here and realize that at this time next week, I'll be in my new place. Exciting, sure, but it's also a little sad. This place has been my home for over seven years.
Oh -- my car. Turns out the factory defect that appeared was such that it needed a whole new engine. Covered under warranty, thankfully. But I'll tell you one thing: I'm never taking my car into Landmark Ford for any maintenance ever again. The team working on my car is headed by someone my father actually fired from working on his car at one point (I didn't know this until a few days ago), and this same individual refused to return phone calls or, when he finally did, refused to give straight answers about what was going on.
It wasn't until my father got involved and called the service manager and "gave him an earful" (to quote my dad) that we finally heard anything about what was wrong with my car, and what was needed to repair it. (It had been towed to Landmark to be worked on as it was an under-warranty fix and couldn't be done by my usual mechanic).
Pathetic customer service; my friend Dwizz, a mechanic in Newberg, refuses to work with the service department at Landmark for that very reason (other ones are fine). How hard is it to just give a straight up answer about what's wrong with someone's car?
So to you all -- don't take your car to Landmark Ford, and, if you have to, don't use the night team headed by Dean Koons.
Supposedly I'll have my car back sometime this week...but I'm not holding my breath. :)
-- H
-- H
The second thing that got in the way was that I awoke on Friday with full understanding of why I'd been feeling physically out of sorts all weekend: major head cold. Blah.
I did try to go in and work on Friday, but by 10 am I realized I couldn't make it. I was staring at easy emails and thinking, "Huh? What?" At that point I went home and crashed on my couch for the rest of the day, yesterday, and most of this morning. I feel better now -- mostly just feeling wiped out and like I can't get enough liquids in me.
As much as I dislike being sick, I'd much rather it be this weekend than next one.
It's just a really weird feeling to look around here and realize that at this time next week, I'll be in my new place. Exciting, sure, but it's also a little sad. This place has been my home for over seven years.
Oh -- my car. Turns out the factory defect that appeared was such that it needed a whole new engine. Covered under warranty, thankfully. But I'll tell you one thing: I'm never taking my car into Landmark Ford for any maintenance ever again. The team working on my car is headed by someone my father actually fired from working on his car at one point (I didn't know this until a few days ago), and this same individual refused to return phone calls or, when he finally did, refused to give straight answers about what was going on.
It wasn't until my father got involved and called the service manager and "gave him an earful" (to quote my dad) that we finally heard anything about what was wrong with my car, and what was needed to repair it. (It had been towed to Landmark to be worked on as it was an under-warranty fix and couldn't be done by my usual mechanic).
Pathetic customer service; my friend Dwizz, a mechanic in Newberg, refuses to work with the service department at Landmark for that very reason (other ones are fine). How hard is it to just give a straight up answer about what's wrong with someone's car?
So to you all -- don't take your car to Landmark Ford, and, if you have to, don't use the night team headed by Dean Koons.
Supposedly I'll have my car back sometime this week...but I'm not holding my breath. :)
-- H
-- H
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Mi Casa From the Outside
So I found my camera cord, tucked neatly under the belt strap on the camera case, right where I put it so I wouldn't pack it up.
My unit is above the one with all of the plants on the terrace; that's the unit I first saw. I also met the lady who lives there a day or so later -- she's very nice, as has been everyone I've ever met there. Oh, there's been a few "bad apples", but they're never around very long.
Here's one showing all three levels; as you can see the second floor is kind of low -- it's situated at a level that's essentially between floors 1 and 2 of the other building, making it low enough to make me somewhat worried about leaving my terrace doors open all the time -- so when they told me they had a third floor apartment, I was glad for that. My bedroom is the door on the right; living room the one on the left.
I like the fact that I have the trees right in front of my terrace. Yes, it'll be rather leafy in the Fall when they start dropping, but it'll be shadier in the summer, and it's more private. I like the fact, too, that my unit sticks out farther than the ones to the right. The view is really nice as it looks out and over the car ports, and down to the swimming pool. And I can still see Linda's beautiful garden across the way.
(Hmm...Just thought of something. Maybe I ought to look into getting one of those emergency ladders. I thought about it off and on over the years, but the 2nd floor wasn't too high that if I couldn't have climbed out a window, dangled, then dropped. The third floor's too high for that and it's concrete below now, rather than soft, shady ground....)
I ran into my neighbor who lives across the hall and over one unit [insert "is he okay?" joke, here -- ba dum bum chhhhhhhhhh...), and he's going to be moving into the unit directly across from me; he's been in these apartments for around 12 or so years. There's actually a lot of "long timers" there. The previous managers were at the apartments for 20 years when they retired. To me, that says a lot about the company that's owned the complex for at least as long.
And with the upgrade of amenities, so must I upgrade my cleaning products. For years, I've relied on Mr. Clean and water in an old Windex bottle to clean my counters and bathrooms and floors, but I must now relegate him to just floors; you can't use that kind of thing on granite or stainless steel. Granite is too porous, and such solutions strip the sealer off, and it streaks on stainless steel.
I looked for Johnson's Wax at Fred Meyer today, but I couldn't find it; I did find, however, a product designed for daily use to clean granite countertops as well as a sealer to use every once in awhile -- I also found a stainless steel cleaner; I mention this as it was a total of $48 in new cleaning products. OY!
Well, so -- I did double up on the daily cleaner and stainless steel foaming cleaner as they were on sale, and also got a loaf of bread and some butter...but maybe I'll just have to be less anal about cleaning my house!
I also took in my curtains (old ones) to be cleaned -- $45! Aiee! But at least this way they'll be all purdy and fresh for my new place. I go to a cleaner up the road from my office that's all "green" and environmentally-oriented. Your things come back smelling like the outdoors, not dry cleaners. So it's a tad more expensive, but worth it.
I hand washed my sheers and my gray cotton curtains that had been hanging in my bedroom this past weekend, and that was rather...um...enlightening. I'm a fairly tidy and clean person, but it took three washings in my tub to get the sheer swag and curtains to stop making the water gray, and it took four washings before the gray cotton curtains stopped making the water look like iced tea. Ew! I know I've washed all of those things at least once or twice since I moved in, and I've occasionally vacuumed them...but that was gross. I think I may have to make it a point to get my curtains cleaned more often.
So the big move happens next weekend; it's kind of odd / sad to realize that this is the last weekend I'll be here in the old unit. I guess I can always wave at it and say hello from my new unit...!
-- H
My unit is above the one with all of the plants on the terrace; that's the unit I first saw. I also met the lady who lives there a day or so later -- she's very nice, as has been everyone I've ever met there. Oh, there's been a few "bad apples", but they're never around very long.
Here's one showing all three levels; as you can see the second floor is kind of low -- it's situated at a level that's essentially between floors 1 and 2 of the other building, making it low enough to make me somewhat worried about leaving my terrace doors open all the time -- so when they told me they had a third floor apartment, I was glad for that. My bedroom is the door on the right; living room the one on the left.
I like the fact that I have the trees right in front of my terrace. Yes, it'll be rather leafy in the Fall when they start dropping, but it'll be shadier in the summer, and it's more private. I like the fact, too, that my unit sticks out farther than the ones to the right. The view is really nice as it looks out and over the car ports, and down to the swimming pool. And I can still see Linda's beautiful garden across the way.
(Hmm...Just thought of something. Maybe I ought to look into getting one of those emergency ladders. I thought about it off and on over the years, but the 2nd floor wasn't too high that if I couldn't have climbed out a window, dangled, then dropped. The third floor's too high for that and it's concrete below now, rather than soft, shady ground....)
I ran into my neighbor who lives across the hall and over one unit [insert "is he okay?" joke, here -- ba dum bum chhhhhhhhhh...), and he's going to be moving into the unit directly across from me; he's been in these apartments for around 12 or so years. There's actually a lot of "long timers" there. The previous managers were at the apartments for 20 years when they retired. To me, that says a lot about the company that's owned the complex for at least as long.
And with the upgrade of amenities, so must I upgrade my cleaning products. For years, I've relied on Mr. Clean and water in an old Windex bottle to clean my counters and bathrooms and floors, but I must now relegate him to just floors; you can't use that kind of thing on granite or stainless steel. Granite is too porous, and such solutions strip the sealer off, and it streaks on stainless steel.
I looked for Johnson's Wax at Fred Meyer today, but I couldn't find it; I did find, however, a product designed for daily use to clean granite countertops as well as a sealer to use every once in awhile -- I also found a stainless steel cleaner; I mention this as it was a total of $48 in new cleaning products. OY!
Well, so -- I did double up on the daily cleaner and stainless steel foaming cleaner as they were on sale, and also got a loaf of bread and some butter...but maybe I'll just have to be less anal about cleaning my house!
I also took in my curtains (old ones) to be cleaned -- $45! Aiee! But at least this way they'll be all purdy and fresh for my new place. I go to a cleaner up the road from my office that's all "green" and environmentally-oriented. Your things come back smelling like the outdoors, not dry cleaners. So it's a tad more expensive, but worth it.
I hand washed my sheers and my gray cotton curtains that had been hanging in my bedroom this past weekend, and that was rather...um...enlightening. I'm a fairly tidy and clean person, but it took three washings in my tub to get the sheer swag and curtains to stop making the water gray, and it took four washings before the gray cotton curtains stopped making the water look like iced tea. Ew! I know I've washed all of those things at least once or twice since I moved in, and I've occasionally vacuumed them...but that was gross. I think I may have to make it a point to get my curtains cleaned more often.
So the big move happens next weekend; it's kind of odd / sad to realize that this is the last weekend I'll be here in the old unit. I guess I can always wave at it and say hello from my new unit...!
-- H
Monday, August 18, 2008
Soon! Soon! Soon!
Then will be now, soon!
I was going to take a picture of my balcony to show you all at least the outside of my apartment, but I can't find my camera USB cable; I believe I packed it up this weekend. So that will have to wait.
I got a nice chunk of birthday money for my birthday in July, and I decided to save it for something fun. When the move became apparent, I thought to use it for that. I wanted to use it for something that was a treat, not towards organizers or something practical I went to Fred Meyer (for those of you not in this neck of the woods, it's like a Target with a grocery store, but somewhat nicer, as well as having a huge hardware section), and I decided to see if they had any bedding and curtains on sale.
I've been wanting new bedding for awhile (what I have is 7 years old; I still like it, but I wanted something new), and I need new curtains for my bedroom terrace door. The apartments come with curtains, but they're those generic, white, heavy ones you find in every TravelLodge and Motel 6 from here to Florida. Not all that pretty.
I found a really nice bedding set that's all satiny and sheeny and velvety gold, sage green, cream, burgundy and garnet. It's beautiful, and came with accent pillows, too. I then found some beautiful curtains that pick up the tone of the sage green of the bedding; it's really luxurious (OK, all I need to say now is that there's a "pop" of color and I can fully sound like every cliche decorator host out there....)
I learned from my mother well. The bedding and curtains pulls in the colors I have out in my living room, keeping the design "streamlined." (Thanks, Mom!)
I fully intended to rehang my old generi-curtians when I left, but I was mortified to discover as I went through my suitcases for donation that I'd donated the suitcase in which I'd stored them...with the curtains still in it. Oops.
The manager said she might have to charge me for them, but that's okay; I'm going to take the ones they put up down again, but I'm going to be squeaky certain they stay put with me.
I still have some packing to do, of course, but what's irksome is that I'll realize I've been staring at an item I should have packed up already; some knicknack or a book that's still floating around. And the funny thing is how bland my apartment smells without all my candles and stuff out; the whole place feels dead and closed up, like I've packed up the place's "personality".
I ran out of boxes this weekend, which meant a call to my mom to please let me borrow some more; though I wanted to get more done this weekend, I was glad. By the time I'd taped up the last box I had, I was sick to death of packing, and I was glad to stop. Plus it was just too hot to do anything; we had about 4-5 days in a row of 100 degree weather, and by the time Saturday rolled around, I was equally sick to death of feeling damp, hot and sticky -- despite the fact I'd taken a long, cool / cold shower and had dried off using one of my fans to up the "cool factor."
Today is much cooler, and is even rainy. We had a thunderstorm going this morning, too. Hopefully when I move Labor Day weekend it won't be raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing, slushing -- and sometimes all of the above at the same time -- like it was when Andrew and Hanne moved into their new place.
I'm not sure which would be worse -- moving in the weather we had this weekend (dry but only a bit cooler than what Death Valley was reporting) (I kid you not), or the weird sleety weather.
Something in-between would be most preferable, please and thank you Weather Gods.
I'm only moving to the other building, but I realized a truck would be needed for my bulkier things; Dad suggested I rent a big 4x4 kind of truck, but the cheapest I could find, even using my car insurance discount, was $65 a day, and I think they wanted to charge me for both Friday and Saturday, despite the fact I wanted to pick it up at 6pm Friday and return it 6pm Saturday; so it would have been $130, and that's before all the miscellaneous taxes they tack on.
So I went to U-Haul instead and got a decently-sized truck for $30. Much better.
I also saw that the building I'm moving into allows for easier windchime hanging; my terrace roof is concrete, and I had to hang my chimes using plastic hooks attached with super glue; my new place has wood, it looks like, where I can put in metal hooks. Much better.
Hmm. I just realized I need to get new hooks for my bird feeder, my hanging geraniums and my hummingbird feeder....
All the little details of moving. I have the electricity, digital cable and phone / FiOS (Verizon's uber-speedy Internet service) scheduled to switch over, and then it's a matter of remembering all the other places that need my new address. I was able to schedule the forwarding for my mail online, but the USPS charges $1 to do that, oddly. Oh well. Cheaper than what I'd pay in gas driving to a place to get a form.
And I'm going to have to get new cleaning products; Windex works terribly on stainless steel appliances (it streaks badly), so I have to get a special cleaner for that (thanks, Dad, for that advice!), and since granite is porous and requires a sealer every now and again, I can't use my Mr. Clean solution that I use now; the suggestion is a damp, soft cloth and mild dish soap; to seal it I can just use Johnson's Wax (thanks Gramma, for that advice!)
Fancy new items needing fancy new cleaning products. But oh-so-nice! I'm so excited! (I'm sure you guys had no idea that I was, even just a little...)
So that's the latest update.
Could I please stop packing sometime soon -- ?!
-- H
I was going to take a picture of my balcony to show you all at least the outside of my apartment, but I can't find my camera USB cable; I believe I packed it up this weekend. So that will have to wait.
I got a nice chunk of birthday money for my birthday in July, and I decided to save it for something fun. When the move became apparent, I thought to use it for that. I wanted to use it for something that was a treat, not towards organizers or something practical I went to Fred Meyer (for those of you not in this neck of the woods, it's like a Target with a grocery store, but somewhat nicer, as well as having a huge hardware section), and I decided to see if they had any bedding and curtains on sale.
I've been wanting new bedding for awhile (what I have is 7 years old; I still like it, but I wanted something new), and I need new curtains for my bedroom terrace door. The apartments come with curtains, but they're those generic, white, heavy ones you find in every TravelLodge and Motel 6 from here to Florida. Not all that pretty.
I found a really nice bedding set that's all satiny and sheeny and velvety gold, sage green, cream, burgundy and garnet. It's beautiful, and came with accent pillows, too. I then found some beautiful curtains that pick up the tone of the sage green of the bedding; it's really luxurious (OK, all I need to say now is that there's a "pop" of color and I can fully sound like every cliche decorator host out there....)
I learned from my mother well. The bedding and curtains pulls in the colors I have out in my living room, keeping the design "streamlined." (Thanks, Mom!)
I fully intended to rehang my old generi-curtians when I left, but I was mortified to discover as I went through my suitcases for donation that I'd donated the suitcase in which I'd stored them...with the curtains still in it. Oops.
The manager said she might have to charge me for them, but that's okay; I'm going to take the ones they put up down again, but I'm going to be squeaky certain they stay put with me.
I still have some packing to do, of course, but what's irksome is that I'll realize I've been staring at an item I should have packed up already; some knicknack or a book that's still floating around. And the funny thing is how bland my apartment smells without all my candles and stuff out; the whole place feels dead and closed up, like I've packed up the place's "personality".
I ran out of boxes this weekend, which meant a call to my mom to please let me borrow some more; though I wanted to get more done this weekend, I was glad. By the time I'd taped up the last box I had, I was sick to death of packing, and I was glad to stop. Plus it was just too hot to do anything; we had about 4-5 days in a row of 100 degree weather, and by the time Saturday rolled around, I was equally sick to death of feeling damp, hot and sticky -- despite the fact I'd taken a long, cool / cold shower and had dried off using one of my fans to up the "cool factor."
Today is much cooler, and is even rainy. We had a thunderstorm going this morning, too. Hopefully when I move Labor Day weekend it won't be raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing, slushing -- and sometimes all of the above at the same time -- like it was when Andrew and Hanne moved into their new place.
I'm not sure which would be worse -- moving in the weather we had this weekend (dry but only a bit cooler than what Death Valley was reporting) (I kid you not), or the weird sleety weather.
Something in-between would be most preferable, please and thank you Weather Gods.
I'm only moving to the other building, but I realized a truck would be needed for my bulkier things; Dad suggested I rent a big 4x4 kind of truck, but the cheapest I could find, even using my car insurance discount, was $65 a day, and I think they wanted to charge me for both Friday and Saturday, despite the fact I wanted to pick it up at 6pm Friday and return it 6pm Saturday; so it would have been $130, and that's before all the miscellaneous taxes they tack on.
So I went to U-Haul instead and got a decently-sized truck for $30. Much better.
I also saw that the building I'm moving into allows for easier windchime hanging; my terrace roof is concrete, and I had to hang my chimes using plastic hooks attached with super glue; my new place has wood, it looks like, where I can put in metal hooks. Much better.
Hmm. I just realized I need to get new hooks for my bird feeder, my hanging geraniums and my hummingbird feeder....
All the little details of moving. I have the electricity, digital cable and phone / FiOS (Verizon's uber-speedy Internet service) scheduled to switch over, and then it's a matter of remembering all the other places that need my new address. I was able to schedule the forwarding for my mail online, but the USPS charges $1 to do that, oddly. Oh well. Cheaper than what I'd pay in gas driving to a place to get a form.
And I'm going to have to get new cleaning products; Windex works terribly on stainless steel appliances (it streaks badly), so I have to get a special cleaner for that (thanks, Dad, for that advice!), and since granite is porous and requires a sealer every now and again, I can't use my Mr. Clean solution that I use now; the suggestion is a damp, soft cloth and mild dish soap; to seal it I can just use Johnson's Wax (thanks Gramma, for that advice!)
Fancy new items needing fancy new cleaning products. But oh-so-nice! I'm so excited! (I'm sure you guys had no idea that I was, even just a little...)
So that's the latest update.
Could I please stop packing sometime soon -- ?!
-- H
Friday, August 15, 2008
Mi Casa on Paper
I found a floor plan online on the manging company's website. Thought you guys might like to see it:
This is my old floor plan (mirror image of what I have / had):
I'm still thrilled about the size difference of the patios! Yes, I'm losing a lot of space, but I'm so looking forward to it.
-- H
This is my old floor plan (mirror image of what I have / had):
I'm still thrilled about the size difference of the patios! Yes, I'm losing a lot of space, but I'm so looking forward to it.
-- H
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Yay!
I don't have an exact date yet, but I heard today that a new unit is open for me!
It's going to be on the 3rd floor, but the way the other building is situated, the floors are sort of between the ones here; the first-level floors are actually lower than the ones here, and the 2nd floor apartments (which I was looking at) are therefore slightly lower than mine.
I was a bit concerned about that, as I like to leave my terrace door and windows open all the time, and the terrace level on the 2nd floor units, I noticed, were lower than my 2nd floor terrace. So for safety purposes, 3rd floor will do nicely. It's only one flight of stairs up, no different than what I have to get to this 2nd floor unit. Be a touch warmer in the summer (but with two big doors I can open I can get more air moving), but the upshot is it'll also be warmer in the winter, thanks to the physics of heat.
Looks like it'll be next month (I'm hoping she might let me start moving stuff early, as the unit is open!). The pile of packing in my office has grown, and I'm now down to packing up the stuff I left out -- things I get to a lot. Well, not everything I left out was. I was just plain sick of packing by the time I got to my pantry.
Whee!
Car news.
I got the new engine in, but after only having the engine for 24 hours, a factory defect became apparent, and back to the shop Angus had to go. He's actually at Landmark Ford at the moment, getting a cylinder head fixed.
I'm really excited about the news about the unit; now hopefully the weekend I have to do the big push will be cool. At the moment it's 102 degrees outside at 6:31 pm. Ooog.
But...still better than when I lived in Texas and it was 102 and humid. It was the only time in my life I felt like I was actually melting. Free perm action for my hair, though, with the humidity making the curl go nutso.
Later, all. Water's boiling and I need to go throw in the pasta. I was going to grill something, but the idea of cooking over fire when it's this hot out is borderline insane.
-- H
It's going to be on the 3rd floor, but the way the other building is situated, the floors are sort of between the ones here; the first-level floors are actually lower than the ones here, and the 2nd floor apartments (which I was looking at) are therefore slightly lower than mine.
I was a bit concerned about that, as I like to leave my terrace door and windows open all the time, and the terrace level on the 2nd floor units, I noticed, were lower than my 2nd floor terrace. So for safety purposes, 3rd floor will do nicely. It's only one flight of stairs up, no different than what I have to get to this 2nd floor unit. Be a touch warmer in the summer (but with two big doors I can open I can get more air moving), but the upshot is it'll also be warmer in the winter, thanks to the physics of heat.
Looks like it'll be next month (I'm hoping she might let me start moving stuff early, as the unit is open!). The pile of packing in my office has grown, and I'm now down to packing up the stuff I left out -- things I get to a lot. Well, not everything I left out was. I was just plain sick of packing by the time I got to my pantry.
Whee!
Car news.
I got the new engine in, but after only having the engine for 24 hours, a factory defect became apparent, and back to the shop Angus had to go. He's actually at Landmark Ford at the moment, getting a cylinder head fixed.
I'm really excited about the news about the unit; now hopefully the weekend I have to do the big push will be cool. At the moment it's 102 degrees outside at 6:31 pm. Ooog.
But...still better than when I lived in Texas and it was 102 and humid. It was the only time in my life I felt like I was actually melting. Free perm action for my hair, though, with the humidity making the curl go nutso.
Later, all. Water's boiling and I need to go throw in the pasta. I was going to grill something, but the idea of cooking over fire when it's this hot out is borderline insane.
-- H
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Insert Title Here
I can't think of anything clever or suitable at the moment.
So on goes the sorting and packing. I've gotten things culled down to a decent level, and I'm sure once I get over to my new unit, I'll find more things I can get rid of. Rather, of which I can get rid -- so that I'm not ending my sentence in a preposition.
I think I'm likely going to simultaneously find out that I both have more space for storage and less. So I'm banking more on the less part, and thus being pretty ruthless. There's some things I think I could likely donate, but I want to wait first and see about space. I have more stemware than a single woman needs, and since I bought two sets of my new dinnerware I have about 12 or so matching mugs. I kind of hesitate about donating those, as they match the set. But nor do I need 18 mugs.
Plus I am on the waiting list for storage space, so I'll have a bit more room for that. I can put my two bins of Christmas decorations in storage, along with things like the extra mugs and even my Christmas wrapping paper. Stuff I rarely touch. And my flattened boxes. Random stuff.
But all in all, it's been really fun. That may raise an eyebrow or two from you, but I actually really like sorting and organizing, and I try to do it once a year, usually in the Spring. I heard about the impending refurbishment of all the apartments in February, and, at that time, I thought I was going to move out of mine and then back in. But I kept waiting to hear about it (I was told a few months) before I did any culling and organizing, as I wanted to just do it and pack at the same time.
I've done a pretty good job of keeping what I have tamed, but after 7 and a half years in a place with four closets, I did kind of get lazy about some stuff. I think I've done a pretty good job of culling it down, but wowsers. Am I pooped and sore.
I'm to the point now where I've pretty much gone through everything. Now I just need to pack up my pantry things and my kitchen. And I can't wait to get moved in and settled; I think the unpacking's going to be a lot easier than the packing, given the lack of sorting, culling and 82 thousand trips to the recycling room.
Plus it'll be like what my mom said when she moved into her little house (the one she just moved out of earlier this Summer / Spring), that it's fun to find new "homes" for all the framed pictures.
I think I may also finally have room for a nice bookcase. In my old apartment, I had a long wall where I could have put one, had it not been for the electric baseboard heater that ran the entire length of it. We'll see. First I need to get organized and settled, then I need to get new curtains for my room (the apartments come with the generic kind of curtains you find in motels), and then I can see about a new bookshelf.
Ooo...an "excuse" to go to Ikea....
So there's my semi-update. I've kind of wound down, but I have to admit, it'll feel good to be as fully packed as I can be, so that I can just slide into my new place easily, and have a break -- rather than having to pack and move at the same time. Bleah.
I did have a "Grr" moment earlier today. I carefully measured my sink unit thing in my second bathroom, as I knew it would be approximately the same size as my new one. I also remembered it was slightly shorter, so I shaved off a few inches from the height.
I went to Fred Meyer this morning before work to peruse the plastic storage bins, and found two drawer units that I thought would fit, given my measurements. Then, at lunch, the managers let me pop into one of the refurbished units to see if they'd fit and....
I found out they're about 5" too tall.
Sigh.
So now I have to rethink my bathroom. I know what I can do for some stuff, but I'm losing my drawer where I keep my toothpaste and a few other things. I'm also losing counter space, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my makeup organizer. I do have a unit that hangs on the wall above my toilet that can provide a cupboard space, so that will help.
And I discovered that I had four extra lids for Rubbermaid bins -- but no bottoms. I did find one bottom in my pantry where I was using it to hold cleaning rags, so that solved the mystery of one of the lids, but now I have 3 others without mates. I've been through everything where they could be -- so where on Earth did they go?
I was thinking perhaps I could just take the lids in, show them to someone at Fred Meyer to show they came in with me and then find bins to match, but I noticed this morning that all the Rubbermaid bins have changed design, so none would fit.
To quote Ace Ventura, Allllllll righty, then.
Ah well.
Oh -- car news. It's still at the shop, awaiting the engine, which is supposed to get there tomorrow. So my old pal Angus should be back with me next week.
Anyhoo. That's all for now.
10-4, good buddies. Over and out.
So on goes the sorting and packing. I've gotten things culled down to a decent level, and I'm sure once I get over to my new unit, I'll find more things I can get rid of. Rather, of which I can get rid -- so that I'm not ending my sentence in a preposition.
I think I'm likely going to simultaneously find out that I both have more space for storage and less. So I'm banking more on the less part, and thus being pretty ruthless. There's some things I think I could likely donate, but I want to wait first and see about space. I have more stemware than a single woman needs, and since I bought two sets of my new dinnerware I have about 12 or so matching mugs. I kind of hesitate about donating those, as they match the set. But nor do I need 18 mugs.
Plus I am on the waiting list for storage space, so I'll have a bit more room for that. I can put my two bins of Christmas decorations in storage, along with things like the extra mugs and even my Christmas wrapping paper. Stuff I rarely touch. And my flattened boxes. Random stuff.
But all in all, it's been really fun. That may raise an eyebrow or two from you, but I actually really like sorting and organizing, and I try to do it once a year, usually in the Spring. I heard about the impending refurbishment of all the apartments in February, and, at that time, I thought I was going to move out of mine and then back in. But I kept waiting to hear about it (I was told a few months) before I did any culling and organizing, as I wanted to just do it and pack at the same time.
I've done a pretty good job of keeping what I have tamed, but after 7 and a half years in a place with four closets, I did kind of get lazy about some stuff. I think I've done a pretty good job of culling it down, but wowsers. Am I pooped and sore.
I'm to the point now where I've pretty much gone through everything. Now I just need to pack up my pantry things and my kitchen. And I can't wait to get moved in and settled; I think the unpacking's going to be a lot easier than the packing, given the lack of sorting, culling and 82 thousand trips to the recycling room.
Plus it'll be like what my mom said when she moved into her little house (the one she just moved out of earlier this Summer / Spring), that it's fun to find new "homes" for all the framed pictures.
I think I may also finally have room for a nice bookcase. In my old apartment, I had a long wall where I could have put one, had it not been for the electric baseboard heater that ran the entire length of it. We'll see. First I need to get organized and settled, then I need to get new curtains for my room (the apartments come with the generic kind of curtains you find in motels), and then I can see about a new bookshelf.
Ooo...an "excuse" to go to Ikea....
So there's my semi-update. I've kind of wound down, but I have to admit, it'll feel good to be as fully packed as I can be, so that I can just slide into my new place easily, and have a break -- rather than having to pack and move at the same time. Bleah.
I did have a "Grr" moment earlier today. I carefully measured my sink unit thing in my second bathroom, as I knew it would be approximately the same size as my new one. I also remembered it was slightly shorter, so I shaved off a few inches from the height.
I went to Fred Meyer this morning before work to peruse the plastic storage bins, and found two drawer units that I thought would fit, given my measurements. Then, at lunch, the managers let me pop into one of the refurbished units to see if they'd fit and....
I found out they're about 5" too tall.
Sigh.
So now I have to rethink my bathroom. I know what I can do for some stuff, but I'm losing my drawer where I keep my toothpaste and a few other things. I'm also losing counter space, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my makeup organizer. I do have a unit that hangs on the wall above my toilet that can provide a cupboard space, so that will help.
And I discovered that I had four extra lids for Rubbermaid bins -- but no bottoms. I did find one bottom in my pantry where I was using it to hold cleaning rags, so that solved the mystery of one of the lids, but now I have 3 others without mates. I've been through everything where they could be -- so where on Earth did they go?
I was thinking perhaps I could just take the lids in, show them to someone at Fred Meyer to show they came in with me and then find bins to match, but I noticed this morning that all the Rubbermaid bins have changed design, so none would fit.
To quote Ace Ventura, Allllllll righty, then.
Ah well.
Oh -- car news. It's still at the shop, awaiting the engine, which is supposed to get there tomorrow. So my old pal Angus should be back with me next week.
Anyhoo. That's all for now.
10-4, good buddies. Over and out.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Hello-o-o-o-o-?
That would be the echo in my apartment.
I'm too pooped for a descriptive blog, but needless to say...more progress has been made, and I'm pooped. My brain is so fried, I think its own timing belt is about to go, or at least the pistons are misfiring. I was trying to put away some nails and hooks and I actually found myself staring at the little sections of the organizer trying to match up the long things to the long things in one of the squares, and the little question mark-shaped things to the other little question-mark things.
But here are pictures of what I've done.
I did run into Robert, one of the assistant managers, and he said it's likely a good thing I've gone ahead and done all this, as things are opening up "pretty quick" over in the other building.
It was a touch heavy on the Christian Bale this weekend. I watched The Machinist last night, a movie he did about four years ago. He plays a man who's had insomnia for a year, and who starts seeing a co-worker people swear don't exist, and he starts finding strange messages in his apartment, written on sticky notes. On top of that, Christian Bale lost about 60 pounds for the role.
To say the movie is...disturbing, is like saying that the Atlantic Ocean is damp.
Or...it's like someone said, "You know, Memento is a superb movie, but it just wasn't creepy enough."
Anyone who's seen Memento will know what I mean.
Then as I was organizing and packing this morning, I watched Reign of Fire, also with Christian Bale, though on TV. Essentially Man versus Dragons that have awakened and who are trying to take over the world. It was decent, but what was weird about it is that Christian Bale speaks in his "normal" voice -- his Welsh accent. The only other time I remember hearing him use it was in Empire of the Sun when he was bout ten or eleven years old. Every other time I've seen him he speaks with an American accent, and I kind of forgot he's actually from the UK.
Then, as I packed up my dishes, glasses and stemware, leaving out two of each to use, I watched Batman Begins as background sound. What an awesome movie...but I still think Dark Knight is better.
Anyway. I know I said I wasn't going to make this a long one, and I'm not. It's now a lovely day outside, and while a part of me is craving going out and enjoying the sunshine and the nice breeze, the hungry, dusty, grimy-feeling part of me really couldn't care less and just wants a big plate o' spaghetti and a scrubdown in the shower.
Hasta la vista, all.
-- H
I'm too pooped for a descriptive blog, but needless to say...more progress has been made, and I'm pooped. My brain is so fried, I think its own timing belt is about to go, or at least the pistons are misfiring. I was trying to put away some nails and hooks and I actually found myself staring at the little sections of the organizer trying to match up the long things to the long things in one of the squares, and the little question mark-shaped things to the other little question-mark things.
But here are pictures of what I've done.
I did run into Robert, one of the assistant managers, and he said it's likely a good thing I've gone ahead and done all this, as things are opening up "pretty quick" over in the other building.
It was a touch heavy on the Christian Bale this weekend. I watched The Machinist last night, a movie he did about four years ago. He plays a man who's had insomnia for a year, and who starts seeing a co-worker people swear don't exist, and he starts finding strange messages in his apartment, written on sticky notes. On top of that, Christian Bale lost about 60 pounds for the role.
To say the movie is...disturbing, is like saying that the Atlantic Ocean is damp.
Or...it's like someone said, "You know, Memento is a superb movie, but it just wasn't creepy enough."
Anyone who's seen Memento will know what I mean.
Then as I was organizing and packing this morning, I watched Reign of Fire, also with Christian Bale, though on TV. Essentially Man versus Dragons that have awakened and who are trying to take over the world. It was decent, but what was weird about it is that Christian Bale speaks in his "normal" voice -- his Welsh accent. The only other time I remember hearing him use it was in Empire of the Sun when he was bout ten or eleven years old. Every other time I've seen him he speaks with an American accent, and I kind of forgot he's actually from the UK.
Then, as I packed up my dishes, glasses and stemware, leaving out two of each to use, I watched Batman Begins as background sound. What an awesome movie...but I still think Dark Knight is better.
Anyway. I know I said I wasn't going to make this a long one, and I'm not. It's now a lovely day outside, and while a part of me is craving going out and enjoying the sunshine and the nice breeze, the hungry, dusty, grimy-feeling part of me really couldn't care less and just wants a big plate o' spaghetti and a scrubdown in the shower.
Hasta la vista, all.
-- H
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Progress
It's really hard to believe what I took to Goodwill this morning. Apparently I have a fifth dimension in my apartment, something like the TARDIS, Dr. Who's call box, his telephone booth that had a massively huge spaceship inside it once you stepped in.
The entire Escape was filled, and I just took another load of stuff down to the recycling room. I also got the filing cabinet and bathroom cabinet taken care of; I decided that since I hadn't heard from Andrew it was "no thanks" to all things offered, so I put them on Craig's list. The ink hadn't even dried on my ad for them (I was offering them for free) before I got a call and let them go.
I immediately took the two ads down, but apparently "Delete" and "Confirm Delete" didn't mean what I thought it meant to Craig's List as I continued to get calls. I came out of my movie with my Mother (Mama Mia!) and found eight voice mails from people asking about it. I went to her house to get some bags I could use for putting more stuff in for Goodwill (despite my wagonload today, I know I'll have more) as well as some more boxes and logged onto Craig's List to see if my ads were still there.
And...they were.
So then I had to hassle with them because the site kept saying I didn't have an account. Given that I've created one before -- twice -- and logged in this morning (you can post without an account, but I know I had one), it kept saying no account could be found under my email, nor could my email be found in their system.
Quite strange. Given they emailed me two confirmation emails this morning after I posted my ads.
But I've made huge progress today. The trip to Goodwill, first, then I went around and took down all my hanging and framed pictures, in order of size. Then I boxed up the medium and small ones, and went around and pulled out all of the nails from the wall. A few I couldn't reach as furniture makes it too hard to get to them, so I'll just get them later. And then, after a slight snooze on the couch, I boxed up all my books. Tomorrow I think I might do the knicknacks in my living room and bedroom.
I know it sounds like I'm being hoisted out of here within a few days, but I honestly don't know when I'm moving -- just that it's soon. I feel like this scene from Spaceballs:
Like Lord Dark Helmet, I have no idea, either, when my then will be now or when my now will be then ... or... when my now will be now or my then will be...uh, then.
Whatever.
Anyway.
They did say it could be next month, but as all this transpired on July 31 (the car and the decision to move), I don't know if she meant August or September. But she did also say that a unit could open "soon", and so that could mean my then could be now soon at any time...er --
What I mean is that I could get a call sooner rather than later, and I'd rather be as packed up as possible.
I won't have time to work on my place next Friday or Saturday, as Friday is our company trip (we're going to Cannon beach for the day), and then Saturday I have a four hour workshop, then in the evening I have a talk to go to. Plus Friday night my friends are having a CD release party for their new album.
And so I'd rather just get as much done this weekend since I'm out those two days.
Anyhoo...I now have 9 boxes in my office, two of which are stuff from my filing cabinet. And the funny thing is, as I've been going through my stuff the common thought popping into my head has been, "Why have I been keeping this?!"
Now it's time for a tasty sandwich and beer from the store. (That's my brother's influence on me, and such a meal is commonly known as an "Andrew Special.)
Here's to hoping my then will be now, soon.
-- H
The entire Escape was filled, and I just took another load of stuff down to the recycling room. I also got the filing cabinet and bathroom cabinet taken care of; I decided that since I hadn't heard from Andrew it was "no thanks" to all things offered, so I put them on Craig's list. The ink hadn't even dried on my ad for them (I was offering them for free) before I got a call and let them go.
I immediately took the two ads down, but apparently "Delete" and "Confirm Delete" didn't mean what I thought it meant to Craig's List as I continued to get calls. I came out of my movie with my Mother (Mama Mia!) and found eight voice mails from people asking about it. I went to her house to get some bags I could use for putting more stuff in for Goodwill (despite my wagonload today, I know I'll have more) as well as some more boxes and logged onto Craig's List to see if my ads were still there.
And...they were.
So then I had to hassle with them because the site kept saying I didn't have an account. Given that I've created one before -- twice -- and logged in this morning (you can post without an account, but I know I had one), it kept saying no account could be found under my email, nor could my email be found in their system.
Quite strange. Given they emailed me two confirmation emails this morning after I posted my ads.
But I've made huge progress today. The trip to Goodwill, first, then I went around and took down all my hanging and framed pictures, in order of size. Then I boxed up the medium and small ones, and went around and pulled out all of the nails from the wall. A few I couldn't reach as furniture makes it too hard to get to them, so I'll just get them later. And then, after a slight snooze on the couch, I boxed up all my books. Tomorrow I think I might do the knicknacks in my living room and bedroom.
I know it sounds like I'm being hoisted out of here within a few days, but I honestly don't know when I'm moving -- just that it's soon. I feel like this scene from Spaceballs:
Like Lord Dark Helmet, I have no idea, either, when my then will be now or when my now will be then ... or... when my now will be now or my then will be...uh, then.
Whatever.
Anyway.
They did say it could be next month, but as all this transpired on July 31 (the car and the decision to move), I don't know if she meant August or September. But she did also say that a unit could open "soon", and so that could mean my then could be now soon at any time...er --
What I mean is that I could get a call sooner rather than later, and I'd rather be as packed up as possible.
I won't have time to work on my place next Friday or Saturday, as Friday is our company trip (we're going to Cannon beach for the day), and then Saturday I have a four hour workshop, then in the evening I have a talk to go to. Plus Friday night my friends are having a CD release party for their new album.
And so I'd rather just get as much done this weekend since I'm out those two days.
Anyhoo...I now have 9 boxes in my office, two of which are stuff from my filing cabinet. And the funny thing is, as I've been going through my stuff the common thought popping into my head has been, "Why have I been keeping this?!"
Now it's time for a tasty sandwich and beer from the store. (That's my brother's influence on me, and such a meal is commonly known as an "Andrew Special.)
Here's to hoping my then will be now, soon.
-- H
Friday, August 01, 2008
Escaping
So...I decided to use my Dad's Escape that he's kindly let me borrow this week to my advantage.
I came home tonight and spent nearly four hours going through my office stuff, as well as a few other spots in my apartment, getting rid of papers, junk and stuff I can give away.
Then I loaded up the car with as much stuff as I could for tonight, and I'm going to drop it all of at Goodwill tomorrow. I think I'll be able to use the Escort for anything else; I had a printer stand thing in my office closet that wouldn't fit in my car, and I also wanted to donate my printer. I haven't used it in I don't know how long. When I do want to print something I just use one of the printers at the office.
I want to get rid of my four-drawer filing cabinet, too, but I think I'm just going to put that on Craig's List with a "Free!" tag and let someone else come and get it (I did offer it to Andrew, but I doubt he'll take it....Anyone want it? Anyone want a cabinet that hangs above your toilet? Andrew has first dibs on that, too, but anyone else can have it if he and Hanne don't want it....)
I also stuck in bedding and suitcases.
I'm pooped. I'm now going to take a shower and eat and flop. I think an Escape-load size of work tonight is enough. My plan for the rest of my place is to go room by room for culling / junking / recycling, and use my office as the piling / sorting ground.
Oh, I forgot to mention my 5+ trips to the recycling / garbage room....I have about three more of those to do tonight, actually; then I'll go to bed.
Say....is it a good thing when it looks like the top 1/3 of the big community recycling bin looks like it's mostly your stuff -- ?
Ugh. Why is it whenever you go through and get rid of as much stuff as I have tonight, the room in which you've been working looks WORSE than when you started?!
Okay. I need to eat. It's after nine, I feel gross and I'm starving.
-- H
I came home tonight and spent nearly four hours going through my office stuff, as well as a few other spots in my apartment, getting rid of papers, junk and stuff I can give away.
Then I loaded up the car with as much stuff as I could for tonight, and I'm going to drop it all of at Goodwill tomorrow. I think I'll be able to use the Escort for anything else; I had a printer stand thing in my office closet that wouldn't fit in my car, and I also wanted to donate my printer. I haven't used it in I don't know how long. When I do want to print something I just use one of the printers at the office.
I want to get rid of my four-drawer filing cabinet, too, but I think I'm just going to put that on Craig's List with a "Free!" tag and let someone else come and get it (I did offer it to Andrew, but I doubt he'll take it....Anyone want it? Anyone want a cabinet that hangs above your toilet? Andrew has first dibs on that, too, but anyone else can have it if he and Hanne don't want it....)
I also stuck in bedding and suitcases.
I'm pooped. I'm now going to take a shower and eat and flop. I think an Escape-load size of work tonight is enough. My plan for the rest of my place is to go room by room for culling / junking / recycling, and use my office as the piling / sorting ground.
Oh, I forgot to mention my 5+ trips to the recycling / garbage room....I have about three more of those to do tonight, actually; then I'll go to bed.
Say....is it a good thing when it looks like the top 1/3 of the big community recycling bin looks like it's mostly your stuff -- ?
Ugh. Why is it whenever you go through and get rid of as much stuff as I have tonight, the room in which you've been working looks WORSE than when you started?!
Okay. I need to eat. It's after nine, I feel gross and I'm starving.
-- H
Movin' on up...!
I had a wonderful adventure, starting Wednesday evening.
I was on my way to my acupuncture appointment, and as I pulled out at a light, my poor little 1996 Escort, christened Angus, made an odd straining sensation and sound, shuddered a little, and acted like it wasn't going to make it across -- and then it got zippier and picked up. But then my "Check Engine" light began flashing, much to my dismay. It finally stayed on, a little glaring orange light that can mean any bazillion number of things from something small to major drums of doom.
I drove cautiously down the street, paying attention to how it felt and sounded -- but nothing began making any kind of noise or feeling that gave concern, so I continued on, with the intent to go and simply drop Angus off for a check up the following morning at the shop around the corner from where I work.
However, when I turned my car on after my appointment, I was greeted with a horrible dry, grinding, hacking, clattering sound coming from my engine. I knew, with a great sinking feeling, the "Check Engine" light had, indeed, heralded in the "drums of doom."
I called my dad, and he suggested checking the oil; it looked a touch low, so a nice man offered a quart of oil that he had. I put it in, let the engine run for a bit, and the sound stopped. It sounded like I'd at least be able to get home.
But no more than a block and a half away, the sound came back, and I managed to limp poor Angus back to the building and park in a spot where the tow truck could easily get to him (it!).
As Angus got shepherded away to the mechanic's, my dad came and got me in his Ford Escape, which he's kindly lent to me while Angus is in the shop.
The diagnosis I received was that "Angus is really sick." Apparently what happened was that my timing belt went (what I felt with the straining feeling as I crossed the intersection), a piston then bumped a valve and the valve shattered, dropping its parts into the engine, thus chewing it up. To my knowledge I've never had the timing belt replaced (it should be done every 50K miles for my car), and so it went kaput, having worked itself into collapse after being used for slightly more than 100K miles.
After about 842.37 calls between my father, the mechanic and me, the decision came to put in a Ford factory refurbished engine, which will come with a 3-year 100K mile warranty, as good as a spanking new one. The whole total's going to come to at least $3500, and while that sounds like a lot, I'm essentially getting a brand new car inside my 1996 chassis. I can't argue with that, as anything I'd purchase for approximately that amount would come with parts and an engine as old as the car. And it's way cheaper than a new car, which I can't afford.
My dad and grandmother graciously offered to help pay for the repairs, for which I am deeply grateful.
So I'm looking forward to having Angus all healthy and bettered again. I may even manage to squeeze a gallon or two per mile from him; right now I'm averaging around 24-25 MPG, which is nearly as good as many of the new cars I hear being eagerly touted on TV.
When I get him back, I'm going to make sure he gets a good scrubbing, polish and shine. I owe him that much.
In the midst of all of that, I decided I needed to scale back in other ways; I've been living in a really nice 2-bed, 2-bath apartment. I was told in early Spring, that the company that owns the apartments wants to refurbish all the units, and to stay in the one I have, I'd have to move out, let them fix it up, then move back in.
But the whole car thing got me thinking, especially as I was considering the possibility of perhaps having to make car payments as well as then have higher insurance, too. I suddenly realized I no longer wanted a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. It's been nice to have -- the second bathroom was for visitors, leaving me free to have mine in as much of a state of chaos or cleanliness as I wanted, and the second bedroom I used for an office and a meditation area.
As I began to realize, nice is nice, but it's not always necessary.
So yesterday I called the front office and asked how much I'd save if I moved into a 1 bed, 1 bath unit; she told me that it would be $700 a month for a fully refurbished unit. I'm paying $735 right now for an older unit, and with the refurb rent will, for my unit, go up $150. No thanks.
I asked if there was a unit I could see at lunch when I came home, and she said there was. Within three minutes of walking around I was sold. It's in the building across from mine and will face south; I went back today to take pictures (I'll stick in a link at the end of this entry), and ran into the woman whose unit I was shown yesterday (she chose to move out temporarily while hers was redone; it was nice, because her plants and patio furniture got left, so I got a nice visual for what mine will look like), and she said it's also very bright in the Winter. My unit is darkish anyway, even when it's sunny out, as it faces a shady yard. In the Winter it's even worse.
I can't wait. The refurb is absolutely wonderful! They put in:
It's absolutely beautiful.
And here's what I'm most excited about: my bedroom has a sliding glass door that opens onto the terrace! It feels so...so...elegant.
I'll have to do some scaling back, of course, and I'm on the waiting list for a storage space in the apartments (I was told there was none a long time ago. Actually, what that manager said to me was, "Not really."), and I may have to rent a space someplace as my Dad's attic is stuffed more fully than a Thanksgiving Tofurky.
There's actually a decent amount of storage space, and my bedroom has a closet that's about the size of one and half of the ones I already have, plus it has another smaller one with shelving. "You can put your sweaters or other knitwear in here," Susan said.
"Oh," I said. "No -- shoes. Not sweaters -- shoes. Every woman needs a shoe closet!"
She laughed and said, "Yes! Absolutely!"
Honestly, it feels good to be moving into someplace smaller. I was thinking today that, while it doesn't take a lot of time to clean my place now, it can sometimes get tedious.
I may turn my dining area into a little office, and use my meditation corner screen to close it off. Evenutally, I may just shift over completely to a really nice laptop so I can have a dining area. I've inherited hosting Christmas Eve dinner, and I do enjoy doing that; I suppose we could always sit around two card tables in the livingroom or use our laps....
Anyway. Now I'm thinking out loud...er...in cyberspace. Whatever. I'm babbling.
All this transpired in 24 hours, the car and the apartment.
Here are pictures of a unit like what I'll have; this isn't going to be the one I get, but it's enough to show you all what I'll have:
Heather's New Abode
Later, all!
I was on my way to my acupuncture appointment, and as I pulled out at a light, my poor little 1996 Escort, christened Angus, made an odd straining sensation and sound, shuddered a little, and acted like it wasn't going to make it across -- and then it got zippier and picked up. But then my "Check Engine" light began flashing, much to my dismay. It finally stayed on, a little glaring orange light that can mean any bazillion number of things from something small to major drums of doom.
I drove cautiously down the street, paying attention to how it felt and sounded -- but nothing began making any kind of noise or feeling that gave concern, so I continued on, with the intent to go and simply drop Angus off for a check up the following morning at the shop around the corner from where I work.
However, when I turned my car on after my appointment, I was greeted with a horrible dry, grinding, hacking, clattering sound coming from my engine. I knew, with a great sinking feeling, the "Check Engine" light had, indeed, heralded in the "drums of doom."
I called my dad, and he suggested checking the oil; it looked a touch low, so a nice man offered a quart of oil that he had. I put it in, let the engine run for a bit, and the sound stopped. It sounded like I'd at least be able to get home.
But no more than a block and a half away, the sound came back, and I managed to limp poor Angus back to the building and park in a spot where the tow truck could easily get to him (it!).
As Angus got shepherded away to the mechanic's, my dad came and got me in his Ford Escape, which he's kindly lent to me while Angus is in the shop.
The diagnosis I received was that "Angus is really sick." Apparently what happened was that my timing belt went (what I felt with the straining feeling as I crossed the intersection), a piston then bumped a valve and the valve shattered, dropping its parts into the engine, thus chewing it up. To my knowledge I've never had the timing belt replaced (it should be done every 50K miles for my car), and so it went kaput, having worked itself into collapse after being used for slightly more than 100K miles.
After about 842.37 calls between my father, the mechanic and me, the decision came to put in a Ford factory refurbished engine, which will come with a 3-year 100K mile warranty, as good as a spanking new one. The whole total's going to come to at least $3500, and while that sounds like a lot, I'm essentially getting a brand new car inside my 1996 chassis. I can't argue with that, as anything I'd purchase for approximately that amount would come with parts and an engine as old as the car. And it's way cheaper than a new car, which I can't afford.
My dad and grandmother graciously offered to help pay for the repairs, for which I am deeply grateful.
So I'm looking forward to having Angus all healthy and bettered again. I may even manage to squeeze a gallon or two per mile from him; right now I'm averaging around 24-25 MPG, which is nearly as good as many of the new cars I hear being eagerly touted on TV.
When I get him back, I'm going to make sure he gets a good scrubbing, polish and shine. I owe him that much.
In the midst of all of that, I decided I needed to scale back in other ways; I've been living in a really nice 2-bed, 2-bath apartment. I was told in early Spring, that the company that owns the apartments wants to refurbish all the units, and to stay in the one I have, I'd have to move out, let them fix it up, then move back in.
But the whole car thing got me thinking, especially as I was considering the possibility of perhaps having to make car payments as well as then have higher insurance, too. I suddenly realized I no longer wanted a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. It's been nice to have -- the second bathroom was for visitors, leaving me free to have mine in as much of a state of chaos or cleanliness as I wanted, and the second bedroom I used for an office and a meditation area.
As I began to realize, nice is nice, but it's not always necessary.
So yesterday I called the front office and asked how much I'd save if I moved into a 1 bed, 1 bath unit; she told me that it would be $700 a month for a fully refurbished unit. I'm paying $735 right now for an older unit, and with the refurb rent will, for my unit, go up $150. No thanks.
I asked if there was a unit I could see at lunch when I came home, and she said there was. Within three minutes of walking around I was sold. It's in the building across from mine and will face south; I went back today to take pictures (I'll stick in a link at the end of this entry), and ran into the woman whose unit I was shown yesterday (she chose to move out temporarily while hers was redone; it was nice, because her plants and patio furniture got left, so I got a nice visual for what mine will look like), and she said it's also very bright in the Winter. My unit is darkish anyway, even when it's sunny out, as it faces a shady yard. In the Winter it's even worse.
I can't wait. The refurb is absolutely wonderful! They put in:
- Granite countertops
- Stainless steel appliances
- Really nice, new linoleum flooring that looks like stone
- Brand new Berber-like carpet
- Brand new paint
- Totally new recessed lighting in the kitchen (before it was flourescent with plastic sheeting...)
- Brand new low-flow toilet
- Brand new tub
- Brand new sliding glass doors
- Brand new everything possible that could be removed and replaced
- Brand new heating (it used to be electric baseboard coil units; it's still electric, but now they're units with fans)
It's absolutely beautiful.
And here's what I'm most excited about: my bedroom has a sliding glass door that opens onto the terrace! It feels so...so...elegant.
I'll have to do some scaling back, of course, and I'm on the waiting list for a storage space in the apartments (I was told there was none a long time ago. Actually, what that manager said to me was, "Not really."), and I may have to rent a space someplace as my Dad's attic is stuffed more fully than a Thanksgiving Tofurky.
There's actually a decent amount of storage space, and my bedroom has a closet that's about the size of one and half of the ones I already have, plus it has another smaller one with shelving. "You can put your sweaters or other knitwear in here," Susan said.
"Oh," I said. "No -- shoes. Not sweaters -- shoes. Every woman needs a shoe closet!"
She laughed and said, "Yes! Absolutely!"
Honestly, it feels good to be moving into someplace smaller. I was thinking today that, while it doesn't take a lot of time to clean my place now, it can sometimes get tedious.
I may turn my dining area into a little office, and use my meditation corner screen to close it off. Evenutally, I may just shift over completely to a really nice laptop so I can have a dining area. I've inherited hosting Christmas Eve dinner, and I do enjoy doing that; I suppose we could always sit around two card tables in the livingroom or use our laps....
Anyway. Now I'm thinking out loud...er...in cyberspace. Whatever. I'm babbling.
All this transpired in 24 hours, the car and the apartment.
Here are pictures of a unit like what I'll have; this isn't going to be the one I get, but it's enough to show you all what I'll have:
Heather's New Abode
Later, all!
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