Busy Plans

Posted on April 20, 2015 by TJ

EJ is going to be very busy this week. He has to get the earnest money to the realtor, arrange with the mortgage person about our loan, and schedule the property inspection and survey. All this at the end of his busy work days. He says he doesn’t know how people on first shift get things done before everything closes for the day. He much prefers working second shift because he has all morning to get tasks done.

Meanwhile, JJ is trying to find a job. He wants to start getting back into life and earning money. This transition time is difficult because he has to work around his Dad’s hours and weekends home.

While my guys are busy up north, I feel at a standstill in the south. The weather is rainy and very blustery so I can’t work outside. Until the drywall is completed, I can’t paint rooms inside. I have most of the nonessential things in the house packed. I want to wait until closer to our move date to pack any more items. As it is, EJ and JJ often ask me “Do you know where [item] is?” and I keep saying, “It’s packed.” The basement and garage still need to be packed, but I’m not sure what EJ wants done with his stuff, and I’m reluctant to go into the musty basement when I’m still struggling with an infection. I did go do the banking and paid bills…

Although physically I am not busy, mentally I am. I woke in the night excited about moving. I was wondering how to get up north for the closing at the beginning of June. I can take Danny with me, but I can be away for only a couple of days because of the cats. I’m rather nervous about driving to the Emerald City alone because I’ve never driven so many hours at one time and I am severely directionally challenged, which means I can get lost anywhere. It is my super weakness. It will take much courage for me to make the trip. Hopefully VIKI will be helpful. Otherwise I am doomed.

My mind is also filled with how and when to get all the pets up north, the logistics of moving, including change of address, utilities, and so on and so forth.

My faithful reader Lucindalines commented that she’d like to see the inside of the house. The pictures at the real estate site weren’t all that good and didn’t show as much of the interior as I would like to have seen. Here are a few of the better pictures:

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I don’t like the kitchen’s red walls. EJ says that the living room walls are a dark blue, which I don’t like either, so we will paint them. I’ve been on-line looking at paint colors. I love warm neutral colors. However, it’s difficult to know what colors to choose when I don’t really know what the rooms are like. So I guess I will have to wait until I get there to choose colors.

We will also need to replace the carpet. I’d prefer to get laminate flooring because it’s easier to clean up after pets. If possible, I’d like to choose the flooring and have it professionally installed so it’s done quickly and we don’t have to worry about it. I was looking at Lowes’ flooring on the Internet today.

Other than the floors and painting the walls the colors we like, everything is perfect. EJ says it’s a tremendous house.

Despite everything that has to be planned, scheduled, organized, and accomplished, I think it’s really fun to have a fresh start.

I try to image what life will be like in the North country, but it will be totally different from what I’ve ever experienced. I grew up about 30 miles from where we currently live. EJ grew up on a 40 acre farm where any strangers who drove passed their house were lost. I have always lived in a town. My only experience with “country” living was the time I was caring for the cats of some out-of-town friends who live about 15-20 minutes from us. JJ was about 8 or 9 or 10 at the time, and we went to their house (with their permission) intending to spend Halloween night snacking on snack food and watching movies. We got so spooked by the darkness and unfamiliar country sounds that we decided to abandon the idea and go home. EJ and JJ say that in the North, the night is much blacker and we will be much more remote than anything down here. I expect to be scared at first until I get used to it–but I think it’s sort of a excited, shivery fear like hearing scary stories around a campfire.

Mostly I think about all the things to do and see and experience up there.

I’m excited!