Today is Canada Day. The day one of my two countries of citizenship pauses a little to celebrate itself.
It's also Rwandan Independence Day. I learned that a few years back from a dear friend who carries Rwanda in her heart, and I think of it every year.
This is the first July 1 in several years where I haven't been moving. It was always moving day the last several years. This year I'm ensconced at Grandma's. (more on summer in Grandma's basement later today.)
It's odd to not be transitioning today.
Instead, I'm getting a slightly late start, waiting for my sister-in-law, who is coming to potentially borrow some clothes for a wedding, and then giving me a ride to mom and dad's.
I'm not really going to celebrate today. I'm going to study. There are a couple statistics exercises with my name on them. And lots of anatomy to review.
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Lazy, Productive
Sunday mornings at Grandma's house are turning out to be both lazy and productive, especially these days when I don't have a car.
They start lazily, mostly because I tend to stay downstairs, in bed, until I know that Grandma's left for church. It's easier to sleep a bit later than usually for me now that I'm living in the basement, too, since it's dark down here.
And then they get productive, because once she's left, I tend to dive into the necessary housekeeping tasks that I'd rather she not be looking over my shoulder while I accomplish them. Things like my laundry, taking the garbage and recycling out, those sort of things. The kind of things you perhaps do differently at age 80 than at 26.
Later this afternoon I'm attending a gathering of all of the house churches in the network that my house church is a part of. There are speakers from Rwanda today.
But in the meantime, I'm doing laundry, and taking the garbage out, and still working on unpacking the last few boxes. The boxes that are left are ones that need to be sorted through, things eliminated, the rest likely stored. That, and I need to put my scrapbooking supplies onto their shelves, and set up my table with a place to sit and work on those projects.
They start lazily, mostly because I tend to stay downstairs, in bed, until I know that Grandma's left for church. It's easier to sleep a bit later than usually for me now that I'm living in the basement, too, since it's dark down here.
And then they get productive, because once she's left, I tend to dive into the necessary housekeeping tasks that I'd rather she not be looking over my shoulder while I accomplish them. Things like my laundry, taking the garbage and recycling out, those sort of things. The kind of things you perhaps do differently at age 80 than at 26.
Later this afternoon I'm attending a gathering of all of the house churches in the network that my house church is a part of. There are speakers from Rwanda today.
But in the meantime, I'm doing laundry, and taking the garbage out, and still working on unpacking the last few boxes. The boxes that are left are ones that need to be sorted through, things eliminated, the rest likely stored. That, and I need to put my scrapbooking supplies onto their shelves, and set up my table with a place to sit and work on those projects.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 207
Today's Daily 5:
- This quote from Richard Rohr that I posted earlier. Remember the good things even more strongly than the bad, but learn from both. That's kind of the goal, really, of the daily 5 - to re-shape thought to remember the good more strongly than the bad, to celebrate it, and not let my life be only shape by the lessons learned in the bad times.
- Shake the Dust. I've been listening to it over and over today as I moved around my space, accomplishing things. Somehow that same message - to live again. It's one I'm clinging to right now.
- Toaster waffles for breakfast. With butter and pancake syrup.
- Went for a walk by myself in the sun today. Yes, it was down city streets, to pick up some lunch, but it was a walk, alone, in the sun.
- It was a better day as far as coping with "life at Grandma's" goes
- Banana cream pie
- Freshly washed sheets and pajamas
- Got a lot of unpacking done. The room almost looks homey now.
- Playing some random online games for a while
- DVDs or online TV playing as I sorted and unpacked and cleaned.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Everything. And the Bathroom Door.
The auditors are at the office this week. Asking for paperwork, working quietly through loads of numbers. I had my first visit from them this morning, requesting information from employee files and payroll files.
Last night at Grandma's went a tiny bit more smoothly. She only came downstairs once. She didn't get up to chatter at me every time I slipped upstairs. It gave me just a little bit of hope that this will somehow work out. That we'll find some sort of happy medium.
In the quiet that she left me to, I sorted and unpacked. I think the unpacking will actually go quite quickly this time, because many of the boxes that remain will not need to be unpacked. My books and dvd's are on shelves, most of the furniture that will go in my bedroom/living room area is now there. What remains, I think, will be to sort the leftover piles into two - things that stay packed, and things that need to be given a home. And then comes the decision making process of where to house the things that need a home.
Best of all, I got a text message yesterday afternoon from my brother J. It read something to the effect of: "I put up a bathroom door for you, and even rigged up a latch." That news made my day. The little toilet and sink in the basement have their own room, but it's a room inside of the laundry room, and next to Grandma's large freezer. Anytime I used it during the day, I did so with the fear that my grandma would make one of her many appearances, looking for me, while I was sitting on the throne. Now, at least I don't have to worry about that!
And with that, I'm off to do paperwork. There's lots to be tackled today.
Last night at Grandma's went a tiny bit more smoothly. She only came downstairs once. She didn't get up to chatter at me every time I slipped upstairs. It gave me just a little bit of hope that this will somehow work out. That we'll find some sort of happy medium.
In the quiet that she left me to, I sorted and unpacked. I think the unpacking will actually go quite quickly this time, because many of the boxes that remain will not need to be unpacked. My books and dvd's are on shelves, most of the furniture that will go in my bedroom/living room area is now there. What remains, I think, will be to sort the leftover piles into two - things that stay packed, and things that need to be given a home. And then comes the decision making process of where to house the things that need a home.
Best of all, I got a text message yesterday afternoon from my brother J. It read something to the effect of: "I put up a bathroom door for you, and even rigged up a latch." That news made my day. The little toilet and sink in the basement have their own room, but it's a room inside of the laundry room, and next to Grandma's large freezer. Anytime I used it during the day, I did so with the fear that my grandma would make one of her many appearances, looking for me, while I was sitting on the throne. Now, at least I don't have to worry about that!
And with that, I'm off to do paperwork. There's lots to be tackled today.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 202
Today's Daily 5:
- Grateful that the bus was late, meaning I made a connection tonight, instead of having to stand in the cold for 25 minutes waiting for the next bus.
- My books are now all on shelves in my new space. It's still a mess, but getting the books (and dvds actually) unpacked is a huge step in the right direction.
- Did yoga for the first time since the car accident. Didn't do the whole routine yet, but it was so good to be back to doing it.
- A somewhat smoother evening tonight with Grandma.
- Made good progress on my to do list for tonight.
- Caught up on "The Amazing Race" - it's got to be the only reality show I'll watch. Loving that the two cowboys that everybody thought were going to be stupid have finished first two weeks in a row.
- Plans have come together for the next couple evenings that will let me be with friends, give me a break from unpacking, and a break from the ongoing Grandma saga.
- Loving the audio book I'm listening to right now on the commute home in the afternoon.
- Catching up on Grey's Anatomy tonight too. I'd forgotten a little just how much that show is the thing I watch to just chill out a bit.
- had a hamburger for supper. Maybe it's weird, but I love the way the ketchup and mayo combine and the taste they make together. My brothers would say that the mayo thing is our American side - it's not very common in Canada - but I love it!
Monday, March 01, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 199, 200, 201
Day 199 (Saturday - Moving Day)
- Made it through moving day without puking. (This may not seem like a big deal, but my anxiety issues tend to effect my stomach, and this is definitely the first move without any puking at some point during the day.)
- Thankful for the help of family and friends with moving and cleaning.
- Thankful that it only took one load to move the last of my belongings.
- Thankful that our old landlord was immediately available and the walkthrough went quickly and smoothly
- Thankful that God is leading to new places, even in this space of not yet understanding, and still grieving the old spaces.
- Thankful that in the mess of boxes and bags tonight, I was able to find the Almond Joy bars that LP/CA sent me, and have that much desired treat after a very emotionally draining day.
- Glad that at least some of my furniture is in place. There's something comforting about that tiny little bit of familiarity.
- Enjoyed watching the men's gold medal curling match with my family. Especially since Canada won and it was even a team from Alberta!
- Really incredibly proud of the way I handled this move. So thankful for the growth I see in myself in terms of handling the anxiety of this transition.
- Really glad that I can just kind of take it easy tomorrow. Do some unpacking. Hang with my family a bit, and hopefully just rest.
- Got my clothes pretty much unpacked and went through the stuff L. left with me.
- A hamburger and a bunch of green grapes for supper - love my George Foreman grill.
- Did a few errands on my own by bus.
- Pizza for lunch at mom and dad's - hanging out, watching the gold medal hockey game, and resting a little.
- Finding a plaque in the stuff L. left for me of the verse in Romans that talks about being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Struck by it since that verse hit me so hard earlier this year, but also because it seemed to speak rather directly to the struggles of the day and this new situation.
- The internet is finally (three days late, and three phone calls to Telus later) hooked up at home!
- Got most of my food stuff unpacked and sorted out tonight.
- 90% of my books are out of their boxes and on shelves.
- Managed to get a load of laundry done, despite some interesting drainage issues that required an emergency call to the city sewer people, and a visit from a city repair crew.
- Did I mention that I'm back online and feel a little less isolated in this crazy new situation I find myself in because of that?
Making Lists
I'm really hoping that Telus has finally come through, and I'll arrive home to discover that my internet is finally working. If it isn't, well, a large portion of my "to do's" for tonight aren't going to happen.
One of the list items for sometime in the next 24 hours is to write a polite but unhappy letter to Telus' customer service department, letting them know just how displeased I am that they have botched the move of my services three times in a row now.
I've been making both acutal and mental lists all day. Sorting out in my head how I'm going to attack the task of unpacking and turn the chaos into a space that is "home" for this next season.
And mentally figuring out ways to minimize the trips I need to make upstairs into Grandma's territory. Because each time I trekked up the stairs last night - to cook, to shower, to wash my dishes, to fill my water bottle - necessitated an appearance from her, and a short chat. It's the sort of thing that can underscore the "this isn't my house" feeling that was so strong yesterday morning. So I'll keep my food mostly downstairs, just carrying up what I need for the evening.
And, in the meantime, tonight I'm going to try and arrange my food in the spot where it's going to be stored. And maybe unbox my books, spread them across the floor, for reorganizing onto my shelves. And I'll be thankful for the one little corner of the room where order has mostly been created, that feels like "my" space - like home.
If the internet is up and running, you can expect to see three daily 5 posts later tonight. If not, well, I'll keep making them in my journal, and when the internet is up and running at home again, they'll finally appear.
One of the list items for sometime in the next 24 hours is to write a polite but unhappy letter to Telus' customer service department, letting them know just how displeased I am that they have botched the move of my services three times in a row now.
I've been making both acutal and mental lists all day. Sorting out in my head how I'm going to attack the task of unpacking and turn the chaos into a space that is "home" for this next season.
And mentally figuring out ways to minimize the trips I need to make upstairs into Grandma's territory. Because each time I trekked up the stairs last night - to cook, to shower, to wash my dishes, to fill my water bottle - necessitated an appearance from her, and a short chat. It's the sort of thing that can underscore the "this isn't my house" feeling that was so strong yesterday morning. So I'll keep my food mostly downstairs, just carrying up what I need for the evening.
And, in the meantime, tonight I'm going to try and arrange my food in the spot where it's going to be stored. And maybe unbox my books, spread them across the floor, for reorganizing onto my shelves. And I'll be thankful for the one little corner of the room where order has mostly been created, that feels like "my" space - like home.
If the internet is up and running, you can expect to see three daily 5 posts later tonight. If not, well, I'll keep making them in my journal, and when the internet is up and running at home again, they'll finally appear.
It's Quite the Experience
Last night I admitted to myself that I was feeling a little bit like a failure for moving into my Grandma's basement. Because, at 26 years old, who really wants to reply, when asked where they live, "I live with my Grandma." Especially after nearly 4 years of living on my own.
Yes, it's financially a great option. No, with my current state of finances, I couldn't really swing an apartment on my own. Yes, I was quite certain that for this next season, it seemed to be the option that Jesus led me to. The door that opened in front of me.
But it's hard.
Quite the experience really.
I said "no" more times yesterday than I probably have in the last week. No, I don't want you to do my laundry. No, I don't want you to cook for me. No, I don't want to eat upstairs, I'm going to watch a movie on my laptop while I eat. No, I don't eat breakfast in the morning before I leave for work (I eat it after work.) No, I don't want you to drive me to all of my errands. (For that last one, it's really a case of, I don't want her with me while doing all of my errands.) No, I don't particularly like red grapes, or eat much white bread.
And then there's the scheduling things. I'm sort of afraid this is going to turn into one of those situations where I have to report my wherabouts at all times. At 26 years old, I'm not planning to make those phone calls that I made when I was 12. I don't actually know what time I'll be home after work. It depends on if I decide to do some errands. Later this week, I won't be home until late in the evening, I'm meeting L. for a final evening together - dinner and a movie and just some time together before she leaves the country. On Thursday nights I come home, but then I go right back out.
Sigh.
It's quite the experience living with your chatty, nosy, eighty year old grandmother when you're already an independent adult. Especially an independent adult who places a huge degree of value on both independence and privacy.
And I haven't even mentioned all the quirks of the less than well maintained house. The toilet that sometimes runs, so you have to watch it and push this thing inside down to make it stop. The floor drain that starts to back up while doing the laundry, so you need to watch that too (guess my days of throwing a load of sheets into the washer before work and into the dryer when I get home are over.) The basement bathroom that doesn't have a shower at the moment, only a sink and toilet, but makes me nervous every time I go to use it, because it doesn't have a door at the moment either (hopefully my dad is going to rectify that this week sometime.) The furnace that comes on and goes off every twenty minutes or so with a bang that sounds like someone dropping several metal cookie sheets loudly on the floor.
I'm so looking forward to the date in April by which time I'll again have a car.
I can taste the freedom that that will give.
In the meantime, it's only a few days old, but it's already quite the experience.
Yes, it's financially a great option. No, with my current state of finances, I couldn't really swing an apartment on my own. Yes, I was quite certain that for this next season, it seemed to be the option that Jesus led me to. The door that opened in front of me.
But it's hard.
Quite the experience really.
I said "no" more times yesterday than I probably have in the last week. No, I don't want you to do my laundry. No, I don't want you to cook for me. No, I don't want to eat upstairs, I'm going to watch a movie on my laptop while I eat. No, I don't eat breakfast in the morning before I leave for work (I eat it after work.) No, I don't want you to drive me to all of my errands. (For that last one, it's really a case of, I don't want her with me while doing all of my errands.) No, I don't particularly like red grapes, or eat much white bread.
And then there's the scheduling things. I'm sort of afraid this is going to turn into one of those situations where I have to report my wherabouts at all times. At 26 years old, I'm not planning to make those phone calls that I made when I was 12. I don't actually know what time I'll be home after work. It depends on if I decide to do some errands. Later this week, I won't be home until late in the evening, I'm meeting L. for a final evening together - dinner and a movie and just some time together before she leaves the country. On Thursday nights I come home, but then I go right back out.
Sigh.
It's quite the experience living with your chatty, nosy, eighty year old grandmother when you're already an independent adult. Especially an independent adult who places a huge degree of value on both independence and privacy.
And I haven't even mentioned all the quirks of the less than well maintained house. The toilet that sometimes runs, so you have to watch it and push this thing inside down to make it stop. The floor drain that starts to back up while doing the laundry, so you need to watch that too (guess my days of throwing a load of sheets into the washer before work and into the dryer when I get home are over.) The basement bathroom that doesn't have a shower at the moment, only a sink and toilet, but makes me nervous every time I go to use it, because it doesn't have a door at the moment either (hopefully my dad is going to rectify that this week sometime.) The furnace that comes on and goes off every twenty minutes or so with a bang that sounds like someone dropping several metal cookie sheets loudly on the floor.
I'm so looking forward to the date in April by which time I'll again have a car.
I can taste the freedom that that will give.
In the meantime, it's only a few days old, but it's already quite the experience.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Please Don't Ask
The actual move itself went very smoothly. Very smoothly. I was so thankful for the help of family and friends who made it such a smooth process.
The transition isn't feeling quite so smooth right now.
My internet wasn't properly connected. Supposedly it'll be working by late Monday night. The phone company that is my internet supplier assures me that it's very rare that these kind of problems happen. Tell that to someone who hasn't had them botch the move of services for three consecutive moves now.
So, I'm borrowing my brother's laptop, and using the internet for a bit at mom and dad's house this afternoon.
Sleep was a pretty fleeting thing last night. It usually is in a new place, but I've been having sleep issues all week again, and a new place with new noises just made it worse. The trouble is, that as a rough sleep week drags on, the nightmares sometimes come. Last night was like that. I woke about every 20-30 minutes all night, and then capped it off with a nightmare in the early hours of the morning, just before finally waking.
Right now I'm honestly wondering if living at this new place will ever feel like it's my home, or if I'll always feel like a guest there. And I'm wondering how it will work, living with Grandma. Every trip upstairs last night - to use the shower, to get a glass of water, necessitated a ten minute conversation. I've lived there less than twenty-four hours and I'm already feeling like I want to just hide in the basement. I actually deliberately waited to go upstairs this morning until I was certain that she'd left for church, just because, after a rough night, I wasn't feeling up to her questions and chatter. I left her house this morning before she was home from church for sort of the same reason.
On the plus side, I did manage to get my clothes at least sorted out this morning. I know where most of them are, and my basic toiletry items. So I should be set for the return to work tomorrow. That, at least is encouraging.
My grandma has apparently told everyone I know about her great excitement that I will be living with her now, and I'm running out of polite and respectful ways to deflect their questions about that when I run into the same people.
Today I'm definitely at, "Please don't ask."
The transition isn't feeling quite so smooth right now.
My internet wasn't properly connected. Supposedly it'll be working by late Monday night. The phone company that is my internet supplier assures me that it's very rare that these kind of problems happen. Tell that to someone who hasn't had them botch the move of services for three consecutive moves now.
So, I'm borrowing my brother's laptop, and using the internet for a bit at mom and dad's house this afternoon.
Sleep was a pretty fleeting thing last night. It usually is in a new place, but I've been having sleep issues all week again, and a new place with new noises just made it worse. The trouble is, that as a rough sleep week drags on, the nightmares sometimes come. Last night was like that. I woke about every 20-30 minutes all night, and then capped it off with a nightmare in the early hours of the morning, just before finally waking.
Right now I'm honestly wondering if living at this new place will ever feel like it's my home, or if I'll always feel like a guest there. And I'm wondering how it will work, living with Grandma. Every trip upstairs last night - to use the shower, to get a glass of water, necessitated a ten minute conversation. I've lived there less than twenty-four hours and I'm already feeling like I want to just hide in the basement. I actually deliberately waited to go upstairs this morning until I was certain that she'd left for church, just because, after a rough night, I wasn't feeling up to her questions and chatter. I left her house this morning before she was home from church for sort of the same reason.
On the plus side, I did manage to get my clothes at least sorted out this morning. I know where most of them are, and my basic toiletry items. So I should be set for the return to work tomorrow. That, at least is encouraging.
My grandma has apparently told everyone I know about her great excitement that I will be living with her now, and I'm running out of polite and respectful ways to deflect their questions about that when I run into the same people.
Today I'm definitely at, "Please don't ask."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 198
Today's Daily 5:
- This is probably going to sound strange to some of you, but the absolute highlight of my day was getting behind the wheel of my grandma's truck a little while ago, and driving it from her house to my apartment. But not because I was driving her truck. It's because I drove, at night, for the first time since my accident. And I was alone while doing it. And it was pretty much as panickyn as I'd been thinking it might be. And I drove all the side streets to make it home. But I'm really proud of myself for managing to do that tonight.
- Feeling actually really good about how this move is coming together.
- So grateful for being allowed to take the afternoon off and the time it allowed me tonight to just rest.
- Thankful for the family members who have been so helpful in making this move smooth.
- Thinking about the fact that this is the last night in this apartment, and grateful for the seven months we lived here. After two really brutal years, the last seven months in this place have been a time where I've finally seen healing begin to happen, and for that time I'm so incredibly grateful.
At Rest
At some point in the coming days, I want to write a bit about the process of this move, how it was that I've decided to live in my Grandma's basement at nearly 27 years of age. I want to talk about the very unique challenges that this move is creating in me.
But for tonight, I'm trying to rest. I have to go out one more time, a bit later, to pick up my grandma's truck so that it's at my house and ready to be loaded when the people who are helping me move arrive in the morning.
About half way through the morning today I realize that I was pretty much useless at the office thanks to my distraction and fairly high stress level. After a quick chat with my boss I'd gained permission to take a half a personal day on incredibly short notice. That meant that the load of stuff I was supposed to move tonight was moved this afternoon, and then I was able to come home, move quickly through the vast majority of what remained for packing tasks, do a few little cleaning things, and now I can rest.
I don't think I can quite express how grateful I am right now for my boss' flexibility this morning. It's an invaluable thing to me to be able to rest and sit quietly for a bit tonight, reflecting a little, praying a little, and just breathing.
If you've been around this blog through the last three moves, you know that my struggle with panic tends to greatly intensify in times of massive change - and particular when I'm moving. I've been so grateful to see a degree of healing in that this time. Yes, the panic is still lurking close by, but thanks to the help fo friends and family, I think tomorrow will actually be a fairly quick, one, maybe two load process, followed by some cleaning. My thoughts aren't in overdrive right now (though I am conciously stopping myself from moving, and forcing myself to take advantage of the opportunity to rest.). The very lack of thought overdrive is a total blessing, and an answer to prayer.
So, for the moment I'm resting, and thankful.
But for tonight, I'm trying to rest. I have to go out one more time, a bit later, to pick up my grandma's truck so that it's at my house and ready to be loaded when the people who are helping me move arrive in the morning.
About half way through the morning today I realize that I was pretty much useless at the office thanks to my distraction and fairly high stress level. After a quick chat with my boss I'd gained permission to take a half a personal day on incredibly short notice. That meant that the load of stuff I was supposed to move tonight was moved this afternoon, and then I was able to come home, move quickly through the vast majority of what remained for packing tasks, do a few little cleaning things, and now I can rest.
I don't think I can quite express how grateful I am right now for my boss' flexibility this morning. It's an invaluable thing to me to be able to rest and sit quietly for a bit tonight, reflecting a little, praying a little, and just breathing.
If you've been around this blog through the last three moves, you know that my struggle with panic tends to greatly intensify in times of massive change - and particular when I'm moving. I've been so grateful to see a degree of healing in that this time. Yes, the panic is still lurking close by, but thanks to the help fo friends and family, I think tomorrow will actually be a fairly quick, one, maybe two load process, followed by some cleaning. My thoughts aren't in overdrive right now (though I am conciously stopping myself from moving, and forcing myself to take advantage of the opportunity to rest.). The very lack of thought overdrive is a total blessing, and an answer to prayer.
So, for the moment I'm resting, and thankful.
Spinning
Are you sick of hearing about the process of this move yet? In case you can't tell, it's sort of consuming my life at the moment.
My thoughts are running and spinning a thousand miles a minute. Keeping me awake at night, not letting me focus.
Constant mental lists.
The "Oh! I've got to do that too!" moments.
Somehow, it'll all get done.
In the meantime, once I leave work today, I think blogging will be pretty scarce for the next few days. I've got a few posts scheduled to go live (at least one a day). I'm hoping the internet connection move goes smoothly this time, and that I'll be back to blogging my regular daily 5 list tomorrow night, only from Grandma's this time. But I'm not all that confident it'll be as smooth as all that. So. I'll see you when I see you!
My thoughts are running and spinning a thousand miles a minute. Keeping me awake at night, not letting me focus.
Constant mental lists.
The "Oh! I've got to do that too!" moments.
Somehow, it'll all get done.
In the meantime, once I leave work today, I think blogging will be pretty scarce for the next few days. I've got a few posts scheduled to go live (at least one a day). I'm hoping the internet connection move goes smoothly this time, and that I'll be back to blogging my regular daily 5 list tomorrow night, only from Grandma's this time. But I'm not all that confident it'll be as smooth as all that. So. I'll see you when I see you!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 197
Today's Daily 5:
- With help from my roommate, the majority of our kitchen is now packed. Just a few cupboards and a shelf with foodstuffs left to go.
- My bedroom is also now 95% packed.
- Reworked my budget (slight change in paycheque, plus changes in rent amounts) and am very happy with the numbers
- Managed to pull off about an hour of quieter time tonight too.
- Loved watching Joannie Rochette skate for a bronze medal tonight, especially knowing that her mom passed away very suddenly early this week.
Stirred Thoughts
My thoughts are rapidly reaching that stirred up level that seems to come when I move. That "won't slow down, can't slow down, even if I don't really need to be in a panic about this" level.
This move is by far the most under control that any of them have been, and I'm still feeling that panicking. I'm hoping tonight will alleviate that.
Tonight is the big push. I told my roommate that she needed to help me with the packing of the kitchen, as, even though I'm the official owner of most of the stuff in there, she has used it as much or more than me. So tonight we'll pack up all but a very few kitchen essentials. I'll also pack up my bathroom "stuff" (that drawerfull of products that get used occasionally), and a few last things in my bedroom. I'm hoping that I can move one more load of stuff tomorrow evening after work, before the final move on Saturday, where all the furniture will go with me, and I'll then return to the apartment, and clean it out, before heading to Grandma's to begin the sorting and unpacking process.
I'm actually hoping to purge and pare down a bit as I pack the kitchen tonight too. One of my "green" or "healthier living" goals is to slowly switch all of my plastic food storage to glass. I'm going to put all of the plastic containers that aren't higher quality in the recycling, and keep only the ones I've regularly used. Since I'm moving in with grandma, and won't need most of my kitchen goods for quite a few months (with the exception of a few things that I know Grandma doesn't have), I'm going to pack thoughtfully, purge the things I really don't use (or at least set them aside in a box to go to a thrift shop post move).
So, that's tonight. Packing, sorting, purging. Hopefully a trip tomorrow night to move some more stuff, and then the big final push, and some cleaning on Saturday. Ideally, Saturday will only be a couple of trips at most, and will only take a couple of hours. I feel like that's actually an attainable goal this time around.
In the meantime, I'm coveting your prayers. For peace and the ability to rest (sleep was rather fleeting last night in the face of my overactive thoughts). For the move to go smoothly. And for health. I seem to be catching a cold, and, while my shoulder and back had finally been feeling a bit better post accident, I think I've been tensing up while asleep the last few days, and I'm in quite a bit of pain again - not exactly ideal when the next few days are going to involve a lot of bending, lifting, and carrying.
And with that, I'm off to dive into the work "to do" list for the day, before heading home to it's own list of "to do's"!
This move is by far the most under control that any of them have been, and I'm still feeling that panicking. I'm hoping tonight will alleviate that.
Tonight is the big push. I told my roommate that she needed to help me with the packing of the kitchen, as, even though I'm the official owner of most of the stuff in there, she has used it as much or more than me. So tonight we'll pack up all but a very few kitchen essentials. I'll also pack up my bathroom "stuff" (that drawerfull of products that get used occasionally), and a few last things in my bedroom. I'm hoping that I can move one more load of stuff tomorrow evening after work, before the final move on Saturday, where all the furniture will go with me, and I'll then return to the apartment, and clean it out, before heading to Grandma's to begin the sorting and unpacking process.
I'm actually hoping to purge and pare down a bit as I pack the kitchen tonight too. One of my "green" or "healthier living" goals is to slowly switch all of my plastic food storage to glass. I'm going to put all of the plastic containers that aren't higher quality in the recycling, and keep only the ones I've regularly used. Since I'm moving in with grandma, and won't need most of my kitchen goods for quite a few months (with the exception of a few things that I know Grandma doesn't have), I'm going to pack thoughtfully, purge the things I really don't use (or at least set them aside in a box to go to a thrift shop post move).
So, that's tonight. Packing, sorting, purging. Hopefully a trip tomorrow night to move some more stuff, and then the big final push, and some cleaning on Saturday. Ideally, Saturday will only be a couple of trips at most, and will only take a couple of hours. I feel like that's actually an attainable goal this time around.
In the meantime, I'm coveting your prayers. For peace and the ability to rest (sleep was rather fleeting last night in the face of my overactive thoughts). For the move to go smoothly. And for health. I seem to be catching a cold, and, while my shoulder and back had finally been feeling a bit better post accident, I think I've been tensing up while asleep the last few days, and I'm in quite a bit of pain again - not exactly ideal when the next few days are going to involve a lot of bending, lifting, and carrying.
And with that, I'm off to dive into the work "to do" list for the day, before heading home to it's own list of "to do's"!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 196
Today's Daily 5:
- Our receptionist was back in the office. I had a much more productive day than yesterday.
- Gave a bit more furniture and other stuff away to a couple who found us via my roommate's kijiji ad for some of her stuff. The fun part is they're returning missionaries.
- Nachos for supper.
- Quiet evening - probably going to be the last one for a little while now, so it was nice to enjoy it.
- Someone at work had the phone line filters I was going to buy for use at Grandma's house and gave them to me, so I didn't have to buy them.
- Got some reading done.
- Started listening to my new audio book and was delighted to discover that the author is British. Nothing like listening to a well-written true story, read well, in a great accent!
- Have a seemingly workable plan to make the rest of the packing and moving go quickly and smoothly.
- Chocolate
- Great day for Canada in the olympics - A gold, two silvers, and a bronze - and all women at that!
Limbo
I feel like I'm running out of things to say.
This week is kind of like limbo.
Three more nights sleeping in my current apartment. But most of the belongings that made it "home" are already gone. The living room is now very nearly empty after the sale of my couch and loveseat the other night, and our voices echo as we stand near the door, talking in the mornings as we don layers of clothing for the morning commute.
The person I dreamt about who was sick yesterday, is still sick.
I think my friends have welcomed their baby to the world, though I have only the unofficial "facebook" confirmation of that.
Last night I chatted online for a while with a very dear friend. Events in both of our lives mean that our formerly regular communications have been haphazard and spotty for the last several months. Emails most days, but rarely the real-time conversations that we'd consistently shared online or by phone. I don't think I'd realized how much I'd missed chatting with her about all of the stuff big and small, going on in both of our lives. It was so good to talk with her that I very nearly cried. And, we're planning to fit a phone conversation in, sometime in the near future. That something to look forward to is a beautiful thing right now, in the midst of this odd week of limbo.
Tonight there is a bit more to pack. And maybe a little bit of time catching up online with my favorite television shows. I won't need to watch olympic coverage tonight. It will be all about the hockey game. I have a very strong dislike of hockey. It's not the sort of dislike born of not understanding. I was raised around hockey and have a fairly solid understanding of the game. I simply don't like it. (Though, to be fair, I tend to always prefer individual sports over team ones anyway.)
I read this blog post last night, just before sleeping. I found her words to be profound, especially these: "In the midst of my pain and sadness in life, my sarcasm often brews. I usually don't mean what I say, but I say it because it feels good and the wit it takes to concoct something halfway funny and caustic distracts the part of my brain that feels pain. And because I'm sad, I usually don't feel guilty for biting satire." Yes. I am definitely that person too.
This morning I'm just grateful that our receptionist is back in the office. I wasn't relishing the thought of another scattered day like yesterday.
And with that, I'm off to dive into a long list of "to do's".
This week is kind of like limbo.
Three more nights sleeping in my current apartment. But most of the belongings that made it "home" are already gone. The living room is now very nearly empty after the sale of my couch and loveseat the other night, and our voices echo as we stand near the door, talking in the mornings as we don layers of clothing for the morning commute.
The person I dreamt about who was sick yesterday, is still sick.
I think my friends have welcomed their baby to the world, though I have only the unofficial "facebook" confirmation of that.
Last night I chatted online for a while with a very dear friend. Events in both of our lives mean that our formerly regular communications have been haphazard and spotty for the last several months. Emails most days, but rarely the real-time conversations that we'd consistently shared online or by phone. I don't think I'd realized how much I'd missed chatting with her about all of the stuff big and small, going on in both of our lives. It was so good to talk with her that I very nearly cried. And, we're planning to fit a phone conversation in, sometime in the near future. That something to look forward to is a beautiful thing right now, in the midst of this odd week of limbo.
Tonight there is a bit more to pack. And maybe a little bit of time catching up online with my favorite television shows. I won't need to watch olympic coverage tonight. It will be all about the hockey game. I have a very strong dislike of hockey. It's not the sort of dislike born of not understanding. I was raised around hockey and have a fairly solid understanding of the game. I simply don't like it. (Though, to be fair, I tend to always prefer individual sports over team ones anyway.)
I read this blog post last night, just before sleeping. I found her words to be profound, especially these: "In the midst of my pain and sadness in life, my sarcasm often brews. I usually don't mean what I say, but I say it because it feels good and the wit it takes to concoct something halfway funny and caustic distracts the part of my brain that feels pain. And because I'm sad, I usually don't feel guilty for biting satire." Yes. I am definitely that person too.
This morning I'm just grateful that our receptionist is back in the office. I wasn't relishing the thought of another scattered day like yesterday.
And with that, I'm off to dive into a long list of "to do's".
Monday, February 22, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 194
Today's Daily 5:
- Got WAY more than the prescribed 20 minutes of light excercise today. This lack of a car is ensuring that I get the 20 minutes every week day traipsing to and from home and work via walking and various transit vehicles. Today however, I got home from work, changed clothes, settled in to make dinner, and discovered that the chicken I'd planned to cook was rancid. Since I'm not presently the owner of a car, that necessitated another 15 minute walk to the closest grocery store (a fairly expensive high-end, mostly organic shop that I love but never shop at because of price) and another 15 minute walk home after that.
- Sold my couch and loveseat tonight. That was it's own adventure! The girl I expected to sell them to showed up and realized she couldn't fit both in the truck she'd brought. She tried to bargain with me and convince me to sell her only 1 piece. Umm.... No. I phoned another person who had called me about them back, and within an hour, both pieces were gone. Now just waiting and dreaming, and figuring out just exactly what I want, and collecting the money to afford it. At the moment I think I'm leaning towards a double papasan chair/loveseat from Pier 1 Imports. I have a thing for comfy furniture that you just sort of sink into and recline in. I think it's because I'm so short that my feet have never reached the ground on any piece of furniture, so I'm always sitting curled up, or semi prone anyway.
- The dinner I cooked, despite some hitches in ingredients (not only the chicken, but the cupboards are getting a little bare as we attempt to minimize what I have to move) turned out quite well.
- Loved watching Virtue and Moir win the gold medal in the ice dance tonight. I'm not excessively patriotic, but there's something about hearing that anthem play and seeing the smiles on the athletes faces that gets me every time.
- Tomorrow will be exactly 4 months until the U2 concert I have tickets to!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 193
Today's Daily 5:
- Getting some interest in the couch and loveseat that I'm selling on kijiji. However, one of the responses was laughable - I'm selling both pieces for a total of $20, and the ad clearly says that I live in Calgary. I received an email today wondering if the furniture was still available, and would I be able to deliver it to a small town about an hour and a half away. Umm... No. I won't be making a three hour round trip to deliver furniture that I'm only charging a total of $20 for. The selling price would barely cover the cost of the trip, never mind my time!
- Baked another new recipe today - the second one for this month. Didn't think I was going to fit two in this month with the busyness of moving, but I did, and that left me with a great feeling of satisfaction. Plus, the Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies that I made taste pretty good too.
- Got a refund without question this morning for the water bottle I purchased in January that was recalled because of breakage issues. Since I returned one for that issue before it became a common one, and had another one break since, I was delighted to get a refund without any trouble.
- Did some research into smart phones today while I was at the mall. I'm thinking that my next phone is going to be an iphone. Any opinions out there? Or thoughts on how large a data plan I'd be likely to need?
- Got caught up on my Lenten readings.
- Painted my fingernails and toenails
- Did some filing I've been ignoring (needed to finally do it before the move so that stuff didn't get lost because there were some pretty important papers in the pile - stuff I'll need to file my taxes soon.)
- Read a couple more chapters in the book I'm working on for reviewing herre.
- lounged and watched olympics while working on some of the aforementioned tasks
- Had a great snack lunch today - love hummus and laughing cow cheese and blueberries and melba toast. So tasty and simple.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Daily 5 - Day 192
Today's Daily 5:
- Got a big load of stuff (including all my books) moved to Grandma's house this morning thanks to help from my dad.
- Choosing to be a bit honest as I continue to explore how I'm feeling about this transition of moving
- Cooked dinner for mom, dad, T & L, and my aunt tonight. It's fun to cook for others, and it's nice when the meal wins rave reviews.
- Got a treatment from mom and my aunt - hopefully that'll help with the soreness a bit.
- First iced passion tea lemonade from starbucks since they switched to whole leaf tea. I tried the new version of hot passion tea a while back and definitely didn't like it - plus the price went up quite a bit. But, I was very pleasantly surprised today to discover that the iced passion tea lemonade still tastes the same!
- Laughed with my dad as I discovered the the starbucks abbreviation for my aforementioned drink of choice, scribbled on the cup in sharpie is "PTL" - that made me laugh. Such a bad, inside, "christiany" joke, but it did make me smile.
- Watched the end of the Canadian men's curling match with Great Britain tonight - love that Canada is still undefeated. Plus, I really like watching curling.
- Also saw the medal ceremony for the Canadian who won gold last night in the skeleton. I'm so not very patriotic at all, but every time I see a Canadian athlete on that podium, excited to receive that medal, and hear our anthem play, I totally want to cry.
- Enjoyed an Almond Joy bar tonight. I've been savoring some that were sent to me as a gift, and tonight it hit the spot just perfectly. Thanks LP/CA!
- Got caught up on the Lenten reading I'd fallen a bit behind on.
Moving Again
I managed to pack almost all of my books last night. The only ones left unpacked are the ones I'll be using in the next week or so.
My dad is coming in about 45 minutes to help me move another large load to Grandma's house.
Then I'll be taking my laptop to my parent's house, and working on a bunch of stuff that needs to be accomplished there, while watching olympics today on their big screen television.
And then they're cashing in on part of their Christmas gift, and I'm making dinner there tonight.
So today is about moving again, and all the sundry details of life.
I'll be glad for a day spent crashed on the couch working quietly (post moving of course). My body is still really sore. It'll be nice to sit and rest a little.
My dad is coming in about 45 minutes to help me move another large load to Grandma's house.
Then I'll be taking my laptop to my parent's house, and working on a bunch of stuff that needs to be accomplished there, while watching olympics today on their big screen television.
And then they're cashing in on part of their Christmas gift, and I'm making dinner there tonight.
So today is about moving again, and all the sundry details of life.
I'll be glad for a day spent crashed on the couch working quietly (post moving of course). My body is still really sore. It'll be nice to sit and rest a little.
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