Chaos

Just when I had the basement organized and the garage cleaned out we now have boxes piled up and chaos about the house.

:::just breath:::

I'm trying.

Luckily the weather is nice. I can go outside...take a deep breath.

The basement walls have been sealed and the framing has started. Caitlin packed most of the boxes and helped seal the walls. Rick and his Dad were here to start the framing.

Rick took a lunch break for a bit and sat with Caitlin and chatted together. I have to admit it - it was sweet to watch them together. Talking...bickering a little. They are good for each other.

This makes this transition easier.

It's still an adjustment and this is just the beginning. They haven't moved in yet.

Stay tuned!

Basement project - part 1

We have begun the process of clearing out the basement so that we can convert it into an apartment for Caitlin and Rick.

It seems just a few months ago I was cleaning it to make it into my office/art space.

I worked on packing up my desk and throwing away a lot of junk. Margie organized her books and then Caitlin and Rick moved my desk and some other pieces of furniture up into her bedroom which will now become my office and our exercise room.

They got a lot done, I was surprised. Caitlin was running on the rush of the experience, Rick was just doing what he was told. (She is training him well!) Today I will clear out some more of my things and dismantle the fish tank. We are down to 1tetra. He's a survivor. He's been around for 4 years. He and his little buddy who I found floating in the tank last week, have chased/eaten any other fish we tried to introduce into that tank. I think I am going to add him to the rain barrels and see how he does. The temperature is warm enough to sustain a tropical fish and there will be lots of little mosquito larvae for him to eat.

Good luck little buddy. Thank you for many hours of lazily watching you swim back and forth in your little glass home.

For now I'm off to walk the dogs and then give them a bath. They really stink.

Just float

Breathe deep....inhale.........exhale.

Changes are good - they rattle you up. Take you out of your comfort zone and give you a new challenge to tackle.

Most of the time I will agree with that theory because I don't like to get settled into one thing for too long. Restlessness settles in.

During my unfortunate unemployment I've been trying to "mix it up a bit" by taking on different tasks that have needed to be done around the house. There are some projects that made me think "outside of the box" which was both wonderful and sometimes frustrating.

It's kept my mind from going to mush.

Recently I registered at a temp agency. Just for work. ANY kind of work. Something that will put me back in touch with the human species again.

The agency tests you on your office skills. You have 3 timed test for Microsoft Word, Excel and basic typing.

According to them - my skills with Word and Excel were "above average" for that office.

It was a nice little boast to the self esteem!

Then there was the typing test.

Typing - only 44 WPM!

I used to be at 60 WPM!!!

DANG!!!

Never mind - I'm just rusty. It will flow again once I can exercise my skills again.

Hmmmmmm....

I had an interview last week. It was up in Cambridge, MA. I hopped on a train in Trenton, NJ and it took me 5 hours to get there. The interview was about 2 hours and then 5 hours to get home.

Loooooong freakin' day.

I felt really good afterwards though and I'm crossing every body part that can be crossed that this is THE one.

The downside to the position is that I would have to drive to Somerset, NJ.

It's only 43 miles, compared to the 80 miles to Philly but it is 43 miles of NJ rage road driving it's kill or be killed traffic. The two major roads that I would be on: The Garden State Parkway (aka Garden State Parking lot) and 287 are infamous for traffic jams, aggressive drivers and speed traps.

I hate traffic. That is one of the few times in my life where anxiety gets the better of me.

But...I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't even have an offer yet.

Roommates.

We're getting 2!

I guess it's really only 1.

Daughter Caitlin and her boyfriend Rick are moving in.

I thought this would never happen.

Well...let me re-phrase that - I kind of hoped it wouldn't happen.

Is that terrible?

Nah, I don't think it's so terrible really.

Caitlin is 21. She's employed full time and goes to college part time. I had thought she was the independent one.

She has known Rick since High School. They've had this friendship/relationship thing going on and off for a few years now. Always more on the friendship side. Now they've been together for over 6 months.

Rick lives with his Dad and Step-Mom. Caitlin has been "living" there for a while now. We see her about once or twice a week maybe. The only time she comes home is to do laundry and hang out with me for a little bit and then she is gone again.

Silly me mentioned that they should just "fix up the basement and move in here" one time and "snap" that was all they needed!

(I need a censor for these things sometimes)

Before the economy tanked and I lost my job, Margie and I had dreams of buying that ol' farm house and raising Alpacas.

We've put that dream on the side burner now that I am unemployed and the housing market sucks the big one. We think in a year or two we can start looking again. I need a job and we need to make sure we can make enough on this house that we can use as equity on a new home. Otherwise what is the point?

Soooooooooooooo...Caitlin asked me when did we think we would move. I said, "Oh, probably not for a year to two."

Caitlin: "So, do you think Rick and I can finish off the basement and live there for a while and save up for our own place then?"

GULP!!!

So...here we are.

Caitlin and Rick are making plans for framing out and installing a drop ceiling into the basement and Margie and I are just in this weird moment of WTF?

Please - don't get me wrong. As far as "room mates" are concerned. I think they will be fantastic. BUT - as far as our vision for the immediate future...it has been sidelined.

I was getting used to the quiet.

The uninterrupted times when I could just chill. Margie could watch her baseball games or study and I could either sit on the back deck and watch the stars or read or futz around on the computer.

In the quiet.

Maybe a few interruptions by the dogs...but basically quiet.

Inhale........exhale.

Just float.