Sitting room

Thanksgiving was good. Wednesday we did things around the house. We drove up Thursday morning and came back Saturday morning. Saturday we finally found a place with decent fireplace stuff and we got a hearth rug, a thing to hold wood indoors, and a tool set.

When we put it in front of the fireplace, it looked so nice and cozy! This lead to much pondering about what to do with the space. It could easily be an eat-in kitchen with just a table. But it was labeled as a "sitting room" on the real estate listing, and now we see why perhaps that was the case. It would be nice with some seating and a TV and a lamp, especially in the winter when we'd like to sit in front of the fireplace all night. But then where do we eat? Maybe a high table or island/counter to separate it more from the kitchen?


These photos from before we move in illustrate the space (currently the part in front of the fireplace has a card table and canvas folding chairs).

We are still pondering, but the fun thing about being fiscally conservative is that every new thing makes the house look more like a real person house and brings great enjoyment little by little!

Thanksgiving!

My vacation started yesterday -- the only reason I went in Monday was to give a lecture. Today Joey is also at home (although not at the moment... he's gone to get a haircut with the groupon I bought him), and we're just doing stuff around the house. We contemplated going up to the Jerz today, but there's plenty to do around here and driving up tomorrow morning will be easier. This morning there would have been commuter traffic along with travel traffic and we would have had to have left very early. Last year we left at 4am or so Thursday morning, and there was no traffic at all. We might allow an hour or two more sleep this year because I think things are fine until the afternoon when people are making shorter trips for dinner.

Pretty much every retailer who sends me emails or fliers has deemed that tomorrow is a good day to be open. I predict in the next 5 years that stores will be open 24 hours starting on Wednesday on through the weekend. We'll probably hit the outlets Friday night for a few clothes, but other than that we're staying away. Although I do have to go to bridesmaid dress fitting sometime Friday in Pennsylvania. Thrills.

We'll probably come back Saturday, maybe at night. It's nice to be able to have a day at home before a big day at work on Monday.

I'm looking out my office window into the backyard, our backyard, of the house we live in together. This year I decided what I wanted and went out and got it despite all the anxieties it provoked (and provokes still). It's good to be young. It's good to eat at a card table in captain's chairs until we figure out what we want and have the money saved. It's good to take a leap. It's good to be together.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I said, how about this too, and they said yes, and I said yes.

Three weeks of discomfort, two weeks of vacation, a new year with new things.

Not yet

I said, I don't think I can, and they said, maybe this? And I say, hmmm, maybe.

Either way, I'm taking most of this week off to not think much about anything.

Shifts

Thursday the plumber came. He said that the leak is coming through the tile, and it seems like maybe the whole shower will need to be ripped out just to figure out where the water is coming from. It's a huge pain, but I guess that's why we save our money so these things are easily paid for (although still painful). Now we just need to find someone to deal with the shower, and we are using the other one. It's like moving all over again to use a shower we never use.

Thursday I got a paper accepted. I got phone call about people liking me, but the people are far away. I went to work Friday. I took off yesterday. I visited the people, but they are too far away to visit regularly. Transit is meant to move people from the suburbs to downtown and back, not from suburb to suburb. That task is left to the roads, which are parking lots.

On my way home I stopped at Metro Center (Metro Center! All the way downtown and only halfway home!) for Five Guys. My head hurt. It was too full.

I had to sleep. I was aflurry this morning. I wrote it out. I realized about the farness. I wrote to people who were closer who I hope will like me. I have to call the faraway people back, but it's hard to tell people you like them too but they are just very far away. It's hard to say no to people who like you. It's hard to wait for closer people to like you. It's hard to wait when you're ready.

Ups

Last week: minor headaches pretty much all the time. This week: inattentive, unmotivated, foggy. Time to get another thyroid update.

Last night we watched "Dogs Decoded" on NOVA. It was awesome, but it made me want a doggie sooooo much and I bothered Joey like a little kid. We're probably too busy to have a dog right now, since we just got this house, but this does not prevent me from wanting a furry creature.

Feds have tomorrow off for Veterans Day, and I'm also taking Friday off. We have plumbers coming tomorrow because there is a leak somewhere above the living room that dripped through Sunday, but has shown no more dripping since. It will probably be a small issue, but better to deal with it before it becomes a huge issue. I think two four-day weekends in a month is about 50% correct.

Joey and I went on our first date four years ago today!

Checking things off the list

1) Got a flu shot.

2) Resubmitted paper (2 weeks after I would have if it were only up to me, but things have to go through the co-author carousel).

Something I failed to check off the list was refilling my mini bottle of Advil that I keep in my bag, which was a mistake.