Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tough Summer

So sorry for my absence once again...this time it was due to taking some time off. Well, time "off" is a bit of an exhaggeration. I guess I was technically off official work, but I used my time doing unofficial work at our new abode. And what a vacation it was...

It started off with taking Lucy on an emergency vet visit, as her stump was looking kind of bad. They removed 6" of rubber drain tube that should've been removed the week before, but my braniac dog had bitten the end off and it disappeared, making the vets think she'd pulled it all the way out. Instead it was wedged way down in the wound, of course causing problems. And chalk another $70 bucks up for antibiotics, an added week for stitches and still having to wear the huge lampshade.

So one minor obstacle taken care of, then on to the new house! I had my explorer sport packed to the max, which included 1 3-legged lab who with her lampshade collar resembles a reciever for Dish Network, 1 beagle, 2 cats, and 2 ducks, pulling a trailer loaded with furniture. Temp is officially 103 degrees with a cloudless sky and baking sun, but we're relatively comfy in the A/C.

That is, until nearly Hardy, where my transmission blew.

We're pulled off the side of the road, engine compartment smoking, animals all panting in the scorching heat. Long story short - 2 hours later we limped into the driveway of Casa de Hooter in a very testy mood, but grateful to be off the road. Found out a couple days later that I have to have a whole new transmission. There goes a paycheck, plus some...

Met mom and dad at the new place and spent our days mostly painting...we went a little nuts with color, but I LIKE. The place is actually starting to look like a home, and with the new wood floor and furniture it should be warm and friendly. We actually got to the point to buy new ceiling fans, as the old ones were HIDEOUS and must've come from some goth cathedral. Or something. So we got nice new ones which looked perfect in Lowe's, only to get them home and installed to find out that they only take those tiny little bulbs. ??? Called Lowe's, where they tell us that all ceiling fans will soon only have fixtures that take the little bulbs (despite the fact that nearly ALL their floor models have regular bulbs - including the fans I picked out - which is why I never bothered to look at the box). What's the POINT? Why get ceiling fans with lights if they don't put out much light??? So after a minor meltdown over that, we decided we liked the fans, so screw it. Turns out they actually put out some signficant light, and we'll have lamps anyway. So beware - if you're looking for new ceiling fans, look at the box to be sure you're getting what you THINK you are.

Anyway, we did make some headway. If we can get some flooring in and get the well figured out, and if it EVER cools off again and maybe we get some rain, my stress level should go down a few notches. But there's still a lot of summer left...

No comments: