News from the Front

I'm in New York.  It's the craziest feeling to walk up to a house in a suburb with a driveway and a garage and think, "This is my house?!"  But then when I click the garage door opener and it doesn't work I look at Jeff and smile and know that yes, it is indeed Jeff and Tiffany's house.  That and the bushes completely obstruct the view out the living room window.  

First things first.  No lavender cabinets anymore.  My father-in-law and I painted our brains out and now my kitchen is lovely.  Walls a dark grayish, cabinets gray but almost white.  I can't tell you how pleased I am with how it looks.  I would post a picture, but Jeff, Lake Michigan - remember?  

The hallway upstairs was so ugly I shuddered every time I had to walk in it.  I couldn't stand it.  Now it is a nice, neutral "coconut milk" color with white trim.  Tons of work.  Don't paint shuttered closet doors unless you have to, which I did.

Playhouse - screens fixed.  A few other little things too.  Except the remote garage door opener.  Something which I've never owned in my entire life, so I'm not too worked up. 

My yard-hating husband searched the land for a good deal and found a great mower for 60 bucks.  Love that about him!  (The deal-finding part.)  He did mow and we no longer are the ones making the neighborhood look bad.  For now.  The bushes - gotta find a good deal on hedgeclippers.

The house next door is full of boys.  Loud, running around until 10 pm boys.  Boys just older than each of my daughters, which will have Jeff keeping an eye on them.  Especially since one of their pool guests decided to change his trunks in our yard this afternoon.  Both the kid and I were very surprised when I stepped out onto the deck.  Guess the boys didn't realize someone lives here now.  If he knows what's good for him, that will be the last time he does that...

Before I started working myself to death in the house, I went out for a run.  And promptly almost killed myself.  Seriously, I could not run all the way up the long, steep mountain up to my house.  I had to cut in on other streets and zig zag my way up.  I may take up another sport.

So may my Matrix in the winter time.  We couldn't help but notice that every driveway in the neighborhood, no the town, sports at least one 4 Wheel drive vehicle.  I don't think we're getting out of  buying one.  Jeff wanted to test drive cars tonight but we ended up working too late and checked out the local parks and such.

And as we were driving around I had to admit how beautiful it is here.  Really beautiful.  It is different than the Midwest.  The people, the landscape, little things like ordering a "garlic" pizza (no tomato sauce) or "cheese" pizza (tomato sauce), the sun rising at 5 and setting earlier - all signal that we are far from home.  But my house is feeling like my home all ready.  Most people I meet seem very nice.  We signed Moll up for school and I'm really excited for her - it seems great.  There are tons of things to do around town.  If I don't think about the long drive to family and old friends, I'm happy.  

I'm so tired I'm falling asleep.  Lots to do tomorrow too.  Just wanted to check in after being quiet for awhile....