The Secret is Out

Want to know how one gets moved into a new house and unpacked (for the most part) in 2 months? The following photo will provide a clue:

Ol' No. 7 to the rescue

No, the answer isn’t "throw back a few belts of Jack Daniel’s"!  The answer is: volunteer to host a brunch for 10!

Whew. What was I thinking? I don’t know, but when the suggestion was made at our October supper club dinner to make the November gathering a brunch, somehow or other my hand went up when the leader of our group asked “so, who wants to host a brunch the Sunday before Thanksgiving?”

(That reminds me of something my Daddy used to say about his Army basic training days: if someone asks for volunteers, take two giant steps backwards! Of course, he rarely followed his own advice. Need someone to head up the Dixie Youth Baseball League? Sidney will do it. There’s no one to be president of the Ripley High PTA? No problem...Sidney will do it! But I digress.)

I honestly thought that this was a time-delimited incentive to make the mountain of boxes in the main living areas disappear and all the stuff contained inside get in its proper place. And, since I have neither a wand nor a book of spells, I didn’t really believe the stuff would magic itself to the most logical location...but wouldn’t have minded one bit if Hermione Granger had popped in any time during the month-long ordeal.

Actually, we had 5 weeks and two days to get our house ready to receive guests. Piece ‘o cake, right? Right. First things first: make a list...one each for Mr. T and me, and one for things in general. Soon, each list had a sub-list, which spawned sub-sub lists, and...well, you get the picture. Each morning over coffee, we would discuss what we needed to do that day...and then have another cup. And another. Hey, they are now saying there are definite health benefits to drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day, right? Right!

But I digress...again. Oh yes, so many times...in so many ways. You see, having deadlines was bumping into one of the things we are enjoying about retirement: NOT having deadlines.

Anyway...

I am pleased to report that we actually managed to pull it off! Boxes were cleared out* (for the most part...if you don’t count Mr. T’s office), pictures were arranged on walls, and personal touches appeared here and there...and before you could say ‘wingardium leviosa’** stuff seemed to be flying into the proper places. 

7-Up Biscuits

Mr. T cleaned the outside, front and back, of all the leaves that our trees were now contributing to the landscape, along with sprucing up the siding near the front door. We moved furniture around (I know, I know...we haven't been here long enough to be moving furniture!) as we wanted to accommodate 10 people in our cozy house: the Library gained a table and shed its comfy reading chairs to become the Dining Room (which is what it was originally designed for) and the Great Room became the repository of all the chairs so everyone would have a spot to sit and sip their mimosas.

The hosts usually provide the beverages (we set up a mimosa bar for starters, and then had strawberry-mint infused water along with coffee for the meal) and the main course (we had Bourbon-and-brown sugar-basted ham***...hence the Jack Daniels!)...and because breads are kinda my thing, 7-Up biscuits****. 

Others brought an egg casserole, grits casserole, fruit salad, and a dessert. Then we popped some Fall Crackers (you know, like the Brits have at Christmas...only these had a Fall theme), read the riddles, and wore the paper crowns. Thankfully the meal was tasty, the day was loads of fun, and we introduced Loganville to several Athens-area couples who hadn’t ventured this far out “in the country” before. 

Here are some photos Mr. T snapped of the house before the guests arrived:

Mimosa Bar in Foyer

Coffee Bar in Kitchen

Table in Breakfast Room

Table in Dining Room (aka: Library)

Great Room (aka: "Chair Room!")

After such excitement in our lives, we were more than grateful to be able to spend a quiet, non-traveling Thanksgiving in our new (and newly-unpacked!) home. Missy M and grand-dog Ella Rae spent a couple of nights with us, and it was just about perfect...the warmer than usual weather being the only odd thing of note.

And now, we can relax, right? 

Wrong! With Christmas fast-approaching, we have unpacked many of the remaining boxes in the attic in order to decorate the house. Candles are in the windows, Santa Nutcrackers are at their posts, and the Christmas china that Daddy gave me 30 years ago when he was working at Central Hardware is on the table. We sold our five-year-old 9’ lighted tree, and then bought a 7 1/2’ one for 75% off in the after-Christmas sales last year...it was still in the original box even, making it easy to set up in the great room...along with a smaller one for my traditional Sheep Ornament tree (which is now set up in the window of the floored-but-unfinished attic room over the garage...looking for all the world like we set it up in an upstairs den!). The outside light display is more subdued (as we seem to have shed ourselves of many strands of lights), but we still have Mom ‘n Pop Reindeer on the lawn. And, although our nutcracker collection was greatly diminished by being such a popular item in our NC moving sale, we have enough “mens” left to populate the mantle...and then some. I'll upload those pictures into my next blog post.

Oh my, can I say that it looks a lot like home here now? Our home. Where our hearts are...and our boxes aren’t...for the most part.

And, to think, it’s all because I volunteered to host a brunch. 

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*Most of our boxes will live on in our soon-to-be-constructed kitchen garden and compost bins. Cardboard is like gold to a gardener!

**the levitating charm from Harry Potter. 

***Bourbon and Brown Sugar Ham (from Southern Living, accessed at   http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-bourbon-glazed-ham):

Ingredients

• 1 (6- to 8-lb.) fully cooked, bone-in ham
• whole cloves
• 1 (16-oz.) package light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 cup Coca Cola soft drink
• 3/4 cup bourbon (or in the case of a Tennessee native...sipping whisky!)

How to Make It

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350°. Remove skin from ham, and trim fat to 1/4-inch thickness. Make shallow cuts in fat 3/4 inch apart in a diamond pattern.

Step 2:  Insert cloves in centers of diamonds. Place ham in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan (I used the large Le Creuset roaster). Stir together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients; spoon mixture over ham. (I reserved 1/2 of the mixture to serve heated with the ham.)

Step 3:  Bake at 350° on lowest oven rack 2 hours and 30 minutes, basting slowly with pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes. Remove ham from oven, and let stand 20 minutes before slicing, basting occasionally with pan juices. (I cooked the ham the day before, cooled it enough to refrigerate overnight, then heated it in the oven on 275).

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****7-Up Biscuits (accessed at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/238379/easy-7-up-biscuits/)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick (R))
• (I add 1 T baking powder for a high-rise biscuit)
• 1 cup lemon-lime soda (such as 7-Up(R))
• 1 cup sour cream                                         

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Put butter in a 9x13-inch baking dish (I use round cake pans) and place dish (pans) in the preheating oven until butter is melted.
2. Mix baking mix, lemon-lime soda, and sour cream together in a bowl until dough holds together and is sticky. (I add the extra melted butter to the bowl of my cuisinart with the dough blade, then put the wet ingredients in first followed by the baking mix along with 1 T baking powder). Turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll into 1-inch thick circle (NEVER overwork any biscuit dough, this one included: turn it 4-5 times in the additional flour then pat it into the circle). Cut circles out of dough using a cookie cutter or the rim of a wine glass (dipped in some extra flour) and place in pan in which you melted the butter.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until biscuits are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove dish from oven and let stand until biscuits have absorbed all the butter. (I brush butter over the tops of the biscuits for softer crusts).

Making the Most of a Month

Whew! Let me catch my breath. Hard to believe another month is almost history. Before we turn the page on the calendar, I should attempt a recap.

First, though, here’s a photo of the boyz to bring a smile to your face:


Ok, so we started the month of October off right by celebrating Missy M’s birthday.



I cannot tell you how much we are enjoying being close to her. We have brunch together almost every Sunday, although today’s meal was supper of M’s yummy potato soup...which was perfect on this first truly chilly day of Fall.

That same week, I got to attend my first Georgia Master Gardener Association’s annual conference in nearby Buford. Spent a great couple of days devoted to classes, workshops, and meeting new folks. Even had some good fortune with the Silent Auction items. Fun!

I think I told you that we have joined the Oscher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Georgia. I signed up for several classes this Fall, and we joined several of the Special Interest Groups (SIG) including the Lunch Bunch, the Supper Club, and the Lady Dogs Basketball group. While that last SIG won’t begin until basketball season, the other opportunities are keeping us busy.

I’ve been to two classes so far: Growing Blueberries and Figs in Georgia and World War I Military Training Camps in Georgia. The first one will help us as we plan our garden here (more on that in a sec); the second one gave me some insight into Papaw (Grandfather Keaton)’s boot camp experience at Camp Gordon as well as his service at Fort Oglethorpe (where he was a Quartermaster). 

We enjoyed two lunches at a couple of Athens restaurants (that we probably would never have tried) with the Lunch Bunch. And we met for a lovely dinner with the 6 other members of our Supper Club. Our hosts made a pork loin roast and asked that we bring sides with the theme of Autumn Harvest. I made an apple pie for dessert and baked yeast rolls as a special treat. 

We volunteered to host the November dinner...which will actually be a Sunday brunch instead. (More on that in my next post.) Now, you may be wondering whether I’ve gone ‘round the bend by asking people to come over to our house...you know, the house that is still being moved into? Actually, I thought that might give us just the nudge to get things wrapped up before the Holidays are upon us.

Soooo...we have finished the unpacking of boxes (for the most part)...and are beginning the hanging of pictures and curtains and shelves and what not. And you know what? Casa 303 is really starting to feel like our home. 

We did take a break this weekend to travel to NC to go to the Southeast Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) and stay with Bro J in Asheville. I took a class on Beginning Spinning on a Takli, and Mr. T took a beginning wood carving class and made a Spirit Stick...cool! 

From the drive through the mountains to the Fair itself to the time we spent with J & J, it was a really great weekend! 

As we begin this last week of the month, I am staying the night at Missy M’s house with the dogs, since T will have to rise-and-shine to welcome the workers who are coming at 0-dark:30 to install our new garden shed tomorrow. It’s the same shed that he and I built from a kit in HPNC (the one with the purple doors), but we decided we had enough on our plates and could get a crew to do the heavy lifting (we’ll still have to seal, caulk, and paint, etc., ourselves). And after the shed is in place, we can get the garden going.

Oh yes. It truly is feeling like our home.

Slowly* But Surely

As Maggie, our GPS-controlled voice would say "we have arrived!" 

Of course, once the moving vans left, the next Big Job on the To Do List bubbled up: unpacking. Sure it's tough, but there is no time limit on this one. Missy M asked "are you setting yourself goals, like 'unpack 10 boxes every day'?" Uh...no...we are retired**, dear, so our schedule is our own.

The only real "goal" I have is to make this house feel like our home as quickly as possible. That, and to get out of the "moving mode" into the "settling in mode" by getting our things in place in the new place. Every time we have moved (19 times in 41+ years!), I am reminded of a quote from my favorite John Wayne movie, "The Quiet Man"...said by the marvelous actress Maureen O'Hara in character as Irish lass, Mary Kate Danaher: "Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having my own things about me. My spinnet over there, and a table here, and my own chairs to rest upon. And a dresser over there in that corner, and my own china and pewter shinin' about me." *** Having my own things about me...I can definitely relate to that!

I recently re-read a post **** I wrote on the occasion of settling in after our last move (MO to NC in 2009), where I talked about returning to the blessed routine of doing laundry. Guess what? Nothing has changed! Well, the machines are newer, but we still have focused on getting the laundry room operational as quickly as possible. And I thought you might like the new addition: a decal I purchased from Sign Junkies on Etsy, pictured below. Messaged the photo to Brother J, who asked if I would charge myself 25 cents per load, as Daddy had back in the Henning days...or if there had been a price increase due to inflation? Ha!

Speaking of my Daddy...

I unpacked a box of pictures yesterday and found this one. I cross-stitched (back when my eyesight was much, much better...;-) this saying as a Christmas gift for Daddy in 1988, when he and Nana/Momma/Edith lived in Smithville, TN, and we had moved to Kernersville, NC. On the back side of the frame was a picture Mr. T snapped when Daddy opened the present. He loved the gift...and the saying. I love that we decided to keep this one.

Speaking of Christmas...

Another good thing about this huge chore of unpacking: since we haven't seen a lot of our stuff that has been packed since last Fall (just before the NC Estate Sale held in mid-October 2016), each box-opening is akin to Christmas morning: "Ooh...aah! I couldn't remember if we kept this or not!"

So, where are we in the process? Well, we've opened, emptied, knocked down, and recycled most of the boxes in the main living areas as well as our bedroom and the two bathrooms. We have placed most of the furniture where we think it should go (except...I now know the china cabinet needs to be moved from one wall to another...sigh); the rugs and their liners are on the floors (which does wonders for that awful echo created by an empty structure); clothes, cleaning supplies, and cookware are all finding the cabinets and closets where they will live here on Kings Way; and we are figuring out the science of stuffing 20 pounds of potatoes into a 10# sack (still? didn't we already get rid of a mountain of belongings?!?).  We now understand the art of downsizing a bit better: it's a two-step process, meaning you shed all the things you think you can live without...and then you buy a smaller house and figure out what will fit and what else is no longer classified as "essential"...and let go of that, too. Big Sigh.

After taking some time out to tend to yard work (in our yard as well as Missy M's...since she's taking a well-deserved break at the beach this week), Mr. T has started on his office and got the laptop and the air printer set up and connected to our wireless network. He spent most of yesterday installing towel bars, toilet paper holders, and other items required to be level, plumb, and straight. After getting the kitchen and laundry up and functioning, I will be starting on my office/craft room/guest bedroom (whew...it's a small room which has to wear many hats!). That should keep me busy.

Oh, and when we run out of things to do in the house, there's always the garage and the attic. "No rest for the wicked, and the righteous don't need none."*****

Slowly but surely, it is coming together. And you know what? We couldn't be happier.

Surely. 

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* Slowly...: Since my days as a Rosette at Mississippi University for Women, I have collected turtles, the symbol of doing things "slowly but surely." Only...that is contrary to my character, as I have never been blessed with that ability. My natural inclination has always been to be going 90 (at which pace one rarely does anything "surely") or nothing (at which pace one rarely does anything!). The whole turtle collecting thing came about as a result of a misinterpretation: as pledges, we were learning a club song called "Bond Eternal," which is sung fast...making the words run together. "Bond Eternal" sounded like "Bonnie Turtle" to me...and a tradition was born when, for my asking 'why were we singing a song about a turtle?,' I got the honor of creating, carrying, and introducing to all a pink and silver (Rosette colors) papier-mâché turtle called Bonnie.

** About being retired: Someone recently asked Mr. T if he liked being retired, to which he responded "I'll let you know as soon as I get to experience it." Ahem. It has been a less-than-leisurely 18 months, hasn't it?

*** About The Quiet Man: Not only was this my favorite John Wayne movie, it was also said to be Maureen O'Hara's favorite role and film. When we went to Ireland in 2008, Mr. T and I were determined to find locales where they made the movie, and we did! We were thrilled to discover and cross over The Quiet Man bridge, located 5 miles past Oughterard, on the N59 heading west. Here are the photos:

**** About that post from 2009: check it out here: http://adsit2.blogspot.com/2009/06/routine-blessed-routine.html

*****About that quote: That's what Uncle Billy always said in Jan Karon's Mitford Series. Love those books by a North Carolinian about North Carolina.

Along Came Irma

More than once, I have described this downsizing-retirement slo-mo-relo move from NC to GA using the analogy of a roller coaster ride (comparable to the Zippin' Pippin*!). As of today, nothing about that analogy has changed. Ahem.

(Still laughing about this Tweet!)

The good news: we got our stuff all moved in 8/31 (in spite of a prolonged visit by Tropical Storm Harvey, who had been wreaking havoc in Texas). Boxes, boxes everywhere. Lotsa boxes. 

We had planned to get Casa 303 all ready for Mr. T to take the dogs with him and stay in the Loganville house while Missy M and I traveled today-Sunday to Walt Disney World (her birthday gift to me!). And we've made great strides toward that goal with our unpacking and setting up: the electricians came and finished the fan installs; the kitchen is now open for business; the beds are set up, the bedding and towels boxes have been located and opened; and the washer and dryer have been hooked up and are operational. All ready, right?

And then along came Irma.

{Sigh}

Missy M (who had taken today off work) has been working since 9:00 this morning to rebook our trip with the least amount of financial loss...and she has done a remarkable job! She was on hold with Delta for over 2 hours and managed to get our flights rebooked for January with NO CHANGE FEES...even on my companion ticket that was set to expire at the end of September! Way to go, Delta! She's now well into her 4th hour on hold with WDW Guest Services (but she has spoken with someone in Reservations who said there shouldn't be a rebooking fee). Way to go, WDW! 

Bottom line: it's an inconvenience, but we are safe and sound and avoiding the chaos that a Cat 5 Hurricane creates. 

Of course, some of the spaghetti models now have Irma skirting the east coast of Florida and then turning north...toward Atlanta! Soooo...Mr. T is currently at the grocery...for bread and milk, of course. Treating the threat of a hurricane just like the threat of snow.

Just one more hill on our roller coaster, right? To recap the ride, so far:

> Decluttering & getting ready for the Great Downsizing Sale = going up the first big hill. 

> Big Sale done! = going down the first big hill.

> Prepping the NC house for putting it on the market = up the second big hill.

> For Sale sign in the yard! = down the second big hill.

> Showing, showing, showing. Waiting, waiting, waiting = clattering along the flat rails.

> Deciding "we have had enough of this! Take the house off the market!" = up the third hill.

> Selling the NC house! = down the third hill.

> Househunting in GA = the loop-de-loop near the end of the ride.

> Finding & "losing" 4 GA houses = up the last BIG HILL.

> Buying the "right" GA house = down the last BIG HILL!

So, now as we come clattering into the station, we are experiencing those last little ups and downs that make all riders go "woo!" as their stomachs attempt to reach equilibrium. We are so close to being able to exit the roller coaster ride and finally get our feet on the ground...and our bodies in our own bed once again. 

So very close...

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*Memphis-area friends of a certain age will remember the Zippin' Pippin roller coaster from the Fairgrounds and Libertyland. It was said to have been Elvis' favorite. Read more about it here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippin_Pippin

Rounding Third, Heading for Home

This week has FINALLY arrived! One could say we have been waiting for it for five long months, since we closed on our NC house on March 31st and moved in with Missy M. One could also say that we have been waiting for two years, since we decided that we would downsize and relocate after we retired. One would probably be correct on both counts. Either way, in baseball terms, we are rounding third base and heading for home!

So, how did this week begin? Well, we are celebrating the first full week of our newest family member, Logan. We adopted him from the Walton County Animal Control, where he had been owner-surrendered because he was "to(o) hyper." We were told that he was "around 5 months old and weighed about 30 pounds," and the guess was made about his parentage: possibly Dalmatian? 

Wrong times three as it turns out. I took him for his first vet visit this morning, and when we got him on the scales, he weighed 25 pounds (and trust me, he hasn't missed a meal this week!). She checked his teeth and found he still has his lower puppy teeth (although his permanent canines are in on the uppers), so she's guessing he is no more than 4 1/2 months old (I had guessed he was younger than they said, since those little needle-teeth had been doing a number on our hands and arms!). And she thinks he is probably a border collie and lab...or possibly a pointer...mix.

Absolutely no matter...none whatsoever. Logan has completely stolen our hearts in the short time he has been under our roof. So much so that I have totally changed my thinking about one key point: I was at first appalled that anyone would surrender a puppy for being "hyper;" now, I am so very thankful that someone did surrender him so that he could have a chance at a good life. And "a good life" is exactly what we intend to provide! 

Here are a few more photos:

Also, as we begin our "Heading for Home" week, I had a good report from my foot doctor. He was pleased with my progress, but he wants me to continue to "ice & elevate" and wear the walking boot for at least another week. Fingers crossed that all will be well by September 6, which is when M is taking me to see Mickey at WDW for my birthday. But that's for a later post...

Back to reality...

I'd love to report that all was peachy-keen in the Peach State, but that's asking for too much. On the projects front, the electricians were busy with the fan and light installs last Friday (see pictures below). Single to right...man on first.

The Merry Maids guy didn't show up for his appointment to give us a quote (foul ball!), but the Molly Maids came through for the Move-In Cleaning today (double to center...advancing runner to third!).

But those electricians didn't quite finish the job and had planned to return yesterday. Didn't happen. Can't happen until after Labor Day weekend. Swing! Miss. Ah well...

Then Mr. T got a call from the moving company's Ops guy about our scheduled move-in on Thursday (8/31). Uh, no...that should be 8/30, says T. Hmmm. Seems that when they say a move is a two-day affair, they are counting their packing and transporting day as Day 1; the actual move-in happens on Day 2. Swing! Another miss. Ah well...again. 

Two strikes on this batter. I guess instead of rounding third and heading for home, it's more like we are standing on third and trying to steal home. So close...only 90 feet away! We can see it...we can feel it...we can taste it. 

H-O-M-E. 

And I have no doubts we will be there by the time I post my next update 'cause this batter is swinging for the fences!

Making Progress

As I write this progress report post, I am sitting on our new sofa which is sitting on our new floor in our new (to us!) GA home. Granted, we haven't crossed the Finish Line of this move just yet, but we are indeed coming out of the Backstretch and are headed into the Far Turn of this interminable, slow-mo relo race. And because things are indeed progressing, we brought Winston and Ella Rae along to help them get accustomed to the new digs.

Winston: "Can we go to the new house? Hunh, hunh, hunh?"

Are you ready for this? The German Shepherd who lives behind us...see his legs on the other side of this hole in our fence?...is also a rescue named Winston! How unlikely is that?! Let's hope the two Winstons eventually come to a mutual understanding over the ownership of the fence. Ahem.

It hasn't all been projects that have progressed. Mr. T took delivery of our new sofa and ottoman this past week. This sofa is replacing one we have had since our previous move to Georgia...in 1997. We figured after 20 years and 4 moves, it was time to retire Old Faithful.

New Sofa and Ottoman (probably the last time anyone will see it without a cover...;-)

New Sofa and Ottoman (complete with covers and happy dogs)

So, about that progress report I mentioned...

1) The tile project - Mark this one complete, as of 5:00 Friday! Hooray! And both of us think it was totally worth all the trouble. Here are some "after" photos for you.

     1) a) Install two new toilets - Done...no thanks to the plumber, I might add. As both bathrooms were getting new tile flooring, and as both 15-year-old toilets would have to be removed in the process, we figured we'd get brand new toilets (tall and elongated, to replace the seemingly child-sized ones) while we were at it. Bought American Standards, complete sets and had them delivered. But, when the plumber arrived, he kept saying they were "European" and would require much more work...and $600 to install. And then he left (without installing the garbage disposal either because there wasn't an electric outlet box to contain the wiring under the sink), saying he would have their office call us to reschedule. Good grief. Here is a picture of the new box that Mr. T installed under the sink (another one done!), and a screen capture of the text exchange between T and me, beginning with a report of my conversation with the scheduler at the plumbing company...and his pithy response:

New outlet...ready for the new garbage disposal (which this house has never had!)

Texts about the toilet install (done!)

I laughed for several minutes after I got that text from T. 

2) New light fixtures, fans, and extra outlets - In progress. Mr. T is tackling some of these installs (most notably, that outlet under the sink and the new vanity lights in both bathrooms - pictured)...

...and has contracted with an electrical company to do the more challenging ones (most notably, two fans in the16' vaulted ceilings). That's what is on tap for this next week.

3) Outdoor Clean-up - Mr. T has spent a good bit of the last week wielding pruners, loppers, and hedge trimmers in the Great Outdoor Clean-up project. It was abundantly clear that the previous owners (a) loved plants and (b) stopped maintaining their landscape a while ago. Everything just looked shaggy. So T has been intent on taming the property...and it shows! 

4) More touchup painting - Yeah, I thought we were done with painting, too. But the tile guys only "install" the quarter rounds after tiling; they don't do anything to pimp it. So next week, it looks like I'll be rolling on trim paint to the baseboards and qtr-rnd and using the caulking gun to put a period to our painting projects. Oh, and there are a few nicks and dinks on the walls from the tile installation, so patching and painting here and there will also be on the agenda.

And how does that work with a walking boot, you might ask? Well, I'm thinking I can use a low stool in order to avoid involving my foot. We shall see....

5) Finish Line - Our move-in date is officially scheduled for 8/30. Conceding that my foot isn't ready for all the standing that the cleaning required to spiff up the house before the Four Men and Two Trucks arrive would necessitate, we've got Stanley Steemer coming to do the carpeted areas (three bedrooms and closets), and then the Molly Maids are coming to do a move-in clean before The Big Day. 

Yes, the Finish Line. We will be crossing it in 11 days from today. Tick, tick, tick! Now, how exciting is that?

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If there are glaring design errors with this or any of my posts, please know that I do the best I can when I set up my posts and pictures in Blogger. But because Blogger (a Google application) and my iPad (an Apple product) do NOT play well together, it is a jaw-clenching effort to even get a post loaded. And, though I cannot lug my laptop around, it isn't much better or easier to wait until I can get in front of my PC. Oh, and there is no plan to fix the issues on Google's part. Sigh.