Owner: This Single Gal's New House URL:http://singlegalsnewhouse.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:59:35 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: The trials, tribulations, and joys of owning a house as a single woman. Site statistics:Click here
The flood gates open... 2008-03-16 11:08:18 I called my friend the other day to say hello and chat about the what what. And suddenly, during our conversation, I started bemoaning my existence as a single woman. I had no idea I was holding in so much frustration, fear, anger, blah blah. And my poor married friend had to hear the brunt of it. I suppose the flood
gates opened because I had asked my friend to help me with some yard work (you know, the shoulder injury) and instead she decided to spend her weekend helping another random person (who she didn't know) move out of her house. Noble, yes. But I am her friend and I asked for help and she didn't help me. Even though she has been promising for 6 months that she would help me with my yard work.I suddenly realized / remembered that I have plenty of friends who will lend a hand
I need to get out... 2008-03-17 22:39:35 I drew this when I was 3. I think I was in church. My grandmother kept it. I wonder what it says about my past lives (or my current one)?To me, today, this drawing says: I WANT TO GET THE FUCK OUT. Coming off of the Finnish death plague which forced me to lie around my house for over 2 weeks, I have developed a new sort of plague -- cabin fever. I need to get out. I need sunshine. I need palm trees. I need to not wear a coat.Up here in Seattle, it needs to stop raining, I need to stop buying gifts for the home, and quit making gluten free brownies from Trader Joe's (they are good for you if you use applesauce, right?)I've decided my goal for this week is to try to take a bike ride, (I NEED A BIKE RIDE) despite my busted arm and my screwed up back (gee, thanks again stupid lame ass fake
Some photos of the backyard 2008-03-19 21:02:48 I got some really bad / annoying / frustrating news about my shoulder yesterday and I have resorted to shopping therapy and art making therapy... that is, until I figure out what to do next. What an ordeal... I hate car accidents.So, yeah, I need to mow my lawn and rake the leaves and cut the fucking hedge... but instead I bought a new camera and took some photos
of my lawn in its glorious disarray.And the photos.Daisy in action...A sign of spring...My new bamboo windchimes... does this mean I'm zen?A lilac bush pre-bloom...I like my new camera. Here's hoping you are well.-- The Single Gal Read more:backyard
The Single Gal goes to (another) wedding 2008-03-23 22:26:19 The wedding
this weekend was truly lovely. I have to admit that due to recent (medical) events I was a little grumpy about driving down to Oregon, but I sucked it up, traffic wasn't bad, and even if it was, I wouldn't have missed this wedding for the world; I had a spectacular time.And I did not have a date.I have gone solo to many weddings. Swingin' it on the solo side forces you to talk to people and I love meeting new people. A good thing, in my book.Of course, there were hilarious self-imposed debacles over the course of the weekend. Let me bust them out...1. I brought my dog with me to Oregon because I have begged too many people to dog sit for me in the past 3 months and I was too lazy to take Daisy to get her kennel shot. Therefore, with Daisy in tow, I got to stay not in the
I'm an aunt! 2008-03-26 00:08:14 I am pleased to announce the birth of my brother's first child, Charlotte. She was born this evening after 24+ hour labor and a C-section (my poor sister-in-law).I am very excited to be an aunt (it's my first time) and I'm thrilled for my brother and my parents.More later...Hope you are all well.
What the...? 2008-03-29 11:42:20 This has been a bizarre week.My mother went into the hospital last Thursday to reattach things... she had surgery for diverticulitis in October and had some of her intestines and her colon removed. This surgery lasted for 2 hours longer than it was meant to, and her immediate recovery was not progressing as quickly as the doctors hoped.She was in the hospital for about a week, and things seem to be going well now. I'm happy to announce that she is home now and doing well.My niece was born on Tuesday. My sister-in-law had a really difficult labor and ended up having a c-section. She is doing okay now (physically) and will be released from the hospital on Sunday.My niece, however, is still struggling with some medical issues. I don't know details (my brother and his wife are being very pri
On hedge haircuts and cool ass treasures... 2008-04-15 20:55:55 Hello everyone,Yeah, yeah, yeah, I haven't updated my blog in awhile. It's been a challenging few weeks both personally and professionally, so I've been laying low.All is generally well, though, and today life is especially fabulous. I'm happy to report I'm on vacation until April 27. Hooray!I'm spending part of my vacation in Iowa, visiting my dad and my ailing (but getting better) momma. I don't necessarily consider going to Iowa a vacation, but I'm sucking it up. My mother's been through hell this year.My brother and his wife have had a rough go of it lately as well. Their newborn daughter, beautiful little Charlotte, is struggling with several pretty large health problems. She had a tracheotomy last week, and will be in the hospital for another 2 - 3 weeks. My brother and sister-in-law Read more:treasures
Random photo tour of my parents' computer 2008-04-18 16:36:27 Greetings, friends...I'm currently in Iowa at the family homestead. I'm here until Sunday to take care of my mother post-surgery. I borrowed my father's car today so I can cart her around to the doctor, pharmacy, blah blah.Good times.Have I mentioned my mother doesn't drive?Never has, never will.Oh, so much more on this topic at a later time... it has scarred me for life.Ok, one quick story regarding the mother not driving situation... I was 5. In Kindergarten. I had a headache and the nurse sent me home. A cab came for me at school, and I had to ride home BY MYSELF in a cab. At age 5.Scarred, I tell you.Tra la la.So here are some photos I'm snaggletoothing from my parents' computer... they'll be up until my brother finds out his daughter is on the internet and / or my parents freak out an Read more:Random
A photo tour of THE BIG CITY 2008-04-20 20:21:40 Yesterday my father, my brother (The Fruits -- yes, that's his real nickname) and I went on a walking tour of Des Moines, Iowa (aka the BIG CITY). Here they are in their traipsing glory.On our walk, we broke into Sec Taylor Stadium, home of the Iowa Cubs and the hot dog gun. Yep, friends, in addition to t-shirts and other crap, they shoot foiled wrapped hot dogs into the audience. People eat them. I have seen it with my own eyes. This is the Iowa Capitol building. It is a really amazing place. The dome is made of gold leaf and you can go up into the dome on the inside of the building. About 10 years ago, Fruits and I walked around the building without being stopped or asked what we were doing. We tried to replicate our hijinks, but the door was locked.Another dramatic angle of the
La cucaracha 2008-04-22 18:57:24 I caught some sort of cold/flu/plague while I was in Iowa visiting my parents. I'm so angry about it, I can barely write.I blame my mother.I'm on vacation and I'm sick.What a rip off.As I've been laying around my house the last couple of days, I've been brainstorming about all of the magnificent home projects I want to do when I win the PowerBall: new windows, add a bathroom, redo the kitchen, create a proper laundry room...laundry -- oh, crap -- and then I remembered I left wet laundry in the washing machine.My washer and dryer are currently in the garage. Stylish, I know...I lumber outside, laundry basket in hand, ready to do the switch over, and I see it -- a freaking cockroach. A DEAD cockroach lying on the floor of my garage. Holy crap.Nooooooooooo! All I need is another freakin' infe
You know... 2008-04-24 14:40:52 I could start feeling better any time. Annnny time, thank you very much.I really hate being sick.
L.L. Crap J. 2008-04-23 19:57:40 I know the entire daily line up of the CW station in Seattle. I watch the judge shows, I watch the talk shows, I watch the sitcoms and reality shows. For hours... for weeks...I'm generally not a big TV watcher, but thus far, 2008 has brought me closer to my couch by servin' up a one-two punch of plagueries.I've been sick.A lot.A freakin' hell of a lot.And, sadly, at the beginning of the year, I made a New Year's Resolution to avoid taking antibiotics for the whole year.Well...Let's recap this Single Gal's plagues thus far this year, shall we?ILLNESS #1: THE FINNISH DEATH PLAGUEA lovely plague of dizziness, fever, chills, coughing, sneezing which was passed on to me during an 11 hour flight from Germany to the US.As a result of the plague, I missed about a week and a half of work (and it
I get by with a little help from my friends... 2008-04-25 19:35:35 I have to admit, one of my biggest fears is to die at home, alone. And, because I am alone, no one notices I'm gone, and Daisy eats me as a midnight snack before anyone finds me. Disgusting? I know, but it happens, and I really do not want it to happen to me. As I've been lying on my couch this week nursing the Pammy Plague, there have been times when I've thought my lung was going to explode or some other malady would happen and there I would be, dead and rotting by the end of the week. Well, I have to say, even though I am single and (sniff sniff) seemingly alone in the world, during this illness I have been reassured that there are a lot of people out there who would notice if I kicked the bucket (in a timely fashion) and will help me if I need it. There have been several f Read more:little
Tagged 2008-04-27 16:53:48 Hello everyone, I've been tagged by the lovely MissE of Adelaide, Australia, denizen of the "Waving from the Edges" blog to do this book meme...Here is the task:1. Pick up nearest book2. Open to page 1233. Find 5th sentence4. Post next 3 sentences5. Tag 5 peopleThe book nearest to me is: The Tao of Teaching: The Ageless Wisdom of Taoism and the Art of Teaching by Greta Nagel, Ph.D."Do what your insight tells you to do in terms of helping students to experience learning. Maria believes that the more her students read and the more they know about interesting subjects, the better they will be able to perform on tests. She makes one part of her program synchronize specifically with the standardized tests, and that is to have the kids come up with sample test questions each day." (pg. 123)I tag Read more:Tagged
Hedge anxiety 2008-05-01 19:33:59 The hedge in front of my house is the bane of my existence.Truly.For most of the time I have lived here, I fretted about the overgrowth of said hedge, and how its gnarly viney leafy ugliness was reflecting on me as the new kid in the 'hood. And, truth be told, my neat freakness OCD started perking up every time I drove into the driveway or looked out the window. I tell you, the thing was that bad... or I need some serious psychiatric help... or maybe a combo.Anyway...About a month ago the hedge got a big ass haircut. It is no longer overgrown. Due to the over zealousness of my hedge chopping crew, all signs of leaf and limb were shorn to the roots. And now, my friends, I am nearly certain that the hedge, by my best estimationisDEAD.Dead, I tell you. Look... an actual unretouched photograph Read more:Hedge
, anxiety
Just let me sleep in... 2008-05-03 09:41:50 It's 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday. I've been up for an hour. I find this criminal. I am tired and needed a sleep-in this morning. It did not happen.My lovely roommate, Daisy, decided she needed to have breakfast at her usual time (6:30 a.m.) and wouldn't take no for an answer. Instead, she paced around my bed (and yes, I need to cut her toenails -- they click like mad on my wood floors) and kept pressing her nose on the side of the mattress.In other words, she woke me up.Early.On a Saturday.Grrrrumble.Of course, I could just stop bitching (pun intended) and go back to bed. But, unfortunately, I don't function that way. Once I'm up, I'm up.I get it -- she was hungry. She needed to go outside. But, I have to admit, I wish there was a doggy sleep in remedy. Could I train her to sleep in on speci
Why I need a chainsaw... 2008-05-05 22:24:10 When you own a house, you need to buy a lot of shit that you never thought of owning when you live in an apartment. Like: a rake, shovel, dog crap scooper, an awl (what the hell is an awl)... you know, shit like that.Well, friends, I've decided I need a chainsaw.Let's discuss the many uses of said chainsaw:1. Chop down ugly ass hedges.2. Chop down dead arborvitae (of which I have um three)3. Cut up fallen tree branches to burn in the fireplace4. Saw up wood for projects (what they are I don't know, but wouldn't it be fun to cut stuff?)and5. AmputationThat's right, I said: amputation.I've had enough of my left arm, friends. Enough. My injuries from last summer's car accident become more irritating / painful / frustrating / pick your adjective by the day and I've had enough.I want
I have entrepreneureal (but not spelling) skillz 2008-05-08 18:59:49 I like making shit up. Like... brainstorming ideas for household inventions that someone should create, build, market and sell. I'd do it myself and rake in all of the cash, but, you know, the thing is, I have no engineering skillz, I'm slightly lazy, and my arm hurts, so even though I conjure up some brilliant ideas, they are going nowhere. Fast.And I complain that I need more money...Today's invention has to do with a semi-monthly task I loathe with all of my being.Clipping Daisy's toenails.They are long.Really long.Clawish freaky Guinness Book of World Record long.Embarrassingly I am a horrible pet owner long.And the disclaimer...But, you see, I am incapable of doing them myself. As several vets have written on her chart notes, Daisy is: "too wiggly." I cannot hold her and clip. Read more:spelling
Of a good and bad weekend... 2008-05-11 22:20:11 I've had a mildly entertaining weekend. Since this was the first time in about a month I haven't been hocking up a lung, it was nice to get out and actually do something.The somethings:1. I worked yesterday. Which sucked. Three hour meeting. People yelled at each other. I tried to calm them down.2. I went to Ikea. I bought some lawn furniture. I ate some meatballs. It was good.3. I went on a date. It was also good. 4. I tried to put together my Ikea lawn furniture. It was not so good.Okay.Usually I feel like a bad ass when I put together Ikea crap HOWEVER, this time I decided Ikea was an ass.In general.So I'm using the allen wrench. Sweating up a storm, builting things, feeling good. I'm done with one chair. I'm done with the second chair.I'm done with the table. Then came t
Um... 2008-05-12 20:16:12 I found out today that I need surgery on my elbow as well as my shoulder as a result of the lovely car accident from last summer.The thing that super sucks is that the surgeries cannot be done at the same time.I've done fairly well maintaining my sanity during this year of hell. But, I have to admit, my attitude really blows right now. And, I'm sure my friends are completely sick of me complaini
Bouncing things annoy me 2008-05-14 20:38:38 When I was in undergraduate school, I lived across the hall from two lovely chaps -- Paul and Scott. During the course of our freshman year, Paul got weirder, Scott came out, and my roommate, Jenel, and I tried desperately to stay out of their room.Because it smelled bad.The chaps never did their laundry, so it mildewed and molded and stunk to high heaven. I remember standing in the middle of thei Read more:things
A leaf! A leaf! and other random things... 2008-05-13 21:50:45 I spied with my naked (is that the right part of this saying?) eye...a budding leaf on the hedge in front of my house.It is a glorious day in hedge land...The hedge! It regroweth.In other news...last week I went out on two dates with two different people.Both lovely. Both times I left with a "let's do it again" ending.And, several days later...Neither have called.Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.In oth Read more:things
I had waaaaay too much wine. 2008-05-18 18:51:18 I have a story to tell today. A story of a drunken evening and a dance back into my early 20s.Believe me, it's rare that I have anything exciting to tell about my personal life these days, so there's fodder for a juicy blog post. And I could get into details and mention scandalous words and see the sitemeter on my blog go nuts.However.My father reads my blog. My friends. Colleagues and a milli
The Tale of A(nother) Single Gal 2008-05-19 19:51:50 My single gal pal Shannon was in a car accident (yeah, I know, but it's not mine, ok?) last week. Here is her recount of the accident:What happened: I was stopped on Layfette Highway. There was a car full of farmworkers in front of me, who had stopped. Honestly, we were waiting a while...like a good 4 cars had passed in that lane...when all of a sudden out of nowhere, I was hit from behind by
Single Gal Biceps, part 1 2008-05-23 17:42:38 Hello everyone,I've had a splendid day. And you?I saw my surgeon. Scheduled surgery for my shoulder on June 11.I so do not want to do this, I can't tell you.I curse the woman who hit me with her car last summer.I know it was an accident, but !%#%@#. Okay, I'll say it -- FUCK!With the surgery scheduling comes the panic of -- how am I going to take care of myself? Get around? I cannot drive for
Daisy's photo shoot 2008-05-22 20:03:05 Hi folks,This has been a super crap crap week in my world.Hope yours hasn't been as bad as mine.I don't feel like writing about it, so instead I'll distract you (and myself) with some lovely photos my friend Teresa took at the dog park a few weeks ago. The black dog -- my roommate, the lovely Daisy
. The Golden -- Teresa's dog Willow.Enjoy!
Bone,Thugs, and Harmony -- A)nother) Tale from A(nother) Single Gal 2008-05-25 12:12:59 So my friend Laura was walking down the street the other day, minding her own business, when a chap approached her."Good afternoon, miss." "Yeah?""Well, I just saw you walking down the street and I thought you were attractive so I..""Ok, thanks." And she starts to go."Wait, um," he reaches into his pocket.Laura is thinking one of two things: he is going to stab me to death, or he is going to shoot Read more:Thugs
, Harmony
My shoes don't fit my carbon footprint 2008-05-26 21:55:45 Yeah.When I was in 7th grade, I competed in a smarty pants team sport -- Creative Problem Solving. Instead of scoring goals, we won "creative points" working in teams to solve the world's problems.Our team rocked -- a super nerdy scientist-type, a whiz kid literature quoter, the pop culture guru, and me -- the freak artist. We won several competitions (and cool ass multi-tiered trophies), going t Read more:shoes
I fixed my furnace! 2008-05-29 19:38:54 That's right friends, my furnace is now working.And I fixed it myself.How, you may ask?I cleaned out the inducer valve (using a bent paper clip) and the thing started right up.(This was a trick the furnace repair man taught me during one of the 4 visits he had to make to fix the fucking thing in the winter)And this time, the trick worked.Whoo hoo!
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