Yesterday didn't seem like it was going to be a great day, and I'm glad that I stuck around long enough to see its conclusion. After church we came home. I ate some lunch, dreading the upcoming afternoon when I was going to start moving my things to the condo. When I was younger we moved a lot. It was always stressful, even moving across town like we did once was an upheaval since we had to go to another new school. My parents were usually short tempered and I was embarrassed when the people who had offered to help came over. It wasn't just the dirt and grime behind the piano, someone had stuffed a half eaten sandwich behind there that had become petrified, it was a feeling of shame. I felt like people were looking down on us and judging us, perhaps they were, but now that I've helped many others move, I can look back and think that allowances were made on our behalf whether we were deserving of them or not.
I'm afraid I went a little crazy at the condo, but I'm mostly okay with it. I brought over four bowls and small salad sized plates that matched them. My favorite blue and white mug made the journey. It survived the trip, and thankfully, so did I. Quick interruption, it's 5:18 here and my youngest daughter just walked into the dining room. I gave her a hug and a little pat on the back before sending her back to bed. She could have returned to her own bed, but she crawled into mine instead. I pulled most of the closet doors down yesterday. I don't know why that seemed like the right thing to do, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't really regret it. My condo (technically I don't own it, but I think of it as mine) is painted the same creamy off-white yellowish color that you find in apartment buildings around here, but the trim is the most awful color. Once I read a book that said something about despairing of seeing pretty after an ugly sight, that's kind of how I feel when I see the trim, closets, and cabinets.
It was frustrating to get to the condo and find that a round table is probably what I need for the space I have, but we made my short rectangular table work. I'd like to get a rug for the floor, there's concrete beneath the floor so there's no give to it, and I'm hoping that the rug will provide some extra warmth during the winter months. I'll need to get a vacuum cleaner if I get a rug and then I'll have to find a place to store that. Now that the closet doors are down, I don't have a real desire to put normal closet things into my closets. I'm thinking about putting my bed in the closet in my room and turning the closet into the other room into an area where I can iron. I'd like a different bed for my second bedroom, but the one I have will work until I can upgrade. Today I'm going to call the tile guy to see when he can stop by and start on some projects. I'd love to redo the bathroom, but will have to settle for him installing a wall and some ceiling fans.
Working at the condo was beastly due to the humidity in the air. Although it was only sixty-eight degrees, it felt twenty degrees warmer in there, and while I will probably be very warm during the summer, in a best case scenario I'm praying that means I am also not as cold as I could be during the long Wisconsin winter months. We have an end unit which is really nice. I don't have to look into anyone else's place. The view outside is quite lovely with weeping willow trees and ripples on the man made pond when the breeze picked up. My balcony needs to be redone, but for now I can stand or gaze at the weathered wood and think about the future. I took my oldest daughter over there yesterday and had her help me clean. Here's a helpful and inexpensive tip that may come in handy if you ever have to scrub out toilets that have accumulated build up and other disgusting nastiness. I bought a pumice stone and it worked wonders. My grandparents had one when I was a kid, now I finally understand the magic of this lowly and unsightly block they kept in their bathroom.
We couldn't wash the entire floor well as there was still some materials and objects we couldn't move in the way, but we did what we could and it made me feel a lot better about everything when we were done. The air was so thick that dust and dirt formed a grimy paste at the end of the broom. My floors were slick enough for me to skid across several times, I could have turned on the air, but I'm trying to be very conscious of every penny I spend even though a part of me would love to have enough to go out and buy a couple of things. Several months ago I bought a batch of green chairs at the thrift store. We have a six and a half foot long butcher block shelf in the kitchen at the house, and I'm contemplating trying something similar at the condo. Advantages are more horizontal space that I could use as a breakfast bar, and the only disadvantage I can think of at the moment is the possibility that I may not always want it, but I could easily take it down if that's the case.
I was talking to a girlfriend of mine who keeps checking in on me. Some time ago another woman I know suggested that I hold classes and teach people about the things that I know and I think I'm going to do that. I don't have a great idea of how this will play out, but I have some space, I have seating, and I'll have a lot of time on my hands when the girls aren't around. Even if this doesn't turn out to be a grand money making scheme, it won't really cost me anything unless I want to serve light refreshments, and I'm not obligated to although I think it's a gesture most appreciate. I could do a segment on gluten free living, life with food allergies, healthy meals, footwear, and I can invite friends of mine to be guests as well. My thought is to have a group of people to hang out with periodically and see what if anything comes out of it. If nothing else, it means I won't be sitting at home by myself every evening.
I went to the chiropractor. That's something I probably won't be able to afford in the future, but at least I've gotten in the visits I've had. There's an opening at our school for a secretary. It's not the world's best paying job and there's no guarantee that I would get it or want it if I did, but it's a place to start so I'm going to email the principal and see if I can at least score an interview. I actually interviewed for the position several years ago, but it went to my friend instead and that was the right decision at the time. Ideally I wouldn't be stuck at a desk all day, but it's hard to argue with a schedule that exactly coincides with my daughter's and I know the school and the routine well enough. It would be close to home, I'd get a chance to see my daughter on a more regular basis, and it would be some income that I could live off if I had to which is more than I have now. It's a beautiful day, I have some things lined up to do, but overall I'm pleased with the progress and hope the momentum continues.