On Matters Domestic

One of the things about moving that I had utterly forgotten are all the fun little quirks that you learn about a new place...and also how stinking expensive everything is when you move into it. Our house was "move-in ready" as far as the fact that the walls and floors were here, but otherwise, not so much. This meant that new appliances, blinds, curtains, garage door opener, furniture, fans, shelving, and all sorts of fun things, both planned and otherwise, were all put on the  list of "Things to (Eventually) Get." Some of those things have moved to the "Gotten" list, but lots are still on the "Pending" one that probably won't be completely crossed out for a year or more. (See how my fancy notepads come in handy?) Suffice it to say that the furniture in our "formal living room" consists of a doll house and its related accessories, along with miscellaneous toys and paper strewn about. So, if you come over, please don't expect to sit down in there unless you think you'll be comfortable on a teeny, tiny couch made for persons 5 inches or shorter.

Anyway, some of the new fun quirks include:

* a new refrigerator that is so deep that I feel like I am entering a new dimension every time I fish around in the back in search of forgotten leftovers. Said fridge also includes The Worst Ice-Maker in the History of Ice-Makers, with approximately 3 ice cubes being produced for every 37 that we desire.

*a washing machine with a timer that indicates the end of the cycle. Have you ever heard such a thing? I hadn't, but it sure comes in handy since I have to do all my laundry before 12 pm (when our electricity begins to cost the proverbial arm and leg) and I seldom remember that I even started a load. It has a nifty little 6-note tune that, every Monday without fail, gets "Walking on Broken Glass" stuck in my head. (One day I will elaborate on the strange getting-random-songs-in-our-heads disease that afflicts most members of my family.)

*a squeaky master bathroom door that refuses to be subdued by WD-40.

*Windows...everywhere! I'm sure I will love this in the winter, but for now I feel a little like I am overdosing on sunlight by the end of every day. So far we have been able to buy 3 of the 7 panels we need for a particular group of windows in our family room. 3 is a lonely number, but at least it's enough to keep the sun out of my eyes while I'm making dinner. (Note: On our hours-long curtain hunting expedition the other day, we discovered 2 things: a) we are not big fans of any of the curtains that are currently for sale, and b) we can't afford them anyway.)

*the inability to hear one another from any room of the house other than the one that the speaker is currently in. Alexa used to stand up and yell for me when she woke up from her nap, but lately I take so long to hear her and get to her that she just stays laying down until I open her door and says cutely, "I was calling you!"

Surely there are more, but that's all I can think of for now and it is occurring to me just how long this post about nothing actually is. I'll be sure to give a curtain update when we manage to buy the rest of the panels, and I apologize that you must sit on pins and needles until then.

(just one of your many seating options if you swing by for a visit.)