Val-isms

Leap day

The last day of February.  Plus one.  The bonus day. 

It's also the day before Linda leaves me for a week.  She has a business meeting in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday & Thursday. 

She's flying down a few days early to spend some time with her parents (who happen to live about an hour north of Tampa) after having not seen them since last year about this time, when we drove down for Sophie's winter break.

She'll also get a day after the meeting to spend with them.

This will be the first time that Linda & I have been separated since we've been living together.  I'm gonna miss her.

But while she's away, these things will keep me busy:

• Bowling
• Cleaning out the rest of the miscellaneous stuff from my parent's home
• Helping to unload and sort Girl Scout cookies
• Going to the dump.
• Going to see the UCONN vs Rutgers game.
• Reading
• Watching lots of HD TV.

Shabbat Shalom.

Typical Wednesday evening

Work is crazy busy and I even brought home some to do while I'm watching American Idol later tonight. 

Sophie is not staying up tonight to watch, as I let her stay up last night and it was pretty ugly this morning dragging her sleepy butt out of bed!  She even admitted that she shouldn't stay up, much as she would like to!

Linda is heading to the gym for a yoga class, so it should be pretty quiet around here for about an hour, if I can get Sophie sleep on time.

As I type this, I sit with color on my head.  Linda just slapped some stuff on my head and by the time I finish this post, I'll just jump in the shower and those nasty gray roots will once again, be gone!  Magic!

I had a great meeting with my boss today, my annual performance approval.  I was able to voice my interest in doing different tasks and being interested in getting more involved in other areas of our department and she was open to this and there will be changes in the upcoming future.  I've been basically doing the same kinds of things for the past 4 years and much as I don't HATE it, something different would be nice.  I'm lucky that my boss is as cool as she is and that we work well together.

Well - time to jump in the shower.

The practice paid off...

Our team was on fire last night.

The first game we all did ok... above our averages, but nothing too exciting, but enough to win the game.  I think I bowled a 134.  (my average is a 130)

The second game, I must have stepped in sh*t.  I didn't have one open frame.  Not a lot of strikes but picking up the spares every time.  By the time the 8th frame came along, my heart was racing and I was willing all those around me not to mention how well I was doing and it worked.  No one said a word.  The 9th frame, I bowled a strike.  The 10th frame I bowled another strike and then.... a 1 and an 8!  But, I finished with a score of 203!  This puts me at the top of the list of the high scratch game for women!  WOOHOO!

The 3rd game I bowled a 148 and one of my teammates bowled a 181, which put her at #2 for women's high scratch game.

Our team scores combined put us as contenders for other prizes, as well, but there are still 8 more weeks to go!  We won all 3 games, which moved us into 3rd place out of 12 teams! (We were in 6th!) What a week!

Quiet and EXTREME training...

Our weekend was full and good.

Friday night, we watched a movie "Mr Brooks" - weird thriller with Kevin Costner.  Still not sure if I liked it or not.  I didn't hate it.

Saturday, we headed up to Sassy's for Blogfest '08, about noon.  We were the first ones to arrive (hate that!) about 1:30-ish.  Tina & Jess arrive soon after.  Then EB & the Queen, Weese and Prunella & Suburban Lesbian & Wannabe arrived together, since they were spending the weekend with Weese and her wife.  Kitty Litter and wife & baby boy arrived late afternoon and we all agreed that their boy was the cutest ever and he dazzled us all with his 6 month old charming ways!

We had a great time eating, drinking, decorating a huge plastic canvas that was spread across the kitchen table and just having a comfortable get together with people whom we've gotten to know over the internet.  7 lesbian couples who all get along.  What could be better?! 

We got home about 10:30 and watched our DVR'd recorded UCONN game to see our gals win, yet again! 

This morning, Linda was to get up and out early to do her last 'long run' for her marathon training.  We stirred about 7-ish and arose about 8.  We headed out about 9 and got to our running destination about 10 at a starting point in Stratford that I remembered to be a fairly flat area.  It was.  And though the temps were in the high 30's and it was beautifully sunny out, it was still pretty cold for our marathon trainee.  She did great, though.  She ran 24 miles in 4 hours and 50 minutes, while I read yesterday and today's New York Times and kept moving every 2 miles to provide her with nutrients and Gatorade.  I also got to read the new Sue Grafton novel, that I'm almost finished with.

Linda was beat when she was finished, but very proud of herself, as was I.  We drove home where she promptly jumped into a nice hot shower, where she puked her guts up.  Poor thing.  She then crawled into bed, where she is happily sleeping as I blog.

I'm going to get ready to go bowling and we'll bowl with just her handicap tonight.  The Rabbi is out of town tonight, as well, so the 3 remaining "Gutter Grrlz" will have to do our best.  I hope the practicing I did on Wednesday help me tonight.

Tonight we'll be watching the Oscars!  It will be a quiet evening at home rubbing my honey's sore feet. 

Snowy Friday

Sophie & I are safe and warm here in our new home this morning.  It's snowing outside and has been since early morning.  When I went outside to brush off and start Linda's car for her at about 6:30am, there was already about 4 inches of the fluffy stuff.

It's about 9:45 and another few inches as already buried my car again and covered the earlier shoveled walkways.

We are expecting the rest of Sophie's bedroom furniture - our delivery window was 8:30-11:30 - and hope that the truck will make it.

We watched "The Flintstones" movie this morning as Sophie had never seen it.  Very entertaining. 

We were supposed to have a Kulanu dinner at one of our member's home after services this evening, but it's been postponed until next week, as this "winter mix" will be turning to sleet and freezing rain later today and tonight.  It's going to be a good night to stay in and cuddle.

After the delivery comes, IF it comes, Sophie & I may venture out to do a few errands.  If we do, I will drop Sophie off at one of her friend's home who lives across the street from my ex, so that Sophie will be close to her when she arrives home from work tonight.  Otherwise, Sophie will stay another night with me.  We'll just have to see how the day goes.

The rest of the weekend has us scheduled to go up to Sassy Femme and her partner's home tomorrow up in northern CT, for a bloggers get together.  We missed last year's, so we were looking forward to going to this year's.  However, they're expected to get almost a foot of snow or more from this storm, so I'm not sure how that's going to turn out.  I would think the roads would be clear by late tomorrow morning, but again, we'll have to see.

Sunday morning, Linda has to do her last long run (I think it's 25 miles!!) and if she's able to do it outside, (highly unlikely!), I'll be her 'training car with drinks and energy stuff' person!  Otherwise, she'll go to the gym.

Sunday night is bowling and then watching the Oscars.  I usually make a point of seeing all the nominated movies so that I can have some idea of who should win, etc... but I have to admit that since getting NetFlix, we don't get to the movie theater except to see kid movies with Sophie.  I still enjoy the Oscar show, though.

By the way, Sophie & I went bowling with 2 of my bowling team members on Wednesday afternoon and bowled 4 games!  Sophie didn't do too badly, but was getting frustrated, as she couldn't get a strike.  She did manage to get 3 spares, though, which was pretty good.  By the last game, she had figured out how to get it go down the middle and didn't really hit the bumpers too much.  Her games were 61, 71, 83 & 77!

I changed my bowling style, watching one of team members, and managed to get pretty consistent with where I was able to put the ball.  The last game, I actually bowled a 189!  My other games were 127, 168 & 114.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Shabbat Shalom.

... and I'm back!

on-line, that is!

The place is coming along.  Where did all this crap come from?!  (and we threw out SO much in Aug, before we put stuff in a POD for storage!)

Even without the new furniture, this place feels like home.  We haven't had much time to really relax in it and enjoy it.

We did get to experience watching "The L Word" on our new TV and it was excellent!  The HD stations are truly like being in the show itself.  Simply awesome.  (Thanks Weese, for recommending this lovely feature!)

So many of you, lovely readers, have left me such nice comments and congrats over the past few days and also requested pictures.  They will come, for sure.  But things have to be a bit more tidy first.

Though I'm off from work this week, other people are on vacation, as well, so I had go log in from home for a few hours today and do some stuff and I'll have to go into the office on Thursday for a few hours, too.

Sophie & I were very productive today though.  We took a station wagon full of crap out of the condo and did a dump run.  Then went to my parents house and filled up the car with some garbage and did another dump run.

Since being home, I've completed washing and putting away dishes and pots and pans.  The counters have all been cleared and an under the sink shelving thingee has been assembled.

As I type this, I am procrastinating (yes, I'm not any different than a lot of you!) in taking the boxes on the landing down to the basement and then taking the 4 boxes of crap that have to go to the dump tomorrow, down to the car.  sigh.  My back is not a happy camper, except when I finally get to crawl into bed - our old queen sized bed... aaaaaaaah.  (Happy happy joy joy!)

Sophie practiced her piano today in her room, while I was working in the kitchen.  Then she got to read IN HER ROOM hanging out on her big new queen sized bed!

Oakee, Linda's 16 yr old cat, is right at home already and loving life.  She picks a new place to camp every time I turn around.  And she likes to be in a room where someone is.  She is currently sleeping on Sophie's bed, even though we went out and got her a little animal bed at IKEA that looks like a royal pillow (all red with gold tassels on each corner!).  She did sleep on the royal bed, but apparently is in search of the perfect napping site!

Tomorrow morning, the furniture is being delivered between 9:30-Noon, so tonight, we'll be making sure everything is cleaned up and moved to make room for the new stuff.

2 of our bowling teammates have offered to take Sophie bowling tomorrow morning and if the furniture has arrived, I'll join them.  Otherwise, it will be a fun few hours for Sophie, instead of hanging with her dear old Mom.

I must go and read some of your blogs, but alas, there are boxes to be moved.

Oh, and in case you think that Linda is getting away with anything cuz she's at work, that girl busted her BUTT 150% over the past 2 days and the place wouldn't be in the shape it's in if she hadn't.   She was a working machine and said, when she called me earlier, that she's walking like a 90 yr old today.  Oh, yeah, on top of the unpacking, etc.. she was doing, she ran 8 miles at the gym last night!  She's unbelievable, and she's all mine!  Lucky me.

Like a well oiled machine...

It was just beautiful...

I was up and out of the house at 6:20am.

Arrived at the condo about 7, with my large coffee and bagel and the back of the Volvo piled with my BJ's run from yesterday with all the cleaning materials, paper towels & toilet paper to last us for at least 6 months!  I happily unloaded the car, feeling invigorated by the sunny but crisp 25 degree weather.

The POD was due at 7:30am.  It arrived at 7:45am.

The movers were due between 8-9am.  They (2 guys) arrived at 8:10am.  POD unloaded and they were gone by 10:10.

Cablevision was due between 8-11am.  They arrived at 11:50am.  3 boxes (1 HD/DVR ready) hooked up.

Microwave installer due between 11:30-3:30pm.  They arrived at 12:30.  Upper cabinet not strong enough to hold it.  Will need my "rent a man" to come and reinforce it somehow and install it. (I am comfortable enough in my lack of testosterone to admit when a guy can come in handy.)

50" flat screen TV due between 10:30am-12:30pm.  It arrived at 10:10am.  (It will be installed over the fireplace between 9-11am on Sunday morning!  "The L Word" will be looking F I N E this week! :)

The empty POD was picked up about 12:30pm.

It was poetry in motion the way all the deliveries, installations and workmen showed up and did their thing.

Linda had promised a friend of ours from Temple that she would run a race with her, but when she agreed to it a few months ago, buying the condo was not yet on the horizon, let alone moving.  This past Thursday, the woman called her and said, "Are you ready for the race on Saturday?"!!!  It seems that it was a 4 mile run in Stratford that started at 10am.

Linda made this woman's day!  She's 60, God bless her, and was so grateful to Linda for running with her and motivating her to keep a good pace - they both finished in about 43 minutes!  So Linda arrived at the condo about 11:30 and was pleased to see that everything had arrived and was ready to be cleaned and unpacked.

Sophie spent part of the day with us while we were cleaning and digging thru some of the boxes.  She spent part of it curled up in the old 27" TV box (pretty big) watching her portable DVD player with the top flaps of the box closed over her.  She scared the crap out of the cable guy, as he heard noises coming from inside the box and saw a little movement, but didn't realize that there was another person in the house.  Kind of funny!  Sophie made me promise her that she could save the box and keep it in her room. 

Tonight, we ordered some living room furniture and a pretty white bedroom set for Sophie.  It all will be delivered on Wednesday, which will give us a few days to unpack all the boxes that are currently stacked all over the living room at the moment.

We are back at my parent's house tonight, but hope that we'll be starting to sleep at our new home Sunday night.  Can't wait!

Sophie & I will be making trips back to my parents place to bring the rest of the clothes and other miscellaneous stuff over, during the week.

We'll be up and out early tomorrow morning, but for tonight.  A little R & R while watching a movie, if we can keep our eyes open!

I love our new home.  Can't wait til it's all in order.  But it's getting there.

Vacation Eve...

When I leave the office today, it'll be for 9 days!  Well, except for the few hours I have to come in on Thursday to take care of a monthly job that has to be run and well, let's just say, there's no one else to do it.  Sophie's winter break is this coming week, so she'll be off with me.  She's very excited to get her room set up.

If I survive the weekend - or rather if Linda allows me to survive the weekend (please, honey!), it'll be a miracle.  I have set things to all happen pretty much during the same 8 hour period of time and I have an image of so many people going up and down the stairs in the entrance of our condo, that it becomes a big blur of men moving in slo-mo if I think about it for too long.

In typical Linda fashion, she is keeping me calm.  She reassures me, as we look over the list of things that will happen, that it's all set to be and to just breathe and let it happen.  yes. it. will. happen.

When we'll actually be starting to sleep there is another story.  Being the eternal optimist (and also the person who deep down wishes we could blink like Samantha on Bewitched and have it all set up to go within 24 hours!), I'm hoping that we can have enough stuff in place to do so on Sunday, but realistically, it may not happen until Monday or later.

Now that certainly doesn't mean that everything will be moved in at that point.  Oh no.  There will be several car loads of the stuff that we have at my parents house, happening throughout the week, but all things in good time, right.

It seems that behind the ancient stove we replaced, there was, among the lack of tile, a dead bird in a recessed area that was there for ventilation.  Yep.  A bird carcass - bones & toes and beak included, was there amongst the nest materials.  Our 'jack of all trades guy' Mike, removed it for us.  Blech-tooey!

Since the ancient stove/microwave was a one piece unit (not sure they still make this), there was no electrical outlet for the microwave to be plugged into.  That's been resolved by Mike.  So the microwave will be installed tomorrow.

We decided instead of trying to match the beige tile on the back-splash, we would be bold and make it red in that area, as a nice contrast to the black electric glass-top stove.  We'll see how that works out when the new tile is installed!

We looked at some furniture last night and will try and line up delivery for some time next week, after the dust settles, literally!

Tonight, I'll go to services and give thanks to the power above that things are continuing to go nicely with our plans and pray for the strength to get through the next week.

And there's always bowling on Sunday night to vent any frustrations I may have!

Shabbat Shalom.

Huh? A loss? A primary?

With all that's been going on our lives this past week - closings, deliveries, phone calls (SO many phone calls) to coordinate yet even more deliveries and other services, I've failed to write about the other things that happened outside of little corner of the world.

First off, though we couldn't watch the game, as it was on some CST station and we don't have it (Y#P(*Y#P(&[email protected]#), the UCONN women were handed their first loss by those slime-lizards Rutgers women.  It's not quite the same as being stomped by Tennessee, but it sure wasn't a good thing either.  So close a score, but still a loss.  Maybe it was a good thing that we couldn't see it as it was happening.  I still predict that we'll see UCONN in the Final Four.  No doubt about it!

The CT primary happened and I didn't see many people out voting when I cast my vote for Hillary at 6:30am.  And then when I was at a different polling site collecting signatures for Love Makes A Family from 7-9am, I noted that they weren't having a good turnout either.

Are people so disgusted that they figure it's better not to get involved?  That's pretty sad if it's true.  Every vote counts and if you don't vote, you have nothing to complain about.  You just gave UP your right to bitch and moan about who's in charge.

I won't say another word about the condo, except that shopping will be happening this weekend.  And as it does not involve CLOTHES shopping, I'm a happy camper! 

Oh and I'm sure we'll have to stop into the condo a few times over the weekend to check on things.  I think we may actually bring some beach/camp chairs so that we have a place to sit in there!

Shabbat Shalom.

Appliances - - Part 1

The appliances arrived today.  However, the stove was damaged and the microwave box  (the actual box that the appliance was in) was so banged up, the delivery guys and I made the decision that it would also be returned with the stove.

Those 2 items will be delivered on Friday.

What DID come today were the refrigerator, the washer & dryer and the dishwasher.  The deal is that they remove the old appliance and set up the new ones.  Well, it seems what they didn't tell me was that in Connecticut, only plumbers can install the dishwasher.  So the old one remains and the new one sits in the middle of the kitchen.

Luckily, my real estate agent gave me numbers for every possible issue that could arise, so I was able to line up a plumber to meet me at the condo at 8am this morning and take care of the dishwasher.  While he's there, I'll ask him to give me an estimate on replacing both toilets and some other small plumbing things.

While the appliances were being installed, I was able to make some other calls to the painter (who is coming on Saturday morning to give me an estimate on wallpaper removal and painting in the bathrooms) and the electrician (who hasn't called me back yet).

I really am hoping that we can be living in the condo by the 16th.  We'll see if that aggressive plan works out.

Last night I made a list of all the furniture stores in the area that we can check out.  It's frightening just how ugly furniture can be and yet, just how much they can charge for it!  sigh.