Acres Of Laundry

Just think about it. Washing every single piece of clothing you and your partner own. Plus towels, sheets, kitchen linens, blankets, scarves, mittens, etc. All at once (or, within two weeks). And you can't wash it at home. And then it can't COME home, it has to wait for the new house.

It's a mountain of laundry. All washed, neatly folded (thanks, Mom!), packed into massive garbage bags, and stored at my dear sister-friend's house until we move.

And it's only about 2/3 done. (and let's not even think about the ironing)

The upside to all this is that our house will be full of sparkling clean things. Every single thing, wiped down, washed within an inch of its life, or brand new. That's kind of awesome.

Oh, there's a downside to all this maniacal cleaning and vicious, ruthless purging of possessions, followed by storing most of our things for a couple months. There are tons of downsides. But there are also upsides, which are plenty:

1. See above statement about "all shiny clean"
2. No unwanted junk!
3. Serious psychic baggage offload
4. Finding furniture to fit the space (rather than cramming existing furniture into new space)
5. I'll finally learn to iron my clothes
6. We'll start using the 'good' china
7. New housekeeping habits
8. Two months of zen-like Spartanism
9. Serious reliance on the library
10. I didn't want all that money piling up in my savings anyway...

But seriously. Although this is one of the most major hassles of my life to date (if not THE greatest hassle), my little Virgo kind of likes some of this process.

OK. I am all threadbare and rundown and it's time for bed. But I'm so grateful my mom came to visit and help. We had a lot of fun, and I think that helped more than anything. I was starting to fall into the deep black pit of Taking Things Too Seriously.

Another shortie...

For those who were curious... the crazy housekeeping book is the wonderful Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. It's great. If you're into that sort of thing. Clearly I *need* to be more into that sort of thing.

Today was fun. Great company, fun movie (Twilight -- I loved it), fun crafts and kitchen adventures (making marshmallows!) and Mom is here tonight. Good stuff.

More later. Brain on low-function setting.

Black Friday

I'm so tired I can barely think, but Mom and I went out today to do some shopping. It really wasn't too bad. She got some great deals and I did some research on some things we'll need for the new house. It was really fun to shop with my mom, haven't done that in a long time.

OK, I actually am too tired to write. Going to bed. Thankful, so thankful, that we still have our bed (for now). I love bed. snkrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

In Which I Lose Patience Altogether

Class was dumb. Beyond dumb. I started asking pointed questions, which the teacher could not answer.

Checked on puppies, only to find that mama dog had had diarrhea. Everybody had poopy paws. Pitfalls of being a petsitter I guess. That was really, really gross. And did not help my mood.

Get home. Cats are complaining loudly about food that they don't like. They will just have to complain because they aren't getting anything else. They are very pitiful.

I need a shower and I need to go straight to bed before anyone gets hurt.

Snacks

I have the feeling the menu around here for the next couple of weeks is going to be featuring a lot of snacks. I just cleaned out the cupboards for Food Bank donation and tossed anything messy/open. So basically I have vanilla extract and a can of tomatoes in the cupboard. And I don't want to stock up on anything before we move. So... snacks.

Today's menu was:
Coffee (I have coffee one morning each weekend, that's my coffee limit for the week)
Half a donut (special request from Terri, and the bad thing is, we'll soon be very close to the best donut shop in the East Bay)
Chex Mix (using up large amounts of cereal)
Quesadilla (last tortilla, last bit of shredded cheese)

I haven't figured out dinner yet. I'm thinking maybe salad, although it's quite cold in here because we are keeping all the windows open as much as possible to air it out.

I feel like eating like kids (or maybe starving students?). PB & J's. English-muffin pizzas. Ramen. The quinoa-avocado yummy thing. We don't eat any of that stuff usually (except the quinoa thing, which we eat regularly), but I don't feel like making anything that requires lots of effort or investment of time. Usually I love to cook but I'm too busy sorting and tossing!

I am also proud of myself that I went out for a little 2-mile jog this afternoon. I need to do this regularly, and my new running shoes seem to be helping my knee. Bay To Breakers in May, baby!

PS: I decided we'd have brown rice, broccoli and red peppers for dinner. So much for PB & J.

The Great Divide

(I forgot to post this yesterday so let's just pretend it's Saturday, okay?)

My good friend V. came over today to help us with The Great Divide. The goal is to have ONLY what is coming with us (with the exception of certain pieces of furniture which are being sold but are still in use) in the apartment. Everything else, in the garage, waiting for Craigslist or the garage sale or, eventually, the Salvation Army truck which is coming the day before we move.

We made HUGE progress. I was ruthless. It felt great. It's very nice knowing the the Salvation Army truck is coming at the end of all this to take everything away -- it helps to know that once it's out of the house, I won't have to deal with it again except to put it someone else's hands in one form or another.

If it was porous or questionable (as in, do we really want/use this?), out it went. We are going to try to take as few mold spores with us as possible. It is strongly recommended that we set up a 'waystation' in a storage space to clean everything before bringing it to the new house. This seems like a good idea. A hell of a lot of work and hassle, but a good idea. We will probably do some form of this, not sure exactly what form yet.

Terri worked at sorting books. This is a huge job. We have five or six large bookshelves full of books. Most of these will be sold or given away. They are like babies -- how do you choose what to keep? Even what we keep will have to be 'cleaned' in some way so again, incentive to reduce the 'keep' pile. I reduced my cookbook collection by half. And then got rid of a few more. That was hard.

What's left? Going through things one more time and deciding on the heart-tuggers (the little pitcher I love but never use, the small box of ribbons, the art supplies, etc.). Straightening up from the giant rummage-fest. Listing things on Craigslist. Making garage sale signs.

However, we did SIGN THE LEASE. Done deal. Thank goodness. And drove through our new neighborhood on a bright, sunny, pretty fall day. We are very excited to be moving there.

This house is starting to smell more moldy. I think it's the change in weather. It makes me very anxious to get out ASAP.

Soon, I will be able to post our happy new housekeeping stories, with photos. Soon, we will have a clean, fresh, healthy house. We're in the home stretch. Only 3 weeks (or less?).

One More Day

She's supposed to call us tomorrow to let us know if we got the place for sure. She said we can give our 30 days' notice, but she's still checking our references. Hmm. I think I'll wait until we have the final OK to give notice.

I had extreme anxiety today. I'm irrationally afraid that she will decide not to rent to us. Terri was very wise and said, "If she decides not to rent to us, it's because it wasn't right. We are being protected." Is my sweetie smart or what? That was exactly what I needed to hear.

Also, I had lunch in Woodside with a good friend today. It was great. Woodside is this extremely cute, extremely foo-foo, rustic-horsey Ritchie Rich town. I'd never been there. Um, it's pretty. Like, really pretty. And full of SUVs.

Also: I think I want to make this for Thanksgiving. I also have a dessert contest this week at work for our big Thanksgiving pot luck luncheon we do every year. I wonder what I should make? There was a photo of an amazing cake on the cover of Bon Appetit this month...

I'm barely doing any reading. I'm just way too overstimulated with everything that's happening at once. I have got to calm down this week.

Once we know about the apartment, one way or the other, I will feel much better.

Oh, the other thing about the new place (crossing fingers that it *is* our new place) is that it's just a few blocks away from a great branch of the Oakland library!

(insert appropriate metaphor here)

Rock and a hard place?

When one door opens, another door closes?

I can't think of the right one.

Terri got turned down for disability again; they claimed that she is able to work. I can't believe this. Apparently it's all "to be expected" and part of the process, but it still sucks.

For someone who wants to work as badly as Terri does, it's just insulting to say that she could work but just doesn't want to (or whatever it is they think). They claim she could walk 6 hours a day. She can't walk a half-hour a day. They say should can lift 20 pounds throughout the day. She can barely carry a bag of groceries.

I'm so angry I could cry.

I'm glad we have the new place because we'll get out of the mold -- we got some more encouraging examples today of people who started getting better once they get out of mold environments. But I feel like it's such a cruel rollercoaster. Yay! We (hopefully) got the place! Shit, she got turned down for SSDI. Now what?

So now. Now it goes to a judge. We'll have to figure out what we need to do in order to present the most effective case. We have a lawyer. All that stuff. I'm just stunned right now and so angry.

We'll be okay, I have some alternate sources of income that will hopefully work out. I'm creative. I'm frugal. It's just so unfair that all of this had to happen. I get so angry about all of it, especially when something like this happens. As if it weren't bad enough that Terri feels bad 23 hours of the day, then the federal government comes and kicks us when we're down.

Who knows. Maybe the move will give her enough improvement that things will start to turn around. We can't count on it. What else is new?

I'm just mad, sad, shocked, upset, and totally stunned. I may have to go into a frenzy of housecleaning to get my mind off this. What I want to do is cry.

The Universe Has Spoken

OK, for as worried and stressed as I've been the past week, I'm that happy tonight.

We found a place!! It's one block off our favorite walking neighborhood in Oakland, full of cute stores, restaurants, a lovely old movie theater, everything you'd ever want or need in a cute city neighborhood. Also -- it's safe. And no mold!! Yippee!

The apartment itself is also lovely -- we totally lucked out. Or maybe it wasn't luck. More on that in a minute. It's a big, pretty upper apartment in a pretty old-fashioned fourplex. Hardwood floors, a big working fireplace, antique built-in in the dining room, etc. The compromise is the kitchen -- it will require a little 'fiddling' to make it how I want. Plus it's old-fashioned. But, the minute we walked in, we both loved it. We knew at once.

Not just liked, loved. I had a feeling we would, so I had prepared credit reports, applications, references, everything -- all in advance. I wanted to be able to just hand it all over and give it to her right then, if we liked it. And we did.

All during the day we'd gotten signs that something good was coming. All the other places we've looked at hadn't felt right, but this place felt right, even before we saw it. We got multiple signs all throughout the day that this was the right place (or that it was coming). Terri's little totem animal, a hummingbird, came up to the bedroom window this morning. Our neighbor had another one of his gigantic water leaks (spilling through the floor into the garage below, flowing out into the street). Church bells rang when we were inside the apartment, falling in love with it.

After worrying so much about this, this feels like such a gift. Not only do we get to move away from the mold, we get to move somewhere beautiful in a neighborhood that we are so excited about.

Thanks, universe. We really, really needed that. Ok, actually, because I don't want to jinx it, we have it on contingency that our references check out. So... if you get a call this weekend, please say nice things about us. :)

Have A Little Cheese With Your Whine? (edited)

(actually, this post was deemed to whiny by the author -- me. I'll spare you).

Instead, let me tell you about a little piece of heaven that's coming my way the next two weeks. I am going to be taking care of two 4-week-old cairn terrier puppies for two whole weeks.

(these are not the actual puppies, but this is what they look like. Can you believe the cuteness?)

Don't worry, they are still with mama-dog. I'll be taking care of her, too. How could I resist baby puppies?? I couldn't.

Two weeks of snuggly, wiggly, frisky, round-bellied puppy love. I can't wait.

How 'Bout This Place?

Comes with cute doggie across the street!

Actually, the place where this was taken (across the street) was a dump. It was hard to be polite while I was trying not to breathe (sooooo dirty).

Then I looked at two places that were definitely NOT dumps. But, had their downsides. However, they were approximately one million times better than the first place. If only they had that one thing (or, well, maybe two things) that made them PERFECT.

I hate apartment-shopping. I'm getting very tired.

The Bay Area is lovely, but it's not friendly for apartment shoppers. Especially those with any sort of budget. Or those who are worried, tired, and in a hurry.

Posting Will Be Light

We are not at home. We're at family's this week. We got the 'mold report' and the mold that is in our house is one of the bad kinds. So. We left.

Not sure what happens next. We'll be looking with renewed fervor for a new place.

I'll be posting updates but it will be light this week as I'll be sort of all over the place.

More Adventures In Apartment Hunting

Did I mention how much fun it is, looking for apartments?

Here is an email I wrote in response to an ad:

"Hello-

I’m very interested in the house for rent; can you tell me a little more? I can come see it anytime today, and we are hoping to rent very soon. Please let me know.

Thank you very much."

Here is the response I got tonight. For full effect, it's best read aloud. I have not clicked on the link -- I'm afraid. I'm also afraid to call the number. I think... we'll cross this one off the list.

"Thanks for the email. I Rev Ramsey Noah Joseph owner of the 2bedrooms Apartment and,Also want you to know that it was due to my transfer http://www.gowestafrica.org/go/index.php#handsonafrica, that made me and I and My Family leave the Apartment & also want to give it out for rent And looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of It. As we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at The time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its Own. So for now, we are here in West Africa, our new Apartment and also with the Keys of the Apartment , we try to look for an agent that we can give This documents before we left but could not see and we are as well we Don't want our Apartment to be used any how in our absent that is why we Took it along with us. I came over to West Africa for a PASTOR Work, so i hope You will promise us to take very good care of the house. So get back To me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience You have in renting home. Hope you are okay with the price ($1000 Per Month) With hydro, heat laundry facilities, air condition and so on.
I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP so that i can forward you An application to fill out and discuss on how to get the APARTMENT for Rent,you can reach me on my cell phone number # 011234-8087613169 Await your reply.and please fill out the application form below.and also you can go view it and get back to me......Here is the address of the house you can go drive by and look at it and the environment where is located.

***
Did I mention how fun this is?

A Little Adrift

I'm feeling a little adrift. We found an apartment that we like -- it's big, pretty, has a fireplace, old-fashioned picture rails, in a neighborhood in Oakland we like very much, etc. Very large shared yard (with an adorable doggie). We applied. It's up to the owner now. So what's the problem?

The problem is that I can't believe we have to move! It's very hard to accept. I'm trying to get past it and just deal with the current facts. I just feel very anxious about it all. I'm not sure why. We've been praying for some help and some answers... and when those answers come (mold! move! here's an apartment right now!), we're still stuck in anxiety-land. Maybe that's just how it is right now.

I am also feeling a little adrift with my book situation. I'm just not into my current book and I haven't gone to the library to stock up on new reads. So I'm sort of uninspired. Maybe I have post-Terror malaise. You know when a book is so good, anything else you read after that seems blah?

So, what's a girl to do? Well, this girl makes delicious vegetable ratatouille and creamy polenta. And then, perhaps this girl will go to the hundreds of books stacked up in the hall and choose something more engaging. And we'll wait for the answer about whether we get this apartment or not. And then maybe the pieces will start falling into place, instead of me feeling like we're all falling to pieces.

Oops!

We spent last night looking at an apartment that we are really thinking about, and I got totally distracted by the whole considering-a-new-house thing. Oh well. So I missed a day. I think NaBloPoMo will live without my absolute compliance.

The apartment is very tempting. It's lovely, large, has lots of things we want... but we probably have to make up our minds today and it's a lot of pressure!

Anyway. We're looking at it again today at 12:30 and I just hope it's still available, people are looking at it today. Maybe we should call RIGHT NOW and say we want it...

(apartment shopping brings out the crazy...)

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Ok, enough about politics. I'm not even going to go into the passing of Prop 8, it just makes me sick and angry and so very upset. (insert long paragraph about bigotry, homophobia, the contrast between electing Obama and passing Prop 8, and the general small-mindedness of some people. End rant.)

Anyway. Isn't looking for apartments fun? I went and looked at one today. I specifically asked if it had any history of water damage, before I went to see it. "Oh, no! Absolutely not," they say. I go in -- and besides the fact that it's a totally gross apartment -- there's all sorts of water damage in the bathroom. People!!

So. The search continues. This will make apartment number.... eight, since I moved to California 10 years ago. Is that right? I guess it is. Geez. That's a lot of moving for someone who hates to move. I thought I was averaging about two years per place, but apparently not. Please note: many of these moves were prompted by forces somewhat outside my control, i.e. the landlord deciding to sell the apartment, relationship falling apart or solidifying, etc.

I'm reading My Stroke Of Insight -- you may have heard about this book, it's being hyped up to some degree. Anyway, we bought it, it looked good. It's *okay*; it's a poor follow-up to The Terror. Review to come soon. And then I need to make a winter TBR list.

I'll leave you with one more random thought -- why does hair behave only in cycles? Mine goes in like three-week spurts. It's good for about three weeks after I get it cut, and then it goes bad for a few weeks, and then good again. It's currently in a frustrating stage. Naughty hair!

Ok. That's my blog for the day. NaBloPoMo, you may be my undoing.

Change Is Coming (Faster Than I Expected)

Well, things happen in waves, right?

Terri had a doctor appointment today. Basically, once we told him about all the mold results, plus her most recent test results, he said that we have to leave this apartment. She's not going to get better while she's here with all the mold (sez Mr. Doctor). She has the specific genotypes that make it difficult to clear toxins from her body (here's Terri's post on that), so even if it's NOT toxic black mold, her body is being adversely affected by all the mold in our house. And if it IS toxic black mold (we're getting it tested right now), then we have to leave immediately.

As opposed to just very very soon. (here's Terri's post on today's appointment).

So. Well, we never LOVED it here anyway. It's been a fine place, and I have even liked it. But, we've vowed that the next place, we will LOVE, and we won't move until we find that place. Moving always involves so many details, and this move will involve more than most (the mold complicates things), but it's okay. I'm on-board. I think this will be really, really positive. The idea is, once we move and Terri gets the mold toxins out of her body (she's starting treatment for that tonight), then the other treatments will have a chance to take effect.

Things are just changing all over the place. I'm going to take a cue from Obama's election and believe in hope, and believe that it's all positive change. We've made our Apartment Wish List and posted it on the fridge. Now, Universe, it's in your hands.

"It's not a matter of making history books; this may be the *cover* of the history books"

I heard this quote from Juan Williams, apparently not an Obama-lover, on Fox News. He gave an amazing summation of what it means for American to have an African-American president:


Where were you when it happened?

Last night, I left home to go take my test and it looked like Obama was winning. I raced through my test (I don't really even want to know how I did) and ran back to my car so I could listen to the radio again because I had a feeling things were going to move fast. By the time I hit the freeway for my half-hour drive home, it was pretty certain: Obama had won. I cheered in the car -- I would have raised both hands in joy, but I was driving on the freeway. Not only because the candidate I liked had won, but because of what this means for America. Because of the hopes of possibilities that truly, the best people can now rise to the top ranks of leadership, regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual preferences, their religion. Because of the historical import of this moment.

I got home, stayed in the car to listen to the rest of the speech (it was a very good speech) and then ran inside to watch the news. As the TV screens filled with crowds of ecstatic people, it started to sink in. The nightmare of the last 8 years is over. Now we can start fixing things. Whether you like Obama or not, now we can start fixing things. And, we get a young, energetic, idealistic, hopeful, serious, hard-working, cooperative, intelligent man WHO IS NOT WHITE as our leader. This BLOWS MY MIND. I could not be prouder of my country!!

I read this today on Salon.com: "All Americans, whatever their political views or party affiliation, should feel an enormous sense of pride today. The bitter legacy of America's enslavement and unjust treatment of black people remains. But Nov. 4, 2008, will go down in history as the day that, on the highest symbolic plane, the Rev. Martin Luther King's dream that one day his children would be judged "not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" ceased to be a dream and became a reality. Fifty-four years after the Supreme Court ruled that separate schools for black and white children were illegal, 33 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, and just 31 years after the last miscegenation laws were struck down, a majority of Americans chose a black man to be their leader. How many of us thought that we would live to see this day? The tears and the laughter and the disbelieving exultation across America give the answer." (me wiping away a couple more tears...)

When President-elect Obama came out on stage with his beautiful family, his happy little girls, his terrific wife, I started to cry. And then the speech began. The story about the 106-year-old black woman made me cry uncontrollably -- I thought I wouldn't be able to stop. I was so deeply moved at the emotion and amazement and thankfulness for this moment beyond measure. I thought I would start sobbing when I saw Jesse Jackson's face, tears streaming down. (I'm crying right now, as I write this). And then, realizing that for the first time in a long time, anything is possible -- then I felt like joining the people I could hear out on the streets, cheering and crying and jumping up and down in joy.

All day today, as it really sinks in, I just have to take a moment now and again to hold back the tears. I'm so moved by this. My best friend and her mother were pictured at a Jesse Jackson rally, in our small-town newspaper way back in 1988 (remember that?). I can only imagine the tears of joy at her house last night, when everything that they've believed in and worked for, for so long, came to pass.

It won't be easy. He'll make mistakes. People are going to be upset. I'll probably be upset sometimes. But right now, all I can do is marvel at this magic. I'm 34 years old. I've managed to see The Wall come down, gays able to marry (although it looks like that right is now taken away. Makes me sick.). And now, a black president of the United States. Things are changing. Wahoo!!!!

O That I Could Be There When It Happens: Updated

As I write this, we still don't know what's going to happen. But we have a pretty good idea. I hope it comes to pass. I hope, I hope, I hope. Wouldn't we love to be in Chicago tonight?

I'm no Obamamaniac, but I am FIRMLY in the Obama-supporter camp and I don't think words can express how excited I am that a person of color (ANY color!!) is this close to being elected President. I can't imagine a better way for our country to start healing that aching rift. Also, I think he's pretty great and will manage this huge mess we're in while still doing good things. I live in one of the the most diverse areas of our entire country, and I can only imagine the parties that are going on tonight, and the cheers that will (hopefully) erupt later.

I am thrilled to be able to vote for a candidate without feeling cynical or bored or simply plain old dutiful. I feel inspired and excited and like there are actual possibilities. It's also just a really nice change to feel EXCITED on election day, like there's something to be excited ABOUT.

I might as well just throw in the towel for my test right now. I'm not thinking about it at all. I'm trying to some studying but nothing is sticking. Could it be because I am riveted to CNN?

What about you? No matter who you're rooting for, I hope you went out and voted today (or earlier). It's a big day. I'm so happy I can participate.

Update: It happened!! Every single cell in my body is wiggling in happiness. So amazing to have hope and new possibilities. I'm beyond thrilled. Thank you, America!!

(boo!! 8 is passing! That's the only downer right now...)

Don't Stop Believin'

(stealing the idea for the title from D'Arcy)

One more night. Tomorrow everything will be different, one way or another. I'm praying and praying that things will be truly different. (although frankly, whoever it is is going to have to spend the next two years cleaning up the huge mess rather than making any big sweeping changes). We'll be at the polls tomorrow afternoon. I'm very excited. And crossing every finger and toe I have.

Also, if you are in California: please, vote NO ON 8!!! Please vote against hate and discrimination.

I haven't studied very much at all for my test tomorrow night. I get to drop one test, so this might be the test I drop. I just can't get into studying when there's so much else going on. And, honestly, I'm totally uninspired by this class and am having to really remind myself that I'm even taking the class. It's pretty sad.

Well. It's late. We're watching the endless punditing and feeling anxious. It's time for bed.