I returned from church to find BC had dropped off the pole and brackets, yay, some assembly required, no problem---except that the pole turned out to virtually span the garage from side to side.

I don't have tools to saw an iron pipe, for one thing, and for another, I don't particularly want to saw it. So...I raised it up and ran it side-to-side on a level with the cabinets. It isn't ideal, being unsupported in the middle, but it'll work for now. This leaves me with both brackets and studs...a rack with a shorter length of pole can always go into another room.

It certainly is eye-opening as to how cluttered the garage is. I went through a pile, and it featured two quilted queen bedspreads, a chenille bedspread, a comforter, an afghan and a MONSTER of a polyester patchwork comforter. That's one pile, and does not include a plastic laundry basket full of towels and linens, a stepladder that's almost completely buried in stuff and an ironing board, covered with IDEK. And that? Is just the landry area. Correction: PART of the laundry area.

Small victories...one at a time....
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Earlier in the week, I sent missybrat a communique about a free movie (HOOT) showing in the park downtown last night. When she called me last night, though, to ask what time I wanted to meet up with her, I was less than enthusiastic. Too much time spent doing laundry, and a violent aversion to Luke Wilson---I've seen too fucking many ATT commercials, period.

She came over, let me snivel for a while, then took me up to Titusville for a really good dinner buffet that I've never been to before. Usually I'm all about the salmon, but their teriyaki pork chops were divine. Also discovered that I like fried green tomatoes. Mb was bemused that a born-Yankee gal like me enjoyed such a Southern delicacy, but I reminded her that I *detest* sweet potatoes, which balances it out.

Originally, we were going to go to Home Depot (me still doggedly trying to get the wood for the rack), but I opted for dinner first, since I envisioned wood poking out of her window, and I didn't want it to disappear while we were in the restaurant. After three trips to the buffet and dessert, we were dismayed to realize it was 9 PM---however, since Home Depot was a parking lot away from where we were, we cruised over there anyway, and were delighted to discover they're open til 10 on Friday.

I now have the necessary 2x4s to complete the rack--BC is bringing over the other materials tomorrow morning---and it gets better! While I was wandering through the store, I spent some time on the plumbing aisle. But let me digress....

Owing, perhaps, to too much fiber in my diet, my hall toilet got clogged the other day, and plunging did not solve the problem. The last time I was in a similar situation, the plumber charged me $100 for less than 15 minutes work. (I don't have $100, period.) I called over to the MI Home Depot, asking if they rent toilet snakes, was told no, but they sell a $39 thing-a-ma-thing that does the same thing. (I don't have $39, at least not until next weekend.) Found a "Household Toilet Auger" (per the packaging), which cost $8 and solved the problem neatly. Doncha just love it when the so-called experts don't know wtf they're talking about?!

After Home Depot, we detoured to Mb's, where she corrupted me with a yummy cup of chai tea and let me sit there loving on her SO's akita. (Jazzy---a beautiful, muscular bitch with the most dense fur I've ever felt.) Both J and Cesar Millan stress that affection should only be given when the dog is in a calm, submissive state. I wouldn't swear to submissive, but Jazzy is always calm, so I didn't worry about it.

Got home around 11 and found my second wind---or it might have been the chai---and watched marathon eps of "The Dog Whisperer" while I worked on my room. Specifically, I worked on my cedar chest, which has been a total nightmare for months. Or longer---I found stuff there dated 2007. Got it down to bare wood, at least temporarily. Also took care of the landslide that avalanched off of said chest---I'm damn pleased to report thet the only things currently occupying the space between chest and bed is a pair of fuzzy slippers. What's more, they match. I spent the cold snap in January in mismatched slippers because I couldn't find the second one. Maybe when I tackle the floor in front of the closet, I'll run across the mate to the other pair....

Was up til nearly 4 AM, but not tripping over things on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night is totally worth it!
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Yesterday, I moved my cedar chest to get to the outlet behind it, which destabilized the mounds on top of it. So that's what I've been doing today: clearing it off.

It's still a WIP, but between the stuff there and the stuff in the garage, I've done a load of whites*. Almost done, anyway---they're in the dryer at the moment. Also have a load of darks on deck. and that's great, but now I'm frazzled about wtf I'm going to put them all when they're done. the hanging space I have there now is maybe 5 feet long and is very cramped as it is.

To that end, I'm spoken to missybrat, who's going to schlep over to Home Depot with me this evening so I can get those freaking 2x4s so I can make that freaking rack. Which means I also need to get BC to put the rod and brackets where I can get at them.

His boards were in crappy shape---he accused me of wanting "pretty" wood, and to the extent that I don't want weathered, splintery and nail-ridden, he's right. Scored a pair of galvinized saw horse brackets and a 12-foot length of metal conduit pipe, though, which reduces the cost by about $15.

Small victories, I keep telling myself....


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* Oh, and I found a pair of off-white cotton drawstring pants. Gee, they've been lost long enough for them to be seasonally appropriate again!
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I've got a load going in the washer and another in the dryer and a pile earmarked as "Next!". So far, it's mainly been clothing---bedding is a whole 'nother marathon.

Today's surprise find was a grey and white top that GK brought down during her January visit--again, I wore it twice and it disappeared into the Black Hole of Dirty Clothes. Also uncovered a navy tank from the stack atop the dryer. I know I should have a bunch of tanks---at one point, I bought, like, six of them at one time---but *finding* them, ah, THAT'S the trick.

Two bras are soaking in detergent and water---one of my good Cacique bras accidentally got "boiled" and turned a very grungy grey, the other one is just old---and preparing to wash my blue pin-striped jacket, which isn't so much dirty as it is icky---a client affectionately nicknamed Slobberhound drooled all over it.

Called BC to see if I could get him to make a Home Depot run with me for materials for the clothing rack. (Home Depot, 5.5 miles. Habitat ReStore, 30 miles. Not worth it unless they're giving it away.) Told him what I want to get, and he thinks he has all of it on the premises. I'm going over there later to inspect it, because if it's rusty and harboring termites, I'll pass. There are times when even beggars have to be choosy. Still, it's one thing that's going right.
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Tuesday I finally got to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Liked it. Different from the book in places, but still entertaining. Sean Bean is as hot as ever. Pierce Brosnan looks good in a beard---I didn't have a single "OMG it's Ronald Reagan!" moment. Uma Thurman made one sexy Medusa. And the chick who played Annabeth should be cast as a young Elizabeth if White Collar ever does flashbacks---she looks like she could grow up to be Tiffani-Amber Theissen.

House-sitting has its moments. One thing about the location, it's convenient to everything. Three minutes from the mall, groceries, bookstores, gas, J. Maybe if I ever hit the lottery, I'll get a place in the neighborhood. But NOT on this street, because it's really freaking noisy. Maybe because there are canals behind the houses on either side of the street and things echo? Plus, my street curves, and this one is a straight line, which may also affect the acoustics. But jeez, every yappy dog, every rumbling pick-up truck, every $#%&ing weed-whacker---!

Today, the lawn service arrived at EIGHT A.M. This should be outlawed. Not to mention the yard was downright tidy by my standards, which are admittedly elastic. Ditto housekeeping---their weekly cleaner showed up just before 10, as I was dragging my sleep-deprived butt out of bed to watch SPN. (What Is and What Should Never Be---I love that one for Carmen; then again, MY Carmen was quite the domme.)

Cleaner was upstairs for almost three hours (cleaning bathroom grout with a toothbrush? IDEK---as long as it wasn't my toothbrush, IDC), during which I managed to scribble a few pages. (Strange computers are hard for me to write on; steno pad to the rescue. I *really* need a laptop!) By that time, I was OVER it. I hadn't had breakfast, because I didn't want to make a mess, I was hungry and tired of listening to her caterwauling along with her MP3 player---I couldn't make out any of the words, but she's not going to be on American Idol any time soon.

I went home to check my mail---picked up a box of chicken on the way---found a note from BC asking me to call (and wanting to know why I don't have an answering machine. Answer: Because I'm a Luddite, and also because it helps me avoid drama---sbjb, YOU know what I mean. I've got my real friends trained to e-mail me, as I seldom go more than a few hours without checking in.).

BC has become quite obliging of late. He brought over his loppers, the better to lop back the schiffilara that was trying to block the garage door. He cut that back, snipped the overgrowth on the confederate jasmine, and said that he'd be happy to help move any of my stuff from Kat's, just say the word. We've traded food pantry items: He likes powdered milk, I'm always on the lookout for free caffeine.

Last week, he brought me those plants that Kat had ordered last fall---today I dug up the bed in front of my front porch and planted the hydrangeas---hopefully we won't have any more frost! I also loosened the soil in the pots that held the begonias last year, readying them for whatever I do this spring. Kat's pink pampas grass is more problematic, as it wants full sun. {Possibly the NE corner? Hmm. Must mull over.)

Another activity I performed was napping in my own comfy bed. There really is no place like home! At its best, it's a pit compared to the C's at their worst, but by golly, it's MY pit. Only four more nights....
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I'm getting better at making sure all my dishes are done before I go to bed. And last night, I grabbed a bunch of boxes that had accumulated and chucked them into the garage---I can still get at them if/when I need them, but they aren't taking up space in my dining room. I need to make a concentrated push on that, because I'm inheriting a cabinet I need to make room for.

It's a big white MDF/laminate with double doors, about three feet wide, and it's big enough to help me reorganize my kitchen. (I hate my kitchen, I hate my kitchen, I HATE my kitchen! No, "hate" is NOT too strong a word.) I tend not to use my under-counter cabinets because they're hard to get into, so this should help me get everything accessable. All the Pyrex, Corningware, pots, pans, slow cookers and other plug-in appliances in one spot, woohoo.Which has the side benefit of freeing up a cabinet for that Fiestaware. :D

The thing is, in order to put it in the most sensible spot, IE, next to the kitchen, I have to move the bookcase that's currently occupying that space...back to where it used to be. Thanks to my recent efforts, the most complicated part of this operation is taking the breakables off so I can slide it across the room. Then, of course, I need to clear enough of a path between the front door and where it's going to get it there. BC will transport it, per GK, but I'm going to tell him to get it in the front door and I'll move it the rest of the way, because he's too impatient and snarky---getting my mattress and box-spring in was a major pain in the ass last summer.

Onward....

The weather today is absolute SLOP. Gray and drippy from the moment I woke up. You might think, from that, that I'm down, but actually, I'm not.

( I went through the Great Big Tote O' Shiny (aluminum) and consigned some of it to Goodwill or whoever. The rest of it I organized by size and shape, so that I have a better idea of what I've got.... )

I might get a little bit more done this weekend, but mostly I'll be focused on writing for a deadline. Starting next Wednesday, I'll be cat-sitting while Kat's away, with access to her sewing machine. (Soon to become my sewing machine in exchange for services!) My plan is to hem a tablecloth to match the new chair covers in the dining room and create new drapes for the sliding glass doors. The chairs should be simple enough to recover; I've turned one over and the pads are only held in place with a few screws. The dining room is small enough for the results to show quickly, which is what my short attention span needs.

Sometimes I need to remind myself that I'm working *toward* something. In this case, my bedroom has been a Pit for...quite a while now. I'm making progress on it, but it's a case of forest? What forest? I don't see any forest---all these damn trees are in the way.

Right now, the walls are chocolate pudding brown. NOT the color I had in mind, but the paint was free...back in 1992, when I was working 3rd shift and sleeping all day. There's not much cohesiveness to it---there are three different patterns on the three curtains (two windows and the closet). The platform bed is big and stained dark brown. There's other clutter, but hopefully, all that will be gone when it comes time to fix the preceding stuff.

My thought/dream/fantasy is a vacation retreat. I want to find a paint color that's a pale aqua, like a swimming pool kissed by the sun---walls and ceiling both. I want to paint the platform and headboard of the bed white, as all that dark wood seems to suck the light out of the already dull room. If I could get rid of the current headboard entirely and replace it with something less massive---it blocks access to one window---that would be even more awesome.

I have several chenille bedspreads (enough to rotate them) and I'd love to coordinate the curtains with the rest of the bedding. Not necessarily matching, but harmonious shades and one print that's reflected in the drapes and a pillow or three. That probably means finding a bed-in-a-bag type collection and getting a couple extra flat sheets. Or buying a whole bolt of inexpensive fabric and making the curtains and a couple shams to match.

The west wall, behind which lies the bathroom, currently has a clock there---that can be moved elsewhere. I have a unit that's about 3'x3'---it's already white, huzzah!---and I'd like to mount it on that wall to display my boxes. I've always had a fascination with various decorative receptacles---wood, metal, ceramic---and having them all grouped together in one place makes it a collection.

I have a small Victorian table I can paint white, ditto the black wrought iron fishtank stand that serves to hold my TV and electronics. The bookshelves will go elsewhere. The cedar chest will go elsewhere.... *breathe in, breathe out, visualize, relax*

Cheerleading is appreciated.

Today did not go quite as planned. missybrat was unwell and unbribable (Feel better soon, love!). I have not yet shopped; since BC and I are visiting food banks tomorrow, I decided to hold off on major shopping, although I may make a caffeine run in a bit.

As I expected, BC was ameneable to bribery; after the aforementioned banking, we're going to do the a/c installation and shift the mattress, not necessarily in that order. He gets money and gets to keep/recycle the dead a/c. (And welcome to it, I say.) Plus, he's got some copper wire for me, as apparently the price has gone down drastically since this time last year.

Today's talk was by a gentleman in our congregation who's also a writer, and his topic was "Last Words"---in the context of how the end of a piece of fiction should bring a kind of closure to the work. After the CRAP WRITING that was last night's two-hour Harper's Island finale, I was savagely amused by the irony. (Crap! Crap! Crap! Can you tell I was furiously dissatisfied?!) The talk, though, was very inventive---he'd printed out a number of final passages and distributed them for us to read aloud---without telling us what they were from. Some of us guessed---I knew several, including the one I got, which was To Kill a Mockingbird (which was pretty easy---where else are you going to find people named Scout, Jem and Atticus?).

Afterward, I came home and posted a wee drabble for Harper's Island, here and at Pit of Voles. Not much action here, but the hit counter over there is rolling over nicely, plus I've had 2 comments and been favorited 4 times. W00t, go me!

Went to SUPPER club tonight---it's been moved to Sundays, which I like much better, actually. Very small group, just three others, but one of them was LadyJ, and we always get along famously. Early on when we met, she said we'd known each other in previous lives as Carmelite nuns. I'm inclined to believe her, since I've had a lifelong "thing" about nuns. I wasn't raised Catholic, although I grew up in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood---8 AM meant the bells for Mass at St. Michael's.

I got to the restaurant early and knocked out a few hundred words on my post-apocalyptic western a/k/a the Jericho WIP. Have gotten them transcribed, and now I'm going to watch some BoB.

And in less than 24 hours, I will have a/c and a comfortable bed, deo volente....

I finally got those begonias planted---it only took two weeks!---and on my way out the door, discovered BC had been there in the form of a note saying he wants to move the mattress today and will condescend to accept the $5 I offered. Well, gee. I'm halfway tempted to tell him to go fish, but I'm tired of waking up in acute pain. I'll call him after a while, because right now, it's too damn hot to move.

The pink begonias look nice, but now I'm thinking---what am I going to do while I'm house-sitting? I'll be doing enough extra driving around...better pray for scattered showers...oh well, they were under $3, it won't be the end of the world if they don't survive.