Shining

Inspirational song: Shine Like It Does (INXS)

When I agreed to do the move-out cleaning next door, I knew I would be walking into a gluten-filled minefield. Can't say that I expected them to have left an open bag of whole wheat bread on the counter, though. (I'm not mad. I'm smiling as I write this, picturing them panicking while packing a couple of sandwiches for the road, before pulling out of town.) 

I did a general walk-through of the neighbor's house this morning, noting the areas that need the most work before it's rental ready. Then I set about cleaning the kitchen first, to make it safe for me to be over there. I only had a couple hours max before the kids were due at my house, so I barely got a quarter of that room done. I focused on the column where they stored food and brewed coffee, plus the stove and microwave area. Those spots are shiny clean now. (Thanks, Midwest Magic Cleaning dude, for the tip about all-purpose cleaner made of alcohol and dish soap!) 

The big conversation pit couch has been moved out, taken in by one of our game group folks. This means I'll have to bring in a place for me to sit and rest while I'm cleaning. Conveniently, the garage has a boatload of stuff they couldn't fit in the truck. I'll drag a chair in for my use.

While we had the kids, we made our last big trip to the north Denver (Thornton? Northglenn?) Costco we usually frequent. I asked to detour past our new store on the way home. The Mr drove me around the back side of it, taking a circuitous country road route. We have less than 3 weeks until our store will be open, and yes, I want to be there in the hectic throng on opening day. It will be so nice when it doesn't use up a full charge on the car to get there and back. But if it's closer, and we can go more often and make smaller purchases, will it still be the 400 Dollar Store?

Off

Inspirational song: She's Gone (Hall & Oates)

For real, this time, I got nothing in the tank. I'm still tired from yesterday, and other than babysitting, I don't think I actually did anything to talk about. Brain is mush, so I can't even dredge up a funny memory or poignant story. Have a couple pictures of cute kids in a messy house, and look for more tomorrow.

Wasn't So Bad

Inspirational song: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Warren Zevon)

Months of tying myself in emotional knots and a week of panicking about having a hard conversation had me in quite a state this morning. But after that same conversation went in directions I never could have anticipated, mostly good and helpful, I came home and felt layers of stress peel off of me. By 7:30, I completely shut down. I came into the bedroom, turned on videos about northern European history for background noise, and I slept so hard that I never moved once for like two hours. Apparently I needed this.

Stage one of my decompression was to stop at Gulley's nursery, for the first time in seven years of driving past it at least once a month. It's still early spring, so the annuals weren't set out yet, but the houseplant section was a paradise, and when I walked through the doors to the perennial section, the combined scent of the blooms smacked me in the face. I stopped dead in my tracks and just breathed. What a perfect place to get my brain back on track.

They had tiny succulent "plugs" for sale in a form I'd never seen before. They were in one inch cells, and you just pop them out and put them in a zippy bag, no nursery pot. Is this common elsewhere? I thought it was odd, but I liked it. I got an adorable variegated string of buttons (crassula perforata) for $4.50, after military discount, that way. I also got a super tiny air plant (tillandsia pruinosa) for even cheaper. Prices overall were about average, I guess, but they had a range of sizes, so I am able to get the baby plants I prefer at a nice price.

Making the Best of It

Inspirational song: Mein Herr (Cabaret)

I was still in my bathrobe, halfway through my first cup of coffee, enjoying Athena's morning cuddle time, when T walked in and handed me the keys to his house. We promised to do a video chat once he had a chance to decompress from the drive and love up on his girls a bit. Then a minute later I watched the U-Haul drive past my house, pulling the camper, and followed by T's mom driving A's car. They're really gone. Thus begins a whole new phase of our lives. Farewell, little brother. Safe travels.

I hid from my emotions and returned to my bedroom reorganization. I had left some piles of papers and boxes unsorted while I had too many other cleaning projects on my plate. Technically I have next door to worry about still, but that can wait until the weekend. Today's focus was swapping to fresh sheets, specifically the ones that sleep cooler, now that spring is here, and finding ways to re-store what used to be in a set of shelves that used to be in here. I set out my jewelry boxes that had been crammed in a bin in those shelves, and I'm still working out how to make them look nice. For years, I've been stumped on what to do with a large pewter platter that goes with a punch bowl set my parents handed down to me. Today I found something useful for it, after I agonized over cleaning up a water spill from the plants I keep on my childhood dresser. It's now a plant tray. It's a little overcrowded, but I sort of dig it like that. I still have a little finessing in a few spots, but progress is back on track and I'm happy with that.

By the time game night rolled around, I was emotionally exhausted. Between our best friend moving away and the roller-coaster ride that was the livestream kitten birth I watched while I cleaned my room, I was wrung out. I think everyone there was tired, so I wasn't the only one. More's the pity, because we were playing a complex game (Wingspan). We had to pause it after the second round, take pictures of our scorecards, and pack it up for next week. 

Packed Up and Ready to Go

Inspirational song: Black Betty (Ram Jam)

First, a bit of good news. I had my annual mammogram this morning, and I got another all-clear. I can go another year without worries. Tonight's inspirational song was mandatory, after Mr S-P told me last weekend that every time he hears me say "mammogram," he hears the abovementioned song in his head, and immediately thinks "bam-ba-lam."

The neighbor stayed an extra day to finish packing up his truck and the ratty old camper that his wife loves (and he distinctly doesn't). There is just no way he could fit everything into the size truck he was able to secure, so there will be things left behind until they return in several weeks for whatever it is he has to do with his work. I have promised to help them sort out what's left, and finish the cleanup. Every time he or his mom start to stress over some detail that will be left undone, I promise all over again, "Don't worry. I got you."

We went out to dinner again, since for real now, there is nothing left in the kitchen for them to cook or serve on. So now I'm extra emotional, and feeling even more off because I had a single glass of red wine with my meal. (Who is this lightweight woman?) I'm going to go be verklempt again, worse than yesterday. Talk amongst yourselves.

Almost to the End

Inspirational song: These Dreams (Heart)

The U-Haul is in the neighbor's driveway. It is nearly completely loaded. They (T and his mom who is helping drive) are exhausted and starting to panic pack. I have told them that they don't have to freak out too much. Anything that doesn't fit in this truck, or in the camper that they'll be pulling, can stay here until he comes back in June. Mr S-P went over to help them play Tetris with the boxes and furniture, to pack it as tightly as it can go. When T saw how well he does that, even he had to admit that the Mr knows what he is doing. It was a milestone in their 8 year relationship, that a modicum of respect passed between the boys, in between the perpetual teasing. But it's true. Mr S-P is basically MacGyver.

I went shopping with the kids early today, to run errands with my daughter. They went home an hour early, but that still meant I had them for an extra hour on the whole. I was given a hope that the schedule might change, so that I only have them three days a week, not four. No idea whether that will come to pass, but I would be fine with it. This is a lot of work, and my house is suffering from my lack of surplus energy.

To say thanks for helping pack the truck, T treated us to dinner downtown. It was loud and silly as we always are together. T's mom was noticeably fatigued. She's holding up as best as she can, but I know from experience how hard this kind of labor is. Not surprised she's frazzled. 

I took a couple pictures of the guys while we waited for a table. I know I'll look back on this one and get wistful.

Eggy

Inspirational song: Easter (Marillion)

That little girl seems to like the childhood trappings of Easter. By today, she was really good at hunting down the plastic eggs, and she knew how to convince her grandpa to open them and hand over the chocolate and jelly beans inside. We boiled regular eggs, and grandpa mixed up food coloring and vinegar dyes. Valerie wanted to watch the eggs dye the whole time, but once she understood how long 30 minutes was, she hopped off her kitchen chair and played other pursuits. (I explained to her that it would take as long to dye the eggs as it takes our favorite carpet cleaning YouTuber to complete one whole rug. She comprehended.)

The kids were a whole lot today. Not in a bad way, just in a wear the stuffing out of grandparents way. We had been told we would have a short day, but it ended up running an hour longer than usual. I've been sitting perfectly still since they left, wondering if it's bedtime yet. I'm finally ready to say yes, it is. Happy Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and whatever else we can think of worth celebrating, big or small.