Sunday, July 30

Went to the library. This library is open on Saturday and Sunday. It looks like it is brand new. So cool.

Got three mysteries to read. Hope I haven't read any of them before. I get confused easily with which ones I have read and which I haven't. I try to read one author at a time, as usually they have their stories go through a progression or a series of sort. But it is hard to remember whose books I have read and if they have any new ones out. I like to try to start reading new authors, but get fearful that the books will not be interesting. I need to spend more time picking out the books than I usually allow myself.

home and bed

Pictures of our living room. Boring, I know, but we finally got our roman shade blinds. Then we had to get valances. Thanks to Anna's Linens, they didn't break our bank account too much. The paint job was done by our loving family. Throw pillows on sale at Anna's Linens also. The runner on the table will probably be changed as soon as I can make new ones. I think the house has a homey feeling to it. Warm and cozy. The wall decorations were gifts from Mom and Dad (Les and Joanie). I am not much of a decorator, but I do know that it feels comfortable, so I like it.

Also, my bed is starting to be my friend again. I had quite a spell where I could not sleep. I would start out in bed, then move to the couch, and then finally to the floor, then back to the couch or bed. But finally, I am getting better sleep. I still have to move to the couch for about an hour during the night, but hope that gets better soon too. I wonder if I am sleeping better because I bought a mystery to read and have been reading periodically. Maybe that calms me down or something. I just finished it, so I had better go get another. I will check out the local library, otherwise, I end up with too many books that I have bought and I don't really like to re-read books.

the bed is not my friend for now

I am having a love-hate relationship with my bed. I fall asleep now, but then 45 minutes to an hour later I wake back up. Legs start tingling. Can't lie still. I thought it was getting better, but it isn't. I try not to think about it. I try relaxation techniques, but even those don't work. The urge to move my legs to get rid of the tingling, itchy feeling is just too great. I sometimes try rocking myself to sleep. That doesn't always work and I have to move to the couch to do that, so as not to wake Dave. The couch is even getting unfriendly to me. I was lucky tonight because I have been able to sit at the computer for a long enough time to write some short posts.

Guess I will try to read a book, but that doesn't always catch my atttention enough to keep me still. If that doesn't work, I could try doing some leg exercises and see if that helps.

How the house is shaping up.

Bedroom with new curtains. I want to make the tabs at the top so they hide and maybe shorten the curtains.












The living room. We still need to get pictures hung and the new shades haven't come yet.















But it looks warm and cozy and inviting to me. Maybe some throw pillows would be good also.











Dave's office. I wonder if we should paint the white wall with the green. The green looks good.



My office with yellow sheers. I have a picture or two to put up that will look great in this room.

Ikea takes you for a ride

I forgot to tell about our trip to Ikea the weekend before last. We went on Sunday, thinking that we could find a small kitchen table and chair set. The parking lot was in overflow mode. I considered telling Dave that we should go somewhere else. But we both were curious about what the big deal was. There were people in the parking lot directing the traffic. We couldn't believe it. Walking in was like walking into Cedar Point. You get a map and a pencil to mark off the items you want to pick up at the end in the furniture pickup. You have to stay on map's dotted line otherwise you get lost. There were crying kids, crying adults, wall-to-wall humanity, interspersed with furniture and shelves and bins. The items for sale sprung up randomly. It was a nightmare for agorophobic interverted individuals. Somehow Dave and I were able to find a table, possibly the perfect table for our kitchen. It is a half-circle with a rectangle that is the drop leaf, so that two, possibly four can fit at the time. We picked out two inexpensive chairs. I also begged for one more piece of furniture in my office (to make an L shape of my computer desk so that I can make notes with my left hand). All of these pieces needed to be picked up in the Furniture pick up area on the first floor. We were on the second floor. We tried going back the way we came, but the rush of humanity pushing forward toward their goal was too great and we were forced to conform and follow "the path". Now without the map, I doubt we would have found our way downstairs, even with the signs and the arrows on the floor. It was just to confusing. Sometimes, it seemed like a particular mean-spirited haunted house where you are turned back onto the path you just came.

Well, as you can guess, we made it out of there and yes we even were able to pick up the unassembled furniture and take them home. Assembling furniture - that is another story to tell. Dave and I are not the best people to try to assemble things together with. I think I know how to do everything, and Dave hates doing it and those two attitudes do not go along well.

Sunday, July 16

The heat is getting slightly unbearable. Our new house is holding up well under the onslaught of heat. Air conditioning set at 74, but actual is 78. Dave has been writing his football preview article all day yesterday and today. Yesterday I did a lot of errands, bought curtains, did grocery shopping, etc. I got a good deal at Anna's Linens. I will post some pictures of the rooms as soon as I have everything done that I wanted to get done and I get my office organized and I can find my camera and the connection that goes with it to the computer.

homeowners, part 2

Dave and I got up and had breakfast, the first one together in our new house. Then we got around and went outside to take care of the yard. That was the one thing we really didn't want to have to do with owning a home. I pulled weeds and Dave dug up the weeds growing between the cracks in the driveway and sidewalk. There were a lot of weeds, they had gotten out of control. Hopefully we can stay on top of the upkeep for the summer. We have someone who cuts the lawn for us, but there are still the weeds in the flower beds and driveway. I can't believe all the work that Dave did today. He got a lot done while I went to the store later in the afternoon. Dad and Mom stopped by because they were in the area. Dave told them that he was cursing me with every weed he pulled because I was the one that wanted a house to live in instead of an apartment. But I think the exercise is good for both of us. I have lost about 5 pounds and Dave's weight has come down a little also.