Fresh list

One thing I can easily reconcile myself to, here in August of '07, is the realization that we ain't moving anywhere out of town for at least another year and a half. Just not possible. Between our usual destitute financial sitch and the taxes we'll owe next year on the stocks we liquidated this year, there's no way we'll be able, short of winning Lotto, to save enough to get the hell out of Dodge (Jax) in the near future. Might be able to move within the city, but we just won't be able to attain the financial stability to move north. Good to recognize it now, I think. Keep my head outta the clouds on that score. Of course it helps that we've had a really mild summer (in my head anyway)...I entered a remarkably tolerant phase where heat and humidity are concerned, somewhere around May 12...not going to knock it or analyze it, just enjoy it while it lasts. Well, not analyzing it is a lie; I know I'm loving the rain whenever/wherever it happens because we had such a dry, destructive spring. But the humidity just hasn't been bothering me...heck, yesterday was about the first day that felt like summer in my book (in August! Your average Floridian would most certainly disagree with me on this score...we've certainly had some "90" days before now.) And the SC trip we took recently recharged me nicely, and in spite of the sucky sleeping arrangements there now, we'll still keep traveling up there about 4 times a year, so...

So what now? Get our current living arrangement more tolerable, that's what, and plan smartly for the future. That means lists, categorizing all the "stuff" in my head. There's so much up there, it oughta leak out my ears, but since it can't, it just gets jumbled and overcrowded and presses against my impatience nerves, where I berate myself for not doing enough until I can't do that anymore, and then I explode and take it out on Husby, which is totally unfair, because while he could do more, he also deals with a helluva lot more pain on a daily basis than I do (my current back issues notwithstanding). He doesn't yell, himself; the guy's so gentle he almost seems spineless (which he's not)...makes it doubly unfair for me to take my frustration out on him. The guy's a human teddy bear, just sits there looking cute and taking abuse.

Where was I? Oh yeah, lists...I'll just start in one room and work my way out. This is for organizing/moving furniture and boxes in the apartment.
1. Dining room

• Finish emptying the CD bookcase, move that bookcase to the bedroom (on top of the coffee table for knitting and religious study books and small altar)
• Fill gaps made from book transfers (to bedroom) with books that are still boxed.
• Box and label the children's books.
• Cull the books again and label the boxes for Chamblin's.
• Decide whether the glass-topped coffee table is worth keeping.
• See if you can get a real table from Mom (is that large one still under their bed, or did Dad's office "acquire" it when he passed?)...price large fold-up tables if the fam can't spare one.
• Toss the corkboard once another table has been acquired.
• Measure where the filing cabinet is, and determine if one of the litter boxes could go there.
• Cull the crap in the boxes currently under corkboard.
• Check easy chair for cat damage and think about patching. See if cushion for said chair needs repair.

2. Living room

• Reorganize the current boxes, find better places for them.
• Decide if one or both of the dust-catching end tables are worth keeping.
• Price large area rugs. (old one should be pulled up and replaced, it's beyond nasty)
• Discuss better placement of computer table. (the digital cable placement forces our hand on this one)
• Inspect all cushions on the couch and make repairs.
• Wash the walls (apartment-wide!)
• Dusting and cleaning out of dragon area and corner next to it.
• Get chest/end table from Mom for possible placement in that corner. (one being used as TV table, Mom's keeping the other for now)

3. Hall closet

• Pull out everything and cull.
• Find room on the shelf for the 2nd cat carrier. (not necessary at this time, it's balancing the worktable/corkboard perfectly with the other boxes)

4. Bedroom

• When bookcase gets moved to on top of coffee table, stash boxes will need to be moved back to near wing chair...hideous pile next to wing chair will need reorganization.
• Space so limited in bedroom, not much needs to be done right now...pull out boxes from under bed and reorganize/cull what's in them.

5. Bathroom (includes dressing area/sink)

• Clean out underneath sink, toss every unnecessary thing.
• Scrub countertop, see if there's anything on the market that can bring up the old haircolor spots.
• Clean mirror, and think about a CFB for above it.
• Scrub bathroom floor, john, and shower.

6. Foyer

This area's a catch-all. I'd like to have only 4 things in this area: the potato/onion bin, and 3 canvas hampers for recyclables.

What's required for this to happen:

• Move tool box to better location
• Move Hubbard House boxes to car for delivery
• Don't let trash sit in this area more than 1 day
• Remember to bring green grocery bags back out to car when you see them there
• Buy canvas hampers, label them, and indoctrinate Husby in their use.

There's SO, SO much else...this is just the physical, apartment-y stuff. There's my environmental studies, which have definitely gotten a shot in the arm with Kingsolver's new book. My dreams of having a farm with a garden and animals are taking on new life with this book. I'm wanting to learn to can vegetables and make my own cheese, and grow things! Which means studying first...I want to find the book I have buried somewhere that talks about the when and where of growing things, and I'm going to study the whole section in the Southern Living cookbook about canning, because I'm scared of the concept and I don't want to be! Those are at the forefront hobby-wise, that and the knitting of course. So many irons in the fire there at present, it deserves its own entry...suffice it to say, I'm working baby stuff right now and will soon go back to the bigger items.