Hall of Memories

pokchop, have a very Happy Birthday!

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g) In return, you need to post this on your own journal

TSO concert was awesome. Glad I got to see this one as they had the other troup in Florida. Glad to see casualmuse and ladyofdarkstar tonight before the concert. Looks like we'll have to get more than just the slats for the blinds, but that's just how it goes.

Oi. Tired. Excellent concert.

Over the weekend, we had to put our family pet down. The rabbit, Boomie, had either some sort of blockage or tumor in his intestines. He was, quite frankly, in too much pain for us to take him back home.

The worst part of it, for me, was having it trigger the memory of me holding Mom's hand as she died. I still haven't been able to properly greive that, either. We're still in moving hell, trying to get what was Mom's house to become mine.

Guess it's just one of*those* years.

The final product in the House, reflecting many of President Barack Obama's priorities, includes new requirements for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties, fines on Americans who don't purchase coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so. Insurance companies would face new prohibitions against charging much more to older people or denying coverage to people with health conditions.

Let's break that down.

new requirements for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties

That's okay. You don't have to buy the insurance, you just have to provide it. Let's keep that key point in mind.

fines on Americans who don't purchase coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so

So, if you can't afford what your work provides, you get to go without insurance, and pay for someone else's insurance.

Insurance companies would face new prohibitions against charging much more to older people

Okay, so that means that the younger people will have higher premiums to cover the difference. Again, they're charged more because they have more claims. Someone has to pay for it.

or denying coverage to people with health conditions

So, that again means higher premiums because often their claims exceed their premiums.

You wanted change? Can you afford it? Here's a good beginning to make a larger gap between the rich and the poor as once again the middle class will be taxed to extinction.

Less than four hours I'm outta work and into my much anticipated weekend away.

Selena and I will be going to Disney. We'll be arriving (hopefully) about seven-ish to check into the Grand Floridian. 8:30 is our reservation to eat at Victoria and Alberts. Tomorrow, we'll be heading to the Magic Kingdom. We're planning on going around Downtown Disney that evening, and heading to Hollywood Studios. Those are somewhat loose plans. We'll do whatever damn well strikes us, otherwise.

The house is, for all intents and purposes, finished. Mike was out this morning going over the last few things that he should have done this afternoon. We've been sleeping there for the last few nights. Our waterbed sprung a leak, so we moved over there to sleep earlier than planned. We're pretty much moving forward now.

I'm elated. I'm also torn about it. The path that took me there will never go away, I'm sure. It was highly painful. Yes, we have a gorgeous house, but I'd rather be where I was, broke as hell and still have her well and with us. Nothing can change that, though. So, I've done what I can to restore her home. Dad looked at it, and felt she'd be proud of it, too.

I think that's all I've really go to put in at the moment. We've got the heavy stuff moved, with a few more heavy things to go. Next week is more housework, but it's housework at a house we're in. We still have a bit to move in small stuff (it's all still at the other house, so lots of little things to move).

Anyone want to buy a house?

People are arguing over the health insurance reform. Some people have interesting views, and some people are just stupid. Seriously fucking stupid.

( Rant. )

End of rant.

Alright. I think we're getting to the nitty gritty.

The lighting and fans upstairs is about all that's left there. Downstairs, pretty much the same thing. Hunter's closet has been finished (save painting). We need to finish putting Cassie's bed together. I need to talk to Mike tonight about fixing the other table. It just needs one wooden piece to be re-fabricated, and I think he (or William) could knock that out in less than a half hour.

I'm not sure where William is on putting up the last of the baseboards, trim and crown molding. Didn't see any additional work done from Tuesday night. Maybe that will be well ahead this afternoon.

Hopefully that means this weekend I'll be ready for the last of the heavy moving.

Yesterday, Selena and I went to Epcot for her birthday. We came back with a bunch of shopping done, and a wonderful cold. ;)

So, Sunday was another push day. Our workers did a bit on Saturday, and here's where we're at:

Upstairs:

Grouting in two places.
Remount three fans.
Replace one fan.
Finish mounting one chandelier.
Mount blinds.
Finish replacing power recepticles and switches.

Downstairs:

Finish tiling in the foyer. Finish Grouting.
Finish mounting one fan.
Finish mounting one chandelier.
Stain and mount office door.
Replace pantry door.
Stain three ledges.
Replace one fan.
Finish replacing power recepticles and switches.
Replace one external door.
Finish putting the Laminate down for the stairs.
Finish baseboards.
Finish crown molding.

Within a week, providing Murphy doesn't show up.

We're getting close. Mike thinks he'll be done by Wednesday. Providing there's no more major problems, we should see it done. The things we have left are...

Replace tile upstairs where the floor needed to be pulled up.
Replace tile in upstairs bathroom for last fixes to plumbing.
Tile the front entry way.
Finish replacing electric recepticles (plugs).
Finish mounting office fan.
Put up two fans in the upstairs living room.
Replace fan in master bedroom.
Finish baseboards in formal living room/dining room.
Finish baseboards in master bedroom.
Finish replacing closet hang mounts.
Finish closing the kitchen fan/light fixtures.
Put in two chandeliers.
Install dishwasher.
Finish final plumbing testing and repairing.
Finish painting.

That's it. There's two workers, and we're finishing the painting. It's moving along.

I set a "for sale" sign out in front of our house. Asking $239k for it. It's 2082sqft under air, 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom. Let's hope...

House is coming along pretty well, but still just outside of movable.

We had a leak in the second floor floor/first floor ceiling. That's been resolved, now we have to close up the hole. The first floor floors are moving along in respect to the tiling. Painted the kitchen. Painted the unpainted ceilings. Painted a good portion of the front room.

Well, things are moving along. Hope to be able to move and get the other house ready to sell.

That's all for now.

For the first time in a while, I was able to get a lot of work done at the house. I don't mean pay someone, I mean step in and do a lot of painting. Did the kitchen, the entry way and the sitting/dining area, the ceilings in said areas and another closet, as well as the walls in the stairway. Tomorrow, I hope to go back and finish the areas the rollers couldn't reach.

My muscles have now officially called me a son of a bitch and are telling me they're on strike.

I still feel good. Owie, but a good hurt.

We're getting within eye-shot of the house being completed. This of course also means me being there more regularly for final questions and keeping money going to them to keep them in supplies, too.

Went and picked up the laminate for the stairs. I somehow managed to find a laminate nearly the exact same color as the banister. I'm grateful to have found that.

We are between a week and a week and a half to completion, if luck holds. Two weeks if things slow up.

What's left:

Baseboards and crown molding for most of the house. At the very least, the upstairs and downstairs living areas. William will be completing that, and should be out there today to get that finished up.

Mike, Brian and Willie (different guy) will be finishing the floors and painting. This includes tiling the bottom floor, and laminating the stairs.

Eddie will be finishing the last of the texturing inside, and putting stucco up around to seal wood and prepare for an outside paint.

Mike should finish up the electric stuff (lights, fans, etc.) afterwards, as well as the installation of four doors, and putting handles on the rest.

Then, one good final cleaning. We're within sight.

It's an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes I look at it and am elated that it's nearly there. Sometimes, I look at it and know what it took to get here, and feel drained. Most of the time, I just want it to be like it was, just to talk to her again.

Well, before I get off on a depression over that... A friend of ours was in the hospital. I'm glad to hear she's okay. The letters "ICU" scare the crap out of me now, and I'm glad she wasn't in ICU too long. I'm sure Selena and Candi will whisk her out to lunch sometime soon.

Personally, my health is up and down lately. Some days, my blood pressure is great, then through the roof for no particular reason that I can find. My sugars seem to be about the same, but I know why that is. When we're not constantly running around and getting some take out dinner after eight at night, I'm sure that will put things back to being a lot better. I'm constantly tired, and it's probably becuase I can't get any of my numbers where they should be, and I can't muster enough "give a shit" to make that happen. Give yesterday an example: In work from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Go home. Chuckie helped out immensely by keeping the kids while I get what we need for the house. Go to Office Depot. Pick up stuff for the office. Go to Home Depot. Find the laminate, guesstimate how much we need. Head over to Popeye's and get dinner for the kids and Chuckie. Head over to Bayside and drop off said laminate. Find out other things needed. Go to house, drop off food. Head back to Office Depot to pick up a few things. Head back home. Watch the kids until Selena and Candi returned. Take Candi back home. Head to bed at 1:30am, get up at 7:30am, over to Bayside to drop off the last of the things picked up previously, in to work by 8:30 to start today over again...

Not too bad, but again, it's been late nights, early mornings, and gopher patrol each day. I reinstated my World of Warcraft. You know what I've been doing there? Have I been completing quests? Occasionally. Have I been grinding? No. Have I been hunting down fearsom monsters and looking to loot treasue? No. I've been picking flowers. Seriously. Farming herbalism. Know why? It's relaxing...

So, back to work. Renewals came in, so I have a bunch of things to get done over the next two days at work. Thursday is my normal Friday. Friday I get my other eye a laser shot, and see how it all went from the last one.

Back to the grind.

December 5th (a Saturday) at the Amway Arena (Orlando).

Anyone like to go too?

I went to the opthomologist (SP?) to get some tests done. They injected a dye for those tests. Now, my urine is bright yellow and it smells like Crisco.

I'm vaguely amused by this.

Figured it was time to post a bit about some pent up things. It's seriously rare that I talk about them. I have a hard time talking about things that really bother me to people.

DISCLAIMER: This is in no way a 'pity me' thing as much as a statement of facts about the unpleasant things and taking a moment to just make it more public.

( The Stroke )

( Mom )

( House )

I'm going to wrap it up here. It's stressful, but it's okay. Soon this will be in the past. Hopefully, that's sooner than later.