disjointed house-type thoughts

(dang, I wish I could find that camera cord… soon, I promise!)

• Our yard is seriously a zoo. Here we were, thinking we’d have to develop a bird-friendly yard. Apparently a previous owner was already thinking about this, since there is a big hummingbird-attracting tree outside the master bedroom window (I can’t figure out what it is yet, but it has big red brushy flowers). Noisy jays, a couple very cute black-and-white woodpeckers with bright red caps, a variety of other pretty birds just waiting to be identified as soon as we find our bird book, and those rambunctious squirrels. The fig tree in the yard next to ours is extremely popular. Then they come over to our yard to chill out for a bit. Needless to say, we love this. Heaven in a 6000 sq-ft lot.
• Last night we went out for a bit, exploring our new town. We were both completely worn out but we wanted to get a few things for the house. We forgot our list, forgot half the things we needed, but had some fun anyway. We did get some inexpensive lounge chairs, just in time for possibly rain this weekend! Excellent timing. Anyway, Terri drove home, which was awesome for many reasons. I think this move is good for both of us. She’s doing really well, considering. Had to cancel some plans tonight due to fatigue, but considering the week we’ve had, she’s doing great.
• The messiness of the house is daunting. However, I have to remember that most of the closets and cabinets are still empty. Everything is everywhere. Our helpers kindly starting putting away the kitchen, but as a result I have no idea where anything is, and of course everything will get moved a few times before finding final homes. Also, the guy who built this kitchen was TALL, so the cupboards are all really high. I have to readjust all the shelves. If only I could find my tools… Also I have no idea where my clothes are, so I have one pair of jeans and two shirts and one pair of underwear. I will find the rest of them tomorrow. Promise.
• The bathrooms are tiny. This is not really a problem, but they are a bit cramped. I think they will be needing some help at some point. They are totally fine for now, but they have some proportion issues which will be easily fixed with new vanities. However, the showers ROCK.
• Our town has really hard water, apparently. It tastes gross. We are researching water filters. Or maybe we just buy those big fridge water dispensers for drinking water.
• Also, I love living in a small town. It’s not really a small town — it’s a small city (I guess). But it’s small for the Bay Area. I went out at 5 pm today, on a Friday, to the local Trader Joe’s and Safeway. First of all, it’s a 5 minute drive to the store. Second, there was plenty of parking. Third, the lines were nonexistent. I left the house at 5 pm. I was home by 5:30. This included a trip to Trader Joe’s AND Safeway. At 5 pm. On Friday. Is this really happening?
• I made our first meal at the new stove tonight. I am in love. L-O-V-E.
• Somehow a small gnome made its way into the yard. I don’t know who put it there. It wasn’t me. Really.
• In short, we are extremely happy. I love having a washer and dryer. I love having a dishwasher. I cheered when I ran the garbage disposal for the first time. The feeling of knowing that this is our very own home is indescribable. I keep cringing when I drop something, until I realize that there is no one below us! I can drop pots and pans to my heart’s content! It’s also nice to consider that anything we buy is for our *real* house, so we might as well get the nicer/more durable/prettiest one. After years of getting the absolute cheapest shelving/rugs/whatever because I knew we were just going to be moving again, this feels good. We are in no rush and it’s nice to really consider items. Also, the family who moved out left quite a few handy things, so we’re set for awhile.
• Oh, and the landlady was very impressed with our nice clean apartment. Hooray for cleaning ladies! They did a great job. We ended our relationship with this nosy lady on a good note, which I suppose is good for all involved. Still, I’ll be even happier when we have our deposit check in hand.

All in all, although we are wiped out, we are happy and in love with our house. I am still figuring out the thermostat/central-air phenomenon. We like to have the windows open… so do I set the thermostat for a high temperature so it doesn’t come on and we waste the cooled air? Or do I close the vents in the rooms we have open windows? Is it on now? how about now? What temperature? I tell you, this is stressful.