Well, there’s nothing like the concept of ‘moving’ to light a fire under my butt. I actually managed to ‘tick one of the boxes’ on my list today and finally got around to staining our cedar gate and fence. And that isn’t all. The one job that I have resisted tackling because it’s so vast, finishing our master bedroom, I managed to make a dent in it, too. My husband has also successfully completed several projects that he has put off for years. One of the realtors who stopped by to determine our home’s value suggested that we paint our fence (something we’ve intended to do ever since we painted our house four years ago) and remove some odd looking, warped wood fence panels that one of the previous homeowners had put in front of a cinder block wall (under our carport). I’m not sure who decided putting those warped wood fence panels in front of the wall was a good idea, but I have a suspicion it’s the same person who decided that dark brown with bright yellow trim was, of all the colors to paint a house, the most suitable at the time.
Not only did my husband remove the hideous panels, he also took down an eyesore of a short fence that connected to our house, in addition to hammering all of the loose nails and securing the wood with screws on the perimeter fence we intend to paint. Oh, hang on! I forgot the best part! Ok, to give you a brief summary, as of August, we will have lived in our home for 7 years. One thing that has always driven me bananas was the gate that accessed our side yard. The entire fence was made of wood but the gate was metal. And the same genius who thought putting those warped wood fence panels in front of the cinder block wall must have decided to ‘beef up’ the metal gate with that same fencing because that’s what was crudely affixed with wire to either side of the metal gate. Each time we opened the gate, the fencing would drag on the ground so it took some brute force to thrust it open. But that didn’t bother me as much as the fact that there was no way to secure the gate as there was no latch.
As of today, there is actually a functioning latch on the gate, and it also looks 100% better since my husband removed the warped wood that was attached and replaced it with cedar. Oh my gosh, it now looks and functions like a brand new gate! The question I ask myself is, “Why do we always wait to ‘fix’ everything until we get ready to sell?” Of course, this methodology does not only apply to homes, it applies to cars, boats, and motorcycles, too. Yes, the situation with the gate is much like it’s been with our master bedroom, the room I occupy each night when I ‘attempt’ to sleep. It’s been ‘on hold’ ever since we got through the initial move-in ‘push’. When we first bought the house, we gutted the master bedroom. We yanked out the old, nasty carpet, the wonky built-in wardrobes, the massive built-in corner desk, all of the dark paneling, and nearly everything in the bathroom. My husband then proceeded to reconfigure the entire space, starting with installing a walk-in closet.
Of all the projects he completed in the room, the last thing he did was install all of the baseboards and trim. He then ‘passed the baton’ over to me because I’m ‘the painter’ in our household. And let me tell you, I didn’t handle the ‘hand off’ very well because here it is, nearly 7 years later, and I still haven’t finished my leg of the race. I feel bad about it, I do. There’s no excuse! Well, there is (sort of). I did have end stage renal disease and ended up getting a kidney transplant (during that nearly 7-year span). That said, I could have finished the room, I just chose to do other things with my time (i.e.; watch a lot of TV and feel sorry for myself). But the master bedroom patiently waited for me (what else was it going to do?) just like the gate and fence patiently waited for my husband. Hey! Speaking of ‘fences’, we no longer appear to be ‘on the fence’ about moving. Are you surprised? I am!
Up until yesterday, my husband kept talking about how much he wanted to stay because he really loves all of the surrounding lakes (aka opportunities for fishing). He also brought up the cheap water and electricity, the temperate climate, the nearby ski resort, as well as our (fairly close) proximity to where most of my family resides (including our daughter and my mom). Family…sigh. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll already be aware that there are several members of my family who I’m perfectly happy never interacting with ever again. Ever. And as it happens, one of them contacted me yesterday. Yep, I heard from good ol’ Wily Fox (the family ‘con artist’) via text. Apparently, he wants to bring our mom to my house next week for a visit. Gulp! Each time I hear from him, I immediately develop anxiety. He never does anything out of the kindness of his heart, he always has an agenda. I have no idea what his agenda is currently and I don’t want to know. I also don’t trust him as far as I can throw an elephant.
Would you like to know another person who doesn’t trust him? My husband. He distrusts and dislikes my brother so much that he doesn’t even want him stepping foot in our house. I know it seems extreme but he knows how my brother operates (and manipulates). It always turns into one of those ‘give him an inch, he takes a mile’ scenarios. I cannot relax around Wily Fox because I know he’s not one of those people who simply shows up because he enjoys my company, there’s always more to it. He also scares me because his whole demeanor can change (just like Diabolical Debbie’s) in seconds flat. One minute he’s putting on the charm, and the next he’s nasty and threatening. What is actually rather humorous is how one exchange of text messages can change everything. Would you like me to explain? Ok. Long story short, my husband was 50/50 about moving until my brother reached out. He was sitting squarely ‘on the fence’. Now? Not any more!
How did he put it? I think his exact words were, “We’re getting the hell out of here!” Yep, all it took was Wily Fox emerging from his den and everything has changed. There are no longer any ifs, ands, or buts. As far as my husband is concerned, we’re moving! And we don’t even know yet if we’re going to get enough out of the sale of our home to make the move worthwhile, but I don’t think he even cares whether the numbers add up, he just wants to get as far away from my family as quickly as possible. Do I blame him? Not at all! I totally get it. There’s a reason I decided to call my blog ‘My Entire Family Is Insane’. They’re all nuts. And as much as I love them, I don’t necessarily like them. Some are fairly sweet and harmless but then there are the others who are downright mean, much in the way people are when they drink alcohol (happy drunks vs. mean drunks). I don’t mind the ‘happy’ ones but I have no desire to hang out with the ‘mean’ ones. They just bring me down.
Now that I know that we’re moving, I have to admit that I’m freaking out a bit. In a few short hours, we’re meeting with realtor #1 to discuss our home’s value and what to expect in the coming weeks/months. On Monday, we’re meeting with realtor #2. Once we choose who we have the best rapport with, there’ll be no turning back. I just hope this thing doesn’t go out of control like a runaway train. The momentum has already begun and I know things are going to get to breakneck speed once there’s a contract on our home. Fortunately, I’ve already made some headway in the process. I put an ‘ISO Moving Boxes’ ad on Craigslist and have had someone reach out who happens to have tons of them (for free). I plan on picking them up after we meet with the first realtor. I also have someone coming on Sunday to retrieve the weird, wavy wood fence panels my husband removed (from under the carport). I would rather have someone put them to use rather than feed the local landfill.
Anyway, despite how challenging I think it will be, I intend to continue to blog. Even though it requires a few hours of my time each time I write, it’s proven to be quite therapeutic. I’m going to need some kind of outlet during the next few months or there’s a good chance I’ll wind up in the nearest psych ward. If I do, I won’t be of use to anybody. Nope, if this move is going to happen, it’s going to require the two of us working together through all of the trials and tribulations. We actually did quite well today. I don’t think we argued over a single thing, although my husband did give me a little grief over watching two episodes of season two of Lupin today. I couldn’t help it, it’s so good!! Alright, well, I probably should head to bed. It’s going to be another long, taxing day tomorrow. On top of meeting with realtor #1, picking up moving boxes, filling nail holes and painting trim and baseboard in my master bedroom, I also need to decide on what color to paint the fence and pick up a 5-gallon bucket at Lowe’s (along with numerous other tasks).
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a fabulous day!
My entire family is insane. 