An Epic Day Of Firsts!!

First Day at my new house!!  What an experience!!  I packed up early at the fairgrounds and headed over to my new digs.  I forgot some little things, like those tennis balls under my windshield wipers, requiring a quick stop alongside the road.  I was too nervous about backing into my driveway!!

I navigated the 8' wide under-construction roadway for the last half mile and made the turn immediately over the railroad tracks with no problem.  Trying not to make all my new neighbors mad, I unhooked on the road above and drove down to the little cul-de-sac where I prepared to back in my driveway.

It was easy peasy since Dan had widened the road about three feet, but that first hump was troublesome.  Something scraped bottom.  YIKES!!  Okay, that wasn't exactly what I said, but you get the picture.   I kept going and going .... slowly of course .... until VOILA!!  I made it in on the first try!!  It's perfectly wide and long enough!!  I can go back another ten feet, but there's no use tempting the Landslide Gods on the newly planted earth.

I unpacked even more stuff, which of course never was what I actually needed.  I think I made at least 20 trips back and forth throughout the day ... and again this morning when I couldn't find my toothbrush.  Once I had Jonathan's cage set up, I had to figure out how to get him inside with no chance of flying away.  A first for Jon, he rode in a big cardboard box, not the least bit happy about it.  

Here's a good look at the painting that will take place.  Spanish speaking Iris showed up bright and early to give me a quote.  Here you see my dilemma ... turquoise and bright pink adobe, all painted with semi-gloss.  I'm not sure how this is going to shake out in the end, but at least it won't be these colors.

She helped me estimate the amount of paint needed (I think I have enough for a house twice this size, but the current colors will require two coats) and said her husband would arrive first thing today.  WAIT ...  I don't have any paint yet!!

I made a huge list of things I needed and took off for Home Depot.  My first trip to Man-World.  I have to say unlike California's stores, there were very helpful people on almost every single aisle!  Three of them stopped to give me a map, along with every aisle I needed to navigate for my long list.  

I went into sticker shock when I hit the checkout stand.  This is NOT your grandmother's paint at $20 a can.  The good stuff is $45 a gallon.  No thank you ... what's middle of the road?  $35 a gallon.  I felt my heart begin to beat wildly!!  The final tab was $545.  That's right .... HOLY COW BATMAN!!

Back home, I took down all the curtains and outlet covers, ripped all the nails out of the walls (there were LOTS) and filled them with putty.  Paint was so expensive, I decided only two walls in the living room needed to be covered up.  The other larger walls will do just fine.

Throughout the day, I spotted quail after quail ... over 20 in all, grabbing a drink at my feeding station.  I even have a couple of roadrunners and two huge jackrabbits!!  The water setup needs a little help with the drip system which I may be able to fix today while the painter is here.  Plus, they need feed ... the one thing I did NOT get at Home Depot!!

It was the first night sleeping with the trains on the bedroom floor.  Yes it was EPIC!  Yes, that didn't really work out so well.  The bed that was supposed to be delivered Sunday, disappeared into LaLaLand.  They called to say everything else was being delivered tomorrow.  I got a little upset with them.  Sleeping on the floor is NOT my idea of fun and using the rig with it's now 105 degree interior wasn't acceptable either.  At long last, they said it would all be here tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.  I have to say it will be exceedingly wonderful to sit on a couch instead of the floor.  The puppies agree.

Sleeping with the trains should be a story of itself.  The first big rumbler came by at 9:00pm.  I was pretty sure it came right through the bedroom window.  I could feel the vibrations, remember I'm sleeping on the floor.  I timed it.  In 90 seconds, it was gone.  Not bad I thought.  The next one with horn blowing (it's the farthest one away) came on about 10:00.  90 seconds and it was gone.  

Okay, I can do this!!  The third one at midnight, plus the uncomfortable puppies, my hips screaming and my nose totally plugged up, I limped to the bathroom for a Benadryl.  Please God, let me get some sleep.  I don't know if any more trains came by, but I got 4 lovely hours of sleep before light hit the windows.  Time for the puppies to go out.

Another first ... puppies on the lawn while I have my coffee outside on the patio.  It's cool and beautiful.  This prompted another first for me ... pooper scooper duty.  I added more tools to my second list.

After a full day of being uncomfortable, I still love it!!  Train whistles are blowing as I type.  I figured out the stove (heated my leftover pizza in a frying pan ... greatest idea ever, attributed to Barbara Westerfield) and heated my coffee in the microwave.  Everything works fine.  Since the painter has been delayed until noon, I'll make another "stuff" run.  It dawned on me I have no real food, no spices and no pots to cook with other than one frying pan, which is okay, because I don't have anything to put food in once it's cooked.  I expect this is going to be another epic receipt day!!