Online at last.

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It was quirky getting the Big Internet Company to finally decide whether they could or would even install internet here and then it took some time, after two weeks of dithering, to actually have internet installed, but it is done. I also had them install a phone with the package as it saved me a bit more than $120 dollars over a stand-alone internet installation fee over the period of the phone deal. Unfortunately, the phone is not quite as useful since during a power outage, it will go down as well being connected through a dual use modem. Whatever, at least I do now have a local phone number.

All utilities, save city water and garbage are now in my name and working. Internet is on, of course. Getting to town hall between 9:30 and 11:30 has been problematic to date. Today I simply could not wake up, though for a number of reasons which I will get to later. The house proper is coming together. The kitchen has been cleaned and about 1/2 of my kitchen is back together. I am washing everything as I unpack it as it has been in storage for a year. The rest of the unpacking is a bit slower, my main focus is on the kitchen. Still, some pieces, parts, clothes, and such are being roughly sorted, collected in groups of likes, with some of it coming out of the boxes and being put away more properly. For example, my camping, climbing, and reloading gear is going into what will most likely become my ammunition reloading area. All will probably fit nicely, along with the assembled reloading station and reloading components when I am finished. It is an odd little room which must have been something similar too a very old fashioned walk-in cloak room. It has a sliding door, shelving, a high enough ceiling for good use of the shelves, coat hooks all around, and hanger bars. Clothes, as they are being pulled out, are being washed and hung up properly as well. As I said though, these other things are secondary to the kitchen.

In the kitchen I ran into my first snag. The faucet was dripping. Well, I took particular umbrage at the faucet and decided to change it. Fine, a right proper response I think. Well, okay, so I attempted to turn the water off under the sink. I still do not have lefty loosey, righty tighty down when the valve is located oddly to a standard frontal position. I ended up turning the water at a higher rate and the rubber flex hose for the cold water sprang a leak! I was trying to do this late at night as I could not sleep so I thought I would make myself useful. Ugh. The faucet was cranky and I simply did not seem to be able to get it turned off. I ended up washing myself, under the sink, and right on down to the basement floor. I ran around like a chicken with one head less than usual and hopped from leg to leg, while scratching my head and making odd and sometimes threatening noises for a bit. Finally I decided to give the valve one more shot. Sure enough, this time I turned the water off. Ugh. I toweled myself, under the sink, and the floor of the kitchen off, letting the basement floor air dry, then called it a night.

I have since purchased a new faucet, new and better flex hose, and... punches and chisels. After looking around under the sink, I realized the old faucet is attached using those plastic 4 winged nuts. No tool I have or could think of would reach up into that narrow access to turn those, thus the punches and chisels. I have yet to try to undo those "nuts" yet, but it is on my list. I have not checked the flexible hoses either, though I am really hoping they are simply standard.

Beyond that, the shower nozzle in the second bathroom was springing a major leak when I tried to shower with it. I tried to tighten it only to realize the threading was so messed up the thing could not be repaired or tightened so as to work. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a flexible metal multi-hinged affair, similar to the shower head in the bathroom in the master bedroom. It, however, does not work. The hinges cannot be tightened well enough to hold the device up, so it keeps drooping. I was able to tighten it so that there were no leaks however! Ugh. So, I have to take it back. I would like to find another like it but I do not think I will buy it at Wal=Mart.

No garden has been installed. I simply have not had enough time, or the energy when I have had the time. I really hope to get it in soon, but I simply can make no promises. Digging out a 5 x 5, or better 5 x 7, area by hand through very thick dense grass is not as easy as it seems, and of course I still have physical problems.

I did have the stitches removed from my hand. I gave that hand about 4 days to heal, using it for almost nothing and using a sling to make sure it was not used. I then waited a couple of extra days before going in for the removal of the stitches in order to give the finger more time to heal after rather heavy usage that first week after it was cut. This seemed to work. I thought the hand and finger were about ready for use. While going through the boxes, I found the Dyno-Flex gyro exercise tool I used to use in Iowa. I thought I would use that to strengthen the hand a bit before really digging in. Not such a good plan, however, I think this was much better than if I had simply started ripping into work in that I was doing controlled amounts of finger and hand stress. It is surprising how weak a hand gets and how fast, by the way. After a few days of increasing usage, I realized the wound was opening again. It did not open enough for me to go back in, but it was enough to let me know I had to back off. So, another week of (only mostly, but definitely mostly) one handed work is in the offing. *sigh*

Further, I have been going to the chiropractor. He says there are no shortcuts and that this will be 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and then a re-evaluation. However, I have been feeling very rough. Last night I had to take a bunch of aspirin to get past the pain. All the pain and stiffness was in my neck, my back is doing better. But the headache, nausea, and general soreness were nearly on par with a migraine. The aspirin did the trick, but not until 3:00 or 4:00, after initially trying to sleep without taking anything at 22:00 and giving in to aspirin at 2:00 or so. I have felt very tough this way for 4 or 5 days now. Another week like this and I will simply stop going in for treatments. I will just tell him what I have told every other doctor who, when prescribing something that does not work, insists that what I really need is more of the same, just harder... "NO THANK YOU!".

Still, those are the bad things. The good things are: Having my own home; Being with a cat friend; Having a lot of projects that if complicated, annoying, expensive, and time consuming are real, have a personal impact, and are very satisfying once completed, both to mind and function(!) ; and, Being able to take care of things a bit at a time, over time, as I can, and still really getting somewhere with it all, even when it seems like I am completely stuck. When stuck, I just give it a few moments or days as may be needed, hit it again, and repeat if necessary or simply finally get that project nailed.

My mother suggests she will be coming out for a couple of weeks in July. I need to get her tickets, and with the internet up and running, that should not be a problem. Money is getting tight, and with each necessary project, I become a little more concerned. I still have to buy a lawn mower (and then use it, ugh), and probably a weed whip. A wheelbarrow would be very nice as well. The previous owners were a bit eccentric. They placed big rocks in odd places (and tried to grow evergreens on them?). Anyway, the wheelbarrow would be great for other projects as well, including creating a garden. And, I would like to get my herbs and spices going before long. But that means potting soil and some sort of planters (though yogurt cups work splendidly in the short run). Have you priced any of this stuff lately? My word, do they think we grow money? Even small pots, for example, at Wal=Mart, seem to be in the $5 and up range. Not bad unless you want 10 to 20 of them. Ugh. Ha!

But it is all good. Sorry for the length of this post, but I wanted to give you a chance to catch up as well as I could. It is not the same as if I had posted everyday. Then again, it is all meat, give or take. It might even be slightly whine lite? Ha. Tha... tha... that's all folks.