Exhaustion

I am beat. Beat.

Our Internet access has been sketchy. It would go off, come back, then go away again, seemingly without explanation. I called tech support; you need a new modem, they said. Long story, but we have another modem. Called again to hook it up and was told no, it might be a connection in the house. Why do I get a different answer every time I talk to these people? The tech guy was here this afternoon - modem is fine. It was, in fact, a bad connection. But we're good now.

Internet at my fingertips whenever I want it - what a luxury.

Moving is soooo much work. I hesitate to bore you with details ... but I think I will anyway. We just have so much crap. Not quite sure why. I like to fancy myself as being anti-materialistic, living this green, low-carbon footprint lifestyle.

Apparently, our lifestyle is the antithesis of this image. We have all these sets of dishes, of beverage glasses, that we use on occasion. We do use them - I certainly like to have the proper glass when I drink my Bailey's - but they take up a lot of space.

And we have a lot of books. As in, tons. Hundreds. We had 70 boxes of just books - it's a little shocking. Most, though not all, have been read. So what is it with people and their tendency to hold onto books, as if they are trophies? Are they some testament of the people we want others to think we are? "Oooh, she has a set of Edith Wharton/F. Scott Fitzgerald/JD Salinger/Barbara Cartland - she must be really cool/a total idiot."

Whatever the reason, we store them on shelves, pack and unpack them each time we move. Mostly, they collect dust.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. As in, all the books are unpacked and on shelves - our room has two walls of floor to ceiling bookcases, plus the built-ins in the living room and shelves in the office and game room, so we have plenty of space. Sadly, they are, for the most part, no longer organized. I was lucky to get them unpacked, much less properly categorized. That will wait for another day.

*****

I have been walking mornings - a full hour, 7 to 8 a.m. I am motivated by my BFF showing up here at 7 - I don't dare wimp out. And she is likewise motivated knowing that I am waiting for her. I think I will begin to refer to her as a pain in the ass - the pain that I feel when I trudge up that very long hill from downtown.

But I mean it with the greatest affection - that pain is a good pain. I am lucky she has agreed to do this with me.

*****

The contractor starts our new bathroom next week. As in, Wednesday. I am so excited!

He has drawn up plans for a two-story addition. Out of it, we will get a new kitchen, complete with new powder room (relocated), little sunroom area, eat-in area with island/breakfast bar. Upstairs we are getting an ensuite master bathroom, separate tub/shower (of critical importance), and bumping Maddie's and Sylvia's bedrooms out.

The bathroom will take about a month. Don't know when the kitchen will start, but soon after that, though he has some other work to do. For my friend - I'll need to have a word with her about whose work is more important. I think I know her answer already ... but she's a good friend, so I can let it slide.

Exhausted - truly, I am. But in a good way.