10/30/05

My folks had a moving sale (garage sale) at my house this weekend. They had it here because no one visits garage sales in small towns, from which they are moving. They sold most of the big items, what’s left of them are sitting on my flatbed trailer to be taken for consignment on Monday. They also got rid of much of the small stuff; of what remained, most of it was boxed up and set on the curb. Every time I walk out front, there’s another box gone.

Elves, or gnomes, or something…

Next weekend, they will move their RV into my yard, along side my house, and live here until the weekend after Thanksgiving. Then they will head out for Florida to stay with my sister over the winter. The home they purchased in Apache Junction, AZ won’t be vacant until March.

This has been a good weekend. A setting-in weekend. Over the last week or two, I’ve been buying wire-rack shelving for my garage. All my storage containers are now off my garage floor and aranged in such a way that I can seek and open individual containers. Over the coming weeks and months I’ll be able to move more stuff into my home. More nesting. *g*

Anyway, this weekend, I spent much of Saturday unsticking the paint that had frozen my picture window (storm window) onto the front of my house. Once removed, I was able to clean all the glass surfaces so that I can better enjoy the view. I was also able to conceive of a warm weather project involving stripping the paint off it, repainting it and weather sealing it. I’ll also need to work on the window screens on either side of the picture window.

I also bought hardware to rehang the door into the garage. I may get to that tonight still — we’ll see.

After church and lunch with my folks, we all spent some time finishing cleaning up from the garage sale. Then they had to leave for home to show their house to the prospective buyer. I’ve spent the evening cleaning my truck, sweeping my porch, cleaning the garage a bit, and kinda bringing stuff inside.

I hope for another week of good weather. I still need to mow my back and side yard, and I want to try to mower-vacuum the leaves out of all the yard.

Tomorrow night, I’ll put a black lightbulb into the porch light, and pass out treats in my home for the first time.

I also made beans-n-ham hock for the first time in my new home (plus cornbread). It was my intention to have it available to my folks and their helper friends during the garage sale. But they are getting old enough that after one serving…well, it tore new openings in them. *g* So they declined any more of my beans. For my part, I think they turned out well (so did my folks and my roommate) but it looks like I’ll be freezing it in single-size servings for eating over the winter.

I’m playing the Essential Bruce Springsteen on the home stereo (which was contributed by the roommate). Its been almost a year exactly since I listened to this disc. Its been in my truck CD changer, and my truck sound system has been shorted out since last winter. I finally brought it in.

“The Rising” is playing right now. I love this song. I can’t turn it loud enough.

I also dug into my box of photographs this week — it now carpets my bedroom. I’m trying to find the most recent unframed photos of family and get them into the frames which I already own (replacing the many-year-old photos currently in them). I need some new matting.

I am still employed. For about a week, I was in constant angst. I was in fear of losing my job or something. Then two things happened. One, I finally got in to see my attorney, and he said, “You’ve got no case here. Maybe if they fire you this week. But this state has some of the worst employee rights of any state in the Union. And what they’ve done in writing is so ambigious that it can swing in their favor in court if they wish it.”

Two, God showed me a job at another agency in the same field. Which I applied for, and didn’t (apparently) get. What He told me was, “No sweat little man, I’ve got your back. I put you in this new home, and as long as you continue to seek Me, then I’ll continue to see you through.”

Apparently, He wanted me to continue working at my current job. The following week I learned why: my boss is leaving for another company in another sector. I will need to be here to provide continuity. I am the most senior employee in our department now (directly; the building receptionist, who is adjunct to us, has been here for..well, a long time). The other two staff have already been looking to me to help “keep it together”, even though my responsibilities haven’t changed (I’ve already been maxed out).

But I’m pretty good at keeping my head in a crisis, even if I do get pissed off a bit. *g*

I spent yesterday afternoon helping Kari shop at Wal-mart. I thought I was doing it so she could get done quicker, and I could ride my bike with her while she jogged through her neighborhood. Instead, her daughter called, and I was helping her so she could go help her instead. But, I spent an hour on the phone with Adriene afterwards, and that was nice too.

We have a Praise & Worship service this evening at 6pm, and afterwards, our small group is going out for dessert. Sometime this evening, I may call Kelly. (see entries from one year ago and prior). I am planning to attend Michael Flatley’s Celtic Tiger at the Quest Center in Omaha next weekend (if I can still get tickets…) and I think that might be a nice thing to reacquaint with Kelly at/over/during. I dunno. I just really don’t want to go alone.

So, all in all, life is very good. God blesses me richly, all my needs are met, and I am content.