Not just for us humans, but our furry family members.

The sneezing fit indicated it was time to pack it in for the night (not sure if the pun was intended), hit the showers and write to you.

While packing is stressful for us: What do I need? Where do I start? What goes? What stays? What’s for sale? Donations? Where am I? I get to a point in each room that I have to move to another.

Our pets are not so lucky, they keep looking around asking what in the world is going on, why is that there? What’s with all the big things in my way? Although, my cats look at the stacks of boxes as cat toys and mazes and things to climb on, so I guess there’s a bonus there for them.

It’s still stressful. The house is disrupted, in disarray, what was serene and stable is now utter chaos. Jymy and Peanut seem to be doing alright, they lay there while I pack,probably thinking how I could do it better, how they would do it, then they are underfoot…leading, directing?

Even though they seem ok, I still see looks of panic on their faces. Bella on the other hand is not doing so hot. She was stress out enough before, this is possibly putting her over the edge I fear. The fur on her back and tail were growing back and it seems to still be growing, but now there are spots where she’s rubbed raw on her back, she’s back to rubbing her belly raw and her poor ears are suffering. She’s also still using the dining room as a litter box, the major reason I had to pull up the carpet.

It really is sad because she is a very sweet cat, beautiful and affectionate one on one,
but she never gelled with the other two and I don’t think she ever would. She is a solitary cat, no small kids and no other animals.

JRS is going to take her in a few weeks, I was going to wait until i left, he’s moving into a new place the same weekend I leave, but I don’t know how long Bella will last, so I asked him to take her sooner than later and I think that will happen next week. I will definitely miss her as I grew quite fond of her right away, but that’s not enough.

So, just be aware of what your furry family is going through as you start on the next chapter of your lives. They are family after all.

Today has been quite a day and I think my body hates me, at least I’m 99% sure that my feet do!

I got a few hours of sleep, which is par for the course, set the alarm for 6:30, JRS (it always tickled me that we have the same initials!) was coming over at 7 AM, yes, that was SEVEN AM on a Saturday morning to lay the dining room floor, we got bamboo (this was after a very long back and forth with the realtor and several people, porcelain or bamboo), a nice dark brown for the dining room, ooh and a light color, named Toast, for the landing on the stairs, it will be very nice. (Thank g to my furry children for making it all possible, grr) but it will look great.

Well, apparently, you can’t lay bamboo floors when it is going to rain and there was a 90% chance of rain today, guess what it didn’t do at all, so guess what didn’t happen. My friends and family are smart, so I’m not going to say. Well, apparently there’s a 99% chance tomorrow, so Monday it is. I did find out that you can walk on bamboo floors within about four hours, very cool.

So, while I did some packing, JRS pulled up the carpet tacks, I swept when he was done and laid some more bleach down. I later got some pant to cover up the loverly smell that is now in the concrete, please cross your fingers that is going to work. We went upstairs so I could paint the way tippy top trim in the master bath, lucky me, I have a vaulted ceiling in there. I got most of that done, the corner I couldn’t get near, near a different ladder.

JRS left and I got back to work. I got a text from TS that she was on her way and when she got here, she said the nicest thing to me! Even though everything is all over the place, I can tell you’ve gotten a lot done! That felt great because that’s how I felt, it looks like crap, but I know I’ve done a lot!

We got started, packing things in the master bedroom, tackling the bookshelf, packing all the books from two rooms and then she packed the monopolies, the monopolies and more monopolies, then almost cried when she saw some in another room and downstairs! Sorry TS!

It was time for a break, Welcome to Moe’s! Then Home Depot for that special paint, then back to work!

Then we tackled the only other room that is actually a bedroom, the lavender room. We cleared it to and staged it, it looks great! We made it into a guest/kids room could be a teenager, maybe younger. It is simple and just right, TS has a knack for that, she scoured my house for just the right things to put here and there. What do you think? When we were done, I closed the door!

It was about that time that the sneezing hit, sometimes the only cure, a shower, so off I went, ahhhh. Back to work!

I learned something today, you can put boxes in the closet until you have a moving van, as long as its not packed too tightly, interesting, I was thinking that I had to take every box down to the garage, whew!

We took what could be considered a break and sat outside for a bit, then worked on the front porch, brought my other crayon chair outside and TS added some lights to the walk, it looks nice! (I was thinking of CKM as the star of light was coming from the new light, it would make a great photo of the day!)

Sneezing fit sent me back inside.

Next room to be staged is what I like to call my “art studio”, ok, it’s a hobby room, but I like art studio! When CKM was over last week we did quite a number on it, I’ve been working on it during the week and then TS and I went though and set it up to be a hobby room, there’s a sewing table, a basket of yarn and some paints to the side, when I clear out some of the boxes and things, it will be quite cozy and nice.

In the middle of all of this, it was time for pizza. Unfortunately for TS, she is very allergic to cats and guess who kept trying to say hello! The entire time, she’s looking around to see what would be good for staging in different rooms, it was great!

Sometime in there she staged my powder room, how did I miss that!

About 30 minutes more in the art studio and it was time for TS to go, she had been here about 9 hours, I say she deserved a break! THANK YOU!

After she left, I got back to work, packing things in the office (I couldn’t look at the art studio anymore!). Then I came into the bedroom, the idea today was to allow me to sleep in my own bed for the first time in a week. I moved things around, packed some more boxes, then moved the bed, let me tell you, a box spring is heavier than it looks! I put the bed back in its place, changed the sheets, I can’t wait to crawl into them! I made a path, sort of, around the bed and to the bathroom, lets just say, if someone wanted to surprise me or sneak up on me, they would have a very hard time! And a hard time not hurtling themselves or falling! I guess I booby trapped the house!

About an hour later, I was done, hopped in for another shower, sat down to write to you and I am hoping to pass out soon! I do know that every time I get up my feet are saying nasty things to and a out me, good thing I’m not listening!

Tomorrow, finish the upstairs, maybe work on the downstairs. I can’t wait for this part to be over and I can sit down and do absolutely nothing!

Hey, where are the packing fairies? Poof! You’re packed!

So, we know that I’m moving and no, not ever post will be about moving, but today it will be, so there!

When I became single again, we decided to put the house on the market. Out came the boxes, in went the stuff. The house didn’t sell, the house didn’t sell, the house didn’t sell, then the house didn’t rent, but the stuff was still in boxes.

About a year or so ago, I decided, ok, I’m going to be here a while, even when DCM and I talked about moving to Colorado, it wasn’t going to be for about 3 years, so, I decided to get comfortable in my house, I was going to be here for a while and out came the stuff from the boxes and then a few months go, out went the boxes, to the curb and into the recycling netherworld, wherever that may be.

I’m settled, feeling like its mine, I even refinance the house, it’s now in my name 100%, sigh of relief, sit back a relax. Ha!

Conversation with DCM, I think I’m going to move to Colorado sooner than I thought (discussion ensues, all good). Oh no! Where are all my boxes and I have to take everything down again? Oh brother!

So, here I sit, getting ready to put my house on the market and I have very few boxes! Here’s where the timing is everything comes in…you knew I’d get there eventually!

CTS posts on her Facebook page…all new products, does anyone need boxes? CKM happens to see the post and says, yes, JRS needs some! I proceed to have a dream about seeing CTS and talking about boxes (she also was the first to see my newly painted bedroom) and she was excited about her new tote on wheels, it was a dream people!

Then today, an email goes out from the property management company, someone is giving away boxes in the neighborhood! How fast do you think I emailed them? Faster! They called me immediately, I went up to their house, at the front of the neighborhood and four trips later, I have boxes and boxes and boxes, wardrobe boxes (with the rods) and boxes and boxes of bubble wrap! They and to save a box for their grandkids, they promised!

So, as they say, timing is everything and this case is it! Thank you to whoever put that into play! Now, gotta go, need to fill some boxes!

The bedroom and bathroom are now back to a neutral color…sigh.

As you may have deduced, I a moving across the country and what I have to do here is sell my house, fingers crossed for me my friends! And what has to happen when you need to sell a house? You have to stage and fix stuff, and pack, pack and pack, ugh.

So this weekend, I had a Painting, Packing, Pizza Party! Sounds fun, right? Right!

CKM and CA came over Friday night to help convert the, get this, Pucker Up Green bathroom, yes I said, Pucker Up green! And today, SDL came with Miss A and her sister, DJL to help CKM and I paint the PUMPKIN orange bedroom! Ever have the desire to sleep in a tangerine? This would have been your opportunity! I say that SDL came to help CKM and I because CKM spent the weekend, bless her!

We had a really good system going in the rooms, in the bathroom CA did the upper trim, I did the lower trim and CKM took care of the middle with the paint roller. It worked quite well, we rocked the bathroom in about three hours. Yes, there was pizza involved, not to worry, we started with that.

The good thing, the paint came with primer in it, so we didn’t need 3 coats, just 2. The bathroom is now a nice cream, kind of bland compared to the rest of the house but its a room that someone can look at and imagine how they might want to paint it,

Today, same system, different players. SDL on the upper trim, me on the bottom and CKM in the middle with the roller. The good thing was that the bedroom did not have vaulted ceiling like the bathroom, no light fixtures to get around, definitely easier. We finished in about three hours as well. We definitely made a great team and I didn’t have to do it by myself which is the best part!

I’ve attached a few photos, you can get an idea of the colors it was to the color it is/needs to be. The realtor is happy and my response to her text, after seeing the pictures, first “you’re awesome and a Wonder Woman”well, yes… and, “you must be dyin!” ” nope, I still have the rest of house for color!”

CKM and I did some packing last night, but, folks, I got a lot of stuff and even though we know we did a bunch, it didn’t seem like it! Tonight after everyone left, I packed up some stuff in the living room. Next weekend is part two of Pizza, Packing, Painting Party, luckily for anyone who comes to help, no painting!

Thank you SDL, CKM and CA for helping me paint, you guys were fantastic and a life saver! And thanks to my neighbor, DG for the extra high ladder and cutting my grass, you’re awesome! I am one lucky girl!

What a day!

It started early in Boulder, had to get up, get moving, get to the airport and get back to Atlanta!

DCM dropped me off, we said our goodbyes and off I went. It was sad and not sad…we’re going to see each other in a few weeks and then I’m moving out the in about a month and a half, so, it’s all good.

Got to the airport, walked through the doors and back outside to curbside checkin because the line for Southwest Airlines was ridiculous! An hour inside or five minutes outside? Hmmm..I wonder.

As I am going through security, I decide this is a good time to let my dad know I’m at the airport and a thank you text to DCM, guess what I realize is not in my pocket, yup, you guessed it my cell phone! I break out the work blackberry, call DCM and say ” Guess what’s in your truck!” His response..”we’ll it’s not me because I’m walking into the terminal with your phone!” Is he THE best or what! He had been trying to get me on my blackberry, but it had been turned off! Crisis averted!

I had enough time to get a tshirt for DG, for taking care of my babies and one for CKM and a hat for my dad, get to the gate, get on the plane, settle in (for a long winters nap, kidding!). During the flight, the man sitting next to me asked about my watch, so of course I shared the love.

Watched a movie, then I was back in Atlanta, about 20 minutes early. Still took me 2 hours from the time we landed to getting home.

I stopped by Home Depot to pick up supplies for the painting party! Yup, that’s right, I said painting party, I’m selling my house, of course there will be some painting!

I had sent out an email “The 4 P’s: Packing, Painting, Pizza Party!” People have rallied! Tonight, CKM and CA came over and were fantastic! CA said she was good with trim work and boy is she good! CKM was a demon with the roller and me, you ask? The bottom trim, I’m kind of lacking in stature, so I got the lower to the ground stuff.

My bedroom is…lets just say, it’s like sleeping in a tangerine and my bathroom..think Kermit the Frog. So, we worked on the bathroom, now, it is a nice cream color, back to the boring color the builder wanted, sigh… But it’s what I need to do, it was one of those colors it’s hard to get past, I understand. Now, the possibilities are endless. Thanks to DG for the use of the giant ladder!

I picked up a very nice neutral color, told the realtor and she said take a picture after you start send it, let me check it, I told her it was just right, not to worry. She worried, so I sent a picture of the color card up against the wall, almost. Perfect match, told ya!

Crazy enough, while we were working, here cams Bella, my newest addition to the furry family. She hasn’t been upstairs since in a very long time, she doesn’t get on that well with the other cats, but she was determined to be up there with us painting. Peanut never said boo, but Jymy wasn’t too happy, but Bella stood her ground.

About 11:30 my allergies kicked in really bad and I had a sneezing attack, I think that was my cue to pack it up for the night.

So, now I sit here, writing to you, Peanut is on my left side, Jymy is on the other end of the bed and Bella is sitting on the floor to my right, can’t believe it! I have all my kids with me, I like it!

Tomorrow is a big day, CKM and I are doing the Dirty Girl Run, it’s a 5k obstacle race for women only. http://www.godirtygirl.com/. Time for some shut eye and rest, for after the race, we do this all over again!

Thank you thank you thank you CKM and CA! I soooo could not have done this without you!

As you may have figured out, I am in Colorado this week.

I came out for a few reasons, to see DCM, who moved out here two weeks ago, to be exact. He moved to be near and local to the company he works for, Clean Energy Collective, http://www.easycleanenergy.com/. He started the company with a friend of his four years ago this June and had been working as a second job when I met him at the company we both worked for. Last January he was told it was a go and he could quit his day job and turn his “hobby” (he loves what he does so much, it’s not work, it’s a hobby) into a full time job, making his dreams a reality. Well, aside from meeting me, of course! I am so proud of all he does and what he has accomplished.

The other reason I came out to Colorado was to go with DCM to look for a place to live, yes, I said look for a place to live! When people have been asking me why I’m making the move to Colorado, my answer is, “I’m following a boy!” Tee hee hee.

In answer to your next question, yes, I am able to do my job in Colorado, thankfully! I work from home and if I need to, I can go in, we can discuss my job later.

So, the process of elimination…as I mentioned one of the reasons I came out to Colorado was to look for a place to live. DCM is living in the corporate apartment right now and planning to move at the end of the month and I’m planning on moving out here at the end of May, so we need a place for him to go and me to live when I get here! I like his truck, and I’m all about “car camping” but not car living!

We have to take several factors into consideration, DCM’s office is in Boulder and if things change for me and I get another job, will it be in Boulder, or Denver even, so we have to think about how far I might have to drive as well as how far will it be to drive to Boulder for DCM, wherever we live.

One of our goals this week is to check out different areas to see where we may or may not want to live. We found a few places to check out and when we went to look at those cities, we decided very quickly that we didn’t want to live there, so check one thing off our list.

It’s great to be with someone who has similar likes and dislikes, opinions, that are similar and differ and has opinions, and most importantly agrees on the standards that we want to live by, it helps in so many ways. For now, this is a place we are going to be for at least a year so we need to be happy and comfortable in our decision.

Wish us luck this week, hoping to find a place to “come home to” in a few months. And a place for you to visit!