Weekend Update, Multiplied by Four

Oh hai.  Did you know time passes?  Sometimes it just gets away from me.  I am alive, everyone is well. Just took a break for a bit. Apologies for any worries.

 So, here's what's happening here:

I don't know that my re-assimilation into real life is going to go well.  I've found myself losing patience more easily when I have to deal with actual people.  (I had a shipping issue and I wasn't more normal amenable self)  Also, we had a contractor and inspector here at the house and I found I was exhausted by all of the people-ing at the end of the day.

For the first time in my ENTIRE life, I did not attend a celebration at my family's house for Independence Day.  Mostly due to the stay home order and because I've been trying to get out of it for a few years now.  It's a much bigger topic than I want to visit in this post so I'm just saying: that happened.

Oh, but my family still gathered.  (Sorry, BFF K, you have to hear this again.)  My brother travels for work, my other brother works in a giant factory, my niece traveled to another state and attended a music festival.  AND...they all went to the mom's for the holiday.  Tiny house, probably about 10-12 people and they were inside because it rained.  Now you understand why I happily skipped it.

Instead, we watched Hamilton; which felt more patriotic actually.  OMG, I loved it just from listening to it hundredity times and now I only love it more.  It was interesting to match what my imagination was to reality.  I picked up more information that only visual can give you, because: of course, which made me love it extra.  I 100% cried at the end, again.  I'm going to watch it again when Kevin's not around, multiple times.  He liked it but I think once was enough for him.  And I can crank it up super high.

GiGi: I already bought the cream colored paint BUT I very MUCH want to know what color you suggest!!! Tell me!!!  I haven't finished in there yet, much to Kevin's dismay.  It's on my to-do list this week (month)  (year.)

I've completed painting the bedroom's "easy" wall, which is the one with two doors.  The only thing left is a huge blank wall that mirrors the living room wall that I painted mocha.  It took over three hours to paint so yeah, there's that.  And the big ladder.  Also, still haven't fixed the sandy wall.  I just can't get motivated for it.  It will probably take only about an hour, I just can't with it.  And I haven't decided if I'm going to repaint it all anyway.

AND Then, we have to paint the exterior of the house.  Kevin thinks we can do it over a weekend and I think that's just, well, ADORABLE.  We were going to have painters do it but they have flaked on us. SO not looking forward to that. 

AND THEN, we spent two weekends painting Kevin's garage.  It has never been truly painted.  We did it once, in a panic (the title of my autobiography, probably)  when we were moving into it when the house was being built.  I will write more about that next.  (No, I will.  I WILL.  Shush)

Update on Rosie.  My genius idea of having her live under our bed didn't work as planned.  It might still work for others, just not us.  Because of the carpet, she had trouble getting home.  She'd push the base around and not go home.  Booo.  So now she lives in the office.  We had to nearly take apart a bookcase to find the #$%@ outlet but it's done now.  I continue to love her though.  Best purchase I've made in quite a while.

Oh, but I have found that she's A.D.D. like me.  I've had to find her a few times because she wanders the house in no discernible pattern.  I take partial blame because I keep moving her home.  One of the best parts is that I got an alert that Rosie was stuck when I was in town. I had to text Kevin to go rescue her.  As she still makes him a little nervous, I got great joy out of it.

We are still in Phase Two her; although there have been warnings of going back down to Phase One.  Masks are required everywhere now, finally.  I've purchased extras for us and the parents.  It's become kind of a hobby now: shopping for masks.   When I washed one of mine, I realized it was 100% cotton so I had to remember if I even still had an iron.  (I did)  The others are polyblend so it wasn't a thing. It felt like just one more thing, though.  

The border remains closed and will probably remain so until the new year.  This has bummed me out more than anything else.  We really miss our friends.  We miss racing too but mostly our friends. It will be nearly two years of not seeing them if the border remains closed into 2021.  

Working from home has slowed down.  July is a scheduled slow month so motivation to come work in the office has disappeared.  And I had not considered how hot it gets in here during the summer, adding to the lack of motivation.  

It appears that I will be doing this for a while though. At least through the Fall and then possibly as long as my contract will allow.  Right now, it's through September 30 (been extended thirty-days) but I'm to expect another extension.

Family...

Well, Kevin's parents decided yesterday that they needed to go to HOME DEPOT.  I know.  Kevin and I both kind of chastised them about WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL making better choices.  They needed a carpet protector so I ordered one on the amazon for them instead.  I suspected that they went to the grocery store the other day and now I'm fairly certain that they did.  Especially since they haven't given me a list for a while.

The point being is that it feels like they're starting to sneak out, like teenagers.  The logic given yesterday was "Well, everyone HAS TO wear a mask!"  Yes, and some still do not because #freedom.  And you're still eighty-years-old and WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT to risk it.  Instead they said "we're just going to go for a drive" and we both know they probably went to Denny's or something ridiculous.  There's only so much we can do.  

Right after I finally got my f-i-l's phone situation settled, their internet tanked.  Of course it did.  After another trip back to town, it was just a battery.  An easy fix, overall, but the last thing I wanted to do after All of That.  Then this morning I got a phone call because the m-i-l's tablet "was black. I can't see it"  THAT'S not disconcerting AT ALL to hear.  

She did not, I repeat: DID NOT, turn down the dimmer on the screen NOR DID SHE turn off the wifi.  Kevin mentioned that "She really should lock up her tablet because clearly it is not safe from the people who break in at night and mess with it."  

So there are the highlights, I think. A little bit of everything and nothing.  

Hope everyone is well and staying safe.