I Miss Sleep

Right now, we are feeling as if choosing this apartment was one of the worst mistakes we have ever made!  The upstairs tenant, who I have come to call Golem, is extremely inconsiderate when it comes to respecting noise levels.  We have had to listen to him at 2/2:30 AM stumble around, leave his apartment (letting the door shut loudly), exiting the building & letting the door slam closed...then he does the reverse when he returns, presumably from taking out his freakin' dog!!!  He also listens to his bedroom television at surround sound-levels!  I ran into him Friday morning when taking Hushpuppy out for a walk.  He came up with his dog and I mentioned something about him (the dog) being what wakes us up at 2:30 every morning!  Then, last nite, well after the 10P quiet hour, I was woken up from sleep by the sound of explosions, bass-thumping music and dialogue from whatever shit TV program or movie he was watching!! 

 

Also...the new neighbor across the hall, a single female, was having a party and when it came time for her guests to leave, they decided to stand in the hallway to have lengthy discussions!  There is no sound-proofing in these buildings or apartments.  Our bedroom is right by our front door...essentially, they were standing in the hall right outside our room.  Again, after quiet hours!! 

 

I don't know how anyone could have lived below Golem without complaint, unless he/she worked midnights or were the heaviest sleeper on earth (lucky on either account in this situation).

 

I was going to knock on Golem's door to ask him to turn down the TV, and even went up there, but when I got to his door it almost sounded as if it was quieted.  However, when I returned to our bedroom, I found that not to be the case. 

 

I tried plugging my ears with my fingers.  Putting one ear on my pillow and covering the other (exposed) with a second pillow.  Neither worked.  The damn bass just thumped, thumped, thumped! 

 

Eventually, Chris went up there and knocked...THREE times and he didn't answer!  Either he couldn't hear because of the damn TV or he refused to answer!  Neither bodes well for him! 

 

I went to lay in one of our living room chairs, where I didn't really sleep, but lay there.  I returned to our bedroom at 5, but again it was just laying there with no rest.

 

Chris intends to speak with him when he knows he is again home.  Also, he is sending a detailed email to the property manager to explain our particular issues and to ask that he distribute something to all tenants with a reminder of what the quiet hours are and what they mean.

 

We definitely know that this is a 1-year living arrangement now!  We will begin a new search around mid-February and this time for a purchase.  Be it a condo or home, something that fits many of our must-haves and affords us the peace & quiet we have come to enjoy and crave.

 

We used to get up at 4:45 in Longmont.  Now we struggle to get up at Chris's alarm on workdays (5:30 or 6) and around 7 on weekends!  I used to workout at 6A and now I just don't feel like putting on my workout clothes to even go for a run!! 

 

I am in such a funk, I almost can't stand myself!  I told Chris today that I want to get rid of every piece of my clothing!  I am so out of sorts, I have a hard time even knowing what "in sorts" would even be anymore!  We are trying to eat healthy, our norm, and I know that will help to bring stability.  I will begin a part-time job next week (something seasonal) and that should help bring some routine, around which I can craft other things (workouts, grocery runs, cleaning).  While it won't be much money, it will be something to feel I am contributing again and, hopefully, providing some cushion for the things we are doing.  I feel lost without my gym (again) and without the friends I had made (also, again).  I knew this would happen and I believe that it is all being compounded by the inability to sleep.

 

I was reading one of the articles from a blog to which I subscribe and it helped to bring me a reminder to look for the good in anything, the everyday miracles!  Today, I am healthy enough to run a 5K around City Park with my husband.  Today, I saw beautiful (& new) views of the Rocky Mountains both during my run and while out on errands.  Today, I was able to secure part-time employment at Halloween City, where I will get to interact with others who share my love of this holiday.  Today, we will go to a barbecue with new friends, whom we spontaneously met at the last Happy Hour at The Center.

 

I know that I have many things for which to be grateful and I know to look for the beauty in my daily life.  I know there are things over which I have no control and I need to let those go and wait for the divine to take care of them for me, in its time and for my best.  I know that I need to breathe and focus on what builds me up, makes me grow, enriches my soul, brings me laughter & enjoyment and adds to our experience here in the city.

Jen in the City

The move has been a bit frustrating…no internet, as promised that first day ~~ almost a week without, which means no Netflix or Roku access.  And when you don’t have satellite or cable, the internet is your direct connection to many things.  As much as I don’t want or like to be technologically-dependent, there are times when it is absolutely necessary.  I have been able to sporadically get online when I can make it to one of the local coffeehouses.  I am trying to get a job and I need both my Hotmail access and the job search sites to accomplish this particular task! 

 

This apartment is the smallest place we have lived since the apartment in Tallahassee.  We owned our home in Hobart, which had a one-car detached garage we used for storage.  We had 3 bedrooms, one we used for us, one we used as a dining room (tho we usually ate in front of the TV in the living room) and one was a guest room/office.  We also had a very large media room in the basement, where Chris was able to display a lot of his favorite collectibles.  When we sold the house, we shed many things, to include Halloween decorations, knickknacks….a hodgepodge of stuff collected over the many years we had been together.

 

The rental chalet in Ogden Dunes had space in the laundry room and part of the attached garage for us to store boxes, totes and whatnot.  We only had one bedroom, but the closet space (in one of the bathrooms, actually) was spacious.  We made it very homey for the year we lived there.  We then sold almost every piece of furniture we owned before moving from Indiana to Colorado.  We also let go of more “stuff”.

 

The townhouse in Longmont was plenty spacious, with an unfinished basement allowing us to store our totes of holiday stuff and the boxes of everyday décor that we didn’t want to display for the year.  We also were able to hold on to every single unpacked box, storing them under the stairs!!!  Utilizing a wood shelf already up, Chris made his workshop down there, too.  (I wished he didn’t have that hour long each way commute for work b/c I think he would have been able to finish projects he had started back in Hobart!!!)

 

Now, we are in a one-bedroom/one-bath apartment trying to figure out how to arrange not only our clothes and bathroom things, but also the remaining pieces of furniture and the decorations.  We paid a little extra for a storage space in the basement of one of the other buildings and it is just about filled to capacity!  We were hoping to hold onto our moving boxes, but it looks like we may have to put them in recycling as there are still more boxes, with things we want to hang on to, that will need a temporary home!! 

 

I don’t mind if Chris keeps most (or all) of his creative stuff in the dining room, which we will use strictly as an office and gathering space.  When it is within arm’s reach, he is more apt to work on a project (or two or three, more like, as he always has several going at one time!).  While we plan to enjoy city living, we have also discussed making & selling things to generate income. 

 

Chris is an amazing artist, of so many mediums, and I want to share it with the world!  We both have our talents and I think we could use them to our advantage, rather than just a hobby.  This way, having and collecting items for creative purposes won’t seem like we are just hauling stuff from one state to another, one place to another. 

 

We have let go of plenty for the bigger goal of moving, expanding our horizons, having experiences over things.  I am a big proponent of simplicity and I suspect Chris is feeling burdened by a few things.  I know that he is planning to unload some of the things that made the cut since Hobart and I hope that some of it he tries to sell before simply donating to Goodwill. 

 

So, a few other issues post-move, besides the lack of internet, are: having to wait on DirecTV technicians on two different afternoons to have it determined that there is no signal access in order that we can be relieved of our contract (we still have 13 of the 24 months left); the calipers for my rear brakes are shot and are burning my brand new brake pads and I am told that this problem was undetectable when my pads & rotors were replaced less than three weeks ago; although we gave plenty of notice (3 weeks to be exact) of our place being empty, the property management didn’t replace the vanity in our bathroom until after we started living here full-time (as of today, it is done!!); and the people above us are extremely loud when we are trying to sleep (yes, we knew that living in an old building would come with noises, but I guess we hoped/believed that people would be more considerate), which may prompt a polite knock on their door to ask for the quiet hours to be observed (from 10P-7A per our lease agreement). 

 

Did I mention that we were stuck for over 2 hours with a moving truck that wouldn’t start, once we had it all unloaded?!?  It had a bad battery and needed a jump, which took all of about 2 minutes!!!  We were double parked in front of the apartment and one of us had to be with the truck at all times.  Our moving-in day was completely thrown off b/c we were so late in getting rid of the truck that we had no desire to do anything beyond getting our bed together for sleeping! 

 

Oh, and it rains weirdly here….almost like Florida, where it is sunny and then rainy and then sunny again ~ except here it might just start to hail, too!  We walked to dinner last nite, Annie’s Café, and felt some raindrops (no big deal), but by the time we got the two blocks to Colfax it started to pick up and then, yep, we were being pelted by hail!  We weren’t injured, no welts or anything, but cuh-razy, nonetheless!    

 

I wish I could say I had my workout mojo, but I am faltering a tad.  I did run 4 miles on Monday, around the lake at City Park.  I did do a strength training workout on Tuesday in the apartment.  We were busy at the Longmont place on Wednesday (and then unloading our cars here with the last of our things we had left behind last Friday).  I had every intention of running this morning, but I didn’t get out the door while Chris was getting ready for work and then I decided it was important for me to get online before my appointment, which meant I had to leave early to stop at a coffee place for free wifi (today, because it was on the way, I chose Panera).  Tomorrow, I am watching Hushpuppy all day, beginning at 7!  So, unless I can get a run in this evening (tho, it is raining right now and I don’t know the weather for the day as we have limited TV access with the digital antenna we are trying out) or tomorrow evening, I might not get any good, sustained exercise until Saturday morning.

 

I’m tired in the mornings, even sleeping later than in Longmont, partly b/c I am not getting sound sleep (thank you apartment A6) and partly b/c I am not getting my regular exercise needs met.  I know I can & should cut myself some slack b/c we are in the midst of all this moving hubbub, but that is hard for me.  Now, the stress over my rear brakes will add to the mix, weighing heavily on me b/c of the financial outlay (and b/c I believe Midas is at fault and am going to contact the owner to seek restitution).  My To-Do list continues to grow for each item I checkmark completed!  Ugh!  And thinking about grocery shopping…well, add it to the list!!

 

I am doing my best to keep it together ~~ this whole move is a full-time job for me, so it’s rather a good thing I am still observing my “sabbatical”!  I hope that with the long weekend ahead, we (which means Chris b/c he is the brawn) will have our wall décor hung, including a shelf in our bedroom and the shelves for the office.  That said, I think I might have a seasonal job come next week…..more details to come as they unfold.  BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Our First Weekend as Denver-ites

The BIG move happened on Friday.  I will spare you the details and just say that pretty much everything resides in the Denver apartment....and we had to wait over 2 hours for the moving truck to get a jump, which took about 2 minutes!

 

Anyway...on to the good stuff!

 

We woke up Saturday morning and stretched our legs by walking two blocks south to Colfax for our first breakfast as residents.  The Denver Biscuit Company did not disappoint!  We enjoyed patio seating and self-serve coffee while waiting very briefly for our respective menu choices to arrive.  Chris got biscuits & gravy (of course) with an egg.  He was able to get a combo of the sausage gravy and the mushroom.  I am not a big fan of b&g, but I still had to taste it and it was darn delish!  I ordered the Dahlia with my biscuits French-toast style!  Uh-huh, I did!  The Dahlia has a mildly spicy sausage patty, an over easy egg and apple butter.  I got my syrup on the side and barely dunked.  All of the flavors work so harmoniously together and the portion sizes are perfect.

 

Following a quick stop at the apartment, we headed west for a leisurely walk.  A leisurely walk which took us all the way to Civic Center Park, at the east end of LoDo and 16th Street Mall.  On the return trip, we stopped at one of my favorite shops, Peppermint, where we chatted with the owner, Chris, while picking out some jewelry: "Happy Camper" bracelet for me and a necklace for Chris.  We have dubbed them our "Welcome to Living in Denver" souvenirs!

 

The afternoon was spent unpacking and beginning to make the place our own.  However, the internet transfer which was to have happened on Friday didn't, nor was it working Saturday, so we headed out that evening to relax and get connected at Tattered Cover on Colfax.  (Thanx for the coffee, Mom!!)  About 8P we realized it was after dark and the girls were probably still a bit freaked out, so we started back home via Colfax.  It was nice not having the 45-minute (or more) drive back to Longmont after enjoying Denver.  It was also pretty cool to just pop into a Greek bakery on the way and grab a couple pastries for home!!!

 

Sunday morning, we got out early to walk City Park, which is where the Denver Zoo is located.  We could hear animals as we walked around the outside of the exhibits.  Most likely, we will get a membership so that when the mood strikes, we can simply walk across the street and visit with the lions & tigers & bears!  We also wanted to see if there is a running path all the way around the Park; tho, we have yet to determine just how many miles it ends up to be.

 

Coinciding with our move, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge came through Denver right into City Park!  We actually watched from our front windows!!!  That's pretty cool, right?

 

And I know that we are true city folk b/c we grabbed our reusable shopping bags and walked the 2 blocks south and 5 blocks east to our local Sprouts grocery store!  One: to get the exercise and Two: to avoid losing our street parking spots!!!  We will be true Coloradans when we buy our first bikes!  Cruiser or mountain, it all depends on the price, but we will have them nonetheless!

 

Mondays are new beginnings (or getting back to your usual after a short "break") and I put on my workout clothes and running shoes to hit the "track" around the lake at City Park, where I put in 4-miles.  I needed the cardio burn & push.  I plan to run the whole perimeter of City Park soon, plus I am going to add pushups, tricep dips, chin-ups & some abs at the little playground in between laps!  I need to create my own workouts and I will be utilizing my at-home tools, running and the playground!!  Can't let my hard work at Fit Chick Express fall to the wayside and I have my fitness instructor image to maintain! 

 

One final tidbit, I got a call last week for a job at Halloween City!  The district manager really wanted to meet with me that day or the next (Friday...moving day), but I couldn't swing it.  He was super understanding, having moved Halloween week himself last year, so I will meet with him & the manager this Thursday morning.  I suspect I am being considered for an assistant management role and that would be awesome as management is something lacking on my resume! 

 

Just dipping my toes in lots of waters since leaving Indiana!  It's exhilarating, eye-opening and a wee-bit scary...but I am going to enjoy this ride!

 



Happy Hour at The Center

Friday was my first time sleeping in the Denver apartment.  We had plans to attend another Happy Hour at the GLBT Center of Colorado, which meant an evening of drinking, and this time we didn't have to drive all the way back to Longmont after the fun!

 

We headed down to the city a couple hours before the event, so that we could do a few things in the apartment.  On our drive, the sky continued to get darker and darker to the north.  And, yep, you guessed right, it followed us to Denver!!  A rain storm blew in just hours before the ROOFTOP celebration!  Ugh!

 

However, as with most weather patterns here in Colorado, it didn't stick around...too long!  We made it to the Center a few minutes before 6 and were the first in line.  After making our way upstairs, we decided to enjoy one of the couches, under an umbrella, while the bar staff (all volunteers) and DJ were still setting up (the rain had delayed their efforts).  We grabbed some tortilla chips and guac.  Then got the first of our drinks and returned to our comfy spot, where we could watch the arrivals.  It began to sprinkle...no big deal.  But then it started coming down just a wee bit more and we were getting hit ~~ had we brought my umbrella, we could have used it to block the wet assault!  We had to head under the very small eaves to enjoy our chips and drinks!  We were amused by the volunteer at the door who was saying exactly what I was thinking after some woman "stole" our couch! 

 

When the rain eased up a bit, we grabbed a few high top chairs and sat under a different umbrella.  The most vibrant rainbow appeared in the sky, soon followed by its double!!

 

 Not long after, we met Tina & Olivia.  Two very cool chicks, who just decided to stop and chat with us!  Turned out to be a serendipitous turn of events as we spent the rest of the time at Happy Hour laughing with them...then we all drove to a small bar to watch a drag show, where Olivia's sister was bartending.

 

Chris and I ended the evening by heading to Tom's Diner on Colfax for an almost-midnite breakfast of eggs, pancakes and toast!  Perfect drinking food!!!

 

Tina wants to have us over to her place for a barbecue with her girlfriend, Mylea.  We are truly looking forward to it!  They have a modest house on Cherry Creek, with a backyard!!! 

 

I share this not just because this is my blog and I can write about anything I darn well please, but also because it shows how important it is to be open to new things, new people, new experiences.  You simply never know who may walk into your life at any moment. 

 

We figured we would spend the three hours at Happy Hour, enjoying time on the roof with our drinks, and then head back to the apartment, rising early for breakfast at the Denver Biscuit Company, just a two-block walk.  Instead, we had a blast with new friends & drag queens, had breakfast before bed and went for morning coffee at Hooked on Colfax (after snacking on some cold leftovers from Tom's!!).

 

Be ready for anything! 

Fall Flavors ~ Crockpot Style

It's football season!  It's back-to-school time!!  In some areas, the chilly mornings are giving way to warm, not hot, days, which lead to earlier & earlier sunsets and cool evenings!  Weekends will be filled with gatherings around bonfires!!!

 

My favorite time of year is approaching, tho not quick enough in Colorado (where our days are still high 80's and low 90's). 

 

Here are some crockpot recipes that will welcome you home to the smells of Fall (or football, as in the case of the buffalo chicken).

 

 

Crockpot Pork Roast 

1 pork roast (about 2 ½ lbs)

1 large onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, sliced

¼ cup + 2 T red wine or balsamic vinegar

1 ½ T seasonings of your choice

 

Rub pork with seasoning.  Place in crockpot.  Scatter onion & celery around pork, along with ¼ cup vinegar.  Cook on High 6 hrs or Low 8 hrs.  Remove bone.  Shred with forks. 

To make a sauce:  Remove pork and set aside.  Strain fat from liquid and remove veggies.  Pour defatted liquid into saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  In a small bowl, mix 2T vinegar & 2 T cornstarch.  Whisk vinegar mixture and 1T Cajun seasoning.  Boil until thickened. Add to shredded meat & veggies.

You can serve this with mashed potatoes or rice.  Or on rolls as sandwiches.

 

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Roast

1 pork roast (about 3 lbs)

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

½ c cranberry or orange juice

½ c sugar

1 t dry mustard

¼ t ground cloves

 

2T cornstarch

2T cold water

 

Place roast in crockpot.  In bowl, mash cranberry sauce.  Stir in sugar, juice, mustard and cloves.  Pour cranberry mixture over roast.  Cook 6-8 hrs on Low.  Remove roast and keep warm. 

To make a gravy:  Skim off fat from juices.  Measure 2 cups, adding water if necessary, and pour into sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  In small bowl, combine cornstarch & water to make a paste; stir this into liquid.  Simmer and stir until thickened.  Serve with pork, over mashed potatoes or rice.

 

Crockpot Shredded Pork Sandwiches

1 pork roast (4-7 lbs), preferably pork butt

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 t chili powder

¼ c brown sugar

3-4 garlic cloves

1 t dried oregano

1 t cumin

1-2 T salt

pepper

1-2 T oil

2-3 T vinegar

 

Place roast in crockpot.  In a blender or food processor, mix oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar and brown sugar.  Add in onion and blend until combined.  Pour mixture over roast, rubbing it in.  Cook on Low 10-12 hrs, High 6 hrs (maybe less if roast is on the small side) ~ until pork falls apart easily. 

Serve on rolls.

 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken

½ c butter

1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s buffalo sauce

2 t oregano

2 T Worcestershire

 

Melt butter in saucepan, add other ingredients (except chicken).  Bring to a simmer. Place chicken in crockpot and pour sauce mixture over chicken.  Cook on Low 6-8 hours.  Shred with forks.

Serve on buns/rolls.

 

 

 

I have made every one of these recipes, multiple times. They are easy and so full of amazing flavor!  And any of them can be frozen and savored again at a later date!

 

Now, I am not rushing winter by any means, but please, please, can I have fall arrive in Colorado soon....and stay for many months?  Can't fault a girl for asking!

 



Stir-Fry, Italian-Style

Here is a skillet sensation, using up ingredients on hand:

 

Italian Tempeh and Mixed Vegetables

 

Saute onion in olive oil

Add chopped tempeh and cook several minutes

Microwave frozen vegetables, about 3 minutes, then add to skillet

Warm marinara sauce, pour over tempeh and veggies

Cook on low heat to allow the veggies to cook through and the flavors to combine.

 

Season to taste.  I added oregano with the veggies.

 

You could do this with leftover chicken, steak, fish or shrimp.  Or simply make it as a sidedish with just the veggies.

 

This hit the spot on a Saturday afternoon!!

 

 



Where Will It Go????

The days of living with three bathrooms are coming to an end.  We will be officially moved out a week from today.

 

What's been running through my mind, you might ask?

 

Well, where are we going to put all of our necessary daily bathroom items in only one bathroom, which may or may not have a cabinet under the sink?  (The current vanity is rotting and we have been promised a replacement...tho, it may simply be a pedestal sink.)  There are two wall-mounted medicine cabinets, one for each of us, and I suppose we will figure it all out.

 

Also, how are we going to organize all of our clothes, coats and shoes?  (Chris has a ridiculous amount of shoes...and jeans...and shirts!!!  Unlike me, he hasn't really grasped the simplicity of minimalism.)  We still don't have any dressers.  There are 3 closets, total, and all of them have shelves.  While it is great to have the ability to use the whole height of the closet space, having to drag a step ladder inside, smack-dab in the middle of the tightly-packed hanging clothes, doesn't sound ideal, right? 

 

First world problems, tho, right?  RIGHT!! 

 

I will get over it!  It's not life-ending, nor life-changing.  It's just a little life-altering. 

What to Do with That Half Bag of Frozen Spinach...besides Smoothies

In an effort to use up our food stuffs before the move, I did some "research" on Pinterest for frozen spinach (leftover from the awesome Tuscan lasagna). 

 

I tweaked a recipe to come up with Spinach Quinoa Patties!

 

Thaw & drain frozen spinach.

Mix with cooked quinoa, oats, one egg and seasonings to taste (I used garlic, Adobo and red pepper flakes).

 

Place bowl in refrigerator for an hour-ish to help mixture set.

 

Form into balls, which you gently press into patties in a heated & oiled skillet. 

 

Brown to your liking.

 

I paired the patties with marinara sauce, garlic bread and frozen mixed veggies.

 

If you are making a whole bag of spinach, then increase your eggs to two.

 

Mangia!!!

Accidental Foreshadowing?

Back in March, I wrote a post which ended with me saying I wanted to live in Sex in The City.

 

Last week, when I made one of my trips to the Denver pad, I pulled up a wooden library 2-step as a stool, set my laptop on the window sill and began to write some notes for a future blogpost.  This window, there are actually two, is in our office/dining room, which faces 17th Street.  It's a busy 2-way street, which is also the south border for City Park.  As I sat there, I could see across to the park and the lake, while hearing the activity below.

 

I completely had a Carrie Bradshaw moment ~~ sitting at her computer, at her small desk, at her NYC apartment window, overlooking the street, making notes for her column!!!

 

I am going to live in the City, write my blogs, visit coffeehouses and restaurants, run in the Park, walk to events and gathering places, take on new & exciting jobs and adventures!!  I won't have the expensive wardrobe nor be on the hunt for my mate...however, I will be living my very own version ~~ Jen in The City.

 

I guess it's true that what you say, what you believe, can come to fruition when you desire it enough.

 

Remember, you are in control of your destiny.  When you aren't happy, change things up.  Find the right mix for the right time!  But don't stop there! 

 

Keep dreaming!  Keep searching!  Keep enjoying your days, your moments, YOUR life!  In the city, the country, the suburbs ~~ wherever your life's path has taken you at this time.



Bling!

The other day, a thought popped into my head.  One I never would have imagined!!  It just snuck in there.

 

Today, I acted on said thought....

and got my nose pierced!

 

Tiny pink stone, left nostril.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gains vs Losses

What I will miss from Longmont:

            Hot air balloons

            Prairie dogs

            Coyote howls

            Quiet

            More than 1 bathroom

            Our own washer & dryer

            Starry skies

            Longs Peak 

La Vita Bella coffeeshop

            Fit Chick Express

 

 

What I will gain in Denver:

            City Park and Lake views

            Exploring new neighborhood

            No long drive home

            Different view of the Rockies

            City life

            Radiator heating (this should be interesting!)

            Yet, another chapter in my life’s adventure

 



Pied-a-Terre

For several months, Chris has crashed Thursdays in his work office, on a mattress he found in a nearby closet.  It hasn't been a most ideal solution, but one that saves gas money and wear & tear, plus Chris's time since he has stayed in Denver until 8P for his volunteer work those nites. 

 

Well, last nite was the very last time he will have to sleep at JWU!!!  We get the keys to our pied-a-terre this morning!!!

 

I am hoping we can borrow an air mattress (& pump) from one of the Fit Chicks for a few weeks.  That way, Chris isn't sleeping atop hardwood floors on just a down comforter and a few pillows!  (It was rough doing that on the carpeted floor during my mom's stay...I cannot imagine hardwood!)  Chris will definitely stay there on Thursdays and the both of us will crash there a time or two before we get our bed moved in, mid-month.

 

Chris will head over to do some cleaning today, after his half day of work.  Tomorrow, we load up both cars (mostly kitchen stuff) to begin setting up house...once again.