Monday, May 16, 2022

We are home! The air smells so good with the trees budding. And the bird sounds are so different here than in Florida. So nice to be home but as always somewhat overwhelming. I dread the reorganization of the house needed after DS has several months here without us, having to go through a mountain of mail, and unpacking. Add to that the fact that DS is now using my 2 guest rooms. My need for neatness and organization is really going to be strained.

But for today we are going to Eastham so Mike can get some things and mow the lawn there. Maybe I will bring my mail mountain to sift through.

The weekend with Mike's family went okay. Everyone but his son were there. Mike's son has COVID (mild) for the second time. The BBQ on Saturday night was a bit uncomfortable for me at one point because his ex told me she was shocked that we had gotten married and that she had gotten in a big fight with Mike over her staying in his house because of me. He has been upset at her staying there for most of the time since I met him but wouldn't get emphatic enough to tell her to leave. So now she is apparently blaming that on me - did she think she could stay there forever and it was his obligation to take care of her? Sounds like it. Hmmm... I wonder if the kids agree with her? The girls seem happy that they can now use the house like they used to with their friends. I have noticed that they all think he is made of money. His ex called him rich once in one of their arguments. I think he may have fostered that view with his elaborate vacations. I have never spent money like that though I actually have more assets than he does.

Not much else going on. I did order some Fairlife protein drinks - hopefully that will jumpstart me on losing some weight. I can't buy them anywhere around here. Have a safe and healthy Monday!

That encounter with the ex sounds very unpleasant! Sounds like someone who needs to pin blame on anyone else but herself.

DD, you are a good daughter to visit your mom when the visits are what they are. It's so hard to be around people who don't seem to be happy about anything. My grandmother was very similar, rehashing all the bad things that had happened to her. While bad things happen to everyone and we all make some choices we wish had been different ones, we either view those things as opportunities to learn, grow, and forgive ourselves and others or we wallow in how they kept us from being who we wanted to be. The latter is difficult to be around.

Painting resumes today. One day off was not enough (I'm sure not for them either)! But I do want it done, so the only way out is through it. I just want the plastic off my windows so I can get some air in here.

Yesterday I took the very delicate globes off the two dining room light fixtures and washed them. They can't be cleaned in place and were really hazy when you turned them on. But now all clean! I was so worried I was going to break on in the process. I also washed and ironed the decorative bedding for my two guest rooms.

I really just need to finish the craft room and tidy my closet and put a few bedroom piles of clothes away.

Eating wasn't great yesterday choice-wise, but better volume-wise. And I took a 3 mile walk with my friend. Lousy sleep last night.

Hope you all have nice days!

You are so efficient these days. I need to catch some of that, though I did go through my mail mountain and took care of some banking issues this morning.

I talked to Mike about the discussion with the Ex. The thing is that his friends have been telling him for years that she was acting like she expected him to take care of her for the rest of her life (beyond just getting half his pension). I guess she never was very responsible for herself and in the amount of time when she was independent she lost the nest egg she got from the divorce which could have been used to purchase a nice piece of property. Instead she bought an overly large home with the then boyfriend (but in her name with her money) which ended up being foreclosed on so she lost what she had.

A good example of why women (and men) need to be self-sufficient regardless of their status with their partners! I just hope the Ex's feelings don't affect Mike's kids.

Um.... you seem to be channeling Liz and Shirl these days. You are so ON IT. I want to channel you this summer to get my garage and office in order!

Honestly, I'm exhausted! This is not in my nature! But perfectionism is, so the idea of showing the house in a less than "perfect" state makes me uncomfortable. If only I did some of this as a matter of home maintenance over time, as opposed to saving it all for the end...

Whelping room is all set up. The girls slept in their personal apartments last night while the rest of the pack slept in their crates in the living room. Puppy Charlie was not pleased with her new sleeping arrangement. She was quite vocal this morning once the sun came up.

Being in full on cleaning mode yesterday I decided to also wash all the dog crates inside and out and disinfect them. I do that every couple of months anyway, but it was just one more thing to add to the day's chores. I was washing the inside of one of the crates and had to laugh as I thought of how it must look from the outside to see me inside the crate with legs sticking out. While not tall, I am a big guy, so imagining the awkwardness of how it must have looked made me crack up.

Exercise in frustration: I ordered a new roller brush for the Shark vacuum. I went to put it in, but Shark makes the the screws with hex heads instead of flat or Phillip head screws. I have two sets of hex head Allen wrenches, but not one would fit perfectly. I was only able to get out two screws. The screws that were too deeply set wouldn't budge. UGH..... I hate HATE HATE companies that purposely make things difficult to fix and repair at home so they can make more money. Hopefully, I can get a repair place to switch out the screws with sensible screws so I can work on it at home, if needed. Very glad I still have my old Oreck, too. I will get that tuned up and probably just stick with that for household use and use the shark in the RV.

Food was acceptable yesterday, too. Not much thought went in to it, but I had two meals and some snacks. Nothing overboard.

This week is starting off okay. I am thinking that after school is out, I will be able to focus on losing a few pounds over the summer.

Liz, the ex sounds like a real piece of work. FWITW, I thought Mike might be loaded, too, because of the way he spends money on the lavish family vacation weeks. However, I do know many people who are not loaded who LOVE to spend money on vacations. It is a luxury of importance to them. Mike must be one of those types, too. Nothing wrong with that, IMO. Just not how I roll. My aunt was like that. She loved staying in nice hotels and resorts. I once went to Barbados on her tab to "babysit" my great aunt. WOW! It was a hell of a vacation! Anyway, we all choose how we like to spend our discretionary money differently. I blow it on dogs (vet bills, supplies, RVs, dog show travel....).

Puppy time soon! It always seems to come so fast after you tell us they are expected.

Yeah, one of Mike's biggest priorities in life is definitely vacations. For instance, he thinks a significant piece of jewelry is a waste of money but will drop the same amount on a one-week vacation without batting an eye. I was actually surprised that I had more assets when we compared notes because I have always been comparatively frugal. Maybe that comes from a very slow beginning as a teenage Mom, then a single Mom a few years later for a while. He had a good career from the time he finished college and didn't have any downturns until he divorced 25 years later. He exceeded his original family expectations as he was the only one in his generation to go to college (and his kids are the only college educated ones in the next generation).

My father's house will always be the nicest house I ever lived in. I did not exceed their level of financial success (and they both grew up very poor), but where I surpassed my upbringing is this: I am happy. I have boundaries. There is a very low level of conflict in my home and marriage. It's a good life. :)

That's worth its weight in gold!

You are the one who is rich. Truly!