(no subject)
I have discovered some amazing things about myself in the past few weeks. I can use the drill. I can sand things. I can use a crowbar. (That is FUN, by the way.) I can touch gross stuff. I can clean filth that isn't related to me.
Those seem pretty dumb, if you think about it. C'mon, who CAN'T rub a piece of sandpaper over some wood? I think the real issue before was getting dirty. I have never been one for being dirty. But I have discovered that if you are planning to get dirty, it's not so bad and actually kind of freeing. (Did you drip some lunch on your shirt? No problem! It's covered with bleach and paint anyways. Need to sit in a pile of sawdust? No big deal. It will go quite well with the bits of insulation clinging to the seat of your jeans.) And the shower afterwards is HEAVENLY. I EARNED that shower. I can feel an appreciable difference afterwards.
I must admit, these few weeks haven't been the best weeks of my life. Bill and I have been very sad about Astrid, and learning to adjust to life without her has been hard. We had a little funeral for her, and buried her in our new back yard, and I am working on a shadow box to commemorate her, and I'm feeling a little better. I still miss her greatly, but I haven't burst into uncontrollable sobs in a week or so. Bill's first couple of days home were hard, since he was gone throughout the whole ordeal, but he seems to be doing better as well. Maybe this summer we will be ready for a new dog, possibly from the Dachshund or Corgi Rescue. No dog will ever be the same as the Puppybuns, but it will feel nice to have a little creature to love nonetheless.
I think what really helped me was all that work waiting to be done at the new house. Sanding and cleaning are mindless, but they somehow occupy most of your brain. When you're upset, it's very satisfying to see that you can turn a scratched cabinet or a stinky disgusting room into something pretty and livable. And I've gotten to hang out with my Dad a lot more. I've always thought my Dad was pretty cool, but doing a bunch of work together is a good way to bond.
I also think that being able to participate in the remodeling of the house--even in the small ways that I am--is going to make it an even better house for us. It would never have occurred to me to neglect a house in the way that Nasty William* did, but now I think I have an even better appreciation of how much work goes into making and keeping a house nice.
*Nasty** William is our house's previous owner. I used to think he had become disabled and died, but it turns out the house just got too dirty and he moved away.
**Not 'nasty' in the good way. Just nasty. Like never-clean-your-toilet nasty. Also lazy. Like stick-an-aquarium-above-your-kitchen-ceiling lazy. Yup. This is something Nasty William did instead of fixing a leak in the roof. He simply installed an empty aquarium in the attic to catch the water.
Those seem pretty dumb, if you think about it. C'mon, who CAN'T rub a piece of sandpaper over some wood? I think the real issue before was getting dirty. I have never been one for being dirty. But I have discovered that if you are planning to get dirty, it's not so bad and actually kind of freeing. (Did you drip some lunch on your shirt? No problem! It's covered with bleach and paint anyways. Need to sit in a pile of sawdust? No big deal. It will go quite well with the bits of insulation clinging to the seat of your jeans.) And the shower afterwards is HEAVENLY. I EARNED that shower. I can feel an appreciable difference afterwards.
I must admit, these few weeks haven't been the best weeks of my life. Bill and I have been very sad about Astrid, and learning to adjust to life without her has been hard. We had a little funeral for her, and buried her in our new back yard, and I am working on a shadow box to commemorate her, and I'm feeling a little better. I still miss her greatly, but I haven't burst into uncontrollable sobs in a week or so. Bill's first couple of days home were hard, since he was gone throughout the whole ordeal, but he seems to be doing better as well. Maybe this summer we will be ready for a new dog, possibly from the Dachshund or Corgi Rescue. No dog will ever be the same as the Puppybuns, but it will feel nice to have a little creature to love nonetheless.
I think what really helped me was all that work waiting to be done at the new house. Sanding and cleaning are mindless, but they somehow occupy most of your brain. When you're upset, it's very satisfying to see that you can turn a scratched cabinet or a stinky disgusting room into something pretty and livable. And I've gotten to hang out with my Dad a lot more. I've always thought my Dad was pretty cool, but doing a bunch of work together is a good way to bond.
I also think that being able to participate in the remodeling of the house--even in the small ways that I am--is going to make it an even better house for us. It would never have occurred to me to neglect a house in the way that Nasty William* did, but now I think I have an even better appreciation of how much work goes into making and keeping a house nice.
*Nasty** William is our house's previous owner. I used to think he had become disabled and died, but it turns out the house just got too dirty and he moved away.
**Not 'nasty' in the good way. Just nasty. Like never-clean-your-toilet nasty. Also lazy. Like stick-an-aquarium-above-your-kitchen-ceiling lazy. Yup. This is something Nasty William did instead of fixing a leak in the roof. He simply installed an empty aquarium in the attic to catch the water.