A few things crept up on me once we made this move, some good, and well, some that will take a bit of getting used to.
I am really enjoying looking out the window and being able to identify the flowers that are blooming around the perimeter of our house. If I weren’t so tired (see below), I’d go outside and photograph them. The yard is so peaceful, the trees strong and mature, and the landscaping, well, that may take a while to figure out. By my current calculations, we are going to need several hundred bags of mulch very soon.
That said, night scares the bejesus out of me. Our beautiful, benign, serene yard, once the sun goes down, eerily transforms into a pitch-black haunt for howling, flesh-starved coyotes, animals that seem to enjoy dragging other animals through the woods, and a fourteen-foot Sasquatch who eats raccoons in a single bite. We have a few flood lights, but, rest assured, we’re picking up a few more.
And speaking of night…
Did you know how easy it is to change a lock to a deadbolt that opens with a key? Quite simple, really. We’ll be picking up a few more of those as well. Thanks, neck-tattooed, ex-con movers who reminded me why I stopped working with the incarcerated in the first place. Thanks a lot.
A house of forty-someodd windows isn’t a good thing, neither from a window covering perspective, nor a being-awake-all-night-with-your-children-whilst-your-husband-works-overnight perspective. I walk through the house in the middle of the night, repeating to myself, “Do not look at the windows…Do not look at the windows…Do not look at the windows,” inevitably peering helplessly out every single one, trying to catch a glimpse of some would-be burglar holding up a sign that says, “I”m gonna get you now!”
And besides the window/outdoors/murderous wildlife thing, here are a few other tidbits:
My husband and I were actually able to fix (with the help of Google. Full disclosure) our garage door. That’s a good thing.
I grossly overestimated the level of dedication and commitment of the employees of big box home improvement stores. Those commercials are really misleading.
If you have a fireplace, best believe your toddlers will find a way into it, and will also find a way to remove the grate at the bottom and drop Wii accessories inside.
Hardwood floors successfully hide a lot more dirt than I remembered.
Once I unpacked some of my collectibles, I realized just how much I resemble a twelve-year-old girl.
It will take no fewer than three trips to acquire and install the correct safety gates for your house, making you the unofficial staircase goalie until the issue is solved.
And, speaking of safety, every time you think you’ve covered all the outlets, you will spot one you missed.
You may also spend what you believe to be an exorbitant amount of money on high quality paint-primer combo, only to get into the house and realize the color that’s there looks just fine (or it doesn’t, but you’re far too tired to change it).
And, lastly, no matter what remains to be done or how important, the one thing you will fixate on will be putting up pictures. Or I will fixate on putting up pictures. Whatever.
By the way, why aren’t those pictures up yet?
I loved this post– you remind me of me in regards to burglars!!! I’m the same way!
Thanks!
Love the hockey reference and the Disney nick-nacks
) Congratualations on the new home!
Thanks Kerri!!
My husband always convinces me to watch that Walking Dead zombie show, so now whenever I go into our creepy basement at night, I think, don’t think of zombies, don’t think of zombies. So at least you’re scared of something real! Congrats on the new house.
Ha! Thank you!
Dear Dexter,
With all those coyotes lurking about at night, you’d better not be giving your momma any more black eyes.
With love,
Julie
Thanks. He needed a good talking to.
Is that plant in your yard? I love those, bleeding hearts. I don’t like open windows either. If nothing else, no one needs to see my in my pajamas.
Yep. I was pleased to find it outside the bathroom window. There are a lot of pretty plants here I need to take in before they wilt!
I used to babysit for a couple with HUGE windows and it scared the crap out of me. After I put the kids to bed I would just huddle on the couch and look all around like someone was going to jump out and kill me. Forget the pictures. Get lots of curtains. lol
THANK YOU! Sure, they’re pretty, but at night? Yikes! We’ll be covering them up as soon as we can!
OK no fair you’ve already gotten knick knacks unpacked!!!!I’m getting there…really I am.B works nights so at nighttime I am alone but so far it’s not too bad as long as I ….don’t look out the windows and check each lock 18 billion times!
Well, these have never seen the light of day. They’ve been sitting in a closet since we bought them. I thought it only fair to give them a little fresh air.
We should start a just-moved-and-alone-at-night support group!
oh we totally should!!!!
I really enjoyed this post we will be moving soon so this made me think of some things I will want to make sure we have for the new house, like window coverings.
Thanks. Yeah, don’t be a Stephanie. Cover your windows!!
I always peer out of windows. I’m so paranoid, especially when my boyfriend is working nights and it’s just me and the girls home alone. I compulsively check all of the locks, and will never EVER walk the dog all the way to the end of the backyard at night. She’s just going to have to deal with peeing near the house before bed.
WP recommended your blog, and I am in! Great writing style, very humourous and easy to relate to.
Aw, thanks! And thank you, WordPress, wherever you are…
The pictures aren’t up but Dorothy is? That’s creepy.
Poor Dorothy’s been in a box since 2005. Plus I wanted to take her out to see if I would still want a Dorothy doll sitting on my shelf. I’m kind of eh about it now. Sort of an experiment to see how much I’ve changed.
Oh no! I am always on the lookout for the boogy man when my husband works out of town too!
I’m not sure whether the lights outside help, either. Because what if you look out and, like, SEE someone? Isn’t that scarier?
I still have the “temporary” paper blinds in about 3 rooms of my house that I’ve lived in for nearly 10 years. They cover the windows, and that’s really all that matters, right?
Wow!! I’d have gone completely bananas! But at least your windows are covered. Unlike mine.