Holy crap, y’all. Work is kicking my ASS…in a totally good way. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have a new job (well, same job, just a different assignment and a new boss) and even though I haven’t officially started yet (March 1st is the for reals date, because old boss wanted a 2 month transition period, and whoever came up with the idea of transition periods is one sadistic bastard, let me tell ya), I’m still learning new things every day and It. Is. Awesome. Also, awesomely exhausting. The days have been flying by, and my brain is full, and I come home and want nothing more to be a vegetable, but then I go to bed and my mind starts racing.
Why is my mind racing? Because HB and I are thinking (not yet doing, but seriously thinking) about selling our house and downsizing to a cheaper model (because construction is totally stagnant and that’s what he does for work and neither one of us is attached to this house and the mortgage payment that goes with it and we might as well sell why we still have SOME equity in the beast). Thing is, the market here in Morro Bay (where we want to stay) is crap. There’s not much for sale and it most likely will take forever and a day to sell the house we’re in. In the meantime, we’re thinking about what needs to be done to this house (not in terms of massive overhauls, because who wants to do a bathroom remodel when we won’t get the money back, but more like must-do maintenance on the deck and a few other things). And I’m dreaming about what the new house might possibly look like. Even though there is no new house. But this is what I do every time we think about moving. I’m also thinking I need to start purging some of the miscellaneous stuff that has accumulated in the 7 years we’ve lived here. We used to move about every two years, which was great motivation for not keeping things. But seven years makes you complacent and bogged down with unnecessary stuff (for example…why do two people need an entire shelf full of coffee mugs?? Especially when one of the two people doesn’t even drink coffee…just the occasional mug of tea).
My mind is also racing because next weekend I’m going to Sacramento (photography workshop), and the weekend after that my mom and I are going to Orange County (family visit with a side trip to see the Terracotta Warriors), and in March I’m doing a girl’s weekend (we’re staying local) with some friends (one of whom will be moving soon and I’m very sad about that), and in May we’re trying to plan another girl’s weekend in San Francisco to walk Bay to Breakers. Whew. Lots of good stuff in there.
And it’s also racing (the mind) because there are things I want to post about that I haven’t (refer back to that want nothing more to be a vegetable comment) and things I need to post about (A People’s History Readalong) and comments I never seem to make anymore and books to read that I haven’t been reading. I haven’t finished a book in over a week, and I just ran out of pre-scheduled posts, so the blog is gonna be mighty quiet for awhile.
However, for the first time in forever I got a full night’s sleep (can you tell?…I’m rambling like a madwoman, and there’s not a drop of caffeine in my body). The brain turned off at 9:30 and let me sleep until 6:30 and now I’m waiting for HB to finish surfing. We’re going to go for our (what is almost becoming a weekly habit) weekend hike/walk. Today it’s off to San Simeon (where William Randolph Hearst built a castle on a hill that you might have heard of). We’re not hiking to the castle, but we will be rambling through the State Park. It’s supposed to be a four mile loop…flat, to accommodate HB’s still healing leg, yet long enough to give us a feeling of accomplishment. Then it’s home to clean and work on the deck and hopefully (but no promises) organize my thoughts and preschedule some more posts and connect with all of you all instead of hitting the dreaded Mark As Read button.
In the meantime, happy weekending!
You sound very excited about everything! We are trying to move and downsize too. But selling a house is so stressful, especially the keeping-it-clean part. And hiding-stuff-away part. Ugh! We also have a lot of unnecessary stuff – including tons of extra mugs! :–)
rhapsodyinbooks´s last [type] ..Black History Month Kid Konnection – A Selection of Books on Slavery for Children
You sure have a lot going on in your life right now, but you seem so enthusiastic about the new job, new home venture that I’m sure it is a great buzz for you. Hope all goes as you hope. Enjoy your hike.
Diane@BibliophileBytheSea´s last [type] ..Saturday Snapshot
I’m glad you’re enjoying the new job so much. We’ve thought about putting our house on the market too, but that’s as far as we’ve gotten. Thank heavens for a good night’s sleep!
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last [type] ..Saturday Snapshot
Good stuff going on in your life Jill! My life took a similar twist – I went to full time while the office manager is away on maternity leave and the additional 15 hours a week is awesome (Hello BEA fund!) but it also leaves me wiped out at the end of the day…. between work, trying to exercise and keep a home… I have been dropping into bed about 9:00 pm which is sooooo not like me.
Enjoy the challenges – they all sound good and I am jealous of your walk today – sounds like a good time…. (remember… I am in Minnesota… snow…. )
Sheila (Book Journey)´s last [type] ..The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp
Man–I’d love to see you when you are hopped up on caffeine! Lots of energy in this post (which I love). Congrats on the new [albeit] exhausting job–hopefully your body will settle soon. And it sounds like it’s the perfect time to sell your house–no better time than when you don’t HAVE to sell right?
And a photography class?? So jealous. I had meant to do that before Elle was born but time just slipped away. Let us know of good tips you learn!
Trish´s last [type] ..ZOMG Chocolatey Trifle – Weekend Cooking
I definitely understand what you’re going through since school is kicking my ass. Yay for the new position but boo for the transition period. Hopefully things will get less exhausting really soon.
Vasilly´s last [type] ..The results are in!
I would so love to be in a place to buy a new house that’s bigger instead of smaller. Our house might sell, but… I’m holding out to see about moving back to Michigan in the next 5 years or so. I don’t think I could convince my husband to move again.
Literate Housewife´s last [type] ..Goodbye January, Hello February!
We have been talking about moving, too. I have moments where I look at my books and think ‘Yeah, that’s going to suck…’ I have been getting rid of things, though. I did a major purge of my books last year and this year we have been getting rid of some of the furniture we don’t really need. I have a long way to go. Funny enough I mentioned the coffee mugs to the guy the other day. We tend to just reuse the same 2 or 3 mugs unless we have visitors, so why do we have so many…
Kailana´s last [type] ..Saturday Snapshot – February 4, 2012
Moving is a great reason to get rid of all your crap. Because you know when it gets outside your house it multiplies.
heidenkind´s last [type] ..Movie Review: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
So much exciting news/happenings… no wonder you aren’t feeling like reading and blogging this week! Hope you had a great hike.
JoAnn´s last [type] ..Author Birthday: Stewart O’Nan
Wow, things sound crazy busy around here for you. Congratulations on the new learning being awesome, and the fantastic upcoming trips. Good luck with the house – I hope that you can get it all to work out well. I hope, too, that your brain lets you sleep more so that we can see you around
Amy´s last [type] ..January 2012 Reading Wrap-Up
Ooh, I hope the home thing works out! Also, yay about happy butt-kicking from work
I know that unhappy butt-kicking at work is the WORST.
If I were you, I’d be spending hours on design sites around the web, dreaming about how to make my fabulously cozy new currently non-existent home SUPER AWESOME.
Aarti´s last [type] ..[TSS] On Spoilers
Wow – your mind really is racing! Periodically I try to go through my house and clean things out as if we were thinking about moving. It’s amazing how much stuff you keep when you don’t have to contemplate packing it, carrying it around, and then finding a new home for it! Don’t feel bad about those coffee mugs – my parents have the same thing and only my dad drinks coffee. They have an entire set of mugs just for the fall (now that is my mom’s fault because she wants the color on the rack they also have mugs on!).
Lisa´s last [type] ..Sunday Salon – February 5
Don’t talk to me about construction business … Ugh. Smart to be smart in these uncertain times. Glad you got your mind to rest.
Beth F´s last [type] ..Review: The Never Weres by Fiona Smyth
Wow … you’ve got a lot of things going on … they are all good things. I’m happy for you! Time will fly by when you’re busy. The whole housing thing is a mess everywhere but you’ll never know until you try.
Jenners´s last [type] ..A People’s Readalong: Tyranny Is Tyranny
My hubby and I have been looking for a new house for almost a year. We have to stay in our area, like a very small amount of leeway here, and we are having no luck whatsoever. In other words, I feel your pain. Good luck! Glad you love the new assignment!
Trisha´s last [type] ..Baby and Books