This Single Gal's New HouseThis Single Gal's New HouseThe trials, tribulations, and joys of owning a house as a single woman Articles
A fortunate 2008?
2008-01-02 08:31:00 So, okay... I admit it...I've blown my New Year's resolutions already and the first day of the year isn't even over. I'm not even going to share what they were -- the shame, the shame. There's always tomorrow, right?New Year's Eve was fun this year...When visiting Finland over the New Year holiday in 2000/1, my friends introduced me to a really cool Finnish New Year tradition. I hosted a little New Year's dinner at my house last evening and we followed the tradition... On New Year's eve in Finland, each person melts a small tin horseshoe in a ladle.Please note: we melted ours over the fire. But, this is the ladle and the tin a' meltin'. Image courtesy of: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/341316 440_29ab6c8d45.jpgAfter the tin is melted, you dump the melted tin into a pail of cold water. When it congeals, you take out the tin and look at it. You read the tin as a symbol of your fortune for the next year. First we looked at them in full light. then went into a dark roo... More About: 2008
Happy New Year!
2008-01-01 19:36:00 Image (c) David Lindes, 2004. http://www.daveltd.com/photo/rolls/1029/1 029-34-space-needle-fireworks-edit.jpgWis hing you and your family a happy, healthy, and joyous 2008!-- From The Single Gal and her faithful pooch, Daisy More About: New Year , Happy , Happy New Year , Year
On 2007...
2007-12-30 19:48:00 I have to say that I am very excited that 2007 is nearly over. It's been a whirlwind year. A lot of joy. A lot of difficulties....A month by month play by play:January: huge snowstorm. Tried to drive to work. Went careening down a hill (sideways). Hit no one. Got out of the car and it got NAILED by a Subaru.February: dated my neighbor. He initially appeared to be normal... and then I stopped dating my neighbor.March: dated a lovely chap. He dumped me by email claiming that he had finally! figured out he was gay and oh, was also a cocaine addict. I kid you not.April: decided I was never dating again. Went on a trip to Oregon. It rocked.May: um, forgotJune: had a lovely month. Got in a car accident at the end. T-boned. Driver's side. Stupid woman.July: bought a house. Moved. Friends from Michigan came to visit. Friends from Oregon came to visit. Dealt with car accident injuries.August: A friend from Finland came to visit. Lost my contact. Light fixture...
A tale of a non-vacation vacation
2007-12-28 02:23:00 So I went on "vacation."Well, I tried to go on vacation. It turned into a non-vacation vacation.Some highlights:1. I drove through a blinding snowstorm on my way to the coast. I was not prepared for said snowstorm. I got nervous. I was scared. This is how Daisy coped.2. I got to the hotel. They had lost my reservation, and they couldn't believe I was travelling alone. That's my favorite.3. They upgraded my room because of #2, BUT... there was someone else's garbage all over the room.OKAY, TANGENTWhat is up with random spilled garbage all over my personal space? Vandals at home and then this? Metaphor?UNTANGENT4. The hot tub didn't work.5. They didn't have any pet bags ready for Daisy. Allegedly they come with cool poop scooping gloves, bag, and treats. Daisy was denied the treats she so dutifully deserved. This is how she felt.6. They gave me a DVD to watch to prevent me from getting too grumpy. The room had a DVD player, but it wasn't hooked up properly. Couldn't watch the... More About: Vacation , Tale
Happy Holidays!
2007-12-24 17:43:00 Happy Holidays and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2008! http://www.funnypostcard.com/dog/happy_ho lidays.jpg. Please note: this is not Daisy. She would never wear a santa hat. Not her thing. Not mine either.With love to you and your family,The Single Gal More About: Happy Holidays , Happy
Vandals! Vandals! Vandals!
2007-12-22 17:47:00 How's this for the holiday spirit?I shuffled into the living room this morning, looked out the window, and what did my wondering eyes but appear? A lawn strewn with garbage and no eight tiny reindeer.http://static.flickr.com/112/251 645085_ee0761710c.jpg VANDALS! VANDALS! VANDALS! Some jackitudes thought it would be amusing to open my garbage can and dump it all over my lawn. Funny, huh?Um. No. Where was the Plum Posse when I needed them? They could have picked up the garbage?How did the hedge of protection let me down?Daisy, why didn't you bark and freak out the vandals?Oh. I see. Sniffing random crap on the ground is more important than protecting my yard from VANDALS!GRUMBLE.I'm happy to say the garbage is now back in its recepticle after I spent a half an hour tromping around in the sleet. Fa la la la la laAnd happy holidays to you, fucking VANDALS.
A mouse in the house
2007-12-21 03:38:00 The rat man came: 6:49 a.m. on Wednesday, thank you very much.The rat man saw: a decapitated mouse in one of the traps in my crawlspace.The rat man conquered?: not yet, but he's coming back. Apparently, creatures have found a new entrance to my crawlspace. I was not crazy when I heard the scratchity and the squeakity. Ya dig?In other news:The Single Gal needs to find some serious cash to buy some new windows. It's freakin' cold in here, and my gas bill last month was COMPLETELY insanely out of control expensive.Donations?Anyone?Maybe I need to start a foundation: it shall be calledth "the single gal's fund to live a life without being broke and wishing every second that some fabulous magical prince would decend from the heavens and rescue her from poverty".And it was done.www.joanndesigns.comThe sad thing is, I'm really not kidding...There's a country / gospel song in there, somewhere... More About: House , Mouse , The House
The Ratman cometh
2007-12-18 02:44:00 I called Myzzer (my rat company) today because I have had enough of my recent nightmares of rats coming and attacking me during the night. I am convinced they have returned to my crawlspace. So. I need a check up. Just to make sure.The rat man cometh. On Wednesday.Rat-Man is a creation of Leo Ortolani and staff. Image courtesy of: http://www.arezzowave.com/comicswave/ The rat man's return to my house has the potential to be...interesting. At the apex of the deratification of my house over the summer, I developed a crush on one of the rat men. He was nice, intelligent, and I hadn't been out on a date for awhile. Oh, and he was cute. That, too.One morning, when he was coming over for the post super de-ratting 2 week check up, I arose early and began to beautify myself for the arrival of the rat man. At the time, I had friends visiting who were sleeping in the guest room, so I tried to remain quiet and keep my lovely border collie-ish roommate Daisy under control. My solution to c...
Rat attack and other assorted joy
2007-12-17 02:02:00 Tis the season to be jolly...I woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning because I had to use the bathroom. As I was lying in my bed thinking -- I don't want to get up -- I can wait -- I heard this:scratchscratchscratchscratchscratchi ty scratch scratchetc.And then I hearand I swear to youit was a squeak.A FUCKING SQUEAKhttp://www.electric-chicken.co.uk/i mages/portfolio/3D/mickey.jpgNOOOOOOO! RATS RATS RATS!So I begin sweating profusely -- I'm freaking out -- partially wanting to get my tennis racket and beat the shit out of the intruder, and partially wanting to pretend this was all a very sick nightmare ...I get up -- the excitement inspired a now desperate bathroom trip -- looking to and fro for the intruder and its trail of fucking sugarplums.I bust out the flashlight. I'm sneaking around, stalking if you will, hunting the damn thing at 4 o'clock in the morning. Daisy, still lying on her bed feigning sleep...I see nothing.I sat down next to my still sleeping dog (oh, she rocks as ... More About: Attack , Atta
Dude, where's my car?
2007-12-14 23:49:00 I think I'm losing my mind.I drive a bright green car.Many have said that I'm lucky to have such a unique mobile because it's easier to find. And see. And get speeding tickets.Today after work I strolled to my car, parked some distance from my institution of employment only to find it was not where I parked it.Dude , where's my car.I strolled around a bit. I decided not to panic.I was amazed at my calm when I called the tow truck place (at this point, I had assumed I had accidentally parked in an illegal parking space but was also doubtful of this). The tow truck man was very kind. He looked through volumes of paper, computer files, asked Bill in the next room if he had seen my car.Nothing.Dude. Where's my fucking car?Um.The tow truck man told me not to panic and that I should call the police. He said that because they didn't have it on their lot, the car was stolen.I laughed.You have GOT to be kidding me. I am a walking freakin' vat of bad karma.Holy shit.I got off th...
a date
2007-12-14 06:16:00 I had another first date this evening. Apparently my version of the movie 50 First Dates is with 50 different men.It was a medium date -- not good, not bad. Sadly, there is nothing more to say.I remain,The Single Gal
Some thoughts on downness downity downering
2007-12-13 04:53:00 Okay. She says with a big sigh.I'll admit it.I'm feeling a bit down.Perhaps it is because I'm still (yes, that's right folks) dealing with the car accident injuries from June -- my arm really hurts today, FYI. If there was a machete around, I don't know what I would do...Perhaps it's because several of my friends are quite ill. Like in the hospital ill...Perhaps it's because I'm burned burned burned out and desperately need a vacation.Perhaps because it's cold.Could I go on? Why, yes. I will spare you with my continual rant, gentle reader. Just insert moaning and complaining about the holidays and being single and wanting a diamond necklace and someone to help me pay my bills and walk my dog and clean the bathtub and do my laundry and deal with insurance.I watched Tales of Mere Existence: "How to Deal With Depression." And now I feel better. Maybe I need a Ford Mustang. But maybe that won't work. I like dudes.Viva holiday vivaness.hearts and candy,The Single Gal More About: Thoughts , Neri , Some , Erin
I heart baths
2007-12-12 04:01:00 I have recently rediscovered the joys of bath-taking:1. they are warm, my house is not -- anyone want to give me some new windows for free?2. i like bubbles. they are fun. Photo courtesy of: http://www.screensavers-tlc.com/thumbs2/b ounce22.jpg3. my back / shoulder / neck hurt less when i get out of a bath4. daisy is afraid of water, so she doesn't bug me5. the acoustics are good so i can sing until the water gets cold... i heart singing6. i can't reach the phone from the tubThe big downfall of the bath is the preparation -- getting the temperature right, the percentage of bubbles to water, the height of the water. And, of course, the cleanliness of the bathtub.I'm not getting into a gross dirty tub.I loathe cleaning the tub.Thus, before now, my bath-taking frequency was, well, infrequent.Laziness = 5, bathtub = 0BUT -- I no longer have to be afraid of my dirty tub. I can take baths once again, without fear.drumroll...I have discovered the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!My cousin Kim rec... More About: I heart , Heart
i am woman hear me roar
2007-12-11 04:51:00 this is what i'm having for dinner this evening... yum yumimage courtesy of http://dclips.fundraw.com/ More About: Hear , Woman , Roar
Snow snow go away...
2007-12-09 19:38:00 Lookie here: That's right, friends. It is snowing in Seattle again. What the...? I moved out of the midwest to get away from this crap.It's making me very grumpy.Especially because I feel trapped! Trapped I tell you! Trapped like this picture I drew while in CHURCH when I was three (what does that say about me?)I feel trapped because when it snows I feel like I cannot leave my house. Well, I CAN, but I'm a little anxious about it. Perhaps it's paranoia, but crap, given my history with cars, car accidents, blah blah, one can never been too careful...My house has a driveway that is dippy, short, and slippery. If I move the car out when it's icy, there is a large chance that I might hit the hedge.Which, actually, may not be entirely too terrible. .. it needs to be put out of its misery, and may prevent me from having to chop that sucker down... More About: Snow
Historically, I've had some problems with Christmas lights...
2007-12-06 06:59:00 I called my parents the other day to see how they were faring after a winter storm that blew through Iowa.They were fine.My dad inquired about the status of my Christmas lights.Are they up yet? Where did you put them?I laughed.No, Dad, I don't have lights up.You don't? When are you going to do them?Dad. You're not going to put lights up? Didn't you learn anything from your father?Yep. I learned not to do it.When I was a child, our house was one of the few in the neighborhood that didn't have Christmas lights hanging from its bushes. Every year my brothers and I would beg our parents to decorate the outside of the house.They always said no.After my brothers and I grew up and moved away, my dad started putting Christmas lights on the house. The day after Thanksgiving. Every year.I found this perplexing. Why was he doing it now? A replica of the Christmas star, guiding we three wise(wo)men home?I have to admit, after we all pray my father doesn't wipe out while standing on a ... More About: Problems , Lights , Christmas Lights , Some
On elevators, power outages, and holiday music
2007-12-05 03:47:00 I think I died and went to hell this afternoon. Today was a karmic payback for I'm not sure what. Seems to be a continuing theme in my life. I must have really sucked in my past lives -- did some baaaad shit...I thought about calling in sick today. My sinus infection is still raging (although I am getting better, thanks), and I needed a good ole watch really bad television / sleep and drink tea sort of day.I decided to go in anyway, but begged out of a meeting later in the afternoon so I could go home early and sleep.This was the theory...The reality, however, became its own story... Dig this:I went to physical therapy. Arm, leg, nerve, back stretches, exercises, pain, car accident blah blah and that blah.I leave.I get in the elevator with two other women. They get out on P2. I needed L. The door closed. The elevator made like it was moving. The elevator stopped.The door did not open.I laughed.I pushed the appropriate buttons. I waited a minute or two. I pushed the appr... More About: Music , Power , Holiday , Ages
You learn something new every day
2007-12-04 05:03:00 Ok, so Brian Hoskins from Beacon is my current knight in shining armor. He came, he slew the furnace problem, he didn't charge me, he showed me how to slap it around if it happens again.He's a freakin' rock star.And, he donned me queen of the furnace -- he said he has never seen a furnace so bizarre -- the engineering sucks, apparently. Faulty fucking inducer valve or some shit.What to the ever...I'll just put on my crown (which, apparently was a requirement when I was being potty trained -- of course, duh)and sit in my warm house. Until the freakin' power goes out from a wind storm.Until then, you may call me Qu-a-FF... queen of the fucking furnace... thank you very much.tra la la laHope you are surviving the winter, wherever you are... More About: Learn , Some
Why I desire a machete...
2007-12-04 01:44:00 I wish Santa would bring me a machete for Christmas. Yes, I know this is ridiculous:1. I don't celebrate Christmas.2. It wouldn't fit in a stocking3. Santa is not real (oh, crap -- did I say that outloud?)4. Even if Santa were real, he doesn't visit single people -- don't believe me? bring it. 5. Mach ete s don't promote the sugar and spice and everything nice adage. I am a girl, you know.6. Where would I put it?7. Do I need a license for that?8. I am no longer a child of the corn.I don't care. I want a machete.I want to chop down my furnace.That's right folks. This is the THIRD time this year that my furnace has broken down. Thus:Do not try this at home. Trained machete user. (It's not me.) Image from www.jupiterimages.comImagine a furnace where the leaves are. See, you get it...Maybe it would be more practical to ask Santa for a freakin' furnace.
Why I am going to hell, part 950
2007-12-02 02:48:00 It snowed in Seattle today. The kind of super awesome big ass flakes kind of snow which stuck to the ground and is all wintery goodness. The view from my kitchen window...As I was frolicking around the backyard taking pictures, Daisy stood watching me in utter horror and disbelief. She said: Snow sucks. We moved out of Michigan to get away from this shit. I'm so fucking sure.Don't be fooled by her angelic demeanor. Daisy's got a swearing streak; that crazy little dog's got the devil in 'er. Screw Daisy. I love snow. However, I don't love driving in snow...As some of you may know, I was in a car accident over the summer. And, oh, last winter my car was NAILED by a dude coming down the hill. Thankfully, I wasn't in it when it was NAILED, I just got to watch it ping pong against the curbs while safely screaming from a nearby hill.This morning we had a department meeting at Elliot Bay Book Company (a good place, you should go there) and then I planned to go with a colleague back ... More About: Hell , Part , Goin
Daisy's misfortune
2007-11-29 02:33:00 This morning, as I was following my morning routine, I accidentally missed a step in the usual letting the dog out procedure.The usual system consists of:feed the doglet the dog outclose the dooropen the curtainswait for the dog to complete her dogly dutyopen the doorwipe the dog's pawslet dog slide on rugblah blahThis morning, I somehow got the steps out of order and, unfortunately, there was a price to pay. Daisy paid the piper.That's right, I said:Shepaidthe piperTANGENTWhere the hell did that phrase come from? Anyone? Anyone? I think there should be a campaign to bring it back to daily speech. How cool would that be? You read it first here!Yeah, whatever.UNTANGENTSo I'm standing at the door. Futzing with the curtains, I believe, or some other random OCD task beckoning me at that moment, and Daisy made a run for the door. She was moving pretty quickly, I tried to open it in time but...SPLATshe ran into the closed glass door. At first and, oh, PETA is going to get me now, I tho...
Smokey the Bear
2007-11-27 03:47:00 Perhaps I should put this beautiful figurine on my mantle to remind me to um... open the flue.Okay. So, last night. Sunday night. I decided to relax in my living room, reading the newspaper, sitting in front of a roaring fire.I made the fire. It was roaring, and then it seemed a little smokey.I opened the glass doors on my fireplace and WHOOSH and I do mean WOOSH, this gigantic ball of black smoke came out and attacked me.I fell on the ground. I grasped for my fire poker, the fire alarm went off. Daisy started panicking.I poked the wood. I tried to put it out. That shit was blazing, I tell you, blazing. I ran into the kitchen, I looked at the fire extinguisher. I ran back to the fireplace. I almost died of smoke inhalation. The horror. The horror. After about 45 minutes of poking the fire and battling black smoke bombs, I realized that the flue wasn't open -- Good one.Only you can prevent... um... yeah. More About: Smokey , Bear
So, I'm a control freak...
2007-11-25 23:56:00 It's a good thing I have a big ass hedge so I can hide behind it.Someone once told me you are harrassed more often living in a house than you are when you live in an apartment. I believe the harrassment is different -- intentional harrassment v. unintentional... In an apartment, you are harrassed by the jackasses who live above you and love to stomp around, or the morons next door who drink beer and sing lame pop songs until all hours of the morning OR by the couple who live underneath you who have sex loudly and often. Yeah, love that.Most often, you don't get the random pop in.But then you move into a house and people come over all the time. Random pop ins galore. These are people you have not invited. People selling things. Children wanting to climb your tree. Neighbors offering you power tools because your lawn looks like shit.You know, that.Often these random harrassments come at an inopportune time. And for me, any time is an inopportune time if I don't feel like talking to... More About: Freak , Control , Control freak
Feelin' groovy
2007-11-24 02:13:00 I'm happy to report that my turkey was not a disaster, and the first Thanksgiving at my new house was fantastic, fun, and filled with conversation, friendship, and joy.Loved it.I'm completely exhausted today. I ventured out mid-afternoon to take my dog to an off-leash park and then tried to rally to spend some more time with friends this evening who had come up from Oregon. Didn't work out so well. We're having breakfast together tomorrow morning. I find that to be a rightful compromise.I'm impressed with myself that I said I needed to relax instead of pulling my usual bullshit martyr crap and heading downtown, trudging through the evening, and being tired and pissed. It's not fun that way.I will most likely go to bed by 7. I'm not even joking. This whole Thanksgiving meal and prep really wore me out! Absolutely worth it, though. Wouldn't take it back for anything. Hard to replicate days like that.Truly. Even my friend the giraffe wants more of Deb's glazed sweet potatoes.... More About: Groovy
Happy Thanksgiving!
2007-11-22 00:31:00 My home is sporting a new chimney cap. This pleases me. My house looks, just for a second, like an exotic homestead in the UK. Just for a second, and then you remember that you are definitely in the US there is a mobile home park down the street.I live on those sides of the tracks.I'm hosting Thanksgiving at my home tomorrow. I love having people over, so I'm looking forward to the gathering. A few friends are coming up from Oregon, and we'll be joined by some folks who live in Seattle. Good times. I'm a bit nervous about preparing the turkey. As most of my friends know, I shouldn't really be let loose in the kitchen. Things happen. Fires happen.A few years ago, when I was living in a studio apartment near Seattle Center, I became obsessed with popcorn making. The chap I was dating? at the time and I had popcorn-offs. I was convinced my way of preparing popcorn was superior to his -- we got a little competitive (and I wonder why I'm single?). One evening, when he was doing so... More About: Happy , Hank
The kindness? of strangers
2007-11-16 05:21:00 If you didn't see my last pathetic I want to throw myself on the logs in my fireplace dirge, my furnace died this evening. I was cold. I was grumpy. I had intended to have a productive evening of creating the greatest novel known to human kind, but my fingers got numb.I waited for nearly 3 hours, and then Beacon Plumbing and Heating came to the rescue!They came. They saw. They conquered.ANDThey didn't charge me a service call fee. ANDThey fixed my furnaceANDThey looked at/quasi fixed my horrible water pressure in the kitchen sink. For free.Yeah, I know. I was shocked. Beacon has a reputation of fucking drowning their customers in debt (ha ha -- get it -- drowning, plumbing, water, blah blah)But they didn't screw me. I'm mildly shocked. My week / month / year / life hasn't been the easiest. But they gave me a break.What the...?In addition to feeling confident that the chap did a good job, I didn't get screwed over -- I actually ENJOYED talking to the technician. The... More About: Kindness , Kindness of Strangers , Tran , Strangers , Ranger
Furnace fiasco part two
2007-11-16 01:02:00 My furnace is busted.It's cold in here.I'm not happy.At least I can build a fire.This has been a sucky mcsuckers week.Sigh. More About: Part , Fiasco
A minefield, I tell you, a freakin' minefield...
2007-11-11 01:25:00 This morning my delightful colleague, Bob, came over to my house to take a look at my fireplace. He poked, he prodded, he taught me stuff about furnaces, gas crap, other stuff I can't remember, and soot. He has deemed the fireplace to be in working order.I am very excited. I light the first fire this evening, fire extinguisher in hand.Of course, I didn't have the correct fireplace props, so I went to Home Depot to buy such things. I swept, I shoveled, I de-sooted. I am psyched. I will burn tonight, baby. Burn tonight!While I was waiting for Bob to arrive, I got the brilliant idea that today was the day to rake my leaves. Afterall, it is fall, and I'm struggling to change my reputation from a lawn slacker to the shining neighbor that I aspire to be. That, with award winning perennials, six cats, and fear in small children.Oh yeah.So I'm raking. I'm bagging, I'm scooping. My dear friend Teresa hooked me up with leaf bags when she was here housesitting a few weeks ago, ...
Fireplaces
More articles from this author:2007-11-06 06:05:00 When I bought my first house in Michigan, I wished it had a fireplace. Them cold Michigan nights would have been um less cold with a freakin' fee-ray blazing in my living room. Never mind that my friend Paul nearly killed me by smoking me out with his fireplace (the ding dong forgot to open the flue). I really wanted a fireplace.And now I have one.And I want to use it.My colleague offered to come over and check the fireplace to make sure nothing explodes if I light something in there. I'm concerned because the fireplace had a gas starter at one time which, in my mind = potential explosion. When I bought the house, the inspector said it was disabled. I should believe him, but I don't trust the inspector. HE failed to tell me my house was infested with rats.UmStrike fucking one.My colleague is busy as hell. He can't seem to get out here to help me. I'm impatient (fucking sue me), and I really want a fire. Whine whine whine.I'm really tempted to test fate and to light a... More About: Fireplace 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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