This Single Gal's New House

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Daisy's nervous breakdown
2007-09-01 03:28:00
My dog is neurotic. Yeah, yeah, a friend recently told me all dogs are neurotic, so Daisy is not unique.I think my house is spurring Daisy into a full blown nervous breakdown.I met Daisy about three years ago when I was living in Michigan, depressed and mid-life crisis-ing because I had graduated from a doctoral program, broken up with a guy who I thought I would marry but fortunately figured out he was psycho, and moved to a small town in the Midwest. I needed a friend, and I found Daisy.When I first met her, Daisy was about 4 months old. She was named by the folks at the animal shelter "Ashleigh" which I found repulsive and did not fit her rambunctious personality. When she came to the house and ran around the back yard, she ate a daisy -- the name stuck.Daisy and I lived peacefully in Michigan; we survived the insane 8 year old who lived next door, a burglar who didn't steal anything but seemingly enjoyed walking around my house in the middle of the night, and the beginning a...
More About: Brea

The Plum Posse
2007-08-31 05:08:00
The other day, as I was typing typing away in my office, I hear a bunch of male voices, all commenting on the horrible state of my hedge (by request, a photo of said hedge is on its way...).At first, I thought I was hearing things -- hedge voices? a freakin' hedge haunting? -- and then I realized the voices were in my front yard.I looked out the window and saw 8 boys, all under the age of 10, climbing my plum tree, fruit flying everywhere.Thinking this was -- a. cool, b. what neighbor boys did in the 1960s, c. somewhat irritating, d. rat bait -- I went outside to chat with them.They caught on before I could get to the door. All but two of the plum posse dashed around the hedge and down the street. The two left -- standing sheepishly by my front door were Nathaniel and some-other-kid-whose-name-I-don't-remembe r (we'll call him Blond Kid). Nathaniel explained that the other boys were doing a "sasquatch" on my tree.A sasquatch.onthetreeI almost bust out laughing. That was the grea...
More About: Plum

Half done!
2007-08-27 23:38:00
In a bout of my-arm-is-miraculously-healed I pruned half of the hedge today. It looks fairly decent, and I am both proud of myself and excited that it doesn't look like complete crap, at least, as is the view from my house. And that is all that counts, thank you very much.And, now my arm kills, my face is numb, and I'm exhausted.Go figure.As a reward to myself, I spent some of the afternoon watching really horrible court TV shows. Somehow those programs make me feel better about myself. I know, I know, it's horrible and wrong and morally reprehensible, but... hey.By the way, I don't like the new "People's Court" judge. She's just not Wapneresque... it just seems wrong to take over the "People's Court" legacy and be a total classless bitch. She was actually screaming at the plaintiffs on the program I saw today. Is that necessary? Didn't you work your ass off to get to a place in your career where you are a respected professional? Screaming at people does not give you an...
More About: Half , Done

Leaves a plenty...
2007-08-26 22:21:00
I want to be tidy, I really do. Perfection, however, is unattainable...At the moment there are leaves and piles of yard waste in my yard. I know, I know, I shouldn't be freaking out about it. Yard waste, yard schmaste. Who gives a rip?Well, it looks like crap, and I'm a perfectionist... I cringe every time I open the blinds.And, as a homeowner, I have an obligation to my neighborhood to keep my yard looking decent. Right? In fact, I think it's on my lease somewhere...Yeah, I could go out and clean it up, but my yard waste bin is full... yes, that's my excuse... that and, oh, my arm feels like it needs to be chopped off.But... anyway...I'm just glad that there isn't a homeowner's association on my block -- I wouldn't want to get fined.... and based on the crap in my yard at the moment, I would get fined.The honeymoon phase of the new house has now faded -- I've been in the house about a month now -- and the reality of single woman homeownership is comin' at me in full f...
More About: Plenty , Leaves , Lent , Aves

The hedge from hell... continued
2007-08-26 02:27:00
Greetings, all....Hope this finds you well. It's a rainy weekend here in Seattle. Nice excuse to lay around and read a book or do the crossword puzzle. I love the crossword puzzle.I had to go down the street to use the internet. I'd been hopping onto my neighbor's wireless service (shhhh), but I think they caught on. The network has been down for 4 - 5 days.I can't complain about it. Just have to figure out a new way... or... gasp... pay for service myself...And so, the house... which I love... continues to be developed. I am LOVING it. I can't wait to light a fire in the fireplace...The hedge is partially shorn. I dig power tools, though. A newly discovered love! I feel like a muscular bad ass using those things. I am forever indebted to my new neighbor for the loan.Despite my inner feminism screaming "I am NOT a damsel in distress."The hedge is halfway finished -- I can't seem to do the top of it, which is the worst part of all. Too painful to lift my hands above...
More About: Hell , Hedge , Conti

#$!!##%@ curtain rods (and the hedge from hell, part 3)
2007-08-22 02:04:00
When I got home this afternoon, my dog got very excited and in her usual exuberant fashion, ran around in circles like a maniac. Today's circle running was a bit different -- she somehow tangled herself in the curtains framing the sliding glass doors. Twisted in Ikea fabric, she got freaked out (wouldn't you?), and started running in the opposite direction of the window, which, of course, resulted in a large crash, complete with curtains falling and yanking out the curtain rod braces? holders? you know what I'm talking about... out of the wall.I admit, I was annoyed. Pissed even. I yelled. She ran outside.I felt bad and gave her a treat. Dogs are awesome.Sigh.After a few minutes I calmed down. I made myself some chai and started working on putting those gosh darn curtain rods back up.During Daisy's curtain incident (as I shall call it), the screws had stripped their holes and some of the drywall tore and flaked off the wall. Okay.At first, I attempted to replace them as ...
More About: Hell , Part , Rods , Part 3 , Hedge

The Hedge from Hell part 2
2007-08-20 19:09:00
I had a burst of energy yesterday afternoon, and decided to attack the hedge, full on, with my newly borrowed electronic hedge clipper, extension cord, and step ladder. I was so ready to kill the thing.I started working, and realized that I was incredibly stupid. Although it wasn't raining at the time, the leaves of the hedge were still wet. As I was chopping away, visions of electrocution started dancing through my head. So, I stopped.Of course, the wet leaves were only one deterrant -- because of my arm / neck injury from the car accident, I'm on lots of new nerve medication. These pills make me feel like a stoned Super Woman. With the meds, my arm is hurting less, but the injury is still there. So, even doing this project (or attempting) was really freakin' stupid. On a lot of fronts.I have to say, however, that I got about a quarter of one side of the hedge trimmed and it looks great! I am now totally excited about power tools.It's amazing what you have to learn whe...
More About: Hell , Part , Hedge

The Hedge from Hell
2007-08-19 20:05:00
About a week ago a friend of mine was vistiing from Finland. She took one look at my front hedge, and gasped...Not only is the damn thing completely overgrown, BUT apparently, ivy (the hedge substance) is bad luck to have near or by a house.At least, that's what her mother told her.Great.After my three weeks of house guests departed, I decided it was hedge chopping time. I do not need any more bad luck and barring removing the damn thing, I just want it to look mildly presentable. I am, afterall, the new gal in the 'hood.So I was contemplating the hedge's fate as I was mowing my lawn (with a reel push mower, thank you) when one of my neighbors walked by. He commented on my "old school" mower nd told me where I could buy a power mower cheap.I do not want a power mower.I tried to explain it to him, but he just sighed.Now that's old school.About an hour later, as I began to attack the hedge with my manual clipper things, the same dude came driving by, got out of his car, and hande...
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The move in...
2007-08-19 10:10:00
After spending waaaay too much money on this house I love, I began moving preparations. I closed on the house on July 12. And, after careful consideration, I decided to move myself (with a little help from friends and U-Haul) on July 22, which would give me plenty of time to paint the new pad and get my crap together.Well, things turned out differently than I had planned.On June 30, I was involved in a car accident (not my fault, thank you), but I injured my arm, back, shoulder, neck, blah blah. (Yeah, I'm still feeling shitty 6 weeks later... what a nightmare.)By some miracle, the auto insurance company agreed to pay for professional movers (yippeee!) and my friends (bless them) helped me pack and get ready for the big day. July 16. Earlier than I had planned, but that was the date they had available and I jumped on it. I was really excited, but had a lot to do (in my injured state) before I could move in.During the inspection, the dude noted there was "significant" rodent dam...
More About: Move

The beginning...
2007-08-19 10:06:00
The deal: I'm 35, single, have a mildly insane dog, and just bought a house in a suburb of Seattle.Bought it -- by myselfLive in it -- by myself with aforementioned insane poochI'm hoping this blog will be a way for other single gals with houses to connect, share stories, give advice, and laugh our asses off at the ridiculous perils of home ownership.And, boy, do I have some stories... and I'd love to hear yours.This Single Gal