Anthological

Well, I’m starting my new job tomorrow! I honestly am SO ready to begin, as I’ve had several weeks of pseudo vacation. I say that because I’ve actually been working fairly hard and fairly consistently, on many varied things… such as?

Getting the VA house packed up and cleaned, driving to TN with 6 animals and 2 vehicles, closing on VA house, closing on TN house, moving in (with only 2 vehicles worth of stuff plus about 13 trips to super walmart ((i am turning into my parents)) and donations from the parents), dropping Pattie off at the airport to fly back to VA for her Walk for Life, and then working my way slowly through the longest HONEDY DO list you’ve ever seen.

Here are a few memorable items from the list:
Remove all nails and screws from walls. Patch holes up.
Put up railing on front deck and side walkway.
Put up lattice on front deck beneath/behind bench foot area.
Remove wallpaper/borders where applicable.
Prime walls in rooms where walls have been patched and wallpaper/borders have been removed.
Mop/treat Florida room floor with Petzyme/mopping solution mix to work on smell.
Replace broken linoleum tile in Florida room. (And any other ones that might be damaged).
Call tree removers/landscapers for estimates on tree clearing for backyard expansion.
Research and price chained link fence for backyard expansion.
Put up better outside lighting, particularly by/at the front door.
Secure loose electrical plug outlet (either main living level or master bedroom).
Replace/fix defective fireplace door.
Polish wood cabinets, stair rails, and any other polishable wood.
Begin to remove landscaping in backyard (whatever is conducive to a good, open yard for the poochkins).
Trim bushes at base of driveway to improve visibility.
Clear yard of any debris/trash, including cement blocks (if feasible).
Replace rusted old lock on gate that connects backyard to side roof walkway.
Shorten wood planks leading to back garage door.
Buy and install new garage door opener if existing one can not be fixed.
Remove cow hooks in master bedroom closet. See if any one wants them.
Purchase ceiling fan fixture we both agree on for master bedroom. Install and have ready for me by the time I get back.

Whew!

So anyway, I really am enjoying the hills of Tennessee again. It really does feel like I’ve come home. I’ll miss the Hampton Roads area somewhat, but not that much… The people on the other hand I already miss greatly. Hopefully we can stay in touch and visit each other as life allows us.

Stay tuned for a report on the first week of work! (the excitement never ends)

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Things that make me thing I am actually a county boy somewhere deep inside (next to the broadband internet genes):
I have begun to speak more slowly, and am less frenetically charged in having things go by the clock 24/7..
I thought about buying a pickup truck, albeit only briefly.
I have begun to talk with a TN accent again. Knew that wouldn’t take long.
I wave to all the neighbors and they wave back. Often they wave first.
Our first night in the house, we heard gunshots. I knew it was probably some local yocal with a bottle of Jack and a handgun… but I saw a more satisfying picture in my head of an old coot with a shotgun defending his shine still… and I felt for that old coot.. sniff.
I take the backroads just because.