Monday, April 3, 2017

April Already

I never thought April would get here, and yet, it seems to be here too soon.  Spring break is over and I am glad because for previous breaks my nephew would go to visit his aunt in California, but this last time, he wanted to stay home.  That was fine with me except I didn't get a break from grocery shopping and thinking about how he is spending too much time on the computer and resenting, just a little, his care-free life.  But I know he will be off to college in a few short months and his life will soon be as complicated as the rest of our lives.  Is that a good thing?  My life could be a lot simpler if I wasn't trying to retire early or arrange semi-passive income from rental property, or develop my desert property with a tiny house and rainwater catchment system, or sell my house and live with my mother for as long as she needs me.  Bored, I am not.

Last Saturday, the plan was to pick up my mother, show her the rental house, go with my nephew to get my tenant and move his stuff since he doesn't have a car, and enjoy my care-free Sunday along with the usual grocery shopping.  It started out ok.  I picked up my mother and took her to the rental house.  The workmen were still finishing the inside and cutting and putting up the blinds.  The inside was still a mess.  I wiped down the new tile in the bedroom so that we would have a place to put stuff.  It's funny how a tile color called "sand" would seem like it would go with almost anything but in reality it clashes with the red tile in the living room and the orangish color on the walls.  


Oh well, that's what I get for not bringing color samples with me.  Did I really expect to get everything done in one week?  Hahaha.  I'm so naïve.  I did find this awesome little vanity sink and cabinet for $89 at the used building supply store.  


Plus a pre-hung front door for $109 and a metal security door for $39 (the existing front door was very small), and a gas stove for $75.  I wasn't planning on replacing the door and also rearranging the windows but since the outside is going to get new stucco, I thought this would be a good time to do it.  One of the double pane living room windows got removed and put in the front of the house to replace a single pane window.  The single pane window went to the back bedroom to replace a broken window.  And I bought one new double pane window for the dining area.  If I had more money I would have replaced the other 3 windows but they are on the north side so they aren't as important.

By the time we got home it was 1, I was tired and hungry so I told my tenant I would come out at 3:30.  At 3 I jumped in the car and noticed raindrops and the wind picking up.  The plan ran off the tracks and I postponed it until Sunday.  By Saturday evening I had a headache that wouldn't go away.  Sunday it was worse.  I cancelled the plan. 

My mother had spent the night and luckily, my nephew was able to take her home.  He was very proud of himself for not getting lost.  I was very proud of him too.  Not one complaint.  I started feeling better around 4 in the afternoon.  The workmen will have another week to work on the outside stucco, paint and fencing.  I am still on the hunt for a washing machine and hope to have one by next Saturday, which is the new move-in date.  It will be good to get "phase one" completed so that I can move on to fixing up my own house, if I have any money left.

6 comments:

Lizzie@her MFW Homeworld said...

I do feel stressed just reading it all! Good luck.

Dave said...

Same here, Lizzy. Reading Daizy's marathon stories wear me out, too. The more she plans to retire early, the more work she has to do!

Anonymous said...

maybe i have horrible taste but i don't think the walls and tile clash?

Daizy said...

It's all coming together though. I will get a day off soon, I just know it!

Daizy said...

So true. I think I better retire soon or else I will just keep moving the carrot and work until I die.

Daizy said...

I think the lighting changes the look. Maybe it only clashes in the afternoon. It probably looks fine with when the room isn't empty.