brain...dead...must...revive

Okay..so I have been brain dead and hella busy lately. Sue me.

Between looking for a flat to buy (holy hell there are some real dumps out there), visiting the dentist twice for fillings, 439064 meetings a day, planning for Italy, visiting the bank and getting an education on how mortgages work here, fighting with the frickin IRS in the States (doesn't bode well I know) and social engagements I am down right over extended!...

Good news: Kristin arrived safe in India. At least I hope so. A blog entry showed up on her blog so I am going to assume it wasn't a random person entering stuff. If it was they need to really get a life and they are so not as cool as she is. I am going to do the safe assumption and believe she is all safe and sound :)..not to mention her IM says she is in Bangalore :)

Another good thing. The West Wing started again in the states! Thank god for an s-video port on my video card (and an s video cable :) )and the internet. Woohoo..back in the mix! Disclaimer: Not that I would EVER download anything from the internet..I have never even seen this magical thing called the world wide web..

Desparate Housewives started again too! - small victories I know.

The Folks are still radically remodeling the house I grew up in. I am afraid when we go for our visit at Christmas that I won't recognize it at all. They have put all new windows and doors, redid both bathrooms (at the same time...note to Papa..not smart disabling both bathrooms at once) and the kitchen. They have repainted the whole thing inside, put a new floor in the kitchen, new carpeting in the living room, a whole new electrical system - got rid of a window and put in sliding doors to a 15x24 deck they are having built off the back....

At least the "guest room" - formerly known as MY room - is still in the same place. Okay..I really need to get over that. I am over 30 and haven't lived there for over 16 years and I still think of it as "my room". Having my giagundo bedroom set from the house I sold when I moved to Finland in that room doesn't help dispell the childish possessive streak I have for that mauve room. Mauve. Yes Mauve. Some people would call it Pink, but don't do it in front of me!
It was the first home "remodeling" project I ever did. Papa taught me how to strip wall paper, spackle and sand until the wall is smooth and how to paint edging and walls without leaving brush stroke marks. We spent a week doing that project together. It was one of the best bonding experiences with my Papa. 13 Years later he beamed with pride when I showed him my first home - completely remodeled by me and by hand. All fresh clean striped walls, spackeld and painted, sanded and poly'd hardwood floors (after ripping out wall to wall orange shag carpeting and finding beautiful solid oak floors beneath which just needed a little love and tenderness), freshly repaired ceilings with recessed lighting, a brand new italian tile floor in the kitchen... I cried when he saw it. So did he. I let him put up my new mailbox (him being a postman and all)... Point..it is probably going to happen all over again here in Finland. Part of me is sad that Papa won't be here to see it done. I am still holding out hope that we can get him and my stepmom on a plane to Helsinki...

right...back to work for me..