Thursday, March 26, 2009

I've Been In Blogger Rehab And Thoughts Of Moving.....

Yes, Dear Readers, there is help for the obsessed blog writer. My rehab came in the form of a Trojan Horse Virus. The problems with my effing computer began a couple of weeks ago, starting out very slowly. Little things kept happening like the date & time were wrong when I turned it on every morning. I thought the computer was just having as hard a time adjusting to the time change as I. Then, I started getting pages shut down with a note from Microsoft saying I should report it so they could fix it. Yeah. Right. I reported it. They didn't couldn't fix it.

Next, my computer was flat out freezing up, often refusing to shut down entirely. There were several instances I had to shut it down manually, which is irritating enough. I finally called my computer guru who suggested that I use yet another program to search for viruses. Mind you, I have two full-time anti-virus programs already on a daily basis, but dutifully followed his suggestions. Bingo. Bango. Bongo. Trojan Horse Virus. I quarantined the virus, and deleted it, thinking my problems were over. Ha!

Two days later, the problems started again, in pretty much the same succession. By this point, I was ready to pull every last little hair from someone's head. I wanted to find the little devil hackers and torture them slowly. Oh, if only I could. I ran the Malware again and guess what? Yup. Another Trojan virus. So, I once again called my computer guru who told me it would be several days before he could make it over here to see what's going on. Argh!

Oddly enough, I didn't go insane. I used this painful time without a computer to do some much-needed spring-cleaning. You know. So that when the winds start blowing again, as they always do, they will have a fresh start spreading dirt everywhere. Yes, I'm tidy like that. Yes, I clean before the maid comes too, as insane as that sounds. I really got into the cleaning thing, for the first time since… well, ummmm… since I started blogging. In the midst of all this, I decided it's time to get this place in shape so that we can put it on the market and move to a more manageable sized home for life without children. The following photos are of the townhouse, NOT our home.

One thing that prompted me to start getting the house ready to sell is that one of my favorite houses ever has just hit the market. Actually, it's a townhouse with no yard, a few flowerbeds, swimming pool, 2 car attached garage, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, formal living & dining, den with wet bar, and a fabulous kitchen with a casual dining area. I've been waiting for this place to come on the market for years, but should have been ready for it. Now, it will probably sell before we ever finish getting this house presentable. I could just cry. Wah! Homes on this particular street almost never become available unless someone dies. Or gets transferred or loses their job. Apparently, hard times have hit our city hard. This street stretches out over 3 city blocks and was designed to look just like a street in The Quarter, in New Orleans, cobblestone streets and all. It is so charming, as are all of the townhouses.

Imagine, if you will, how much clutter and crap we have after living in this house for 23 years. When we moved in our daughter had just turned one and our son was three. It took 23 years to accumulate this much *stuff*, so I'm pretty darn sure this isn't going to be easy.

Our home has 4 bedrooms, each with it's own private bath, two living areas, two dining areas, an enormous kitchen, and sits on what is referred to as a double lot. In back, we have a guesthouse that used to be my art studio (now just stores more *stuff*), a large tool shed (yup, more *stuff*), the vegetable garden area, with an old playhouse at the other end (which also now stores more *stuff*). The front and back yards are enormous and there are two large side yards as well. The front has half a yard size with grass & trees, flowerbeds, a circle drive with another yard size flower/tree bed in front of that. While it was the perfect home to raise our two children, it has become too much for the just the two of us to take care of. Frankly, we passed that point when we packed our daughter off to college. It's been out of control since that time and we've allowed many things to fall into disrepair, but mainly outside things. The inside is merely cluttered with too much *stuff*.

So, what I'm trying to relay is that I've been a cleaning-out-throwing-away maniac. Instead of going to a support group to maintain this detox effect, I am going to have to limit myself to four days a week on this blog and on my cooking blog, which I've decided I wasn't quite ready to give up on. I'm going to limit internet time and spend at least 3 days per week doing no more than check & answer emails. Period. The remainder of those three days will be spent cleaning out, throwing out, and giving things away. I'm a woman on a menopausal crusade to change my life and this is where it starts.


In closing, we are headed up to the Texas Panhandle for a funeral, which is the second one in two days. Our Galveston friends' (the wife's) father died and we're driving up there for the funeral. Today we attended a celebration of life for Mr. Snoots' step-Aunt who passed away last weekend. I guess I'd have to say this has been a fairly depressing week, all in all. Next week has to be better....

21 comments:

That Janie Girl said...

Girl.

You'd better talk to Mr. Snooty and just make an offer on that townhouse.

You can clean yours up and sell it later. The market's just starting to move now.

I say if you like that townhouse and you've liked it for years, just buy it. It's going to get away from you!

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear about all your troubles. I hope and pray things start to look up for you!

I will be thinking about you and smiling lots for ya!

Mental P Mama said...

I am with Janie on this one. Last weekend was the biggest real estate sales event in the last three years. I am having my son sell all our stuff on ebay. He splits it with me, and he does all the work. The rest just goes to Goodwill. Just a thought;)

Daryl said...

I am with Lauren and Janie .. make an offer ... you can always have two-car garage sale ...

Sjn said...

1st: sorry for your losses, your aunt and friend's father, my thoughts and prayers to them.
2nd: my desktop was slowing down right before Christmas, I was just going to take it to the computer hospital when I received this laptop, yeah! In January my desktop went into a permanent coma, and I unplugged the life support. Someday, I may try to resurrect it.
3rd: we downsized from a 6K sq ft house 6 years ago when my 1st born left to be on her own and my 2nd was away in college. OMGosh, what stuff is right! You will feel so cleansed after though. This smaller space keeps you organized b/c there's no room for excess. We live in a cluster home community w/ no basement, yikes! But , it's minimal yard work and great for golf and for spending weekends at the lake house. I would find all the local organizations who are in need, maybe a women's shelter, and get your stuff to them.
Stay focused and good luck!

Keeper Of All Things said...

Next week can only be better!!!
Right???
Right!!!!!!!!!

abb said...

I'm a woman on a menopausal crusade to change my life and this is where it starts.

I love that! That is to be my new mantra. I've also begun to clean out my house. It is more than a daunting task.

And I'm with the rest - if you can, MAKE AN OFFER on that dream home. Everything else will fall into place.

brneyedgal967 said...

First - viruses are from the devil. Did your computer guy get it all cleaned out?

Second - OMG, a possible move? How exciting and daunting! I wonder if there's a way to find single mom's in need- not the welfare kind who live off handouts, the working kind who go without.

My parents are a couple years away from retiring but are already beginning to fix up the house and ugh... I dread the cleaning out of the accumulated clutter.

I Am Woody said...

I say make an offer on that house - Cleaning and selling the other can wait!!

Staci said...

Buy it!

Glad you're back, I've missed your bloggy posts.

Heather Kerrigan said...

I've missed you. Sorry things are crappy right now.

Make an offer. You'll sell your house soon enough. I just know it.

I understand the time issue. I've been trying to juggle projects myself. I should be packing the car for spring break, but I told myself I just had to check one more time to see if Snooty was back.

Anonymous said...

If you want that house, and can afford the risk of carrying the costs of two homes for a few months, JUMP! Put springs on your shoes and JUMP! Its absolutely gorgeous. I have always loved (and wanted) a Federal/Georgian style townhome, and to find one with garage and a pool/courtyard has to be rare ANYWHERE.
Did I say JUMP??

Anonymous said...

Most of your readers think alike! Put an offer in and see where it goes! It's a beautiful townhouse and if it's been a dream, go for it!

I'm with Annie on "I'm a woman on a menopausal crusade to change my life and this is where it starts." being a great mantra!

I've had a depressing week too and really hope things get better for both of us!

Shawn said...

I'm with everyone also..jump on that townhouse while you can!

Now..Thank Gawd you are back. I was getting worried! Don't make me have to come down there and start smashing in doors to find out what happened to you! Things could get messy that way. ;o)

Anonymous said...

I'll take all your crystal.

imbeingheldhostage said...

when it rains...huh? So sorry about the virus, that sucks. I still don't get why people do those things, I try to believe they'll get theirs someday.

Safe travels, and hope your computer guru gets you mended soon!

Paula & Skip said...

Hi, hope this week turned out to be better one and you have a great relaxing weekend. Paula

Roan said...

My days are quite similar to yours. I'm still sorting and shuffling. It's difficult to combine two fully stocked homes, complete with lots of stuff, into one. I feel your pain! Perhaps St Joseph has an antithesis you could secretly plant in their yard to delay anyone from buying your dream home. Good luck!

Roan said...

Oh, and thanks for the tip on the red door. If I can't find an actual red house, I know where there is one of those.

Allison said...

Oh man, you will feel SO good by cleaning that stuff out and downsizing. I moved out of my house a year and a half ago just for a change, got rid of as much as possible, and stored the rest. I house share with someone and have minimal stuff and I lOVE it. I only occasionally miss something, my darling Pink Vista dishes, some of my books, but really if I never put half my stuff back in my house, I won't care. I re-rented out my house when it came up last November because the feeling of no stuff is so declicious!

And, if you can afford it put in an offer on the townhouse...it may be a real deal in this market!

Good luck with all the cleaning!

Sjn said...

I'm thinking since you've not been around you have a really bad virus. I'll be on the look-out for you, hope you're back soon.

 

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