Moved!

Tired muscles and miscellaneous bumps and bruises aside, the recent move went amazingly well. All the major boxes were moved by the time friends and family arrived on a week ago Saturday for the furniture & appliance transfer. With two pickups, a minivan, and the Element, we had everything moved in right around four hours. I don't think STK and I have been to bed earlier than 2 AM since moving--way too many boxes to unpack and arts to hang. Eight days later and we're making significant progress. Few boxes remain in most of the rooms (kitchen, dining room, bedrooms). The den/office, however, is another matter.

Given the media/cable installation problem encountered a couple weeks back, I should have anticipated more trouble. I had in inkling there might be trouble, truth be told, but I decided to let it slide. As it turns out, the only way the cable guy could install high speed internet in the office was to drill a hole straight through the siding and into the room. Call me a crazy homeowner, but the idea of ruining the structural integrity of the house doesn't float my boat. If I was a renter, I wanted care one way or another. So, I called a recommended electrical company and they should be out to fish some high speed cable through an interior wall later in the week. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than having someone drill straight through an exterior wall. Since we plan on staying here a good long while, I'm willing to fork out the cash for someone to do it proper. I'm sure some will ask, "Why not do it yourself?" In my defense, I did fish a new cable connection through an interior wall to a first floor outlet. This installation, however, requires some maneuvering through a crawl space and up to the second floor. That's a bit too complicated for my home improvement skills.* And I'm not too thrilled about the prospect of worming my way through a cramped, damp, and icky crawl space, either. Anyway, several other rooms in the house are wired for high speed internet and I managed to find an old 50 foot ethernet cable packed away in my tech gear. For now, the ethernet cable leads from the master bedroom, down the hall, and to the office router . We have internet for both our computers but it's not very aesthetically pleasing. Waiting for the installation means we can't really fully unpack all my office boxes. Putting all the files back in my desk, not to mention the books, action figures, and statues that typically adorn the top, will make moving the desk a nightmare (the desk will need to be moved in order to install the cable outlet thingy). Once the new jack is installed, the desk will be place in permanent position and the remaining boxes will be emptied. For now, we're dealing with organized office chaos.

As for the place itself? We love it. TLO loves flying across the carpeted floors. Having dealt with hardwood floors for the better part of the year, the dogs are also in carpet heaven. A rug throughout the house makes for some great nappin' space. I'll post pictures, as promised, once have we all the artwork in place.
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Did I mention STK landed another job? A local business that works with special needs folks asked her to put together a summer art program for the five weeks remaining of her summer. If things go well, the summer art program will become a regular thing. As it's only two hours a day, it's the perfect summer job. Of course, this also means that TLO has started attending daycare for two hours a day. Two hours is a good transition for the school year when he'll be attending for anywhere from 3-6 hours. So far, he seems to like it.
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We attended the local county fair last week and gorged ourselves on funnel cake, caramel popcorn, and root beer floats. TLO is a big fan of caramel popcorn. I couldn't give him pieces fast enough. The livestock barns were the highlight of the fair. Having grown up in agricultural communities, I take dairy cattle, sheep, swine, etc for granted, I guess. I had friends who raised horses, cattle, and sheep--maybe even a bunny or two. STK, on the other hand, had never experienced livestock in close proximity. T, STK, TLO, and I spend an hour wandering around, looking at the various animals, and talking to the various animal caretakers. The vegetarian in me wanted to return under the cover of darkness and free my four-legged brothers and sisters. Freedom!
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*I've already installed two new exterior doorknobs and have plans to do some major landscaping in the next few weeks. Just how I wanted to spend my summer! I never thought I'd say this, but all those summers working as an indentured servant on my father's construction/remodelling crew set me up with some pretty wicked handyman skills.