ta-da!

the bathroom that never ends

And Mark wearing my Leadership t-shirt:

I can do more than I thought and I need everyone to help me.

fresh paint "avon" making all the difference

bit of sunshine in the kitchen

view from the TV room

view from the office

view from the kitchen

doesn't it make you want to move?

a wardrobe in the making

one week in Glasvegas

I finally had a small break in the home-making department to venture out for provisions, air and for some sanity.  

And I was pleasantly rewarded with lots of commerce nearby which will keep us in organic foods, halal meats, coffee, petrol, and the occasional throw pillow. Most importantly, Lupe Pinto's Mexican Deli, where I can get vegetarian refried black beans, real tortilla chips (as opposed to Doritos) black beans in a can, fresh guacamole, margarita mixings, dirty rice and all manner of BBQ hot sauces and other imported American items like Nutter Butters and Fluff and Welches Grape Jelly .

And each shop offers friendly folk. Seriously is putting the midwest in some competition for open smiles and pleasantness.  The phrase I hear more than any other is No Bother.  Although it is pronounced more like Nae Borra. (I sense an entire blog entry on Glaswegian vernacular in the works)

So Mark has not been able to take this last week off to fully dig deep into moving, unpacking and creating, I have been left largely to my own devices.  And it has kinda sucked.  And today held the first light at the end of the tunnel.  

A home is in the making.

driving away

I type slowly because my hands are rendered useless to grip or move after this week of usage. I really admire and sympathize with people who work with their hands day in and day out.  Sheesh. And yesterday we went back to 10A to clean top to bottom. 12 hours worth! I am bleary.

And in our exhaustion and accomplishment, as we drove away in the Enterprise hired small commercial van in the beautiful Edinburgh darkening sky, I said good bye to our wee flat and to our current life. And was sad. I need to go back today for the walk through with the estate agent, but for most purposed, our tenancy is over.  I haven't left a place that I was so unfinished with in a long time.

I know Glasgow will bring us new adventures.  I know we will have fun and discover and are moving to the next stage of our lives.  

And our 2 years in our charmed Edinburgh will always be special. And I will always count it as a home. 

crabby and here

We made it. 

The place is giant. It will be grand when we are done. 

The movers were slick and they were sweet. Huffed and puffed all our gear up the 2 flights of stairs with nary a complaint.  Zillions of boxes, chairs, bikes (3!), couch, futon, etc.  They carried it all in and carted away the empties I could zip though while they were still here.  

And then they left.

The nerve.  After all that TLC with the packing and the moving, we are now faced with the cruel reality of trying to piece it all together here with 90% of our furniture not yet here, and wardrobes to build and a bathroom to finish.  

And so many millions of boxes. 

Mark is a total trooper and is relentlessly hard working and can do in his approach. 

He is in his element of constructing and creating and pounding and sawing and figuring things out.  I am 100% out of my element.  I can hold things and paint and help but I have not only 0 skills in the DIY dept, I am bored beyond tears by it and want to run away. Fast.  And tell me when it is done.  

So I am a little crabby. And a lot tired. And waiting until it is my turn.  Beauty and order can only happen after the creation is done.  And until then, I am trying to exercise patience. And failing. 

packing it in

So, 3 nice dudes from Clockwork Movers are here taking all my sorted, dusted and sifted through items and putting them all in boxes at rapid speed. This is the first time we have had anyone pack for us and I must say -- I like it. They also are they taking packed/labelled boxes directly to the truck.

Tidy.

And meanwhile, I am a bit at a loss of what to do. At the end of the day, the only things left in the flat will be our bed/TV and the bits of furniture we are donating. It is a much preferred method of moving so far. I have had to do all my ruthless sorting ahead of time, but honestly, this is rocks. It was quite a steal to have them do it, and they include all the packing materials, so heck!

Tomorrow morning, sharpish, the lads will come back with the lorry (i am so british) 95% loaded and take the remaining lot to the truck and move it all to the 2nd floor (hear them groan when I told them this) to the new west end Bish bosh.

Mark & I are getting a wee commercial van for the week - to take us and our most vital things like passports and clean undies to Glasgow and for the week for all the getting RID of the packing and the infinite trips to B&Q (home depot equivalent) . So far, I count 5 trips to B&Q already. And we have had the keys 2 weeks. And no car. Which comes in handy when one moves, by the by.

So while I may not be ready to say good bye to Edinburgh, I am ready to create our next home. Beauty and order. Paint colours and pillows. Food and rest. Calm and love.

And I will keep Eburgh and several of its key inhabitants I have grown to love as my second home here. So going to going to be A OK.

I am very aware that watching TV whilst the guys pack and lift and shift our stuff would be wrong.

Yet, for today, my work here is done.

controlled chaos

I have too many things in my brain. I have started an entry in my head about 15 times and have gotten distracted. 

And now my hands ache after an entire weekend at the new flat doing hard labour like tiling and grouting and lifting and shifting.  

So here are my random and meandering fleeting thoughts.

• I am not 100% ready to say good bye to Edinburgh
• I am about 60% ready
• I have 4 days to get ready
• Packers come Thurs and movers Friday
• Our new place is really going to be cool
• It still smells like smoke
• Our home now doesn't. It smells like home
• Not having a car is really a pain in the behind when moving
• Mark is a really hard worker and knows a lot about house stuff
• He never complains
• I complain a lot if I have to do too many hard things and then I get into it
• I am an excellent tile grouter
• My hands ache. My nails are split. 
• We painted our bathroom wall raspberry. We have white tiles (and a few black ones)
• It looks cool
• Cornices and 12 feet ceilings really make hiring a painter expensive
• I forget how disruptive moving is and it rather paralyzes me
• I know more about plumbing a bathroom sink that I ever imagined
• Living on the 2nd floor is going to sometimes be annoying
• We have nice new neighbours below us
• Mark can walk to the new place in 6 minutes from work
• It takes him 120 now on the train(s)
• Getting rid of cardboard boxes is a pain
• Glasgow has a lot to explore
• And really cheap and cheerful Chinese delivery
• I have many schedules and project folders and moving detritus 
• We have a great couple moving into our Eburgh flat which makes me very happy
• And, what I keep making Mark say to me, Everything Is Going To Be Ok
• I have to pack now

a confession

I am outing myself.

I saw the Sex and the City movie last night.

And I cried a little.

I kinda hate myself for it.

Shhhhhh.

La Dolce Vita

I am up waaaaaay too early.

And I am awfully excited by my life just now.

Let me count the ways. Warning, I include capital letters to convey enthusiasm.

1. Picking up keys for our NEWLY PURCHASED KICK ASS FLAT in Glasgow tomorrow. Yes. And I am going to be a homeowner. This is a whole entry on its own.
2. Creating in-between project with Hanna in MADISON!! Yes. Another home. Where my 40 year old self can revisit my 19 year old self. And Tom n Miri. And hopefully G and LW and Mom and Dad.
3. Divine intervention and GENEROUS BROTHER Mike helping me out with flights. Yes. And we all need help and I am grateful in receiving.
4. Gratifying CLIENTS continue to come who I love and am enriched in working with. Yes. And I am contributing financially doing something I love.
5. New tenants to our beloved Edinburgh flat are a FANTASTIC American girl from MN and her English beau, making this transition so much easier knowing our wee home will be loved. Yes. And an unexpected harmonic convergence.

Yes I am pretty much gratitude soaked and in awe of the beauty and relief of now.