Must Be Kinder to Myself

All week I have been berating myself for not getting more boxes opened
and the contents put away. I kept telling myself that in 1987 I did it
all in a week. I thought about it and that is not right. In 1987 my
employer gave me a week for moving, but I took four weeks vacation
along with that week. It actually took five weeks to settle my new
home. I have been blaming my age because I seem to get very tired
after doing what seems like very little. However, when I look back on
all the things I have done in the past seven days, it is quite a bit.

Yesterday I went back to the doctor's office to have my blood drawn.
They also gave me a test that measures the body mass index, percent
fat, etc. I had never had that test before. I weighed in at 117 and my
BMI was 20. Right now I do not have an ounce of fat to spare. I was
able to go to IKEA, have the special breakfast with eggs, hash browned
potatoes and bacon without any guilt. After waiting until 9:30 for
breakfast, I did not leave a single morsel on my plate.

I then went to Sam's and Wal-Mart. I had to buy some things I know I
already have but do not know which to box to open in order to find
them. Those items included paper towels, bar soap, toothpaste, liquid
hand soap, and night light bulbs. I bought a large mogul bulb for my
floor lamp. The bulb that was in it was partially burned out. I had
found one night light, but it did not work. I now have an X-10
controller set up to turn the floor lamp on and off in the morning
and on and off at night. I also had a night light in the bathroom.
Those are small things, but they add a degree of comfort to my life. I
would really like to get the lamps that I keep on the night tables in
my bedroom out of the boxes.

I kept washing more loads of dishes in the new dishwasher. It really
has had a workout. I am not happy with the way I have arranged the
kitchen, but now things are clean. What remains on the counters must
be washed by hand.

I will have to wash my clothes again because I have not opened any of
the wardrobe boxes and removed my clothes. I have been using the same
towels that I brought in the car from Beaumont. I was hoping to find
more used towels that the packers put in boxes and wash them in one
load but it hasn't happened. I am also using the same bedding that I
used the last days in Beaumont. All of that has to be washed today.

Yesterday a woman knocked on my door. She is my new neighbor from
across the cul-de-sac. She wanted to park her car in my drive while
her moving van unloaded. A big Atlas truck came in. It might have been
just slightly smaller than my monster truck. They were only here a
little over 3 hours. I had emailed this lady. She is the only other
single on the cul-de-sac. She must have less than half the stuff that
I moved. I am jealous.

The contractor who repaired the Beaumont house sent me his bill, I
made out the check to pay him. I feel kind of strange paying so much
money without inspecting his work, but I just did not want to contend
with the repairs. The damage from the hurricane is something that has
almost made me sick for a year. I have not heard from the realtor so I
assume that I am not one of the lucky people that got a contract as
soon as the sign went up.

Five of the nine houses on the cul-de-sac are now occupied. I met the
people who are buying the sixth house. They should be moving in any
day. I have not had any contact with the remaining three. The last
three houses are sold, but the construction will probably take about
two more weeks. I will be glad when the construction vehicles and
porta potties are out of the cul-de-sac. Sometimes I have a very
difficult time getting my car in and out. I am glad gas prices are
coming down because I have put quite a few miles on my car this week.

I have not received my new drivers license. I think it is time for it
to show up.

I continue to be amazed at the stupidity of the packers. Yesterday I
opened a box. They had three sets of clean sheets from the linen
closet in the bottom of the box. They had put the dirty bathroom scale
that had been sitting on the floor directly on top of the clean
sheets. I would have packed a box with nothing but clean linens in it.
I keep telling myself that so far nothing has been broken. When the
last box is opened and emptied, I will be so happy.