Hurry!

The cable company did finally send out someone else who hooked up my cable. However, he tried to also hook up with me. I still need to send a letter to the cable company, but I am still too angry to do it. I have no idea if the television actually works or not. I have had cable on it for a week and haven't touched it yet. Probably paying for that was a mistake.

I am still adjusting to condo life here. I am very adept at cleaning up after my dogs. Any alien landing in my area will assume that dogs run the world, since we follow them around and clean up their poop. No one does that for us, do they?

My shower head is about 20 feet above my head. Maybe it's not really that high, but all I get is a trickle down effect. It makes it hard to rinse my hair. I need to get a new shower head with a hose, and preferably one that can come down a little lower without having to drill holes in the tiles. I need the hose because that makes it much easier to clean the shower and also to clean beagles. I have to stand on the tips of my toes to adjust the current shower head. I would have had it lowered, had I realized it was going to be that high.

My old house is not sold and I still haven't called a new realtor and tried to break my contract. It seems to be one of those things I just don't want to do deal with, so it ends up at the end of my list of things to do. I have to deal with it soon. My pension check just covered my old house. Now I have two sets of utilities, property taxes, and a brand new big mortgage payment. I can't keep this up for too long.

I can't buy anything for the new place while I have these extra bills, so that is frustrating . So far, all I have new is my dining room table. No new chairs yet, but I have a table. No blinds yet, no new bathroom rugs, no towel bars or toilet paper holders, no curtains, no towel bar in the kitchen - the list of things I need goes on and on. I did buy a welcome mat. Some things just are needed, you know? Yesterday I picked up a hose so I could wash my car for the first time in 17 months (seriously) and it has been raining all day today. It's my fault.

What the "hurry" means in the title today is that I was sitting here at the computer, changing my address with the gas company (I haven't even changed my driver's license or told my homeowner's insurance company yet, sigh) and I saw something out of the corner of my eye in the back yard.

My brain registered "horse." I looked up, and saw four white-tailed deer hauling their behinds through my back yard like they were racing. Probably they were. I remember last spring a deer was racing my car early on a Sunday morning.

The deer were beautiful, graceful, and one of the reasons I moved here. I am in a condo complex with many other people, in a brand new home with granite and ceramics and gas fireplaces and city water - with a nature preserve at the end of my short road. I have the best of both worlds.

This condo is now my home and I am happy here. The dogs are happy and adjusted. We took a walk last night and a family made us stop, sent their little boy inside, and he brought out little treats for both dogs. There are five beagles within about 20 condos in this back corner of the complex. Who would have expected that? They get along great. Baby howls when she sees a dog she recognizes and drags me over to visit. We can't take a walk without running into people to chat with. I feel safe and content.

Add my name to the list of people who have downsized and are happy with the decision. I would say I wish I had done it sooner, but I know I wasn't ready before. I do not miss three flights of stairs.

I am also teaching a class now - so be prepared for the usual request for emails sent to my students with pictures in them. I think we will need them this coming week or the week after. I will post an entry and probably also send out emails. It works so well and they love it - meaning they learn faster because they are having fun. I have two coaches - one is a professional IT, and one knows less than some of my students. It has been an interesting class!