I'm Not Paranoid. They Really ARE Out to Get Me.

I have taken several nights off, as usual for this time of year, hoping to finish up the yard haunt and inside preps for the party.  I had it all set up.

Mon: Sears man to deliver the new flat screen TV hubby and I bought ourselves on Friday for our anniversary last month.

Problem 1: We didn't buy a table for it at Sears, because Jack said he'd seen some inexpensive ones at Wal-Mart.  When will I remember there are always big gaps in his stories?  He saw some wooden cabinets he thought might work, but won't hold the size we're buying. 

Solution 1: So Saturday I spent a valuable hour searching online at Wal-Mart, Sears, Best Buy, Lowe's and Home Depot before I found one that had good reviews, looked nice, fit a 55" TV and was in stock. With Best Buy, I could pay for it online, then hubby could drive over while I slept, and have them load it in the car.  The plan was to put it together after I got home on Monday. We won't even talk about the fact that the one at Sears was on sale and about $70.00 cheaper.

Problem 1a: The darned thing weighs 83 lbs and I can't get it up the garage stairs into the house, even with a dolly.

Solution 1a: Delay the delivery until Wed. afternoon, and add it to the list of projects for the Handyman Matters guy to do on Tues. morning.

Tues, HM guy was to come over and do some repairs, set up the TV table and install the ceiling fan hubby bought me for my birthday (which was in July), but that I didn't pick out until last week. I also arranged for Tandi to be at the groomer's to minimize trauma for her and protect our ears from her alarmed barking.

Problem 2: The ceiling fan post isn't long enough to clear my slanted cathedral ceiling; the re-caulking and drywall repair of the bathroom was more extensive than originally thought, and it's raining, so he can't replace the facing that blew off the side of the roof until it stops.

Solution 2: Make a quick run to Lowe's for an extension rod for the ceiling fan, and get one for the kitchen fan at the same time, as it wobbles due to poor clearance of said slanted ceiling. Also, schedule return visit for Wed. afternoon to finish the bathroom.

Problem 2a: Extension rod for the kitchen ceiling fan, which are now all standardized, is too large in diameter to fit the 20-year-old fan--discovered after the fan has been taken down from the ceiling.

Problem 2b: Also, rain + wind is predicted to continue through Wed., which may prohibit facing from being attached.

Solution 2a: HM guy thinks he might can find a smaller extension rod through his ex-brother-in-law. 

Solution 2b: Bag it until next week.

Bonus: Ceiling fan is now up in sewing room, and gives off twice as much light as the old fixture.  Hurray!

Bonus 2: TV table is put together!  (no pictures at this time) Of course, it's sitting in front of the monsterous big screen TV, which will have to be moved out to get the new TV in.  And did I mention the carpet cleaner is coming in the morning?

Problem 3: HM left about 2:30 this afternoon, and at 3pm, the groomer called to say Tandi was ready.  Solution 3: That didn't leave much time to do anything but finish the deep cleaning I was giving the kitchen, and dust the living and dining rooms in preparation for the carpet cleaner. I decide to tackle the laundry and start carving jack o'lanterns after a quick supper.

Back home by about 4pm, Tandi freaks a bit at the new thing hanging from the ceiling in Momma's sewing room, the new table in the living room, the rearranged back porch (where I had to put the coffee table) and the scent of a stranger in her house. We haven't shown her the bathroom yet.  Her little heart could only take so much, I'm afraid. Since I only slept 4 hours last night, my butt is dragging, so when I sit down for a few minutes in the recliner, I fall asleep for about half an hour.

Problem 4: Did I mention it's rained all day?  At 5:50 pm, the power goes out. Supper has not yet been started.

Solution 4: Change into a clean shirt (found with the aid of a flashlight) and go to the Firehouse for supper.  Diet be damned. We pass the guys from Duke Power working at the entrance to our neighborhood.  Yay!

Problem 4a: After supper, we drive home through thunder and lightning.  The repairmen are smart enough to get in out of the storm.  The power is still off. Tandi is freaked and her wireless collar is beeping, which usually precedes a sting for venturing outside the boundaries.

Solution 4a: Remove Tandi's collar and let her sit in Jack's lap for a while. Light the oil lamps, and several halloween candles, fish the battery-powered radio out of the closet and listen to Delilah while folding a load of clothes.  Never mind there is still a wet batch in the washer.

Bonus 3: The power comes on at 9:45pm, just in time to turn on the last few minutes of "Dancing With the Stars" and see Audrina and Tony get voted off.  What the heck????? Did her telephone number quit working or something?  KURT needed to go!

Bonus 4:  Tandi and I are going to bed now, because the carpet guy, the Sears guy and the Handyman are all coming over tomorrow. Maybe we could just sleep through it all?

Bonus 5:  Here are some quick photos of the inside of the house (which isn't finished yet, either.)

Entryway:

Now look at his face from a different angle:

Entrance into the kitchen:

Above the sink to the left:

Above the sink to the right:

Above the Hoosier:

In the darkened hallway beside the garage. The right goes to the master bedroom.

It's a funhouse "mirror", which I had hoped to mount on foam insulation board to prop inside the tent for Halloween night.  It might just be mounted on cardboard instead.

On top of the china cabinet in the dining room:

Sorry for the blurriness; I really need to find my tripod before the weekend. The witch on the right is a new acquisition this year, given to me by a friend at work who no longer decorates for Halloween.  She is sound activated, and rocks back and forth and cackles. She's turned off at the moment because she is VERY sensitive.

And this is above the dining room table:

This little guy is motionless right now, but loud noises make him drop down about a foot before slowly ascending  back to the fan.  By the time I get some cobwebs up, he should be really  impressive.

And that's the end of tonight's show, folks.  There's a little more, but I'll save it until I set up for the party.  Keep your fingers crossed that this crazy warm, wet and windy weather will end on Wednesday.  (Did you like that little bit of alliteration?)

We've been under tornado watches and warnings all evening.

See Problem 4a.