We are buying a house in North Carolina and moving soon.

MonsterMustDie is on his way to North Carolina to look at houses for sale again.
I am staying home for this trip. I felt it was important for me to be there to at least attempt to put in my opinion on some of the houses being viewed and, hopefully, guide his decision-making a bit in the future. However, there are so many antique malls and flea markets he wants to visit coming and going, it is easier for me to avoid the death march this time and allow him to indulge his passion alone.

It looks like we'll be moving to High Point, North Carolina some time after October. I am strongly pulling for us to be absolutely in Georgia through one last Halloween season. I'd like to enjoy one more Pumpkin Carving Party and night of trick-or-treaters and awesome Halloween House decor before leaving all of my small joys behind.

Stuff I found today:

Remember when National Hot Dog Day actually meant something. Commercialization dilutes true meaning of this holiday.
— Jim Taylor (@jimtaylor) July 23, 2014

more frustration dreams

Last night was filled with more frustration dreams but for once it was not about work.

 I dreamed about tech fail situations and funerals. I dreamed I had to make it to two memorial services and I had to depend on a navigation device to get to the locations of both. The device kept refusing to take my input on the first location and it refused to remember the street or number on the second location. Both events were filled with people I did not know but there seemed to be a lot of people who know who I was. I was able to get a ride to the first service but no one there knew how to get to the second service and no one else could get my navigation device to work either.

looking for mailbox money

Last week, I had an interview for a job close to home that would be work I am so familiar and confident with, I could do it blindfolded with one arm tied behind my back but I have yet to hear back from my interviewer on whether I get to come back or if they have already chosen someone else. It is a job I would really love to have.

I still am also still waiting some mailbox money for my time working as a graphic designer for a film company but more work is starting to drip in this week. Monday was full of extras work in the city. Tuesday was spent with Mme Perry working on music promotion and planning podcast production.
Next week, I have a temp gig starting. It is a bit far from here but the drive is north, away from the city, so I fully expect an easy commute. Fingers are crossed for that one.

Here is a little something I found on the web that is both amusing and oh so true to life. I know people like this.


Update:
The temp agency let me know this afternoon that the new job has been delayed and will now start on July 9, rather than June 30.

Summer Solstice

Last night’s party to celebrate the Summer Solstice was much more successful than I expected. Despite the heat and early thunderstorm, we had a big crowd show up a bit late and a good night filled with art, food, drink, and a special performance on an electronic instrument by John Butler.


Now, I have plenty of still-cold sangria made by John Eaton. Thinking Indian take-out would go very well with it If I could find someone to share it with today. We also still have a tent with mosquito netting set up in the back yard.

maybe moving to HighPoint NC

Looks like there is a possibility that we might be moving to High Point, North Carolina.

I am still unemployed and just make enough on rent from my condo to squeak by on rent here and my condo fees. This week, MonsterMustDie's employer has hinted at planning an entire shut down of the location in Atlanta in favor of cheaper show room facility in NC near their new North American production facility. At first, he thought that they would keep a sales office open in Atlanta that he could work out of in a customer service and support job.

We are too old to negotiate on anything work-related. If he loses this job, there will be no other employer willing to take him on at his age. We're both too old to be hired by anyone and too young and poor to retire so if they are willing to keep him employed in exchange for relocating, that is what we will have to do.
It's not a done deal yet - we don't know if he can keep his job or if he absolutely must work from North Carolina, but it's looking that way this week.

As for myself, I don't foresee any changes in my employment but I think NC would be a much less competitive environment for graphic design. However, the economy there is more depressed than here. Thus the company, Buzzi, is already being heralded as a fantastic gain by the Governor and Mayor. The city of High Point, I am told, is unbelievably excited about their manufacturing facility and showroom opening there.

late spring weekend

The weather is incredible but the summer heat is already getting me down. I wilt to the point of dizziness. There are outdoor events I am avoiding, like Tunes From The Tombs, if there is no escape from the sun.

 Last night, we went to a duo-birthday party at the home of Thomas and Lindsay, in Marietta. The theme was an Enchanted Garden Birthday Party and it was a great evening. They had obviously spent a lot of days clearing, landscaping and decorating their back yard for an outdoor party. Tiny lights were everywhere, in lamps on tables, in a sculptural fire pit of painted logs standing as vertical pillars with candles on top of them, strung overhead from the house to the trees, and lighting tents in the back yard. Low seats and tables were made from wood palettes that had been a smoothed and painted with short legs attached to make tables and pillows placed on top to create seats. Friends had worked to put out a spread of food and booze on the back porch and, as usual for them, there was a digital photo booth set up for guests. Fortunately, the rain held off and it was a clear night. I mostly sat at tables in back, talking with friends, and MonsterMustDie walked around catching up with people he'd not seen in a while, since he rarely goes out with me to these things. One of the best things for guests were paper fans that were placed on some tables. Loved the paper fans and used one most of the night that kept me comfortable. We got home around 1:00 a.m.

MonsterMustDie woke up feeling a bit delicate this morning. We both took naps at some point during the day. He worked on sculptures in the afternoon while I cleaned, prepped food & did some laundry and we had Cindi & John over for dinner in the evening that featured grilled sausages from Pine Street Market and sauteed lambs quarters that were on sale at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. We had fresh baguette with sliced radishes and salted butter, also from the Farmers Market. Just the right end to the day - good fresh food with good company & fun conversation. It makes me a lot happier to have an active weekend with stimulating social activity.

Tomorrow, he has another very early day at work and I have dinner with the girls.

Sometimes, I choose to be in a relationship just to keep other men away from me.

Happy Mother's Day

Chaz invited me to the filming of Zombie Juice starting today at 6:00 a.m. but, since I am not committed to that (no one expects me or returned my messages on the project), I have decided to keep today open for other things - like a possible visit with my mother. 

After a long work week (which I greatly enjoyed but it wore me out) I slept in this morning and i have been trying to phone or email my mother for the last two days, thinking I should probably make plans with her today or  at least reserve the day for her. I guess she's booked elsewhere this weekend.

Now, I've got to decide how to spend the rest of this Sunday. 

This Week

Friday ended a 5-day job working for my friend Carrie on a film production. It was great to have a very busy work week. I was quite tired by the end of every 10-hour day but it was exhilarating  to work for people who appreciated what I was doing and complimented me every day on my work and how much I could do. Work is good and makes me happy when it is in a positive environment. This week has been great. 

The only down was that Friday, Carrie and her staff (me) were to be replaced by new people from California. Oh well... it was good while it lasted and I met some nice people. 

Packing for Chicago trip

MonsterMustDie is going on a business trip this week for NeoCon. Ellie cat finds his suitcase very cozy. 

Batten Down The Hatches

Perhaps the termites in the planter will be washed away by gulley-washer of a storm that is forecast to blow through here for the next 48 hours. MonsterMustDie dug out the area around the lost plant and we have only seen one or two isolated termites since then - and we have not lost any more plants.

Meanwhile, the weather service predicts that the next two days will contain heavy two days will be filled with severe thunder storms  that will not be past us until Thursday. This will be a test on the present condition of the roof over my condo. I am more concerned about the condo than I am with the house we are in now. My main concern here is that we will be without electrical power again if some trees come down. We have an overgrown sweet olive that hangs over the lines coming into the house and always looks like it will yank the cables off the house. Most of the trees in the neighborhood are in good condition but there are several dead and ivy-festooned trees behind us on land owned by Dekalb County. We'll just have to wait and see what happens with that.

Today is also MonsterMustDie's birthday. I gave him a book and Criterion DVD from his wish list. We didn't make any plans to go out because it is a big work week for him. Looking out over his domain, he had the idea that he'd like to do another Summer Solstice party at the house that focuses on art rather than music. I intend to leave the preparations to him this time around just to keep from arguing about it. I'd love to have another creative gathering but I know we will clash horribly if I start trying to organize what I believe we would need to do it right and disturb his minimalist ideals. We'll see how things go. Gives me anxiety just thinking about it.

Termites + Garden.

John came home from work today and was inspecting and weeding his planter in the back yard while I watched through the kitchen window. He pulled something out of the box and started inspecting it carefully and knocking dirt off the bottom and looking more closely at it. I came outside to see what was going on. “What kind of bug is this?” he said, handing me the rootless stem “It looks like white ants.” I looked at the shape of the insect coming out of the hollow of the stem. “Termites” I said. There was no doubt in my mind from the unique shape of the creature. He doubted my prognosis, believing termites only eat dead wood. I pointed out that termites are colony insects and there will me many more where those came from if he looked. Then he dug into the soil and found plenty of termites underground.

I've never seen this before in a garden. Just weird if he did not place it over a tree trunk or roots from a fallen tree. Ants would be a lot easier to deal with because they usually leave plants alone, just going after the insects, like aphids, around them. You can usually work around ants. But termites? I think his garden is a goner this year.

I am wondering what, if anything, he can do to save the rest of his work in the planter? They do not seem to be in the wood of the frame as far as we can tell. Don't know where they came from unless they were somehow already the cabbage seedlings he bought.

Here comes the rain.

Roofs are important. They are not an area to be cheap on.

I hope my condo stays dry this time. The roof is leaking again after it was supposedly fixed and after hundreds of dollars were spent making repairs and painting the inside. The condo owners association continues to argue over the cost of a new roof - an argument that has gone on for decades.

When I first moved in year ago, all or most of my neighbors were convinced that, any day now, someone would make an incredible offer on the property and it would sell to make room for a high-rise. I'm sure that is why my father advised me to buy a condo rather than rent an apartment. He also warned me for years to NEVER sell my place without his approval or a go-ahead from my brother, both of them being CPAs and business men. That day never came but there are still too many investor owners who have no interest in the maintenance of the building or living there. Times like this, I would love to sell the place and free myself from constant battles like this one where I feel like no one listens to me or cares. I advise all of my friends to NEVER BUY A CONDOMINIUM. There are still some people who do, despite my advice, and every one of them has regretted their decision. When you mix residents with investors, there is a no-win situation. My hands are tied legally from doing anything with the outside maintenance and repairs on the building that I share with others.


On a more positive note, the garden will probably jump into action after a good rain. I have small tomato and pepper seedlings that I plan to pop into the ground after the storms this week have passed.

What I learned today

I had never heard of a "fat quarter" before today. It is a term used by people selling fabric that refers to a half yard of half the width of the fabric. It's a size used a lot by crafters and quilters but not much in actual sewing of garments or larger things.