I went to my Favorite Egg's this weekend where we tried out a couple of new places for grubbing.  The President's Pub was pretty decent - tomato bacon jam on the burger, need I say more? Also the Springhouse's home cooked grub was pretty good.  I don't think trying the thai place that I spotted out that way is his speed, so I'll try that on my own someday when I'm there.

I pondered going to two open houses, one that needed some updates that made the current price a bit too high and another that seemed right up my alley but is likely too far out for my long term commuting desires, but decided against it.  It just felt like a waste of time.

Coming home today was hard.  Not just because it decided to rain pretty hard most of the way and throw some fog my way come Somerset county, but because this is most assuredly the last time the weather won't be snow/ice or danger of such.  I was really wishing my trip home was a mere 20 minutes from his place.  I so thought I would have been out that way by now.

While I was gone an open house took place here.  I did my cleaning before leaving on Friday.  I wish I could just leave it in a bubble and not need to reclean every couple of days.  I wanted to do a little bit of cleaning at his place, but just couldn't muster it up.  I think I'm all cleaned out as far as willing actions go.  We did get some growth cleaned up around the house though since the weather was so nice on Saturday.

The folks who have the cubes with windows (which is very rare here - there are 5 of them) are NEVER in the freaking office.  Not cool, not fair.

At my desk:  Slippers.  Jeans.  Flannel shirt.  Fleece jacket.  Fuzzy gloves w/ fingers cut out.  Blanket.  Still cold.  If you can still afford bottled water for the executives... turn on the frelling heat.

I'm just grateful I remembered EARLY this season that I have the happy little push button for my car, so I started Serafina up before I was ready to walk out the door.  Now if I can just remember to set the blower appropriately before turning off the vehicle the night before.

I ran home over lunch yesterday and Danika had a 'good' day.  I guess I should make the run today too - in the hopes we can get ahead of any accidents waiting to happen.

Mid-life crises are no doubt real.  I was emailing with someone I had college classes with and hadn't spoken to in a while, he was a non-traditional student who is now retired.  He asked if I was happy.  Well doesn't that just get your mind churning?

My mind has returned to that over the past few days and it's really gotten me focused on work.  I need to get my world there turned back around (after all I have 20+ years still left to go), but I don't know how to do it.  This year has been all about limbo - but it shouldn't mean I am not trying to at least plan a path forward once I get out of that limbo.  Heaven knows while the current job is willing to allow me to work remote it isn't a permanent solution.  Nevermind the fact that what I'm doing isn't allowing me to immediately and robustly answer that question in the positive.

I'll admit, even before that question was posed of me the ponderings of 'purpose' have been there popping up repeatedly recently.  It's then when the tears roll and it isn't that "I'm going to cry now where your eyes close a little as to help the tears form" instead it is the one where fight it as you may a tear just rolls out.

Saturday I headed to Etna to catch up with Binder and Amy (for the first time in years) to go to ScareHouse!  I've been wanting to go forever, so I put out the cattle call with the hopes I'd find someone local to make the drive with.  They bit so we decided to meet.

First there was a stop at the Church Brew Works where I had some delightful perogies with bacony goodness and a pumpkin stout and then to the parking lot where we were bused to the Scarehouse. First the main house, which was pretty darn good. I had one minor jump scare catch me, but that was it.  The props and make up - fantastic.  Lovely work.  We had people going through with us that were quite jumpy, it was even more fun to get to watch them loose their sh*t.  THEN we went to the basement.  I really thought I might have some struggles here since they cover your head with a bag and things like that... but it was easy breezy.  They do manhandle you a good bit.  I'm sure Amy's toes are sore as I stomped her by accident with my stompers a few times when they were dragging us backwards, but to be fair she did take one hell of a crack at my ass with a plastic bat.  Yes, I do have a bruise!

Today I was up and off to church.  Unfortunately, in that short amount of time Danika decided to make a mess in the crate.  It kills me.  I watched her go right before I left.  I don't know what her deal is.  So, being gone for 2 1/2 hours this morning meant 30-40 minutes of scrubbing the crate and bathing the dog.  *sigh*  She was good when I headed back to Heidi's for an event this evening.  Don't worry, I was back in time for Walking Dead.  I can officially say I was right - at least about the first death!!!

Once again having a house for sale is doing nothing but make me sad.  More of the same old 'reviews' that I thought I got past.  *sigh*  I realized too today what the feeling is... it's like the one when I was splitting with the ex, that incredible frustration and sadness that you cannot make people do or feel things they don't (obviously on a smaller scale).

Sure I can do everything in my power to re-eliminate that same old comment (I don't know what else that would be at the moment) but when people aren't giving that feedback they still don't want to leap.  It is there where I say there is absolutely nothing I can do and I feel powerless.  If this turns into another 3-year wait fest of failure, I just can't handle that.

I caved yesterday when I noticed how low the prices were for Harmony of the Seas (brand new Oasis class ship just heading to the states in the next few weeks).  I half jokingly sent the email to my Favorite Egg trying to lure him in and then I peeked at flight prices and almost lost it at how low they were.  When he replied with a "are we doing this?" it was all over.  I can't believe I booked a cruise with less than 2 hours of forethought.  So I have some planning to do, but heaven knows I live for all of that, and while urgent research needs stress me a little I thrive on that type of stress.

With this trip I will be making a return to Jamaica.  Now, you know it is at the bottom of my list of places I've been to, but I'm willing to give it another go.  I will be super cautious in picking our plans while in port.

I just want to note how nice it is that I am able to have the back window open this evening, thanks to our ongoing pleasant weather.  It isn't slated to last much longer... as in this weekend looks like it'll be pretty chilly.  As such, I opened the boxes I brought back that had my wintery shoes (including my Docs for snow).  The Docs were in the first box... as was mold.  *sigh*

I spent some time this evening cleaning off shoes I wanted desperately to spare from the trash can.  Fingers crossed that the clean up and spray with lysol will prevent the return of said mold and that distinct odor will dissipate.  A few pairs did get dumped into the trash - the ones that were more fabricy/porous exteriors.  Fortunately the other two boxes don't appear to have the same blight, but I'm concerned for the other goodies that came back and those that remain on site.

The things that people say (to your face) that break your spirit.

I worked to cover this past Friday so my Favorite Egg and I could have a long weekend together.  I just wanted a little extra time, both with him, and away from my desk.  He came in on Thursday night, allowing us the ability to relax a little Friday morning before getting the dogs out for a noon showing at the house.  From there we went to his old place to do a little work and bring more boxes back from my stash.  Unfortunately, the work we wanted to do there didn't go smoothly and didn't get done.

I had picked up some Rum Chata to create the drink that Kirk introduced me to, but hadn't realized I didn't have Captain at the house (how does that happen)?  After a quick stop I was ready to mix a couple of a drinks.  We invited Lor-Lor to join us for dinner and sat with our beverages and a Keven Bacon movie for the evening.

Saturday we headed out to peep some leaves.  First stop Glades Pike Winery for a glass and a couple of bottles, then just down the road to Laurel Hill State Park.  We were there two years ago and he was ready to return.  After a bit of a hike there we went to the Quemahoning, which I've never been to.  I wanted to gawk around a bit and get a feel for the place, but I also thought maybe the leaves would be nice around the water.

We're supposed to be at peak for the leaves, but it was a bit lack luster.  As much as the one tree behind my house has changed in the past three days - I'm betting by this coming Thursday there will be a dramatic difference in the places we visited.  Regardless, it was a nice trip out - and the weather was fantastic all weekend.  Sunday we did a little relaxing and running.

As to the showing - it was too big for this folks looking.  *sigh*  I guess I've heard worse "no thanks" responses.

Dogs don't make sense.  At some point a while back one of the metal dinner bowls was moved from the living room and Vixen's slow feeder bowl made its way in.  For whatever reason these two goofballs seem to prefer eating out of the slow feeder.  It always gets emptied at dinner time and I have to pour food from the metal bowl which remains more than half full.  It's time to pull out the backup slow feeder bowl to make it the second living room bowl.  I am so curious to see if they'll eat out of both or if they'll still have a preference.

Today after work I headed out to the Forest Hills High School to take in a volleyball match against Richland - two young ladies from youth were playing - one on each team.  I felt thrown back so many years.  I never joined the volleyball team because the season went into swimming season, but I did train with them for a little while back in high school, and I even worked the first few games tracking as people came in/out.  It was a good time, I'm glad I went.

9 days earlier than last year... the windshield didn't clean off with a simple turn of the wiper blades this morning and the thermometer in the car said 37.  Bleh.  I'm glad I got some of the items back to my place this weekend.  I guess this means I need to go ahead and turn the heat on in the apartment

We had plenty of rain on Saturday as well, but I still made another run bringing things back.  Today my run was in sunny weather!  I was at an auction but they had so much stuff and it was moving so slowly that I left empty handed... which gave me the time to get back over there.  I also made a nice batch of chicken noodle soup tonight.  The heat is on at this point and there are people getting sick already, so it seemed like a good move, especially after I returned home from taking another batch of photos at the local cemetery with cold ears.  I'm fighting a bit of a headache, not sure what to blame that on - it came on before this ridiculous debate started.  Why am I watching this train wreck?

Yay.  Rain.  That is going to help keep the place tidy - sigh.  The rain picked up just in time for me to haul things in from the car tonight.

The first load of stuff is back from my Favorite Egg's place and I've placed it in the apartment, even though I hate that for many reasons.  Once I get everything back here I can't even imagine how small that is going to make those two main rooms look over there, but so be it - it's better than paying for a storage unit when I have that space, which I'm forced to pay to keep heated all winter anyhow.

I'm hoping the rain halts so I can make another run tomorrow.  I have a few other things I'd like to do this weekend which would be better without the cold drizzles.  I guess we'll see what happens.  Much like everything else in my world I have very little control over it.

I got to spend a little quality time with Rex and Lor Lor tonight over a drink and some deep fried delights.  We had quite a few hearty belly laughs - I needed that.  Nothing else worthy of posting about this week.

Okay, I'm really bumming about it all.  Must shake it off.  I couldn't help but think about a couple of things last night:

1).  It's now been over 6 months since I started the top to bottom scrub down of every wall, ceiling, and item in my house.  Enough time has passed that I need to start all over again at this point.
2).  I've easily put over 6 grand into the house this year that I'm not going to get back.  If anything, some of that work will also need redone (staining deck, etc etc).

This one isn't a new thought:  I also need to haul everything back out of my Favorite Egg's place across town before freezing temps come, so I need to figure out  where on earth all of those boxes are going to go. They will do nothing but make whatever space they go into look smaller and cluttered, so they'll be another strike against me.

In my zip code there are over 120 houses on the market. If you look at historical information on Zillow, do you know how many sold in the past 30 days?  1.  ONE HOUSE.  90 days?  7.  -- and this was a "the best year they've had in 10 years".

More people are announcing they are leaving and I can't help but feel jealousy that their lives get to move forward while I tread water watching the ship sink in front of me.  I just can't focus.

I allowed myself to get more psyched than I should have.  In the monthly report on the house I received today it indicated that an offer was coming from a recent showing!  I swore I wasn't going to get my hopes up or hold my breath, but I guess it's normal to still get a little excited, right?  That was dashed pretty quick w/ a message saying they changed their mind referencing someone nearby they don't want to live near.

*gah* You really can't make these things up.  Yeah, I'm sad.  I guess I did get my hopes up.

Peeve of the day: I send an email to one person, carbon copying two others that need to be aware of the conversation. The person on the to line is the most knowledgeable on the topic to hand. Both people on the cc line reply and silence from the person on the to line. I kind of want to smack the people on the cc line verbally noting that I was asking the other person and allowing them to 'listen'.

I am sure I am guilty of replying when I am on the cc line as well before the desired responder has had their say. I'm going to try and be more mindful of this. If I get asked why I didn't reply I can highlight my epiphany on this usage.

Saturday I was still hurting a good bit... but fortunately, when I woke this morning the pain in my hip has fully passed.  I'm betting the drive to my Favorite Egg's on Friday didn't help as it took an extra hour and fifteen minutes thanks to traffic coming to a complete halt for 6 or so miles near Belle Vernon thanks to construction.  This delay also made me miss out on our plans to have a nice sit down dinner at a place new to us before his other commitments.  So I ended up sitting (uncomfortably thanks to my hip) at the house by myself.  On Saturday we did a little running before heading out to his family's gathering for September birthdays.

I made good progress coming home, but it definitely didn't make up for all of that lost time on the way there.  I'm really wishing for more long weekends.