Diary of a displaced homeowner

On February 6 my upstairs bathroom sprung a leak. One tiny hose between the water supply and the toilet tank finally gave up the ghost. I heard the water running from my studio at the other end of the house and ran to shut it off. I ran through a waterfall at the foot of the stairs and found an inch of water on the bathroom floor and a damp patch spreading out into the bedroom carpet about 3 feet. In just those few short minutes, many thousands of dollars of damage were done. But most of the cost will be due to my house's age -- back in 1953 builders put asbestos EVERYWHERE, and now removal entails the words "containment" and "friable" and "hazmat suits".

I will be blogging my adventures from now on but here is a bit to catch up to today --

• Feb 7, 12:45 pm -- @ 5:45 last night -- upstairs toilet sprung a leak. In 5 minutes 3 feet of bedroom carpet was sopping, water came through the ceiling and that carpet was sopping too. Timing is everything -- 5 minutes later I'd have been on my way to dinner and theater. Of course, the TV room *would* be a nice location for an indoor swimming pool ... :-)
• Feb 7, 5:53 pm --OK. The salvage and restoration guy just left after spending 4.5 hours inspecting, testing, mapping and setting up huge dehumidifiers all over the house. For 3-10 days, I will be camping out in the guest room. *Then* the restoration can start ...
• Feb 8, 7:17 am --Pretending to be a guest in my own house ... so many things the guest room needs! Hook behind bathroom door, shower caddy, more comfortable place to sit and read ... my apologies to Hannah and Julie who last spent time here. It will be better when you visit next.
• Feb 9, 1:56 pm --The asbestos testing service has come and gone and I should know by tomorrow if the flooring and drywall repair is going to be a medium or a large pain in the butt.
• Feb 13, 7:00 am --everything but furniture has been removed from my bedroom. 4,723 (at least) trips up and down stairs carrying clothes, shoes, toiletries, bedding, "stuff" that had been stored there ... ruthlessly culled bags of clothing and shoes (where did they all come from??) for Goodwill.
• Feb 19, 11:00 am -- Michael's daughter, Elizabeth, is advising me on colors for painting the kitchen, hall, stairs and bedroom and on flooring material for kitchen, stairs and bedroom. She is a wonder: so knowledgeable about materials and such a good color sense. Once the demolition is finished, she is going to be my most valuable asset for the renovation!
  
• Feb 23, 8:11 am --The salvage company is here, packing up my bedroom for the duration of the demolition and restoration. Sob. My lovely new mattress is being sent off to storage. Sigh. The bedroom *will* be beautiful. The kitchen *will* be beautiful. And there will be no asbestos anywhere.

Which brings us up to today. Stay tuned kiddies, for the further adventures ...

[photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rose-morgan/sets/72157623249704755/ will be updated as new stuff happens]

Damn.

I love you.

Really.

Kissing girls

I've been doing some thinking lately, about kissing girls.

While I enjoy, and usually prefer, the company and attention of men (my man) -- kissing girls is really nice. It is softer, less bristly, different.

Hugging them is nice too. I used to think having more than two breasts involved would get in the way, but somehow it all works out. Remember way back before your first real *kiss*, you worried what to do about the noses? How do you keep from bumping noses??? And it all worked out somehow? Breasts are the same (squishier, but same principle) and it all works out somehow.

Anyway, for long term intimate and sexual relationships, I prefer men (my man); but kissing girls is really nice!

songs of the daisy

I love you.
I want you.

I cannot make you love or want me.

If you do

it will be super

it will be brilliant

it will be incandescent

If you do not

I will miss you
But the greater loss will be yours.

Whine wine

I am a real whiner, aren't I? Or is that a whino? ?

No I am not broken, and thank Goddess for that.
Also, the missing piece is only a self-perceived missing piece. Thank Goddess for that too.

Practicing the presence of Goddess includes living with an attitude of gratitude and I *really* need to work on that part!

I am grateful for the presence of a wonderful man, wonderful lover, in my life.

So there. Pbbfftt!

I am not broken

I am not broken.

I have never contemplated my own suicide.

I have never married, or even lived with, a man old enough to be my father. [Full disclosure: in my late 20's I did date a man 30 years older for a few months.]

I can change my own light bulbs.

I have never done hard drugs, nor been arrested for substance abuse issues.

I emerged from the divorce as a strong, whole, and healthy person. I am financially secure and own my own home. My children are healthy and happy.

-----

However

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I do have a piece missing.

It would be nice [I think] to have someone who looks to me, and my wants / desires / needs, first before all others.

I have a primary partner but I want to be a primary partner.

On the cusp of a new decade

I really wanted to have something profound to write tonight but nothing comes to mind.

It may be a mark of how far into the polyamory lifestyle I am -- my lover is spending tonight at our vacation house with his other lover while his wife is going to sleep over at my house tonight.

Happy New Year, and Goddess bless us, every one.