Anyone interested in hearing about my awesome new project?  No?  Well that’s ok, I’m going to tell you anyway.

So we all know I’m OCD and addicted to my label maker.  BFD.  But I have been really itching to rendezvous with my labels since we moved into this house and haven’t been able to do so.  Until.  Now.  O p-touch.  My love.  Let’s go away together.

Now that there are no contractors, inspectors, nails, or dirty subs sharing my hallways with me, I’m layin down the law.  Its time for my closets to have an intervention.  I mean common, its been 6 months since I’ve heard the click click of that cutter as ya snap off a freshly printed label.  Ahhhh.  Its like a drug for me.  Don’t judge.

Enter: operation clean closet.

First, let’s start with the guest room.  When we moved into this house, we kinda lived out of the guest room for the first month due to the non existent walls in our room.  Even though it now only holds jackets, Mark’s shoes and my wedding dress, that poor little baby needs some cleanin out.  Yall know I like a clean closet.  Even if the door is closed.

Next, let’s move on to the kitchen.  Since I pretty much freaked out every day when the contractors left their shit all over the house, I figured it was easier to just accept that we were moving in together and give them a drawer.  After ceremoniously wrapping up a drawer and giving it to them as a gift over a candle lit dinner, they loaded it up with all their bras and toothbrushes and we lived happily ever after.  But we recently broke up and they moved out.  Now?  Obviously an entire kitchen rework is in order.

And I’ve saved the best for last.  The hall closet.

Ugh. The hall closet.  My bff contractors ripped out all the lighting when they gutted the adjacent bathroom so its nothing but a big, dark, pit where stuff goes to die.  There’s a huge file cabinet in there that we need to get rid of - Craigslist, please pick up the phone when we call.  There’s no light.  There’s kinda random stuff that should, at the very least, be labeled.  Its a big job and I can’t fucking wait to go head to head with it.

So there ya go.  My new obvious distraction from my desire for another round of IVF project.  Whoot whoot!

We were trying to determine the best strategy for getting the RV packed and cleaned while occupying the kids — and keeping it clean until we arrived in Portland. Tim suggested that we drop the RV off a day early.  Despite the higher cost of another night at the Heathman vs a KOA, I jumped at the opportunity to get out of that rolling cage a day early. Tim took the kids to the playground while I packed our belongings, then I took them to the pool and for a shower while he cleaned the bus. (The pool & shower wouldn’t get the bus dirty — the playground could). Suffice to say that I don’t recommend three family members in a KOA shower room when the youngest has just learned how to unlock doors — Olivia managed to keep her sense of humor even when Zane peed on her foot. At least we were in a shower…

On the drive from Astoria to Portland, we once again experienced “The Crescent City Effect” — when your destination seems to be getting further away rather than closer. We finally arrived at the RV rental place at 4:30 — just before closing. The inspection went smoothly, but we waited and hour and 15 minutes for our taxi to arrive as the shade we were sitting in dwindled. We were packed into the cab like sardines with our luggage; I was in the way-back of the van. The air conditioning died 3 blocks into the ride. When we finally arrived at the Heathman, I practically lept from the cab — banging my calf and developing second bruise nearly the size of Nebraska. We had dinner at the same nearby Italian restaurant as the night we arrived. I don’t remember the name but will forever think of it as Exhausted Pasta.

Well it’s Labor Day, a day not to labor, but to celebrate the fruits of labor, to rest from labor.

For once, we’re getting that day off thanks to Gustav. It’s a bit windy here in south MS, and occasional rain. I plan to spend the day cleaning a bit in the house and simply enjoying a day off from working at the nursery.

There will be no need to water. Can’t work in the rain…..so short of Gustav’s threats, it’s a pretty good holiday.