All Together Now

I have been a neglectful blogger this past month. It's shameful. But things have been rather crazy.

Basically, my time limit for finding a job in Portland ran out. I don't even really feel bad about it because I tried really hard, and I've heard that there are plenty of other people there in the same boat. There just aren't any jobs in Portland right now. Last I heard, Oregon had the second worst unemployment rate in the country. So, not my fault.

So that precipitated a mad scramble to move before my savings ran out entirely. I didn't want to leave my roommate high and dry. Now I'm fixing up a little house in Walla Walla, home of world famous sweet onions, and Bugs Bunny. Also my hometown.

I have very mixed feelings about moving back here. But it does have a good job market (or as good as any job market currently) and I'll have my own house with its own washer and dryer and yard and everything. It's got a great kitchen.

Or it will once I'm finished cleaning and painting. The lady who lived there for the last two decades was a paranoid chain smoker. She never left the house and was terrified of anyone seeing in so she nailed bars (and junk) across all the windows. She also had two dogs that she never let outside. To say that it was gross in there would be the understatement of the year. We scrubbed the walls and ripped up the floors and painted everything with Killz to prevent the stains and smells from coming back. I just finished painting the living room yesterday and I only have the trim in the bedroom, and that'll be half the house done.

I need to paint in the kitchen and figure out what to do with the cupboards. They are a beautiful dark wood, but they still need to be scrubbed thoroughly. We've doen a few tests and the cleaning products seem to be taking off the finish as well. Plus the dogs scratched up some of the bottom ones. I think the wood is beautiful, but painting them would be a lot easier than refinishing them. On the other hand since the electrics and heating system need more work than we anticipated, I'll have plenty of time to work on everything, so I've got time for more complicated projects.

The bathroom is also ripped apart and needs more ripping frankly. The tub surround is completely rotten. Fortunately most of the subflooring is in good shape. I was afraid we'd have to replace some that looked particularly pet stained, but since we pulled out the carpet the urine smells have vanished.

I've painted the living room a creamy pale orange color and the trim is a darker orange called "Tangerine Dream." My grandmother hates the color scheme, but I like it a lot. I'm excited to pull down all the painter's tape in the living room tomorrow. The kitchen will be a pale leaf green with turquoise trim. I think it will set off the dark cabinets nicely. Assuming they stay dark that is. If I paint them they may end up a honey yellow which I think will lighten up the kitchen a lot. It's very dark right now with the dark cabinets and a huge tree that is pretty but blocks any light from getting in.

It's a tiny little house, with just the three rooms (plus bathroom) but it's a good size for me. It has a little yard that is about as gross as the house was, but we'll get it fixed up too. There's also a little garage for my car and another bigger garage that is full of crap right now, but could be emptied out and used as studio space. That would be beyond awesome.

I've got a job interview tomorrow and possibly another one next week. So all in all, things are looking up. I will be glad not to have a roommate anymore and my house is in a nice little neighborhood, that also in the dead center of town so nothing is far away. It's also a short walk from the park and just down the block from my grandmother (not the one who hates the paint). So all in all, things are looking up.