Clutter, Clutter Everywhere...

OK, the move is complete and we are more officially a married couple, we even live together now! That doesn't seem like much to brag about but we did spend our first month of married life in separate households!

Was it just last weekend? Yes, I believe it was. We finished emptying Rick's apartment and cleaning. It was barely dirty but still took Rick hours to clean, Mr Persnickety. At least that way the landlord couldn't possibly have anything negative to say about his former tenant. Now his daughter lives there and he most likely won't be getting any more income from that property.

So we got out the crowbars and found places to stuff all Rick's stuff. The back room, the one Dane just abandoned, got a fresh coat of paint and now holds all Rick's furniture that has no permanent spot in our new house.

I've been attacking one small area at a time. First I consolidated our condiments in the fridge and cleaned out 15 bottles and jars. I cleared up the bathroom a couple days ago. Yesterday I cleared up the deck. Rick and I went through the pots and pans and casserole dishes together and took the rejects to his ex's for her to go through. Today I intend to straighten the silverware and put away the small kitchen appliances. I may also go out in the shop and put away a couple more kids' keepsake boxes. When they get settled I'll be passing them on, I already did Denny's but he's the only one that's really settled.

The living room came out nice with Rick's big TV in the place where my "monolith" had been. It has been moved to the other end of the living room for game playing and DVD viewing. Rick's recliner now lives near our computer desks so someone can sit while we surf and visit with us.

Tomorrow I'm going to my annual District Convention at the Tacoma Dome and Rick has the day off work so he'll no doubt be putsing in the shop, reassembling his toolbox, etc.

Our routine feels so strange, with Rick hitting the hay while it's still light outside. I turn down the bed for him since I have a mountain of pillows to decorate the bed, then tuck him in. Then I go back out to the living room and continue my surfing, etc and do the dishes or laundry. He gets up in the wee hours and so far I've only heard his alarm either once or twice. He rouses me when he's leaving to give me a kiss goodbye.

It's strange enough that a couple days ago I kept yelling at him to "Go home!". "What are you doing here? Don't you have a place you should be? Go home!" While we were watching a movie last night he admitted that the thought hit him that it was getting late enough that he should be headed home.

Speaking of strange, wasn't the other day when Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson both died a strange day? I feel bad that Farrah's long battle got overstepped by MJ's sudden death. She suffered and should get her recognition but MJ's tumultuous life just ended in such a way that it pushed her quiet exit to the background. But maybe that's how she would have wanted it.

Tomorrow Rick and Rach may go cell phone shopping together while I'm at the convention, another slightly strange event. But getting closer to normal.