Here's a thought...

First, we're working a deal on a 5+ acre lot and new house to be built on it. We don't need that kind of acreage but the opportunity for the package is there at a price we should be able to afford. We wanted at least an acre or two for privacy. The rest would be a bonus.

And the idea? Using a couple of acres in the back of the property for a mini solar farm! I'd love that. We could maybe have a small array of panels on the ground which would supply our electricity and feed the excess to the power grid for a little extra income?

Of course there's a significant capital outlay but I would think there are loans available for that sort of thing and I know there are state and federal tax incentives to defray the costs. It would do my heart good to play even a small part in getting us off the freakin fossil fuels. *nodnodnod*

It's starting to annoy me, mostly because I feel it may mean something but I don't know what.

Examples, in no particular order:
~ I stepped into the dark bedroom where the only visible thing was the red LED of the cable box and it said the time was 2:22.
~ I futzed around in the kitchen with my dinner until I finally sat down to eat in front of the TV and when I looked up with the remote in hand to flip it on, I saw that cable box showing 5:55.
~ I fiddled with the car radio, watching the digital dial go through the settings and channels, then I settled on a tune and when the display flipped back to the time, it was 3:33.
~ Napping in the bathtub, eyes slowly open, there's the clock glowing on 4:44.

Yes, I've seen 1:11 as well. I've caught all of them, multiple times. It's not like I'm a clock watcher. I know that once a person is 'sensitive' to a thing, it tends to catch more attention, but dayam, it's not like I'm frequently checking the time and those numbers just stand out in the procession. They're smacking me in the face.

So, I say to the Universe: WHAT? I SEE it. What of it? What's it mean? What do you want? You have my attention, dammit, so SPEAK or quit tapping me! I'm already pissed about the silence over this damned move. Clue me in or stop BUGGING me!

The Great eBay Experiment: So far, I've spent about $300 to make about $1200 for a net of about $900. I think that would qualify as a success. All the MiL's china is sold. I still have a lot of crystal and undecided if I want to spend more to auction it on the chance that third time's a charm. A few of the misc pottery and dish pieces have sold but I think the rest is going to a charity shop. It's not quite the fortune the MiL thought she was giving me in all those boxes, but it's still a very very nice gift and worth the hassle.

Great trip home for Easter. Always good to go home. Got to be there for nearly a week. Got to see all the nieces and nephews and spent a lot of good time with my parents, whom you may know are also such good friends and terrific company for me. Definite refilling of the well.

House in AR is on the market now and we're looking at building in NM. Having a little trouble getting that ball rolling, but once it's started we hope it will move along at a reasonable pace.

It's damned good to have spouse employed and to have the associated income. Now all we gotta do is get us both in the same living quarters again. phhht I'm also looking forward to making use of healthcare as soon as I get there.

My life sure is interesting.

PS - Gotta pal in Iraq now. He's doing fine, getting accustomed to the heat. Should be safe where he is, considering his duties there, but he'll still be on my mind. He's rather excited about the new experiences and challenges he'll surely have over the next year or so.

Wow, looks like I'll have a buyer for the MiL china after all. I put the auctions back up on eBay and I have a bidder for all of it. Shipping will cost me a fortune, perhaps more than I'm charging for S&H, but I'll still make a healthy chunk of change off it AND it'll be gone, ie won't have to move it. Hope it pans out, oh yes I do.

I have to start picking my emotional self up by my own bootstraps, so here are...
Things I Am Thankful For:
~ Spouse is employed and we have income again.
~ Money from various other sources has arrived to help with living and moving expenses.
~ This move will be much easier because I got rid of a lot of junk during the last move.
~ This move will be much easier because we can pay professional movers to do it.
~ Putting up this house for sale is much easier because it's new, and doesn't need all the fixing up the last house needed.
~ Bank of America, whose marvelous online facilities make it possible for me to do the necessary tracking of Spouse's access to our account (else he'd never say and I wouldn't know til the overdraft charges piled up).
~ Merry Maids, who did a fanfreakintastic job of deep cleaning the house so I could save my knees and my back. (A little expensive, but well worth it!)
~ The damaging storms that have passed through here lately have done no damage to our property.
~ I'm managing to work through my physical troubles, not comfortably or happily, but still functional enough to get the job done with care.
~ My eBay auctions are starting to work, thus getting rid of china and crystal I don't want to move and of course bringing in some more money.
~ Online realty features once again make it possible for me to be involved in buying the new place without flying or driving back and forth.
~ Cellphones make it possible and easy for me to keep in touch with Spouse, even just to hear his voice when I need to.

There, that feels better.

I can't believe I have to give up this...


For this...


My soul may just dry up out there in that godforsaken place. I do not deserve it.

Packing is progressing. I'm doing a pretty good job of pacing myself and yet getting a lot of the fiddly bits done. My eBay experience is lackluster. I think I may be spending about as much to place auctions as I am making. Putting up auctions is cheap, but when you do it in volume, it adds up. Alas, I'm not selling in volume.

I'm having a cleaning crew come in on Tues to sparkle the house up. The realtor should be around Thurs or Fri to take pictures. Then, we put the house on the market and I put up with people touring.

We're looking for houses in NM. There are a few that would be okay. We've been told that we could actually have one built within a few months, so we're looking at that option too.

The logistics of this sort of thing are mind-boggling... selling, moving out, buying, moving in. It's a prime opportunity for getting the cart before the horse. No wonder it's one of the top stressors, right up there with the death of a loved one and divorce.

Oh well, that which does not kill us makes us stronger, right? Right?