So I was just posting on Carly's blog how I don't feel the drive to compare myself to others in the blog/social media world or feel competitive with them. Which is true, I also don't feel a drive to keep my poor, neglected blog updated because I don't have the readership and comments like other blogs do so I don't feel like people are anxiously awaiting my next post. That is a good thing over this past month, though, as I have been extremely busy. What am I doing? Well, not what I had planned when I made my last post, that is for damn sure.
My plan had been to get my butt riding and jumping, I wanted to be seriously jumping by mid-January. Have I jumped? Nope. I have I even had a serious ride? Nope. Whomp whomp :( Just a weekly trail ride. Instead SO and I had a pretty serious discussion about priorities, what we wanted to get done, when we wanted to relist the house and suddenly things changed. Originally we were going to list the house in the spring, maybe April/May after "mud season". Until then I would be doing updates to the house and what not. Well with his work schedule, the 9-10 hour one-way drive to visit one another and my not wanting to use vacation time (that will be needed for moving!) to drive to PA, decisions were made. I have spent HOURS and HOURS doing home improvements to get the house up to par so it can be listed for sale. Asap. Like, by February! I had spent most nights and each weekend getting rid of floral wallpaper between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then repaired and painted walls in the kitchen, dining room, living room, and spare bedroom by New Year. Then had to do extensive repairs to the wall in our stairway and JUST got that done this past weekend. Then completely redid our bathroom, with new paint, flooring, medicine cabinet, tub caulking and working my way through grout recoloring. All I have left is to paint our stairway landing and one bedroom. both of which should be ready for paint in the morning, if not tonight. Then some light cleanup work and a thorough house cleaning and done.
I have easily put 200+ hours into this project but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I did hire some of the work out to friends of mine, helping with painting and what not to help speed things along, but most of it has been me. By myself. While working full time and taking care of a farm full time. Yeah.... It sucks. Once all painting is done, I will be getting quotes for the cheapest apartment carpet I can find and then throwing this place on the market. Hopefully we will have a buyer quickly, no one can say the house "needs work" now! Every single drywall crack has been repaired (there were many, several in each room, several really big ones too), all trim has been repainted and added where trim was missing, all nasty pastel colors are gone and light, creamy colors have replaced them and the old light fixtures are now modern looking. Here is to keeping fingers crossed because I really want to hurry up and get relocated. We have been doing this separated thing for almost a year now and while it works, it sucks. But not in the way you expect. Our relationship is still strong long distance, that isn't the problem. It sucks because I have SO much work here at the farm by myself. I have no idea how Carson does it, I can't do the farm full time, work full time and have time to enjoy my critters. With the round bale, my chores are now 35 minutes twice a day, but it is still 35 minutes twice a day. 12+ cubic feet of poo a day is picked up and put in the dumpster. Bleck.
Once the farm is up for sale, again, I expect things will slow down a LOT and maybe I will have time to ride. If, you know, it doesn't get sub zero all of a sudden. Keeping a house staged 24x7 really sucks but I know it isn't nearly as much work as I am doing now. And it should be slightly easier now that I am down 2 elderly cats that puked multiple times a day :( I wish I could have those puking faces back with me.... Keep your fingers crossed and if you know of anyone who wants a newly refreshed farm, let me know!
