(Photo proof that I am, in fact, still alive.
And really, I just like my new hair cut in this picture and wanted to show you.)
So, the laundry can wait.
Usually I have something to say when I sit down and click "new post." Today, not so much. I mean, I have a million things to say. But nothing that I can organize into a coherent post. So, I'm just going to answer some questions I've gotten from you about life since June.
1. Are you working now?
Yes. That's the main reason I'm never here any more. I'm working at a store. My employment contract says something about not talking about the company, so let's just call it The Big Red Bull's Eye. Or, Wal Mart For People Who Never Wear Pajamas To Shop. Or, That Place Where If You Come In Wearing A Red Shirt And Khaki Pants Someone Is Going To Ask You Where The Light Bulbs Are.
It's a good company to work for. (Really, I'm not just saying that to avoid a law suit.) But it's physically hard (I stock shelves 7 hours a day), mind numbing (See: I stock shelves 7 hours a day), and most of my co-workers AND supervisors are twenty-somethings. I have to work a lot of weekends and evenings--you know, the time when my kids and Marianne are home. So, I'm constantly on the look out for something better. (Please, someone hire me. I would make a kick ass administrative assistant.)
The one part I DO like is cashiering. I could do that all day. And then I could come home and write a book about human nature based solely on what people buy. Friday night is condom and mint night. It is apparently impossible to buy tampons without also buying chocolate, salty snacks, or ice cream. No one ever buys anything else with a pregnancy test. And I'm not sure why there was a correlation, but during the government shut down (I live in the DC area), I rang up more Nicorette gum in a week than I did in the previous three months combined. It fascinates me.
2. Soooo...how is it going? (Related: Was it worth it? and Are you happy?)
The short answers--It's going fine, yes it was worth it, and yes I'm happy. The long answers are more complicated. What it is is hard. And we expected it to be. We both have more than a decade and a half of marriage baggage. There are seven kids and their happiness and adjustment to consider. There are mistakes we made in the past that we don't want to repeat with each other. And then throw in the (thankfully very few) bonus complications of this being a same sex relationship. It's work. It's hard work. But yes, absolutely worth it. And there is happiness even in the hard parts.
3. You always post pictures of your houses when you move. When do we get to see your new house? (Related: Where do you put all the kids?)
We lucked into a renovated and upgraded town house in a great area for a very reasonable rent (seriously, we got really lucky finding this place). It's big--bigger than my last house. We have four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, and large family room. So far it's working for us. The boys all share the big basement bedroom, and have their own full bath. The two little girls share a room, and the 12 year old has her own (tiny) room. The three of them have their own full bath. There's plenty of space for everyone. There's even a room for the cat. The downside is that we really have no yard (although the tradeoff is a huge deck off the kitchen), and three levels gets old fast. Also, four bathrooms are fabulous until you're the one stuck cleaning them.
I didn't go all out with pictures, but here are some poorly lit, kind of blurry phone pictures of the main living area. (The cat really wants you to know she lives here, too. Can you spot her? She followed me around and is in all of them.)
(This is supposed to be the eat-in part of the eat in kitchen, but we decided to make it a sitting area for us. It's my favorite spot in the house.)
O.K., internets. I've wasted enough time. The laundry isn't going to fold itself. I'll try not to let so much time pass before I stop in again. In the mean time, come say hello to me the next time you're in So Many Pretty Things To Spend My Money On Mart. I'm sure I'll be doing something fun, like stocking hemorrhoid cream.