05 March 2011

It's finally coming together

I closed on my house on July 30, 2010. I didn't move in until about five or six weeks later. I decided I wanted to take my time and get it cleaned and painted to my satisfaction. And, for the most part, I did just that. Everything was painted and just about everything cleaned before I moved in. I did spend a night at the house here and there before I officially moved in. I was excited that it was mine. :) There was one room and one project that I didn't finish before I moved in that I figured I could work on when I had the chance. The project? Putting up some trim in the dining room. Still not completed, but I'll get to it in the spring hopefully. The room? The office / guest room. Since I've moved in it has had three main pieces of furniture. Two giant (heavy as all get out) bookshelves that my aunt and uncle gave me when they redid their office and a futon that was a house warming present from another aunt and uncle. I knew that this room was going to serve double duty when I bought the house, but had run out of steam by the time I moved in. So, for the last eight months (wow...I had no idea I've lived there that long already!) it's pretty much been the dumping zone for other things that I was A) too lazy to put away properly and B) things that I wasn't sure where to put. Well, yesterday that all changed. I decided that it was finally time to get my ass in gear and do something with this room. It was absolutely the most agonizing room in the house. All of the other rooms and their furniture just kind of fell into place. This room literally tortured me. I could not for the life of me figure out where to put anything. I sat on the futon and stared at the room / bookshelves for what seemed like hours. And then yesterday it came to me! I moved things around, sat back on the futon, and hated it! So, I stared some more. And again I was tormented by my room and what to do with it. I finally gave up and went to read a book. Defeated. By a futon and some stupid bookshelves. Don't get me wrong. I love he futon and the bookshelves, but at this point I was beginning to hate them a bit. Hate is a strong word that I try to avoid using unless absolutely necessary. In this instance, it's necessary. This morning I awoke with a renewed determination to get this room done once and for all. So, I sat on the futon and stared. And stared. And slowly it came to me. So, I started moving things around. First the futon, then the rug, then one of the bookshelves. Well, first the bookshelf had to be completely emptied of its books. No small feat! I damn near filled up the entire floor with the contents of one bookshelf. While I was at it I decided it was time to purge some of the contents and that made me feel like I'd accomplished something. Hopefully the library will be happy to have what I no longer have room for. :) So, once the bookshelf was empty it was moved, cleaned and the books put nicely back on it in some semblance of order. An order that at least seemed to make sense when I did it, but may not tomorrow. As I sat back on the futon and appreciated what I'd accomplished I realized I did not like the next part of the arrangement I had in my head. I once again sat there debating what to do with the other bookshelf. Move it here? Move it there? Burn it? Well it can't go there because of the heat vent. Holy crap! This should not be so hard!!! So, I moved it. And I kind of liked it. So I left it there. Now the dreaded part of the whole process. I had to go move my desk, chair, file cabinet, etc from my Mom's house to my house. I had never bothered to move it before because I didn't have internet at my house (still don't actually) and didn't see the point. I'd have to drag my laptop back there to check my e-mail, balance my checkbook, etc so why move it all? Today I decided I didn't care. I don't typically use my laptop at her house anyway. I take it to the bar. It is a much more exciting place to balance ones checkbook. So, I drug the desk, chair, file cabinet and all of its contents over to my house. I set it all up and thought, "hmm, it's kind of cramped..." and then realized, I like it! Holy crap! I like it! So, I can finally check the office / guest room off of my "to-do" list. I can't even begin to tell you how nice that feels. It isn't anything mind blowing from a design aspect, but it is comfortable and it makes me happy to have it done. Finally. Hopefullyit wont take me another eight months to finish the trim in the dining room. :)
(composed in the newly finished office on Thursday, March 3, 2010)