After missed move in dates of 7/1, 7/18, 8/22, 9/1, and 9/12 it looks like I'll have my walkthru tomorrow. Moving in SATURDAY!
I've ranted and raved here about all of this. This is for many reasons everybody here has seemed to understand. I kind of lost almost everything. I thought I'd be in my house ages ago, so moved to my parents house. Sleeping on the floor. Also somewhat OCD and a creature of habit, and well that is all blown to hell.
But as I am about to move back in a few happy things. Because there have been some, I've just not written about many of them because of my sheer anger and frustration.
The first is Allstate. I had a pretty low opinion of insurance companies, and at least in my situation Allstate did kind of take care of me. With the house itself, stellar. They gave me back what I thought was not enough money. House torn to the studs but not nearly enough to rebuild the entire place.
I was easily able to explain that if I just did half-ass work on the structure itself, I wouldn't have enough money to get the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC up to code. I said this wasn't acceptable.
So they paid for me to (1) do quality work, not half-ass it and (2) totally replace my plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.
I do in fact pretty much have a new house. It is hard to see that as a huge positive now, because I AM NOT IN MY FUCKING HOUSE, but I know as time passes once I am in said house I will be THANKFUL BEYOND WORDS!
But I want to focus on a smaller, happier thing. In the early 90s I was 80 pounds heavier. And at 5'4, that was a lot of weight. I lost it all by literally starving myself (strongly don't suggest this). And until about two years ago weighted about 160. As I neared 50 I figured if I wanted to get some of those pounds off, I better do it sooner rather than later.
I started by changing my diet, because working out, well I'd rather have you pull my fingernails out then go to a gym.
Don't get my wrong, I still love me a huge bloody steak, but I cut back the amount of meat I eat by maybe 75%.
I am no expert on diet, but tried to educate myself. I am also no expert on Eastern cultures. Against any what I’d call “fad” diets. I’d always seen studies that show people in Asian nations live longer than we do. Diets of rice and fish. I like rice and fish, just don’t cook much of each. So I went with a diet of rices, grains, veggies, and fish. This is a good thing on many levels, but I didn't lose any weight.
So I decided I'd try walking. I always walked more than most I’d say, because I see no reason not to walk two blocks to the 7-11 like store up the street (people around me drive). I use public transportation whenever I can, and usually some walking involved.
So I started via my fitness tracker to walk 7,500 steps a day. Then 10,000. 15,000. Now 20,000.
UPDATE: In months, I lost 30 pounds by walking. I know all of our bodies are different, but at least for me walking almost 10 miles a day worked! Worked so well I have increased my daily food intake by about 500 calories. So if somebody is looking to lose so weight and isn’t into lifting weights or running, you might give walking a try :)!
At first it was kind of like a chore. I went out, head down, and just did it.
Then one day, and it happened over many days, I started to slow down. Walk with my head up looking around. I knew this already, but the world is kind of a wonderful place and I wanted to take more of it in.
I found I was stunned I had driven by this house maybe 1,000 times and never noticed that little flower garden in the back. Or that sign on the house I always liked, noting it was a Historical Landmark and built in 1832. The list could go on and on.
As I walked each day in a new town there were many new things to discover. And soon I noticed something that confused me.
Just in the most random places in this little town there were painted rocks. At first
I just walked past them wondering to myself WTF. Then I started looking for them and they were everywhere. I would walk by the next day and they would be gone.
I noted this to my father, who seems to know every single thing going on in this town, and he was like that is weird. I said yes weird, but kind of neat.
I started to ponder why was somebody doing this? What was the point?
Now a little more background. By hometown and the town I am in now are both in rural Southern Illinois.
They could not be more opposite.
My town is the only “blue” district for literally states in any direction. This town, about as “red” as you get.
Ten years ago in my town we voted to raise sales taxes. We (1) Bought some rundown buildings on Main Street. (2) Tore them down and built parks and a food pantry. Paid local artist to well create art. (3) Starting at Thanksgiving each year fund a TV ad campaign asking people to come to my town to shop local.
While I have been here three huge buildings on Main Street have been torn down and the “plan” if
you can call it that, is just to leave a hole in the ground.
Six years ago in my town we voted to raise our property taxes to build a $40M High School. Here in May they closed the primary school, sold it for $32,000 to a church, and moved all the students to the Secondary school.
In my town every time I see a Trump bumper sticker I see a Bernie one.
Here in all my walking I’ve seen a single “Resist” bumper sticker and maybe a hundred Trump.
I say all of this because somebody just kind of putting art out in the public seemed like, well against what I’d expect.
So yesterday at about 4 AM (yeah, got sleep issues) I went for my morning walk. As I turn to head home on Main Street I see this couple in the distance walking holding hands. I see her arm go out and appear to place something in a flower bed.
We pass each other and they must have been in their 80s. Huge smiles on their faces as we exchange “good morning” greetings to each other.
I walk by, look down and there is one of these rocks.
I turn around to follow and she does it again and again. I think of running to catch them and ask why she is doing this. But think better of it. I think I know why, and if not the mystery is kind of nice.
Later in the day I mention this to my mother for the first time and she is like, “yeah I know a few people that know the lady.” My mother said she heard the women just decided to start painting rocks and leaving them around town hoping it would make people smile. Maybe somebody would pick them up and take them home.
At first nobody did. Well then they did.
Now they seem to be somewhat of a popular thing and she even has her grandkids helping her paint them each week so she can keep up placing them all over town.
When I heard she wanted people to take them I went back out and picked up the one at the top of this post. I plan to put it front and center in my home office. So when I walk by it I think happy thoughts.
I know such a small thing considering who our President is. The horror that is our government’s response in Puerto Rico. But at least for me, it is often the little stuff that keeps me going.