Down in the Dumps

This week has had some tough moments. Being a new homeowner is great...until it's not.

But first, the good. One of my best friends came to visit my little patch of woods. It's Deb's second trip in the not even three months since I've moved. She's my frequent flier. I love when people, especially my favorite people, come to visit me. It's an excuse for a much-needed break from house work, painting, and all the fun of being an indie author.

Sidebar: Don't get me wrong, I love being an indie author, but there are days when I don't want to market, or post, or edit.

I just want to write, read, and daydream.

But back to the important things! I love spending time with Deb (the gorgeous woman to the left). We go on adventures and explore my new home together.

Unfortunately this time we both got a cold. A bitter headache and body ache-inducing cold. So we spent most of the trip at home, eating and wrapped in blankets. But we did squeeze in some book hauls (see books to the right) and even pulled a trip to Ikea to get the final two shelves for our library. This was followed up with apple crumb and ice cream to celebrate our heroic feat (those billy bookcases are hard to get!).

My cold is waning and I'm feeling better every moment.

Alas, the good times can't last forever. One of our heating systems self-destructed and then our ceiling decided to cry over it. I consider myself relatively handy but I don't know anything about heat pumps and calling a local pro was the right move as it's in need of replacement. Plus I figured it seemed like a great time to get my water heater replaced. Rip off all the bandages and get the piece of mind of new equipment.

Having pros come by is also a perfect opportunity to pick their brains. I'm new to the systems in North Carolina and ready to learn what I can so that in the future I won't need to call anyone for the simple repairs. Having never had a well, septic system, or central heating, I've been picking up all the tips from the pros that I can. It's a bit nostalgic and I feel a like I'm back home working on systems for a multi-acre large convention center.

Safe trip to everyone who are traveling this week and seeing family!!