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Friday, May 11, 2012

Things that take getting used to....

since we've moved out of the trailer and into a home.

1. LIVING IN A MULTI-DWELLING UNIT.  It's pretty quiet in our building, which is divided into 4 units. There are two units on the second floor, two on the first. We are a unit on the first floor; therefore there is someone living above us. It is a man, late 50's?, living alone above us. He's pretty quiet. I never hear a TV, or music. But I DO hear the stray toilet flushing now and then. Or when he does laundry since his laundry room is right above mine and the water system must flow down through the same pipes. What IS odd is that Jim and I have been woken up by this "creaking" noise almost every morning. I'm not talking about bed-squeaking-people-having-sex-noise. Jim finally decided that this guy must have some kind of chin-up bar across the bathroom threshold, and the creaking noise is caused from every time he pulls himself up. This made perfect sense and I could picture him doing pull ups in the morning. 

I told Jim that the next time I saw this man I was going to ask him. Jim was mortified. "Why?" I said. "That's a private thing! You can't ask him that!" Jim was indignant. Oh. So, our alarm clock is a pull-up junkie. Great.

2. I CAN'T HEAR MY HUSBAND MOVING AROUND IN THE CONDO. Okay, so this may sound like a good thing, right? I complained a lot that he seemed to be breathing down my neck in the small space of the trailer. Now we have breathing ROOM in our place. But here is the problem. I could feel every movement Jim made in the trailer. He'd cross his leg? I knew it. Bent over to pick something up? Yep, I knew it. Maybe not EXACTLY what he was doing, but I knew he was moving, ya know? Why, you ask? Because the trailer moved! This movement became so second hand to me, ingrained in my every cell. Living like this for seven years! The absolute worst situation was when I was enclosed in our little potty room, about 2' x 3'. When I sat there and planned to spend some time, if you know what I mean, THAT was when Jim decided to get up and walk around in the trailer. I felt like I was on one of those enclosed Disney rides where the seat moves around. Do you know what I'm talking about? I HATED those things! I get sick so easily! Anyway, I'd sit on the toilet trying to, well, poop, and Jim would be, what felt like WALTZING around the trailer. That's all I'd have to do is raise my arms like I was on that freakin' Disney ride, and I'd be puking in no time. But. I digress. Now I can't hear Jim moving around AT ALL. He walks around in his stocking feet, our whole place is carpeted except for the kitchen, and he's like a gosh darn stealth bomber. I mean, he's a BIG GUY, and he just floats into the kitchen while I'm in there making my tea. The other day he came in there and all of a sudden I heard a deep voice say, "Good morning!" I let out the biggest scream! This has happened about three times already. He gets the biggest kick out of this. He suggested that maybe he should wear a bell. I found just the right one for him. Ad reads that it fits most dogs and cats. Hee hee. Jim says he doesn't want any pets and I do. Paybacks are hell, yes?

3. FINDING OUR CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. Yeah. We traded in Big Blue. It was a sad, sad day for Jim. One thing I have to admit about that truck......we NEVER lost it in the parking lot. We NEVER had to remember where we parked it because it stuck out like a sore thumb. Literally! It was bigger than ANY vehicle in the parking lot, unless there was a semi-truck or motorhome nearby! We became so used to not looking where we parked that it has become a detriment. We traded the truck in for a nondescript used Saturn. It is a silver, 4-door sedan. Looks like the bazillion other silver cars on the road. Therein lies the problem. I can't tell you how many times we've parked the car at a store, didn't give it a second thought, shopped, and then came out and tried to figure where the heck we parked. The worst incident happened last weekend. We went out to dinner with my sister and her friend. Jim had dropped me off at the door because we were running late. He parked the car then met us inside. After a great dinner, ONE GLASS OF WINE EACH, and a fun evening, we got up to leave. I mentioned to my sister that we had bought a new car. (figuratively speaking!) Jim said he had parked to the left, my sister said she parked to the right. We all walked to the left to see the car. Well, it wasn't there. Hmmm..... Jim walked a little farther up the aisle, and yep, you guessed it. Not there. My sister decided to get her car. In the meantime, Jim and I walked UP AND DOWN the aisles looking for our car. NOTHING. My sister pulled up with her car, and we hopped in. We drove around the parking lot looking for our car. Jim was adamant that someone stole our car. Ann's friend said, a little sarcastically I might add, "A 2008 Saturn?" It WAS kind of funny! Now let me say that this restaurant was situated in the middle of a HUGE parking lot. We FINALLY found the car on the completely OPPOSITE side that Jim thought the car was originally parked. How he got so turned around, I don't know. I'm happy we didn't end up calling the police - how embarrassing would THAT have been! Twenty minutes looking for our car and it's in the parking lot! I'd like to put something on the antenna so the car sticks out in the lot, but, uh, hello, no antenna? It's been so long since I've driven a regular car, since when did they stop making antennas? Our's has a little fish tail on the roof of the car. So short of constantly having a helium-filled balloon hanging out the window, I am SOL.


14 comments:

Valerie said...

I had to smile at this post, Pat. Talk about getting acclimatised!
About the car, it happened to me once... now I look for a landmark sign, anything that will show where you parked when you come out of the store. I've even counted the aisles in the car park and scribbled down the number. Hey ho, all these things are sent to try us...grins.

Maude Lynn said...

I put a big, pink Harley sticker on my truck. Otherwise, I'd never find it around here.

Teresa said...

LOL - too funny. I can remember some times when we couldn't find a vehicle, too. of course, there are a million silver mini vans on the road, too. i can't tell you how many times i've had to look at the rearview mirror to see if my "stuff" was hanging from it before i had a panic attack because my opener wouldn't unlock the door.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Yup -- we had a white freightliner, so I know what you mean.

Ami said...

Write down where you park. Tuck that little paper into your purse. You're welcome.

I think you need to go upstairs and ask the guy what he's doing. Take pictures if it's rated PG.

Unknown said...

We have a silver-gray 2009 chevy impala and the only way I find it sometimes is by clicking the remote key fob. It beeps the horn once and makes the light flash!

Unknown said...

Memorize your license plate # (or at least the first 3 #'s)....

Bon'O said...

Been there...done that. Now, I not only seek a landmark when I park at the mall...I take a picture with my iPhone as I leave the car ...just in case!

Ami said...

Oh. And get him some bells on a rubber band or something so he can put it on his, well, yeah.

That way (wait for it.....)


you can hear him coming!!!

Lindy said...

My goodness you've had a lot of change! Congratulations on your new residence. Are you going to continue to be "winter visitors" to the southwest?

Sorry I haven't been blog hopping for a while. Had to go back to work temporarily. Blogging had to take the back seat.

Crafty Green Poet said...

We don't have a car, but I notice the cars that park on our street (varying each day) and how many of them look identical, I can imagine if they were in a parking lot, well it would be really easy to lose your own...

Wendy said...

Pat, i always try to park in the aisle that's in front of the door... no matter HOW FAR away from the store. That way, no matter where i go, all i have to do is walk out the front door and *keep walking* until i finally get to my car.
Yeah, it's kinda a pain sometimes, but i'm never lost and wandering around a parking lot in the dark. =-)
Or maybe you have the "beep-beep" thing when you hit the "Lock" sign on your key fob? Sometimes it even makes your lights flash/flicker? Maybe you can just start hitting that.
=-)

Gail said...

I lose my vehicle all the time. One time I came out of Walmart and was just standing there looking. A helpful associate asked if he could help. I said I forgot where I parked my car. He asked, Do you remember what color it is???

Jim said...

Hi Pat ~~ You will need to treat Jim gingerly for a while. When a man has to sell his truck it is like he loses a part of being a man. I still regret having to get rid of my Chevy S10 pickup.

Before Mrs. Jim and I were married I went on a date with a co-worker, to a Rice U. vs. the University of Houston football game. When we came out I could not find my car. That was soooo embarrassing.

That was before remote controls so I could not make it honk or turn the lights on.
..