Trip #3 Updates

This weekend marked my third visit to my new house. It was the most relaxing one in many respects though I still feel like we worked the whole time. The first time I visited was for two days the weekend of closing and the whole time was spent exploring and moving Niall in. The second visit was only for a day and a half and Julie was visiting as well. The main purpose of the visit was to see my dad's art show in Peoria and so that only left one day for other pursuits. Julie, Niall, and I basically worked on weeding and clearing out the back garden, as well as running shopping errands. It was a nice trip but very whirlwind. So this time I went Thursday night and came back Sunday night which gave me more days in which to do things. And do things we did. Niall and I finished clearing out the back garden (mainly consisting of taking out a turtle pen and digging up more bricks) and then Niall dug up a buried cement post that needed to come out while I finished the red brick parameter (imagine flowers on the left and veggie plants on the right).

He also raked up all the leaves and acorns in the front yard so he could finish mowing while I cleaned out the four flower boxes in the front.

My father ripped out the corner shelving unit in what will be the TV room and I was very happy to see it go. We suspected that it was the main source of the cat pee smell and boy were we right. In fact, it was still wet with it even though Niall has lived there a month now and airs out the room constantly. GROSS!! My dad took all the boards away and burned them and I really think there is already a perceptible difference in the smell. Give it another month (and the toxic smell of paint fumes as we paint each room) and I think the smell will be almost completely gone. What a relief that will be. Both Niall and I really love the house and the only real downside so far has been how weird the former inhabitants and their cats were.
We also did lots of shopping, again (man getting a new house is expensive). We bought paint for our bedroom (yellow if you couldn't guess) and Niall's studio (black for photography purposes). I made dinner for my parents one night and we had breakfast with Jack and Sara the next morning so there was lots of family bonding time.The only relaxing things I remember doing the whole weekend were going yarn shopping with my mother and watching Sex and the City: The Movie with Niall (he really liked it, in case anyone was wondering).

Now all I think about is what we could accomplish if I lived there instead of only visiting for a few days once a month...