Thursday, February 07, 2008

Where's Martha When I Desperately NEED Her?!?...

Tagging onto yesterday's post, I am here to tell you the NIGHTMARE'S just keep continuing! I just received "word" my beloved, Republican, born again, Midwestern, accountant SISTER really IS planning on making a visit to Seattle in July...somebody just PU-LEEZE shoot me now and put me out of my misery.

Now don't get me wrong here...I like my sister. This state of *like* unfortunately only began to occur after my parents both died 10 years ago and we were forced to either begin to *like* each other or claim we were both orphans. LOL But, as you can see by the descriptive line above, my middle sister and I are pretty much POLAR OPPOSITES! And, I can actually deal with that part of the visit.

What I CAN'T seem to deal with is the state of affairs my hut is currently in and I have somehow flipped a switch and begun thinking about EXTREME DECORATING...you heard me right...EXTREME DECORATING.

I bought my home a little over 2 years ago and, upon move in, initially began my personal "home make over". I say "initially" because I was immediately hit with an MS relapse shortly after moving in and began a downward spiral in my state of health. Consequently, I successfully remodeled my bathroom (which IS, after all, the most important room in my home...I tend to spend a lot of time there for strange reasons) and began painting/decorating my living room, but was halted midway through. And, unfortunately I have just never jump-started the project(s) again...I've been content living in a partially painted living room, staring blankly at an 80's kitchen that makes scenes from "That 70's Show" look more updated. I've also been sleeping in what I call an "apartment white" bedroom, with NOTHING on the walls except a growing number of cobwebs!

My sister fired a warning shot over my head about a month ago, letting me know she and her family "might" make the several thousand mile trek from the Midwest to the Pacific Coast...I assumed the operative word in her sentence was "might"...little did I know, "might" to her meant, "I just haven't made all the arrangements yet". LOL

I haven't seen my sister for about 5 or 6 years...the last trip I made flying to her home was at least that long ago and she hasn't been out to see me in Seattle since the first year I moved here...1996. We're just not the travelin'/visitin' type...probably why we still *like* each other.

I would like for her trip here to be a memorable one...mainly because, as MY health deteriorates, it may be one of the last trips either of us will be making to see each other again for many years. I don't mean to sound grim here...it's just been very difficult for me to predict my state of health these past 5 years and the stress of traveling across the country seems pretty overwhelming these days. That's not to say this won't change...just because I have MS doesn't mean my life stops. But it does mean I have to budget my energy like an auditor searching for a penny just to make my energy ends meet. And, traveling has just not been a priority.

So NOW I'm sitting here looking around the hut and trying to budget my energy toward the many decorating and remodeling projects I still have to complete before I feel "settled" into my space...and, I'd like to get as many of those completed as I can BEFORE my sister and her family arrive. I have a need to turn my home into MY home...not the home of the previous owners...as I want it to be as comfortably "me" as possible when my sister gets here. I realize she is not coming to critique my home, but to see ME...and still...my home IS a reflection of me and I'd like it to be a nice one...not the reflection of an unpredictable disease. Is that too much to ask? Really? LOL

I'm sitting here at my computer at 2:00 in the morning thinking, "What would Martha do?" and I've had an epiphany...MARTHA WOULD HIRE THIS CRAP WORK DONE!!! And Martha doesn't even HAVE MS...

15 comments:

Bubbie said...

First, your "republican, born-again" sister is visiting, and this an election year? Spells trouble lol
Ah, Martha... I still am in Martha-mode. Wish I could help, but I have drapes to sew here in Florida.
My advice: Hire painters, or high school seniors looking to raise money for their young republican club. Then go buy baskets, and hat boxes. They hide clutter and just look marvelous!

Miss Chris said...

You'd better turn into an HGTV junkie quick! They have all those do-it-yourself-quick home makeovers.

Anonymous said...

You kind of remind me of the woman who cleans her house before the cleaning lady gets there.

Here's a thought: When your sister and family arrive you can tell them you're having a home decorating party - they supply the manpower and you'll supply the spirits!

Stay inspired!
Michelle

Expand your mind ~ visit Brain Angles

mdmhvonpa said...

Hmmm, go to a ritzy hotel, take a picture and copy?

Callie said...

Good Luck with that! I got a huge list of spring to-dos, including a backwards bit of repair as last years tornado and straight line winds shuffled a bit of our new extension so that I must repair a huge crack in the drywall. Only prob with that is that it's fairly high up and that means we have to pull out the scafolding to do the job, crap. I know the feeling!

Anonymous said...

What would Martha do??? Here's my top TEN:
1. Write the most needy sad letter to the Extreme Home Makeover people, begging for their services
2. Rent the penthouse at the nicest hotel in town and tell her and her family that it is your "in town" residence and your "real" home is your "summer place" which is closed for the season.
3. Arrange to work a lot of overtime so as to not be home when she comes knocking
4. "I'll meet you at the airport." and don't show up. Or better yet, hold up a sign with someone else's name on it so she doesn't know it's you!
5. Ask to borrow a "friend's" beautiful place for the duration of her trip and pass it off as yours.
6. Organize lots of all day daytrips and meet them at the corner of your street for pickup.
7. Call Rent A Center (they move furniture too) and outfit the apartment fit for a queen for the duration of their trip.
8. Give her the wrong apartment number and/or send her to the other side of town.
9. Tell her you have got whooping cough. It is very in the news this week.
10. Start praying for really BAD weather and/or that she cancels the trip and stays home.

Let me know which one works for you! Anne

BRAINCHEESE said...

BUBBIE:

You frighten me, my friend! All this weight loss, painting, redecorating, and cooking you have been doing...well, there ought to be a PILL for that! LOL

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

MISS CHRIS:

But don't they usually start out living in a trailer or something? And would this also mean I'd have to sign up for cable TV???? Noooo....you are asking way too much of me! LOL

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

MICHELLE:

Unless I'm supplying the HOLY SPIRIT, I don't think my be-dipped-or-be-damned Jesus professing sister will go for it! LMAO

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

MDMHVONPA:

Only one problem with your suggestion: They have my picture at the front desk with a "Call Police" if you see this person warning at the "ritzy" hotels!

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

CALLIE:

Oh, man! I do NOT envy you! And here I was bitching under my breath about having to possibly rent a 17 foot extension ladder to get to the top of my ceiling in the entry way...guess I best shut my pie hole about THAT one as you are proof it could be worse!

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

ANNE:

OMG! **snorting diet coke up my nose in laughter**

Actually, my friend from work DID offer her beautiful home as a place for all of "them" to stay since she will be out of town that week...only problem? Her house is on the other side of LAKE WASHINGTON!!!!

Oh, this is going to get highly "entertaining" before it's over, I can tell...

LD

Unknown said...

Some wonderful suggestions here, especially Anne's.....and Michelle got to mine before I could write it. I would enlist your sister, too.

Back to the drawing board I guess....

S.

BRAINCHEESE said...

SHAUNA:

Yes, nothing like a bunch of wise-cracking MSers to lighten the mood!

LD

Have Myelin? said...

What would Martha do? She would graciously ask your sister for help and suggestions.

And that's what I would do too.