I Don't Like Clutter

But I love to read. And I love to write.

I love to rehab, too.

Good thing, because all hell's broken loose around here.

We've finally applied for our refi. We're starting with the holder of our first mortgage, and will shop it a bit after we hear what terms they're talking about.

The house isn't really ready yet, but there's no more time. Our commercial creditors are losing patience - and who can blame them? - but what really matters to me is the humans we owe: my parents, a friend. They need their money back.

So here in the middle of one of the worst parts of the allergy year, I rehab away during the night, and sleep through the pollen hours of daylight.

Since our credit's poor, two things drive the refi: Walter's income, and the equity in the house. (My Social Security income helps, but it's certainly not enough.) Walter's back at work, making regular pay instead of (diminished) Worker's Comp. Good. Since truckers are paid by the mile, not hourly or by salary, he needs a couple of paychecks under his belt to prove what he normally makes. That's done.

Beside that, getting the appraised value as high as possible is critical. Fortunately, the house is worth about 5 times what we paid for it in 1996, so we're awash in equity. Unrehabbed. I may be taking this rehab bit farther than I need.

But it's fun. And frankly, I want it finished for my own sake. Nicely.

First I'm decluttering. I love my man, truly and deeply, but he clutters. I can't stand it. I can't work with it cluttered. Now that he's back at work and out on the road, out of the house, if I clean up the mess, it won't get instantly messed up again. Joy and happiness!!!

And I'm almost done.

Boy oh boy.

And in the interest of continued decluttering, I've been pondering what to do with my blog.

See, I do love to read, and to write. And sometimes I like to write about what I'm reading. But putting articles on my blog clutters it up more than I can stand.

It seems I'd have to learn html in order to put the articles on a separate part of the blog from the original material. That alone is enough to send this phobe running for cover. I know I need to learn it. But during All Hell's Broken Loose is certainly not a good time.

So I believe I'll simply bifurcate myself, and have one blog called ksquest and another called, say, ksquestnews. Then on ksquest I can write about what I read, but put what I actually read on ksquestnews. Uncluttered, each by the other.

Bear with me, folks. I'll get there.

And maybe, just maybe, by this time tomorrow I'll be done decluttering and cleaning, and instead will be mudding my joints in a nice open (slightly unfinished) house. Drywall first, yes. Walter put up almost all the remaining drywall we need; what's left is just patch work. My job. I'm also the mudder-and-taper. And painter, and mason, and...

I love to mud, too. Lucky for me.