What a weekend

I didn't realize how tired I was until today. I had a very busy weekend.
I spent most of last week cleaning, painting and doing other errands and chores to prepare for our housewarming party. By Friday, it was time to dust, vacuum and wrao up all the other odds and ends that needed to be done. Then, I went to Cracker Barrel to work from 5 to 10 p.m.
I was up at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to drive the Honda to Lancaster and attend the 13th annual Refton Fire Co. auction. It's a family tradition. Nate scored some great garden tools for $1 a piece. I bought a cat carrier (a bigger one for my 20-plus-pound cat Toby) for $5, a box of household items for $2 and an antique chest for $30. It's a great place to get bargains.
Sunday morning I was up bright and early at 6 a.m. again to get ready for my triathlon. Having this be the second year that I participated, I didn't feel too nervous. It went pretty smoothly. I swam and did my transitions faster than last year but was a little slower on the run and the bike. One of the reasons the run could have been slow is because I did the entire 3.1 miles with my headband (that I forgot to put on my head to tame my pool and sweat soaked unruly hair) in my shoe. Nice. Overall, I was pleased with the results. I did motivate me to stick to a more strict traning regime for a triathlon coming up in September that I plan on participating in. I ended up finishing 65th out of 189 women, which even though my time was about 5 minutes slower, is a much better showing than my 66th out of 160 last year.
We got home at about 11 a.m. and started preparing the food for our housewarming party that started at 1 p.m. I chatted and showed the house a million times. It was so much fun to see my family and friend all at one time!
Now, it's recovery and clean up week. I also picked up some good library books. I'll also be eating leftovers for quite some time!

Sad news

I hate to break the sad news, but Simon is in kitty heaven.
I took him to the vet this morning. He was extra energetic, meowing and trying to get out of the cage with all the strength he could muster. It made me hope that he was feeling better. But a test for feline leukemia quickly came up positive and the vet recommended that I euthanize him. She said he probably had a herpes virus and severe skin problems from all the fleas and ticks he once had. She also said by the looks of his teeth, he was probably an older cat, maybe 7 to 10 years old.
But he was so brave. He let them pick him up and take his blood without as much as a peep. The vet said they sedated him to calm him to sleep so he wouldn't feel any pain. I couldn't help but feel so sad that I was carry his limp body out in a cardboard box. I tried to tell myself that this was just a stray cat that I only cared for for less than a week. But he really touched me and I couldn't help but shed a few tears. I know I did the right thing. He would have probably died sooner than later and suffered badly in the process. Even though it cost me $77 (definitely not a bargain), it was well worth it. I think he had a nice soft and peaceful place to sleep for that last week, even if it was my hot and stuffy garage. And he was just the dearest cat. He always looked forward to seeing me and having me rub his little fluffy head.
So thanks for all the support, can you tell I am a softy?

My week in review

Man, what a week. I told Nate I think I should start my own HGTV show. I would probably call it Nicki's mess ups and how she fixes them! In all honesty I spent the majority of the week painting, running to the store to get supplies, ripping up carpet and moving stuff around.
I feel like I ran a million and one errands. I lost my wallet (thank goodness the person who picked it up in the parking lot at Big Lots was honest, however she didn't turn it into the store. She was going to give it to me later...which could have been tricky because she looked at the address on my license and I have one of those yellow change cards. It's sort of a long story, but I got it back and hugged the woman like three times. Maybe another day I can tell that story.)
I am taking the cat, Simon, to the vet this morning. Not really in the bargain category because it's going to cost a pretty penny, but he is sick and I hope they can fix it. The SPCA said they would take him, but I don't have the heart to just leave him there. So, he is still looking for a home. He stopped eating this week, so I knew it was time to take action. Poor thing.
Well, after this crazy weekend, I will post house pictures. I made some great progress on the downstairs bathroom and upstairs office! Exciting stuff.

My latest summer project

I am calling him Simon. He is so sweet. He is currently living in my garage.

I was leaving my mom's house on Sunday when he came strutting down the driveway. He came right over when I called him. He is all skin and bones and a little dirty, but I am working on cleaning him up, getting him nuetered and ready for a home. The rescue shelter won't take him and he is a dear little thing. When I go out to visit him, he follows me around. I wish could keep him, but I already have two cats and a dog in the works. He sleeps a lot and is trying to stay hydrated. He doesn't eat much yet, but I hope he gets fatter soon. In between my massive cleaning spree today, I go visit him and check him out. Oh, and he can't meow. He tries. When he gets tired of my brushing him out, he growls a little or bats at the brush, but he is so friendly. Spread the word, Simon (or whatever you want to call him) needs a home!

What I have been up to

I feel like I am running a million errands. My day Tuesday consisted of running all over York County gathering the materials that I needed to start on the bathroom. I visited three Wal-marts before I finally got the paint. I also picked up some hand towels, a soap dispenser and a few other items for the newly decorated bathroom. But, I was getting a little bit ahead of myself. It
took me all morning to get what I needed
BEFORE MIRROR

and when I finally got home, it was after 2 p.m. I started the bathroom. The drab white needed some color and I decided on a Bermuda-themed bathroom. Well, just something beachy, really. Not seashells and sand, but you know whites and blues. I chose tan for the wall, a neutral that would represent sand, but maybe later could be transformed into something else. I painted well past 8 p.m. This tiny bathroom needed a few coats. The craftsmanship wasn't perfection and there were a lot of little cracks to paint in. I also had to paint the door. I started with a layer of primer and I added a second on today. I also took down my old mirror and spray painted it white. I hope to have finished pictures up in a few days.
I thought having off would give me more time to get stuff done, but I feel like I added way too much to my to do list. I'll take it one step at a time.

BEFORE DOOR
BATHROOM BEFORE

So much to do

So here it finally is, summer. I sort of knew I would find myself with millions of ideas of projects to do and little motivation. I've been spending some time at Cracker Barrel serving, so I haven't been completely off.
I have totally enjoyed being able to go for a morning bike ride (I did 50 miles in two days) or run without the pressure to get home and ready for work or something else.
My first project is the downstairs bathroom. Nate and his brother installed a door. What a relief. That was something that I hoped to have done before our housewarming party. Now, I am charged with decorating it. I have this idea to do a Bermudian-inspired room with light, cool colors since the fixtures in the bathroom are white and I am not in the mood to do any demolition.
I looked around a little on the Internet. I am building the design around a watercolor we bought in Bermuda while on vacation. I found a white shelf, white stool and some colored bottles and a few other items in boxes and around the house that will go great. I was hoping to use leftover paint from other rooms in the house, but I am not sure that I have enough. We will see!
I am also looking for ideas to make the door fit in a little better. It looks a little cheap (probably because we got it at Restor York for $6), but it totally works. It's kind of like the fake wood. I am thinking about painting it. Thoughts?
Today, I also tried to clean up and patch the holes in the wall from removing the large cabinet in the bathroom that prevented the installation of a door.
I made some chili for dinner and Cannellini bean salad for a cool summer snack.
What a random day! Now I am off to Cracker Barrel for a fourth day in a row.

Here is the recipe for the bean salad from Better Crocker

2 (19 ounce) cans of Cannellini beans
1 medium tomato seeded and diced
1 red onion diced
1 medium red pepper diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil (*my first use from the garden this year)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients together. Serve with lettuce.


**Hopefully a post to come on my adventures in gardening.