Settling in in Cookie Cutter Kingdom

My computer won't boot so I am making a blogging "go" via my BlackBerry. This ought to be good and frustrating.

Andris and the girls left for Idaho on Wednesday evening. They will be heading home tomorrow morning. In the meantime, adjusting to this house has been quite the adventure. It still doesn't feel like home. Not sure if it ever will. But I will be doing my best.

We went from 1100 square feet 3 bedroom 2 bath home built in 1964. That house was an atrocity when we bought it. Calico carpet. "Charming" avacado bath tub complete with the way groovy non-skid Brady Bunch flowers. We ripped out that carpet and uncovered a gold nine in original oak hardwood 2" slat flooring. It was the first place I ever lived where I had creative freedom. I painted for the first time.

This house is only a couple years old. We are a five-minute walk from the river in a cul-de-sac. Walking in, this house is so sterile and uninviting. White walls. White carpet. White linoleum. White tile countertops. I half expected to be wiped with an alcohol pad and stuck in the arm.

My first night alone with Everett in 2400 square feet, I had such an uneasy feeling. Even Memphis, our beautiful pooch, was acting strange. When Everett and I shared a sushi dinner together at the table, Memphis sat next to my chair whining and putting her paw on me. She is NOT allowed near the supper table. It was odd.

At around 10:30-11:00 p.m., Everett was in the couch watching Shrek and he was practically asleep. I finished cleaning the kitchen and too a couple dish towels upstairs real quick and threw them in the hamper. When I got at the bottom of the stairs, I noticed a glow coming from the "ugly white hutch." (That is what Andris calls it.)

I put some dishes in there. Teacup on saucer on plate. I thought it might be kind of pretty to put tealights in the teacups and have them on once in awhile.

I was upstairs for less than a minute -- more like 20 seconds. The ugly white hutch is painted -- and old -- so of course, the doors stick. In fact, I get nervous opening them because of the glass. Three tealights we're lit on the left side. Everett was still on the couch in the other room. He is not allowed to touch the hutch. Besides, he wouldn't have had time to do that AND I would have heard the door open AND heard the dishes clinking. There was no such sound.

I freaked out. Someone had to have gotten in the house and was doing this as a measure of psychological terror. I checked all the doors and windows downstairs. All was secure. I got Everett off the couch and too him to the hutch and asked him if he turned those canes on. "No. I watching Shrek." I knew he was telling the truth. Oh, I was scared.

I went upstairs and made Memphis get on our bed. After about a minute, I heard the sound of two aluminum signs I hung in Aya Rose's room fall. I wasn't about to get up and check it out. It was too dark. I hung one sign over her window and the other on her door. No windows were open.

M'kay. Before I write more I want to see if this actually works from my phone. I also have pics to share.