Official

My contract start date was yesterday. I officially have an office, business cards, and meetings to go to. As of Tuesday I will have classes to teach. Perhaps what makes me feel most for-real is that I am now listed on the college's web directory. Still not used to the "Dr. Reddinger" references. Ha!

countdown to bat freedom

At 8pm last night there was a loud knocking at our side door. After struggling to get it open (the door is swollen from humidity and lack of use) we were face to face with THE BAT GUYS. Marshall and Andy Hanks are a father-son team from Door County, and they are experts at bat-proofing your house. They were at the end of a long day of work and wanted to let us know that they would be by early in the morning. Door county is a good 2-hour drive from here, and they had a long list of clients in the Marinette area, so they were heading to the Comfort Inn to get some sleep before another full day. Marshall (a lean, soft-spoken man in his 60s) wanted to know "how early do folks get up around here?" which was his way of asking how early they could come back. We -- being so completely happy just to see them after week of waiting -- said they could come as early as they needed to.

So, at 7am we were outside greeting Marshall and Andy as they pulled ladders and equipment from their trucks. There was a big storm brewing to the northwest and they were concerned about getting rained out. So they worked incredibly quickly, methodically surveying the roof-line and looking for any openings. They installed six "eliminators" which is bat-guy talk for a bat door that allows bat out but not back in. Apparently the roofers responsible for our roof never attached these plastic caps at either end of the roof peak. This baffled Andy who said they must have just forgotten to do this. (Imagine: hot summer day, roofers are weary, they want cold beer, they say to each other "let's go to the Packers bar down the street," they forget to cap the roof...) So, within an hour they were done. They guarantee their work for a full year, and Marshall promised: "by tonight at 10pm you will be bat free." Hallelujah!

sleepy peoples

I woke up this morning at 4:40 when I thought I heard the flapping of furious wings over my head. It turns out that it was a dream -- just a grand finale to a night of strange restlessness. It doesn't help that I was sleeping in between two of the warmest beings known to the planet earth. The heat generating unit known as Buddy is generally not allowed in the bed. However, when you are sleeping on a futon on the living room floor, there is little you can do to prevent little dogs from snuggling up to you in the dark of the night. Buddy is clever in that he waits until we are both fully asleep, and then he moves from his little doggy bed (made of corduroy and cheap filler) to our bed (lined with nice, soft, cotton sheets and a down comforter).This habit of mid-night migration has lead to many a confused morning in which we are all slightly rearranged. Yesterday morning, Rhonda sat up, looked around, and said "where's Buddy?" with genuine perplexity. Then, as if called forth by magic, a very rumpled looking dog-face emerged from directly between our heads. We had been so asleep and comfortable that we didn't notice that Buddy had wedged himself directly between us in the middle of the night. Good thing I didn't roll over -- he would have been one smashed dog-pancake.

Schlemiel! Schlemazl!

Today we drove to Milwaukee to buy a dining room table. Yes. we drove 2.5 hours, to the fictive home of Laverne and Shirley, to buy a table. But it is the most perfect and beautiful table sold by a nice man who we will call Mr. J. as we violated the rules of ebay by operating off-site. The table is huge, solid wood, and a really clean, simple design.

After we picked up the table, we spent the day roaming the corridor from Sheboygan to Green Bay. We had a blissful hour in the TJ MAXX housewares aisle, where we almost bought pink silicon muffin tins, le crueset ramakins, and a set of lime green DKNY sheets. But, we didn't. No, we were modest splurgers and we came home at the end of the day with a bathroom mirror, a new Ryobi sander, and kitchen scissors. We are such practical girls!

Friends just dropped by to see the new table. we opened a bottle of wine & christened the new piece of furniture. I think it qualifies as our second piece of real, grownup furniture. it even has a built-in leaf that glides effortlessly into place to create a big, beautiful beast that seats ten.

Consumed

It goes without saying that we have had to buy a lot of things over the last weeks. Most of this was expected -- we knew there was not going to be a fridge in the house, for instance. We also knew enough to expect the unexpected. This includes paying for bat professionals (we are still a week out on the waiting list, still sleeping in the living room...) and buying a brand new washing machine as the one here went kaput.

If you are like Rhonda -- the fiscally wise and responsible member of this household -- these are things that are worrying. And yet, they are also things that the fiscally responsible person plans for. So the worry is not that there is no money, but rather a worry about how it might effect the overall budget for the fiscal year as articulated by aforementioned wise planner.

If you are like Amy -- the all-American spender of the household-- then occasions like this can be expressed as follows: "wheee! we get to spend money on nifty big appliances. What fun! Let's celebrate by adding to my vintage pyrex collection."

The following two items were purchased within 30 minutes of one another. Can you distinguish necessity from frivolity? Aren't they pretty?

In the kitchen

Finally! We are done with the kitchen. There are plenty of things that are still imperfect, but the simple act of stripping wallpaper and painting a warm, bright color has made all of the difference in how we feel about this space. FYI, the color is called "squish-squash." Ha.

Before:

After (ignoring the glare):

streaming

It has been a few days. Instead of trying to write some boring narrative of exactly what we have been doing, I am going to remain true to my ADD tendencies and share a range of moments/ thoughts and projects.

Item #1: We have just about completed the kitchen (and when I say "we" I mean that I taped and cleaned and Rhonda painted. She had better motor control). It was such a catharsis to strip the wallpaper and transform the room with paint. So much a thrill that I got ahead of myself and started to strip the bathroom wallpaper while in the shower. Yes, I was in the shower when suddenly possessed by a need to strip the wallpaper. Here is what the wallpaper looked like. You see, it had to go. Now we have a half-naked bathroom, stripped down the the paper backing and paint. Still, an improvement.

More important, here is what all of the fixtures including lighting, faucets, towel bars, etc. look like:

Can you name this style? I think the switchplate is actually designed to look like a scroll. Is it medieval? Colonial? ('cause, you know, colonists were really big into decorative switchplates.)

Item #2: We had to take the car to the garage to get this annoying rattle taken care of. The guys were super-nice and charges us only 10 bucks for tightening the heat shield. They did, however, also encounter a large mouse nest in the car -- when the mechanic opened the hood one of "the tenants" scurried away. (I can't help but think about how devastated that mouse-family is by this event. One of them now lives at Jim's All-Care while the others could be scattered at various points between here and there.)

I had to ride my bike back from the mechanic (as we have only one car and want to have only one car). I was struck by how beautiful the ride was. It is only 2.5 miles from our house to the strip mall area where the mechanic is located. Surrounded by fast food joints, a mall, and the ubiquitous Walmart, it was a huge surprise to realize that the swatch of land between stripmall-land and our house is untouched. For now. There are rumors of a Super-Walmart and a Target coming soon.

Item #3:

We went to Green Bay yesterday. This is, perhaps, the thing that makes me feel most like I'm living in the hinterlands. Most people we know drive to Green Bay (56 miles) once or twice a month to do a "big shop." The grocery stores here are notoriously expensive and there is a Woodmans in Green Bay. Woodmans is cool and huge and really cheap. And it is employee owned. It also has the largest cheese section I have ever seen in any store anywhere.

This picture shows Rhonda leaning over one (of four) of the cheese cases. They have everything from Kraft cheese in a box to local organic cheeses. Since we are on a pretty tight budget, we are not buying organics these days. However, we are trying to support local farmers and buying only Wisconsin cheeses.

I was also struck by the fact that you can buy lots of things in very large quantities. Just to give a sense of perspective, these mayo containers were as big as my head. Also, note the large cannister of MSG at the bottom right.

My final observation is more about regional brands. It goes without saying that, when you move from one part of this country to another, you will encounter new, regional brands. There are all kinds of things we have never seen before. However, this has to be one of the strangest. Faygo, a mid-western soda company, has a line of beverages called "Ohana." As indicated on the packaging, "Ohana is Hawaiian for family."

Ohana = family = brand of soda in the midwest.

back to black

Here is a funny thing. When Buddy lived in Pennsylvania with my parents he had a black nose. Soon after moving to Seattle two years ago, Buddy's nose began to change color and become a lighter, pinkish color. It was a mystery. My dad said there was something in the water. A guy I met at the dog park (whose dog was similarly pink) said that he was told it was sun exposure. I was even told I could try putting sunblock on his nose.

In the two weeks since we left Seattle, Buddy's nose has become significantly blacker, returning to its original hue. See: pink nose in photo above, black nose in photo below. Any thoughts?

the big question

I have been thinking that it is time to take a minute to talk about the big picture: we are two women, in a relationship with each other, who have chosen to move from Seattle (often regarded as a haven of progressivism) to Northern Wisconsin (not often regarded as such).

People have expressed concern for our safety and well-being. Others have no doubt thought that we were nuts to move from a broadly supportive community into a great unknown. Still others have expressed their enthusiasm and support for taking this step.

So far, we have been met with a lot of warmth and kindness. We have been welcomed to the community in a variety of ways and with great sincerity. We have also confused some people. At one point I had to explain to a service person who wanted to leave a message for Rhonda: "No, really, you can talk to me. Rhonda's refrigerator is my refrigerator."

Today we found out that several people on campus were under the impression that I was moving to the area with my daughter, Rhonda. Thankfully, some of my colleagues took it upon themselves to clear things up. (My thought: I know that my dissertation defense sprouted some new gray hairs. But, do I really look that old?)

Today Rhonda met our neighbors to the south -- an elderly couple named Herbert and Betty. Herbert took a spill in the driveway and Rhonda went over to help. She and Betty ended up chatting for a while. Rhonda did not proclaim herself a homo to Betty's face. Betty might not get it. If she did get it, she might be bothered or scared. But, I imagine she understood that there was a kind person helping her husband when she could not. It is my naive and abiding faith in the power of community and connection that continues to make me believe this big adventure will work.

I have no doubt that we will face some tough experiences here. This is a reality for all people in this country who are not a part of the majority culture. I can't imagine how our experiences would be different if we were people of color, non-citizens, poor, etc.

I also find it tremendously reassuring to know that we have a community of people out there reading this little blog and wishing us well on our journey.

up and at 'em

After a day of rest we are back at it. It is only noon and we have already seen the cable and internet/phone guy (James, seen here), visited with one of my colleagues (Tirza, not seen here), and begun washing the kitchen walls in order to paint.

I cannot over- state how relieved we are to have internet access. I thought it would be a nice, idyllic break from the 21st century. NOT SO. It was really hard to be away from email, celebrity gossip and Eagle news (rhonda). But most difficult was being just seconds away from information. We are so used to being able to research everything -- need to fix the washing machine? Look it up. Need to identify a critter? Look it up. So now we are fully ready to charge ahead with full research capabilities.

Summer time

Today we took the day off. No housework. No unpacking. No bat-proofing. Nothing. Instead we slept in, did some reading and napping, and headed out to the Giebler's place in Porterfield. Buddy got to run around with the dogs (and chase some cats) and we picked veggies and then pickled them! Afterwards, David proclaimed "we just captured 19 jars of summer!" Good stuff.


On the bat front, we have called in the experts. Judith Johnson came by last night and checked the place out. She has a lot of experience working with bats as a ranger and biologist, and she can even identify the type of bat by looking at their poop (= guano). She had been in our second floor for five minutes when she turned to me and said, "Oh, Amy, I cant imagine a better space for bats. They LOVE it here." I think Judith thought this was rather cool and interesting. We promptly vacated the second floor and returned to sleeping in the living room.

So, we called more experts. There are these guys in Door County (the Hanks family) who have a patented "bat door" that they will install in your "point of access." After you pay them a bunch of money, they guarantee no bats for at least 2 years. At this point, it is *so* worth it. They should be coming out to us sometime soon -- there is a bit of a wait because it is the height of bat season.

BatsBatsBatsBats!

We have been attacked! Two of the past three nights of sleep have been interrupted when our valiant dog started barking at low flying critters in the bedroom. Yes, WE HAVE BATS IN OUR BEDROOM. You really haven't lived until you have attempted to formulate a battle plan for a bat counter-attack while hiding under the covers of your bed with a shrieking partner and barking dog at 3am.

We have, however, survived. For now.

Thanks to some sage advice from Judith Johnson, Shore Drive's resident bat expert, when our 2:30am bat call came last night we acted appropriately. Shrieked, screamed, huddled, and then opened the screen door and turned on the lights. After Buddy chased the critter around for 10 minutes all went quiet. We bravely searched the upstairs rooms with no signs of a bat. We then went to sleep -- with the lights on, of course.

The remaining fear is that, in the six or more months that the house has been vacant, the flying mammals have taken our attic bedroom for their own home. We have seen droppings in the closet. I think we now own 7 acres and a bat house.

In the meantime we have mostly unpacked and are stripping wallpaper. We completed the kitchen last night (gracias a dios) and are now getting ready to paint. This little house is starting to feel more like home. It is a pretty cool experience to work on things in your own house -- you get to know the structure and the "bones" of the place. And, after two years of sitting on my arse writing a dissertation (and, for R, years of emotional support work) it feels really good to be doing more physical work.

Critters in the night

Last night we crashed at around 9:30 after a full day of unloading, tearing down wallpaper, and unpacking. We were both out cold. That is, until 1:30 when Buddy started barking furiously at the ceiling. I thought that it was the dog being weird, but then I could faintly hear the scampering of little feet up above. The noise got louder. It definitely sounded like it was coming from the ceiling and not the roof (thought Rhonda still has hope that it was outside). We sat there blearily looking at each other realizing that this is one of those moments: "Oh shit. We own this place!"

So, we will be investing in some kind of trapping devices later today. Between setting mouse traps and scraping walls it is going to be a fun weekend!


PS. The cell phone is the only way to get a hold of us right now. We get some reception at home. Feel free give us a ring to dispense much-needed advice about a) wallpaper removal b) vermin removal or c) living amidst chaos.

PPS. Thanks for your concern about us driving through Minneapolis -- we got several calls & a text. Obviously, we are fine. However, it was really sad and jarring to hear about this event. I know it will be really hard event for people in the (MSP) community to deal with.

arrived!

Just a quick post -- we arrived last night at 5pm as planned. All is well at the new place except the water pressure in the shower sucks! However, the half hour walk through our woods this morning made it all better. We have already been given a bag full of veggies and a new birdfeeder by new friends. This morning at 8:15 the previous owner (who is probably 80 and still driving a bright red pickup) came to give us the rest of the keys. He hugged me three times and then said, "Okay. I'm done here." What a funny (and very sweet) old guy.

I'm on campus checking email. Today at noon campus folks will show up to help unpack the truck. Later we will *hopefully* be able to sit and eat a real meal.

more soon!

MIddle Earth!

It is 8am in Minneapolis and I (Amy) am sitting out on a screen porch listening to birds chirp away. Last night we *finally* made it to Minneapolis where we were greeted with smiling, friendly faces and a fabulous dinner. Emily and Elizabeth are gracious hostesses who even tolerate a slightly whiny dog and his overly concerned dog-mama. To protect Ria, the grumpily displaced cat, Buddy and I slept on the porch -- we both slept soundly -- while Rhonda camped out in the guest room.

In a few hours we will be on the road for the final stretch of this trip. It will take us about 6 hours to get to Marinette from here. (We have learned along the way that you add one hour to whatever estimates we have -- a 16' moving truck just moves slower.) We are meeting Carolyn (our Realtor) at our new house at 5pm. A few hours later our new friend (and my colleague) David will come over to help us lift some heavy things. He has stated several times that he *really* likes the challenge of moving heavy things. Okay!

In the meantime, here are some random tidbits that didn't make it into earlier posts:

• Missoula is preparing for their annual "Testicle Festival" also known as "testy festy." You can find out more here: http://www.testyfesty.com/
• Did you know that there are two continental divides? Why?
• As we left Montana around 8pm Monday night the temperature was 100 degrees. The sign might as well have read "YOU ARE NOT IN SEATTLE ANYMORE!"
  
• North Dakota has the highest gas prices we have encountered anywhere. Again, why?
• Hotel Review: La Quinta rocks. AmericInn sucks. LQ = nice high threadcount sheets and a plush windowseat nook. AmInn = old mattresses, less-than-clean room and possible fleas. Friends house in Minneapolis = best.