Return to What Passes for Normality Around Here

kitten in the mirror 4
Originally uploaded by mygothlaundry

We're in the new house. The old house is immaculately clean (there's a giant huge enormous neighbor-infuriating pile of trash in front of it, but the house is clean) and empty and we will not be returning there. The tchotchkes are mostly unpacked and are filling pretty much every available surface in the living room. There's a small disco ball in the kitchen window that's sending round balls of light all over the house, much to the puzzlement of Django and Pebble is having big fun with the mirror that's propped up in the hallway waiting for me to decide where to put it.

So we're all back to normal, as was extremely evident on Friday morning, when young M and I both woke up on time, bathed, ate breakfast and were pleasant and kind to one another. The animals got fed with no mishaps; young M was duly delinted (he worries about cat hair, he does) and we left the house in plenty of time. It was all just like a TV show and not at all like our normal mornings which is why I shouldn't have been surprised at all when we got to school with ten minutes to spare only to find that the parking lots were empty and there was a general air of desertedness about the place. "Oh shit!" exclaimed young M, "I forgot there was no school today!"

Naturally.

Still, I'm loving my house, I must say. It is warm. Readers, it is warm. Sunny and insulated and the heat has not yet even kicked on but it's still around 70 degrees inside. I can't believe it. I feel like Scarlett O'Hara or something: I'm not going to be cold in the winter again. I can sit here and type without my hands getting numb and I'm not even going to have to wear a coat all day and six layers of contrasting plaid flannel to bed each night. It is a miracle.

So I'm having a party on Halloween. A costume Halloween/Housewarming party and if you want to come, shoot me an email and I'll send you directions. I am firmly saying that I want no presents because, sheesh, I have waaaaay too much stuff in this house already, so please gods, no more stuff. Bring beer only. Beer is always good and so are crunchy salty things and actually if you don't even feel like bringing those you can come empty handed and possibly, if I get organized enough, there will be a costume contest and the winners will get to walk away with some excess tchotchkes.

Yay. The end is in sight and for once it might not be the end as in all desolation, doom, despair and scorched earth black leather and studs (as attractive as that scenario is) but actually more the end of the hellishness of it all and a small return to what we consider normal around here, which is to say black leather and studs. Yahoo.