Catching up

We arrived in the US two weeks ago today, after several exhausting weeks. During our final two and a half weeks in Ireland, we visited London, packed up the apartment, and tried to keep up with the normal round of daily activities. Meanwhile, I wrapped up the rough draft of the Regency romance I'm working on and battled one of the most exhausting head colds I've ever had.  Nova sprouted her final eye tooth during a whirlwind trip to Edinburgh to visit a friend, and started putting words together.  Mike sorted through his entire collection of games and books, and shuffled everything over to his father's new attic. 

Our final day in Ireland was spent cleaning the apartment and dealing with our landlord. He had seemed like a decent enough landlord up until that point, but he walked in that afternoon affecting a "very angry" mood and roaring that the place was "very dirty" (it was a hell of a lot cleaner than it had been when we moved in), and making up spurious claims about how things had been new when we moved in until he landed on one that we couldn't refute with absolute confidence, because it had to do with our roommates' bedroom, and using that excuse to keep back €340 of our deposit for a €260 dresser, which may or may not have actually existed. I intend to write him (and perhaps the tenancies board) an angry letter, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I spent the evening at Mike's dad's place re-packing our bags so they could all fit on the plane and be re-packed into my parents' car when we arrived in Boston.

By the plane took off, two weeks ago today, I could barely keep my eyes open. On the ferry home, I just fell asleep.  Two days later, Nova had adjusted admirably to the time change while I was still barely able to stay awake for more than two hours at a go.  After a week of taking it easy, I eventually got to the point where I felt a little more human and could start even thinking about all that we have to do.  

Nova is adjusting well to life on the Vineyard. She is enjoying all the dogs and chickens, and now demands Nana (my mother) almost as much as she summons Mama (me). She is sleeping much better than she was in Galway, thanks to the quieter environment and much more outdoors time.  

Mike has begun doing a little work with Barney Zeitz, and I have put together a new resume and mailed it off to apply for a couple of administrative jobs.  In the meantime we have a huge project to work on: our house. My parents began renovating their old house a few months ago, so that we would be able to live in it. I wasn't able to much from across the water, so I've arrived mid-project and am trying to come to grips with it. In fact, on my first, very groggy, day back in the country I spent a good hour and a half debating bathroom design with my father in the moldy shell of the house. We had to call in an arbitrator to settle the matter a few days later.  

This afternoon, I will be wielding a crowbar and helping tear the last mold-eaten planks of rough-cut pine from the downstairs walls. Then we just have to decide what to do with the flooring, the insulation, the kitchen, the bathrooms, etc., and then get it all done.  I have a feeling this is going to take over my life for the next while.  

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