Looking Forward + Embracing the Present ...part 2

Another thing I'll miss in our next place....which I can't believe I forgot!!!!....One HUGE advantage of a smallish/smaller town is that everything is close, including our places of employment to our homes. When our schedules match (meaning Dan is not working until close), Dan and I will meet at home and have lunch together. Definitely something that will be greatly missed in a bigger community. It's been fun to have that mid-day connection giving us both the motivation to go back to work for the rest of the day. Maybe we'll be lucky enough that that can continue to be possible in future locations...not sure that it would be wise to hold my breath though....

Are You Kidding Me?!

Last night after work I went to Target to get the group wedding gift for a co-worker. I left at 5:40 pm and arrived approximately 1 HOUR LATER! No it wasn't crazy, random Idaho rush hour.... Target is really, truly 45 miles away!!! Just one of many stores which are much, much too far away from me, in my opinion. I sure hope this isn't the start of something I will have to grow accustomed to in our next place of residence.

Legal, No Legal...Is Grey Area

Step 1:

Tie empty soda bottles to rock,

be sure to leave plenty of rope to pull the rock back in:

Step 2:

Make sure the knots are secure:

Step 3:

Put dry ice into the bottle:

Step 4:

Get water:

Step 5:

Pour water into bottle with dry ice:

Step 6:

Quickly screw the caps onto the bottles:

Step 7:

Throw into the water as far as you can:

Step 8:

Watch and...

Wait...

...gather others to watch and wait too...

...Oh, oh, oh...the waiting about to pay off...

Lie down (or sit) on a bridge for a better effect as the bottle floats underneath....

Step 9:

Clean up your mess and gather more supplies so you can start the whole process again!

That was fun! Do it Again!!!!
(Warning: Do NOT do this without proper adult supervision!)

(If you do this and get into trouble, you didn't learn it from me.)

Looking Forward + Embracing the Present

We knew when we moved into this apartment that it would most likely be temporary. We signed a year lease and that is almost up, can you believe it?! Thankfully we can remain on a month-to-month lease until Dan's transfer comes through sometime before the end of the year.

(This post is dedicated to the anticipation of our transfer and move....now if we only knew when and where exactly!)

Our apartment is spacious and cozy, however, certainly not perfect. As such, when our transfer comes, there are several things I won't miss...

Using stairs to enter and exit our home.

Not having a doorbell

Confusing neighbors with how to find us

Sharing a mailbox with the upstairs neighbors

No real windows on one whole wall!

Having a fireplace for looks only

Having to listen to the upstairs neighbors's parties, tv, fights, music, 11 pm vacuuming....

Not having the whole house to ourselves, our family, and our guests

It's great to have a washer and dryer, FINALLY, but we have to invade the upstairs neighbors to do our laundry

Our use of the garage limited to a little storage

Water gurgling up through the kitchen sinks and drain in the kitchen floor while the washer is draining

Being able to do laundry only on certain days

Our own personal pond in the middle of the kitchen floor when using the washer

Our dishwasher and disposal...

(nope, you're not missing anything, we don't have either!)

(Dan's nephew, Matt, came in the kitchen looking to put something in the dishwasher. I said he could, if he could find the dishwasher. He looked around and asked where it was and I answered that we didn't have one! He kept looking for the green dishwasher he was sure he'd seen here before...nope 9½ years without one!)

Limited room for guests

Staring longingly at the empty garage the girls upstairs get to use but don't

Sharing the backyard (we've both been told it's ours and yet, we rarely seem to be about to go out and enjoy it....)

Having to clear our use of the backyard with the upstairs residents

Having to watch where we step in our yard!

Listening to the dogs (yes, there's more than 1 upstairs) yap and bark at everything that moves, including us

The view (or lack thereof) from our kitchen window

Small master closet, currently without one door

No master bath/suite

Having to flip the fuses often when the space heater and microwave are on at the same time

Upstairs neighbors with control of the thermostat and not understanding how it works! (Hence the space heater being on)

Bundling up inside on hot summer afternoons

Freezing in the summer and winter

Using a space heater year round

Limited kitchen counter space

Our Pepto bathroom

One bathroom

No tub

and some things I will miss...

Sid living with us

Amanda's visits

A new fridge we didn't have to buy

A clothes line (retro, yes, but great to use...weather permitting of course)

Doors, doorknobs, and keys that remind me of Grandma and Grandpa Hafen's home

Lots of storage for a basement apartment

Being only a mile from work

Having a yard but not having to do the yardwork

Hearing Dan come down the stairs when he gets home, especially when he surprises me and gets a ride or comes home early.

A spacious living room area

Living half way between West Yellowstone and Salt Lake

Telling people we're a great place for a potty stop on the way from Salt Lake to Yellowstone

Sleeping in a pitch black bedroom

Living a couple blocks from the church

Being able to say we live on Colgate Street, "that's spelled just like the toothpaste"

The great people we've met here in Pocatello

Being no more than 15 minutes from any point in town (of course everyone in Pocatello can say the same thing)

Watching community parades and knowing, not just recognizing, several people in the parade

Easily parking 4 cars in the driveway

Driving or walking through town and getting Horrocks Family Stories at various locations

Our first place together as husband and wife

All the memories associated with our first place