Adventures in Moving: Part 3

It's been project city at our house.  I've lost count in the number of trips we've made to Lowe's and Home Depot.  We have a quite a stack of receipts and I keep waiting for the bank to call me to ask us to tone it down because the ATM is on fire.

Slowly but surely the house is coming together and the number of broken down boxes going to recycling far outnumbers the boxes still full of stuff.

Some things I've decided over the last couple weeks:

1. I am so thankful to finally have curbside recycling.  We don't have to hoard it and then drive it over to the public recycling dumpsters which are always overflowing and nasty.
2. I am so thankful to have a garage for the first time in my adult life.  We haven't been able to park in it yet but I have high hopes for the end of this weekend.  In the meantime, I don't have to do all kinds of mental gymnastics to figure out how to get my bike where I need it to be (long story).  I can just ride it right out of the garage and then close the door behind me.
3. While I am quite capable of painting, I am not so coordinated at pouring paint into a small bowl.  At least I was wearing old shoes.  And standing on a plastic sheet.  And I have a very patient father-in-law.  And a husband who knows enough to keep his eye-rolling to himself.
4. I hate allen wrenches.  And instructions that say it takes 45 minutes to put together a shelf.  90 minutes later and one chewed up allen wrench....
5. I am so thankful none of our new neighbors have a jacked up Mustang (long story).
6. I've been reminded multiple times over the last few weeks that I am not tall.  Clocking in at 5'3" I use step stools for most projects around the house.  And even with one step stool, I still cannot paint along the ceiling. 
7. I've done more yard work in the last 2 weeks than I have done in my entire life.  That's what happens when you grow up with parents who like to do yard work (what is WRONG with those people?) and then buy a condo where the exterior maintenance is taken care of.
8. I've decided that I hate yard work.  Planting flowers I can handle.  Watering flowers so they don't die?  Mediocre.  Yard work like trimming shrubs and raking brush?  While I can do it (some of which while on a ladder), I certainly don't like it.
9. Being a pilot wife while owning a house that needs some TLC is harder than I thought it would be.  Insert me cursing at the leaky hose reel and wishing The Pilot and his strength were around to help tighten the hoses.
10. And a conclusion I came to just last night....my parents are actually machines disguised as sweet, funny, loving humans.  They have an unlimited supply of energy.  My dad is pushing 63 yet he still seems to be strong as an ox.  They have spent many hours at the new house helping us fix things up, clean, hang pictures, etc.  When The Pilot and I start to run on empty and would love to to sit down with a beer and call it a night, my parents are still going.  We've had to kick them out a couple times.  They make The Pilot and I seem old.  Sure, I can do a marathon but ask me to stand on my feet all day and clean, unpack, fix leaky faucets and install appliances, oh hell no.  I'm asleep on my feet by evening.