In LOVE with my new home

Note "HOME" vs. "apartment." I've never lived on my own in a house before. I get to explore lots of questions, issues, projects, etc.:

• How to clean out a fireplace (vacuum worked just fine).
• How many calls to the cable company does it take for cable to finally work (two visits, five calls).
• How to best clean after previous tenants who cleaned NOTHING, apparently for the last ten years -- one section at a time, and very thoroughly. (I'll be cleaning every weekend for the next six months, easy.)
• What to do when I'm too wiped to read, watch TV, move, but also too tired to sleep? Castlevania!
• What's a good way to clean window screens and glass w/o being very stinky? The Method shower cleaner (ylang ylang) -- works GREAT and smells good too!
• Can one nearing middle age single woman do everything by herself? Yep, pretty much. When money's flush, hiring help isn't a bad thing (can't wait to hire a cleaning woman next month to get the hardwood floors done really well).

My cats and I just love love love our new home. It is SO wonderful to not listen to:

• Drunken parties.
• Drunken fights.
• Skateboarders.
• Sirens all night long.
• Airplanes every 15 minutes or so from 5pm to 11pm (I don't miss living under the flight plan at all).
• The two babies that lived downstairs.
• The blaring stereo on my right.
• The door slammer behind me.
• The car stereos.
• The motorcycle afficianado.

It's HEAVEN not to smell:

• The cigarette smokers downstairs and next to me.
• The trash.
• The broken beer bottles on Sunday mornings in the parking lot.
• The very traditional Chinese food being cooked downstairs (I don't love fish THAT much).
• Exhaust from constant cars, trucks, motorcycles.

Here's what I listen to and smell now:

• Birds: tons and tons of birds (my cats are mesmerized all day long).
• Flowers and greenery.
• Fresh, clean air.
• Fog in the morning, from the ocean over the mountains.
• The creek behind the houses.
• The occasional cat fight.
• Fireplaces.
• Barbecues.
• Kids laughing (playing vs. up to no good).
• My TV or stereo (hard to hear before -- so much competing noise).

I'm sorry not to have pictures yet -- I'm still not fully settled in -- that little thing called work keeps getting in the way. I had a WONDERFUL day today. Groceries. Cat food. Laundry. Raked leaves. Cleaned windows. More cleaning. Kitchen's looking better. Watched HBO. Did VERY LITTLE WORK. Roasted a chicken. Steamed artichokes. Organized my fridge.

Tomorrow = the library, get my car completely cleaned and vacuumed post moving, scrub out the bathroom, work on my living room and bedroom, get my art stuff organized (I'm having creative thoughts!), do a little more VERY LITTLE WORK, get ready for the week.

Life is good! Can't wait to have company! My new bed should be here by mid-March, then let the guests commence (because I can then set up my guest room/office).