A little under one week later, here's what I've learned about having one's own house!
- Air conditioner noise has always been a pain. Turn it up, turn it off, enjoy the freedom of wearing no shirt to compensate.
- Rice-a-Roni (at least their long grain wild rice) is a VERY acceptable substitute for Uncle Ben's.
- Nathan's Famous Beef Franks are NOT acceptable substitutes for Ball Park.
- Free wifi sucks. Get a proper line ASAP.
- Having no landline stinks due to how many places require you to fill in phone numbers. I don't want my damn cell number broadcast over the world.
- Cut the grass too low? You're both hurting your grass' ability to grow and your hands from having to rake WAY too much grass.
- Cut the grass too infrequently? You're both hurting your back from having to hunch and push harder for those deep cuts and your hands from having to rake WAY too much grass.
- It's ugly as hell, but leaving your fresh cut grass out to dry for a day will make it easier to rake.
- Who needs a spray handle for a hose? Dig your finger right in.
- Do not put your bed in front of the TV cable and the dresser you intend to put the TV on, on the opposite wall.
- One single power strip / surge protector is never enough.
- Do NOT attempt to jump into your own bed like you used to in whatever room it was in prior to your new home until you are damn sure you're used to the new distance and jumping point.
- Save those bags and boxes.
- Make a list of everything you know you touch in a week. If you don't have that when you're freshly moved in, you'll really miss it and need to go get it.
- Make a list of everything you MAY touch in a week. If you don't have that when you're freshly moved in, you'll miss it enough to justify learning how to go shopping at stores on your ride home.
- Make a list of everything you MAY touch in a month. If you don't have that when you're freshly moved in, you've just learned to save money.
- No, your new neighbors aren't plotting behind your back to test if you lock the door before you go to bed.
- Do NOT assume the water main outside is safe to poke a finger into. Black widows suck.
- Do NOT assume the crawl space is safe to crawl under. Brown recluses suck.
- Do NOT assume one single spray of anti-bug stuff will keep pests from their usual route. Ants suck.
- That was just a brown out. You had them at your old house, too. Chill.
- Yes, they miss you a bit. No, they aren't having a party now that you're gone. Yes, they'll manage without your one-foot-longer reach for high places.
- No, you shouldn't be making a post about this instead of actually unpacking more as planned.
P.S. My old car kicked the bucket... Well, more accurately, its brakes became too unreliable to trust, and the total cost of repairs for the old rustbucket would be worth the down payment for a new vehicle. So on top of a new house...
Ta da. 2009 Ford Edge.
So, in one week, here's what I learned about having a new car, too!
- Don't panic if you take off or brake a little quicker than normal.
- Get those mirrors right ASAP.
- If you're not comfortable holding your steering wheel steady, there's no way you'll enjoy it. (I'm looking at you, Saturn VUE.)
- If you're not comfortable being able to see your blind spots, there's no way you'll be safe in it. (I'm looking at you, Jeep Patriot.)
- Hackberry trees are among the worst for dropping sap that can ruin a car's exterior and speed up the protective coat if paint. It's REALLY no trouble, however, to stuff your finger down a running hose and spray it off and give just a quick wash.
- There's no shame in driving a bit further out or stopping earlier to ensure freedom to park safely until you're used to it.
- If you're THAT worried about getting your radio stations right, do it while you're parked.
- Better gas mileage? Yes. Bigger gas tank? Hell yes. Better engine altogether? Hell,
, yes. Why didn't you do this sooner?
- Learn the limits on how sharply you can turn. Really, parking is a bitch.
- If you can't point at any given fluid container and read it at a glance, you're doing it wrong.
- If it's worth paying five digits for, it's worth keeping a decent schedule of how often to replace, repair, or maintain things.
- Speed limit minus 10% is never a bad speed. Learn to hold your pedal there before trying higher.
