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Juliette
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06 Dec 2020, 9:57 pm

Double Retired wrote:
Juliette wrote:
...to hang on your wall ... something that makes you smile or feel a sense of peace when you look at it....
OK. There is something that might vary from person to person.

I was happy with blank, slightly off-white walls. The windows had nice views (or, in my office, closed wooden blinds), switches and outlets, a thermostat, and an occasional itinerant spider. Visitors tended to dislike it.

There were some pictures--framed and on shelves with books (there were a lot of shelves like that).

When my non-autie bride moved in she disliked it. I've been fighting a rearguard action. But she is also a bibliophile so mainly there are even more bookshelves with even more shelves of books with sundry pictures mixed in.


Yes, you’re right. For many years, I too had no pictures or art on my walls. Similarly, I too had photos or homemade “nature” art(dried flowers etc) on shelves. Eventually, as time wore on, especially after moving overseas, I found I wanted to express myself more and found or created some meaningful art of places I’ve been or of handmade wall hangings I’ve made.

If you and your wife are both content and happy with your home, then that’s all that matters. If others don’t like it, then so be it ... as it’s your home.



Danusaurus
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06 Dec 2020, 10:45 pm

Double Retired wrote:
Danusaurus wrote:
I will process the above but u did give me a good thought to buy a cheap washing machine...
If there is a laundromat nearby and if you can tolerate going there for awhile then a washing machine is desirable but not urgent.

Remember: clothes come out of the washer wet so you'll either need a clothes dryer or a clothesline (and clothes pins, or maybe you'd call them clothes pegs?).


Yeah am thinking about going for a walk to the laundry place n do some washing. I have to go to the store and get dishwash stuff and scourers



Dear_one
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07 Dec 2020, 3:54 am

Decor is very personal. One old guy lived in a museum of navy memorabilia. A woman who survived the London Blitz had her living room hung with dozens of model aircraft. Pompeii interiors were black and red, and poorly lit.
My walls are mostly decorated, if not crowded. The posters from my vocation get the most space, but there are some family pictures and local crafts, etc. as well as a lot of scrap material distributed for easy searching I left the wallpaper up gladly. Twice, I have painted pink rooms blue, once surprising my landlord.



Double Retired
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07 Dec 2020, 10:24 am

Danusaurus wrote:
Double Retired wrote:
Danusaurus wrote:
I will process the above but u did give me a good thought to buy a cheap washing machine...
If there is a laundromat nearby and if you can tolerate going there for awhile then a washing machine is desirable but not urgent.

Remember: clothes come out of the washer wet so you'll either need a clothes dryer or a clothesline (and clothes pins, or maybe you'd call them clothes pegs?).


Yeah am thinking about going for a walk to the laundry place n do some washing. I have to go to the store and get dishwash stuff and scourers
My mind wanders and, overnight, wandered back to your move. (I'll blame my Aspieness for this even though it might just be me.)

Clothes: Permanent press! Depending on clothes drying facilities (and skill) you might also want an iron.

House: Yeah, it might need "laundering", too. Carpet probably best handled with a vacuum cleaner. Hard surface floors can probably get by with a broom, and maybe a dustpan. A duster that can reach the ceiling to get the spiderwebs left by those itinerant spiders. And a few clean rags for dusting things between the floor and ceiling when you look at them and think "Well, that's disgusting!"

House, addenda: Eventually you'll accumulate a few tools. Near-term, however: spare light bulbs, a flashlight, and a few batteries.

P.S. Thinking about this stuff reminds me how much fun moving isn't!


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Dear_one
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07 Dec 2020, 10:39 am

Laundry for one is easy. I have an "apartment size" clothes washer I was given 16 years ago when the owner got a front-loader to save water. In the summer I use a clothes line outside, and in winter, one over the bathtub, with the furnace duct directed into the enclosure. In all seasons, the shirts and pants go directly onto hangars for drying, then storage, and the socks just dry on the rim of the washer.
BTW, while Chuck Yeager was becoming world-famous for flying faster than sound, his wife was washing diapers in a bathtub.



Danusaurus
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09 Dec 2020, 6:41 pm

Juliette wrote:
I’m considering a move next year, so might be in the same boat. Try not to pressure yourself into thinking you must have things in place by such and such a time. “Do” when you feel energised and feel able to tackle each room. As others mentioned, a list is good.

I have moved lots in both Aus and in other countries. I usually tackle the kitchen first, then the bedroom(which should be your haven). Then the loungeroom, etc. Think about putting up a pic in your bedroom and lounge, some art(a photo you’ve taken maybe and get it enlarged) to hang on your wall ... something that makes you smile or feel a sense of peace when you look at it. You could even write a simple motivational phrase on some paper and put it someplace to remind you ... eg “Sometimes Later Becomes Never. Do It Now” or “Believe ... Believe it can be done.” You must tell yourself “No Matter How Hard It Is, Or How Hard It Gets, I’m Going To Make It”.

Hope you’ll come to think of your new home as your safe haven.


Yeah i'm sure I will get around to cleaning it up as downstairs is messy.. again, i just have energy to do anything, lack of motivation despite having an inspiring wall to stare at - it's starting to have the opposite effect.
as for a safe haven, i feel about as safe as sleeping on the street, unsure why though but could be my self reluctance to use my schedules as i tend to ridicule myself for needing to use them and which is probably the reason everything looks dirty and messed up - i can't help myself i can't even pay for help that helps me. i'm doomed.



Double Retired
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09 Dec 2020, 11:23 pm

Start small. Eat.


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Danusaurus
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09 Dec 2020, 11:36 pm

Double Retired wrote:
Start small. Eat.


eating sounds good. I actually feel like chicken and chips except its so freaking hot.



Danusaurus
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09 Dec 2020, 11:40 pm

Got plumber coming to fix leaky tap, bit of tidy up feels better



Double Retired
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10 Dec 2020, 10:47 am

Danusaurus wrote:
Got plumber coming to fix leaky tap, bit of tidy up feels better
I usually like to watch contractors when I have them in the house.
(1) Stay the heck out of their way!!
(2) Be willing to hand them stuff, if they ask.
(3) Watch and learn.
(4) Politely explain that you'd like to watch because you need to learn stuff.
(5) Learn by watching. If they want to explain something, they will. Otherwise they want to work.
:wall: Except, because of the pandemic, because my bride and I are both high-risk with respect to the pandemic, and because we live in the U.S. which is handling the pandemic so spectacularly poorly, I am currently postponing repairs and replacements as much as I can.

Oh. I hope you enjoyed shopping for the stuff on your shopping list. All those boring, uninteresting, essentials. :wink:


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Dear_one
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10 Dec 2020, 11:59 am

When I was about 14, I fixed a leaky tap on my own volition. I'd seen it done, and it is usually about the easiest of all home repairs. I think it is the only time dad liked something I did.
I always did my own repairs on rental accommodations, rather than bother the landlord. I did learn to not fix them up in a way that would inspire a rent increase, because they'd do an eviction rather than charge me for my own work.
My experience as a handyman landed me the easiest job I ever had, working for an apartment complex. My skill at it once saved a single mom thousands of dollars with an hour's work that more specialized tradesmen couldn't do.
You do need some tools, but that is something that defines us as human.



Double Retired
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10 Dec 2020, 1:14 pm

Three tiers of job:

(1) Small. But if I'd need a quick trip to the hardware store the job will have to wait because there is a pandemic and I am trying to keep us away from it.

(2) Medium. Similar to "Small" but might take longer and involve several trips to the hardware store. (Typical routine: Start disassembly. "Oh, I guess I need one of those!" Go to hardware store. "Oh, there are several different kinds or sizes." Go home and look closer and maybe measure. Go to hardware store...)

(3) Too big or dangerous for me to do and would need an outsider in the house. (For instance, we could use a new clothes dryer. There is a gas connection--I will not fool with that, unlike the guy who used to own the place a few doors down and is dead now.)


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Dear_one
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10 Dec 2020, 1:22 pm

Most jobs I can do with stock on hand. I used to live a lot farther from the stores, and I save things that might be useful. The hardware store is low risk, and many offer kerbside pickup.
For a leaky faucet, the old washer can be shimmed up with a bit of plastic garbage if you don't have access to a new one.



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10 Dec 2020, 6:18 pm

An absolute novice do-it-yourself-er who just moved in might not even have pliers. Tools and looking at some do-it-yourself books (or Internet equivalents) will probably come later.

For me, unfortunately, almost all of the house repairs that surfaced this year are too large or are beyond my skill level (January and February were wiped out for reasons other than the pandemic). I've managed to order some replacement parts online so my bride isn't worried about the range vent, and the decrepit dryer should be usable until after the pandemic is under control. And to add insult to injury, the last I heard there were hours-long delays getting into the hardware stores because of pandemic restrictions. (We're in a metropolitan area.)


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Danusaurus
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11 Dec 2020, 11:09 am

Today, making bed and putting away kitchen things properly. :)

Decided to start using my schedule again. (daily one)



CockneyRebel
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11 Dec 2020, 10:44 pm

Put the right boxes in the right rooms. Work on one room each day.


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