Changing Timelines and my Spooky Mind Reading Schnauzer

I always known that having a long timeline for moving that many things could throw a monkey wrench into the mix and disrupt my downsizing schedule and plans to get my house ready to sell. But who would have ever guessed that monkey wrench would take the form of a world-wide pandemic. The reality of that is sinking in. Last week I struggled to keep my self-imposed schedule of preparing and listing collectibles to sell on e-Bay and for the first time I missed my weekly quota, a quota designed to have me wrapping the project up by mid to late summer. I’m trying to get a feel for where the market is going, if the bidders will continue to be there. That’s the official excuse I’m giving myself but in reality I wasted a lot of time metaphorically sucking my thumb and worrying about how I’m going to keep moving my life forward when the world around me is on pause. Even the lot of 100 things I sent off to the local auction house just before all hell broke loose is sitting in the queue, advertised but with the auction postponed. I can kiss my stuff goodbye without compensation if they can't keep their business afloat during the shut-down. Been there, done with another auction house that went defunct years ago. They are/were my back up plan if I still had collectibles left by fall. And the online neighborhood garage sale postings on Facebook has been shut-down. I had planned on selling some furniture that way this spring. I need one of my book-boyfriends to come hold my hand while I re-calibrate my timelines.

In the meantime the painter I’d lined up to paint a ceiling is willing to social distance himself to do the work which would be against the governor’s mandate for non-essential workers, but he can’t get the paint. The lawn care guy can’t work on thinning some planting beds, let alone do the normal spring cleanup services---someone reported him for raking a yard which is crazy since lawn care people don't have to be near anyone. Ditto on having a service washing the siding and windows. Can you imagine the back-log of work these people will have, missing an entire month---now maybe two---of their contracts and services? I didn’t even bother to call the carpet cleaners to do their spring thing. My trash service did a robocall telling us all we can’t put out extra bags (yard waste) until further notice, nothing the workers have to pick up by hand. Oh, and did I mention my washing machine took the pandemic as a queue to go on strike? I spent a whole day singing, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucile,” a song that has nothing to do with washing machines since I don't name my appliances, but I had to sing something.

Then I got an e-mail from the continuum care campus where I’ve been planning to move. They were assuring us that the stock market volatility will not affect the building project in any way. “They are fully funded and solid.” Jeez, I hadn’t even thought about that! I’ve got $40,000 worth of deposits down on that place (held in escrow) and another $20,000 due in July so I should have been concerned. Nope, I've been sitting here worried about selling pocket watches and moonbeams. The CCC also said the Stay-at-Home orders for everyone but essential workers has halted the construction and will set the project back. Double Jeez! The construction company has applied to the state for an exemption since all their workers, at this point in time, are/were outside in heavy construction mode that doesn’t involve workers being up each other’s butts (my words, not theirs). They also had a lot of heavy stuff that needed moving in before the spring weight limits on the roads went in effect and the shut-down caused them to miss the deadline. The state has temporarily lifted those weight limits to allow truckers to haul heavier-than-normal loads of groceries but the CCC is on hold until they hear back from the state to see if they can be included in that exemption. What a complicated world we live in and that inter-connectivity was brought into full focus due to the pandemic.  

At least we can still go outside. I’ve started walking the dog again since the bad weather is behind us. But it’s going to be challenge this year because of all the new dogs in the neighborhood. Levi has a real bark-fest when he sees other dogs and the anti-bark ultrasonic device I recently bought to curb that bad habit is giving me mixed results. It has a long range and in the house I can be in the kitchen at my computer and he can be two rooms over in the library barking and when I use it he stops barking and comes running to me. Sometimes he’s shaking his head like he doesn’t understand what’s wrong, making me feel guilty that it might be hurting him too much. But outside on our walks it’s like he doesn’t even hear the short blasts that work in the house---and he’s only the length of his retractable leash away. It takes several long blasts before he stops barking. I keep that device in my pocket and just put my hand in there to use it. He’s never even seen it but Levi seems to know it’s in my pocket and the source of his problems. Inside and outside he’ll come nudge the device my pocket, looking up at me with a confused look on his face. How does he know? It's downright spooky!

And does he also know how often I've been lusting for windmill cookies and milk since the pandemic hit our state? They're a 'dad and childhood' comfort food for me just like mandarin orange candy slices are a 'mom and childhood' comfort food. What would we do without our comfort foods? Or am I the only one.... ©