The apt has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 1 car garage, 1 parking space, and is owned by the Hacienda Hotel. It is the only upstairs unit, with two units below, and receives a huge amount of sun from all four sides, so it is always hot inside. As part of the hotel properties, it came furnished, including the washer and dryer, which is one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my life. We have access to the the pool and gym, as well as having a weekly maid who stocks towels, soaps, and shampoo. Ike and Chance share a bedroom; and Marina and I share a bedroom. Marina and I have the master bedroom, so we have a private bathroom.
Since I am so sick of commuting, I can't bring myself to get in the car. I love not going anywhere. I'm sure I'll get bored soon, but for now, I am decompressing from the previous 700 days in a row of driving 4 hours or more a day. I haven't left the apartment since we got back from the library on Friday. A full 48 hours.
BTW, both Ike and Chance lost a tooth last week. Chance lost one on Friday afternoon and I said something about not carrying cash, not realizing that he still believed in the tooth fairy. Oops. After dropping the bomb about the tooth fairy, Chance went with his dad for the weekend. Ike went to Grandma and Poppy's after Robin got here at 6:30PM. I guess Ike wanted to skidaddle because he felt like a third wheel, or just didn't want to tag along with us because we are boring. Who knows? Robin left by 10PM, but Ike was already ready for bed so he stayed at Grandma's for the night. That left me alone for the night. When does that ever happen?
BTW, both Ike and Chance lost a tooth last week. Chance lost one on Friday afternoon and I said something about not carrying cash, not realizing that he still believed in the tooth fairy. Oops. After dropping the bomb about the tooth fairy, Chance went with his dad for the weekend. Ike went to Grandma and Poppy's after Robin got here at 6:30PM. I guess Ike wanted to skidaddle because he felt like a third wheel, or just didn't want to tag along with us because we are boring. Who knows? Robin left by 10PM, but Ike was already ready for bed so he stayed at Grandma's for the night. That left me alone for the night. When does that ever happen?
I'm dealing with some really serious insomnia, so even though I was exhausted, I stayed up all night Friday night, then forced myself to sleep in fits during the day on Saturday. We have 11 birds in this apt, so it sounds like a rainforest during the day. It isn't the easiest place to sleep during the day.
The bird breakdown: 2 lovebirds, 3 finches, 2 quails, 3 parakeets, and 1 canary. We had two chickens that we kept at Grandma and Poppy's house, but... the neighbors were complaining about the rooster, so on Saturday, July 9, Poppy gifted the rooster to the gardner. Last weekend Poppy mentioned to the kids that he wanted to get rid of the rooster. That night, Chance stayed up until 3AM crying about the rooster. Chance always falls asleep early. That was the latest he has ever stayed up. During the week since then, I was hoping to find a neighbor on our street in Newhall to take the rooster. I'm rarely in Newhall anymore, so there was never an opportunity to ask around. When Chance gets home tomorrow, he is going to be very upset about the rooster.
Prior to the Cub Scout Soap Box Derby on Saturday, Poppy told Ike that he was getting rid of the rooster. Ike took this as a general statement and not a notice of action. Then Ike went to work the Boy Scout food booth at the Derby, where Chance would be competing as a cub scout. It would be nice to have pictures of this, but I don't have any because I didn't go. When Ike returned and found the rooster had been given away, he was very upset. Marina called just in time to hear the news about Rooster-Gate. I mistakenly thought that my mom told me that Ike had told Marina about the rooster, so I mentioned it in an email I sent to Marina later that night. Then I found out that Ike had NOT told Marina. So she will have the news delivered in a note nonchalantly handed to her by a camp counselor. That won't be good.
(Marina is at Interlochen, an art camp in Michigan. She is attending a 3 week camp, majoring in Visual Arts. She is taking drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and environmental science.)
Since I am not leaving the apt these days, Ike decided to stay the night at Grandma and Poppy's again last night. Mauricio, Joanna, and Salo came over late last night. Once again, I stayed up all night. Joanna and I watched reruns of '16 and Pregnant' and 'The Real Housewives of New York.'
Since I slept in fits during the day today, Ike opted to stay at Grandma and Poppy's again on Saturday night. Now I am here alone, drinking copious amounts of coffee, eating fried chicken and cheese slices, and watching Forest Gump while typing this post. Chance will be here tomorrow at 8AM. Hopefully between now and then I can regroup and get motivated to do something. As of right now, I am not drinking anymore coffee tonight. It is 9:15PM, so hopefully I get to sleep at a reasonable hour. I need my rest to deal with the fallout tomorrow once I tell Chance about the rooster.
This weekend was so boring and unproductive that it is embarrassing to write about it, but at the same time, I feel so relaxed that I can't complain.
Pics of Chance and Ike showing off their missing teeth.
Pics of Chance and Ike showing off their missing teeth.
