Talina headed off for two weeks in Nicaragua with a school trip, which left me here to do the shopping… uh-oh. I’ve been doing some preparations for the getting the keys tomorrow!

Paint! We decided on the colors before Talina left, but I got the job of buying it. The lady at the shop helped me figure out how much was required… this is a massive amount of paint. It can’t freeze, and the temps are a bit cold, so here it is sitting in the stairwell of the apartment…
I have to thank our dear friends Courtney and Joe for the paint – Courtney recommended the brand, Miller, which is local, and the type, which is a low VOC and environmentally friendly mix. And she had coupons, so we made out like bandits: great quality paint from a local company, for an awesome discount. Amazing!!

More shopping — painting and cleaning supplies at Home Depot. We were able to convert some corporate rewards points I’ve earned over the last few years into a $500 gift certificate at Home Depot, and then I blew it all in just one week! But it was a relief not to feel like we had to hesitate over buying supplies, and since we are trying to stick to a tight schedule (to be done with the floors before Talina gets back from Nicaragua), it helps to not worry I’ll need to go back to the store in case I didn’t buy what I needed.

The last step of preparation tonight: my sister Ana came over and helped me haul plants from the deck garden downstairs and put them into Talina’s jeep, so we can drive them up to the new place in the morning. One fewer thing to worry about moving over the coming weeks.

And now… sleep! I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve…