Deck nearly done, plus 2 awesome deliveries. Winter storm for tomorrow night, with a lot ramping up now. Shares/sales very much needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

It has been . . . a day. We're both somewhere way past exhausted, and nothing's over yet.  There's more work ahead of me tonight, and a lot more for both of us between now and next week. However . . . .

Tomorrow, we will allegedly have Internet access in the house! And Saturday, we will allegedly have appliances! Not hooked up, true, and the kitchen sink is still somewhere between North Carolina and here, apparently, and we still have to get the range hood with our remaining Lowe's cards (store credit, which requires an in-person visit). But those are all in process now, and another problem got handled today, and there's more in the works. Maybe we'll make most of our deadlines yet.

But we need help getting to that point.

First, though, a couple of other cool things:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

The storage ottoman, which is actually pretty much exactly the same shade of teal as the branches in that rug. That's thanks to SR, and it's quite wonderful.

There's also something wonderful that's a whole other order of magnitude:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

That is a bearskin sleigh blanket. It's also something over 150 years old, I'm told. It's also now a part of the bancos (and the couch, and the floor in front of the fire when the guys get all done and I can clean the floors properly) thanks to DannyB. And it's absolutely amazing; mint condition, silky soft, long neck hairs still on it, fully lined on the reverse in an old red-and-white patterned flannel. Everybody was interested in it, from the crew to the Internet guys to the dogs to the horses, even. But it's now folded carefully and in a safe place until we can put it out for actual winter use. 

Thank you, both of y'all. You made today something extra-wonderful.

But all this activity, especially with regard to scheduling and Internet transfers and so forth, means that everything's ramping up hard and fast now. And we're losing time rapidly; our first real winter storm is due to hit tomorrow evening, and while we may not get a lot of snow here (although the peaks should get quite a bit), we are slated for high winds and a massive drop in temperatures. We have to hurry now, and we that means raising enough scratch to keep the guys in the materials they need, and also to keep them paid.

It also means that I have got to get my shit together with regard to the registries, because one thing we are absolutely going to need for any gathering that might have to be brought indoors, depending on the weather, is tables and lamps. So expect to see the tables added over the next day or so; some lamps are now on it, and they and the entry rug will be priorities. 

Which, of course, means that we still need shares, daily (and thank you to everyone who has fulfilled items off our registries, although there's a lot more to go there; I haven't even gotten to the tables and lamps and other two upstairs rooms yet, but those will go on this weekend, I hope). They can be crowdfunded! So here are all the links:

• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• Wings's site, for sales;
• Lowe's cards (the physical version) via our Amazon wishlist;
• Lowe's e-cards (delivered via e-mail) here; and
• Home Depot cards via the company site. The e-version using my e-mail address is great; I take the tablet to the store with me, and they scan it off the screen.
• Our Amazon wishlist generally.
• Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
• Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's not complete; what's on it so far are drapes for the upstairs, associated curtain rods, bath rugs for both bathrooms, and doormats and a few other miscellaneous items. Most important: hold-backs and drapes for upstairs.
• Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Also not complete, but covers a number of the area rugs needed for the upstairs and some kitchen items. I've finally added a bunch of items to it, although nothing in the way of small tables or lamps or kitchen items beyond three basic things, because yesterday proved to be a time-suck of epic proportions, and today was more of the same. What I did get to is all of the rugs for the whole house, and a few basic furniture items. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item. Even the backordered/out-of-stock items can be crowdfunded in advance. Right now, the two most important items are probably the first four or five that show at the top of the list. I've just added the furnishings for the rest of the upstairs (i.e., the guest room and my writing/office space, which also includes the desk and chair further down the list, and the last three rugs on the list, two of which are back-ordered). The chaise and daybed are for the two upstairs rooms: the latter for the guest room, the former for my office, which is where I will be spending most of my time, and my AI issues require working on a laptop with my legs outstretched, so that's why it's a pricier piece; it'll probably be the primary means to my role in our living. There will also be more items that fall into the badly-needed category (coffee/end tables and lamps, particularly), because the wiring and mold and lime and everything else in this toxic tin can has destroyed so much of what we used to have. I'm sickened by the amount of stuff we have to throw out (on top of the things that were simply ruined, such as the microwave fried by the wiring in this place).

Thank you all, once again, for everything you've done over the last 16 months to get us safe and keep me sane. We are both so thankful for each and every one of you who made it possible for us to sleep (and shower!) now, for the first time in seven years, in a safe and healthy (and warm!) place. But we have a long way to go, and this night, at least, is going to be very, very cold again, a reminder that we have to get this done, and fast.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.