Aylissa, come back. We miss you.

Post Reply New Topic

Wow I had NO idea I'd be missed.

I do tend to be black and white with things. I was annoyed with the dictatorship here (and the hegemony) PLUS my life's problems took the upper hand. I am going to attempt to be more middle of the road about WP and just enjoy the parts I like and ignore the rest.

Update:
First things first. Imagine my surprise when, 6 weeks after the rooster was stolen, yesterday morning a hen uncovered a new clutch of chicks Did she stray (literally or figuratively)? Was it immaculate conception? Nope. Chickens store sperm. Apparently he'd screwed them all before he left and we have chicks run amok with more on the way. A rooster is badly needed to keep order among them - I'm hoping one of the older rooster chicks will soon start to exhibit some cajones and start crowing.

For those who don't know, I fell down a flight of stairs more than 2 years ago, and did a lot of soft tissue damage to my right shoulder. Have been in constant pain and functional limitation the whole time. Had first surgery last summer to repair cartilage. It never got better despite the surgeon reassuring me it would just take time. Saw new surgeon who discovered new problems, went to Honolulu last week for surgery, upon awakening from anesthesia he told me that he couldn't repair my shoulder because there is no cartilage at all and the only way to stop the pain and return some function is to replace the humeral head with a metal prosthesis - a partial shoulder replacement. And that they don't last forever - I'll need a full shoulder replacement in 20-30 years. And I'll forever have to alter the way I live because I'll have to watch out for the prosthesis getting torn out - no heavy lifting or extreme yoga, probably no windsurfing. For six weeks after the operation I will be limited to using one arm - can't lift anything heavier than a coffee cup. Right now it's bone rubbing on bone whenever I move my arm, and am taking percocet around the clock. So I'm a little loopy.

I'm supposed to start my new job next week, but this is kind of getting in the way. I won't even get into that, it's too complicated for me to contemplate, let alone bore you all to tears, but suffice it to say the timing SUCKS.

Meanwhile MS and a hired bunch of my old nursing students are furiously (in between surf sessions) painting and doing yardwork and I can't do very much to help - the more I use my arm the more it hurts, so I'm doing what I can with one arm and feeling very guilty about not being able to help. We need to get the house fixed up and sold as quickly as possible because we'll be paying for two households (because my new job is on another island and I'll be flying back and forth weekly).

Percocet makes me grumpy - last night at Home Depot I got mad at MS because he's still not sure he wants to replace our laminate kitchen countertops with granite. He does it for a living and has all the tools so it'd just be the cost of the granite. To me the decision is a no-brainer.

So what do you all think? Should we spend $1000 on granite for stylin' new countertops to wow potential buyers, or is it a waste of money?

I think you might as well spend it, if you'll increase the salability of the house... though I can also see the value of just leaving everything as-is... ... I don't know. I guess it would depend on how bad the current countertop looks.

Hi Aylissa,
nice to hear from you again but I'm sorry for you that things are not going smoothly.

Before I spent money on granite bench tops (what ever you pick, a potential buyer may prefer something else) I would make sure garden/landscaping was "wow" and declutter the house (even if you have to put things in storage) and have the interior "wow" with new or hired furniture and decorations.

oh, goodness yes! make it as homey and estetically pleasing in any way you can. Have it where they can slip off their flip flops at the door and walk right into their kitchen and get a beer. . or what ever. . . That is a double plus WOW.
greeting them with pikake and maile leis might be a little over the top, though. . . .

Merle

another tip is to bake bread and brew coffee when the house is open for inspection - nice comforting / homey smells

I really like the beer idea. Maybe a little white wine spritzer? Get 'em all drunk and they won't notice my paint splatters from painting with my left hand while under the influence of percocet. I fell off a bar stool yesterday while painting - I'd forgotten I wasn't standing on a chair. Got bruised and scraped everywhere but luckily didn't hurt my shoulder any more than it already is.

Aylissa, I hate to hear of anyone in pain, me being a fibromite! Have you ever heard of a Chinese preparation called Yunnan Paiyao? It's generally used it for trauma or insult to the body, as in surgery or accidents. It is said to accelerate the healing process. It tastes awful, though. It can be obtained from Chinese specialty stores, or mail ordered from www.acu-market.com
I have found it to work really well.