Gross

After work yesterday I picked up the boys and went over to the new house to start patching nail holes and clean out the cabinets. I got as far as the kitchen.

I’m not sure what possesses people to put nail holes in the wall unevenly spaced about every six inches apart on average. It wasn’t all that noticeable until I looked at the walls with all the spackle. Of course, I’m not sure what possesses people to make the paint color and design choices the former tenants did either, but I attribute that to their love of Nascar and all things Dale Earnhardt.

While the walls certainly had their fair share of issues, the insides of the cabinets are white. I’m sorry, but white never looks clean to me. I used up almost half a bottle of Lysol Kitchen Cleaner cleaning and wiping down every square inch of those cabinets. Well, every square inch I could reach as two of the cabinets that should’ve been corner cabinets with corner cabinet doors instead of a large amount of wasted space since even with my long arms I was unable to reach the far end of them. Balls. That, and they had this nasty black film all over. I had to clean every part twice just to get it all. But in the process found the missing cable outlets and smoke detector!

I also found myself wanting to simply live with some of the paint choices simply because the task of all that painting is beginning to feel much more daunting than originally planned. Even the green in the living room is starting to look appealing. Hell, I could probably live with the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese walls that are the kitchen. Of course, while we don’t have to be out of this house for quite some time, we are paying rent at the new house and I’m ready to leave this chapter of our lives behind us.

The boys loved running around the empty house and playing in the backyard which still had the swing-set, for now. It’s just another thing that is up in the air as far as if it’ll stay or not. They also had fun picking up fir cones and putting them in the empty birdbath that may or may not be staying as well. While exploring the backyard with them I was trying to visualize exactly where the chicken coop and garden boxes will go and realized just how disgusting parts of this yard really are. Oh well, at least it’s small.

Then there is the garage, otherwise known as the Cigarette-Smoking-Room. Internet research doesn’t help much in this matter, but I’m going to try a fogger that supposedly will help eliminate the toxins associated with third-hand smoke. My eyes are still itching from just walking in there. Of course, the only product out there that guarantees to eliminate these odors is apparently not sold in stores and mostly to hotels and rental car companies, so we’ll see if the product I can pick up at the local hardware store will work or not.

Alas, so much work, so little time, and hopefully this Thursday we can get the carpet cleaners out to clean the carpets. I’m not expecting any miracles as far as stain removal, but I’m hoping to at least get them clean because they are most definitely the grossest part of the house. But I have to admit that the smell in the garage takes a very close second place.