Well, Dan’s getting on my nerves now, so I threw my stereo on. Figures, huh? Other than that, though, it’s been dead quiet. What he’s doing is today and yesterday he sat there gunning a loud engine on some old truck or something like that for 10-15 minutes. What is it with people sitting and gunning engines in this state? Anyway, that’s a far cry better than bass thumping at thunderous volumes that not even rock bands play at 3’ from the house, but I wonder if this is going to be a daily routine of his now, even though it doesn’t seem to last too long.

I can’t believe I once said that this master bedroom was smaller than the one in Phoenix when it’s the other way around. It’s almost as wide, but it’s certainly longer.

Our phone was installed on Friday. We just got one line. Fortunately, they have voice messaging out here. I want that and Caller ID. He’s been running wires and installing phone jacks in our offices and the living room. He accidentally cut a wire in the wall to a plug in his office and the guest room, so that’s one more thing he’ll have to fix.

I got new ink cartridges the other day, so I decorated the walls with some of the pictures I printed out of animals and scenery.

Dennis and his wife should be here anytime now to pick up the trailer.

We went out hunting for a washer and dryer and ended up stopping at Heilig-Meyers where we were given back $100 for the damaged tables I had returned. We saw one of the guys who delivered the living room set and chatted with him for a few minutes, then took the $100 we were given and bought another 3-table set for that price. They’re weird, yet nice looking and I got all three to fit in the den just fine. I have the couch in front of the windows with the two smaller tables on each side. On the other side of the small tables are the couch and loveseat. The bigger, longer table is in front of the couch. They’re glass with black frames. The bottom shelves are net-like, rather than solid. I put a couple of dolls and my white carnations under the big one and it looks really cool. I put my little palm tree Tom’s mom gave me under one of the smaller ones and a black and white stuffed rabbit that matches nicely under the other.

The last time we had sex, Tom decided to play games again. It was sooo boring, too. First I was doing him by hand for what seemed like forever, and then he was too soft to go in me so he had me do him some more, saying he wasn’t quite ready and jumped the gun (but what it really was was a case of him not being able to get hard enough. Or not wanting to). What burned me up was that look of pure pleasure on his face as he got off of me and had me do him some more till he had me stop and we quit altogether. That’s just not normal! Any normal man would be totally frustrated. But not him. He loved every minute of it, and it was so obvious that he planned it all out. Why does he do this? Why does he get off on turning me off? I’m already dreading the next time we screw. Well, it’s not that I actually dread it, I just don’t want to bother. It’s gonna be so damn boring and predictable and I’m just so sick of it. I find myself making more and more excuses to get out of sex and I really believe that someday, although it may take 5-10 years, we won’t be having sex at all.

Later...

Dennis came and got his trailer today, but he came alone. He got a little opportunity-happy, too. We figured he’d round the $1300 we owed him to an even $1000, but we didn’t know he’d want the money so fast. First he wanted it all today, then said he didn’t want to make things hard for us, so he agreed to take $500 now and the rest next week. Tom said he’d talk to Ma about it and I’m sure she’ll give him the money. Sometimes I don’t know what we’d do without that woman despite the many complaints I’ve had about her. It makes me wonder what we’ll do when she’s gone. What if we need a few hundred bucks or more in a hurry after she’s gone? She offered money for the two new tires Tom had to get last week, but he had already gotten them, so it’s not like she’s not willing to help us out.

Tom said he noticed that next door was building an addition at the side of their house as he was going out to go grocery shopping. And I didn’t hear a thing! Although, if I were sitting in the den and had the rock tumbler turned off, I might’ve faintly been able to hear the hammering, but again, thank God it wasn’t 3’ away! He wasn’t sure what the addition was. It could be a garage, he said.

Tomorrow’s MLK Day and thank God I don’t have to worry about that either! Now that we’re settled in the house, holidays won’t be a part of our lives anymore. Not in a bad way. Just in a good way. They used to bring nothing but stress and trouble, for the most part, but now we can enjoy having more time together and concentrate on that alone without having to worry about what others are gonna do and what shit they’re gonna force us to listen to and deal with. No distractions. That’s how I like it. God only knows why I once wanted a kid and to give all that peace and freedom up. And money. We’re gonna be broke for the next several months and since we know damn well how hard it can be sometimes for two people to get by, imagine if there were more of us? That’s a scary thought.

Katie appeared to be dying starting about four days ago, but I don’t know. One minute it looks like she’s gonna die any second, the next she’s out and about eating. She’s very weak, though, and hasn’t wheeled, so she’s still not right. She is old, after all, and I don’t expect her to be around much longer.