How I spent my summer vacation

Well.

Hello there.

I seem to recall something about this blog.

Oh. That's right. It's MINE.

Welcome back, me.

With this, my 500th post, let me catch you up on summer in Bermtopia.

It all started with a trip to the emergency room with the Mom Unit the first weekend in June.

And Le Grande Macaron Tour. (There will be more about that over at the also-sadly-neglected Because I Said So Kitchen later.)

Annnndddd ANOTHER trip to the emergency room with the Mom Unit.

This go-round resulted in her hanging in a skilled nursing facility for two weeks. The Mom Unit was not impressed.

But we did watch a lot of World Cup. And she's back to fighting form.

Take THAT, Disturbance in the Force.

I seem to recall our purchasing a single-family attached home condo just outside Portland right around the Fourth of July.

And selling the Nine One Four last week.

This is the cleanest eff-ing house in Bermtopia.

This all in between 1,483 trips to Goodwill.

And. Oh. By the way. I retire in 25 days. . .

Move to Portland. . .

And await the arrival our first grandson in September.

But other than that, it's been a pretty quiet summer in Bermtopia.

Please tell me there are Milk Bones in Portland.

The big bad basement blow-out

This downsizing thing might work out after all.

A new dishwasher arrives Saturday. Kitchen flooring has been purchased and installation estimate obtained. Eating bar laminate samples on board for decision-making time once kitchen floor is in. Tub resurfacing to occur in mid-March.

And.

And.

And.

The big bad basement has been Cleaned Out. Behold the before and after.

Before.

After.

Yeah, yeah. I know. Big whoop. Looks pretty much the same, doesn't it?

But you haven't made the two runs to Goodwill. . . delivered several boxes of childhood and adulthood treasures to the Number One and Two Sons in Seattle. . . cleared out holiday decorations unused for years. . .  and purchased three storage bins for the N2S' "guys" -- eminently collectable mint Star Wars characters and other action figures. We've found treasures -- three of my all-time favorite cotton T-shirts! -- and disposed of A LOT of trash.

Believe me, we're lean.

I've started scrubbing down the walls and cupboards -- something, shamefully, that hasn't been done since 1992 when we moved into the Nine-One-Four. Please don't judge. It's the frickin' BASEMENT LAUNDRY/STORAGE ROOM for the love of pete.

Last time I checked, we weren't holding state dinners down there. So get over it.

I'm in a little bit of a foot race (literally) on this piece of the equation since I'm scheduled for some foot surgery (not quite as extreme for reasons that will unfold in due time) on February 22. After that, I'll be twinkle toes over heart -- with a 20 minute break here and there -- for at least a couple of weeks.

But, when spring FINALLY arrives and we can relocate the patio furniture and bikes outdoors -- we will have a cavernous laundry/storage/painstakingly clean big bad basement laundry/storage room.

And let's not forget the adjacent and new and improved Matt Cave.

And 4 bedrooms (all on the same floor), 1.5 baths, 3 blocks from one of the best elementary schools in Bermtopia (go Wilson Wildcats!).

AND most important, a most climb-able cherry tree in the backyard. . . .

If you are under the age of 60.