Thursday, April 08, 2010

full stop

Jen left yesterday and my home feels a little empty, to be honest. It's not a large apartment but she was an excellent house guest (especially the jambalaya she cooked on the last night: so good!). Although she did use all my tissues in an effort to staunch the unceasing flow of mucus from her sinuses. But that's probably better than leaking everywhere..

It's been a while since last update - been a bit busy and too unfocused to blog frankly. Not that my blogging normally exhibits crystal clarity. But it's been a pretty fun and interesting last few weeks what with having my couch (sadly, the shorter version) finally delivered, going to see loud bands in sticky-floored pubs, more farewells (i.e. drinking) for coworkers on the project (which seems to be doing an impression of a collapsing souffle), a clean-up on the old house, and a surfing adventure down to 'nulla. That last was fun and tiring and chafing - my knees had very dodgy looking carpet burns from the board...

The final clean and exit from the house in Forest Lodge was far more emotional than I was expecting.

It wasn't quite so bad on the day Sas & I did the scrubbing, vacuuming and mopping - although saying goodbye to Rufus again, for probably the last time, was seriously awful. But for me it was going around a day later to pick up the last of the plants I could have at my new place that nearly cracked me. Leaving the garden that I'd pottered in for 5 years, plants that I'd grown from seed (the avocados are 5m tall trees now! and the bananas are producing fruit!), landscaping I'd done, composting I'd obsessed over, vege garden I'd completely failed to prevent being eaten by snails - it was traumatic.

It's a period of my life that's very much over now, and for good reasons. But parts of it were excellent: I just hope that in the future I can find as much happiness and contentment as I did in that house. Though to tell the truth I'd prefer even more.

8 comments:

eroica said...

big big hugs to you.
and heartfelt wishes for all the happiness you can take!
xxx

helena said...

I've never had a garden - not since leaving home anyway. There have been loads of shared "spaces" in rented apartments - a square of threadbare green and some spindly rose bush - but not a place where I could dig and plant and get dirt under my nails. It would be wonderful.

I suppose you can console yourself that having dug and planted you're leaving a patch of the world with your mark on it. Some small consolation I know. And, in the future who's to say that there isn't a garden you won't have to leave...small consolation I know.

Moving is traumatic! So wishing you much much happiness and contentment (and maybe a dash of excitement too) in your new home and in life in general!

helena said...

And, in the future who's to say that there isn't a garden you won't have to leave...

I think i got my negatives mixed up - still on my first cup of coffee this morning. But you know what I mean (hopefully!)

Jen said...

I miss you too! A house full of pouty bitchy grr-animals and a jungle in the backyard seems far less comfortable than yours.

I think (shhh) that my mucus may be finally nearing the end of it's very very long life....

And shame on you for not telling me about the trauma - I was right there!!!! arg, you.

fishboy said...

bo: thanks babe :)

helena: After only a few years flatting I decided I wasn't going to let the transient nature of the lifestyle hold me back and I think I've left most places I've lived in the last 15+ years with better gardens than when I moved in. And fully functioning compost heaps. Whether or not the gardens are tended after me I feel like I've given the next people at least more options. And I recommend getting your green fingers on just for the fun of it - even if it's a tiny patch of ground you can make something spectacular out of it with time & water & sunlight. It ain't hard - nature does the heavy lifting.

I got what you mean too, you got the tenses right - I think!

Jen: I bet you're loving being back with the animals really :) I'm jealous. I played with the downstairs neighbour's cat this morning and was enviously watching a guy throwing a ball for his dog in the park this afternoon... Not sure how long I'm going to be able to last without pets..

Yeah, sorry about bottling that up. I just needed time to process before I talked about it. Or I might have ended up sobbing - which wouldn't have been fun for anyone!

eroica said...

apart from the guy who watches you from the building across the road.
yup that's right, a couple of windows along from the duck....

fishboy said...

Stop it! You're making my anatidaephobia worse...

eroica said...

those beady yellow eyes... always there... always watching...