Housekeeping....

Which is exactly what I've been doing for the last week or so -- well, at least sort of. In reality, I came down to the big city in order to take care of a few things, so it was more "personal housekeeping" than actual house housekeeping.

Not exactly exciting, but in many ways very very exciting.

For example, I have somehow spent the last year living in the mountains of Colorado, at ten thousand feet, with a steep steep driveway (and when I say steep, I mean steep: 10 percent grade or an approximately 500 foot drop in 600 feet), without -- yes, I did just say without -- a 4WD vehicle of my own.

It did make it more adventurous in many ways -- as it often meant having to park at either the top of the drive, or even back behind the Forest Service Gate (so a grand total of just over a quarter mile from the house -- in other words, not insane insane, just insane -- because there is a difference). This did not just mean having to trek through several feet of snow to walk down to the cabin, but also having to trek back with a sled and then sledding any things in my car back to the cabin.

Which could be rather entertaining when puppy Rilke would try to grab the rope on the sled and "help" me bring it to the cabin. Hey! He was trying!

Anyway, so part of what I did this past week was finally acknowledge that I actually did indeed need a 4WD vehicle to truly survive in the mountains. So I am now the proud owner of a Salsa Red Pearl Toyota 4Runner.

As the sales manager said -- "you can just say the color matches your personality: salsa...."

Umm. Yeah.

But I gotta admit, he's also correct. After all, I spent months searching to ensure that I did not have the exact same car that every other person in this great state has -- well, okay, one of two: either a Subaru or a Toyota 4Runner in black, silver or magnetic grey. So yeah, I guess it matches my personality since I was the one who insisted upon red.

Because I gotta be me.....

Or something like that.

More like I am one of those people who gets a bit obsessed with being different -- in reality, because I figure that way I can excuse my bitchiness.... As it is not that I am a bitch, thankyouverymuch, I am just different -- and you cannot appreciate that or the difference.

So there.

I also did a few doctor's visits type things, including seeing a "biostress management consultant" aka a homeopathic doctor aka a biorhythm doctor. This was incredibly fascinating as I was basically told my body was a complete mess. Now, I have been fully aware of this for a long time -- and it was partly why I thought I would try some alternative medicine -- but I gotta admit, the more I thought about it, the more I questioned the whole thing....

Nah.... really what got me? When she said my liver was failing and I had to stop drinking immediately. One has to draw the line somewhere!

Frankly, part of the housekeeping was also, well -- personal. I am one of those people that uses television as "white noise" in the background. Whenever I have lived alone, I have always found it somehow comforting to be able to have a television on, even if I am paying absolutely no attention to it. Silly I suppose, but it always seemed to make me feel like I was not quite so alone..... There actually were (!) other people around me, just in the other room or something.....

Yes, very silly. I know. So sue me. Or, more appropriately for all of you: so mock me. Because I know you already have. Just be honest about it -- I mean, c'mon. To.My.Face.People.

So I also will be very honest that I have spent all this time in the "big city" just so I could spend a week doing nothing but watching television -- or tee vee as a dear friend calls it. It was incredibly comforting and reassuring, like spending a week with an old friend. Not to mention the fact that I also was able to watch some amazing football.

Yeah, I am one of those people who absolutely loves certain sports -- will happily spend an entire day (or more!) doing nothing but staring at a screen, yelling at the top of my lungs for half the time (because really, they can hear me, and my advice will make a difference -- really!).

So as sad, or logical, as it may sound (and I know all of you are actually nodding your heads right now, it's just half of you are nodding for the "sad" part and half for the "logical" part), the one thing I am really really going to miss about not having television at the cabin will be sports: college and pro football, college basketball.

I may have to rethink that whole "I don't want to pay those ridiculous satellite television fees" .... but of course, I can't even pretend to do that until summer. With several feet of snow on the ground -- and, most important, on the roof -- already.....

It's going to be a long quiet winter....

But, perhaps the most important reason for this "housekeeping" post: I did go out and purchase a few domain names for Murphy's Cabin -- because it's so special it deserves its own name! So from now on, if you chose to come to the blog, instead of subscribing by email (which I highly recommend -- even I subscribe! After all, I might forget what I wrote! Ummmm. Seriously.), then from now on you can set your browsers, save your bookmark for www.murphyscabin.net -- or click here.

Happy Sunday and Happy Football watching!