Freak me out

G'day again all!

Our house sitter was around again today helping out with stuff.

Tonight he asked "So is it all going to be ready by the 8th?"

Umm, no. No it isn't. The 8th is Friday. THIS Friday. The 8th is the day after we do the visa interview. We won't even know fer shure that we are going until then at the earliest.

List of things to do this week:
a) finish the bathroom
(entails a sub list:

• ring the company to find out why the silicon is still sticky after EIGHT days
  
• measure up the next tiling sheet twice, cut it to size, check it, check it again, drill out holes for the plumbing fixtures, check again and glue onto wall. Sounds easy but it ain't.
  
• paint the waterproofing membrane around the bath and wait at least one day for it to cure.
  
• measure up the next tiling sheet, check it again, cut it, drill out holes for the plumbing, check again and glue onto wall
  
• fix up plasterwork behind vanity and along wall (possible job for house sitter's dad who can do plastering)
  
• paint bathroom
  
• get shower enclosure installed (not measured up yet)
  
• fix up floor (considering painting it but house sitter's dad says he is handy with laying vinyl)
  
• figure out how to close the gaps between tile sheeting and plaster
  

(Note that most of these sub-items require at least one day to complete mainly because various things need to cure or set before the next part can occur))
b) finish bookshelves in hallway (replace shelves and paint with lacquer, then plaster around them - the latter might be for house sitter's dad to do since he likes doing things and is bored now that he is retired)
c) choose the remaining things to take with us on the plane and in our cargo allowance
d) pack other stuff away into boxes for storage in garage
e) obtain hammerlock shelves for storage of stuff in garage
f) get rid of furniture, both from the house and the garage
g) mulch more of the yard and plant some more plants
h) give away as many plants as we can
i) get photos for visas, pay visa fee, attend visa interview*
j) make sure I have my tax stuff all packed in carry on luggage
k) give various electricals to the people who want/need/technically own them
l) cry cos I am leaving my cats and my friends and everything that is familiar to me behind, and cos I am a gibbering wreck

*We can't take a bag with us to the US consulate. It is likely to rain on Thursday and I am not even sure I am game to take an umbrella. They appear to be very very concerned about security and people leaving bombs around the place. I will have to hire a locker at the train station for my bag since our interview is at 2pm and I will need to carry food and knitting with me, along with all the visa stuff.

I am sure I have left a helluva lot of stuff out, like clean up fibre room and work out what do to with all the yarn and tops that have not sold and get stuff to the guild so they can sell if for me (but they will only sell handspun, not tops and commercially spun yarns). If I take it with me to the States will I be considered to be working if I sell it? I won't have a work permit for some months, if at all. Here I am regarded as a hobbyist - you have to sell more than $3,000 a year before the tax office cares.

Stressed? Me? Never!

anon!