Almost Daily

I wrote the last entry here on Tuesday and posted it on Wednesday, so I guess I'm pretty much daily here. The big topic was the heat. But Wednesday the high was 82 and the day was sunny and beautiful. Today, Thursday, it's raining and in the upper 60s. I moved here for weather, and I'm getting it — every day.

Last night was my first foray into La Crosse gay society, attending a fundraiser for the 7 Rivers LGBT Resource Center. It was at a place called Wine Guyz downtown, and it included a raffle of various stuff gleaned from the community. I bought a block of 35 tickets for $20, had a couple glasses of Chardonnay and left a huge tip (the center's board members were waiting tables, so the tips went to the center, as well). Twenty percent of the proceeds from drink sales also went to the center. I won a very nice photo print at the raffle).

I got to meet a couple older guys, Dan (a professor at Winona State University) and Dick (the owner of a group of radio stations in the area). Our server was Bob, a center board member who is a web developer. He was glad to meet me, since he's often in need of a designer to work with on larger web projects. So, all in all, it was a really good networking opportunity. I did have to e-mail Jackson (exec. director) to get the e-mails for the three gentlemen. (I have to remember to carry a pen and small pad of paper at all times.)

Today, even with the constant rain, I went down to Wettstein's and purchased the last of the lighting fixtures I need for the house. When all is said and done, I know they will improve the look of the place immensely. Once everything's in place, the next move is painting (for the downstairs) and getting bed and furniture for the second bedroom. There's a deadline for this one, as Kittie and David are slated to visit in mid-August and it wouldn't do to have them in sleeping bags on the floor.

I spent a good part of the afternoon going online and updating my contact information for all the concerns that sent me mail at the old address. Those that weren't accessible by website or e-mail were phoned and everything updated. But when I went to purchase checks for my local checking account, I found that I must go into the bank proper to order the first set. After that, I can go online to renew.

I also dropped an e-mail to the president of the board of trustees for the Unitarian Universalist Church next door, introducing myself. They don't have any services there during the summer (no AC?), but she wrote back and invited me to a Sunday nature walk scheduled for this weekend (it starts at 9 a.m.), which I just might attend.

My agoraphobia is rearing up every once in a while, but I seem to simply bully myself through it. It crossed my mind to skip the wine social yesterday, but I attended and had a good time. The same held true for shlepping down to the Wettstein's to finish my light shopping.

My office space is slowly getting it together, enough now so that I can do my bills and still know what's in each pile on the desk. Next move: piles into filing drawers.

Once again today, I had someone say, "Oh, I know the house you're talking about. It's really cute!"

So at some point there will be a housewarming, hopefully before Kittie and David get here, but there will be one.

And that's that: fewer loose ends, feeling more and more like this is my home, both my house and La Crosse in general.

One thing you can say for daily entries, they're a lot shorter!