IT sounds like a really bad joke

I had some errands to run this morning, so I figured I'd get up with the sun and get them out of the way!
I went over to Greenbrier and did some shopping, picked up my meds. Stopped by Home Depot and Lowes to grab about a bajillion paint chips.  The attic is going to need a LOT of paint and I want punch! pizazz!  Each room in this house is going to be a BLAST of color! 

Anyway, I pulled up to the house around 7 or 8, much later than I intended but it sure was a great shopping day!  I noticed that the light in the attic was on.  I always forget that thing. although I guess I should be thankful(??) it served as a not too gentle reminder that I really need to get through that very last box. 

So I drag it down into the kitchen. Since I had not yet eaten and I figured I could multitask even better when in close proximity to the food, and port!  I started some water for the pasta then turned to the table and started laying out the contents of this box.  Either I need glasses or the attic is darker than I realized because I noticed some words written on the side of the box in what appears to be permanent marker... really old permanent marker.  Beauregard?  What's that?

Inside the box I found maps of North Carolina from, like... the Civil War era and some more from waaay back in colonial times.  There were a couple of books that looked old enough to be worth something on eBay.  A journal that belonged to some dude named Isaac Vance, all I could think was "what would Uncle Nicky want with that?" tucked into the back of the binding were drawings of all kinds of contraptions. like rube goldberg fails or something.  "that's funny, this journal mentions Beauregard just like the side of the box." There's a hunk of metal.  just rusty old ugle metal.  Theres a telescope or whatever they called 'em in those pirate movies ,it looks broken and old, old old... but the hourglass that I found in there actually looks like its in near perfect condition. There's a nasty old decrepit hat.. I'll have to google it to find the proper name.  I've only ever heard it called an Ivy hat.  OH GOODY!! I was right!  YAY ME!  That deserves a celebratory drink! There's a pocket watch that seems to have been on its last leg about a hundred years ago... did they even have time back then?

At the very bottom of the box was a notebook filled with Uncle Nicky's handwriting. It's really old and really hard to read. I'll have to spend some more time on it later..

The strangest thing...

So... There I am.  THE ATTIC.

I've gotten rid of everything that I can get rid of.
I've moved almost all of the furniture to different rooms.
Just when I think I've got this attic empty and ready to start decorating it I notice a box. It was under one of the gable windows that had a dark curtain hung in front of it.  Which I guess is why I didn't see the box.  Either way, I'm walking into the gable, sweep a web outta my face (I've gotten waaaay too comfortable with spider webs)  and almost break my nose when I trip over the box and fall against the window. The curtain came tumbling down  "let there be light!"

I go to lift the box and the thing is sooo heavy.  I figure it must be another box of books... so I rip the tape, pull back the flaps and instead I find more junk.  A stack of old maps from North Carolina and the canals. Some pictures,  a couple of books. Something that looks like a journal and more crap.  I swear this man collected more random stuff.  But then I got to thinking.  All the knick knacks and stuff I carried out of here tended to be grouped together.  He collected a lot of stuff, but he was neat about it.  and orderly.. Almost OCD about keeping like items together.  Boxes of books.  Shelves full of paper.  Racks full of clothes. 

This is a box of random, and I mean random items that only go together because they are in this box.
I left it for tomorrow, since its almost midnight and I am exhausted.

More from the ATTIC.

Back to work in what I have affectionately named THE ATTIC FROM HELL THAT TIME FORGOT AND MY UNCLE SCORNED.  OKay, not really, but my GOODNESS! How much stuff can one man collect in 67 years?  There were Christmas decorations from at least three different decades (none the most recent)  There were boxed clothes that were older than me!  I filled the trunk and back seat of my car TWICE with things that were going to local charities. 

FINALLY!  I can see the back wall of this place.  It's huge.  I might convert this to a master suite if I can get plumbing up here.   The gable windows and all the different angles of the roof add so much character!  Gosh, I love this old house!  and it's all mine!! Each floor is going to be so different.  Most of what's let in the attic is knick knacks, bric-a-brac, odds and ends that Uncle Nick collected from his travels around the country and the world.  I'm going to use a bunch of this stuff to decorate!  It's going to be AWESOME!!

My Birthday!!

WOOHOO!!!  What an amazing weekend!

My best buds took me out on Friday to start the birthday weekend festivities. We did it up right. They were all like, you need to take a break from the house, you've been giving it every minute of every hour whenever you aren't at work.  I'm like yeah, it's only been two weeks.  I've been cleaning and moving furniture and rearranging things.  Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to have to sort an old mans clothes?? It's not like they are dirty, It's NOT because he's dead... but... they're all like... gross...
Anyway, we went out and saw Dan Cummins at the Funny Bone.  THAT GUY IS SOOO FUNNY!!!
Then we went down to the Oceanfront and stopped in at HammerHeads but there was nothing going on, so we settle for old Faithful...  Everyone in Peabody's knew it was my birthday by the end of the night and I couldn't pay for a drink if I tried.  Saturday I woke up in Pam's bathroom.  That's all I want to say about that.  I spent the day recovering and trying to find my keys.  When I finally felt human enough I made a very slow, very dry-eyed drive back to my house.  I really wanted to try out the clawfoot tub that was just refinished.

Sunday was a day of rest.  I really wanted to get up to the attic, but there was no way.  I made it up to the fourth step and the extra altitude sent my head for a tail spin.  I almost ended up on my butt! kind of funny... kind of pathetic.  Really? It takes two days to recover now?
 Maybe next weekend I'll be able to spend some time up there.

Today, when I got to work, the other ladies in the office had a cake and some gifts waiting for me!They are so sweet!  I couldn't believe it..  A new coffee mug, a gift card for iTunes and one for the Day Spa we always talk about going to but never quite do.  I guess I'll be the sacrificial lamb, tee-hee...

The Attic

You ever seen GOONIES?

I know, I know that movie is as old as I am!  But that's another thing I got from Uncle Nick. A love for all things 80's!!  He always used to say that he loved everything from the 80's Everything that even looks like the 80's... He said that he loved the movies, the music, the hairstyles,, but above all else, he loved me. Then I'd say that he was the sweetest, kindest, bestest uncle I had.  It always ended with him reminding me that he's my ONLY uncle..  was my only uncle.. I've really got to STOP crying sometime! 
Anyway, the Goonies.  I finally made my way to the top of the stairs and into the Attic.  It was like the scene straight of the movie where the kids go up and find all kinds of crap laying around everywhere they are gawking and laughing.  THAT's Uncle Nick's attic.  well... it's mine now....
GEEZ louise. these tears!! 
OKAY... THIS attic is just like that, except I don't even have room to wander around and gawk at this place. I'm going to have to clean just to have room to get up here and clean. So, I got as far as I could this afternoon.  The boxes immediately around the attic door were filled with books.  REALLY BIG.  REALLY HEAVY BOOKS!  I really need to get to the gym.  I had to unpack the books and carry them down 8-10 at a time.  These books... they were from everywhere, about every topic under the sun.

OMG this house is like a museum

SO.   Uncle Nick died unexpectedly.  I HOPE that's why I'm finding things the way they are in this house!  OMG!  I'm serious.  It's like... I dunno.  Like he expected to come right back... but then... I guess he did.  

OKAY.. BAWL-fest done.  I miss him... He was like the best uncle I've ever heard of!  Even better than any movie or TV uncle.  That goes for the man from U.N.C.L.E ... Nick always made me watch that whenever I'd visit.  He loved old stuff like that. 
I got the key last Friday, moved some of my stuff into one of the spare bedrooms. and started poking around.  Over the weekend I started making a list of the furtiture that I'd keep, and the stuff that would eventually go away.  Each night this week, I'd pick a room and box up all of the personal stuff that had no meaning to me.  I did find some pictures of Nana, Papa, and mom and Uncle Nick... Those I'm keeping.  

If you ever find yourself in this position, take the time to move in slowly.  "Joe" has been extremely considerate. He said that I could stay in the apartment as long as I needed so that the transition is easy.  AND.. I wouldn't have to pay anymore.  I guess I'll never know what Uncle Nick did, and why "joe" owes him so big.  The only big hassle of taking ownership of this gorgeous house has been getting all of the utilities into my name.  Canceling the phone service was a monumental chore.  Once I convinced them that I did in fact actually have permission to discuss the account, and the right to change things...  I then had to convince them that I didn't need a home phone.  Seriously?  I can't believe they even offer it anymore.  (I really thought this was all taken care of)