Things I LOVE and LOVE NOT (so far) about life on the trail

Okay, so I have day-dreamed and spent hours wishing I lived in the country.  I longed for the vacant gravel roads, the bright, starry nights, and the quiet evenings spent drinking Pinot Noir on the patio or (because it's December) by the fire.  The moment has finally arrived and I have driven on those icy gravel roads, stared blankly at the starry nights and enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir...in a plastic cup.  So you've probably guessed, I'm starting with the LOVE NOTs.  Sitting here in the basement, eating off paper plates and drinking wine out of plastic cups is not quite what I have envisioned when I decided that life on the farm was for me.  I know these days will quickly go by and that we will look back and chuckle at life in our basement apartment, but today is not that day and those days have not yet gone by.  If I'm being honest, those things are trivial and I'm not really THAT upset about the temporary inconveniences, but there is 1 thing that I LOVE NOT about life on the trail.

CELL PHONE RECEPTION.  

All of you that live or have lived in the country know exactly what I'm talking about.  For example, last night I was trying to order an appliance for our kitchen remodel over the phone because our card wasn't working online.  I had to stand in this exact spot in our master bedroom upstairs sitting halfway on a desk with my hand holding the phone to my ear, right above my chin, but not dropping any lower than a spot on my cheekbone.  I had many, many visions (or nightmares) of moving the phone an inch and having to spell my full name phonetically again.  Cell phone reception is not one of the country's strong selling points.  It's just not.  That being said, my husband, the problem solver, told me to stop being mad and start using the land line.  Um...land line?  That's right, I am currently using a phone that is connected to a wall.  Tonight I will be sending out a text to my friends and family, giving out my brand new, LAND LINE, phone number.  Tonight I talked to my mom on my brand new land line.  I absolutely, positively, undoubtedly LOVE my brand new land line.  I might LOVE NOT the cell phone reception, but I LOVE our brand new land line.
Okay, now for some remodel talk.  I have taken a few days off to be home with Kevin after his surgery, which has given us ample time to dig into remodel specifics.  Today, we had our electrical walk through to discuss, well, everything electrical.  Our contractor, along with his electrician, walked us through where every single outlet, light, and light switch would be in our new kitchen, family room, and dining room.  Kevin crutched through it and was a trooper.  We are looking forward to the electricians getting their work completed and the drywall getting hung later this week.
I do LOVE NOT the cell phone reception on the trail, but I also know it is a very small price to pay for all the things I LOVE about our new home, like, say, our land line, and the vacant gravel roads, starry nights, and quiet evenings with a glass of Pinot Noir...even if it is in a plastic cup.

A LOVE

Another LOVE...with a knee brace and ice pack.