what an odd day it has been. i woke up feeling like ass (pardon my crudity) after having been up until 0200 cleaning. my alarm was set for 0930, but i'd awoke at 0739 and was up for quite a bit before getting a small amount of extra sleep, in which i had a short, bizarre dream about buying a box of jell-o flan. (that was it. i saw the box on the shelf, told mike, 'hey, i think i'll buy this,' picked it up, and headed for the register. end dream; took all of, what, five seconds?) as i've a cold, it was guaranteed i'd wake still feeling ill, but this morning was awful. my throat was so blocked, breathing was - and is - still much harder than it needs to be. i managed to have a shower, which at least calmed my nerves a bit, but i spent the rest of the day cleaning. i stayed home from work as i'd been getting dizzy spells (and even now am feeling more than a bit lightheaded, so pardon the misspellings), which the cleaning only contributed to, but it had to be done as we were told there'd be someone coming by to view the flat for a possible rental. (they never came.) on the plus side, it really looks great in here. michael even was happy about it and paid very generous compliments. he'd had to work last night, so most of the cleaning was done by me; it's great to know it's appreciated. i only wish we'd have done this far earlier; hopefully, i can maintain it at the new place. the kitchen looks like it could be a '50s diner - how cool is that? it feels really nice to have everything so clean, and it's decorated in a way that even michael really likes. too bad it's all going to change in a week, but i'll have fun being able to it again once we're moved. as long as we can keep it clean, i think we'll be fine. heh. some bad news: the store i've been selling my artwork at is closing. apparently, the owners (who are awesome) have some medical issues and aren't able to keep it going. it's really disappointing, because i haven't ever found a store i like as much. they sell awesome books, really swell glasses and kitchenware from the 1940s and '50s, and gorgeous local artwork (everything from paintings and found art to hand-made cards, hand bags, and hats - pardon the alliteration). anyhow, i stopped there (very) briefly to pick up the pieces of mine that didn't sell, since they're closing within the next week or two. i'm debating whether to put them on ebay or etsy, bring them to work, or try out a cafe near-by. we'll see. (extra money is definitely a plus right now.) anyhow, that's all for now. and i'll keep you posted on new moving developments; i just want this to go smoothly. guh. oh. also, mum's giving us her & dad's guidebook to germany, austria, and france (how perfect is that?), as they won't be needing it for awhile. that will definitely help make the planning stage a bit easier still. (= 'night, everyone. [edit: 25 oct - 2326 CDT] i've been playing round with colours again and decided to try some browns. (i looooove brown.) hope it looks decent; on this laptop, things don't always look quite as they do on the regular computer. =P