Brain Teasing

I've noted before in this blog that the brain can be a tricky thing. It was just brought home to me again this week. Screeeeech! Full skidding STOP!  W-T-F !!!!!!!

We went to the new home-to-be for the second time on Tuesday. Our purpose was two-fold. First we got accepted with our bid conditions on purchasing it, beating  the competition. So we were there to drop off a check for earnest money and sign a contract.

Second, while there we had more questions about the place. It seems we were so excited by the features and space of the thing, that even though I took my trusty camera along I neglected to take a single picture of the place! Me! Not one picture! Can you imagine that? Had I done so I could have answered simple questions like which room is in this direction from the front door, what's that  flat thing on top of the stove, is there an ice maker. which closets are where, what windows are where, where is the thermostat, or heat vents, is there AC, and so on. That is just a tiny sample of our questions for our second visit, most of which got answered very patiently.

And this time, of course, I did come back with dozens of photos, like the inside of the one walk-in shower to show where and how many safety bars actually are inside it, rather than simply noting it had at least one ... somewhere. (There are two. Plus a built in bench. Plus two short shelves for shampoos, etc.) Which bathroom has the skylight? Are there just mirrors on the bathroom walls above the sinks or are there medicine chests? (Mirrors only, but lots of storage at different levels. Reminder: get small organizers.) How far does wall X come out from the outside wall into the room to separate the space from the adjoining room? Is there a door in X location? Y? Z?

By the way, I can confirm that the fireplace, for all you doubters out there, is wood burning!

But the teasing part of that first visit is not about how much of what I just "remembered" was wrong after that first visit, but how wrong I "saw" parts of the interior that first time. I could swear the huge room the front door opens up to has a far end that curves into an oval at the far wall, despite knowing the walls are straight with 90 degree corners. I know, weird, huh. Optical illusion, since it's big enough to totally cross the double width, is my most reasonable explanation for that one. I "remembered" a closet inside that front door for coats. It isn't there. I'm thinking we might go out looking for a "tree" to hang coats on in cool months.  Or maybe learn new habits for putting things away.

Because that will happen, right?

I knowingly skipped noting certain features, like in the spa bathtub in the master bathroom, knowing the difficulty both of us would  have using it with our knees. So I still don't know whether it actually has a small ledge/seat on one end or my brain invented it, deep into the wee hours in the dark when I can't sleep because my brain is busy busy busy arranging the furniture. Even the second try with the camera doesn't aim into the tub. Can't-use-it-so-it-doesn't-exist. Unless maybe we can..... with planning, safety bars, some kind of seat, etc.

The windows impressed me on our first go-through with how huge they were and how well decorated. Well, not necessarily that huge, or at least they don't come as low or stretch so wide as I recalled. I'm knocking that one off to white sturdy blinds on all of them, and the lace valences on the tops only cover two windows in actuality. Still beautiful, just not universal, and leaving more room to put furniture and other decorations like pictures up on the walls.

But that last brain trick is one I'm still trying to figure out. Was it the snow falling that day, and a different quality of light? Something else? I know the place wasn't painted a different color in the few days between the two tours. But I swear, and I mean really, really swear, that the two living room areas not only had white trim and window coverings (true), but that between those white features, the walls were painted a light spruce green! It was one of the things I fell in love with the place for, the green and white colors. I commented on it at the time and nobody corrected me. But those walls are a very pale grey!  No green. Grey! Even knowing that, my brain's memory still shouts "GREEN!"

My bedroom is an off-pinkish-tan, a pale version of a color my first husband used to call - from institutional over-usage -"peach barf pink". It was everywhere in the 50s and 60s. I'm thinking back to what I had in Arizona, teal and turquoise. The bedroom carpets are white, not the darker colors I insist were there. And the "well-stretched" parts in the bedrooms are not so stretched but full of bumpy lines which means they will have to be replaced so Steve doesn't trip, especially in the middle of the night. The other two bedroom/pantry walls are more creamy tan than pink or grey. We already planned on painting Steve's walls a darker color, just because he often sleeps in the day and requires a darker space. He wants room darkening curtains as well, likely all a bit lighter than navy. (Yeah, try to find a black cell phone in that room every third day when it goes missing!)

I have no idea why my brain insisted on seeing green. It still does even with photographic proof to the contrary. So I think the only solution, once we sell the Arizona house and have funds to work with, before beds go in, is to go paint shopping, carpet shopping for where tripping could be an issue, and hire some work done before we actually move in! 

Starting with the right shade of green!