Sheepie is c-ewe-t, and I love how Sheepie and Pullip appear to be practically twins. They have similar eyes. And that's a really cute outfit on the Pullip.
Is there nothing you can do about your neighborhood situation? City (county? Island?) council, or planning commission, or calling the cops? Are there no regulations about noise, dust, or traffic? I mean... it's Canada, where they regulate everything! How are they allowed to operate a heavy equipment business in a residential area?
While I'm typing this, I'm thinking about here where I live, and how the county and the city always side with the money... which means with the developers, contractors, and long-time ranchers... who are all related to one another (because: Utah). I shouldn't have even asked, because you've probably already looked in to all those options, and bringing it up only adds to your frustration.
When I started thinking about moving from da mainland to Hawaii, I started boxing things up two years prior to making the move. That was a positive response: one of the few times in my life when I was optimistic about making something happen and I started taking practical steps to make it happen. I don't mean, like, thinking about it or haphazardly tidying things up; I mean literally taking things off shelves, putting them in cardboard boxes, taping the boxes shut, and labeling the boxes with a Sharpie pen. As an example: I boxed up all my clothes I wanted to keep (other than my work uniforms - I was a postal carrier at that time) and only left out what would fit in a suitcase; so clothing-wise, I was literally ready to go at a moment's notice.
It's a good way to get yourself to think: is this something I really want to haul with me?
About two years prior to leaving Hawaii, which was a less positive eksperience, I again began purging my stuff and boxing up what I wanted to keep. In retrospect I wish I had done more to make staying in Hawaii feasible, as I miss it dreadfully every day. However, at the time I was seeing that, mostly financially but also neighbor-increasingly-from-hell, things weren't trending well, and I knew that I couldn't sell or even show the house the way it was, so I began purging and boxing.
As to purging, there are two options: eBay or the dump. It's rarely worth the effort to "donate" items to thrift/charity shops these days. They don't even want the stuff anymore. The volunteer staff at the d*mned "hospital thrift store" where I live now almost look kinda pissed off when I take in bags or boxes of stuff... which is always hella-better stuff than the crap they usually have. Books I've always been able to donate to the local library for their used book sales.
Maybe clear out your stuff, put what you want to keep in storage, and turn your house in to a vacation rental. Go live "on the road" for a while as an itinerant house- and pet-sitter.
I dunno. I'm trying to figure out what my "next move" should be. My situation, at least at present, is not as dire as is yours, but it's not long-term sustainable, either.
I should go see what's in some of the boxes under the desk out in the storage shed that I haven't looked at since shipping them from Hawaii. Yup, even after a major purge and ruthless culling, there's a crap-ton of stuff left that prolly shoulda been pitched.
NOTE: sometimes, culling, sorting, and boxing up stuff is a psychological avoidance mechanism, offering a feeling of forward momentum while accomplishing nothing practical. I'm not yet entirely sure how to determine when my efforts are practical and when they are procrastination.
Is there nothing you can do about your neighborhood situation? City (county? Island?) council, or planning commission, or calling the cops? Are there no regulations about noise, dust, or traffic? I mean... it's Canada, where they regulate everything! How are they allowed to operate a heavy equipment business in a residential area?
While I'm typing this, I'm thinking about here where I live, and how the county and the city always side with the money... which means with the developers, contractors, and long-time ranchers... who are all related to one another (because: Utah). I shouldn't have even asked, because you've probably already looked in to all those options, and bringing it up only adds to your frustration.
When I started thinking about moving from da mainland to Hawaii, I started boxing things up two years prior to making the move. That was a positive response: one of the few times in my life when I was optimistic about making something happen and I started taking practical steps to make it happen. I don't mean, like, thinking about it or haphazardly tidying things up; I mean literally taking things off shelves, putting them in cardboard boxes, taping the boxes shut, and labeling the boxes with a Sharpie pen. As an example: I boxed up all my clothes I wanted to keep (other than my work uniforms - I was a postal carrier at that time) and only left out what would fit in a suitcase; so clothing-wise, I was literally ready to go at a moment's notice.
It's a good way to get yourself to think: is this something I really want to haul with me?
About two years prior to leaving Hawaii, which was a less positive eksperience, I again began purging my stuff and boxing up what I wanted to keep. In retrospect I wish I had done more to make staying in Hawaii feasible, as I miss it dreadfully every day. However, at the time I was seeing that, mostly financially but also neighbor-increasingly-from-hell, things weren't trending well, and I knew that I couldn't sell or even show the house the way it was, so I began purging and boxing.
As to purging, there are two options: eBay or the dump. It's rarely worth the effort to "donate" items to thrift/charity shops these days. They don't even want the stuff anymore. The volunteer staff at the d*mned "hospital thrift store" where I live now almost look kinda pissed off when I take in bags or boxes of stuff... which is always hella-better stuff than the crap they usually have. Books I've always been able to donate to the local library for their used book sales.
Maybe clear out your stuff, put what you want to keep in storage, and turn your house in to a vacation rental. Go live "on the road" for a while as an itinerant house- and pet-sitter.
I dunno. I'm trying to figure out what my "next move" should be. My situation, at least at present, is not as dire as is yours, but it's not long-term sustainable, either.
I should go see what's in some of the boxes under the desk out in the storage shed that I haven't looked at since shipping them from Hawaii. Yup, even after a major purge and ruthless culling, there's a crap-ton of stuff left that prolly shoulda been pitched.
NOTE: sometimes, culling, sorting, and boxing up stuff is a psychological avoidance mechanism, offering a feeling of forward momentum while accomplishing nothing practical. I'm not yet entirely sure how to determine when my efforts are practical and when they are procrastination.
They're not dolls, they're action figures!