Wednesday, March 30, 2011
lost items
After the week of spring break and all the packing we did to prep the house for sale, there was a list of misplaced items. Things were put away somewhere with no idea of where they are now. One of those items was, of course, Trevor's back pack. We pulled a spare out of storage and set him up with all new school supplies. Riley couldn't find his wallet with his school ID in it. Neither boy had money for lunches. I am up sizing our garbage can and going to tackle the garage. With any luck these items may eventually make a reappearance. No calls to see our house yet, at the new price. I am still trying to find a home where we want to be. Offering and re offering and getting turned down. Eventually something will fall into place. Its like browsing Goodwill. Some days are more successful than others at the bargain shopping . Now that the boys have started the new semester., Tom and I agree to not rush until school lets out. Riley is taking a speech class this semester that I think is very beneficial for him . He likes all his classes. He was sitting on the end of the bed going over his first few days in the new semester and what his teachers are all like in his new classes. He has a lot of electives this semester; graphic design, modern manufacturing, speech, along with English and Science. No math this semester. He finished the freshman requirement in math. The electives are to expose the students to future careers. Riley was easy with his engineering bent. There is a whole list of available classes that sounded interesting to him. What I loved most was he knew names of students in his class. He said he even had some friends he sat with at lunch. His pre lunch class is near Taco bell so he can beat the lines and eat cheaply off campus. One of the reasons he did Burgerville was there was never any lines. He couldn't get to the other restaurants from his class in time to miss the lines. This semester his class is the closest door to the off campus restaurants. He glowed with pleasure at contemplating all those off campus meals this semester. It is cheaper to eat at Taco Bell than on campus. I had debated going free lunch with Tom out of work, but Riley told me they restrict what he can eat on the free lunch program. I want him to be able to eat what he wants. He needs the weight gain. On the other hand he told me what he has been getting; chips and candy bars and tatter tots. Not one iota of fruits or vegetables mentioned. Trevor gets these heaping spinach salads each time. Along with what ever other heaping food he can order. His problem is proportions. Moderate servings doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary. I am trying to eat at the dining table with the boys recently. I had a discussion at work with one of my co workers. She was describing to me a young man with poor table manners that had been to her home. It could have easily been my own sons. They will soon be of dating age. They had better work on their table manners. I had to chuckle to myself yesterday. Riley had on his orange slicker pants with the black stripe down the side. It was a gift from another Beaver to Tom. Riley now wears them regularly. He had tried to coordinate the pants with his shirt this time. The plaid he had chosen had orange and brown and black in it. Close, but still the slicker pants have got to go. I may just box up those elastic waisted pants for a while. If they are not in the closet, Riley will grab regular pants without thinking about it. How did I raise two boys who do not wear blue jeans. They both say jeans are too stiff and uncomfortable. I have jeans in every size just waiting to be chosen and always passed over. As we pack up, I think I will selectively sort. Some things do not need to be found again.
Turning 50
The boys couldn't get us out the door fast enough. They would have free reign of the house for 24 hours. All the computer and Television that they wanted to watch. We, Tom and I were headed to Seattle for another 50Th. some friends were in town that we hadn't seen in a long time. This was the only way we would get to see them. It was an overnight down and back. One of my dear friends, she and her husband had been a grooms man and brides maid in our wedding, had offered us their guest room to crash in the night of the event. Saving us the cost of a hotel room. That was the clincher. If we only are out the gas and dinner out, we could afford to go right now. I really wanted to go. Tom is rested and has energy. He likes to play again. What fun to go out and party with our old party mates in our old stomping grounds. My girlfriend has an old house right on the water on Lake Washington. It is so soothing and peaceful. I feel sometimes that I have dropped into a little piece of heaven when I visit her. They are always fun company and good people. Their children are delightful. The house and grounds need work. Her husband had just rebuilt his lawn mower and mowed the lawn before we arrived. The elevation from the front lawn to the back lawn on the water, is probably 80 feet. He has a mower for each level so he doesn't have to carry it down and back each time. I keep telling them to invite us up for a work party. Have a long weekend and put all us free loaders to work that come up and visit regularly. I would love to work on that house or that property. It feels like a vacation home with its location on the water. What we liked about Longview was that same feeling of vacation home. We were always hosting parties and having friends come stay. The golf course was just down the block, an easy golf cart or walking distance from our front door. It was our playground year round. That is what we want to recapture. We have a vision. For 24 hours we will go to Seattle and recapture some of that sparkle we had when we were dating 20 years ago. I was good. I did not have cocktails at the house. I did try one of those 5 hour energy drinks. It was going to be a late night and I had never had an energy drink before. They don't taste bad at all, but half of one would have been best. I could feel my heart change tempo shortly after. I didn't feel razzed like when I drink coffee. I definitely felt wide eyed and alert. The reservations were at a blues club down by the piers downtown. My girlfriend drove. Tom had wanted to take a taxi, and refused to try the light rail which is just a few blocks from their home. Tom doesn't do public transport if he can help it. We agreed that if everyone drank too much we could pick up the car in the morning. It would be Sunday and no parking fees or fines. Like magic we found a spot on the street not far from the blues club. We were early. The band wouldn't start for two hours. When they did start it seemed like we had just arrived. The talk and news flowed like water. It was just like the old days. I was being good. I ordered a diet coke to start slow. Then one of our friends ordered a round of drinks for everyone for the toasting. Half a Guinness or stout beer and a chaser of baileys and whiskey. I don't do beer, so I passed my beer off to Tom. But the baileys and whiskey were delightful. It was the ice breaker. After that I ordered a gin and tonic. Several of those later the music was playing, we were dancing. I ordered a couple of vodka and crans to change up the routine. I remember giving Tom a boof lick, its a taquila shot with salt licked from his neck and taking the lime from his lips. I remember thinking this drink was a mistake. Some time later I felt that need to expunge the liquids with a quick race to the bathroom. That is when I knew tomorrow would be trouble. I believe we stayed until closing but don't quote me. I figure the only reason I wasn't asleep in some corner was because I drank that 5 hour energy drink. I was some what wide awake. But when those 5 hours were up, Cinderella had hit a wall. I slept soundly until morning in a nice dark room, but eventually the need to put in an appearance made me raise my head up from the pillow. Major mistake moving. I dragged myself to the bathroom for three ibuprofen. A little OJ from the fridge to settle the blood sugar. Then more lying prone on the living room couch. The TV was droning on irritatingly thanks to the men. I dragged myself up to my girlfriend's room where she was trying to decide if she should get up after such a late night. She was not hung over as she didn't drink much if at all. But it had been a late party night with lots of energy expelled on the dance floor. I was able to convince her to stay in bed and talk to me about what was going on in her life and with her family and friends. That way I didn't have to be sitting up to listen. I could curl up under the blankets again in a prone position while still enjoying her company. It took several hours before I began to feel normal. She found some saltines in her kitchen cupboards to settle my stomach. I nibbled at one for a good half hour. Once I had that saltine to help absorb the acid in my stomach I felt much more human again. It only emphasises the fact that I am way too old to drink any more. I should have stuck to the diet coke after the toasting. Luckily Tom is so in love with his Cadillac that he would not consider me driving it. He had to do all the driving. I got to sleep on the ride home. The house was messy from the boys. Dishes were scattered everywhere. They had not missed us. It didn't take that long to clean up with their help. Thank you who ever invented dishwashers. A lovely time was had by all over the weekend. Monday it is back to school and work.
Monday, March 28, 2011
The dive
The dive is back on the market. The bidder never signed the acceptance contract. He backed out. So do we re bid at our original plan? Let them stew for a bit. Re offer on the other house? I called and spoke to the owners of our old house. They are considering moving. They have remodeled. As a result they are priced out of our budget range. They are expecting a fourth child with only four bedrooms. Budding teenagers are not good sharing roommates. I dwell on our options. Our new house price is $259,900 for our house. Riley has new blood tests on April 14. We have to pull him from school a little early to make the appointment. He has to have his blood drawn early enough so we don't keep the doctor waiting for results. The four thirty time was just a little late for everyone. He wanted us at three thirty instead. The boys started the new semester. Trevor got the music for the big trip that he will not be attending. He is now officially mad at me for not paying for it. The dead line is past. He did not make the required grades. I told him no D's on the report card. The teachers said he did not get his work in on time. He beat Riley at chess the other day, so I know he has it in him to do the work. He is smart. His state tests are all passing on time. So much stress.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Tidbits
With all the moving of the litter box, the cats have decided to use the floor mat in the bathroom. I can't complain as it is easy to deal with. I am sure if they could sit on the toilet for me they would. Instead they leave gifts on the mat in front of the toilet. Conveniently placed for easy disposal.
I try to get to it before the children go into the bathroom, because they just flip the mat out of the way which later gets stepped on and squished, leaving a mess that is no longer an easy pick up. The cats are indiscriminate on which bathroom they use, mine or the boys. The bath mats are washable so I just try to avoid the ground in effect, by getting to it first.
Trevor's lost rabbit had a cage on the top of Trevor's dresser. He finally got his room clean enough to see the top of that dresser. I had him get a damp rag and scrub and scrub to remove the ground in effects of a year of rabbit on the top of his dresser. It took many rags and lots of scrubbing, but the end result is impressive. Trevor wanted to quit at first, but he stuck with it until all the stains and smears were removed.
Tom had told me the boys rooms were their sanctuaries. I was not to interfere with those spaces. Trevor's room was a pit. I would occasionally request the dishes and laundry to be dealt with , or grab some garbage to be disposed of. All that has changed now with the house for sale. Now there is no sacred space. Regular inspections are the norm.
Trevor was please to show off his clean room to friends this weekend. Perhaps he will be able to maintain this level of pride and cleanliness. Turn over a new leaf.
He did get his assignment written for humanities, finally, and e-mailed to his teacher. E mail has been our salvation. It wasn't half bad in a quirky Trevor sort of way. I read it after it was sent, grateful it was finally done.
He did do best with hand written notes, then typing it into the computer for editing. The trying to type it cold just didn't work for him. His typing is too slow. He just froze up with his thoughts, unable to transfer them fast enough to the computer. Trying too hard to get it perfect the first time. Putting the notebook on his now clean desk was probably the best thing to do. It did take him more hours, but he was able to accomplish the task, finish and send.
He needs a typing program. My mom would type my stuff in high school, back when everything was done with copy paper and electrolux. I was even slower than Trevor. Time and practice is what it takes. I know there are some fun typing programs out there. I will go hunt them down.
I try to get to it before the children go into the bathroom, because they just flip the mat out of the way which later gets stepped on and squished, leaving a mess that is no longer an easy pick up. The cats are indiscriminate on which bathroom they use, mine or the boys. The bath mats are washable so I just try to avoid the ground in effect, by getting to it first.
Trevor's lost rabbit had a cage on the top of Trevor's dresser. He finally got his room clean enough to see the top of that dresser. I had him get a damp rag and scrub and scrub to remove the ground in effects of a year of rabbit on the top of his dresser. It took many rags and lots of scrubbing, but the end result is impressive. Trevor wanted to quit at first, but he stuck with it until all the stains and smears were removed.
Tom had told me the boys rooms were their sanctuaries. I was not to interfere with those spaces. Trevor's room was a pit. I would occasionally request the dishes and laundry to be dealt with , or grab some garbage to be disposed of. All that has changed now with the house for sale. Now there is no sacred space. Regular inspections are the norm.
Trevor was please to show off his clean room to friends this weekend. Perhaps he will be able to maintain this level of pride and cleanliness. Turn over a new leaf.
He did get his assignment written for humanities, finally, and e-mailed to his teacher. E mail has been our salvation. It wasn't half bad in a quirky Trevor sort of way. I read it after it was sent, grateful it was finally done.
He did do best with hand written notes, then typing it into the computer for editing. The trying to type it cold just didn't work for him. His typing is too slow. He just froze up with his thoughts, unable to transfer them fast enough to the computer. Trying too hard to get it perfect the first time. Putting the notebook on his now clean desk was probably the best thing to do. It did take him more hours, but he was able to accomplish the task, finish and send.
He needs a typing program. My mom would type my stuff in high school, back when everything was done with copy paper and electrolux. I was even slower than Trevor. Time and practice is what it takes. I know there are some fun typing programs out there. I will go hunt them down.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Homework
Riley had finals the last week before spring break. Everything is done. I did e mail his councilor. They had him in PE next semester, a required freshman class. I said if he could modify the class so there would be no contact sports, then Riley could take it. Have him do running or something. The councilor wrote back that she would transfer him into Sophomore science. That works for us. I ran it by Riley and he loved the idea. Getting out of PE has its own appeal. Getting into Sophomore science and showing off his brains also has its own appeal.
His teachers comment that he listens well and gets the work done on time. He made a movie in his animation class. It was extra credit if you tie it into another subject. He did his animation movie on his transportation class with planes, boats, and cars. The teacher commented that he must have been listening when the extra credit was mentioned. Riley always pays attention to how the game is played.
I wish Trevor would have some of that skill rub off. He did not finish his science or his humanities before spring break. Now after all the packing he can't locate his backpack with his science in it. We spent hours looking and then trying to find the work on the teacher's blog. This teacher does not keep a complete blog and Trevor needed specific work, so he tells me, that is in the missing backpack, of course.
He then sat at the computer for 3 hours and wrote five lines of an essay on a poem that was due weeks ago for Humanities. The teacher almost cried in frustration last time I spoke to her. Me, I am allowed to yell at the boy. Five lines, then staring at the screen for hours.#$%$&^%^&*.
An essay is composed of five paragraphs. The first is the introduction with three points to be discussed individually in the next three paragraphs. Then the conclusion paragraph ties it all together. It is not rocket science.
Before work I printed out the poem. It is really a Beatles song lyrics. I put a notebook of lined paper on his desk next to the poem and a copy of what he had started. He has all day to get it done. His father is home today if he needs someone to sit on him to get the work done.
This assignment is the essay that gets passed on to high school and decides what English level class Trevor will be given Freshman year. It sets the stage for high school. If you start in remedial you will not be on the college track or get the credits needed for college. If you start in advanced (not likely for Trevor) by junior or senior year you can take college credit classes and save some big bucks.
I got my hair died. Bought a bottle of color from rite aide and locked myself in the bathroom for an hour. The grey roots needed to be covered before the weekend. Tom and I are attending another 50Th birthday party. We don't want to look our age.
I picked up the light bulbs for work. It took me two hours. It was Alice in Wonder land, being dropped into a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, to wander the aisles of Home Depot. I checked out bathroom sinks, kitchen cabinets, and of course flooring. I brought home free samples of flooring for no other reason than they were really cool samples and free. I have no flooring projects at the moment. We don't even really have a house at the moment.
I am glad I am off to work so Tom can keep Trevor on task today. He may need someone to literally sit with him while he works. Riley will probably hide in his room during the crisis, until Trevor gets his work done.
I had moved the chess board out for show as a decorative sit about. Now the boys have been playing each other. I lost to Riley yesterday. Since the pool table is also uncovered for show, I also lost at pool to Riley. But that was a close game.
Parenting is such hard exhausting emotional work sometimes. Such highs and lows in our house with such extremely different children. How did we end up with such extremes. Not to add in the husband factor and the limbo our lives are in at the moment. I am not walking on glass at the moment, more like a rocky beach after an earthquake. Tsunami? The good news is we don't worry about reactors exploding at our house.
His teachers comment that he listens well and gets the work done on time. He made a movie in his animation class. It was extra credit if you tie it into another subject. He did his animation movie on his transportation class with planes, boats, and cars. The teacher commented that he must have been listening when the extra credit was mentioned. Riley always pays attention to how the game is played.
I wish Trevor would have some of that skill rub off. He did not finish his science or his humanities before spring break. Now after all the packing he can't locate his backpack with his science in it. We spent hours looking and then trying to find the work on the teacher's blog. This teacher does not keep a complete blog and Trevor needed specific work, so he tells me, that is in the missing backpack, of course.
He then sat at the computer for 3 hours and wrote five lines of an essay on a poem that was due weeks ago for Humanities. The teacher almost cried in frustration last time I spoke to her. Me, I am allowed to yell at the boy. Five lines, then staring at the screen for hours.#$%$&^%^&*.
An essay is composed of five paragraphs. The first is the introduction with three points to be discussed individually in the next three paragraphs. Then the conclusion paragraph ties it all together. It is not rocket science.
Before work I printed out the poem. It is really a Beatles song lyrics. I put a notebook of lined paper on his desk next to the poem and a copy of what he had started. He has all day to get it done. His father is home today if he needs someone to sit on him to get the work done.
This assignment is the essay that gets passed on to high school and decides what English level class Trevor will be given Freshman year. It sets the stage for high school. If you start in remedial you will not be on the college track or get the credits needed for college. If you start in advanced (not likely for Trevor) by junior or senior year you can take college credit classes and save some big bucks.
I got my hair died. Bought a bottle of color from rite aide and locked myself in the bathroom for an hour. The grey roots needed to be covered before the weekend. Tom and I are attending another 50Th birthday party. We don't want to look our age.
I picked up the light bulbs for work. It took me two hours. It was Alice in Wonder land, being dropped into a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, to wander the aisles of Home Depot. I checked out bathroom sinks, kitchen cabinets, and of course flooring. I brought home free samples of flooring for no other reason than they were really cool samples and free. I have no flooring projects at the moment. We don't even really have a house at the moment.
I am glad I am off to work so Tom can keep Trevor on task today. He may need someone to literally sit with him while he works. Riley will probably hide in his room during the crisis, until Trevor gets his work done.
I had moved the chess board out for show as a decorative sit about. Now the boys have been playing each other. I lost to Riley yesterday. Since the pool table is also uncovered for show, I also lost at pool to Riley. But that was a close game.
Parenting is such hard exhausting emotional work sometimes. Such highs and lows in our house with such extremely different children. How did we end up with such extremes. Not to add in the husband factor and the limbo our lives are in at the moment. I am not walking on glass at the moment, more like a rocky beach after an earthquake. Tsunami? The good news is we don't worry about reactors exploding at our house.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Its a No
The other clients got the dive house, $90,000. We would never have gone that far, so best regards to the new owners. It will be public record in two months which was probably why they let us know, plus my threats to the broker regarding my ex agent making an offer with another customer while knowing all our plans.
We are now moving on to other homes. Two other homes are potentially coming up for sale in the area we like. It will put pressure on the one still for sale. Patience.
The mortgage company contacted us regarding our Deed in Lue. They said to send them our listing contract. They talk to the agent and deal directly with the agent. They set the price on the short sale after having an appraisal done on our house. More power to them. We are now seeing progress on that front. The Deed in Lue runs in conjunction with the short sale.
Lets see where they price us. We are now at $274,900. My neighbor's home, in our front yard is at $259,000.
Meanwhile I have to note that the dive has not posted pending yet on the Internet. The deal is not done until closing. Perhaps we will still get another swing at the bat, if nothing better works out. I am watching it.
We are now moving on to other homes. Two other homes are potentially coming up for sale in the area we like. It will put pressure on the one still for sale. Patience.
The mortgage company contacted us regarding our Deed in Lue. They said to send them our listing contract. They talk to the agent and deal directly with the agent. They set the price on the short sale after having an appraisal done on our house. More power to them. We are now seeing progress on that front. The Deed in Lue runs in conjunction with the short sale.
Lets see where they price us. We are now at $274,900. My neighbor's home, in our front yard is at $259,000.
Meanwhile I have to note that the dive has not posted pending yet on the Internet. The deal is not done until closing. Perhaps we will still get another swing at the bat, if nothing better works out. I am watching it.
no house news yet
Don't these agents check the county sales records. There hasn't been a comparable sale since May of 2010 in the area we want to buy. Half a dozen homes have been quit claimed or forced sales. That is all the movement in almost a year. No wonder the agents are so cranky.
Business is business and my money is going to get the best deal it can. Patience, I have lots of time that others who have made the choice to throw good money after bad, do not have. I realize I am not the only one hunting for the deal. I am antsy to know what the other offer was on the dive. I bet it was around my offer, just because the house is not worth much more, and the bank came back and asked if we had a best offer. The bank will eventually get it, having had two people walk away after inspection near the price they originally wanted, that their house is only worth what everyone bottom fishing is offering. Real estate is either lightening fast or slow as molasses. We are in the slow as molasses phase.
My girlfriend that buys rentals said she took almost two years on one of her deals. Tom wouldn't be happy with that time frame, but we can wait. We have lots of time. Meanwhile I surf the real estate sights looking for interesting options, always coming back to my favorites, obsessing.
When Tom's company was trying to buy other mills, it took months and months, if not years of negotiation only to be out priced each time. Banks can bid for their own assets to try and bid the price up and cover what is owed.If they win the bid, they just pay themselves and still have the asset to sell again, no loss.
It probably would have been better for me to be distracted by work then sit at my computer dwelling on possibilities. I dreamed of house plans last night. I really like Margaret's house. Designed by an architect in 1969, it is small and spacious at the same time. If we could enlarge that plan to incorporate a larger common area downstairs, it would be potentially the perfect home for us.
Tom would want the kitchen downstairs. I could still see a two apartments possibility. Duplicating both floors. In my dream I had the boys on a third floor upstairs, with a bathroom between two bedrooms. Everything was wood floors.
Too much time on my hands today. I did find the missing phone in a box in the garage. Luckily, none of the boxes were taped shut, just tossed and piled on one another. Even the garbage bags were tossed in the garage, as the can outside was stuffed full already, and on the street waiting for garbage day.
Business is business and my money is going to get the best deal it can. Patience, I have lots of time that others who have made the choice to throw good money after bad, do not have. I realize I am not the only one hunting for the deal. I am antsy to know what the other offer was on the dive. I bet it was around my offer, just because the house is not worth much more, and the bank came back and asked if we had a best offer. The bank will eventually get it, having had two people walk away after inspection near the price they originally wanted, that their house is only worth what everyone bottom fishing is offering. Real estate is either lightening fast or slow as molasses. We are in the slow as molasses phase.
My girlfriend that buys rentals said she took almost two years on one of her deals. Tom wouldn't be happy with that time frame, but we can wait. We have lots of time. Meanwhile I surf the real estate sights looking for interesting options, always coming back to my favorites, obsessing.
When Tom's company was trying to buy other mills, it took months and months, if not years of negotiation only to be out priced each time. Banks can bid for their own assets to try and bid the price up and cover what is owed.If they win the bid, they just pay themselves and still have the asset to sell again, no loss.
It probably would have been better for me to be distracted by work then sit at my computer dwelling on possibilities. I dreamed of house plans last night. I really like Margaret's house. Designed by an architect in 1969, it is small and spacious at the same time. If we could enlarge that plan to incorporate a larger common area downstairs, it would be potentially the perfect home for us.
Tom would want the kitchen downstairs. I could still see a two apartments possibility. Duplicating both floors. In my dream I had the boys on a third floor upstairs, with a bathroom between two bedrooms. Everything was wood floors.
Too much time on my hands today. I did find the missing phone in a box in the garage. Luckily, none of the boxes were taped shut, just tossed and piled on one another. Even the garbage bags were tossed in the garage, as the can outside was stuffed full already, and on the street waiting for garbage day.
White carpet
We are still waiting to hear on the dive. The news was not good for the housing market again yesterday. Tom tells me that not liking a house for the white carpets is being unreasonable. I told him my passion for the dislike of carpet was as strong as his passion for the need for tobacco products.
It gnaws at my gut, the need to rip out carpet. I have ripped out carpet at every house we have owned. Tom even got to the point at one time where he made me swear to call him first before I started ripping out so he could have right of veto to the project. I started to discuss it with him early on so he would get used to the idea,. Then I would rip out while he was on a business trip. I never quite succeeding in getting rid of it all before we would move. But I always loved the look of the areas I had removed the carpet.
That is why the dive is so appealing. I can get that carpet out and never put it back in again. I can start from scratch when we tear down . My sister has a house fully laminated. It is lovely and always looks so clean and good and smells clean and good. There are no hidden pockets of dirt as you would find in carpet.
The homes I grew up with all had hard wood floors. Area rugs are beautiful. It is easy to sweep and quickly the house is ready for company. No loud vacuums or stains left over after the effort of cleaning. It looks expensive. The knowledge of the clean surface really appeals to me.
My nose isn't stuffy as much in a home with no carpet. Fleas, dust mites, dander, I can think of all sorts of things that hide in carpet.
Maybe its an OCD thing. But I get such joy from ripping out carpet and putting in anything but carpet. It is my passion. I can see a house with heated tiles, radiant flooring. Tile is very cold for the Northwest, but so lovely and so rich looking. The fake stuff is so realistic these days, why wouldn't you want to use it.
I am off to home depot today for light bulbs for work. I have the day off, but any excuse to browse those aisle for ideas, check out the flooring, is a fun day of exploration. I said I would pick up the light bulbs.
One of my dearest friends discovered at Lowe's, a canceled shipment of black marble. An office building downtown had canceled a big order. She drove all over town to every Lowe's, with her pick up truck, and bought for fifty cents a square foot, this lovely 12x12 marble. She has replaced her whole house carpet with a marble floor. Virtually indestructible, incredibly beautiful and rich looking. I start drooling as soon as I enter her front door. Its easily a $30,000 to $50,000 job that she did for around, $2000 including the hardie plank sub floor she had to buy for installation. It makes me melt.
What it proves to me is that there are like minded people out there in the world. I am not crazy about my dislike of carpet in my home. We will go to extremes to remove the carpet from our homes. We would rather live with sub flooring than carpet.
The move in ready house, that is at the extreme edge of our budget, if the owners would even come down in price, is all carpet. The kitchen is the only area without carpet. Tom tells me we could never build a comparable house for the price ourselves. He loves the lay out. For what ever reason, this house does nothing for me. The white carpets are an immediate turn off.
The budget would be tapped out and I would have to live in the stains and hidden dirt of a whole house full of this awful stuff. I honestly start to tense up and my gut roils at the thought. Tom would not let me start ripping out until damage is done.
It takes at least a year to get to the point where the carpets get stained enough and Tom doesn't say no.
It gnaws at my gut, the need to rip out carpet. I have ripped out carpet at every house we have owned. Tom even got to the point at one time where he made me swear to call him first before I started ripping out so he could have right of veto to the project. I started to discuss it with him early on so he would get used to the idea,. Then I would rip out while he was on a business trip. I never quite succeeding in getting rid of it all before we would move. But I always loved the look of the areas I had removed the carpet.
That is why the dive is so appealing. I can get that carpet out and never put it back in again. I can start from scratch when we tear down . My sister has a house fully laminated. It is lovely and always looks so clean and good and smells clean and good. There are no hidden pockets of dirt as you would find in carpet.
The homes I grew up with all had hard wood floors. Area rugs are beautiful. It is easy to sweep and quickly the house is ready for company. No loud vacuums or stains left over after the effort of cleaning. It looks expensive. The knowledge of the clean surface really appeals to me.
My nose isn't stuffy as much in a home with no carpet. Fleas, dust mites, dander, I can think of all sorts of things that hide in carpet.
Maybe its an OCD thing. But I get such joy from ripping out carpet and putting in anything but carpet. It is my passion. I can see a house with heated tiles, radiant flooring. Tile is very cold for the Northwest, but so lovely and so rich looking. The fake stuff is so realistic these days, why wouldn't you want to use it.
I am off to home depot today for light bulbs for work. I have the day off, but any excuse to browse those aisle for ideas, check out the flooring, is a fun day of exploration. I said I would pick up the light bulbs.
One of my dearest friends discovered at Lowe's, a canceled shipment of black marble. An office building downtown had canceled a big order. She drove all over town to every Lowe's, with her pick up truck, and bought for fifty cents a square foot, this lovely 12x12 marble. She has replaced her whole house carpet with a marble floor. Virtually indestructible, incredibly beautiful and rich looking. I start drooling as soon as I enter her front door. Its easily a $30,000 to $50,000 job that she did for around, $2000 including the hardie plank sub floor she had to buy for installation. It makes me melt.
What it proves to me is that there are like minded people out there in the world. I am not crazy about my dislike of carpet in my home. We will go to extremes to remove the carpet from our homes. We would rather live with sub flooring than carpet.
The move in ready house, that is at the extreme edge of our budget, if the owners would even come down in price, is all carpet. The kitchen is the only area without carpet. Tom tells me we could never build a comparable house for the price ourselves. He loves the lay out. For what ever reason, this house does nothing for me. The white carpets are an immediate turn off.
The budget would be tapped out and I would have to live in the stains and hidden dirt of a whole house full of this awful stuff. I honestly start to tense up and my gut roils at the thought. Tom would not let me start ripping out until damage is done.
It takes at least a year to get to the point where the carpets get stained enough and Tom doesn't say no.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Next chapter
We offered on the dive again. The bank responded with wanting us to re offer and give our best offer. Probably because I was so angry about our ex agent making a counter offer against us. To cover their backs, since it was the same company that had the listing and the buyers agent I had been working with, they were giving us another shot at it. Perhaps we were that close to the offer the agent submitted for her new clients. We will see what comes of the offer.
Public record will eventually expose the sales price if we don't get it. If it doesn't sell this round, there are other houses and options. We can still come back to it, if it continues to sit. Eventually, the bank will realize they aren't going to get much more for a house in a slip zone, the house is unsound already. As Tom put it "If someone wants to pay more for it, more power to them. "
Meanwhile, I can't but help holding my breath. I don't know whether I want us to succeed or not, as this would be a huge undertaking.
Last night I came home from work to an energized and rested family. Tom was in a great mood, though tired from the day. He had taken the boys, well, I should say dropped the boys for lunch at Dennie's. He had given them $20. They had been expected to eat and tip the waitress on $20. They left a $2 tip, no change was left. I'll take them back and leave a more generous tip next time. He has no idea how much those boys can order and eat. Trevor alone can blow through $20 without parental supervision. A double cheese burger, onion rings, soup, and a milkshake is his regular order. Riley orders the steak skillet with a milk shake. Its the milk shakes that blow the budget and eat into the tip.
After lunch they all went bowling. Tom had so much fun that when I walked through the door at 6:30 pm, he asked if I wanted to go bowling. I was not going to be the one to pop all this good energy and fun, so I responded with if we could eat dinner there, so we would go right away and I wouldn't have to cook dinner, then sure lets all go bowling.
It was league night when we arrived. All the lanes were taken, but the clerk told us if #2 finished, we could have that lane. We said we would wait. We could order dinner and eat while we waited. Dinner wasn't even finished cooking when #2 lane came open. The boys registered our names in the computer. We brought our food to the table above our lane. We ate and watched each other bowl our turns from the table. They had the best curly fries but they made our fingers greasy and the holes of the balls slippery.
Tom complained about the boys shoes being so big, but Trevor needs the wide width that the bigger size provides and Riley has really long feet. They probably could have fit twelves but their toes would have been right at the end of the shoes. Tom argued that would have been a better fit and not so sloppy. I told him the boys liked their shoe sizes. The shoes worked for them.
We played two rounds. The first round Tom shot a 168 with multiple strikes and spares. Riley beat Trevor by one point and I didn't do so bad with a 78, ahead of both boys. We all need to work on our gutter balls. The next game we all showed our weaknesses. None of us had really great scores.
Trevor challenged Tom to air hockey again. Trevor lost 2 to 7. His dad was not going to let him have another close game. The sweat gleamed on their brows. Trevor would stop the puck and try to aim, but even that didn't help. It was fast and furious, with a lot of commentary on the sidelines from Riley.
Tom and I crawled into bed soon after getting home. I feel like I am married to the Tom I remember eight years ago, before life was so challenging, when life was so much fun and easier and happy. Tom still gives me that dirty look of his when he wants me to think his way and not be so stubborn. Because he is not so tired and worn out, though, he is patient and we are able to work through our issues and come out in a better place from our discussions.
Now we wait to see if the dive house sold and to which lucky winner. If it is still for sale in a few days then you know they turned down everyone, again.
Public record will eventually expose the sales price if we don't get it. If it doesn't sell this round, there are other houses and options. We can still come back to it, if it continues to sit. Eventually, the bank will realize they aren't going to get much more for a house in a slip zone, the house is unsound already. As Tom put it "If someone wants to pay more for it, more power to them. "
Meanwhile, I can't but help holding my breath. I don't know whether I want us to succeed or not, as this would be a huge undertaking.
Last night I came home from work to an energized and rested family. Tom was in a great mood, though tired from the day. He had taken the boys, well, I should say dropped the boys for lunch at Dennie's. He had given them $20. They had been expected to eat and tip the waitress on $20. They left a $2 tip, no change was left. I'll take them back and leave a more generous tip next time. He has no idea how much those boys can order and eat. Trevor alone can blow through $20 without parental supervision. A double cheese burger, onion rings, soup, and a milkshake is his regular order. Riley orders the steak skillet with a milk shake. Its the milk shakes that blow the budget and eat into the tip.
After lunch they all went bowling. Tom had so much fun that when I walked through the door at 6:30 pm, he asked if I wanted to go bowling. I was not going to be the one to pop all this good energy and fun, so I responded with if we could eat dinner there, so we would go right away and I wouldn't have to cook dinner, then sure lets all go bowling.
It was league night when we arrived. All the lanes were taken, but the clerk told us if #2 finished, we could have that lane. We said we would wait. We could order dinner and eat while we waited. Dinner wasn't even finished cooking when #2 lane came open. The boys registered our names in the computer. We brought our food to the table above our lane. We ate and watched each other bowl our turns from the table. They had the best curly fries but they made our fingers greasy and the holes of the balls slippery.
Tom complained about the boys shoes being so big, but Trevor needs the wide width that the bigger size provides and Riley has really long feet. They probably could have fit twelves but their toes would have been right at the end of the shoes. Tom argued that would have been a better fit and not so sloppy. I told him the boys liked their shoe sizes. The shoes worked for them.
We played two rounds. The first round Tom shot a 168 with multiple strikes and spares. Riley beat Trevor by one point and I didn't do so bad with a 78, ahead of both boys. We all need to work on our gutter balls. The next game we all showed our weaknesses. None of us had really great scores.
Trevor challenged Tom to air hockey again. Trevor lost 2 to 7. His dad was not going to let him have another close game. The sweat gleamed on their brows. Trevor would stop the puck and try to aim, but even that didn't help. It was fast and furious, with a lot of commentary on the sidelines from Riley.
Tom and I crawled into bed soon after getting home. I feel like I am married to the Tom I remember eight years ago, before life was so challenging, when life was so much fun and easier and happy. Tom still gives me that dirty look of his when he wants me to think his way and not be so stubborn. Because he is not so tired and worn out, though, he is patient and we are able to work through our issues and come out in a better place from our discussions.
Now we wait to see if the dive house sold and to which lucky winner. If it is still for sale in a few days then you know they turned down everyone, again.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
tidying up
Tom has put his whole effort into the showing of the house. I am very impressed. He tackled the office yesterday. Everything in it is now in boxes in the garage, including the working phone, oops. I knew things would be put away or even thrown away that were needed and wanted. He had given me a week to get to it myself. The week that we were having our sale at work and I was on to work extra hours.
I am so tired. When I am home it is get ready and pack and clean. No breaks. The stress just makes me want to crawl back in bed. The one thing Tom wont let anyone do. The boys are home for spring break. They have been an incredible help carrying down garbage and boxes. The garage is piled high.
The next step is a dumpster. We are debating between a 4 yard and a 20 yard dumpster. There is nothing in between. I am thinking a 4 yard would be sufficient, but we could error on the side of too big and save money if it is needed. A 20 yard will take up the whole drive so we need to run it by the neighbors and see if they mind or could use one. They have already cleaned out their garage and house so I am guessing it will be just us and the 4 yard, or 20 yard.
I can not say now that Tom did not try and sell this house, make the effort up front. It is already a lost battle though. As soon as we listed , the houses that were our direct competition dropped their prices $10,000 and $15,000 below what they had them, putting them $10,000 below us. I can't blame them. That is what you do in a sale, beat out the competition in price wars.
We were hoping we could get out without really shorting, but it is unlikely now. The comps in our area are as old as last summer for the last closing sales. There are no buyers, just sellers all looking for the very few and rare buyers. It will end up being a give away, because of the foreclosures and the mortgage companies poor handling of the situation.
Longview is another crisis. I called to make a re offer on one of the houses we bid on, only to find my agent had picked up another client and was making a counter bid. Ethics? She knew our plan and what our offer was. I called her broker, and told her if their offer was anywhere near ours there would be serious issues. If they win it will be public record what the house sells for. I hired a new agent and put in our offer, but we had to change our offer price. The agent new how much money we had to spend and our strategy. She knew the price the bank rejected. She knew our ceiling price. I was angry to say the least. I am debating my recourse.
When Riley was sick I knew my role. I was to hold and nurture and console. I was mom. The doctors do the medicine side of things, while I make sure everyone gets on with living and try to keep as good perspective as possible.
Now I am in this debacle, that is not life or death, just dirty politicking. It is about money and ugliness in business. I am still expected to be cheerful and upbeat and helpful, but it is a lot harder this time.
I could deal with my father in law pooping on my carpets. I could deal with my own sick child. I could deal with my own Dad's slow death with cancer. What grates on me is dishonesty. Human frailty is what it is. We are not meant to live forever in this world. But we do share it.
Donald Trump is thinking of running for president. He made his money in real estate. That says a lot of the character of the man. Look at what banking and real estate has done to this country. Two years ago I would never have played the game we are forced to play right now. Not paying on our mortgage so we can make the bank accept an offer for our house or take it back from us. Business, it is just business.
Now Government is trying to stop foreclosures, while we want it to just be done with, since we can't sell the house without bank permission. The bank doesn't want it, yet they wont let us let it go either.
Back to cleaning and the hopes that someone somewhere will want to take this house off our hands, so we can move on to the next phase of our lives.
I am so tired. When I am home it is get ready and pack and clean. No breaks. The stress just makes me want to crawl back in bed. The one thing Tom wont let anyone do. The boys are home for spring break. They have been an incredible help carrying down garbage and boxes. The garage is piled high.
The next step is a dumpster. We are debating between a 4 yard and a 20 yard dumpster. There is nothing in between. I am thinking a 4 yard would be sufficient, but we could error on the side of too big and save money if it is needed. A 20 yard will take up the whole drive so we need to run it by the neighbors and see if they mind or could use one. They have already cleaned out their garage and house so I am guessing it will be just us and the 4 yard, or 20 yard.
I can not say now that Tom did not try and sell this house, make the effort up front. It is already a lost battle though. As soon as we listed , the houses that were our direct competition dropped their prices $10,000 and $15,000 below what they had them, putting them $10,000 below us. I can't blame them. That is what you do in a sale, beat out the competition in price wars.
We were hoping we could get out without really shorting, but it is unlikely now. The comps in our area are as old as last summer for the last closing sales. There are no buyers, just sellers all looking for the very few and rare buyers. It will end up being a give away, because of the foreclosures and the mortgage companies poor handling of the situation.
Longview is another crisis. I called to make a re offer on one of the houses we bid on, only to find my agent had picked up another client and was making a counter bid. Ethics? She knew our plan and what our offer was. I called her broker, and told her if their offer was anywhere near ours there would be serious issues. If they win it will be public record what the house sells for. I hired a new agent and put in our offer, but we had to change our offer price. The agent new how much money we had to spend and our strategy. She knew the price the bank rejected. She knew our ceiling price. I was angry to say the least. I am debating my recourse.
When Riley was sick I knew my role. I was to hold and nurture and console. I was mom. The doctors do the medicine side of things, while I make sure everyone gets on with living and try to keep as good perspective as possible.
Now I am in this debacle, that is not life or death, just dirty politicking. It is about money and ugliness in business. I am still expected to be cheerful and upbeat and helpful, but it is a lot harder this time.
I could deal with my father in law pooping on my carpets. I could deal with my own sick child. I could deal with my own Dad's slow death with cancer. What grates on me is dishonesty. Human frailty is what it is. We are not meant to live forever in this world. But we do share it.
Donald Trump is thinking of running for president. He made his money in real estate. That says a lot of the character of the man. Look at what banking and real estate has done to this country. Two years ago I would never have played the game we are forced to play right now. Not paying on our mortgage so we can make the bank accept an offer for our house or take it back from us. Business, it is just business.
Now Government is trying to stop foreclosures, while we want it to just be done with, since we can't sell the house without bank permission. The bank doesn't want it, yet they wont let us let it go either.
Back to cleaning and the hopes that someone somewhere will want to take this house off our hands, so we can move on to the next phase of our lives.
Monday, March 21, 2011
cleaning
Thank Goodness for work. I didn't have to be home to help clean. We were all exhausted by the last day of the sale at work, though, anyway. I had a customer come in at 5:30 pm. She ended up with socks, but with a lot of food for thought. She had bad knees and wanted shoes that would be good for her. What she liked was the cute comfortable shoes with no support. I was honest and said she needed the supportive shoes, not the cute shoes. She said she would be back. She will. I was exhausted and ready to go home myself.
While I was at work, Tom had a cleaning crew come do the house. Like me he was surprised at how long it takes to do a deep clean on our house. The cleaning service cost $300 and worked from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. That is probably why our house doesn't get a deep clean unless we are moving out. They didn't even steam the carpets. Tom got the down stairs carpet steamed, but we still have the upstairs. I am just grateful I have ripped out so much carpet in our years living here that there wasn't nearly as much to do as there was when we moved in.
They did get baseboards and windows, vacuuming up the bugs between the glass. The bathrooms look great with everything hidden away and staged.
The front room and front hall are now not carpet. Upstairs, the hall, Riley's room and the big bonus room are no longer carpet. The rooms without carpet sparkle with clean floors that were easy and quick to do. I passionately hate carpet.
I saw a house in Longview that had just had all its carpets replaced to sell the place. I walked away. I wish people would consider that there are others who will not live with carpet. I would rather buy a house and replace the floors myself than live with carpet. It is a hidy hole for mold and dirt no matter how well you keep it clean. The crevices of stairs with carpet drive me crazy. I will crawl up the stairs with a tooth brush to get the build up in the seams. What a pain. It is much easier just to rip the carpet out and sweep and mop.
Now you may be laughing because I don't do cleaning very often, but that is because carpet is so discouraging. The spots are still in our living room even after Tom steamed the carpets. I know the pad is gross under the carpet. I loved our hard wood floors in our old house. A quick once over with the broom or the vacuum and the house sparkled and you knew it was truly clean of dirt. Not hidden below the surface. Spilled stains were a paper towel wipe away. And they didn't reappear magically later.
The real estate agents do their walk through Tuesday. We still have a lot to hide away in the garage. The office with all its computers and papers still needs to be tackled. It is a huge sale point. The house has a nice layout. Everyone even says our price is good. Patience, the buyer will eventually come. We don't have another house to go to anyway, yet.
While I was at work, Tom had a cleaning crew come do the house. Like me he was surprised at how long it takes to do a deep clean on our house. The cleaning service cost $300 and worked from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. That is probably why our house doesn't get a deep clean unless we are moving out. They didn't even steam the carpets. Tom got the down stairs carpet steamed, but we still have the upstairs. I am just grateful I have ripped out so much carpet in our years living here that there wasn't nearly as much to do as there was when we moved in.
They did get baseboards and windows, vacuuming up the bugs between the glass. The bathrooms look great with everything hidden away and staged.
The front room and front hall are now not carpet. Upstairs, the hall, Riley's room and the big bonus room are no longer carpet. The rooms without carpet sparkle with clean floors that were easy and quick to do. I passionately hate carpet.
I saw a house in Longview that had just had all its carpets replaced to sell the place. I walked away. I wish people would consider that there are others who will not live with carpet. I would rather buy a house and replace the floors myself than live with carpet. It is a hidy hole for mold and dirt no matter how well you keep it clean. The crevices of stairs with carpet drive me crazy. I will crawl up the stairs with a tooth brush to get the build up in the seams. What a pain. It is much easier just to rip the carpet out and sweep and mop.
Now you may be laughing because I don't do cleaning very often, but that is because carpet is so discouraging. The spots are still in our living room even after Tom steamed the carpets. I know the pad is gross under the carpet. I loved our hard wood floors in our old house. A quick once over with the broom or the vacuum and the house sparkled and you knew it was truly clean of dirt. Not hidden below the surface. Spilled stains were a paper towel wipe away. And they didn't reappear magically later.
The real estate agents do their walk through Tuesday. We still have a lot to hide away in the garage. The office with all its computers and papers still needs to be tackled. It is a huge sale point. The house has a nice layout. Everyone even says our price is good. Patience, the buyer will eventually come. We don't have another house to go to anyway, yet.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Battle of the Air bands
Our PTA event has passed with another successful fund raiser. The Battle of the Air Bands is a fund raiser where middle schoolers with their best friends can pick a song put together their own choreographed act and go on stage to perform in front of an audience of 400 to 500 people. Its supposed to be a family friendly entertainment. We try to keep the music clean of language or inappropriate choices.
Trevor chose Surfin Bird by Trashman. It goes "Every body's heard about the bird" over and over again. Its an obnoxious surfing song from the 60's. That was what he and his friends chose. They wore Hawaiian shirts and shorts on stage. There were three of them, a fake guitarist, a fake drummer, Trevor was the fake lead singer. With his big thighs jiggling and his face intense with concentration, he danced in front of the multitudes in the audience of screaming middle schoolers. and had his two minutes of fame on stage. I could not have been more proud. He had no fear.
He tossed stuffed fuzzy birds into the audience as part of his act. We had tried to find those rubber birds used in comedy acts but were unable at short notice. He wanted them an hour before we were supposed to be at the auditorium. So we stopped and just picked up some stuffed animal birds instead. Trevor found out from some friends later, the birds were ripped apart by one set of girls in the audience so they could each have a piece of souvenir stuffing.
The audience was pretty full. The place holds 700 at capacity. I am thinking 400 to 500 parents and children filled the seats. To stand in front of that many people and not freeze up at age 13, is so impressive to me. I did think the song was horrendous and all they did was stand and bounce up and down for the duration, but the audience loved it. I even heard some parents chuckle around me when the act first started. I glowed with pride.
One of the acts was a dark hard rock song with the boys in long leather jackets with long hair. I was happy for my boy's clean short hair and Hawaiian shirts. Trevor doesn't have a dark streak in his body.
Riley would never have done what Trevor did, get on stage and dance around like a fool in front of hundreds of people in an act he had made up himself. Riley could barely enter his first classroom in Kindergarten the first day because of the noise and chaos. Time has not improved his shyness very much as yet.
I was sad Tom and Riley did not go. Riley said he didn't want to be inundated by the noise. Tom chose not to go for similar reasons. Adding in screaming middle schoolers, I let them off the hook. They can watch the DVD when it comes. Trevor performed in the second half so they would have sat through a lot before they could have escaped.
The self assurance and confidence this kind of performing will give a young person is wonderful. It is one of the best fund raisers I have ever seen as it has that community involvement and entertainment aspect. It is not going door to door with a book of junk no one really needs or wants. The kids made up their own acts, sold tickets to each other and asked sponsors for larger donations to raise money.
Sponsors got their name or business in the program and on the big screen in the beginning and on the DVD that will be replayed for grandparents and friends over and over again. Nice exposure and advertising for little money. Those DVD's will be played 4 years from now, in high school, at some drinking party for laughs and entertainment, and they will be entertaining and fun. The memories will last forever for those young brave students who climbed on that stage and put together their own act for their friends and families. Their friends in the audience will remember them for it also, envious that they weren't as brave and fearless as the ones on stage getting all the glory.
Trevor chose Surfin Bird by Trashman. It goes "Every body's heard about the bird" over and over again. Its an obnoxious surfing song from the 60's. That was what he and his friends chose. They wore Hawaiian shirts and shorts on stage. There were three of them, a fake guitarist, a fake drummer, Trevor was the fake lead singer. With his big thighs jiggling and his face intense with concentration, he danced in front of the multitudes in the audience of screaming middle schoolers. and had his two minutes of fame on stage. I could not have been more proud. He had no fear.
He tossed stuffed fuzzy birds into the audience as part of his act. We had tried to find those rubber birds used in comedy acts but were unable at short notice. He wanted them an hour before we were supposed to be at the auditorium. So we stopped and just picked up some stuffed animal birds instead. Trevor found out from some friends later, the birds were ripped apart by one set of girls in the audience so they could each have a piece of souvenir stuffing.
The audience was pretty full. The place holds 700 at capacity. I am thinking 400 to 500 parents and children filled the seats. To stand in front of that many people and not freeze up at age 13, is so impressive to me. I did think the song was horrendous and all they did was stand and bounce up and down for the duration, but the audience loved it. I even heard some parents chuckle around me when the act first started. I glowed with pride.
One of the acts was a dark hard rock song with the boys in long leather jackets with long hair. I was happy for my boy's clean short hair and Hawaiian shirts. Trevor doesn't have a dark streak in his body.
Riley would never have done what Trevor did, get on stage and dance around like a fool in front of hundreds of people in an act he had made up himself. Riley could barely enter his first classroom in Kindergarten the first day because of the noise and chaos. Time has not improved his shyness very much as yet.
I was sad Tom and Riley did not go. Riley said he didn't want to be inundated by the noise. Tom chose not to go for similar reasons. Adding in screaming middle schoolers, I let them off the hook. They can watch the DVD when it comes. Trevor performed in the second half so they would have sat through a lot before they could have escaped.
The self assurance and confidence this kind of performing will give a young person is wonderful. It is one of the best fund raisers I have ever seen as it has that community involvement and entertainment aspect. It is not going door to door with a book of junk no one really needs or wants. The kids made up their own acts, sold tickets to each other and asked sponsors for larger donations to raise money.
Sponsors got their name or business in the program and on the big screen in the beginning and on the DVD that will be replayed for grandparents and friends over and over again. Nice exposure and advertising for little money. Those DVD's will be played 4 years from now, in high school, at some drinking party for laughs and entertainment, and they will be entertaining and fun. The memories will last forever for those young brave students who climbed on that stage and put together their own act for their friends and families. Their friends in the audience will remember them for it also, envious that they weren't as brave and fearless as the ones on stage getting all the glory.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Night and Day
Nothing is better than a well rested husband. Last night we read the paper that the local bowling alley is to be turned into an auto shop. I was so sad. Just as we discover a great family activity the bowling alley goes out of business.
Tom suggests we all go bowling while it is still open. Its a school night. Trevor has missed school for a head ache. I had to go pick him up this morning and bring him home. He had a rip roaring migraine. He still didn't look one hundred percent, but taking advantage of Tom wanting to spend time with his children was too novel a concept to pass up.
We had a blast. Tom in the second game shot 5 strikes in a row to start. We were all having such fun. When we got home reality snuck in. It was still only nine pm, but it was a school night. The boys had tests the next day. Trevor needed a bath desperately. Its the last day before the end of the semester.
We have already heard from Trevor's teachers. He waited too long to try and get his late work in for a few of his teachers. I have told him if he has Ds on his report card he will not be going on the big concert trip with eighth grade band. It was going to cost me $250 plus I had been asked to chaperon, which would be another $250 for me. I laid down the law, Ds are not acceptable. I will not pay for the trip. The teachers were as disappointed in Trevor as I was, but they can only do so much to help him. He has to do the work and hand it in himself.
We did enjoy our hour at the bowling alley as a family. No one got cranky, two games. Trevor used the ball I had picked up off the Internet. The holes were too small for Tom's fingers. After the games Trevor challenged Tom to air hockey. The game was neck and neck 1 to 1,, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, 4 to 4, 5 to 5, then Tom pulled ahead 5 to 6. Tom won 7 to 5. There were no sore feelings, it had been too close and fun to watch. Fast and high powered, Trevor had given his dad a run for his money.
Trevor also has a nice bowling swing and the power to handle the ball. Many more nights of bowling and he might become a decent player. Riley kept switching balls trying to find one that felt good. He also had problems with the holes being small. But both both boys stayed within points of each other in the end. Again no one was sorry about losing, we had all had too much fun.
I will be terribly sorry to lose the bowling alley. There are other auto parts stores in town. There is only one bowling alley. Bowling alleys provide a great place for the young teen crowd to hang out doing something safe and fun. Tom said not to be sad as we were moving away anyway. The doors don't close officially until May fifth. That gives us another month of family bonding time.
I think I know what everyone can do while I am at work during spring break. Take the boys bowling. I used to take them skiing but the boys didn't really like the early hours or the cold. Riley can't ski right now anyway. Bowling is so perfect for everyone.
Tom suggests we all go bowling while it is still open. Its a school night. Trevor has missed school for a head ache. I had to go pick him up this morning and bring him home. He had a rip roaring migraine. He still didn't look one hundred percent, but taking advantage of Tom wanting to spend time with his children was too novel a concept to pass up.
We had a blast. Tom in the second game shot 5 strikes in a row to start. We were all having such fun. When we got home reality snuck in. It was still only nine pm, but it was a school night. The boys had tests the next day. Trevor needed a bath desperately. Its the last day before the end of the semester.
We have already heard from Trevor's teachers. He waited too long to try and get his late work in for a few of his teachers. I have told him if he has Ds on his report card he will not be going on the big concert trip with eighth grade band. It was going to cost me $250 plus I had been asked to chaperon, which would be another $250 for me. I laid down the law, Ds are not acceptable. I will not pay for the trip. The teachers were as disappointed in Trevor as I was, but they can only do so much to help him. He has to do the work and hand it in himself.
We did enjoy our hour at the bowling alley as a family. No one got cranky, two games. Trevor used the ball I had picked up off the Internet. The holes were too small for Tom's fingers. After the games Trevor challenged Tom to air hockey. The game was neck and neck 1 to 1,, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, 4 to 4, 5 to 5, then Tom pulled ahead 5 to 6. Tom won 7 to 5. There were no sore feelings, it had been too close and fun to watch. Fast and high powered, Trevor had given his dad a run for his money.
Trevor also has a nice bowling swing and the power to handle the ball. Many more nights of bowling and he might become a decent player. Riley kept switching balls trying to find one that felt good. He also had problems with the holes being small. But both both boys stayed within points of each other in the end. Again no one was sorry about losing, we had all had too much fun.
I will be terribly sorry to lose the bowling alley. There are other auto parts stores in town. There is only one bowling alley. Bowling alleys provide a great place for the young teen crowd to hang out doing something safe and fun. Tom said not to be sad as we were moving away anyway. The doors don't close officially until May fifth. That gives us another month of family bonding time.
I think I know what everyone can do while I am at work during spring break. Take the boys bowling. I used to take them skiing but the boys didn't really like the early hours or the cold. Riley can't ski right now anyway. Bowling is so perfect for everyone.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
updates
Riley is bouncing around with a fountain of energy we have not seen in a long time. Tom doesn't know how to react as we stare at him in awe, racing down the hallways and bouncing on my bed. Is it that his numbers are up and he has a new lease on life? What ever it is I am loving it and so is Riley.
The boys went to the coast with friends. They played in the tide pools where wonderful creatures had been dropped by the exceedingly high tide. Trevor met a cute girl and had water fights. Riley gave his grrr face then jumped in the water fight also.
Trevor came home from school Monday and put himself to bed. He is asleep now. I am hoping it is not strep. He stayed home from school. Strep is going around the school.
We offered on two houses and were turned down on both offers. We haven't given up . One couple, the offer would have put them in a short sale themselves and they are still paying on their mortgage. Aren't willing to sacrifice their credit yet. The other house is bank owned and the banks are in lala land.
Meanwhile we have had two showings. The response was our house was a lot of house for the price but it still needs work. Trevor's room is still a disaster zone, which was commented on. Tom thinks its the paint job, I think its the carpets. Once we are delinquent on mortgage we can lower the price, where the home improvement issues wont matter.
Banks wont consider a short sale offer unless they have incentive to consider a short sale by us not paying mortgage. Usually you have to wait three months delinquent to show you are serious about ruining your credit. The lawyer told us they can go after the note or the house but not both. The bank usually chooses the house. So here we are waiting for an offer while waiting to ruin our credit so we can accept the offer and have the bank accept the offer.
We watched the Tsunami cross Japan, Friday. I am not even feeling the slightest twinge of guilt over not paying my mortgage. I am counting my blessings. The banks are in unprecedented territory. They loaned out money to people they shouldn't have. They over valued property to give more money than they should have. They think they can walk away without penalty or sharing any of the responsibility. Both parties need to take their lumps. We'll take our lumps and the bank will take theirs. It is just a slow process.
I would like to invite those homeless people to come live in some of the beautiful empty homes in America. The banks wont sell them and get them off the market, so they just sit empty. We have one in front of us. The irony of it is painful.
We are all forging ahead into new territory. Tom is setting up his own consulting company in conjunction with some old friends who would like to use his expertise. I am bidding on homes where we would like to live. Tom's shorts in the market are finally paying off. It took a Tsunami an 8.9 earthquake and the potential melt down of 4 nuclear plants, literally, to finally tank the world markets. The wars in the middle east weren't enough. Its getting kind of freaky.
I may go buy some fresh bottled water and stock the cupboards this week.
The boys went to the coast with friends. They played in the tide pools where wonderful creatures had been dropped by the exceedingly high tide. Trevor met a cute girl and had water fights. Riley gave his grrr face then jumped in the water fight also.
Trevor came home from school Monday and put himself to bed. He is asleep now. I am hoping it is not strep. He stayed home from school. Strep is going around the school.
We offered on two houses and were turned down on both offers. We haven't given up . One couple, the offer would have put them in a short sale themselves and they are still paying on their mortgage. Aren't willing to sacrifice their credit yet. The other house is bank owned and the banks are in lala land.
Meanwhile we have had two showings. The response was our house was a lot of house for the price but it still needs work. Trevor's room is still a disaster zone, which was commented on. Tom thinks its the paint job, I think its the carpets. Once we are delinquent on mortgage we can lower the price, where the home improvement issues wont matter.
Banks wont consider a short sale offer unless they have incentive to consider a short sale by us not paying mortgage. Usually you have to wait three months delinquent to show you are serious about ruining your credit. The lawyer told us they can go after the note or the house but not both. The bank usually chooses the house. So here we are waiting for an offer while waiting to ruin our credit so we can accept the offer and have the bank accept the offer.
We watched the Tsunami cross Japan, Friday. I am not even feeling the slightest twinge of guilt over not paying my mortgage. I am counting my blessings. The banks are in unprecedented territory. They loaned out money to people they shouldn't have. They over valued property to give more money than they should have. They think they can walk away without penalty or sharing any of the responsibility. Both parties need to take their lumps. We'll take our lumps and the bank will take theirs. It is just a slow process.
I would like to invite those homeless people to come live in some of the beautiful empty homes in America. The banks wont sell them and get them off the market, so they just sit empty. We have one in front of us. The irony of it is painful.
We are all forging ahead into new territory. Tom is setting up his own consulting company in conjunction with some old friends who would like to use his expertise. I am bidding on homes where we would like to live. Tom's shorts in the market are finally paying off. It took a Tsunami an 8.9 earthquake and the potential melt down of 4 nuclear plants, literally, to finally tank the world markets. The wars in the middle east weren't enough. Its getting kind of freaky.
I may go buy some fresh bottled water and stock the cupboards this week.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
showing
Put an offer in on the house on our old street. It was kind of a no brainer. The house is done and move in ready. Tom saw the other house away from the neighborhood and said it would be a lot of work. Its on half an acre in a lovely neighborhood, just not our old neighborhood.
I just hate carpeting so much and the whole house except for the kitchen has plush white carpet. You all know me and my family. Circling tom's chair are a variety of colored stains from wine to chew. I replaced the hall carpet here to rid us of the tar and paint and mud stains. Shoes off at the door is not a very well received rule. I have a bench by the front door to encourage shoes off. There is even a pile of shoes, but that is usually from going to the livingroom and collecting all the loose shoes and putting them by the front door.
Our usual routine is to come in and flop down in the living room and remove our shoes.
Eventually they will be carried back to the front door or the next morning we just sit back down in that comfortable chair and put the shoes back on.
We all tend to wear the same shoes over and over. The boys only have a couple to choose from, a black pair or dress pair and an athletic shoe. Their feet were growing so fast that one pair of shoes was sufficient for the cause. It is a real pain when they can't remember where they left their shoes, took them off last. Which is why I now have two pair for them each. If one goes missing it is not such a disaster or delay. They can wear their spares
The people coming to see our house knocked on the door at 6:30. They stayed about 20 minutes. I waited outside with Bucky who couldn't understand why we could not go into the house with people inside it. He whined and kept walking to the front door until I would call him back to me. It was a lovely evening and I was feverish with stress so I didn't mind wandering my yard in the dark. I wish they had come a little earlier so they could have appreciated the yard.
The couple had two small children around one and three. The neighbors would have loved them. The children were exhausted from house hunting all day. The baby was crying when they left. I am hopeful, but the parents looked sad and tired when they left. I have asked for feed back on the showing. Perhaps they can tell me how to improve even more.
It would be so lovely if we could just sell this place without stress. Now we wait to hear from my realtor. She will be sending me papers to sign for my offer.
Tom was amazing getting the house ready to sell. It did look good when I came home with 15 minutes to spare on the showing, after work. I didn't have to do a thing. My closet was piled with clothes though. I couldn't hide it all. The carpets were vaccumed and the black dog hair removed. scatter ruggs were placed strategically over bad carpet stains. I was impressed. Tom said he was only five minutes late for his appointment (golf tee time).)
We have time. He mailed off, registered mail, the letter to our mortgage company, the original mortgage company, that might not exist anymore, and the trustee that supposedly holds our note. We will see what happens. It may take months to respond. Selling the house may be faster.
The boys are off for the weekend with friends. Maybe that couple will want to see our house again. With it looking so good, I would love to show it off.
I just hate carpeting so much and the whole house except for the kitchen has plush white carpet. You all know me and my family. Circling tom's chair are a variety of colored stains from wine to chew. I replaced the hall carpet here to rid us of the tar and paint and mud stains. Shoes off at the door is not a very well received rule. I have a bench by the front door to encourage shoes off. There is even a pile of shoes, but that is usually from going to the livingroom and collecting all the loose shoes and putting them by the front door.
Our usual routine is to come in and flop down in the living room and remove our shoes.
Eventually they will be carried back to the front door or the next morning we just sit back down in that comfortable chair and put the shoes back on.
We all tend to wear the same shoes over and over. The boys only have a couple to choose from, a black pair or dress pair and an athletic shoe. Their feet were growing so fast that one pair of shoes was sufficient for the cause. It is a real pain when they can't remember where they left their shoes, took them off last. Which is why I now have two pair for them each. If one goes missing it is not such a disaster or delay. They can wear their spares
The people coming to see our house knocked on the door at 6:30. They stayed about 20 minutes. I waited outside with Bucky who couldn't understand why we could not go into the house with people inside it. He whined and kept walking to the front door until I would call him back to me. It was a lovely evening and I was feverish with stress so I didn't mind wandering my yard in the dark. I wish they had come a little earlier so they could have appreciated the yard.
The couple had two small children around one and three. The neighbors would have loved them. The children were exhausted from house hunting all day. The baby was crying when they left. I am hopeful, but the parents looked sad and tired when they left. I have asked for feed back on the showing. Perhaps they can tell me how to improve even more.
It would be so lovely if we could just sell this place without stress. Now we wait to hear from my realtor. She will be sending me papers to sign for my offer.
Tom was amazing getting the house ready to sell. It did look good when I came home with 15 minutes to spare on the showing, after work. I didn't have to do a thing. My closet was piled with clothes though. I couldn't hide it all. The carpets were vaccumed and the black dog hair removed. scatter ruggs were placed strategically over bad carpet stains. I was impressed. Tom said he was only five minutes late for his appointment (golf tee time).)
We have time. He mailed off, registered mail, the letter to our mortgage company, the original mortgage company, that might not exist anymore, and the trustee that supposedly holds our note. We will see what happens. It may take months to respond. Selling the house may be faster.
The boys are off for the weekend with friends. Maybe that couple will want to see our house again. With it looking so good, I would love to show it off.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tsunami
We stopped all work to watch the news. The boys were supposed to go to the coast this weekend. A surendipidous call from a friend inviting them to join her children gave them someplace to be for the weekend. Now with the earthquake in Japan and the Tsunami warning at the coast we will rethink the plans.
I am still flipping laundry and hiding clothes. Why do we have so much clothes. No more clothes, people. I am donating anything I don't like. We can toss a lot.
Riley's tastes have gone to slicker pants worn by athletes, with elastic waistbands, and a plaid shirt. I hope it is just a phase. Trevor wears what fits him, his father's pants and an exra large t- shirt.
We carried down boxes this morning. Now we continue to clean. Everyone has places to be today so this hour before school is all we have to get ready. I keep creating piles of stuff that have to find homes.
We are having trouble getting any work done as the family is glued to the TV watching Japan's Tsunami.
I am still flipping laundry and hiding clothes. Why do we have so much clothes. No more clothes, people. I am donating anything I don't like. We can toss a lot.
Riley's tastes have gone to slicker pants worn by athletes, with elastic waistbands, and a plaid shirt. I hope it is just a phase. Trevor wears what fits him, his father's pants and an exra large t- shirt.
We carried down boxes this morning. Now we continue to clean. Everyone has places to be today so this hour before school is all we have to get ready. I keep creating piles of stuff that have to find homes.
We are having trouble getting any work done as the family is glued to the TV watching Japan's Tsunami.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Numbers
The day was as busy as anticipated. I know everyone is waiting for numbers. They are better. Everything is going up and steady. Great results. Slow but steady
platelets 134,000
3.7 for whites
Hemoglobin 10.9
Neutrophils 2.1 up from 1.8
That was the first test since lowering his dosage. We now take another pill away. that is now 25% down from where he was taking 200 mg. The Neutrophils are the new stem cells that the drugs suppress. That they are going up already is a fantastic sign in conjunction with the other numbers going up. Tom says he finally feels hope.
Problem is Riley will still have a pre existing condition. He might be a good candidate for a Medical savings account if he ever wants to be self employed as he will be hard to insure on his own. We found out the insurance company can set its own premium for him. In essence making him uninsurable. Good thing we have Cobra for 18 months.
Meanwhile I filled my car with gas costing $54. drove the biographies of the bands over to the mom doing the program. Hit the freeway with a big cup of coffee and a banana and drove to longview to look at houses. I saw some great real estate. Two houses that would work for us. One is move in ready but more expensive of course than what we want to pay. I will offer less and pray hard.
The other is a short project needing some work before we could live in it. It is also not on the market for another month, bank owned. Increadable property though, if you want to live in Longview, but not near our club.
Meanwhile the realtor at home called and they have a showing scheduled for Tomorrow night, Friday. I work all day. We are now this evening frantically getting the house tidy. Trying to hide the messes as best we can. I am told they are looking in West Linn also. Maybe they wont have sticker shock on our house. So can't spend a lot of time tonight telling you of our day.
Tom took his car in for repair yesterday. As I followed him, I witnessed an accident. A pedestrian crossed the intersection on a green light and ran full tilt into a stopped car, stopped because he saw the pedestrian. The guy hit the car hard and bounced back 5 feet knocked to the ground by his own momentum. He got up and continued to run off. The driver stopped and got out while calling the police. He ran after the pedestrian trying to stop him. The pedestrian got in a car in the parking lot nearby. The driver ran over and yelled for him to stop. The police arrived. The light turned green again and following Tom I drove off.
We were at the repair shop when I saw everyone drive by headed for the local hospital. The driver, the pedestrian in the car he got into, another witness car, that had been at the sidewalk with a front row view, followed by the police.
When I got home I called the police and left my name in case they wanted a statement. They have not called. The driver was not at fault and did everything right. Tom always says you really have to be doing something stupid to get hit by a car. In this case the Pedestrian hit the car not the other way around.
Tom goes tomorrow to look at the two houses. It is kind of a no brainer as long as we can get the price we want on the move in ready. Its in the neighborhood we want with no issues. I am sending him with a check for the earnest money in case he decides to go for one of them. I will do either one.
The long lists on the white board are getting ticked away. New lists appear daily. Tom is proud of his accomplishments and getting them done in such a timely manner.
Got to get on with our cleaning now. He starts a project in his new company he is making up, probably in April. He would love for us to get the house sold, so we will put on a good show for tomorrow. Wish us luck and an offer.
platelets 134,000
3.7 for whites
Hemoglobin 10.9
Neutrophils 2.1 up from 1.8
That was the first test since lowering his dosage. We now take another pill away. that is now 25% down from where he was taking 200 mg. The Neutrophils are the new stem cells that the drugs suppress. That they are going up already is a fantastic sign in conjunction with the other numbers going up. Tom says he finally feels hope.
Problem is Riley will still have a pre existing condition. He might be a good candidate for a Medical savings account if he ever wants to be self employed as he will be hard to insure on his own. We found out the insurance company can set its own premium for him. In essence making him uninsurable. Good thing we have Cobra for 18 months.
Meanwhile I filled my car with gas costing $54. drove the biographies of the bands over to the mom doing the program. Hit the freeway with a big cup of coffee and a banana and drove to longview to look at houses. I saw some great real estate. Two houses that would work for us. One is move in ready but more expensive of course than what we want to pay. I will offer less and pray hard.
The other is a short project needing some work before we could live in it. It is also not on the market for another month, bank owned. Increadable property though, if you want to live in Longview, but not near our club.
Meanwhile the realtor at home called and they have a showing scheduled for Tomorrow night, Friday. I work all day. We are now this evening frantically getting the house tidy. Trying to hide the messes as best we can. I am told they are looking in West Linn also. Maybe they wont have sticker shock on our house. So can't spend a lot of time tonight telling you of our day.
Tom took his car in for repair yesterday. As I followed him, I witnessed an accident. A pedestrian crossed the intersection on a green light and ran full tilt into a stopped car, stopped because he saw the pedestrian. The guy hit the car hard and bounced back 5 feet knocked to the ground by his own momentum. He got up and continued to run off. The driver stopped and got out while calling the police. He ran after the pedestrian trying to stop him. The pedestrian got in a car in the parking lot nearby. The driver ran over and yelled for him to stop. The police arrived. The light turned green again and following Tom I drove off.
We were at the repair shop when I saw everyone drive by headed for the local hospital. The driver, the pedestrian in the car he got into, another witness car, that had been at the sidewalk with a front row view, followed by the police.
When I got home I called the police and left my name in case they wanted a statement. They have not called. The driver was not at fault and did everything right. Tom always says you really have to be doing something stupid to get hit by a car. In this case the Pedestrian hit the car not the other way around.
Tom goes tomorrow to look at the two houses. It is kind of a no brainer as long as we can get the price we want on the move in ready. Its in the neighborhood we want with no issues. I am sending him with a check for the earnest money in case he decides to go for one of them. I will do either one.
The long lists on the white board are getting ticked away. New lists appear daily. Tom is proud of his accomplishments and getting them done in such a timely manner.
Got to get on with our cleaning now. He starts a project in his new company he is making up, probably in April. He would love for us to get the house sold, so we will put on a good show for tomorrow. Wish us luck and an offer.
Stress
I am catching a cold. Today is Riley's doctor's visit. We get his numbers. They don't want sick people in the clinic. I am also supposed to go to Longview and look with an agent at homes. I will miss the clinic visit. I wouldn't want any compromised child to be exposed to my germs. I am coughing and have post nasal drip.
The agent wants to drive me around in her car. That works fine for me. They drive fast and efficiently. It is a pain to try and keep up if you follow. She wants me to look at her selection while she drives.
I am also getting close to our Battle of the Bands concert. Trevor is performing in it. He wont show me his act. I let them know when the practices are, but they want to surprise me with the show.
Our spring shoe sale is also going on so everyone is working hard as the number of customers has increased dramatically. We have no down time with the store full. The days are going fast
We listed the house yesterday. Tom hired a cleaning lady, thank goodness, to ready the house for the realtor walk through in a week.
The agent wants to drive me around in her car. That works fine for me. They drive fast and efficiently. It is a pain to try and keep up if you follow. She wants me to look at her selection while she drives.
I am also getting close to our Battle of the Bands concert. Trevor is performing in it. He wont show me his act. I let them know when the practices are, but they want to surprise me with the show.
Our spring shoe sale is also going on so everyone is working hard as the number of customers has increased dramatically. We have no down time with the store full. The days are going fast
We listed the house yesterday. Tom hired a cleaning lady, thank goodness, to ready the house for the realtor walk through in a week.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Title Insurance
Title Insurance does have value. We used to whine about the double bill on the mortgage. Both parties having to buy their own title insurance. Just in case there is a question about the title and someone comes back later saying they have a lien on the house, title insurance covers that equation.
Tom was given the example that could easily have happened in our own family. An executor of an estate takes advantage of her position and transfers title of a home into her own name then sells the home and keeps the proceeds, not distributing them amongst the other beneficiaries. The other beneficiaries have a right to put a lien on that sold house later, when they find out, even though it is no longer in the estate. Title insurance protects the new owners. We always wondered why both parties had to buy it.
Insurance has turned out to be our best investment we ever purchased. My Dad bought a whole life policy for me when I was a child. He was helping out a friend at the time new to insurance sales. I used the cash value on that policy to put a down payment on my first home. I always payed the policy back. It is a nice little nest egg I know is safe. It is a private bank, tax free unless I let the policy lapse and expire, then it is treated as income that year. I never let it lapse.
I used it when Tom was between jobs 6 years ago. It is waiting to be tapped this time if necessary. Tom has already received two very good offers for projects that fit with his future plans. He is quite pleased. He is researching his new company now. He came up with a name.
He want to figure out what kind of an LLC fits best.
He wants us in Longview by golf season. He was hoping spring break, but the two offers on the house we want were turned down. We haven't given up, but it has extended our time line. We have to find a compromise house now. We'll offer on houses, not asking for clear title and buy title insurance.
LLC's are kind of cool. They are like creating a new human being. They become their own living and growing and self funded entity. An LLC can borrow and loan. The puppeteer behind the company is protected from liability by the company. We just have to find the best kind to fit Tom's new career.
Other than the house process being as slow as molasses, and trying to squeeze in trips to Longview to house hunt, life is never dull at our house.
Tom was given the example that could easily have happened in our own family. An executor of an estate takes advantage of her position and transfers title of a home into her own name then sells the home and keeps the proceeds, not distributing them amongst the other beneficiaries. The other beneficiaries have a right to put a lien on that sold house later, when they find out, even though it is no longer in the estate. Title insurance protects the new owners. We always wondered why both parties had to buy it.
Insurance has turned out to be our best investment we ever purchased. My Dad bought a whole life policy for me when I was a child. He was helping out a friend at the time new to insurance sales. I used the cash value on that policy to put a down payment on my first home. I always payed the policy back. It is a nice little nest egg I know is safe. It is a private bank, tax free unless I let the policy lapse and expire, then it is treated as income that year. I never let it lapse.
I used it when Tom was between jobs 6 years ago. It is waiting to be tapped this time if necessary. Tom has already received two very good offers for projects that fit with his future plans. He is quite pleased. He is researching his new company now. He came up with a name.
He want to figure out what kind of an LLC fits best.
He wants us in Longview by golf season. He was hoping spring break, but the two offers on the house we want were turned down. We haven't given up, but it has extended our time line. We have to find a compromise house now. We'll offer on houses, not asking for clear title and buy title insurance.
LLC's are kind of cool. They are like creating a new human being. They become their own living and growing and self funded entity. An LLC can borrow and loan. The puppeteer behind the company is protected from liability by the company. We just have to find the best kind to fit Tom's new career.
Other than the house process being as slow as molasses, and trying to squeeze in trips to Longview to house hunt, life is never dull at our house.
Monday, March 7, 2011
MERS
After seeing all the foreclosures and hearing the tales of woe from friends and neighbors, Tom is coming to the conclusion that the banks don't know if they do own the loans on these houses or not. They can't foreclose on Grandma, because they don't know if they really own the place or not. They don't know if they can agree to a short sale, if they don't know if they own the home or not. What a mess.
We are walking into a hornets nest. We may not be going anywhere fast. If Tom does get work, we'll just save up for all those other things we want, while we live right here, unable to find out who we need to contact regarding being able to sell our house. We could be here a couple of years the more we find out about the collapsing Mortgage system.
Turns out to move real estate more quickly, the banks may have sold off the new mortgages faster than the counties recorded them, losing track of the true owners of the loans. The banks may eventually be grateful to people who are willing to sign off on their ownership of their homes, giving the banks a fresh start. Its like stolen merchandise, buyer beware. That may be why the banks are not signing off on short sales. They don't know if they have the right to decide. They are using delaying tactics while the system collapses around them.
The waters look muddier and darker for the recovering economy. Especially with the middle east and gas prices throwing another twist on the picture. Hunker down and stock up, we may be in for worse weather still.
We are walking into a hornets nest. We may not be going anywhere fast. If Tom does get work, we'll just save up for all those other things we want, while we live right here, unable to find out who we need to contact regarding being able to sell our house. We could be here a couple of years the more we find out about the collapsing Mortgage system.
Turns out to move real estate more quickly, the banks may have sold off the new mortgages faster than the counties recorded them, losing track of the true owners of the loans. The banks may eventually be grateful to people who are willing to sign off on their ownership of their homes, giving the banks a fresh start. Its like stolen merchandise, buyer beware. That may be why the banks are not signing off on short sales. They don't know if they have the right to decide. They are using delaying tactics while the system collapses around them.
The waters look muddier and darker for the recovering economy. Especially with the middle east and gas prices throwing another twist on the picture. Hunker down and stock up, we may be in for worse weather still.
The house plan
We were sitting at dinner with our niece and nephew. We were at their house. I had no idea they lived so far away. They are at the opposite end of our metropolis from us. It was over an hour drive. He is the contractor that bailed Tom out on the house projects. Nephew dropped everything and re aranged his schedule to come work on our house for a few days to get it ready for sale, on very short notice.
My niece had cooked a great dinner of Greek style food. I found it delicious. Trevor never turns down anything so he ate well. Riley, of course, took a couple of bites and called it interesting, but not interesting enough to eat much. Tom will eat and enjoy red meat, just like Trevor.
They showed us the house they have recently purchased. Newly weds and their first home. Its in better condition than the house we are trying to buy in Longview. We started to talk house plans. Tom shared some of his ideas and joked that his problem was he wanted a house plan that could only be accommodated in a 6000 square foot ranch. I agree with his ideas in concept. But they will be hard to accommodate.
He wants the kitchen in the back of the house, tucked away, so the mess is not visible. Old school style. No open family room plan, where the kitchen is exposed to everything, and not located by the front door as the first thing you see when you com in. OK, so it will be a deep house.
The next note was that laundry, closets and bathrooms should be next to each other. Laundry should not be carried across the house but created and put away right where it accumulates. I loved that concept. He also like a large master suite . That is what sold us on the house we have now. Half the house is master suite. But the laundry is not in the master suite. It is at the end of the hall. near the boys rooms.
He mentioned a dumb waiter in the garage and having the kitchen downstairs. I liked having an upstairs and downstairs kitchen. Once the boys move out, I see the potential of renting out one floor as a separate apartment. We may need care givers in our old age or even passive income.
I found out from the city that a single residential unit can rent an apartment if the owner lives on the premises in one unit.
My wish list also included not having a lick of carpeting in the whole house. My nephew told me he could get hardwood flooring for me at the cost of laminate. I want a room big enough for the pool table to fit comfortably. I want a big master suite with a soaking tub in the bathroom. Double sinks in both ours and the boys bathroom. We need a room for conversation that will not have a TV in it, in essence two living rooms. That was what I loved about our old house, the upstairs downstairs living areas.
The lot we want to buy has some restrictions on building. The city sewer line goes through the back yard so we can only go so deep. The city has restrictions on set backs in the front yard so we can't bump out in front either. The house may be three stories tall in the end, with lots of stairs.
Tom feels that stairs may be a good thing. The advent of the ranch house has brought on a lot of laziness and lack of exercise. Doing stairs every day multiple times is good for the constitution and health. I could plan a design that in the end could be side by side units.
I could see the master on the top floor with a view, the children's bedrooms below that. The living quarters on the first floor and the party room below that. uh, I count four floors in that plan.
So, send us your favorite house plans. Remember the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The architect designed incredible buildings and spaces.
Tom is John Gault in Atlas Shrugged, by the same author, or more likely he is the steel Barron battling the system until he finally throws in the towel. I gave him that book to read when we first married. He took it to heart. Now we are living it out. We have reached the third section, making the passage across the country to that hidden oasis we know exists. We have found it once before. We know it is still there. Only those that make the effort will find it. They must give up working in the system and start working for themselves. We will build our home there and grow old.
My niece had cooked a great dinner of Greek style food. I found it delicious. Trevor never turns down anything so he ate well. Riley, of course, took a couple of bites and called it interesting, but not interesting enough to eat much. Tom will eat and enjoy red meat, just like Trevor.
They showed us the house they have recently purchased. Newly weds and their first home. Its in better condition than the house we are trying to buy in Longview. We started to talk house plans. Tom shared some of his ideas and joked that his problem was he wanted a house plan that could only be accommodated in a 6000 square foot ranch. I agree with his ideas in concept. But they will be hard to accommodate.
He wants the kitchen in the back of the house, tucked away, so the mess is not visible. Old school style. No open family room plan, where the kitchen is exposed to everything, and not located by the front door as the first thing you see when you com in. OK, so it will be a deep house.
The next note was that laundry, closets and bathrooms should be next to each other. Laundry should not be carried across the house but created and put away right where it accumulates. I loved that concept. He also like a large master suite . That is what sold us on the house we have now. Half the house is master suite. But the laundry is not in the master suite. It is at the end of the hall. near the boys rooms.
He mentioned a dumb waiter in the garage and having the kitchen downstairs. I liked having an upstairs and downstairs kitchen. Once the boys move out, I see the potential of renting out one floor as a separate apartment. We may need care givers in our old age or even passive income.
I found out from the city that a single residential unit can rent an apartment if the owner lives on the premises in one unit.
My wish list also included not having a lick of carpeting in the whole house. My nephew told me he could get hardwood flooring for me at the cost of laminate. I want a room big enough for the pool table to fit comfortably. I want a big master suite with a soaking tub in the bathroom. Double sinks in both ours and the boys bathroom. We need a room for conversation that will not have a TV in it, in essence two living rooms. That was what I loved about our old house, the upstairs downstairs living areas.
The lot we want to buy has some restrictions on building. The city sewer line goes through the back yard so we can only go so deep. The city has restrictions on set backs in the front yard so we can't bump out in front either. The house may be three stories tall in the end, with lots of stairs.
Tom feels that stairs may be a good thing. The advent of the ranch house has brought on a lot of laziness and lack of exercise. Doing stairs every day multiple times is good for the constitution and health. I could plan a design that in the end could be side by side units.
I could see the master on the top floor with a view, the children's bedrooms below that. The living quarters on the first floor and the party room below that. uh, I count four floors in that plan.
So, send us your favorite house plans. Remember the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The architect designed incredible buildings and spaces.
Tom is John Gault in Atlas Shrugged, by the same author, or more likely he is the steel Barron battling the system until he finally throws in the towel. I gave him that book to read when we first married. He took it to heart. Now we are living it out. We have reached the third section, making the passage across the country to that hidden oasis we know exists. We have found it once before. We know it is still there. Only those that make the effort will find it. They must give up working in the system and start working for themselves. We will build our home there and grow old.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The sale
The sale at work is going really well. We are meeting and exceeding last year's numbers. I am hopeful that it is an indicator that things are looking up. It could be just that our niche market will always need us.
The sale of the house is also progressing. Putting three quarter round down on the molding edge covered a host of sins.The place is looking quite good. I have some new ideas to use in the future. We still have to make the house look tidy, which is an impossible task. I couldn't keep up with it before. How I am expected to keep up with it now is beyond me.
Getting rid of some of the furniture pieces has helped in areas. I still need to tackle closets and find homes for the stuff that is out and about.
We were turned down on our first offer on the place we wanted to go. I am still trying for it though. I wrote the bank directly, after getting a message from the listing agent that we were wasting her time. I felt strongly that my offer was very fair. Fair enough that I am willing to take the risk of going around her and directly to the bank. I would go in person if the bank weren't located in southern California.
Of course the house we want is unlivable. Its a real project house, total tear down. Tom once told me we would never build a house together, as we would disagree too much on everything. Now we are purposefully going into this project with our eyes wide open. 17 years of marriage and he feels we can handle it.
I stopped by one of those home building places. They want $39 a square foot. That is well within our budget. We will just need to agree on a house plan. The boys will learn how to put in a full day's work. Learn some skills that might be useful for summer jobs.
The sale of the house is also progressing. Putting three quarter round down on the molding edge covered a host of sins.The place is looking quite good. I have some new ideas to use in the future. We still have to make the house look tidy, which is an impossible task. I couldn't keep up with it before. How I am expected to keep up with it now is beyond me.
Getting rid of some of the furniture pieces has helped in areas. I still need to tackle closets and find homes for the stuff that is out and about.
We were turned down on our first offer on the place we wanted to go. I am still trying for it though. I wrote the bank directly, after getting a message from the listing agent that we were wasting her time. I felt strongly that my offer was very fair. Fair enough that I am willing to take the risk of going around her and directly to the bank. I would go in person if the bank weren't located in southern California.
Of course the house we want is unlivable. Its a real project house, total tear down. Tom once told me we would never build a house together, as we would disagree too much on everything. Now we are purposefully going into this project with our eyes wide open. 17 years of marriage and he feels we can handle it.
I stopped by one of those home building places. They want $39 a square foot. That is well within our budget. We will just need to agree on a house plan. The boys will learn how to put in a full day's work. Learn some skills that might be useful for summer jobs.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Lawyer
Tom had busy day yesterday. he went to visit his mom and to talk to a lawyer about our situation. The lawyer was worth every penny. Tom was pleased with the conversation and what he heard. There are still some concerns that need to be resolved. But we are moving right along in our plans.
The house repairs are getting done and the listing goes up on schedule.
The house repairs are getting done and the listing goes up on schedule.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Wedding
A dear friend was married this weekend. It is her second marriage. She has been single for many years. It is a big leap to give up that Independence. For the last few months she has been working on getting her new home ready to move in. Her life has been as chaotic as mine is now. This weekend was her wedding.
I had the family dress up in suits. Trevor is now wearing Tom's spare suit. He has outgrown the one from last summer. he cleaned up quite nicely. He liked to dress up and show off his good looks. Riley complained about wearing a monkey suit. Tom scrunched up his face when I said suit instead of sweater. I knew the crowd though, and they would all be in suits except for small children. It was a good call. There were no adults wearing sweaters.
You could tell the wedding couple were well loved, the hall where the wedding was performed was packed. We ended up sitting in the back, in the quiet room. It's the glassed room with a view, made for families with children that are acting up. So the parents can still see and hear but the children don't disturb everyone. Since Trevor was coughing, it turned out to be a good choice for us.
The bride looked beautiful. I had gone shopping with her a couple of months earlier and had been with her when she bought the dress. She was all in silver, and looked very elegant. You could tell that the groom was nervous, but he was poised and looked very handsome with his own new suit. It was just the two of them up front, sitting in two chairs on the podium. The man who wed them was an old friend of the groom. The service was thoughtful and personal. Tom loved it.
The fact Tom loved it was important in that we are not members of the congregation. It was a special honor to be invited to the wedding while not being baptized in the religion. Tom received a greater understanding of my friends, having seen the service and heard the sermon. Not that Tom is manipulable, but he will be less resistant to the boys and my studies, less stressed over the message they are preaching. he claims to be a Cathoic agnostic.
The reception was lovely. The food was devine with chicken pad Thia and dim sum. There were also trees of chocolate dipped strawberries, and a champaigne fountain. I was impressed especially since the week before they had to cancel the rehearsal dinner and practice for a family emergency out of state for the groom.
Tom did not stay for much of the reception. He didn't know anyone. I let him slip away while the boys dove into the food line. We did not stay for the cake cutting as time right now is of a premium. The suits were hung back in the closets to keep them from wrinkling.
We went back to work on getting the house ready. I put together a truck load of furniture on the front porch for a donation to a fund raising garage sale. They were all big items I would never be able to fit in my car. A girlfriend arrainged for her husband to come with a pick up and take the load away. I still need to tackle the bed rooms.
I had the family dress up in suits. Trevor is now wearing Tom's spare suit. He has outgrown the one from last summer. he cleaned up quite nicely. He liked to dress up and show off his good looks. Riley complained about wearing a monkey suit. Tom scrunched up his face when I said suit instead of sweater. I knew the crowd though, and they would all be in suits except for small children. It was a good call. There were no adults wearing sweaters.
You could tell the wedding couple were well loved, the hall where the wedding was performed was packed. We ended up sitting in the back, in the quiet room. It's the glassed room with a view, made for families with children that are acting up. So the parents can still see and hear but the children don't disturb everyone. Since Trevor was coughing, it turned out to be a good choice for us.
The bride looked beautiful. I had gone shopping with her a couple of months earlier and had been with her when she bought the dress. She was all in silver, and looked very elegant. You could tell that the groom was nervous, but he was poised and looked very handsome with his own new suit. It was just the two of them up front, sitting in two chairs on the podium. The man who wed them was an old friend of the groom. The service was thoughtful and personal. Tom loved it.
The fact Tom loved it was important in that we are not members of the congregation. It was a special honor to be invited to the wedding while not being baptized in the religion. Tom received a greater understanding of my friends, having seen the service and heard the sermon. Not that Tom is manipulable, but he will be less resistant to the boys and my studies, less stressed over the message they are preaching. he claims to be a Cathoic agnostic.
The reception was lovely. The food was devine with chicken pad Thia and dim sum. There were also trees of chocolate dipped strawberries, and a champaigne fountain. I was impressed especially since the week before they had to cancel the rehearsal dinner and practice for a family emergency out of state for the groom.
Tom did not stay for much of the reception. He didn't know anyone. I let him slip away while the boys dove into the food line. We did not stay for the cake cutting as time right now is of a premium. The suits were hung back in the closets to keep them from wrinkling.
We went back to work on getting the house ready. I put together a truck load of furniture on the front porch for a donation to a fund raising garage sale. They were all big items I would never be able to fit in my car. A girlfriend arrainged for her husband to come with a pick up and take the load away. I still need to tackle the bed rooms.
Motivated
The white board lists keep growing. Tom wakes every day at 6:00 am to motivate and encourage us. We are both rushing forward and slowing up at the same time. The house wont sell in a day. It probably wont sell period. There is no place to rush off to be at the moment.
Today our his nephew who is in construction is coming to fix all the fixes in the house. I have done some improvements, ripping out carpets and putting down new floors. Tom hired this young man to finish my work, do the details I didn't do. Fix my errors. The house will look lovely when finished. The pealing vinyl in the kitchen will be fixed as will any exposed gaps in the molding in the hallways. I made a very thorough list.
I work today. Hopefully my list is detailed enough.
Trevor is coughing. Its a dry unproductive cough. I cringe when I hear it. I can't help tensing up when germs are in the house. he is still going to school. Not sick enough yet to miss it.
Riley is very cheerful. His energy is good and so is his color. I am hopeful that with the decrease in meds these days, his numbers are going up. March 10th is our next blood draw. It will be the first blood draw since we started to change and decrease his dosage levels.
I went house hunting in Longview on Sunday. I saw half a dozen small ranches, half the size of our home now. When we land on our feet, I am planning to turn the house we go to into a rental for us later. Half the houses we saw were dives, barely standing, with rotting walls and uneven floors. You can tell some people are still holding on to the fantasy of 2006. I will continue to look.
Today our his nephew who is in construction is coming to fix all the fixes in the house. I have done some improvements, ripping out carpets and putting down new floors. Tom hired this young man to finish my work, do the details I didn't do. Fix my errors. The house will look lovely when finished. The pealing vinyl in the kitchen will be fixed as will any exposed gaps in the molding in the hallways. I made a very thorough list.
I work today. Hopefully my list is detailed enough.
Trevor is coughing. Its a dry unproductive cough. I cringe when I hear it. I can't help tensing up when germs are in the house. he is still going to school. Not sick enough yet to miss it.
Riley is very cheerful. His energy is good and so is his color. I am hopeful that with the decrease in meds these days, his numbers are going up. March 10th is our next blood draw. It will be the first blood draw since we started to change and decrease his dosage levels.
I went house hunting in Longview on Sunday. I saw half a dozen small ranches, half the size of our home now. When we land on our feet, I am planning to turn the house we go to into a rental for us later. Half the houses we saw were dives, barely standing, with rotting walls and uneven floors. You can tell some people are still holding on to the fantasy of 2006. I will continue to look.
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