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.