Things happen in Threes

Yesterday was some what of a big pill to swallow but ended well. My day started with an e mail from the realtor telling me that the seller wouldn't sign under the second banks conditions not to let her off of the rest of the debt. Theoretically the house is the collateral for the loan. The bank was the one that thought the house was worth more. They charge interest for the risk they take when loaning the money. I can see the seller's point. But it hurts me.

The next bad news was a call from the movers. I am costing them business each time I cancel at the last minute. They have a schedule to fill. I apologized profusely as I canceled again. I told them I wouldn't reschedule until after I have signed and have the ownership documents in hand. It may cost me a few weeks though. I will have to do a U haul for much of our stuff so we would be able to move in while we wait for the big items. I really want them to move us. I just wont schedule until I have a done deal. I probably jinxed everything by being so organized. If I could have got this done just by force of will, it would have happened.

The call right after that one was from my dear friend in Utah. The one we went to the Grand Canyon with two years ago, the summer before Riley got sick. She was on her way to Idaho in the car, by herself, on a four and a half hour drive. She wanted company if only by ear phone. She was doing the drive because she received the news that her older brother and his middle child, age 16, one of five children, had died the night before in a small plane crash with a friend. The plane was coming in to land when it just fell out of the sky, witnesses said. It was a sad lonely drive my girlfriend was making, to go console her sister in law and the young children still at home and now fatherless.

That call did put into perspective all my drama about buying a house. It is just a house, made of wood and wiring, not a human with emotions and love. The three pieces of bad news were done. I could move on to the good stuff.

My sister is in town for a month from New York. We all met for dinner at Margaret's favorite restaurant with the children. Riley was with me. Tory had her children. Jen had Cole. We brought presents for Cole, whose fourth birthday was on Saturday. It was a belated Birthday party, but more of an excuse for the adults to get together.

The restaurant was having computer problems so our orders were sporadic in arriving, as a result a round of drinks was comped for my sisters. I stuck to Shirley temples. I had over served myself last week at my friend's house on a sleep over house hunt day. I had felt miserable for most of the next day. With all the bad phone calls earlier in the day I felt strung out and felt that if I started drinking I might over serve myself again.

It is so worth not drinking to wake the next day and not feel that nauseated headache and that you only want to lie in the prone position. Last week I had to drive around and look at houses that would be my family's next perminanat residence. It would have been comical, if it wasn't me feeling so miserable that day. As I age I think I am really getting more sensitive to alcohol. I just can't do it to myself, though I miss that buzz and feeling of freedom upon occasion. I have always been something of a light weight.

The older children took the younger children to the park across from the restaurant after dinner. We had the opportunity to sit and quietly chat over our coffees and tea. It was heavenly. Will had been sitting next to me and had been very good, but he is kind of squirmy and fidgety. He appreciated the opportunity to go to the park as much as we did having the quiet moment without children. Riley was looking forward to playing with his little cousin from New York again. I loved the fact he was enjoying the park and the fresh air. It wasn't raining and the air was warm. 9:00 pm and it was still light out.

Eventually, the day had to end though. We all piled into our cars and headed home. Riley has some new books from Barns and Noble. I gave my nephew a gift card from there. We had shopped books on Sunday when Trevor had his friend with him. Everyone found books to read. I had fed them all lunch at the mall. I gave Trevor $10 to split between himself and his friend. They were disappointed that there wasn't enough for milk shakes to go with their burgers. But a budget is a budget.

When we got home last night, I grabbed one of Riley's new books sitting in the hall, to try it out, but Riley wanted it back. He went to bed with his light on and read until the wee hours of the morning this new book, first in the series he had picked out.

I sat at the computer looking for appropriate houses to look at as substitutes to the one we are probably about to lose. I e mailed a selection to my realtor to make appointments to show them to me on Thursday when I have to go pick up Trevor. I went to bed at 1:00 am. I think Riley was still up reading.