The hubby just called and said that a realtor would like to show our house to one of her clients tonight at 6:00. Incredibly good news. And an incredibly small window of time to get the house presentable. Time to toss a few Cheerios on the ground for the boys, start cleaning, and start drinking! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
Find a happy place. Find a happy place. Find a happy place!
See photo below for said happy place.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Antsy
Fall has always been a calm, serene time for me. I just love the cooler temperatures after a hot, humid summer. I love the slow turn of the leaves, the brisk winds, the sweater weather. I love hot apple cider, picking pumpkins, and decorating my house in reds, oranges, browns, and yellows. I love making my famous stew and chili, watching the high school football games, and raking leaves. Fall has always felt like coming home. It is comforting.
Today is the first day of fall, and I barely noticed. I am antsy and distracted. I am busy cleaning and sorting. Checking real estate websites, setting up open houses, and stalking my home's web page for hits. The fall decorations were put in storage this past weekend along with all the other unnecessary personal items that everyone warns you about having in your home for an open house. My house is uncharacteristically bare of pumpkins, fall leaves, and scarecrows for this time of year. In short, it doesn't feel like fall.
But we are making progress. The inspection problem is being taken care of and things are moving forward. And maybe, just maybe, if we can accept an offer on this house sometime soon I will still be able to dig those decorations out of storage and set them up in my house one last time before we move. Perhaps then it would feel like fall. And maybe the changing leaves would be a kind of sign. Or a reminder. A reminder that change, even big, scary change can be beautiful and comforting.
Today is the first day of fall, and I barely noticed. I am antsy and distracted. I am busy cleaning and sorting. Checking real estate websites, setting up open houses, and stalking my home's web page for hits. The fall decorations were put in storage this past weekend along with all the other unnecessary personal items that everyone warns you about having in your home for an open house. My house is uncharacteristically bare of pumpkins, fall leaves, and scarecrows for this time of year. In short, it doesn't feel like fall.
But we are making progress. The inspection problem is being taken care of and things are moving forward. And maybe, just maybe, if we can accept an offer on this house sometime soon I will still be able to dig those decorations out of storage and set them up in my house one last time before we move. Perhaps then it would feel like fall. And maybe the changing leaves would be a kind of sign. Or a reminder. A reminder that change, even big, scary change can be beautiful and comforting.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Absent
I'm loosing my mind. And because I'm taking a vacation in loony land I probably will not be posting very much. I am far too busy, tearing apart my basement, rearranging and cleaning everything I see, fixing all the dents/scratches/pen marks/holes in our walls, organizing the closets, fancying the yard, putting up new fixtures and lights, finding a place to store all of our excess, and getting the house pretty for an open house.
And once in a while I have to give the boys a little attention too. Ya know, just a little head nod here and there. Maybe toss some Cheerios on the floor for them so they don't starve.
Oh, and there may be a problem at the new house that was found during the inspection. It could quite possibly cause us to call off the whole deal. So that's great. I didn't really need sleep anyway. I'd much rather stay awake all night thinking about inspection problems.
And I don't really need food either. Who has time for that? I'll just drink my dinner. Great way to loose weight!
So excuse me if I'm not around much in the next "Oh God how long is this gonna take?" while. I'm busy becoming an alcoholic.
Moving is fun.
And yes, I WOULD like some whine with my cheese. And yes, I CAN hear the world's tiniest violin playing my sob story.
And once in a while I have to give the boys a little attention too. Ya know, just a little head nod here and there. Maybe toss some Cheerios on the floor for them so they don't starve.
Oh, and there may be a problem at the new house that was found during the inspection. It could quite possibly cause us to call off the whole deal. So that's great. I didn't really need sleep anyway. I'd much rather stay awake all night thinking about inspection problems.
And I don't really need food either. Who has time for that? I'll just drink my dinner. Great way to loose weight!
So excuse me if I'm not around much in the next "Oh God how long is this gonna take?" while. I'm busy becoming an alcoholic.
Moving is fun.
And yes, I WOULD like some whine with my cheese. And yes, I CAN hear the world's tiniest violin playing my sob story.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Moving On
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
(Our 1st Home Sweet Home)Yesterday afternoon our final offer was accepted on the new house. We got the call at home and when Todd hung up we both just looked at each other. It finally felt real. I immediately got a sick, queasy, sinking feeling. We were really going to leave our house. Todd began to look around at our house and said, "I remember the first day..." and I said, "Stop it!" I just couldn't go there because I knew I'd start bawling. We both looked at each other again, this time with tears in our eyes. Yes, this is the right step for our family but it is hard to let go of our first home too.
I spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures of our house and putting them on a website for homes for sale by owner. I cried and cried as I wrote the description of our house. Can you feel the love in what I wrote?
"LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
This beautiful Cape Cod home is situated in a most desired quiet northeast side location just a few blocks from the lake, schools, and shopping. The house boasts an updated kitchen with custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, and Brazilian hardwood floors. Built-in cabinetry in the dining room, crown molding throughout, lovely woodwork, open staircase, and a cheery sunroom add to this older home's charm.
The upstairs spa-like bath has beautiful tile, updated vanity and sink, and an antique Kohler clawfoot tub. Each bedroom is equipped with a walk in closet.
The lower level is fully finished with plenty of room for a pool table, a movie area, a playroom, or just extra storage. A brand new bathroom with Travertine tile, a pedestal sink, and a huge shower with a state of the art in-ceiling Kohler rainpanel completes the lower level making it a wonderful extra living space.
The partially fenced in backyard has a perennial garden, a beautiful flowering crab apple tree, and a tall hedge for privacy. A one car garage and a driveway offer off street parking.
This home is truly a must see!"
I had to force myself not to write, "Love our home. Won't you love our home? Please, just look how wonderful it is. Won't you love it for me?"
I remember the day we moved in to this house. The sellers, a young couple with two children, had left us a little card. In it they had written that this home held many special memories for them and that they hoped it would bring us as many warm, loving, fun times as it had for them. That card touched me when I first read it and it touches me even more now knowing the love they were talking about. I can only hope that a young couple finds this house and fills it up with love and warm memories too.
I'm feeling better today. I know we will take these wonderful memories with us and make so many more at the new house. I know this move will be more of a beginning than an end and I'm excited for our family. If we ever really get to move.
This whole moving process is much more complex than normal because we found out that a relocation company may buy this house out from under us at any moment. The company was hired to find the sellers a home in Texas and according to their contract as soon as they find them a suitable home they will buy the house up here and sell it. Since we have a contingency to sell our house in the offer to purchase the relocation company could buy it before we get a chance to sell our house. We could then buy it from the relocation company (at a higher price, I'm sure) but they do not accept offers with a contingency to sell. Egad. So basically we have to sell our home ASAP and CLOSE on it before the relocation company (or another buyer that does not have a contingency to sell) buys it first. Stressful enough?
Anyway, we are just gonna keep plodding along doing our thing. We are prettying up the yard, making minor fixes (the ceiling fan light the boys broke throwing toys, the shades the boys cut with scissors, the blinds Ben took a bite out of), getting rid of a bunch of stuff, and cleaning out the basement this weekend so that we can have an open house next weekend. If it all works out and we sell our home quickly then it was truly meant to be. If not and someone else buys the other house then at least we have a completely clean house, right? Right?
Let's just hope that by the end of all of this I am not locked away in a padded cell.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Yes, I Remember
Seven years ago today I was on my way to work. The sky was a dreamy blue with well-placed cottony clouds here and there. I was bopping in my car to a fun song on the radio, sipping on my coffee, and despite not being a morning person, I was already having a great day. Suddenly the announcers broke in to the middle of the song to inform us that a commercial plane had hit the Twin Towers in New York. Huh. That's odd. How low did that plane have to be flying in order to hit one of the towers? What a horrible accident. I said a little prayer for the people on the plane and in the building.
I continued on my way and arrived at the bank a few minutes later. As soon as I walked up to the back door of the bank I disarmed the alarm and began prepping the tellers, setting up the windows, and opening my office as usual. I went to the back room and turned on the oldies radio station for some calm mood music for the customers. I opened the vault and went back in to my office, turned on my computer, and then went out to the windows and threw my cash drawer in just in case we got busy. Just as I was locking my drawer the radio announcer told us that another plane had crashed into the other tower. I stood frozen to my spot. The hair on my arms stood up in full alert knowing now what I had not even thought about before. This was no accident.
The tellers, my manager, and I all rushed to the break room to turn on the television. What we saw was beyond. Beyond what I had imagined. Beyond what I ever could imagine. We stood there staring at the TV, speechless.
The rest of the day was much of the same. Though we tried to continue on with our work the only words we spoke were about the terrible, frightening events of the day. As more news came to us about another plane hitting the Pentagon, and then the collapse of the towers, it started to feel like the end of the world. I almost expected to look outside and see alien spacecrafts raining down from the sky. It was absolutely unreal.
Time seemed to stand still. Only a few clients ventured into the bank making the day even more surreal. Each one looked pale and dazed. Some had stories of loved ones they were trying to reach in D.C. or New York. Some just had no words at all. Emails were sent around to verify the whereabouts of those we knew were in the danger zone. My best friend emailed me to tell me she couldn't get in touch with her brother who was a police officer in Arlington. The president of the bank sent a mass email letting us know that the group of our coworkers who had been in New York for meetings were safe.
That evening when I climbed the steps to our tiny apartment and saw Todd sitting in the living room a wave of relief washed over me. I knew he was only 20 minutes away from me all day, and that he was obviously safe, but I still had such a nervous feeling. I felt as though the rug could get pulled out from underneath me at any moment. That on a day like that day anything could happen.
We sat glued to the TV all night and cried. We cried for the people experiencing this tragedy first hand. We cried for the people searching for their loved ones. We cried for our nation. We cried out of fear. We cried out of anger. And we cried for the people who live in countries where events like these are not unusual. It was hard to stop crying.
I continued on my way and arrived at the bank a few minutes later. As soon as I walked up to the back door of the bank I disarmed the alarm and began prepping the tellers, setting up the windows, and opening my office as usual. I went to the back room and turned on the oldies radio station for some calm mood music for the customers. I opened the vault and went back in to my office, turned on my computer, and then went out to the windows and threw my cash drawer in just in case we got busy. Just as I was locking my drawer the radio announcer told us that another plane had crashed into the other tower. I stood frozen to my spot. The hair on my arms stood up in full alert knowing now what I had not even thought about before. This was no accident.
The tellers, my manager, and I all rushed to the break room to turn on the television. What we saw was beyond. Beyond what I had imagined. Beyond what I ever could imagine. We stood there staring at the TV, speechless.
The rest of the day was much of the same. Though we tried to continue on with our work the only words we spoke were about the terrible, frightening events of the day. As more news came to us about another plane hitting the Pentagon, and then the collapse of the towers, it started to feel like the end of the world. I almost expected to look outside and see alien spacecrafts raining down from the sky. It was absolutely unreal.
Time seemed to stand still. Only a few clients ventured into the bank making the day even more surreal. Each one looked pale and dazed. Some had stories of loved ones they were trying to reach in D.C. or New York. Some just had no words at all. Emails were sent around to verify the whereabouts of those we knew were in the danger zone. My best friend emailed me to tell me she couldn't get in touch with her brother who was a police officer in Arlington. The president of the bank sent a mass email letting us know that the group of our coworkers who had been in New York for meetings were safe.
That evening when I climbed the steps to our tiny apartment and saw Todd sitting in the living room a wave of relief washed over me. I knew he was only 20 minutes away from me all day, and that he was obviously safe, but I still had such a nervous feeling. I felt as though the rug could get pulled out from underneath me at any moment. That on a day like that day anything could happen.
We sat glued to the TV all night and cried. We cried for the people experiencing this tragedy first hand. We cried for the people searching for their loved ones. We cried for our nation. We cried out of fear. We cried out of anger. And we cried for the people who live in countries where events like these are not unusual. It was hard to stop crying.
I will not forget what happened on September 11, 2001. I will not forget how many lost their lives. I will not forget the heroes that emerged from that tragedy. I will not forget how we held each other up as a nation. I will not forget how dangerous this world can really be. I will not forget how strong the human spirit is. And I will not forget those who continue to fight for our safety and our freedom.
Today and every day I will remember.
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