Sorry if any of you got spammed. My sister said that a post claiming to be from this blog showed up from "Angie" on Feedly. I have no idea how that happened.
We're getting settled in at the new house, the fence should be installed next week which will make everything a LOT easier. Penny and Jack are kind of going nuts. Penny has a small dog run, but she can't really get much exercise in there because she spends the whole time scratching at the garage door to get back in. Jack has done a pretty good job of staying in the yard, but he doesn't know that he's little (having older sisters will do that to you) so if I'm not careful he'll just take off down the street to look for the neighbor's cat, or to look at the little Mickey Mouse fountain that the neighbors have. *sigh*
We kept our old house as a rental, and we had some interesting folks come to see it. My favorite was the woman who called and said, "I know you're asking for X, but I can only afford X/2, so if you're willing to rent it for that I'd love to rent from you." I was like, "I"m sorry, that's hundreds of dollars below our break-even point, there's NO WAY I can rent it to you for that." "Oh, well if you change your mind...." Um, no.
The other good story involved a guy who gave me the wrong first name (he said his middle name was Y Z, but it was actually X Z, and Y was his middle name, which I found out when I looked him up on the county's website). I also found that he had $20,000 worth of debt that had gone to court over the past 10 years - showing a habitual pattern of not paying his bills, as well as a couple of assault charges and generally more criminal history than I was comfortable dealing with - especially considering that there's a school two blocks away! When I confronted him and said that I'd need first and last month's rent, plus the security deposit, he got all hostile with me. Dodged that bullet.
Oh, and there were the 36 year old twins who were dressed identically and who talked over each other constantly, so it was like having two conversations with the same person at once. That one made my head hurt! (Also, they were guys).
In the end, we found a wonderful family that's moving in from out of state. They have a daughter Claire's age and a four year contract at the university. I'm super hopeful that they'll stay for the whole four years -that would be amazing, because trying to find a tenant SUCKS.
Right. So we'll see how it is being landlords. We have a couple more weeks to get the rest of our crap out of the old house (currently the garage, the shed, half of the play structure, and the contents of the attics - stuff I couldn't get on my own and BJ's back has been too bad to get) and get the projects done over there. We have a lot of projects to do over there, which is why I haven't had much time to post, lately. I've been on Facebook quite a bit, though, you can always look for me over there. Facebook is easier to do from my phone.
All right, time to get this day on the road. Need to get showered and go take down the rest of the play structure. Thanks for sticking around during this transition.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Part 2
If you haven't yet, read this.
Right. So I literally backed down the street, rolled down the window, and yelled, "NICE HOUSE!" at the Realtor and the prospective buyer who were coming out.
"Want to see it?" the Realtor replied.
"Hell yeah!" I said, but then she asked me if I was working with someone, and I said I was, and she said that she wouldn't want to step on someone's toes and I'd better go get my Realtor.
It just so happens that Lauren, the Realtor we've been working with for about 2 years, lives on the back of the same block we were on, so I drove around the block. She was in her front yard watching her kids, talking on the phone. I waited until she finished her call, then said, "We have to go see a house right now."
"My baby's asleep inside..." Lauren said. She's so professional, she only looked at me like I was crazy a little bit.
"My sister Megan was a first grade teacher and she has a one year old and I trust her with my life, can she watch your kids?"
I mean, obviously it was an emergency.
So Lauren left her three small children in my sister's capable hands, and we walked over to the house. I called BJ on the way and had him meet us there. "When?" he asked. "RIGHT NOW." I said.
As soon as I walked in, I knew it was my house. I was ready to put in an offer right then and there. We have had so many houses bought out from under us, and some that we've wanted to look at that were sold before we could get there. I knew we had to act fast. BJ was less convinced, so we made arrangements to look at it a second time the next morning with our dads.
The next morning we arrived, and we were told that there were 8 showings that day with several second showings... So we wrote an offer in the kitchen. The seller accepted. Now I'm writing to you from our BRAND NEW HOUSE!
It is so beautiful. The master bedroom is bigger than the entire upstairs was at our old house. It has everything we needed (a bedroom on the first floor with its own bath - that will be BJ's office, unless a parent needs to come stay with us someday), a basement so I don't have to take Xanax during storms anymore, a HUGE sunny backyard, a wine drinking porch, an amazing kitchen, a two car garage, a front porch that's so welcoming and inviting... The list of things I love just goes on and on. The street it's on bears my grandfather's middle name. It's like it was meant to be.
We managed to get an amazing mortgage rate, too, and now they're starting to go up again, which was something we feared would happen when they bottomed out about a month ago. If we bought today the rate would be about 1% higher.
The seller was so amazing - she fixed everything we asked her to fix. She could have held out for a higher offer and gotten us into a bidding war with someone else, but instead she accepted our offer and that was that. I brought her a plant when we did our final walkthrough, and thanked her for being amazing and for letting us buy this gorgeous house.
The closing was so much fun - we laughed and joked the entire time. The banker even came because, as she said, "I knew this would be a great closing!"
Ok, break time is over, I have 10,000 pictures in my car that need to be unpacked. I'm sorry I've been busy but I had to upheave my entire life and bring it over here. I haven't even begun to tell you about the process of keeping our old home as a rental and all the fun Craigslist people I've met as a result. That'll be Part 3. It's well worth the wait!
Right. So I literally backed down the street, rolled down the window, and yelled, "NICE HOUSE!" at the Realtor and the prospective buyer who were coming out.
"Want to see it?" the Realtor replied.
"Hell yeah!" I said, but then she asked me if I was working with someone, and I said I was, and she said that she wouldn't want to step on someone's toes and I'd better go get my Realtor.
It just so happens that Lauren, the Realtor we've been working with for about 2 years, lives on the back of the same block we were on, so I drove around the block. She was in her front yard watching her kids, talking on the phone. I waited until she finished her call, then said, "We have to go see a house right now."
"My baby's asleep inside..." Lauren said. She's so professional, she only looked at me like I was crazy a little bit.
"My sister Megan was a first grade teacher and she has a one year old and I trust her with my life, can she watch your kids?"
I mean, obviously it was an emergency.
So Lauren left her three small children in my sister's capable hands, and we walked over to the house. I called BJ on the way and had him meet us there. "When?" he asked. "RIGHT NOW." I said.
As soon as I walked in, I knew it was my house. I was ready to put in an offer right then and there. We have had so many houses bought out from under us, and some that we've wanted to look at that were sold before we could get there. I knew we had to act fast. BJ was less convinced, so we made arrangements to look at it a second time the next morning with our dads.
The next morning we arrived, and we were told that there were 8 showings that day with several second showings... So we wrote an offer in the kitchen. The seller accepted. Now I'm writing to you from our BRAND NEW HOUSE!
It is so beautiful. The master bedroom is bigger than the entire upstairs was at our old house. It has everything we needed (a bedroom on the first floor with its own bath - that will be BJ's office, unless a parent needs to come stay with us someday), a basement so I don't have to take Xanax during storms anymore, a HUGE sunny backyard, a wine drinking porch, an amazing kitchen, a two car garage, a front porch that's so welcoming and inviting... The list of things I love just goes on and on. The street it's on bears my grandfather's middle name. It's like it was meant to be.
We managed to get an amazing mortgage rate, too, and now they're starting to go up again, which was something we feared would happen when they bottomed out about a month ago. If we bought today the rate would be about 1% higher.
The seller was so amazing - she fixed everything we asked her to fix. She could have held out for a higher offer and gotten us into a bidding war with someone else, but instead she accepted our offer and that was that. I brought her a plant when we did our final walkthrough, and thanked her for being amazing and for letting us buy this gorgeous house.
The closing was so much fun - we laughed and joked the entire time. The banker even came because, as she said, "I knew this would be a great closing!"
Ok, break time is over, I have 10,000 pictures in my car that need to be unpacked. I'm sorry I've been busy but I had to upheave my entire life and bring it over here. I haven't even begun to tell you about the process of keeping our old home as a rental and all the fun Craigslist people I've met as a result. That'll be Part 3. It's well worth the wait!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
My Triumphant Return to Blogging
"Where," you might be saying to yourself, "the hell has Amy BEEN for the past month and four days?! Her niece turned one and she disappeared!"
I will tell you, my friends. I will tell you chronologically and in a series of posts with ample pictures and hyperbole.
It all started about 50 days ago. How do I know? I'll get to that. But about 50 days ago my sister Megan and her baby Kate came down for a visit. We went places. We did things. Then both the kids (Jack and Kate) fell asleep in the car. "Rolling nap!" we said, and drove directionlessly around town. Normally we do rolling naps on the phone, so it was a nice treat to be able to roll in person.
Megan just bought a house last year, and she knew that we'd been looking, so I said, "Let's drive by some of the houses we've looked at." She was game, so I steered the family truckster into one of my favorite neighborhoods in town. We drove past the one that was too narrow, and the one that was too beige, and we were on our way the one that I almost bought while BJ was out of town when...... <brakes>
HOLD THE PHONE - LOOK AT THAT HOUSE!
...and now it's time for me to go get Jack so you'll have to check back later to find out what I said to the Realtor who was coming out as we were backing up.
I will tell you, my friends. I will tell you chronologically and in a series of posts with ample pictures and hyperbole.
It all started about 50 days ago. How do I know? I'll get to that. But about 50 days ago my sister Megan and her baby Kate came down for a visit. We went places. We did things. Then both the kids (Jack and Kate) fell asleep in the car. "Rolling nap!" we said, and drove directionlessly around town. Normally we do rolling naps on the phone, so it was a nice treat to be able to roll in person.
Megan just bought a house last year, and she knew that we'd been looking, so I said, "Let's drive by some of the houses we've looked at." She was game, so I steered the family truckster into one of my favorite neighborhoods in town. We drove past the one that was too narrow, and the one that was too beige, and we were on our way the one that I almost bought while BJ was out of town when...... <brakes>
HOLD THE PHONE - LOOK AT THAT HOUSE!
...and now it's time for me to go get Jack so you'll have to check back later to find out what I said to the Realtor who was coming out as we were backing up.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Happy Birthday Kate!!!
Dear Kate,
You are ONE! I just can't believe it, because this...
Your favorite toy for playing is: Tupperware, your walker, your dogs
Your favorite toy for snuggling is: Biscuit Jr., the stuffed cat I bought you after you fell in love with Biscuit Sr., who belongs to Claire
Your favorite food is: all of them, but your mom told me that you're a really big fan of the Gerber Wagon Wheels - which are these giant, dry cereal wheels
Your favorite book is: hopefully the one I recorded for you! Ha ha!
Your favorite activity is: walking!
Your favorite place to go is: work with Mom and Dad
Your best friend is: Julie, your babysitter, and your cousin Elise
Something you've mastered: wrapping people around your little finger
Something people say about you: "She's so pretty!"
Something that you're saying is: Mama and Dada
Something I am proud of you for: you're fearless and strong
Something surprising about you: you have blue eyes! I got really used to brown eyed babies before you were born.
What you want to be when you grow up: hmmm... I'm going to have to guess because you haven't said anything about this issue yet... you'll probably start by setting tables, then you'll be a server at Aberdeen when you're old enough, then a bartender when you turn 21, then maybe a chef for a while before you take over for your folks and they retire.
You are ONE! I just can't believe it, because this...
...seems like just yesterday.
All babies change and grow so much during their first year of life, and you are changing and growing faster than I can keep up. You were a very early walker - starting at 9 or 10 months old. I loved watching your face when you were beginning to walk, because you were just so tickled with yourself. "Look at me go!" you seemed to say.
You are such a good girl. You're a great sleeper (a very important quality in a baby) and a wonderful eater! You LOVE food. I think you get that from me. You have such a sunny personality, and a big smile for everyone you see.
My favorite part of the last year, other than all the snuggles you and I have enjoyed, has been watching your mom and dad become parents. You really lucked out, kiddo, because they are amazing. I always knew they would be. They love you so much, and they are doing such a great job. I'll tell you what, though. it's been kind of weird watching my baby sister, who I played dolls with growing up, have a real baby of her very own. I'm sure she felt the same way about me with your cousins. I hope someday they'll give you a sister so that you'll know exactly what I mean. Sisters are cool.
Meanwhile, though, you have your cousins. You and Claire have a really special relationship. She and I came up to visit once without the others, and you two really bonded. Maybe it's because you look alike, or maybe it's because she saved you from going down the stairs in your walker, but you two have a special connection that is so cool to witness.
Claire's 5 years older than you, just like I'm 5 years older than your mommy.
When I think about how much the world has changed in the 37 years I've been in it, and then I try to imagine what the future will be like for you and your cousins when you're my age, I get a little dizzy. Some things will never change though - your family will always love you, and we'll always be in your corner to support you and guide you and help you become the amazing person that you were born to be. Even if we end up with flying cars, a colony on Mars, and Google enabled contact lenses in the next 35 years or so, many fundamental things will remain constant - love, family, kindness, connection, compassion - those are the things that really matter and always will.
I have this checklist that I fill out for my kids on their birthdays, and your mom emailed me to say she filled it out for you. I'm going to do it, too, and we'll see how many answers I get right. Maybe she'll post her answers in a comment.
Your favorite toy for snuggling is: Biscuit Jr., the stuffed cat I bought you after you fell in love with Biscuit Sr., who belongs to Claire
Your favorite food is: all of them, but your mom told me that you're a really big fan of the Gerber Wagon Wheels - which are these giant, dry cereal wheels
Your favorite book is: hopefully the one I recorded for you! Ha ha!
Your favorite activity is: walking!
Your favorite place to go is: work with Mom and Dad
Your best friend is: Julie, your babysitter, and your cousin Elise
Something new that you're doing: walking!
Something you've mastered: wrapping people around your little finger
Something people say about you: "She's so pretty!"
Something I am proud of you for: you're fearless and strong
Happy first birthday, sweet girl! Auntie Amy and Uncle BJ, and all of your cousins love you SO much! See you at your party on Sunday.
Love,
Aunt Amy
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Speech
Jack learned the phrase "I want" yesterday, and at bedtime we were talking about all the things one can "want." After a few minutes we settled down, and I thought he was falling asleep. Then out of nowhere he said, "I want baby."
"You want a baby?"
"Ha Mama," ha means yes.
"Do you want Mommy to have a baby?"
"Ha."
"You want a brother?"
"Ha."
"What would we call him?" I laughed.
"Bobo."
Where on earth did he come up with that?
"You want a baby?"
"Ha Mama," ha means yes.
"Do you want Mommy to have a baby?"
"Ha."
"You want a brother?"
"Ha."
"What would we call him?" I laughed.
"Bobo."
Where on earth did he come up with that?
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