Overheard

MiniMe: "LittleBit, let me smell your armpits. I need to see if they are stinky."

LittleBit: "I'm not stinky"

MiniMe: " I need to smell if you're stinky".

MiniMe apparently smells LittleBit's (freshly bathed, and too young to stink) armpits, and screams, "EEEWWWWWWW, your armpits are stinky. I'd better put some deodorant on them".

LittleBit: "Let me smell your armpits." (smells MiniMe 's freshly bathed, and too young to stink armpits) "EEEWWWWWW, you need deodorant".

Back and forth while they clearly have found my deodorant, and are having a ball.

I've been tagged

I was tagged by roundtuit. (one of my oldest, dearest friends! Not that I am calling us OLD; we've known each other since Jr. High! GO Tigers!!)

The rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules on your blog.

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks you possess.

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.


Six UNspectacular quirks? hmmm... here goes!

1. I can pinch things with my toes (do "talents" count as quirks?). I have been able to all my life. I take it for granted, really, and often forget. Unless I need to pick something up, like a sock on the floor. I use my toes to pick it up, because my knees hurt, and it beats bending. HandsomeBuffalo laughs, and thinks it's soooo weird. THen I remember and pinch him. MiniMe can sometimes pick up socks, but LittleBit, she's REALLY got the toes. She can do everything I can do, and she's not yet three. Of course, my sister, Sailorgal, beats us all - she used to hold a brush in her feet, and brush her hair with it, just for fun.

2. I can turn my tongue upside-down, in either direction, tie cherry stems, form a flower, etc. One of my many "stupid pet tricks" (like toe-pinching, above). MiniMe definitely inherited this one. She can even do a "near" flower - much younger than I knew they existed.

3. I am a reformed Obsessive-Compulsive. At least, I CLAIM to be reformed. HandsomeBuffalo says I have a LONG way to go, to get rid of my OCD. I remind him how bad I used to be, and he concedes the point.........

4. I LOVE rain. L-O-V-E LOVE. It was on my secret list of ways I'd know my "prince". He'd kiss me in the rain. I had boyfriends who never kissed me in the rain, even when I asked, and boyfriends who never kissed me at all. A few who thought it was weird I even LIKED rain. And one I definitely suspect would have melted, or something (he was rather evil, and has probably returned to his underworld home, long ago, lol). HandsomeBuffalo, on the other hand, took me for walks in the rain (he didn't even know my secret obsession), sat in porch swings smelling the rain with me, and even dragged me out in the middle of a near-monsoon just to kiss me in the rain, when we were still dating. Not only was he literally everything else I ever wanted/needed (and more), but the whole rain-kissing-thing sealed the deal! Call me silly, but there it is!

5. I hate mess. Now, before any of my siblings call me to remind me what a horribly messy room I ALWAYS had, I admit it's true. But it made me cranky. I hate clutter, I hate mess, and I REALLY HATE germs (see, OCD again). In the new house, this is mostly under control, but there are still boxes in the garage that need to be dealt with. I have been an unpacking FIEND, and have most of what we really ened already unpacked and put away. I keep telling HansomeBuffalo we should just let them all go out to ARC, and not even LOOK in them. If we haven't needed it yet, I don't want it!! And the baby clothes, maternity clothes, and all the peripheral accoutrement..... I would much rather just agree we are done, so I can let all that clutter go as well. And then I remember there is something I am still looking for (like my awesome cutting board, and the dish drainer I finally gave up and replaced), and I sigh, and resolve to at least unpack a few more before giving up. And to have the kids give aawy at least a third of their toys to charity, before moving more into the house.

6. I love getting a GREAT deal! I have a couch and chair n my living room, purchased for $25 (total), that was almost BRAND NEW, because I was in the right place at the right time. I just purchased a refrigerator from a big-box store, for almost less than THEY paid for it (and several hundred below the list price), and I find great deals on Freecycle and Craigslist all the time. In fact, I almost don't like something if I have to pay full-price for it. But I am NEVER rude or greedy about it, and never insult people with a low-ball offer. Once in a while, I just know what to ask, and when to ask it. I've gotten some lemons, but quickly been rid of them. And I have found some SERIOUS diamonds in the rough! And if I won the lottery tomorrow, there's not much I would change or replace.



Hmmmm.... so now I will go tag:

Tammy
Wupwo
nateandmiranda
CB

hmmm.... other than MY tagger, those are the only bloggers I know, lol!
I guess I will tag roundtuit right back!

AT LONG LAST - an update!!

Well, we are in our house - we finally closed 3 weeks ago (Aug 13), after several days of homelessness. Gotta love incompetent loan processors who lose paperwork, don't follow up on anything, return calls, etc. Let's just say it was a NIGHTMARE, and we were glad to finally close, move in, and be reunited with the kids (whom I sent to live with my sister V for a few days, so they would not be homeless and stressed with us)!!!

It took about 4 days to feel like human beings again, and recover the lost sleep of our real moving day, etc. But we quickly got into a rhythm of work/unpacking/MiniMe's school, etc. Making new friends, meeting our neighbors, and getting a feel for the area.

On Labor Day, Dh had the day off (YAY!!!), so we did some household shopping, had lunch at Subway (MiniMe's choice), and went to the State Fair. I got a bit sunburned, but we had a LOT of fun! LittleBit was mad because she "didn't get to ride EVERY ride", MiniMe was THRILLED about the ones she DID ride.

MiniMe just started soccer last night. Ran her heart out, but was running funny. I asked her why, and she said her pinky toe hurt in her cleats. So we took her to get her feet measured. DUH!! Her shoes are size ONE, her feet are size TWO!! She went up 2 sizes.....and I should have realized, since it's been a year since she last played!! The instant she had the RIGHT SIZE on, she danced for joy, shouting, "My pinky toes don't hurt!!!" I told her it's OK to tell me her shoes are too small!! No "Mother of the Year Award" for me this year................. and I was *THIS* close!

Dh's broken toe is still hurting (did I tell you he stubbed it on some furniture, and broke HIS pinky toe?). And the other day, his store did 800 "scripts" (by the time he went home; there were MANY more after he left!)....his old store in Metroville did 150 in a whole day! He was on his feet 10 hours, without even one break, or a chance to sit down. It was CRAZY! He should only have been there for 8 hours, but couldn't leave the other pharmacist like that. SO he has to talk with the district office, about getting paid those 2 hours. Yesterday was his day off. I was going to have him move furniture, but felt sorry for him, and let him take a long bath, instead.

I am slowly but surely getting the house pulled together. We bought a couple mattresses yesterday, and some more curtains. Still have wrapping paper on the girls' windows (we will have to special order blinds, because of the window dimensions, so it's not a high priority right now), but they have cute sparkly purple sheers over that now, lol. I really am enjoying all the “housework”. My sisters used to laugh at me when I said I LIKE cleaning. The last few years, it's just been overwhelming; with 4 of us in such a small space, and all the junk we've been storing (baby clothes for "what if", etc). This house isn't too big to clean, yet it's plenty big enough to organize, and with Dh working so much, I can just get rid of junk as I see fit (rather than waiting for his OK - though HIS stuff, I set aside with a deadline for organizing/purging). And having an actual office has made ALL the difference! Anyway, I am enjoying cleaning house again. There is a TON of work to do, but the girls are a help from time to time, and my vacuum is really FUN to use, lol - it's a very good vacuum, and gets things really clean. And sleeping in a clutter free room (after years of being surrounded by storage boxes) is the MEANING OF LIFE. I get much better sleep now. If I *EVER* complain about my house, smack me!

And LittleBit is still content to be glued to Mom or MiniMe, at any given moment, but makes it clear she LOVES her Daddy, too!! She sings, "Oh My Darlin, Clementine" ALL the time, it's soooo cute and funny!!

And they are laying natural gas lines on our street, as we speak; just a couple more weeks, and no more propane!!

Hope you are all well and happy, and that Life is moving in a positive direction!!!

HE IS LICENSED!!!!

Dh's Pharmacist license finally came through TONIGHT!

Lots of roller-coastering, etc., of which I will spare you. Suffice to say, it was down to the wire.

And now we're holding our breath that the bank will get all their stuff done first thing tomorrow, so we can close Friday.

I am sooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The wait is KILLING ME!

Still no word from the State. I really REALLY wish they'd get it together already. DH's test scores were transmitted ELECTRONICALLY over a week ago, yet his license has still not been processed (another ELECTRONIC process).

I am seriously going nuts waiting, and worrying we won't close on the house this week.

:(

Funny craigslist posts...... again

You know, the funny posts on craigslist never end.

Here are 2 from the pets section. The first........

help me find a good home

---

Date: 2008-07-27, 9:09PM MDT


Good home needed for my husband. I hate to give him up but i don't think it's fair to leave him at home all alone all day while i work.
he is current on all vaccinations and knows how to sit, stay, and lay down (he's actually quite good at those things)he is not neutered but i would consider doing this if you could provide him a good home. I wont lie, he does frequently make messes in the house, but usually does it in the same spot so maybe you could train him to do it outside if you had the time. he is not good with children and probably should be an only pet, but will be completely devoted to you if you just feed him and give him what he wants. I am asking for a small rehoming fee of 50,000.$ just to cover what i've already spent on him.
if it sounds like you may be able to give him a good home, please reply to this email. he doesn't work so he will be able to respond to your inquiry quite quickly. Please note that he will come with all his basic supplies (motorcycle, Large over expensive pickup and of course his giant ego)
Thanks for Looking, and hopefully I will hear from someone soon


and the reply

re: help me find a good home

---

Date: 2008-07-27, 9:33PM MDT


I may be interested in providing a home for your husband. I would like to know if he can perform any tricks(?) The messes don't bother me if he is a working breed and can fetch the bread. It is also important that he be non-aggressive as I can't tolerate this type of behavior. If not would you be upset if he ends up in the compost pile with my last one?

Sugar High

Caught the girls eating sugar. Not sugary food, just SUGAR. Out of the bag.

LittleBit (my 2 year old, mind you, and this is a direct quote) said :

"well, my tummy said it wanted sugar, so I fed it some sugar. and it liked the sugar, so it said, "Mmmm, thanks for the sugar". And then I said, "Oh, You're welcome"."

(The "experts" say she might string together 3-5 words any day now......)

Our kitchen

We took the base kitchen, then extended the outside wall 10 feet, to give us a covered patio. Moved the living room wall to split the difference between the two (the model's kitchen was way too small for my tastes).

We ended up with more cabinet space on ONE WALL (the common wall between the living and kitchen), than we have in our entire kitchen currently. Thanks in part to the upgrade to 42" cabinets throughout. This is seriously my dream kitchen!!!!

Yes, Virginia, we HAVE a close date!!

Went down to see the house today. Had our builder meet us there, in case there were any "issues", so we could discuss them right away....... and this is what we found (more continued below). As you can see, there are no issues!! We love it!!!

Next week, our builder will get a camera crew in, to do a virtual tour before we close. WHen they do, I will link to it. Because THESE pictures just don't do it justice:








OH - and we close in TWO WEEKS!!!!! YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Virginia, we HAVE a close date!! part 2

MiniMe is growing up too fast!

She's now lost 5 teeth (go HERE for pics) . The first one last September (she turned 5 a month later), the second shortly thereafter..... and three in a week (2 weeks ago). So cute, and she's had so much fun playing with them.

LittleBit woke up during the night MiniMe lost 2 in the same day, and asked me, "Mommy, is [MiniMe] going to pull all of MY teeth out next, so the Tooth Fairy will give her more money?"

According to "development experts", she may start stringing three words together to make a simple sentence, any day. Three, you say???? Yeah, I always knew my kids were geniuses!!

Ah, the JOY of BUILDING a house.....

Got a call last week from the Builder's office..... we're closing the first or second week of August. Yep, that's the original close date (August 11). Oh well, as long as we don't close LATER (school starts the following week!!!).......

And the State has been dragging their heels on submitting HB's paperwork, for the national licensing exam. Others have received their go-ahead, but his case manager (or whatever the heck the job title is) claims he submitted approval "weeks ago" - turns out he didn't really submit it until last week. NO IDEA why it took him a MONTH to check the "approved" box. So we're still in limbo (unlicensed), so HB can't start his job...... He's working, but at half salary, and as a glorified tech in the meanwhile.......

Times like these remind you that everything happens for a reason. If the house were as far ahead of schedule as we'd been told, we wouldn't be able to close, because of the delays in licensing. If the license wasn't being delayed, HB would have to travel as soon as he is licensed, or to stay on a couch in P-town, until the house was done and we could move down there. It will all work out, I am sure, but I am getting tired of waiting, LOL!!

The painters were delayed, because there was a problem with the drywall. The tile guy can't work until the painters are done, the cabinets can't go in until the tile is down, etc.......

That ate up about 2 weeks of time. And when we went down on Sunday, we discovered one of the doors is hung wrong: instead of opening from the laundry INTO the rest of the house, it swings into the laundry room, which will make it collide with the garage door, and they will BOTH block the bathroom door. Took a couple of back and forth calls with the builder to explain what was wrong, and that we want it like it is on the PLANS..... once he understood, he of course agreed to take a look, and get it fixed. Ah..... another delay.

Handsome Buffalo tells me not to worry. I just want to get into the house!!

Here are the latest pictures. Drywall done, walls primed, trim painted, a coat of stucco on (and some guy named "Fransisco" signed his name in the stucco. I am FAIRLY CERTAIN his autograph will not still be on the house at closing.......)

Ahead of schedule?!?!?!

We're supposedly 3 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule. Spoke with the builder today, and was told again, that we are ahead of schedule. Asked if he had a rough estimate of when we might close, and he said "I don't really know, without looking in my book (he wasn't in the office), but I think 6 weeks".

6 weeks from now is our original close date. SO It seems we are on schedule, not ahead. He'll call me Monday with better info.

Ah well...... even the original close date is ok. I am just anxious to get in, and got my hopes up!!!

Death by Tacos - a restaurant review

Once upon a time, back in the Stone age (20 years ago), my Handsome Buffalo worked in a very fine eating establishment. Some of you Metro Natives may have eaten there. It is known as......... Taco House. For years, I have heard stories, both from HB, and his sister, of their work experiences there, during their formative years (HB started working there when he was 13).

For years, HB and SIL have tried to get me to eat there. For years (nearly 12), I have refused. I have gone so far as to pick up a "to-go" order from SIL, but, well..... let's just say this is NOT a place for someone who values their intestinal Health. Makes the BIG "taco chain" seem like a world class, 5 star, gourmet restaurant. Having worked for the BIG Taco Chain in my youth, I certainly have no desire to eat in a place that is so drastic a decrement. And I thought that was the end of it.

Well, just the other day, Handsome Buffalo needed me to prove my love for him. He desperately wanted us, as a family, to go to Taco House for dinner. I could see how much it meant to him, and convinced myself to not be such a Food Snob, and let him have his tacos.

Now, don't get me wrong. I can eat tacos. I love homemade tacos, ADORE Del Taco tacos, and even eat at the BIG Taco Chain from time to time. But Taco House has never interested me. Kind of in the same way bamboo under the fingernails just doesn't sound like fun.

but I L-O-V-E Love my Handsome Buffalo. And he spoils me constantly, rarely asking for anything in return. Therefore, I really had no alternative but to smile, and not say anything alarming to the children, about what we were going to experience. And hey, I could be wrong, and they could be really good - after all, I had never eaten there, so how did I know?

We sat down, and I told myself the shabby building was not relevant - there's a place in P-town called Nachos that looks like a real dive, and is actually fantastic!

We placed our orders, and I chose Three Guacamole Tostadas. Tostadas are safe. You cannot mess them up if you try. And I LOVE guacamole.

And now I stand corrected. You CAN mess up tostadas. Especially when your guacamole comes from a #10 can, that was most likely opened in 1982. It SMELLED. And not in a good way. I kept my composure and took a bite anyway. Worse than it smelled. Luckily, the cook messed up and only made one tostada, rather than the three I'd ordered. I forced a second bite. THen I could go no further. So I stole a bite of LittleBit's taco. I think it was even worse. MiniMe ordered Nachos. I think the Nacho Cheese was opened before the guacamole.

I was nice, I didn't say a word to the girls, and didn't give my full opinion until after the meal. The girls each took one bite, and no more. And while they can be picky (as children often are), that wasn't the case this time. They literally tried, and could not force themselves to do it - and they had no idea, at this point, that I felt the same way.

HB ordered a smothered burrito. And a "queso chip" - that's a tostada shell spread with Nacho cheese. Even he had to admit the food was not good. He told MiniMe we would go to the grocery store and get some ingredients for real nachos.

I took the girls to the car, and HB stood in line to pay for our meal. He then came out, and we headed to the store. Within a few minutes, he started complaining of a sore stomach. Bordering on nausea.

As with most things, it was one of those, "gee, this seemed so great when I was a kid, but is a disappointment now" kind of thing.

But I gotta hand it to them. The place was PACKED. They have been (according to the printed menus) in business 49 years. They must be doing something right.

Of course, most of their clientele were clearly Walmartians, so that may explain it...........

Seems like yesterday...... forever

Handsome Buffalo and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary over the weekend. It seems like we have been together FOREVER (in a good way, lol). And it also seems like it was just yesterday.

I love my wonderful husband. Every day, I appreciate him more. I truly think the world would be a better place, if more men were like him!!

Holy Drywall, Batman!!

So, since the last time we saw the house (and the plumbing was nearly finished), the crews have been hard at work doing the following:

• finishing up the plumbing
• electrical, including a few things we added (outlets in the soffits for Christmas lights, 220 outlet in the garage, some extra outlets in closets and master bath, as well as the laundry room....)
• Insulation
• Septic system is in and finished!
• and yes, we have DRYWALL!!!

All in the last 2 weeks. The drywall guy will be back today to tape and mud, etc.

The monkeys didn't want to go: MiniMe whined "it's too far to drive" (it is two hours from our current house, after all). We promised to bring the portable DVD player, and our latest Netflix loaner - The Bridge to Terabithia (awesome movie, btw). When I plugged the car adapter into the car, after we were on the road..... it blew the fuse. My wonderful and handsome hubby stopped at a hardware store for more fuses - and they strangely didn't have the one we needed. So we drove onward, and the monkeys surprised us by being happy anyway. (they aren't used to movies in the car, so we worried that the promise, and then reneging of such a special treat, would cause anarchy - not so!!)

In the end, they had so much fun walking through the house (and picking their bedrooms, lol), that even after an hour, they didn't want to leave!!

Our real estate agent (who is wonderful, btw - anyone in P-town need one?) wanted to see the house too, so we had him meet us there.

The house looks great, aside from the requisite dust and mess of drywalling!!!

My bathroom:
Living room:
Master bedroom:
secondary bedrooms:
Handsome Buffalo in the garage:


And here's our ginormous garage, in all it's glory - well, MOST, anyway - I forgot my camera (yes, I know, how dumb is that???), and my phone only records 10 seconds of video.

Yes, folks, this is a 1200 square foot garage. That's bigger than the whole house we are living in now. Insane? Well, it was the cheapest thing we added, actually! And we certainly won't need anything bigger......ever.

MiniMe and LittleBit do a little gardening

new family pics, for those "in the loop". you know how to find them, right?

if not, click Here for a hint.......

The rooster post - craigslist funny

Free Rooster

---

Date: 2008-05-22, 9:36AM MDT


Hello, we have a year old, large white rooster that we need to be rid of. He is a Leghorn, maybe about 8 pounds. I would not suggest him as a pet because he recently started attacking. He doesn't have spurs, only nubs, but enough to bruise my leg. Anyhow, I think he would make a fantastic Memorial Day barbecue. We can't do it, we aren't country enough. But if this is right down your alley, please come pick him up. I'm afraid you'll have to catch him because I won't go in their pen anymore. If it's after 5, my husband can help. I would go out and take a picture, but I'd rather have you imagining him rotating on a rotisserie. (Sorry, but I've built up some resentment). Email for directions.

I love those crazy Craigs-listers!!

Did I post the Rooster one yet? I'll find that for you. Until then.......

Free Dog!!

---

Date: 2005-01-28, 4:33PM EST


Free dog. This is a smallish yet loud dog. It is not small enough to fit in your purse, but who the fuck are you kidding, you're no Paris Hilton. Sizewize, it is somewhere between the Taco Bell dog and Benji. It is brown and white, or possibly just white but dirt caked. I think it's about a year old. I think that because it's been about a year since I've been able to sleep past 6:30am without being awakened by the barks of a meduim sized dirty dog. I don't know that it knows any tricks, but it is very skilled at shitting in my yard and barking incessantly. I think it is a boy dog, but I only think this because the owner of said dog is a misogynistic, wife beating dirt bag, and I can't imagine that he'd have a girl dog, but I could be wrong about that. I've never gotten close enough to the dog to check out its goods, so if gender is a deal breaker for you, you might want to pass on this one. I don't know this dog's name, but I can tell you that it does not answer to "@#*&@*$^&$#tPuhleeezeShutThe&$#*&Up!!!" If you're looking for a dog with that name, than this is not the dog for you.
The one tricky part about this transaction is that technically, this is not my dog. In fact, there is no "technically" about it, this is definitely not my dog. This rank creature belongs to my next door neighbor, The King of Rank Creatures. What makes this whole scenario feasible is that said next door neighbor has the disposition of a drunken Boo Radley, and will almost certainly not even realize or care that you are in his yard stealing his dog. Also, as the next door neighbor, I will provide excellent look out skills.

No givebacks.




this is in or around Abington

more pics from most recent update....

back porch - ready for stucco, and for the patio to be poured!


Living room - looking at front door.

Snake in the Grass - and an UPDATE.

We were cleaning up our backyard - pulling grass out of the flowerbeds, trimming bushes, yanking out the bamboo creeping over from the neighbor's yard....

And we saw a garden snake - so cute, quite long. It tried to get away, and we backed off, then it got into strike position. We let MiniMe and LittleBit stand with us where they could see it, but stay far enough back not to threaten it. Had a nice little talk about snakes, and snake safety. Timing's just right - we may have LOTS of snakes to deal with in the new place.

SPEAKING of the new place, here are more pictures!!!

Here's my new tub!!




Front of the house - ready for stucco, and the roof is finished!!!


Bay window in the dining room - I forgot to take a picture of the cool door leading to the porch - as a builder incentive, we were able to get the kind with the blinds built in - between the panes of glass.


Here's where the kitchen sink will be. I also saw the drawings of the kitchen layout, sent over by the cabinet guy - my kitchen is going to be so big, I won't be able to fill it! Big change from the overcrowded mess we have now!



I love my fireplace. It will be great for stockings, and will really make a statement in the family room!!


The house is coming along so quickly, we may be able to move in much sooner than anticipated!! ANd it's so well-built, we may never leave!!!! If anyone is planning on moving to Ptown, let me know, I'll gladly introduce you to my builder!

What children see

This is something that was forwarded to me today. Made me cry. So I thought I'd make you cry too. It always amazes me to see adults misbehaving, and not understanding what they are teaching their children.

Our big surprise

Yesterday we went to P-Town to pick our cabinets, counters, flooring, etc. Our awesome builder set aside the whole day so he could have us meet the three different vendors, see the job site, and choose everything at once, since it's a 2 hour drive for us. We left MiniMe and LittleBit with my sister for the day, so they could play with cousins, rather than be frustrated at all the back and forth, driving, and "boring stuff". Not remotely boring for me - I LOVED choosing all the colors and textures for my new house!!!

We started with carpet, tile, etc, then went to see the house. Our builder mentioned an issue with the windows, but told us it would be taken care of before we came down again. I asked him if that meant the house was framed already - he replied, "not really".

So imagine our surprise when we saw this:

Back of the house:

Front of the house:

How Firm a Foundation

We had to register MiniMe for school. So we went down to NewTown, to submit all the required documents. Turned out, her pediatrician hadn't yet had time to fax her immunization records (and I couldn't find my copy before we left town), so we had to wait. We decided to go see our "house", and discover what (if anything) had been done.

We were pleasantly surprised to find the foundation done and cured, and the floor trusses in!!

Self-cleaning toddlers

Well, LittleBit surprised me yesterday. After a couple months of very laid-back "do you want to sit on the potty chair?" (we haven't pushed, because she's had constipation issues for so long, and hasn't seemed interested).......

Yesterday morning, when she woke up, she told me "no more diapers, I want panties". So I put her in panties, thanking the powers that be for hardwood floors, since she would surely be soiling them any minute.

She has been using the potty and staying dry ever since. Yep, LittleBit potty-trained herself. All on her own. Not too shabby. Her sister was trained at 2 1/2 as well, but it had been after several months of trying.

Can it really be this simple???

I LOVE MY BATHTUB - and I haven't even used it yet!

I can't wait to use my bathtub. I ordered it Friday. It will take about 4 weeks to make it, and then I have to wait until my house is built, to actually use it, LOL. The company that makes it will hold it for up to 6 months, before shipping. My house should be done by the beginning of August, and my builder has promised me two-weeks lead-time, to notify the tub company (to ship it to his plumber for installation).

This is not just any tub. I have ordered a Sanijet. If you've stayed in luxury hotels, like the Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton, and various others, you may already know about Sanijet. They are the ONLY PIPELESS whirlpool baths on the market. Why pipeless? Well, if you are a germ freak, like me, you already know that most whirlpool baths (water, or airjet, it's the same issue) CANNOT ever be totally clean. Mold grows in those pipes. Even if you clean them all the time. even if you run bleach through them.

Having been a germ freak forever, I have never enjoyed jacuzzis, whirlpool baths, etc. And I am very tall (and not too skinny anymore), so I don't enjoy your average tub/shower combo. My sweet hubby was surprised to learn I would actually LOVE to take baths - if only there was a bathtub that could be kept clean (and still have the jets, so I could use it for arthritis therapy).

My sister V told me about Sanijet. She is doing a house remodel, and hoping to put one in the new bathroom. I was skeptical, until I visited their site, and saw their Pipeless technology in action. Be sure to watch the videos. They are priceless.

So sweet wonderful Hubby of mine, told me I could order whatever I wanted. He specifically said NOT to get the cheapest (but please not the most expensive, either), because he wanted it to really be a bath I would love. He wants me to sleep at night (which is hard, when your legs hurt so badly), and to have the bath be my Oasis - my break from the stresses of the world, noise of children, etc. Plus, he knows that a long hot soak before bed is the best thing for arthritis pain relief.

Hubby is a WISE MAN. He knows a Happy Mommy makes a Happy Home. He spoils me a little rotten. I had to make him SWEAR he will tell me "NO" when I start asking for new furniture, for our beautiful new house!

His reply? "No".

We have a CONTRACT

We signed a contract a couple weeks ago. Those "similar floor plans" I mentioned earlier? Well, I decided to contact the builder, just for grins, to see what a new build would cost. I wanted to have some negotiating room, if I ended up putting an offer on one of those houses.

Turns out, the cost to build is less than these sellers are asking for a resale! We took the stock plan, and customized it: bigger kitchen, large covered patio, larger garage, third bathroom on the main floor, separate laundry room (instead of the washer and dryer in a hall closet - the large laundry closet is now an over-sized coat closet), and slightly larger master bath, to accommodate a special-order tub I want (More in another post).

So we found a lot (These are not building tracts - you have to find a lot somewhere, then hire a builder to put a house on it. Suits us fine - then we aren't living in cookie-cutter land!), and signed a contract with the builder. He negotiated the lot price, for what we were willing to pay for it, and added it as a line item to our house contract (with no markup on land). We cut out a few things we could do later (namely solid-surface counter tops), in favor of keeping things we want NOW (you can't change the size of a kitchen after it's built, unless you REALLY like throwing money away).

We're so excited! 2400 square feet, all on one level. 4bed/3ba/4car garage. On a full acre. And still less than what the re-sale house would have cost.

The best part? We have not had to compromise ANYTHING on our "needs" list. It has seperate living and family rooms, etc....

Our builder closed on the lot last week, and is ready to break ground! I'll be down there in a couple of weeks, to register MiniMe for school. I promise to take pictures of the progress!

So, we're hosting Thanksgiving this year. And you're all invited.

Walked away from the house

Well, we started having some concerns, after putting in the offer. Info that made us rethink it, and want to keep looking.

Luckily, they countered so high, we wouldn't have agreed anyway. Pretty house, but we really want separate living and family. And the grout lines of the white tiles everywhere would be a pain to clean!!! I'd forgotten about my nanny days I had to bleach those white tile counters daily, to keep the grout from staining!!

So we're back to square one. Several houses we are going to look at. 3 with the identical floor plan (one of which we've already walked through). Priced all over the place. But one is a foreclosure, so maybe we can get a deal??? (Also happens to be the largest of the three).

Time is on our side. We are in no hurry, and want to be sure we'll be really REALLY happy with this purchase!

I'm gonna be sick!!

We are putting in our offer on a house tonight!!!

It is just right for us. Some minor compromises (I wanted a separate family and living, but will make due with a great room again, because the floor plan works SOOOOO well!!). It's big enough to work for now, and for 10 years at least into the future. It is BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful, and it is on the lower end of our price range, without being in any way a fixer upper. On just over an acre, the only thing we will do (and not right away), is fence in a larger part of the yard, and do some low-maintenance, kid friendly landscaping in the back. It's even decorated the way I want it!!

So keep you fingers crossed (and toes, and eyes, if you can) that all goes well!!!!!!

We're not mentioning it to our families, by the way. We are doing this completely on our own, and want to just invite them over for dinner, when we move (target close date means we'll move at the first of June).

I think I'm in LOVE

with my new Realtor, that is.

In just the last few days, he has given me not only the list of 11 houses that fit my criteria, but a few more that are new listings. He has listened to EVERY WORD I have said, even the ones I didn't think I was saying. For example, I mentioned the reason I am looking for a ranch, with 4 beds and laundry on main level, is because I have VERY bad knees, and cannot, CANNOT do stairs, or I will have trouble walking for several days after.

So what does Casey the Magnificent do? He LISTENS, and finds me listings that I want to see, but is sure to exclude RAISED ranches, because he knows I will have to walk up too many steps to get in my house every day.

THAT is the way a Realtor is SUPPOSED to behave!!

Ahhhh......... dh keeps teasing me that I'm in love with another man, whom I haven't even MET. LOL.

The joys of househunting

With an impending move, we thought we'd start house hunting. Should be easy, right? We have a referral for a realtor in the area we are moving to, several conversations back and forth, trying to get her to understand what we're looking for.

She doesn't listen. She sends me listings that are NOT what I asked for. Back and forth several times, then I had my agent here (who refered me to the one down there) talk to her, and set her straight. I put up with strange things, tried to give her chance after chance.

She then appeared to do what I asked, get the listings I asked for, etc. But told me there was ONLY ONE house for sale with my criteria. ONE HOUSE. So I lowered the size requirement. Still only one. So I asked for fewer bedrooms, and she came up with three more. Well, actually *I* came up with one of them. And the ONE she said was available in the higher bedrooms, which I'd also come up with. Out of 4 houses she showed us, I came up with 2 of them.

Wow, what a strange market it is, to not have what we are looking for.

The same nagging feeling that I've had every time I speak with her, was telling me she wasn't being honest. So I called a random Realtor, and asked him to pull all the 4 bed and laundry (all on the same level) in the area.

He came up with 11. In 5 minutes they were emailed to me. 11 houses I would love to go see. One was "the only one", but that still left 10. And that "ONE" is listed by a friend of hers.

That realtor has been fired.

When you LIE to me? It's over, we're done.

Taking something that doesn't belong to you.

My car was stolen.

a few weeks ago, in broad daylight, right in front of our house. DH and I had taken the girls out to breakfast. Someone decided they wanted to go for a joyride, and our car was apparently the best thing for jumping curbs and partying in.

It was found 4 days later - airbags viciously slashed (not removed, SLASHED), rim bent, windshield cracked, car dented, windows yanked of the tracks, stinking to high heaven, ignition punched out, trunk lock punched out, and the transmission and power steering messed up.

Denver PD called to say they'd found it in "good shape with no damage". Begs the question, what exactly does it take for DPD to consider "damage"?????

And they charged me $100 for the impound.

Whatever happened to the golden rule?

I don't know what it is with society these days. When I was a child, we were told that we should say please and thank you. Wipe our mouths, use polite words, and generally avoid a fight, whenever possible.

Now, it's more important to be "politically correct", to buy what you want, whether you can afford it (or need it) or not, to steam your way through life with no regard for anyone else. Duty? Debt to society? What silly notions. Only sillier is personal responsibility. How DARE you tell me I should pay my own bills, care for my own children, clean up my messes, and - horror of horrors - ACT LIKE A RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEING??? How passe - don't you know how out of touch you are? It's FAR more stylish to dress like a hooker, talk like a trucker (apologies to my trucker friends, who have hearts of gold and actually very clean mouths), spend money you don't have, and generally get your won way in everything.

Morals are for morons. WHO needs them? I'm in it for ME, man!

You might think I'm complaining about teenagers. You know, "kids these days". Guess what? They aren't being raised in a vacuum.

Yesterday, on my way to pick MiniMe up from school, I witnessed a soccer mom (complete with kids in the minivan, etc) stick her head out the window to scream epithets and FLIP OFF the car behind her, for politely honking to bring her attention to the green arrow she'd apparently not noticed (and no, I am not the one who honked). I could almost see the spittle flying from her mouth.

The other day, at the grocery store, my path was blocked by a woman who, child on one side of her cart, turned and faced the other side (looking for the child), then, once she knew the child was accounted for, spread her arms across the pathway like a linebacker, squatting to be sure she blocked the space near the floor as well. Then she went for the pies, still blocking the path. I paused, since the store was crowded, and there were people behind me, also trying to get through. I simply smiled, and waited for her to do what she needed to do. This offended her. She barked at me to keep going, and not stand there. I politely said, "That's ok - I can't move, so I'll wait".

"YOU CAN'T MOVE?? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE?!?!?!"
I replied, "well, you are kind of blocking the path". She continued screaming at me, but then the people behind me had all moved away, and those to the left as well, so I was able to turn and leave. All the while this lovely personage screaming at my back. OK, no big deal, she must be having a bad day, I am moving my kids away from her, and continuing my shopping.

As I get around to another part of the store, I hear her voice (still yelling), say to the child, "watch out for that MEAN WOMAN and her CHILDREN" and as she came around the corner to where we were, "OH LOOK, THERE SHE IS!!"

Once again, I turned my children and walked the other way. She was still yelling something at my back.

She's not some "young thing" that didn't know any better, or had been raised in a too-permissive society. No, this woman was easily 60 years old. I'm pretty sure she knew better. Well dressed, hair and makeup done up, etc.

Just goes to show that not only can money not buy happiness, but it also doesn't guarantee class.

You might love to hear stories of Canadian Geese. I think they're full of........

Heading out to drop another installment of Veronica Mars in the mailbox (if you haven't familiarized yourself with the show, you can get it on Netflix - I highly recommend it), I saw a large flock of Canadian Geese in my driveway and yard. I signaled MiniMe to come quickly, to look out the window. So beautiful.

We watched them a while, then I realized the mailman was passing my house, so I rushed out to give him the red envelope. Then I turned around.......

And saw my sidewalk and driveway COVERED with GOOSE POOP. Seriously, folks, my DOG doesn't leave droppings that big. And there were at least three "thank you cards" for every goose I saw.

But really, despite my updates of "what I'v been up to since I last blogged", I am in a very good mood. Really!!