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Thursday, July 22, 2010

My Heart, My Home


I am literally waiting by the phone for the call from my realtor that the house has been recorded in our name. Then I can go get some keys and be all official since everything funded this morning! I am jittery with excitement and anticipation.

I took these pictures the other night during our Final Final Walk-Through. Isn't it a gorgeous home? Can you see why I've been just a little excited to get in and make it ours? I am so tickled to have the keys in my hot little hands today. I even have plans to do some work on the kitchen cabinets today, scrubbing them in preparation for some staining next week. John left for Snowflake this morning, and I will be joining him tomorrow. I didn't dare leave town in case I got called tonight for a Friday Day-Trip, which has happened on several occasions. So I am home packing, cleaning, and waiting for a phone call like I've never waited for anything!

Isn't the curb appeal wonderful? We are going to rip out all those bushes in front, so don't get too attached. The roots are too close to the foundation of the house and could cause damage. I was happy to have an excuse to get rid of them, as I am not a huge fan. Nice desert landscaping by us will replace those wild bushes. I already have new house numbers, a doorbell cover, and a new porch light in my possession. I will probably wait for Man Help next week to get all that done. I am a crappy electrician, and I don't want to burn the house down the first day we get it. Am I sentimental, or what?

Just wanted to leave a happy picture before I leave town for the weekend to enjoy John's family reunion in Snowflake. Let the excitement commence!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Making It All Official


Two years ago (yesterday...oops), my husband got down on one knee under a fireworks-filled sky and proposed. Four months later, we were hitched and enjoying married life. I am flabbergasted to think that I have known him that long, and sometimes it feels like I've known him forever.

We were in Snowflake for the Pioneer Day weekend festivities. He found a romantic picnic bench at the school where we could watch the fireworks away from massive crowds. He's a sneaky one...I thought he might have proposed that weekend but had certainly given up on the day since it was 10:00 PM. He always prides himself on being able to surprise me, and his proposal was no different! I cried, of course, and said yes, of course.

Not that he reads my blog, but Happy Proposal Anniversary, John!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

And So It Begins...


I really wish I could say the title of this post referred to our start as new home owners. This past week, however, made all of my wildest jinxes come true. We showed up for our final walk-through on Wednesday evening to find almost none of the promised repairs had been done by the seller. After recovering from my initial shock as to how this huge ball could have been dropped, we informed the sellers of their breach of contract. Apparently, he was just as surprised as us. He had been told for weeks by his handyman that all the work was done and the home was ready for residents. Who doesn't double-check handy man stories?! Needless to say, I've been quite the emotional roller coaster rider these past few days. I had a hard time believing that after we had done absolutely everything possible to get this house on time, we were completely caught off guard and didn't close when we wanted because of something completely out of our control. My Mom explained it best yesterday, as moms usually do, when she reminded me that I am the only one with emotions vested in this situation! No one else cares. I thought getting a pretty chunk of change would be a great motivator for the sellers, but I was wrong. Unfortunately, it meant we didn't get a house on Thursday. The good news is that the seller feels like a complete idiot and has since been going above and beyond in repairs for the house. He had a whole team there on Thursday to check off the thirty or so items on our list. Nobody forced them fix anything when we asked almost two months ago, but as soon as they agreed, they were under contract to get it done three days prior to closing. Since that didn't happen, the seller has tried to make amends by fixing extra projects for us, paying for the utilities (now under my name) until we close, and even promising to cut a check for the work not completed if they aren't able to finish on time because of parts still not in town. I don't know what "on time" refers to, since I haven't been told of a new expected closing date. After they finish the work this weekend, we get to walk-through again and verify the projects completed are up to our standards. Luckily, the seller has also hired licensed plumbers and electricians to sign off the work that would have left me wondering if all was done properly. I'm glad to now have a circuit breaker for the in-pool light and wasn't wanting to find out this has been completed without having to jump into the pool and flipping the switch. I doubt our pool parties would be very successful if people started dying on us.

To sum it up, my emotional roller coaster should be over in the next few days. I think we are hoping to close on Tuesday but haven't heard official word yet. I hope it's soon...I have cabinets to stain, people!

What the title of this post is referencing is my dreams of Home Depot. They have certainly begun in full force as of last night. In fact, since I can't sleep right now, I thought I'd get up and share what I just woke up from dreaming. I was wandering the various aisles of Home Depot, wondering where on earth my desired objects were but trying to look knowledgeable so no one would ask if I needed help. There is a certain code to follow in Home Depot, after all, and I was doing my best to follow. Before I knew it, I had caved in to some help when a lady in an orange apron asked where I was headed. And then she asked what flavor of cake I preferred! Now you know it was really a dream created by my brain, since two of my favorite things are now involved (home improvement stores and sugar). Once I told her chocolate (of course), she led me to the not-well-known aisle of cake pans and frosting where she proceeded to make for me the most beautiful three-layer chocolate cake I had ever seen. Then, unfortunately, the cake left the picture for a few hours. I was then being helped by everyone in the store, feeling like I was the only patron and had everyone's attention. Again, one of my favorite things! The cake made an appearance again, just as I was waking up. Though this time in the form of a giant cake that filled half the store, being carried around and paraded as a Chinese dragon during a cultural celebration. It was all very bizarre, and I was pretty sure I hadn't ordered rainbow sprinkles. Because there was so much cake dancing around, I offered it to all of my homies at Home Depot. Everyone cheered, and we all enjoyed some cake while my projects happily carried on in the background.

A few things about this dream tickled my fancy. For one, I don't feel like I have been sleeping enough lately to warrant reaching REM sleep and getting cool dreams. Dreams only happen as your brain is trying to keep you busy and placid while the it downloads all of the day's important events. This necessary downloading, however, only takes place after three or four hours of uninterrupted sleep (wow, you didn't know you were going to get a science lesson on this, huh? Where's that cake?). I have been sleeping so restlessly thanks to constantly thinking of all that needs to be done when we move, and it has certainly taken its toll on my nocturnal patterns. For example, just two nights ago I was awakened at 2:00 AM from severe thirst. This was only after finally looking at the clock for the last time at 1:28 AM. So I hopped out of bed to get a nice glass of cold water, only to lament for the next four hours at how cold water has a powerful and magical ability to bring the brain back to life. REM sleep and, consequently, dreams have been wishful thinking lately. So having a fun dream about getting everything done on the house AND eating my cake, too? Well, let's just say it was a dream come true.