Ha! All the clever has left me and I have nothing for you but regular ol' boring news and titles for this here blog. We had a pretty great weekend this weekend. I took Friday off to take the car to the shop (sigh good-bye $250, but hello $400 we saved using a friend!) and to paint the spare room for our home on the market-ness. I came home Thursday evening to find my father-in-law all done with the painting, and smiling brightly at the surprise for me. I mean, I was so shocked I had nothing to say and no facial expressions of joy that I truly felt inside. Later, Arlin told me I must not have been very surprised or happy about it because I just stood there with a blank expression. How do you say you had steeled yourself all day for coming home and painting all night only to find there is nothing to do? I was completely unprepared and thought perhaps I was still dreaming. No really, I thought it was all made up and I was trying to figure out how they made the room look different without painting. Next time I dream like that I hope I wake up to a bag of money at my feet. Nice huh?
Well Saturday, found us at the Houston Zoo with our cousins. We had a great time! Fun had by all of course. And I was determined to have fun when it cost us $32 to get in and a $35 parking ticket on the windshield when we got out! Lindsay rolled around in her stroller like a champ! I was so amazed she stayed in there for that many hours. Laney was completely anti-stroller as a small kid. I mean, I don't think she was in the thing after 3 months because she wouldn't stay in it and you were lugging the stroller around for nothing while you held her in your arms. Lindsay was practically a dream come true when it comes to hanging out in the stroller and being distractable! Love you girl! Laney was over the moon to spend the time with her cousins and to check out all the animals at the zoo. She loved playing and running and chasing and even posing for some pictures when prompted. She didn't know where we were going until we arrived so it was a great surprise for her. Not to mention it was Lindsay's first time. I don't think she understood what all the fuss was about, but she seemed to have a good time. Arlin and I had a great time too, but unfortunately my flip flop did not and out of anger it decided to break half way through the zoo. I limped around like a fool til the end determined to enjoy the family day. I think it was a small sacrifice for tired happy faces on the way home.
Sunday was church and hanging out. We kept hoping to have a couple of appointments to look at the house (especially because we were supposed to be gone for most of the weekend), but no such luck. We did have a little lookie-loo on Thursday, but our response from them was they didn't like the floorplan and they smelled smoke. I was completely depressed by this because our renters 2 years ago did smoke in the house (against our wishes) and while I don't smell it, I didn't think others could either. Sad face. We were super pumped though because we had a request for the showing within a week of putting the house on the market. This is good news peoples! And then today, Monday, I got another call for a showing this morning. I have yet to hear any feedback. Crossing my fingers for a positive feedback, but either way, it's the second showing within the first eight days of the house being on the market. I'll take it. School is still about 5 weeks from being out, here in Texas so I think it's looking good. We're super pumped like I said. Can't wait to move on!!
Finally, today Arlin started his new job. I'm not sure how excited he is, I think he's pretty excited, but I know I'm elated. I think this will be a good field for him and really give him some more marketable skill sets for his resume. Plus if he does well here, maybe I can retire one day. Ah, to dream!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah Blah Blah, Blah Blah
I haven't really been up to posting lately. Thought about it a lot, but then the words are not willing to come out of my brain down to my fingers. So today, there is going to be the catching up of information and all other things of no real importance. A-Number-One largest of the news is that we have decided AGAIN to put our house on the market. We've owned this home for 7 years, but only lived in it for 4, spread out over the 7 years. We've had renters, it has sat empty, etc. We've put it up for sale/lease two other times and always ended up renting it out because right after we bought the home, the builders slowed the building in the subdivision we are in. Then when they finally started picking it back up, the market softened. So we are finally seeing our home value get back to where it was when we bought the house in 2004. We are really at a break even point and it makes it really tempting to hang on to the house for several more years hoping to increase in value, but I'm just kind of over the whole home owner/landlord thing. I don't want to worry about any of that nonsense any more (at least for a while).
We are hoping things will go well and we'll find a buyer before we find a renter. We just listed it last weekend after much cleaning, repositioning of items (no spare room since my in-laws are staying with us and using the spare room). When our last renters moved out a year ago we had to replace all the flooring on the first floor, the water heater, the disposal, the oven, the fridge, and the motor in the A/C. So we are hoping with a house with pretty much all new major appliances, new floors, etc. we'll be in shape to compete against the new homes still being built in the neighborhood. I mean we do have mature landscaping going for us right?! Good news it, we are scheduled for our first showing tomorrow at 2 pm. That unfortunately, means tonight I am going to be painting the last of the rooms on the to-do list. I'm not complaining, I know plenty of people who have lost a considerable amount of value in their homes. Just to break even would be F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S (insert sing songy voice here).
B-of-All on the list is Arlin's great news that he has a new job. This is very exciting for us and we are all thrilled. I do feel bad for him during this next little bit of the new job phase, because it just isn't comfortable for awhile. But I'm way excited and really pumped for his opportunities at the new place. He's still in Sales and I know he is going to do well because he is made for selling. Me on the other hand, I couldn't sell if I had to. I HATES me some selling. Of anything. Heaters to Eskimos, popsicles at a pool, ... anything. Even if you want it, I don't want to sell it. Really.
Thirdly, Laney is about to turn 8. I just can't believe it. We are starting to think about her baptism and are having talks with her about personal responsibility for choices and all that good stuff. It's crazy. That means she's getting way close to double digits and is even finally out of a car seat (I can't believe you have to be 8 to be out of a car seat?!) Lindsay turns 2, and that's even more amazing with how far she has come since our long days and nights at the NICU. She really only has skin problems that may or may not be related to being preemie so I couldnt' be more relieved, and feel more blessed, about how things are going with her. Now if only we could convince her that she is really not missing out on anything when it is time for bedtime. And if we can convince her to stop doing somersaults in her bed and/or on Arlin she might make it to 3.
Business...the shop is doing ok. We lost one of our busier stylists about a month ago. It caught us a little off guard, but not off guard if you know what I mean. Just very sad and disappointed to lose her as an employee. The shop is doing okay considering we are now recovering from a shortage of coverage. We have hired new people and have to get all that up and running smoothly. Our manager is trying her best to keep a handle on it all. Hard to believe we've had the shop open for more than a year and a half. Great to see the numbers going up and clients coming back.
Otherwise, life has been more of the same...work, kids, chores, running a business, maintaining a marriage, dealing with problems and stupid people as they prop up. I think I've hit all the highlights, but I'm sure I've missed out on plenty. More to come I guess. Oh, and an update on my whole working out thing...the past month we've been averaging 2 days a week. Sad I know, but better than I was right?? I can get credit for actually improving a little right?
We are hoping things will go well and we'll find a buyer before we find a renter. We just listed it last weekend after much cleaning, repositioning of items (no spare room since my in-laws are staying with us and using the spare room). When our last renters moved out a year ago we had to replace all the flooring on the first floor, the water heater, the disposal, the oven, the fridge, and the motor in the A/C. So we are hoping with a house with pretty much all new major appliances, new floors, etc. we'll be in shape to compete against the new homes still being built in the neighborhood. I mean we do have mature landscaping going for us right?! Good news it, we are scheduled for our first showing tomorrow at 2 pm. That unfortunately, means tonight I am going to be painting the last of the rooms on the to-do list. I'm not complaining, I know plenty of people who have lost a considerable amount of value in their homes. Just to break even would be F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S (insert sing songy voice here).
B-of-All on the list is Arlin's great news that he has a new job. This is very exciting for us and we are all thrilled. I do feel bad for him during this next little bit of the new job phase, because it just isn't comfortable for awhile. But I'm way excited and really pumped for his opportunities at the new place. He's still in Sales and I know he is going to do well because he is made for selling. Me on the other hand, I couldn't sell if I had to. I HATES me some selling. Of anything. Heaters to Eskimos, popsicles at a pool, ... anything. Even if you want it, I don't want to sell it. Really.
Thirdly, Laney is about to turn 8. I just can't believe it. We are starting to think about her baptism and are having talks with her about personal responsibility for choices and all that good stuff. It's crazy. That means she's getting way close to double digits and is even finally out of a car seat (I can't believe you have to be 8 to be out of a car seat?!) Lindsay turns 2, and that's even more amazing with how far she has come since our long days and nights at the NICU. She really only has skin problems that may or may not be related to being preemie so I couldnt' be more relieved, and feel more blessed, about how things are going with her. Now if only we could convince her that she is really not missing out on anything when it is time for bedtime. And if we can convince her to stop doing somersaults in her bed and/or on Arlin she might make it to 3.
Business...the shop is doing ok. We lost one of our busier stylists about a month ago. It caught us a little off guard, but not off guard if you know what I mean. Just very sad and disappointed to lose her as an employee. The shop is doing okay considering we are now recovering from a shortage of coverage. We have hired new people and have to get all that up and running smoothly. Our manager is trying her best to keep a handle on it all. Hard to believe we've had the shop open for more than a year and a half. Great to see the numbers going up and clients coming back.
Otherwise, life has been more of the same...work, kids, chores, running a business, maintaining a marriage, dealing with problems and stupid people as they prop up. I think I've hit all the highlights, but I'm sure I've missed out on plenty. More to come I guess. Oh, and an update on my whole working out thing...the past month we've been averaging 2 days a week. Sad I know, but better than I was right?? I can get credit for actually improving a little right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
