Two weeks from today, I'll be closing on selling my condo!! Before then, I will have packed up all my stuff, taken some of it to the lovely Laura's (who is letting me use a spare room as storage space <3 <3) and taking myself and Murphy to the superlative Susan's (who is very generously letting us stay with her until I can get into a new place <3 <3 <3). I've got all the utilities cut off on July 31st and will get the cable turned off on the 28th. I will probably have to take time off to get the packing finished--movers are coming on July 29th--eek!

I decided to go with TROSA for my moving services. They are such a wonderful organization--I found out about them through buying an expensive but well-worth-it tree from their lot a couple of years ago--and they sent over two very professional fellows on Tuesday to give me an estimate to move my furniture to their storage area in Durham, an estimate of their cost for a month of storage, and what it may cost to move it to my new place (when I find it!). It's really happening!

Laura, Jackie (my colleague and realtor) and I (and maybe tawneykat if I can persuade her to drive over at the last minute!) will be looking at 4 houses on my shortlist tomorrow night. I know that thanks to Susan I have some flexibility, but I've been looking and I'm starting to feel the urge to get something. It's tough because no house has the complete 'package', so I'll be doing a lot of listing of pros and cons.

I really want a fireplace. And a fenced backyard (for Murphy!) is pretty high on the list. Hardwood floors are another must--I'm not even looking at anything with carpets, between my allergies and Murphy the longhaired dog...no). No (or not many) stairs. And of course within my budget. I worry a lot about electrical systems, so ideally a breaker box instead of fuses.

Here are the four houses, from most expensive to least expensive:

http://fmrealty.com/site/property/listing.asp?mlsID=990474

http://fmrealty.com/site/property/listing.asp?mlsID=1608388

http://fmrealty.com/site/property/listing.asp?mlsID=1607549

http://fmrealty.com/site/property/listing.asp?mlsID=988784

I won't bore you with the pros and cons of each, but just say that no matter how nice they look in the photos, each one as several drawbacks!

Murphy is starting to sense that something is up. After the TROSA guys were here, he wouldn't eat and sat around looking mopey until a couple of hours later. I can't wait to see him frolicking in his yard! although wait...realistically, Murphy isn't going to be frolicking very much!

I am very, very grateful to be able to sell my condo, pay off a large portion of my debt, and purchase a home. I know this is an impossible dream for so many! And of course, I'm taking on a new debt for the next 30 years! *waves good-bye at retirement*

my last ever check for my monthly condominium association fee!

YES, I've SOLD MY CONDO! (or at least, it is "under contract") YIPPEEE!!

This is part of a long-range plan to pay off a lot of my debt, and move from a condominium into a free-standing house in a neighboring cheaper town. Things are moving along swimmingly on the 'selling' part--which in the current economic climate is a real blessing. But the 'buying' part, not so much.

I may be living in an apartment for a while beginning August 1st.

Even so, it's a wonderful feeling to imagine those debts being paid. The evil credit cards with their fees--gone forever!!

And then the saving can begin...



I have been extremely busy trying to get the condo ready to sell, so haven't really been watching much of anything. Just...

DOCTOR WHO!!!! noooooooooooooo!!


is it Saturday yet?

Cheers and best wishes to all you Canadians! I hope you're enjoying a day off celebrating the uniqueness that is you!

snagged this from bonniegirl...I won't give anything away but let's just say it involves Star Wars and Disney. The emcees were grating, but ... OK, I won't say anything else. I only wish the winner had gone on longer--and I hope this didn't take place during a heatwave!

I hope this isn't how our "So you think you can dance" competitors end up!

Enjoy!

*runs in*

OK, I have to share this because I know there are a few people reading this who will REALLY appreciate it:



The few...the proud...those of us who have sung: Oh, four tuna!!

*runs out shouting "thanks, Diane!"*


30-second update:

• saw Indiana Jones. Loved it.
  
• am following correct plan to sell condo and pay off some of debts, per loan officer
  
• unfortunately, not getting large enough mortgage for latest 'dream house'
  
• meeting with realtor/selling agent this weekend
  
• unexpected gift of money is not enough to buy dream home, but is incredible help with bills! *choked up*
  
• it's going to be 100 degrees tomorrow, and possibly through mid-June. NOT normal.
  
• 
  
• Obama!

Life is good.

Just wanted to add this information, because it made the gift even more special:

Charity Virtual Gifts
The Emerging Sun V-Gift is symbolic of the belief that behind every dark time is a ray of hope. The proceeds from the Emerging Sun V-Gift will go to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with mood disorders. Find out more about the DBSA and how giving this V-Gift will help some of the millions of people diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder.

Thank you duckyone! *hugs*


Moonlight was really good tonight (of course). In one sense it was a good series ending (Mick & Beth <3 <3); but they left a cliffhanger too. I ate a pint of icecream with hot chocolate sauce as a final toast.

Just when it was getting really good! argh!


and, for those of you who want to torture yourselves, the trailer for the US version of Life on Mars is here:



HORRIBLE VOICEOVER. Horrible American accents. And apparently they never use the "Life on Mars" song by Bowie--! so the whole reason for the name of the show is gone...! I don't think I can stand to watch this--and I'm mad at network television anyway (Moonlight!) so that's the end of that for me.

things are gonna get easier...

Well, maybe. But look at this virtual LJ gift from duckyone!



Thank you so much ducky!! I feel better already.

I do have some progress to report. My friend Joanne's husband Brian has a handyman business, so he came over on Thursday morning and installed my lovely new range hood, my two new working smoke detectors (hard-wired), and fixed all my stuck doors! I didn't realize how annoying it was to have stuck doors until they were gone! He cleaned out residual dog hair from the outside of the dryer vent, and I suspect that he even cleared out my gutters--somebody did.

It is so delightful to lie in bed and see a green light on my functioning bedroom smoke detector (which has an 'off' button in case my cooking sets it off) instead of the evil red glare previously there with the old alarm, which had died anyway (the one in the other room didn't even have a red light any more).

This weekend I will look for a nice light beige or khaki paint color, and he is going to start working on painting the master bath and master bedroom next week. This is going to be a much longer project because of the wallpaper prep--that is, the cheap wallpaper put up by my condo association when they built this place that is affixed directly to the wallboard and is not (not by remover, not by steamer, not by anything) removable.

I also had a great session with Larry the cable guy (I kid you not) who said that Time Warner would install a cable outlet in my living room AT NO CHARGE because there isn't one in there, and you get three free anyway! They should also replace the outlet in my bedroom. The magic words to use when I call to schedule it are SERVICE AFFECTING. He said in the long run I was always going to have lousy internet here because all the lines in the buildings, from the drop poles and just generally everywhere in this development are 20+ years old, and the condo association isn't going to put out any $$ to enable TWC to upgrade them.

Whatever. I'm just going to try to get my cable outlet in the living room, so that I can do away with the splitter and 30 foot long cable from my bedroom. Yay!

Larry even explained why my cable internet goes out so much, when the cable television is never affected: the internet signal is much, much more sensitive and...that old wiring in my walls, underground, and in our development...

He replaced my Radio Shack splitter with the TWC approved splitter and got me 3 extra dbs to my computer--but I'm losing 11 between where it comes in the house and my bedroom anyway! And the whole setup is apparently -16 (minus!) from where it's supposed to be.

OK, TMI on the cable business.

My little dollhouse is gone, sold to someone else. I knew it would happen but I almost burst into tears when I saw it had been taken down from the online listings.

I'll never find a house with a landscaped yard and gorgeous kitchen like that one had.

*sob!*

That plus the fact that Moonlight has been cancelled, my internet has been going out regularly, and I am the fattest pig on the planet have really made this a complete bummer of a week, after last week's fantastic, heartburn-free at-home vacation.

I may or may not be able to get online and post more over the weekend (not than anyone wants to read more of my sobosity). Probably after I cancel the cable service call, it will go out again over the weekend.

Yeah, I know I should be more upset about the thousands dead in Burma and China, and the horses being euthanized every week after races, and dog racing, and animal cruety, and child poverty, but...

*sob!* I'm still pretty close to tears, better go listen to Earth Wind and Fire or something.

Tags: misery hates company

and here's the proof:





Apparently Bobby Frasor (! post ACL-injury repair surgery!) and Marcus Ginyard also jumped.


My favorite comment on the sports message board I frequent:

"And here I thought he spent all his time outside the gym praying and studying." ;)

So I guess at least some of our players really are student-athletes.

Graduation was today and then the next two months will be the quiet time in Chapel Hill. Even though I wouldn't have a job without college students, it's fantastic to have less traffic and fewer people everywhere.

More later on my vacation week at home. Best. Vacation. Ever. (excluding all trips to London, of course)

Well, the excitement continues...

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! to duckyone! Hope you have a fantabulous day

( On the housing front: )

Today I'm going to vote--I decided to wait until about 10 am so as not to take space in the line of folks who have to vote before going in to work. I'm having lunch with Diane, who's off to Haiti for another mission trip from my church on Friday. They are going to run a health clinic and check up on the school and village (Molas) that we've been supporting for years.

The rest of the time will be cleaning out! I really, really wish I could have a yard sale soon. I'll keep my eyes open to see if there are any signs of one around here and ask tworivers if her neighbor is planning one any time soon. Although with all the students leaving and abandoning stuff, probably not the best time!

More later!