In this case it's more about optimism. Do I think Jer or I will lose our jobs? Do I think the house needs maintenance?
If you've ever read an entry here, you know this is what I do for fun. I spend a lot of time playing the "what if" game. You're remarkably patient if you're still reading.
I don't think I've mentioned yet that we picked up the keys and closed successfully. So you know, yay. Only two weeks-ish to go.
So, for the first time in four years, I put on my swimsuit and went in the backyard pool. I swam for about an hour and it was heavenly.
I'd been avoiding the pool because I felt bad about never helping to clean it. The owners take turns with the chemicals and I never signed up. But today? Screw it. I'm going for a dip. And I did. The end.
In other news if you sign mortgage documents you should probably check to make sure you're using blue ink. No reason.
I'm glad we got that out of the way.
And it's only in the 90s. I am a freaking delicate flower.
So today I guess we bought a house. The guy at the escrow office never called us to confirm, but we checked the county records and confirmed it's official. We couldn't make it to the Realtor's office before they closed to get our keys, so we'll do that tomorrow. Kind of anti-climactic since we don't move in for two and a half weeks.
And in two weeks I have a birthday. Two years ago on my birthday I got engaged. Last year on my birthday I was just coming back from Japan. This year I'll be a homeowner. So there ya go. You just never know.
The motorcycle class was pretty fun. I knew it would be intense and I was more concerned with getting my endorsement, so I opted to take the class on a scooter. This is considered acceptable cheating. In the end both Jer and I got our endorsements, which means we passed the riding and written tests, and can update our driver's licenses.
The first day started in a classroom at 8am. About 12 of us watched videos, read from a booklet, and proved we had appropriate footwear. We took a break for lunch and then at 12:30pm met at the range across the parking lot, on the other side of a warehouse. We were given helmets and assigned bikes and taken through each step at a decent speed.
We started by walking the bikes back and forth, revving the engine, putting the bikes in neutral (I followed along as best as I could without being able to shift), power walking the bikes, and then progressed from there. The next day we focused on turns and maneuvering. We did a figure 8 -- basically two U-turns in a row -- an S-curve, a hard stop, swerve, and a lean on a curve.
The instructors were great. We took the course through Pacific NorthWest Motorcycle Safety and I would recommend them. The plan is to get our own protective gear, get our licenses updated, and then practice practice practice. We'll see where it goes from there.
I really enjoyed riding the scooter. I don't need more things to spend money on, but I could see myself riding one of those around town for short trips to the store or the mall or whatever. Plus it was really fun to take the class with Jer so I'd say it was a successful couple of days.
I'm taking two days of PTO (personal time off) to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
I'm brewing some coffee, watching some television, and getting ready for a quick trip to the grocery store. We need to bring our lunches to class and we're low on options here.
I never saw myself doing this, but hey, why not?
Wish me luck.
Dude. 740 pounds! On its way to me right now!
What have I done.
And more importantly, where am I going to put it all?
Also we signed all of our documents today. There was some last minute chaos where numbers didn't match but in the end we proceeded to sign an hour's worth of paper.
Please start referring to me as "Tree Killer, Killer of Trees." I earned it.
I am giddy crossed with sleepy and will be drinking a celebratory beer soon.
For some reason I am finding it hard to concentrate. Go figure.
Today I ordered five of these:
I am finally going to have a home for my collection. Hopefully all of it, or at least most of it.
We visited our new living room yesterday and I am so excited; it is my new library. The seller also showed us how to clean the filters in the furnace and took Jer into the crawlspace to show him around.
Only one month to go now!
Jer also gave me a very nice surprise last night. He acquired the first three episodes of True Blood Season 2 and we're not so far behind now. I'm still amazed at how different it is from the books -- well, I've only read the first one so far but there are some big differences.
Packing calls.
Co-worker #2: I'm riding a motorcycle to Victoria, BC.
Me: I think it's very courageous of you to travel through time like that.
This grown-up stuff is tiring. And 65% tricky.
We also received word yesterday that the underwriters have approved their portion of the loan. Finally. No more letters of explanation about why our landlady didn't know our move-out date (3 months early), or copies of bank statements justifying our tax refund. I'm just thankful we've had such a great team of professionals helping us through this process. I understand the underwriters have to be careful and protect their investment; I just wish our jobs, financial history, and savings counted for a little more.
What else? More boxes should arrive from uline today. I'm working with an agent to get our new insurance policy set up. Next week is our motorcycle class.
In the evenings I've been sorting old paperwork for recycling or shredding and I came across my student loan statements from 2005. I owed $23,500 for photography school! That doesn't even seem real anymore. The interest rate was over seven percent and rising. And for what? I dropped out. Makes the pit of my stomach gurgle just thinking about it. I'm so happy I made paying that off a priority. Except now I'm flirting with the idea of going back to school at night... so it's good to be reminded how much that kind of debt can suck.
A lot of my entries are focused around buying things or wanting to buy things, but that is misleading. Jer and I lead a pretty frugal life. We've had the same cars for 8-10 years. We don't go on expensive vacations and neither of us work in industries where we have to wear fancy clothes. We have a couple of hobbies we splurge on from time to time and we eat out more than we should, and that's about it.
When I do find something online I want to buy, I bookmark it in a folder called, "Things to buy if I had money." Usually that's enough to deal with the immediate urge and if I still want it later I can save for it. Or ask for it for Christmas.
There is so much going on right now. I can't wait to be on the other side of it all.
Better late than never.
I think back to all of my evenings and can't figure out what the heck I've been doing. Probably World of Warcraft crossed with idle Internet surfing mixed with liberal amounts of tv vegetation.
Or maybe only today is real and the rest has been a dream. And in that time I've died a thousand tiny deaths...
Or maybe I should drink more water. I may not be hydrated enough to speak to the Internet.
Alrighty then.
Apparently wire transfers aren't just for laundering money as a plot device any longer. Who knew?
We're also in the process of consolidating our insurance policies. Whee.
So that was my day. I am crossing my fingers that it will all come together in some magical fashion.
Blah.
So I am using up the last of the limes and the tonic water and trying to make a dent in the excess paper.
The weather turned and is now cooler, with the occasional burst of thunder. Last year at this time I was sitting outside working a festival, and I have to say that I am very glad to be inside and dry this year.
I've made an appointment with movers for one month and four days from now.
The last 2 hours we've been packing books and we're about half-way done. Smallish boxes though so they don't get too heavy. It's hot today and I am insisting on an ice cream break. If it keeps up, I may also insist on a vodka break.
This is how I roll.
Post-pork, I decided to improvise. If following the recipe got me charred pieces of meat, then not following the recipe would have the opposite effect, right? As opposed to affect. Let's get emotional.
I ended up with chicken enchiladas, margaritas, drunken beans, Mexican rice, guacamole, cake, and salsa. I did not make the corn or the cheese dip as planned, but I forgive myself. There was enough food.
The weekend went by fast. Like, I blinked and it was gone. The fireworks were not as good this year, but hey, fireworks are pricey and the economy and all that. It was fun.
I did not reread the Declaration of Independence, but I sang "We the People" to myself. Quietly.
I mailed our move-out notice to the landlady today. No turning back now.
Slow frying pork on the other hand...
On the plus side I may have stumbled onto a great jerky recipe.
Today I will learn how to use the zester.
