Brand New Patio

I know, I know... it's been far too long. Sorry folks, life has been busy! My marathon training has taken up a lot of time (more on that tomorrow) and in our spare time, Mike and I have been working in the yard a lot. Ready to see the fruits of our labor? Keep in mind that it's still a work in progress. Here's what the patio looked like before:

Patio Before

Drumroll please....

Patio After

Keep in mind it's seriously still a work in progress - like there won't be electrical cords running to the waterfall (there will be a switch at the house). Nor will there be sand all over the tiles - we've got that on there to fill in the gaps as it settles. We got new furniture for it as well - nice wrought iron that is easy to hose off when the oak trees decide to do their thing (pollen, leaves, etc).

Did I mention that I have a working waterfall in my backyard?!

Our Waterfall!!!

I love it. All of the rocks are from our property and I plan on planting all sorts of pretty things around it to grow. We're aiming for the "jungle" look - like it's wild. I can't wait!

Ok, I promise better updates... four more days until the marathon!!!

A New Project

Today I learned a very important less. Men and women both nest after getting married, but they both do it in very different ways.

I got a text message from Mike this morning that said "Would it be ok to relocate the maple?". The maple in question is the Japanese maple tree that I planted a couple years ago. I knew exactly where this was headed - we've been talking for a while about relocating our "pig patio". For those of you who haven't been to New Years at our house, we have a small patio that the boys set up the pig roaster. We've wanted to expand it, but due to the slope it's on, it would have been really expensive.

Instead, our amazing neighbor, who owns a back hoe, is helping level a neat spot of land next to Shadow's pen. Not only that, but I'm getting a waterfall and all of my plants on drip! Woo hoo!

Nest away Mike!

Construction Begins!

Moving Day!

What a crazy day! Today was the official moving day! Thankfully, both my parents and Tim and Nicki (along with Miss Skyler) helped Mike and I schlep all of my stuff from the old house to Mike's. It actually went a lot faster than I had thought it would... apparently after 10 or so years of moving around, you finally figure out how to pack your stuff up (Dad, I'm so sorry about that one college move where EVERYTHING was in paper bags). We rented a Uhaul, picked it up around 9am and were back eating pizza at Mike's around 12:30... not bad for the sheer amount of stuff I have! I have no idea where it's come from over the last few years!

It feels so good to finally have all of my stuff up here... it doesn't seem like that would make a big difference, but it really does. Now for the unpacking and organizing... if you know me, you know I thrive on organizing! One thing on my big, daunting list of tasks over the next few weeks to check off! Next up, figuring how to rent the house out!

Tonight Mike and I watched a new show... it's a documentaryish type show that HBO is doing called "The Pacific". Part one of ten was on tonight and it's really good! We just set it up to tape the rest. Tom Hanks narrates it. There's another show coming up on National Geographic next Sunday... it's an 11 part series called "Life" and it looks absolutely amazing. I can't wait!

With that, I think I'm off to watch some more tv and then to head to bed!

Chaos

I know, it's sort of a weird title. I'm sort of at a weird spot right now, so I guess it's fitting!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. All of it good, but all of it a little on the overwhelming side.

First, Mike and I decided to move in together. I'm beyond excited, but am remembering just how much I hate moving. All of it is just super overwhelming. To make things even more complicated, I can't sell my house right now, so I'm working on getting it rented out. And by working on renting it out, I mean that I'm working on getting my crap moved out. The whole thought of being a landlord is beyond my comprehension right now.

Secondly, I took a new job at work. Now, I typically don't write about work on my blog (I think it's safe to say that things can get said that don't need to be on the internet), but this is a really good step for me in my career. It's doing a similar job to what I'm doing now, just with a different focus (desktop processors rather than server processors). It will be helpful in expanding my product knowledge as well as some of the other programs that I haven't been exposed to yet. Again, totally excited about it, but that doesn't make it any less overwhelming.

Ok, so that's only two things... but it's two BIG things! :)

Insurance

Well, thanks to the Great Flood of 2009, my home insurance bill almost doubled this year. I called my dude at Farmers Insurance to ask for a little explanation (after all, they couldn't possibly penalize me for something that I had absolutely no control over and that could not have been prevented, right?). He was a super nice guy who started off by telling me that once you file a claim you're 3-4 times more likely to file another one. I get that if, say, you're an insurance scam artist. I don't really see how I had much of a choice, coming home at 10pm to an inch of water throughout my whole house. But I get it... people abuse the system, so we all pay for it.

I moved on to ask him if there was anything else I could do to bring my rate back down (apparently a single claim says on your "record" for 3 years... so my premium would be up for that whole time period). He said I could try switching over my car insurance (which would save at most a couple hundred bucks). Then, followed one of the best conversations I've had in a long time...

Insurance Agent: "Well, I see that you currently have a $500 deductible."

Me: "Yes, I do."

Insurance Agent: "If you were to bring that up to, say, $2,500, you could significantly decrease your yearly premium."

Me: "Well, wait a minute. Didn't you just say that I'm 3-4 times more likely to file a claim now? If that's the case, why the heck would I raise the deductible I have to pay?!"

Insurance Agent: "Well, um... uh, well, that was an, um, a statistic. I wasn't speaking specifically to you."

Yeaaaaahhh... so, needless to say, today I did some insurance shopping. I'm happy to report that AAA (who currently carries my car insurance) was more than happy to pick up a new customer at a similar rate to what I was paying last year. And, I'll get a 10% discount on my car insurance now! I'm super proud of myself for not only standing up to Farmers, but for taking the time to go find even better insurance! Hooray!

We Have A Fence!

Today we finished the fence... I'm beyond excited! I've been waiting forever to have a nice big place for Shadow to run around. Charlie (Mike's brother) and his daughter Katie came over to help get the last of the posts pounded in, the fence rolled out and then clipped onto the posts. It took about another 4 hours to finish up. The only thing we have left is to find a better way to keep the gate closed... I think we'll need one more metal pole and a latch.

Here's Shadow when I first put him in... taking a drink of water before running around:

He then proceeded to pee on just about anything he could claim in the name of Shadow:

He then needed to look for deer...

Here's a look down the fence line... we did a pretty darn good job!

Finally, here's a view from the deck... looking down at Shadow's land:

Like I said, I'm beyond excited... it is taking some getting used to for him. Those of you who know labs know that all they want is to be with their people, so in between doing laps to sniff and pee, he's sitting at the gate barking at the house. I'm sure that he'll get over that soon and be off to playing! One of the last things I want to do is to get a little dog house for him. Then he's all set!

No idea what to do:


Getting to know the area:


In other exciting news, Shadow and I went for a nice run this morning... a two mile run through the mountains... it was beautiful! The weather today was perfect - not too hot, not too cold!

Even More Fencing

Today was the epitome of a lazy Sunday. Mike and I got up this morning, had some egg and bacon biscuit sandwiches and white chocolate mochas. Then Mike went for a ride and I took Shadow for a nice long walk. Mike told me about a great little route we could take that was absolutely beautiful. The weather really cooperated... today felt like a spring day. It was brisk, but not cold and the sun was shining. Birds were singing. My dog had the time of his life.

After the walk, I made chocolate chip cookies and then watched some tv... basically had a pretty lazy couple of hours. After that, we decided to go pound some fence posts in. As I said in my last post, yesterday we got the corner and gate posts in... today was all about running the string and getting some of the side posts in. It was actually a lot easier than we thought (well, that's easy for me to say since I wasn't the one pounding them in, but even Mike said it wasn't that bad!). We got one of the long sides (100 feet) and one of the short sides (40 feet) done... I think we can get the rest pounded in and the fencing up next weekend! I honestly can't wait... it's going to be a great little spot for Shadow to run around!

Tonight we're going to grab some dinner and watch a movie... we rented two last night... the first was "Surveillance" with Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond. We were told by the girl at Blockbuster that this had a crazy twist and that it was super "graphic". Not so much. It was a decent movie, but we figured out the ending about half way through. Tonight, we're going to watch "Paranormal" which was our first choice. Hopefully that one's a little better!

It's been a fantastic weekend... I'm still defintiely fighting off this cold (thank God for DayQuil and NightQuil), but I don't feel like I did with the last sinus infection. I'm really hoping it stays that way! Right now, I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing evening!

Fencing

No, not the sport. Today we started work on the fence that we're building up at Mike's house. Specifically, "Shadow's fence". We're closing off an area to let him run free and frolic. I can't wait. Honestly, I'm so super excited about it. I can't wait to watch him run around and just be able to be free without crappy neighbor dogs barking their heads off at him!

Keep in mind, I've never built a fence in my life. I take that back, Dad and I did put up the little white picket fence for my vegetable garden, but that didn't involve cement and lots of pounding. That's right. Cement. Fortunately, Mike's buddy Mark came over and the two of them did most of the work. I tried to help but ended up being the water girl. Which is ok by me, I suppose. Today we got the four corner posts cemented in as well as the post for the gate. Tomorrow (and probably next weekend) we'll be pounding in the 40 t-posts that run along the sides. Then it's time to hang the actual fence and the gate. After that, Shadow is a free dog!

I'm still fighting off this cold... that said, it's amazing to only have a cold. I asked Mike yesterday - "Is this what it's like for normal people to get sick?". I'm stuffy and have a little cough, but really don't feel terrible. I've noticed the energy level is down, but I've been napping and trying to go to bed early. I just don't feel like I did last time I was sick (thank God because I don't know if I could handle being that sick again just yet!). Here's to hoping that I get better soon!

Fight for Your Right

For those of you not up to date with the wonder that is my little life, earlier this year (July) I had a flood in my house. Long story short, a supply line to one of my toilets broke, filling my entire house with a good inch of water. Every square inch of flooring in my house had to be replaced (seriously, thank God for insurance!). The whole process took a good month, much of which I couldn't live in my house.

Mid-November, I was walking barefoot and noticed that there was a part of my floor that was curled up a little bit. It was right in the center of the room. I called the company that installed the floor, who sent an installation specialist out to make sure that everything was correctly installed. He told me that everything was put in just fine and that my dog had probably had an accident. It would cost me almost $500 to fix the 5 boards that were curled. Warning bells went off in my head because the "new" floor was the same one that I'd had since I moved into the house. God knows that Shadow has had accidents and that things have been spilled. Did they really mean that they didn't recommend this floor to pet owners?

I called back (once they had provided me with the estimate) and told them I wanted to get a factory representative's opinion. They set up an appointment for today for both companies to come out and review the situation. Wow, I guess that wasn't such a short story...

Anyway, I'm so glad I stood my ground. The factory rep said that there was no way this was caused by me or my dog. They do recommend the floor to pet owners and it should definitely not be doing what it was doing now. He's going to submit the claim and sometime after New Years, I'll be getting my floor fixed... free of charge!

Movies, House Hunting and Other Oddities

Well, it was quite an eventful weekend for me. Starting with Friday when someone hacked into my bank account. Fun times. Turns out, it seems that I accidentally clicked an email that I shouldn't have (I think) because that's the only way I can imagine someone getting that far into my account. They ended up taking some money, but the joke's on them because I was able to stop payment and the check is going to bounce. My passwords and account numbers have all been changed and the lesson was definitely learned. It was a mess.

Friday night my parents and I went to see "Dreamgirls" (see the movie review to the right) which was surprisingly good. Saturday was nice and relaxing and I was able to get lots of little stuff done that has been on my to do list forever. I also discovered the best kickboxing class ever at the gym by my house. Julie and I take one on Monday's at a different gym, but this one was just amazing. The instructor really focused on making every move do something for you and explained how you would use it in a fighting situation. I kind of like having a reason to wake up on Saturday mornings and something to do. He teaches the same class during the week, so I may try that one too. I went to dinner with Brig at our favorite Red Robin (hooray for Southwest Chicken Pasta!) We were going to see a movie, then realized it started at 10:10pm and that we were old, so that was too late. Instead, we're going to try to get a matinee on Tuesday. I know, I know.

Sunday I hit the pavement and started the house hunt again. It was a sort of weird experience. Every other house was cool and every other house was really weird. On of them had actual bullet holes in the windows from BBs. Now, this might just be me, but if I were to sell a house, I would most likely make sure that things like bullet holes in the windows were patched up. But that's just me. I actually found one that was pretty nifty, so I'll be researching it a little more this week. I don't want to get too excited just yet.

By the way, I've discovered the wonder that is green tea. I've always been a little wary (tea that's green?!), but in the past week or so have discovered that it's actually quite tasty. I don't even need to put sugar into it! And, I've heard it's pretty dang healthy for you.

On that note, I'm back to work and to sipping my green tea! Happy Monday everyone!

Know When To Hold Them, Know When To Fold Them

Some of you may have noticed that my house countdown is gone. Well, as the title of this blog implies (in the words of the immortal Kenny Rogers) , it was time to back out. As it turns out, the house appraised at significantly a lower value than asking price. There are several things wrong with this scenario, the first being I would have to fork over the cash for it. The second being that it's a buyers market, so this lady needs to adjust or I'll find a better home at a better price somewhere else. Long story short, I'm backing out of the deal today and will start looking at other homes in the area in the next week or so. It's a bummer because I really liked the house and it would have been the perfect little starter home for me, but I have to be financially smart. I mean, I worked really hard for this, why blow it on the first house I like for the sake of having one?

That said, I actually feel really good about my decision. Surprisingly good. I know there's the perfect little house out there somewhere, waiting for me to come along and buy it (at a FAIR price). Shame on this seller and her horrible realtor... who advises their client to sell high in a bum market?

In other news, tomorrow is the Justin Timberlake concert. I know, I know. But I really like his new stuff and can't wait! The girls and I are going out to dinner first, which is always a blast. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Finally, thanks to everyone who thought happy thoughts for little Onyx. Great news - she pulled through (what a little fighter!) and is back home. Woo hoo!

HOUSE!

So it's not 100% yet (the seller still needs to sign the paper and send it back), but it looks like I've found my new house! We've gone through several days of offers and counter-offers before settling on a nice price for me. I'm so excited and so happy! I'll give more details as soon as I can - I should hear tomorrow as to the finalization of everything. Once that happens, we go into the 14 days of loans, appraisals and inspections! If all is well with that stuff, I'll be handed the keys at 5:00pm on Friday, January 26th! This is such a dream come true for me - I've worked so long and hard for this! It's totally scary and exciting all at once! I'm exhausted but excited! With those few contradictions said, I'm off to bed. Good night to all!

Disappointment

Well, today was meet with the banker day. As it turns out, there are TONS of hidden costs in buying a home (yes Mom, you were right). So I can get the loan, but it would put me quite near financial ruin. Not exactly how I planned it. That means back to the budget... and saving for another 6 months or so. Then I'll have enough cash and some for backup. I would hate to lose everything because I rushed into it and didn't have a little patience (which we all know I have lots of to begin with). And I definitely don't want to get into weird loans where my payments will skyrocket in a year.

That said, I cried my little eyes out.

On the other side of the coin, chances are that the market is going to get even better over the next few months and perhaps interest rates will come down a little. That way I'll get a better house for less money. Either way, it was a great (but tough) life lesson. I plan on looking for the next few months to make sure I know where the market is going and watching the interest rates.

I'm off to eat. Late.

House Stalker

So I've officially become a house stalker.

Let me explain. On Saturday Alyse took me and my parents out to look at the list of potential houses that I found. Surprisingly, the one that I loved from the outside turned out to be weird on the inside (who makes the master bedroom only have a half bath?!) and the one that I felt kinda "eh" about the front I fell in love with. It's a three bedroom two bathroom ranch style home with the most amazing back yard. There are mature fruit trees (oranges, lemons, grapes) and a cool little shed for all of my outdoor stuff. The inside has been completely remodeled and looks amazing! It's nice and roomy and very bright. I'm hoping to meet with my mortgage consultant tomorrow to prepare to make an offer this week. I'm scared to death and completely excited all at the same time!

Now back to the stalking. I have driven through that neighborhood four times since Saturday. We've talked to the neighbors, checked out the grocery store around the corner and looked it up on the Megan's Law website (no sex offenders for me!). The good news is that I think the neighborhood is very nice. The people all seem very friendly and the houses around it are taken care of.

*crossing my fingers and holding my breath*