There Was A Man On The Roof

Never a dull moment, especially on Mondays. Amidst the flurry of work phone calls and general morning tasks, I was horrified to hear what sounded like someone walking upstairs in our house. Truly terrified that I would come face to face with an intruder I frantically searched for a blunt object. As I crept around corners to investigate, I noticed a truck parked out front and began to think maybe someone is checking our gas meter in the loudest fashion possible. When I went outside I discovered it was none less than a man on our roof. I have been told that our roof is of the steeper pitch varieties and this man had nothing but a flimsy ladder and knee pads. When I addressed him with a firm "What are you doing", he looked at me with disinterest and said that his boss had told him to check our shingles. Yea right buddy, I wasn't about to fall for that. After we argued about it further I determined that he must be at the wrong house and unprofessional enough to overlook the fact that maybe before climbing up on the roof of a home that is clearly inhabited - he may want to announce himself (this turned out to be the case). I hope that my strong words with the neighborhood management teaches him a lesson. Many people out there are packing and not afraid to blow a supposed intruder through the roof (so to speak).

One crucial difference that I have noticed between single family homes and condos is that all of a sudden, everybody and their brother are at your door, on your property, and on your roof apparently. Every time the doorbell rings (which happens frequently) I cringe and try to avoid answering at all costs. The church, Edward Jones, contractors that you didn't hire, I hope that there is an end in sight. If I were able, I would love to fence in the entire property, but I will have to be content with just the back portion. At least that will offer us some privacy. At this point I would not be surprised if someone opened the gate and waltzed into the backyard. We will have to work on making the dogs look more rabid and less cute.

For the remainder of the week I hope that things calm down and that no more people bother us - I want to be left in peace! Unless you are the Publisher's Clearing house, the lottery, or any legit prize patrol of course.

Cute and Functional Drapery, Where Art Thou?

Who would have thought that finding cute drapery panels that are not offensive to the eye or budget, and measured needing only two panels per window would be so hard. I have scoured the stores in real life and the internet (also in real life I guess?) and they are in short supply! Some too dark in color, others bright and cheery but about half of the width needed on each panel. I refuse to give in and purchase four panels for each large window - how utterly ridiculous! That would end up costing as much as a nice one that fit from Potterybarn. There is the temptation of purchasing panels from Overstock.com...they seem to be an okay color on my monitor, but who really knows and they may look cheap and see-through in real life. Ahhhh the dilemma.

Today we had our water softener installed for the house, it was an all day process as our installer worked tirelessly and we worked tirelessly at our jobs. But it was such a relief to meet him at the end of the day to find he did a tremendous job! The water softener actually looks pretty in the basement (never thought I would say that), probably because now I know that we will not get hard water stains and calcification on all of our pipes :) He ran a few lines to our outside sprinklers as well so that we don't "salt" the lawn with soft water and it all looks great! Among so many less than savory contractors that have been working on our house it was a welcome relief to find someone that took pride in his work and did a job completely up to my very high standards. Kudos to them we will be giving them top marks on Angie's List!

As we creep closer to moving day our temporary apartment is filling more and more to maximum capacity. Anyone who didn't know we are about to move would think that we were very neat horders, minus the spoiling food and psychotic breakdowns...well scratch that, I am liable to have a psychotic breakdown if we don't get out of here on schedule. I am rarely so excited to clean and organize a place, but finally getting into our house will be the most monumentous of occasions!

Here are my happy thoughts as this Monday comes to an end:
1) Tomorrow is technically Friday thanks to July 4th (Yippie for holidays off work!)
2) We got a much needed new spatula that can take up to 600 degrees of heat!
3) In a little over two weeks I can unpack our pictures for the first time in over six months!
4) August is going to ROCK!

Strangely Funny

Long drives are a wonderful time to remenice (especially when you are between stops and left to your own devices. A great time to check in with yourself. During my long bit of driving today I paused to pay notice to the fact that time is flying by! Its hard to believe that just a few years ago I was living in completely different circumstances and was even surrounded by different people - things change so quickly. I looked upon some past memories with fondness, some with hilarity at their ridiculousness, but know that in that time I felt differently about them. Keep the good memories and don't dwell on the bad is a good rule to live by.

All this wedding planning has got me to thinking about all kinds of new things - how I would like to incorporate the letter of my "soon to be" last name into absolutely everything, how I can't wait to reinvent my signature, how maybe now people will understand me over the phone when I have to spell out only half the amount of words...all in due course I suppose. Also I would love to be able to go on a fantastic honeymoon (who wouldn't). Not sure how was are going to swing everything at once with the new house and all, but I guess we will just do our best and send lots of positive thoughts out to the universe ;)

Why am I cursed with "night-time allergies"?! Very frustrating at the end of the day to be plagued with sneezing and general reduced-ability-to-breathe discomfort. I blame the seasonal changes and this godforsaken apartment. Mold is in no short supply for sure and the space couldn't be any less insulated or more dank...yuck. Get me out of here as soon as possible! I think once they insulate and drywall our new house I will move in with a tent. It would be better than this place. As of this moment I have lost complete use of my right nostril - highly unpleasant. I may just have to break the rules of allergy pills and take another as it seems the one that I took this morning had no effect.

~ Things I am looking forward to this week ~
* Joining a temporary gym (out of necessity to maintain my fitness level in this time of transition)
* Watching a cookware presentation and getting FREE personalized champagne flutes
* Receiving the most adorable cake toppers the world has ever seen in the mail!
* Progress on the house

Birds of a Feather

Always enjoyable to meet kindred spirits in life :) Today we met with our now wedding photographer; she couldn't be more perfect - down to earth, friendly, and extremely talented! I am so glad that we have scooped her up to take our pictures. One more thing ticked off the list :)

This last month has been slow at my job and that is highly disappointing. A salesperson's dread for sure. We seem to take the fall for anything that doesn't go according to plan. So I was so glad that positive things happened today on other fronts. So much more enjoyable to focus on the good things ;) So I am doing a TILT for Tuesday...
               * Thinking about flush-mount albums, creative inspiration, cake toppers that I desperately want from Etsy, day-dreaming about finally moving into our house, Addams Family on Netflix on instant, week is flying right on by, bicycling, nice people at donut shops, Daniel securing two interviews!

Springtime without thunderstorms is a pretty time of year - so glad this week is forecasted to actually be storm free! So ready for them to get the exterior of our house done so I no longer have to dread the rain.

Everyday my urge to shop to fantastic spring accessories grows stronger...This is no time for shopping though - I am supposed to save, save, SAVE! (easier said than done). I have managed to be good so far, haven't purchased anything frivolous in fact, but I am dying to get to the mall.

Most Exciting Weekend Ever

This past weekend I was very happily surprised when the love of my life proposed! Not only did we have great weather for our day at the zoo, visit the new house, and eat amazing New Orleans style seafood - but Daniel took us to the first place that we ever met, where he popped the question :) Such a great Saturday.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a planner and love to check things off of my list. We have already made a draft of the guest list, set up a tour of a potential venue, and developed a strict budget (thanks to the help of my mom and grandma). Our wedding website is in the works and I am so excited for cake tasting!!! YUMMM! I have learned so far that venues go fast and even looking at a year out things are already booking up! The main things that I am hoping to get booked quickly are the location and photographer.

Our friends and family are being so supportive and we are so grateful for that :) I feel very lucky and excited!

Fantastic Exercise Courtesy of Gala Darling!

I am a big fan of great ideas and just happened upon a terrific exercise from Gala Darlings "Radical Self Love" Program. For those of you who know me I apologize a lot! Perhaps I am using the wrong expression when trying to express my genuine empathy for someone, but also some of this probably stems from the fact that during my childhood I was made to feel that everything was my fault. Old habits die hard.

So hear goes the exercise - the premise being that we apologize too quickly and for too much and by doing so are only doing ourselves a disservice when we are apologizing without adequate reason.

Here are the things that I am NO longer going to apologize for:
* I am not going to apologize for sending too many emails to coworkers when they are important to the function of our jobs * I am not going to apologize for treating myself to the occasional bout of retail therapy * I am not going to apologize for laughing out loud * I am not going to apologize for needing to talk some things out * I am not going to apologize for not wanting children and not always fitting into what people expect that I should do * I am not going to apologize for how many candles I buy.

Here are my I AM statements:
* I am going to eat as much dessert as I want (while countering with exercise) * I am compassionate and willing to help others * I am dedicated to improving my relationships * I am hardworking * I am unashamed of who I am * I am persistent in trying to make the most out of everyday * I am an animal lover * I am optimistic about the future

Simple, yet a wonderful thing to do ;) Now off to bed - very tired - want to be able to greet Friday with a big Hurrah!

The Sweet Taste of Freedom

I am proud to say that I am done selling the condo and do not have to give it another moment's thought! What a great feeling! This point felt so close but so out of reach before, but I could instantly feel my stress level receding :)

We currently reside in a temporary apartment that is not by any means a desirable place to live, but its a necessary part of the journey towards being in the new house. Watching the construction take place is pretty amazing. Something along the lines of someone having a baby - it seems miraculous to each person as it takes shape even though it happens every day, and does not involve the extreme agony of child birth. I vote house building hands down! Never before have I actually hoped to have rain on the weekends instead of the week, but those construction crews only work during the week so the dryer the better.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol really surprised me. I was skeptical being that it has been awhile since I have seen Tom Cruise in anything that I liked, but the movie was exciting and well done! Thank you once again Netflix! Half of our mail isn't coming through, but good old Netflix always shows up!

Last weekend I had another epic movie experience - seeing Titanic on the big screen for the first time since the 90's. That movie still holds up today - very good and even thought I wished my hardest...Leo didn't make it.

TILT: So glad that I have had some sales success recently and so hopeful that it continues, grateful to have a wonderful boss (YES FINALLY!), fun weekend plans with Daniel, progress with the new house, tomorrow is Friday!

The Epic Countdown

ONLY TWO FULL DAYS LEFT until we move! YIPPIEEE! I can hardly contain my excitement that we are so close to wrapping up this phase with the condo and getting closer and closer to getting into our new house with a yard!

Last night since almost everything is packed up I ate popcorn out of the single piece of corning ware that is still in the cabinet. It is all part of the moving experience - kind of like surviving in the wild, you make due with what you have (or can get to). During my popcorn munching we watched the strangest movie I have seen in many moons - Melancholia. This movie was very much a downer featuring Kirsten Dunst who grows more mentally disturbed each passing moment turning what initially appears to be wedded bliss (for about 5 minutes) to the end of the world. Very unpredictable and at the end makes me think...what would I really do if the world was going to be destroyed? Well there really would be nothing that I could do (as the movie addresses).

Time for some happy thoughts after that downer of a cinema experience. I am so excited to get this move underway - because after the moving we will feast on mexican food and margaritas (always a nice treat). The apartment that we are moving into is so small and will be filled to the max with our boxed belongings that it will shrink the area that I have access to clean. Daniel says it will be a nice "cleaning hiatus". I need to get back into my exercising routine - yesterday I went for a run outside but besides sore legs and spotting a dead ferret it was a futile attempt at my previous cardio exertions. Once we are in the apartment we will have access to the best equipment from the 90's so that will have to do temporarily.

Four Weeks To Freedom!

Only four weeks until freedom!!! I hope that those weeks go quickly (at least the weekdays - weekends you are free to drag by).

We are still consumed with packing the house, but are making good progress and I officially packed up the down comforter because with this sweltering humidity in March...we do not need it. Damn this state's weather - I feel sweaty all the time with this humidity and lets admit - thats gross. The dogs are very much confused by why we have chosen to live with the house in a state of disarray. With boxes and plastic storage tubs piled everywhere - veteran mover Chloe sensing the change coming. Mogli just thinks that we are becoming messy hoarders.

I am so excited for construction to start on our new house! They should be breaking ground either next week or the week after depending on if these horrid thunderstorms continue to saturate the ground. We have decided to take pictures of all the stages so we can remember the progress and make a fun little photo book (courtesy of ShutterFly) to grace the coffee table. And once our condo closing passes, I will be able to relax and just enjoy the process. That will be a glorious day - get ready because we are going out to celebrate hardcore!

Netflix makes it possible to still view movies even though all of ours are completely packed up - so thank you to them! I have discovered that they have an array of obscure independent movies that are often times quite intriguing. Last night we watched "A Perfect Host" - if anyone used to watch "Fraiser" then get ready to see Niles in a very new role lol...

Inescapable Busyness

Yikes there has been so much going on the last few months! Here are the highlights in a nutshell...

* New job - have to tackle marketing effort for 7 counties
* Selling the condo - currently under contract, glad the constant possibilities for showings is over
* Building a house - we are almost there, it all hinges on the condo selling

I long for the point when we are in our temporary apartment and just waiting for our house to be built...this has been a long and hellacious road. My true goal is to enjoy smaller scale living and not have to obsess about the sale of the condo so that I can regain even a fraction of my sanity before moving into our new house.

I am already completely in love with our new house and it doesn't even exist yet - picking all of the colors and fixtures has been really fun and this is the largest scale decorating spree that I have ever embarked on. It is just as glorious as I imagined. To describe my tastes I would say "casual elegance, with french and italian influences" - Daniel would say "pottery barn" and he is very right. I tried for the longest time to win the lottery so that money would be no object, but that did not pan out, so we are doing a moderate job of staying on budget with the component selections. The only things left that we have to choose are the appliances. If I close my eyes I can see myself already using that double oven to make green bean casserole and pie simultaneously - HEAVEN!

These past few months have not been pretty: the endless cleaning, constant anxiety about getting an offer on the house, roller coaster ride of emotions pretty much 24/7...Daniel has had to put up with a lot. I would not wish this on anyone. When we finally get into our new house I want to live there until it starts crumbling around us - selling houses SUCKS AND WILL MAKE YOU CRAZY! A word of caution: do not buy a property that you "only see yourself living in for 3 years or less" I guarantee you will come to rue the day when you made that decision.

Desserts and comfort food have been in no short supply during all of this...I really need to get my sugar intake under control, but that is always a huge struggle for me (I am thinking of getting up even now to get a few gummy lifesavers....).

And...I got a few. I have little self-control in times like these.

Thank God its Friday! I really hope that I can not only get some packing done, but also relax this weekend.

The Satisfied Customer

What a wonderful Wednesday, this is the first one in a long time that I did not have to attend a hellacious staff meeting at the crack of dawn! The realization that I do not have to suffer enormous amounts of stress at the hands of my boss every Wednesday is still taking some time to sink in. I had so much trouble sleeping last night, when I realized something - I haven't gotten a good night sleep on Tuesday in almost a year! The constant dread of the next morning would only cause a snowball effect of negative thoughts, rendering my mind completely unable to rest. Last night I experienced the residual effects of this, but am confident that things will get better as more time goes on.

This morning I had a fantastic experience at the Acura dealership! Well my precious car was due for an oil change and tire rotation (albeit an overpriced tire rotation), but to my surprise the man asked me if there was anything else that needed fixing - did I have any wheel scratches, paint chips, windshield cracks? Unfortunately I had to answer yes to all of these - BUT they are going to be able to repair my scraped wheel without replacing it! Oh the miracles of science - And they are going to handle the rest for free! Over joyed at this news, it didn't stop there, they gave me a quite luxurious loaner vehicle and now I don't have to wait around the dealership! Happy day! More often than not I leave most stores feeling underserved or irate at the bad service, but today I am gleeful about my experience! And my car will once again have a beautiful unspoiled wheel!

Now if only we could get an offer on our condo - then life would really be great :) I am continuing to think positive thoughts though, we had a showing yesterday, which is of course a good thing :)

For the rest of my week off I am going to be relaxing and getting things done before starting my new job next week, but this mornings events have put me in a great mood - THANK YOU ACRUA!

Oh Insomnia, My Unwelcome Companion...

Irksome is the fact that I once again can not sleep - boo... I need it so, but alas try as I might, my mind will not shut off. I need to have a switch installed, that would be most useful. After laying awake for a few hours I figured I might as well get up and do something useful - so I find myself at my laptop.

Today's open house was a disaster. Not only did I have someone show up early as I was preparing to depart with the dogs, but this person showed no interest in the house, but was fascinated with my furniture and decorations. Flattering as that may be, its depressing when you are trying to sell your house. And no sir all of my possessions do not come with the house - sorry. He went so far as to pick up a vase and examine it. The whole situation was quite uncomfortable and if it wasn't furniture and a vase we were talking about I might have thought that this was really a criminal getting ready to rob us. This man did not seem ripe for a heist, he seemed more the type frightened by his own shadow with his biggest concern being indigestion.

After finally escaping and leaving the work to my almost punctual realtor, I was off with the unruly dogs with high hopes for the arrival of anxious house hunters, being that it was a sunny and almost not freezing day. Most unfortunate was the result...only one family showed up the whole time. How discouraging this news was. Not only did I clean endlessly all weekend in preparation, but the whole day revolved around facilitating this open house. Trying to sell your home is a thankless, all consuming, and utterly miserable job. As a parent is to their child, I am hypersensitive to the negative criticisms heard from potential buyers - my thoughts are "I would like to see you try and find a condo as nice as this for any less money and in a better area". Some of them no doubt will tread the path of a "fixer-upper", come to find renovations are more costly than they imagined and their tastes are not as easily brought to life and now they are living in a patchy update mess of a place. The selling process has no doubt claimed several years of my life as a result of the constant stress, so I hope I can put this all behind me soon. I may just have to get a massage next week, a luxury that I at this time should not be indulging in, but so few are the pleasures of this dreadful phase of things - I need a way to keep my sanity.

The Much Needed Update!

Now that I realize how long I have fallen out of the "blogging habit" it seems only right that I begin again for 2012. My friend Ashley definitely had a hand in my dusting off the keys, so to speak, and adding a new post.

2011...GOOD RIDDANCE! Never before have I been so excited to ring in a new year and leave a complete mess of a year behind! So far, in the only 13 days of 2012 so far, I have had better luck and fortune than practically the entire length of 2011. The tail end of 2011, brought me to my absolute breaking point as I confronted some of the most stressful circumstances of my life, both financial and health related. Many things have changed - I would have never thought that I would have my house on the market a hair shy of living here for only 2 years, but it needed to happen and now if we can only sell! The only thing more stressful than buying a house...is selling one. Now buying a property seems like a breeze, compared to the ENDLESS cleaning and rearranging of schedules that consume my life. Everyone that knows me knows that I like a clean and orderly house. But this is even too much for me....I toil away endlessly in the effort to make a good impression on potential buyers and I am wearing down the Dyson - not to mention the floors. When this hellish journey to selling comes to an end I will bask in the glory of only cleaning once per week!

2012 is exciting for another reason as well, by some miracle I have secured a new job! I really feel that this job move will be a positive one for me and allow me to advance in my career and hopefully have more longevity with a company. February will be starting off with a bang as I am sent to Las Vegas for sales training! Not only have I not been there since I was about 11, but getting away, even for work can be a fun thing!

Christmas was a bright spot this past year :) I am now the proud owner of a Kindle touch and amazing elephant cast iron tea pot! The age old debate between Kindle vs. real books was not a hard one for me - Kindle all the way. Not only is it more comfortable to hold, easier to take around, and generally awesome, but the case is very pretty too :) Don't get me wrong I won't be parting with my miniature library collection - and still have some new books to read (including a massive copy of The Stand, from a good friend that will probably take me a year to read).

Resolutions and goals - another great thing about the new year. Well here are my new goals for 2012 - particularly the next three months:
1) Stress Less - medically its necessary and life is too short to be in a constant state of worry
2) SELL THIS HOUSE!!!
3) Continue process for new house :)
4) Continue reading for pleasure
5) Gain financial stability
6) Find health insurance option that isn't extremely expensive
7) Walk the path of positivity and don't let others drag me down

I feel good about things this January and there is much to look forward to :)