October 8th, 2007 by Kateastrophe

First off, let me start my blog post the way I normally do . . . with an apology. Haha.

I apologize that I don’t have pictures for this post. In fact the post is almost pointless without pictures, but I had to post about it before I ran out of time. So . . . yeah.

So, this week we started moving stuff in to the new house. Correction: We started moving stuff into the garage and kitchen and that’s all. We have been taking over a trailer and two car loads of stuff every day and the third car bay of the garage is practically full of boxes. However, we have not moved over ANY furniture. So, recap. I have an empty house and a full garage. Per-fect.

Ooh ooh ooh but I DID (with the help of my amazing friend Rhonda) organize the entire kitchen. I am delighted to announce that I have WAY too many cabinets and drawers. I am a person of MANY, MANY kitchen things. The kitchen at the old house was bursting at the seams with stuff. I had about eight cupboards and four drawers. I now have four drawers and six cupboards on my ISLAND ALONE. I am full of bliss and excitement at the thought of a shopping trip to Williams Sonoma (someday when we have money again) to fill the cupboards with fun kitchen gadgets, serving platters and the like. Excellent.

We were also able to finally pick paint colors, thanks to a model decorated with exactly our color of carpet, tile, cabinets and counter tops, and as of Saturday afternoon, the living/dining room, nook, main hallway and kitchen are now painted. They messed up and put the wrong color on one wall in the kitchen, so I’ll be working on fixing that this week, but it’s not a huge deal. The house looks AMAZING. The colors are perfect. Now I just have to save up some more money to have the rest of the house painted. See, now I never want to paint again. I let the painters in at 7 AM and arrived at 2 PM to a finished product. Could it get ANY better?

The house selling negotiations are . . . well, going. This market sucks. S-U-C-K-S. I truly feel lucky to sell our house in this city. I went garage sale hopping on Saturday morning and I swear every other house on every street was for sale. There aren’t a lot of people selling their houses and we’ve been able to sell ours. But I won’t lie, we’ve been HATING it. We have been asked to do some repairs to the house that just seem utterly ridiculous, but in this market, we can’t fight too much about it. We just have to suck up and do it. Luckily, our Realtor has really come through for us and he’s handling all the repairs so I’m going to get a lollipop and stand by watching him spend our money. Who needs money right? I’ll just work Matt a little harder. Hehee.

Speaking of Matt, have I mentioned that I have the most amazing husband? The man works all day, then comes home and works some more and he still manages to pack, organize and move a load a day and help calm my craziness to boot. We’re both under a lot of pressure and it’s obvious who deals with it better. (Hint: it’s not me.)

And while I’m talking about amazing people, my crazy Mom ran ANOTHER marathon this weekend. Naturally, I can’t get her to call me and tell me how she did, but I’m sure she did great. I think this is like the sixth marathon this year? I told you. CRAZY. Love her but she’s CRAZY. And skinny. Damn I wish I was that skinny. Without having to run a marathon . . . or six.

OK, thus ends the craziness of this random, stupid post. I promise pictures of the new house soon and keep you updated on moving progress.

Merry kisses to all and to all a goodnight.

October 3rd, 2007 by Kateastrophe

I woke up this morning and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel ominous. I didn’t feel like I was going to sluggishly tromp through my day. I had energy and spunk and most of all, I was grateful for all the amazing things in my life for the first time in a long time.

I’ve been focused on the bad for way too long. It’s not like me . . . I’m SO not a negative, wallowy (is that even a word? Eh, who cares.) person. I HATE feeling like I’m in a pit of despair. So I’ve been doubly miserable lately, drowning in my pit and hating myself for it. Basically, I was being stupid.

I have an awesome, luck filled life. I married a man I don’t deserve who loves me in spite of ME. I have an incredible job I probably don’t deserve that came with an incredible boss I probably don’t deserve. I have an amazing family who is loving and supportive (how many people have 20 year old brothers who call JUST to tell their sister they love and miss her??) and I have the most incredible group of friends that I know most would kill to be a part of.

So today, I decided to be grateful for it. I said a prayer and thanked the Lord for my life and apologized for being such a butt-head (yes, I actually used the word butt-head in my prayer) and then I skipped off to face my day with a smile.

And this has turned out to be one great freaking day.

I don’t want to jinx it, I just had to share because we had a plethora of good news in the last 24 hours.

First, after INSANE amounts of controversy, stupidity and more stupidity (the real estate world seems to be full of idiots. No offense to any of you who are in real estate. You’re not the idiots of which I speak. Just everyone else in real estate. That includes Realtors, Banks and Title Companies. I’ll share that story later) we FINALLY got the keys to our new house!! It’s ours! It’s more beautiful than I ever hoped. Here are some pictures to prove it!

A key! We have a key!

My favorite room, the kitchen (two views, one from the family room)

The breathtaking view from our front porch
(oh and the final picture of Rhonda’s Mini. It got traded for a hot new set of wheels the next day)

And last, but certainly not least, my hubster, having the first go at the master lavoratory.
Two important things to note:
1. His pose. What the crap?
2. He gave me permission to use this picture

On Saturday the paint crew arrives to do away with the ugly white and make it look a little less sterile in there. I’m SO excited. I will post pictures of the other rooms soon. They’re on my other computer and I’m too lazy to go get them off.

My second piece of good news is actually the one thing I’ve been waiting on for almost two years. I FINALLY got the PEARL PINK RAZR!!!! I have wanted it since the second I saw it but I was too cheap to pay for it. Hahah. So now, it’s mine, all mine! Next step is to bling it out. I can’t WAIT!

Look at it in all it’s pearly pink wonderfulness!!

The final piece of good news is the one I don’t want to jinx, but I HAVE to tell everyone about.

We got another offer on our house!!

It’s not a perfect offer but it’s a good offer and it sounds like the buyers are in LOVE with the house, so I’m feeling good about this one. I’m crossing all fingers and toes and saying many prayers that it will go through. If it does, it causes major stress because the buyers want to close on October 15th. (I KNOW! What the crap?! That means I have to move this weekend and I haven’t even packed one single thing!) However, it means we don’t have to pay ANY double house payments. So, here’s to hoping it works out and that I don’t die of the moving stress this week!

You have all been so great during this entire debacle. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your funny comments and most of all your stories on your blogs that got my mind off of my issues for a few minutes. I love blogging.

Seriously. What a great day.

September 7th, 2007 by Kateastrophe

So, yet another buyer thinks they can get a better deal on a house. And maybe they can . . . we’re just not desperate enough to just give our house away I suppose.

Here’s to the weekend and another contract! (Since we seem to get about one a week these days!) Hopefully, this time it will stick!

I had a fun experience today with the morons at the mortgage company, but that also has to do with the house and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It seems to be all I can think or talk about this week. And, for the record, I’m as sick of talking about this as you guys are of hearing about it. Just so we’re all clear on that.

I go to Vegas for a week for work on the 17th and while I’m excited to have something else to think/worry about, this is our biggest show of the year and I always end up getting sick after this one, so I’m praying this year I can make it through without getting the illness of death like last year. When that’s over I get to come home and start packing up for the move. Just the thought of it is so overwhelming I’m going to stop thinking about it right now.

And end this lame post right now.

September 6th, 2007 by Kateastrophe

We got another offer on our house. Unfortunately, it was embarrassingly low. Lower than an offer we received from an investor about a month ago that we laughed hysterically at.

So, yesterday we just laughed again and then countered with a more reasonable (yet compromising! See!? We can compromise!) offer.

Now we are waiting. They are a young couple, buying their first house and they are thinking it over. If only we’d had that luxury when we were a young couple, buying our first house! Stupid market. Stupid allowing buyers to think it over market. Wish I was in their shoes.

I’m trying hard to enjoy the fun new things that appear in our new house every day. The granite and the tile are in (and GORGEOUS if I do say so myself), as are the light fixtures and my glorious, wonderful huge tub. It’s looking so beautiful. I can’t wait to move in at the end of the month, yet I’m anxious because we’re still waiting.

We’re confident we can sell, confident that we’ll get a good offer. The house was on the market for two days before our last offer and then only two days before this offer. It feels good to finally be wanted . . . but someone needs to want just a little bit more.

Waiting.

I hate waiting.

September 1st, 2007 by Kateastrophe

First of all, thank you for your well wishes and prayers for us with regards to this post.

Unfortunately/Fortunately (depending on how you want to look at it) the kid backed out and the house is back on the market.

I’m not gonna lie, I was FURIOUS on Thursday when we first heard. We offered the A/C as a “diving save” maneuver. I screamed and cried (in a house by myself because Matt was on a plane to Utah) and, as I mentioned on IM to my friends, I was in such a state that even the Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake sitting in my fridge sounded gross. I prayed my guts out on Friday night, but rather than praying for the kid to change his mind, I prayed that I would be OK with whatever happened and told the Lord that I knew He knew best.

Friday morning I woke up feeling much better. I called our Realtor and told him that the kid had until noon to decide if he wanted to take us up on our offer and then after that, it was off the table and the house was back on the market - no more negotiations with the lame-o. Our Realtor agreed with my decision and called the other Realtor.

Turns out, the other Realtor is ready to smack that kid upside the head. They’ve been looking for six months and the other Realtor thinks our house is an amazing deal and the guy is stupid for not taking it WITHOUT the free A/C. Apparently the guys older brother is jealous because our house is nicer than the one he lives in and he doesn’t think his little brother deserves a nicer house than he has. I guess it’s turned into quite the family drama for the buyer’s family and now he just doesn’t want it. Period. BUT, his Realtor is afraid that in two weeks he’s going to realize our house is the best one out there and he’ll come back. And guess what? No closing costs and no A/C for you, pal.

Good riddance, says me. After we dropped the price, we got an offer within two days. I have no doubt that someone else will want our house AND I very much doubt we’ll have to pay closing costs OR put in a new A/C, so I really think it’s going to be much better in the long run.

So we’re starting over. The house is back on the market and now I’m praying for another, more REASONABLE, less of an idiot buyer. And honestly? I believe it’s going to happen.

————
Just FYI, I’m on vacation right now, so Soap Opera Sunday may be up later than usual (if I can even decide which story I’m going to write about!!!).

August 31st, 2007 by Kateastrophe

OK I’m not THAT dramatic.

But today, we got bad, bad news.

The guy who was going to buy our house is backing out of the sale.

Why? You ask? Because our twenty year old house has an “old roof and old AC unit.”

Um, knock knock. Idiot? thehouseistwentyyearsoldofcoursetheACandroofareold.

We’re currently trying to sway his decision by dangling a NEW! LOOK HOW FANCY! Brand new air conditioner! in front of his greedy little eyes. Who needs $5k anyway? That and us paying 50% of his closing costs aughta do it, right?! Right? Please tell me I’m right . . .

So I’m asking all my readers to do me a little favor. Whatever God or Greater Being(s) you believe in, please ask him/it/them/whatever to help convince this guy to take the pretty new AC and buy my house so I can stop crying and ripping my hair out in chunks.

Bless you all (and your little dogs too! Brillig, that one is for you)

August 23rd, 2007 by Kateastrophe

August 23rd, 2007 by Kateastrophe

Yesterday . . . we got an offer on our house!

It’s a “full price” offer, but they are asking for us to pay closing costs (HAHAHAH yeah right) and they are not a “prime” lender, so to speak, so we’re not positive it will go through, but it’s an OFFER and we can NEGOTIATE and I think it might work out.

Seems like there was something in the water, because yesterday was an incredibly good day for my dearest Brillig too.

Phew. I’m feeling very relieved that, even if it doesn’t work out, another offer will be shortly behind, because we’ve had more traffic in three days than we’ve had over the last five months.

Oh wait. Now I have to move.

Crap.

June 19th, 2007 by Kateastrophe

Ah the joys of the Phoenix housing market.

When we bought our house, it was a sellers market. We fought tooth and nail and made several overs before bending over backwards and paying out the tuckus to buy our house

Now, two years later, it’s a buyers market. There are gazillions of houses on the market and we’re going to have to, once again, bend over backwards and pay out the tuckus (from our equity) to sell our house.

But whaddaya do right?

Persevere. That’s what you do.

So Saturday, we had our second open house. I must say that we outdid ourselves cleaning this time. I just got a new vacuum, so I still think of it as more of a toy . . . so I vacuumed EVERYTHING. Couches? Check. Rugs? Check. Carpet? Check. Drapes? Check. All spotless and vacuumed. The house smelled beautiful . . . looked beautiful. The yard was gorgeous, Matt has done wonders with the grass in this blasted heat. I reorganized all the cabinets, everything was perfectly in it’s place. I even organized my plethora of prescriptions, cold medicines and vitamins.

So at 11 AM we left the house for the day to go shopping and do some other fun things. Rhonda joined us and we went furniture shopping with my friend Stacey, then went to lunch. Then we saw the new Pirates movie (so good by the way!) and then we headed home.

We talked to our realtor on the way home. The open house was a bust. Only one person stopped by. A guy by himself . . . my realtor didn’t feel comfortable being in the house alone with him, so she stayed outside and he went inside (random I know. I don’t want to talk about it.). He came back out a few minutes later and said we had the nicest house in the neighborhood, said he would go get his brother and come back. He left his name and number and left.

He never came back . . . and our realtor went and visited with the other Realtors in the neighborhood (three of whom were also having open houses) and none of them had seen the guy. Weird right?

Well, our realtor had his name and number, so she was going to call him back and try to schedule a private showing for he and his brother.

We came home late Saturday evening and settled in for a boring night of TV and calling it an early night. We’re so exciting right?

Sunday morning, I went downstairs to take my antibiotics. (I was diagnosed with bronchitis last week. Fun right?) I opened my perfectly organized cupboard and immediately noticed a problem. There was a hole. A hole that used to contain my favorite prescription bottle. My cough syrup with codeine. When one gets bronchitis twice a year like I do, this is the most glorious of all glorious medicines to have. And it was gone. Usually, I’m not extremely organized and this wouldn’t be strange. I misplace stuff all the time. But not this time. I knew exactly where that bottle had been the day before because I had gone as far as to organize my medicines by type and by frequency of use. It was most definitely missing.

Holy crap right???? Some guy had come to our house posing as an interested buyer and STOLEN MY FAVORITE DRUGS. We, of course, started madly searching the house for other missing things, and came up with nothing. Everything else was in it’s place. Stupid guy just took the cough syrup.

What’s funny is that I don’t feel like my privacy has been invaded, because I don’t really have a strong sense of privacy. I’m not scared that he’ll come back looking for more. Want to know what I am?

I’m PISSED that he stole my CODEINE. There was perfectly good doxycycline and steroid cream in there. Take that!! Take anything but the codeine! Do you have ANY IDEA how sick I had to get to be allowed to get that stuff?

Secretly, I’m almost hoping Matt gets sick now so we can go get some more, just to have it on hand.

I’m not a druggie, I swear. I just play one on Blogger.

June 12th, 2007 by Kateastrophe

If walls really could talk, first of all, the walls in my current house would be saying the following:

“Ouch hothothothot oww hot owwww“

“Who is that coughing wretch inside? Tell her and her phlegm to SHUT UP!”

“My self esteem is taking a serious hit because no one wants to buuuuyyyy meeeeee“

Basically, that sums up to these three points: I am sick (and it sucks but I plan to be better soon thank you for caring), Phoenix is getting VERY HOT (shocking, I know) and in this crap for a market, no one wants to buy our house. We are dropping the price (which is fine for now, we listed high on purpose) so hopefully that will help. We’ve had a couple of lookers and all had very positive feedback, so I’m not ready to kill myself YET.

Second of all, the walls of my new house would say:

“WAAAAALLLS WE ARE ACTUAL WAAALLLSSS!!”

Yes folks, almost exactly one year after signing our contract to build our new house, we.have.walls. And window holes! And a single story house behind us who’s view we TOTALLY block. Oops! Our bad!

It’s sad that I’m so proud of my little cement pad and mish-mash of walls. But I am. Oh so proud.

And just to be random, knowing this has NOTHING to do with my current post, I give you a picture from our anniversary trip! Just for kicks and giggles. This is us at the Hotel Del Coronado, enjoying the beeeeutiful evening sunset. Sorry about the weird lighting over Matt’s eyes. While he looks hot in a hat, it doesn’t really make for a great picture that includes his eyes!

And now, without further adieu, off I go to be sick and watch old South Park episodes. Because yes, I am twelve.