Just a couple of days ago it was in the 80's, and it is now 28 degrees outside.
I normally wouldn't be very concerned, but since we have moved, I decided to put in a vegetable gardena, and wouldn't you know that it would come a freeze like this and now I'm all about making sure everything is covered up.
I checked about an hour ago and it was snowing...what times we live in.
We've now been here around seven months and being on the top of a mountain, I have noticed that very few days go by without a good breeze. I am thinking of trying to construct a windmill and see if I can generate some electricity. Actually I have determined that I will build one...just waiting for all the other stuff to get done first. Not sure the good wife would appreciate me experimenting on a windmill instead of finishing the kitchen cabinets, floors, doors, windows, and a host of other things on the docket. One of these day's you might see an old mexican trying to joust in my field....
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Trip to the Emergency Room...
Well, the rib finally got the best of me and I submitted to my wife and went to the ER. The reason for the ER is that is takes up to two weeks to get in to see my regular Dr..
After some X-Ray's, I find that I've broken my eighth rib on the right side of chest in the front, along with some torn muscle. The Darvacet that is part of my pain management routine just wasn't cutting it so the doc gave me some stronger Lortab (sp) and Industrialized Ibuprofen. The L-tab seems to be working better and hopefully the Ibuprofen will reduce some of the swelling.
Other than the med's and rest, there's not much else to do. She said because of the break being in the front, that wrapping wouldn't do much good...so I just have to live it out. What a fun afternoon it was.
Till next time.
After some X-Ray's, I find that I've broken my eighth rib on the right side of chest in the front, along with some torn muscle. The Darvacet that is part of my pain management routine just wasn't cutting it so the doc gave me some stronger Lortab (sp) and Industrialized Ibuprofen. The L-tab seems to be working better and hopefully the Ibuprofen will reduce some of the swelling.
Other than the med's and rest, there's not much else to do. She said because of the break being in the front, that wrapping wouldn't do much good...so I just have to live it out. What a fun afternoon it was.
Till next time.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Gettin' Ribbed...
Today I was out on the roof working on the guttering and got into a weird situation...Long story short...I think I broke one of my ribs. Hurts like all get out! Enough about that.
A great friend, Nathan, came over and helped out a bunch on the house. Got a lot done and things are moving along nicely. The addition is now totally in the dry and finished on the exterior. I can now start on removing the old staircase, close the opening and start putting in the new floor upstairs. A landmark we have been looking for, for quite some time now.
The good wife was offered the library job, but turned it down. Was a go nowhere position and her would-be boss seemed a bit militant and invasive.
We are also working on putting in a garden. As it turns out, it is a rock garden. I tilled and tilled and came up with nothing but rocks. It seems like i am trying to grow plants in the middle of a gravel road. It'll work out though. Am removing rock, working in leaves to build up the soil (like there is any), and have already put in tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans. Plan on getting some sunflower and other stuff planted. Would love to get some potato's and lettuce in, but think this year will be more about soil building than anything else. Pumpkin would be fun.
There's one area out back that was nothing but a massive tangle of blackberry brambles that would prove rather tough to get at to pick the fruit. I managed to cut out a rather large bunch of them in hopes of making gathering the berries into a civil affair. We won't see much of a crop this year, but should see a massive improvement next year.
We have been looking into getting some livestock and at first had settled on miniature horses, but have changed out minds and are leaning towards fainting goats and peafowl. Will require some extensive fencing for the goats and the fowl will require pens with secure runs.
Along with the aforementioned stock, will also be getting chickens for egg production. The only worry I have is in the fact that we have a fairly strong population of bald eagles and chicken hawks. Will have to work on that a bit...we'll figure it out pretty soon.
I've decide to try to remove the gray water supplier's from the septic system; everything but the toilet. Will use the recycled water for the garden's and lawn. Being that the water is chlorinated, and that I am paying for it by the gallon, it seems a bit foolish just to send otherwise usable water to the septic tank.
That's enough for now...Do Good to Be Good!
A great friend, Nathan, came over and helped out a bunch on the house. Got a lot done and things are moving along nicely. The addition is now totally in the dry and finished on the exterior. I can now start on removing the old staircase, close the opening and start putting in the new floor upstairs. A landmark we have been looking for, for quite some time now.
The good wife was offered the library job, but turned it down. Was a go nowhere position and her would-be boss seemed a bit militant and invasive.
We are also working on putting in a garden. As it turns out, it is a rock garden. I tilled and tilled and came up with nothing but rocks. It seems like i am trying to grow plants in the middle of a gravel road. It'll work out though. Am removing rock, working in leaves to build up the soil (like there is any), and have already put in tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans. Plan on getting some sunflower and other stuff planted. Would love to get some potato's and lettuce in, but think this year will be more about soil building than anything else. Pumpkin would be fun.
There's one area out back that was nothing but a massive tangle of blackberry brambles that would prove rather tough to get at to pick the fruit. I managed to cut out a rather large bunch of them in hopes of making gathering the berries into a civil affair. We won't see much of a crop this year, but should see a massive improvement next year.
We have been looking into getting some livestock and at first had settled on miniature horses, but have changed out minds and are leaning towards fainting goats and peafowl. Will require some extensive fencing for the goats and the fowl will require pens with secure runs.
Along with the aforementioned stock, will also be getting chickens for egg production. The only worry I have is in the fact that we have a fairly strong population of bald eagles and chicken hawks. Will have to work on that a bit...we'll figure it out pretty soon.
I've decide to try to remove the gray water supplier's from the septic system; everything but the toilet. Will use the recycled water for the garden's and lawn. Being that the water is chlorinated, and that I am paying for it by the gallon, it seems a bit foolish just to send otherwise usable water to the septic tank.
That's enough for now...Do Good to Be Good!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Life Just Keeps Happening...
We’re in the new house and are doing quite a bit of remodeling; as money allows. We’ve installed a new spiral staircase on the outside of the house. It is located where there was a patio, which is now going to become a two-story addition. We are not only enclosing the staircase, but also providing a sitting room off the dining area (upstairs), and schoolroom/library. Downstairs, there is going to be a master closet and mudroom. You can see and read more about it by following this link: http://grdoing.blogspot.com
Things are not moving as fast as I would like, but they are moving none-the-less.
The good wife has interviewed for a job at a local library and is hoping to get it. It will be much less stress than her current job and will also add a bit of a routine when it comes to time and schedules.
I went to the dentist today and had to have two teeth removed. I have been having trouble for some time with them and was scheduled to have root canals, but upon seeing the cost associated and no guarantee that they would last very long, I decided to just get rid of them. The replacement bridge will cost me about three hundred dollars less and will totally end the problem associated with trying to save them.
On the downside of all this was the fact that the roots were very strong and I ended up having to have the surgically removed rather than simply extracted. I will also have to wait two weeks for the gums to heal so that I can have impressions made, and another two weeks for the new teeth to be made. So, a whole month of having to smile on one side of my mouth…will be worth it though.
The good son is learning about vehicle maintenance and last week he changed the oil and rotated the tires on the van. He seems to understand mechanics and doesn’t mind the work. He’s also into building models a great deal; car fever has hit.
The girl’s are doing well also. School is just so easy for them that I am sometimes envious. There’s a lot to be said for marrying someone smart…
That’s about all I have the energy to write about now, so until later…be blessed!
Things are not moving as fast as I would like, but they are moving none-the-less.
The good wife has interviewed for a job at a local library and is hoping to get it. It will be much less stress than her current job and will also add a bit of a routine when it comes to time and schedules.
I went to the dentist today and had to have two teeth removed. I have been having trouble for some time with them and was scheduled to have root canals, but upon seeing the cost associated and no guarantee that they would last very long, I decided to just get rid of them. The replacement bridge will cost me about three hundred dollars less and will totally end the problem associated with trying to save them.
On the downside of all this was the fact that the roots were very strong and I ended up having to have the surgically removed rather than simply extracted. I will also have to wait two weeks for the gums to heal so that I can have impressions made, and another two weeks for the new teeth to be made. So, a whole month of having to smile on one side of my mouth…will be worth it though.
The good son is learning about vehicle maintenance and last week he changed the oil and rotated the tires on the van. He seems to understand mechanics and doesn’t mind the work. He’s also into building models a great deal; car fever has hit.
The girl’s are doing well also. School is just so easy for them that I am sometimes envious. There’s a lot to be said for marrying someone smart…
That’s about all I have the energy to write about now, so until later…be blessed!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
August of 2006? Long Time...
I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post. Here's a quick rundown of what all has been going on.
Legal Illegal:
Well, I still feel the same as I did when I originally posted my views.
- I think that one nation deserves one language.
- My tax burden continues to grow and the illegal alien is part of that equation
Since the original posting, I have become involved in promtion's and have found that if I were hispanic, I could earn 30% more income due to having the profile and language that would attract that population.
With that said, I still believe that as a Christian, I am called to welcome and help any law biding alien to assimilate into this nation; not talking about erasing heritage, but more about gaining the ability to function as a citizen of the U.S.
A Letter To My Congressional Representative....:
The only response I received was from Mark Martin who sent me a letter explaining how busy he was and how excited my letter made him. After all the "nice" stuff, he told me to be tolerant.
Ebay is dying...:
Well, maybe not. It seems to still be thriving and making someone money. I do know that it has become very difficult for the small time seller to make it worth their time.
Selling Out and Moving On...:
We did sell our house and bought a much larger home in Oklahoma. The new home was/is in need of many repairs/upgrades. I am currently taking care of the repair/remodel as money become free (free money? talk about an oxymoron).
Weather:
Talk about a switch! We went from a drought to almost flood status over the winter. We had rain, ice, snow, sleet, Thunder-Sleet, and a blizzard. We have finally been released from the burn bans and are caught up on rain. We have also had record cold and record heating bills. It has finally started to warm up and they are now talking about a possibility of thunderstorms toward the latter part of the week.
That's all for now...more later.
Do Right-to-Be Right...
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Selling Out & Moving On...Update
We have now been informed that the appraisal came back very good...in fact, I am wondering how good? Did we ask enough for the old house? Not going to worry though. The insurance appraisal on the home we are buying came in at $150-175k, and we are getting it at 68k; all works out in the end.
I received a notice from the health department on the water test from the house we are selling. They had informed me that I had not paid the full amount for the test, so they threw the sample out! So...we are having another one done on Monday, and will make sure that the right amount will be sent in!
Other than that, all is going along very well, and hopefully sometime next week, I will be working on some changes to the new house!
I received a notice from the health department on the water test from the house we are selling. They had informed me that I had not paid the full amount for the test, so they threw the sample out! So...we are having another one done on Monday, and will make sure that the right amount will be sent in!
Other than that, all is going along very well, and hopefully sometime next week, I will be working on some changes to the new house!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Selling Out and Moving On...
After much debate, fear, anxiety, anticipation, and hope, we are finally being proactive in our efforts to move to a bigger house, and in this the work has become quite an undertaking!
Here’s the evolution that took us to where we are.
Deciding to sell:
When Samuel was born some 14 years ago, we entertained the thought of having more children and the need to add on to the house.
When Josephine was born, we had definitely decided that it was time to add on. As it worked out, we secured a second mortgage and promptly spent it on bill’s that popped up and that was that…no addition
When Aubrey Grace was born, it became imperative that we add on. Pam was trying to talk me into moving, but no! There was no way that I was going to leave here. Our first starter home… in fact, or only home. While everyone else we knew was moving about and doing bigger and better things, we were solid and set. This home and ten acres would someday become our family compound. Things would change and turn for the better. We actively talked about and planned on adding on.
When Katrina was born, I had already started gathering materials for an addition and the plan was in place. Pam was still dropping hints all over the place that it would be much simpler to just move, but I was like concrete and that was that!
I had finally gathered enough materials to add the 400 sq ft addition on. Actually I had enough material to put the floor and walls up and things were looking much better!
In the meantime, my place of employment had issues with management & a dysfunctional board of director’s and ended up shutting down. During the previous years, my body had also followed suit and was trying to do the same.
In the middle of all this one of our neighbor’s (druggie) had purchased and split some land adjoining ours and had it up for sale. With this came boundary disputes and the ensuing battle.
During this time I was in desperate shape mentally, and Pam was pushing for anything to happen. She decided that we had to do something so the addition was started even though we couldn’t finish it. We were doing something though.
In realizing that we were sinking both physically and financially, not to mention mentally, I finally decided that moving would be a good solution. I am the smart one you know!
After trying to survive for a couple of years with moving in the back of our minds, we finally hit bottom and ended up having to file bankruptcy. So much for moving…we would just have to try to save our money and add on as we could afford it. No credit means no moving, so… this was to be our home, like it or not!
Some six months later, Pam starts to look on the Internet for places to move and I knew that she was just being desperate and I would have to comfort her through it all. Moving! Not a chance in the world. I humored her and hoped she would get better…
A couple of weeks later, I hear her discussing our finances on the phone with someone and when the call is over, she announces that we are eligible for a home loan at sup-prime. Talk about shocking me!
Now she is looking at houses on the Internet and finds some she likes (normal looking houses without character), we go look and for some reason or the other, they we are not in a position to buy any them.
Finally she finds this place that seems different. It is two-story, which is totally not what one would think would work for me, considering that I have difficulty walking. We go look it over and everyone falls in love with it. It is quickly named the “tree house” and everyone plots and dreams how it will soon be ours.
We now start talking about selling our house and spring moves into summer. We talk, but pretty much rule the house out. It has three cash offers that were all accepted (heart sinks) and all for bizarre reasons do not go through.
During this time, Pam mentioned to one neighbor that we wanted to sell and move, knowing that her daughter was looking to find a place to buy, but nothing came of that.
We also have become proactive on getting our house ready to sell. Sam and me manicure the yard, cut down an offensive tree, and burn brush. We burn trash and just get things started in a good way.
We were getting ready to start on the house, which needed a lot of work. There was painting, siding and trim issues, and lots of work that to be done inside. The road would be tough, but we were determined!
This was towards the end of June. Summer was till young and we could get much done. Along about this time a man knocks on the door and asks if we would sell our house. I said yes, gave him a price and he said he wanted it.
A month later he’s been to the bank and I get a call from them asking for verification on me selling the house. Not much else has been done to the house due to a lack of money. Another few weeks and now we are all but ready to sell and move.
The details:
Termite Policy/inspection-I became quite anxious about this aspect of selling our house. When Sam was a baby we bought a clothes dryer and due to a lack of a good route to vent the dryer on the outside wall (the normal and accepted way) I decide to route the vent under the house. Everyone starts telling me about how wrong that is and that it would cause mold and rot. I ignore everyone and decide that because I am keeping the crawl-space vents open, that it will work fine. To top this, when the new heat pump was installed, they sealed the opening so I couldn’t even get under the house and check.
Part of financing for the buyer required a termite inspection and I became very concerned with the nagging feeling that everyone had warned me about. I didn’t want to look and see the city of termites living in a world of mold, but I had no choice!
I reluctantly get my hammers and cut a hole in the cement block and peek inside. Sam is working with me and asks if he can go under first. I said yes and under he goes! I asked how it looked and he said fine. I am surprised and relieved, but would he actually know what he’s looking at? I go underneath and it looks like new!
I call and schedule an appointment for an actual inspection and the man shows up and comes out with a look of concern on his face. Man! What had I missed? I asked how it looked and he said that he had never seen cobwebs so thick? I suddenly realized it was the lint from the dryer exhaust. He was happy for the explanation and to my relief, declares it to be as good as new! One down, two to go…
Appraisal- The loan is a rural development loan and is related to FHA, which is notoriously tough to pass. Now I am doing some praying…. lot’s of stuff to be done, not to mention stashing all the stuff that a family of six has acquired over the years. I did manage to get some stuff stored at Denise & Kent’s, but still so much more.
Sam and me fixed the bad spot in the siding, put up some new trim, fixed the stairs and added a rail. That was it! More to do, but no time or money… the hole/storm cellar/pond in the back yard was a big hazard and I fully anticipated having to fill it in. The roof is old, looks bad, but doesn’t leak and would probably cause problems. The shower needs work, the lower cabinets in the kitchen has some water damage, and many other that I would have liked to have time to fix.
The appraiser shows up and I go outside to assist her in measuring and inspecting the house. The cicadas are singing and she is more concerned with them biting her than the house. Measuring and a photo of the crawl space is all that we tend to. We go inside and she has me take a picture of the attic because she can’t reach it, she takes a picture of the shower curtain, and the TV. She does engage Pam in some conversation and that is about all there was to it. She didn’t see or mention anything I was concerned with. I did ask if there was anything I needed to do and she said to not worry about it, we were fine, and all was well! I gave her three packets of “Butterfinger” flavored hot chocolate, one potato, and one ripe tomato, smiled and she was on her way.
Water Test-In the past, we have used Reba Bailey with much success. This time she couldn’t be found so we ended up going with someone else. I dumped a gallon of bleach in the well and the next day they took the sample. It should be in Little Rock by now, and should show plenty of chlorine.
On the side, the bleach did do a number on the laundry, not to mention giving the house a very distinct smell.
We are now just waiting on the appraisal & water test to move forward. Hopefully everything will come out fine and when it does, things should proceed fairly quickly.
On buying the other house, it was listed at $74k and I offered $68.5k and it was accepted. We have the financing approved and are just working out the details…interest rates & such.
The plan is to close on this house and turn around and close on the other house within 48 hrs.
Do be, and we are, praying that all works out well.
Here’s the evolution that took us to where we are.
Deciding to sell:
When Samuel was born some 14 years ago, we entertained the thought of having more children and the need to add on to the house.
When Josephine was born, we had definitely decided that it was time to add on. As it worked out, we secured a second mortgage and promptly spent it on bill’s that popped up and that was that…no addition
When Aubrey Grace was born, it became imperative that we add on. Pam was trying to talk me into moving, but no! There was no way that I was going to leave here. Our first starter home… in fact, or only home. While everyone else we knew was moving about and doing bigger and better things, we were solid and set. This home and ten acres would someday become our family compound. Things would change and turn for the better. We actively talked about and planned on adding on.
When Katrina was born, I had already started gathering materials for an addition and the plan was in place. Pam was still dropping hints all over the place that it would be much simpler to just move, but I was like concrete and that was that!
I had finally gathered enough materials to add the 400 sq ft addition on. Actually I had enough material to put the floor and walls up and things were looking much better!
In the meantime, my place of employment had issues with management & a dysfunctional board of director’s and ended up shutting down. During the previous years, my body had also followed suit and was trying to do the same.
In the middle of all this one of our neighbor’s (druggie) had purchased and split some land adjoining ours and had it up for sale. With this came boundary disputes and the ensuing battle.
During this time I was in desperate shape mentally, and Pam was pushing for anything to happen. She decided that we had to do something so the addition was started even though we couldn’t finish it. We were doing something though.
In realizing that we were sinking both physically and financially, not to mention mentally, I finally decided that moving would be a good solution. I am the smart one you know!
After trying to survive for a couple of years with moving in the back of our minds, we finally hit bottom and ended up having to file bankruptcy. So much for moving…we would just have to try to save our money and add on as we could afford it. No credit means no moving, so… this was to be our home, like it or not!
Some six months later, Pam starts to look on the Internet for places to move and I knew that she was just being desperate and I would have to comfort her through it all. Moving! Not a chance in the world. I humored her and hoped she would get better…
A couple of weeks later, I hear her discussing our finances on the phone with someone and when the call is over, she announces that we are eligible for a home loan at sup-prime. Talk about shocking me!
Now she is looking at houses on the Internet and finds some she likes (normal looking houses without character), we go look and for some reason or the other, they we are not in a position to buy any them.
Finally she finds this place that seems different. It is two-story, which is totally not what one would think would work for me, considering that I have difficulty walking. We go look it over and everyone falls in love with it. It is quickly named the “tree house” and everyone plots and dreams how it will soon be ours.
We now start talking about selling our house and spring moves into summer. We talk, but pretty much rule the house out. It has three cash offers that were all accepted (heart sinks) and all for bizarre reasons do not go through.
During this time, Pam mentioned to one neighbor that we wanted to sell and move, knowing that her daughter was looking to find a place to buy, but nothing came of that.
We also have become proactive on getting our house ready to sell. Sam and me manicure the yard, cut down an offensive tree, and burn brush. We burn trash and just get things started in a good way.
We were getting ready to start on the house, which needed a lot of work. There was painting, siding and trim issues, and lots of work that to be done inside. The road would be tough, but we were determined!
This was towards the end of June. Summer was till young and we could get much done. Along about this time a man knocks on the door and asks if we would sell our house. I said yes, gave him a price and he said he wanted it.
A month later he’s been to the bank and I get a call from them asking for verification on me selling the house. Not much else has been done to the house due to a lack of money. Another few weeks and now we are all but ready to sell and move.
The details:
Termite Policy/inspection-I became quite anxious about this aspect of selling our house. When Sam was a baby we bought a clothes dryer and due to a lack of a good route to vent the dryer on the outside wall (the normal and accepted way) I decide to route the vent under the house. Everyone starts telling me about how wrong that is and that it would cause mold and rot. I ignore everyone and decide that because I am keeping the crawl-space vents open, that it will work fine. To top this, when the new heat pump was installed, they sealed the opening so I couldn’t even get under the house and check.
Part of financing for the buyer required a termite inspection and I became very concerned with the nagging feeling that everyone had warned me about. I didn’t want to look and see the city of termites living in a world of mold, but I had no choice!
I reluctantly get my hammers and cut a hole in the cement block and peek inside. Sam is working with me and asks if he can go under first. I said yes and under he goes! I asked how it looked and he said fine. I am surprised and relieved, but would he actually know what he’s looking at? I go underneath and it looks like new!
I call and schedule an appointment for an actual inspection and the man shows up and comes out with a look of concern on his face. Man! What had I missed? I asked how it looked and he said that he had never seen cobwebs so thick? I suddenly realized it was the lint from the dryer exhaust. He was happy for the explanation and to my relief, declares it to be as good as new! One down, two to go…
Appraisal- The loan is a rural development loan and is related to FHA, which is notoriously tough to pass. Now I am doing some praying…. lot’s of stuff to be done, not to mention stashing all the stuff that a family of six has acquired over the years. I did manage to get some stuff stored at Denise & Kent’s, but still so much more.
Sam and me fixed the bad spot in the siding, put up some new trim, fixed the stairs and added a rail. That was it! More to do, but no time or money… the hole/storm cellar/pond in the back yard was a big hazard and I fully anticipated having to fill it in. The roof is old, looks bad, but doesn’t leak and would probably cause problems. The shower needs work, the lower cabinets in the kitchen has some water damage, and many other that I would have liked to have time to fix.
The appraiser shows up and I go outside to assist her in measuring and inspecting the house. The cicadas are singing and she is more concerned with them biting her than the house. Measuring and a photo of the crawl space is all that we tend to. We go inside and she has me take a picture of the attic because she can’t reach it, she takes a picture of the shower curtain, and the TV. She does engage Pam in some conversation and that is about all there was to it. She didn’t see or mention anything I was concerned with. I did ask if there was anything I needed to do and she said to not worry about it, we were fine, and all was well! I gave her three packets of “Butterfinger” flavored hot chocolate, one potato, and one ripe tomato, smiled and she was on her way.
Water Test-In the past, we have used Reba Bailey with much success. This time she couldn’t be found so we ended up going with someone else. I dumped a gallon of bleach in the well and the next day they took the sample. It should be in Little Rock by now, and should show plenty of chlorine.
On the side, the bleach did do a number on the laundry, not to mention giving the house a very distinct smell.
We are now just waiting on the appraisal & water test to move forward. Hopefully everything will come out fine and when it does, things should proceed fairly quickly.
On buying the other house, it was listed at $74k and I offered $68.5k and it was accepted. We have the financing approved and are just working out the details…interest rates & such.
The plan is to close on this house and turn around and close on the other house within 48 hrs.
Do be, and we are, praying that all works out well.
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