A Year in the Making

I would like to start by officially resigning my status as Land Barroness.  Yes, that's right, I own only one ONE (1!!!) house as of 12:45pm this afternoon!

In other news, happy bloggy birthday to me!

I can't believe it's been one year since I wrote my first post on my own blog.  And while that moment was just 365 little days ago- so much as changed.  When I wrote that post I sat on a bed I no longer own, in a house I no longer own, surrounds by free time and goals that aren't exactly the same now.  In the past year I tried my hand at aerial silks, learned to play the guitar, and experimented with cooking.  In the past year I've shared some stream of conscious thoughts (as well as a few random ones), traveled to South East Asia and knocked my 6th continent off the list. I've improved more than one house and had some major improvement of my own in the past 6 months (1 2 3 4 5) .


In some ways, it's hard to believe it was just 365 days ago that this journey began, it's equally hard to believe it wasn't more.

Define: Emanate

Any minute now life will change for us in some very real ways.  It's not that I mean to be cryptic, it's just something I don't think I can openly talk through here, but let's just say the lyrics to a particular Wayne Watson song keep going through my head.

Or to say it another .... well follow me for a minute ...

I traveled a lot in college.  Some would say I traveled college. Period.  At graduation my dad said they should have given me an award for the graduate having spent the least amount of time on campus during her 4 year college career.  Because I traveled so much (and a few other factors) I graduated with a BS in Liberal Studies (pause here for appropriate BS and Liberal Studies jokes.... done now Dad?).  My degree was in world religion, multimedia, and English (and travel), but through my work in PR and six years as a travel agent I would joke that my degree was pretty well worthless for my chosen career.  I felt like I had chosen travel over getting real a degree that I could actually apply in my daily life.

Then in the fall of 2008 I sat in my living room having completed my online training portal for my agents to use complete with 21 video lessons and interactive training questions.  It required English, multimedia, and all my travel knowledge to get there.  It was a moment where I felt like taking off my shoes and marveling at the way God had orchestrated everything throughout my life up to that point that I would need to experience that very moment.

Today I'm at my kitchen table- looking at the layout of my new house, looking at the blessings God has given me, at the relationships He has brought into my life at just the right time to give me strength, encouragement and useful tools for this exact moment (and all of the hundreds to follow).

The phone rings ... they're on their way.

RTT: Before I Get Old

What time is it: 1007p

Where am I: at kitchen table making my way towards bed-- trying to be better about getting up early means needing to equally be better at going to bed earlier.

Listening to: two fridges dueling it out-- need to move borrowed fridge out now that real fridge is here. REAL FRIDGE IS HERE!!!

Thoughts:
Geo has really been into the Diary of a Whimpy Kid Books so for Christmas we got him the Do-It-Yourself book.  Within the book there is a list of "Things You Should Do Before You Get Old."  I was pretty proud of the fact that I could check off many things on the list.  But one of them- one of them has alway alluded me.  Until tonight.

Tonight I win.  Tonight I made it through a whole lollipop without biting it.  And a toostie roll pop at that. Check!

The Last Night

In a few short hours we will go back to Old House to spend our last night there.  The movers come tomorrow to clear it out and bring everything to New House so we can stop sleeping on air mattresses.

The past month hasn't been bad though. In fact, LK aired my bed up nicely last night and it so it was almost like a real mattress.  But, still, I get this gitty little feeling when I think THE BEDS ARE COMING TOMORROW!

But Old House was a nice place.  In Old House we grew closer as a family- and LK and I learned so much as a couple.  I started my company in Old House.  We had many friends, old and new, over at Old House.  I learned to play the guitar in Old House.  I re-discovered my style in Old House.  And while it seems a bit melodramatic- I think I found a greater part of myself while living there.

Memphis will also be special because it was my first house. But Old House, it was my sanctuary for three good years.  I'm going to be elated to say the least when I sign on the line and relinquish my Land Baroness status- but yes, there will be part of me that will always miss that house.

RTT: Truly Random

What time is it: 936p

Where am I: at the new kitchen table at New House. HORRAY!

Listening to: LK clean up from dinner (I married a great man!)

Last ate: Hearty Beef Stew with warm rolls, but I'm contemplating trying out the pumpkin cream cheese muffins Flower brought over tonight.

Thoughts: I think it's been a month since I officially did a RTT. It's hard to describe the last month except the say that after the contract went bust, we still decided to mostly move and have been living with borrowed furniture and sleeping on air mattresses. But it's not as bad as it sounds. How great is it to be able to fold up your dining room table and chairs when not in use ... we really need to have a bowling contest in there before the real table comes. And as I've been saying, nothing shows how much a man loves his wife as when he inflates her bed for her in the evening. And I say her bed because yes, we are on separate twin air mattresses. Just call us Ozzie and Harriet.

I picked up a paint brush for the first time in a month today. Something about that dining room ceiling- it's the one thing that needs to be done before the large furniture arrives and the one thing I can't get motivated to finish. But T- 6 days til move in so I best get after it.

ISH and I had the best belly laugh tonight as I was trying to get him ready for bed. It was in no uncertain terms completely unproductive for bed-time readiness but it was equally in no uncertain terms one of those moments I wanted to freeze frame forever. Click.

LK is now off to play a game of "old men basketball." My parting words to him before such games: remember your insurance card. Yup, not as cool for sure.

Not As Cool As I Think I Am

Geo to me: Sometimes you say something to Daddy and you both laugh like Ha Ha Ha Ha. But what you said, it's really not funny.

Thanks buddy.

Ask First

LK and I spent Saturday in CPR training so we could be in compliance with a program we're involved with. One of the things that the instructors told us as we discussed choking and other first aid situations is that when someone is in distress but still conscious you must first identify yourself and ask if you can help.

"I'm training in first aid. Can I help you?"

Keep in my the person could be turning blue or could have cut their arm off and be standing there in total shock- but even then, if conscious, they have to be given the right to refuse. Because sadly, even with one less limb attached, they may not want to be helped.

And, if they refuse, all you can do is stand there until their problem is solved, they accept your help, or until they pass out.

That night, following training, as I surveyed the room of the building LK and I were in, looking at all the people there (praying I did not have to utilize any of these new skills on real people), it struck me how true the whole "ask first" rule is in life problems as well.

I've been in conversations where emotionally someone stands before me choking to death on their own problems. But, until they are ready to accept the help I can give, all my training is useless.

Define: Frustration

There are times I want to look them in the face and say REALLY!?!?!  Why do you feel the need to make this so infuriatingly impossible.  It's as though by your little hoops and random non-reasons that you're saying you would like to make this as difficult as it possibly could be and then some.
You'd think you really don't want us to do this for you.  Or maybe the truth is you don't.
And that, my friends, is by definition, frustration.

Blast Off!

We had a busy weekend full of five-year-olds, birthday fun, family, and the debut of the Rockets!  If you look closely you'll see Gray # 3 skipping (dare I say dancing) down the court and the occasional stare off into the stratosphere.  But overall the team did great and Geo even had two assists!  And even though Upward Sports doesn't keep score for the 2nd/3rd grade team Geo logged every shot and proudly announced they won by 2.



He even gets a few dribbles in on this one.  If you listen close you can hear the coaches calling trying to get his attention (to no real success.)



Oh and look around 2 minutes in to see a kid have the ball bounce out of his hands and hit himself on the head-- and no, it wasn't my kid.

College and Marriage

LK posting an interesting blog today that reflects on a study that notes how

highly-educated women (at least a 4-year degree) have a lower[ing] divorce rate and much lower incidence of children outside of marriage.

His post also reflects on how the study says that

Surprisingly the moderately-educated, or ‘Middle America’ (some post-secondary education but no degree) are trending worse than the poor [in their divorce rates].

LK postulates on why this could be and comments on how he's glad to be married to a degree-holding college girl (that would be me).  So here's my two cents on it.

To me it's like the conversation I had with a friend who lacked one class to graduate but instead of taking that one class (a gen ed class at that) he was applying for a job and leaving his studies, and he wanted my opinion on how his resume sounded.  I told him that personally, the fact that he lacked one class and could not list a degree on the resume even with all those hours under his belt would raise many a red flag as an employer about his ability to start and complete a task.

So, perhaps completing college is not only evident of someone who can handle delayed gratification, and not only understands that what she does today will have a lasting effect on what can then be accomplished tomorrow, and not only shows someone's ability to work with group projects (a necessity in college as well as marriage), but that it also shows a person who is able to not just start something but see it through to it's intended end.  Perhaps that is why women with a diploma on the wall fair better.

Perhaps.

I'll Never ...

There's a well known fact within my family that if you say "I'll never ...." mark it on the calendar cause girl, it's sure to happen.  In fact, I had to very carefully word my hatred of the DFW airport and Dallas traffic when picking LK up there once on our way further south just to beat the system.  I believe I hedged my bets by saying "I'll really be upset if we ever move here," rather than stating "I'll never move to Dallas." Because, well I know what would happen if I said the latter (Texas here we'd come).

But after the last two weeks, I might have a new family saying to add to the list.

No one ever ....

When our first contract busted I began to pout and say "No one ever looks at a house this close to Christmas."  And four days later, we had three showings on the calendar.

After those showings with no offers, I buckled back down and stated as sure as fact "No one ever looks at houses the week between Christmas and New Year."  SEVEN showings later, my sure as fact statement was disproven.

Yes, but (I said after getting a few lower than expected offers) "no one ever buys a house in the middle of winter for what the house is really worth."  And yet, tonight we sit with three really good offers in hand and an all but a signed and finished contract.

Though honestly, after the last one, I don't believe I be exhaling until the names are signed at closing I'm marching my happy self out the door with keys to only one house.

But in the mean time, I'm pretty sure no one ever buries gold in their backyard before moving out of state and leaves said gold behind forgetting they ever had it. ... so I'm off to find a shovel.

Happy New Year

I'm realizing I am more superstitious than I would like to admit (or maybe it's just that I'm a bit OCD) but I'm all about black eyed peas and cornbread on New Year's Day.  After all, legend has it the only year my grandparents didn't eat them, my grandfather got cancer.

So here's to a happy new year and I don't know if Grannie meant for pistachio ice cream to cover the "and something green for money" but ....