Our realtor took us on a house-hunting blitz this evening. We viewed 10 homes, well 9 1/2 actually.
You see, one of the homes we're looking at is a foreclosure sale and because of this, the owner isn't too cooperative with showings. We roll in, our realtor rings the doorbell three times, walks inside, calls out several times "Hellooo! Anybody home?"
No answer.
I venture in, my wife stays put in the car afraid that maybe the owner is home. I walk in, slowly, and have a quick look at the main floor.
It is GORGEOUS.
As I signal for her to come in for a peek, a voice from the basement calls out, "Who's there?"
I turn around and make a beeline for the door while our realtor explains the situation. The guy - draped in a housecoat (it's 6 p.m.) backs our poor realtor out the door.
Showings between noon and 4 p.m. only, he says.
We reallly need to get to see the rest of this place because it is a beautiful place in a beautiful area with a backyard that backs into a large wooded area. And, seeing that it's a foreclosure, we may be able to purchase it at a great price.
We ended up seeing one other place that looks promising and the rest, we've crossed off our list. One home looked kind of cool from the outside but the tenant was keeping a chinchilla. It was messy, it stunk and we left feeling like we needed a shower.
On the whole, we've found that trying to find a home is discouraging, disheartening, depressing and - thanks to the "man in the blue house coat" - just a little bit scary.
Maybe we should stick to renting...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Stay in tune
There are simple steps to maintaining harmony that can keep both parties happy--and healthy and that's good news.
We didn't really set out a set of rules for which of us is responsible for certain duties around the home but sort of by defalt, it's become my job to look after the laundry, dusting, vaccuming, cleaning the bathroom and overall tidyness; my wife takes care of the bulk of the cooking. my wife, as I've written earlier, is a fantstic cook who can plan a gourmet-like meal or cobble together a tasty treat from a minimum of ingredients.
Myself, an obssessive/compulsive cleaner, receive satisfaction and even catharis from the act of wiping, scrubbing and dusting. This has raised an eyebrow of many but it's true, and I know others are out there with the same attitude towards living in clean quarters, we're just few and far between, even tough traditional household roles don't really exist any longer.
Example. Today, I started the laundry, wifey came home and took up cooking duties and made up the bed in the spare room and then helped me finish folding the laundry.
It works pretty good and sometimes we'll switch tasks although this doesn't occur often as neither of us much cares to do the others.'
**********************************
I've been watching the CTV series, Hiccups, from Brent Butt of Corner Gas fame (stars his wife, Nancy Robertson) and Dan for Mayor, with another CG alum, Fred Ewaniuk (lazy Hank Yarbo). Wife decided she was going to hate them before they premiered because she hated CG.
My take after four episodes? Still unsure. Two and a half stars out of four probably. To be honest, remove the CG connection and I'm not sure if I'd still be tuning in.
**********************************
We're less than two weeks away from our friends' wedding, and, good news, it looks like we're getting another wedding invitation. This makes three this summer, a pittance compared to the past three years when we averaged about seven per year.
**********************************
Continued the house hunt and looked at four near-lakefront luxury condos on Friday. Very nice, great amenties, including our own wine storage but tack on the strata fees and the monthly mortgage bill starts adding up. If anyone ever said purchasing a house was fun, they must've had very deep pockets.
We didn't really set out a set of rules for which of us is responsible for certain duties around the home but sort of by defalt, it's become my job to look after the laundry, dusting, vaccuming, cleaning the bathroom and overall tidyness; my wife takes care of the bulk of the cooking. my wife, as I've written earlier, is a fantstic cook who can plan a gourmet-like meal or cobble together a tasty treat from a minimum of ingredients.
Myself, an obssessive/compulsive cleaner, receive satisfaction and even catharis from the act of wiping, scrubbing and dusting. This has raised an eyebrow of many but it's true, and I know others are out there with the same attitude towards living in clean quarters, we're just few and far between, even tough traditional household roles don't really exist any longer.
Example. Today, I started the laundry, wifey came home and took up cooking duties and made up the bed in the spare room and then helped me finish folding the laundry.
It works pretty good and sometimes we'll switch tasks although this doesn't occur often as neither of us much cares to do the others.'
**********************************
I've been watching the CTV series, Hiccups, from Brent Butt of Corner Gas fame (stars his wife, Nancy Robertson) and Dan for Mayor, with another CG alum, Fred Ewaniuk (lazy Hank Yarbo). Wife decided she was going to hate them before they premiered because she hated CG.
My take after four episodes? Still unsure. Two and a half stars out of four probably. To be honest, remove the CG connection and I'm not sure if I'd still be tuning in.
**********************************
We're less than two weeks away from our friends' wedding, and, good news, it looks like we're getting another wedding invitation. This makes three this summer, a pittance compared to the past three years when we averaged about seven per year.
**********************************
Continued the house hunt and looked at four near-lakefront luxury condos on Friday. Very nice, great amenties, including our own wine storage but tack on the strata fees and the monthly mortgage bill starts adding up. If anyone ever said purchasing a house was fun, they must've had very deep pockets.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A day of sunshine beats four of a kind
A snoring dog curled up on my wife's lap, the soft tapping of the keyboard and the movie "The Untouchables" at low volume. Sunday night at our house.
Surpisingly, we both felt good today considering loss of the hour with daylight savings time, and more prevalent, because we were at a friend's place last night and managed to consume, beer, wine and homemade pizza until about 2 a.m. Someone decided that if we weren't going to cab it to Denny's for a grand slam breaky, second choice would be to toss together a three-cheese pizza.
Today we managed to relish in the gorgeous spring weather before a stop at Costco. Warm weather in March acts as a type of teaser because you start longing for those long, endless summer days when sunlight drenches the landscape and flip-flops become a staple article of clothing.
Speaking of flip-flops, we're back on the condo train again. After scouring the real estate guide, attending a few open houses and witnessing what a few hundred thou buys a person, condos started to become a viable option. Imagine our surprise when that lovely unit we checked out 10 months ago - the one with the park view located across the street from the lake, the one with the gym, the private entertainment rooms, the pool and hot tub - you know, THAT one?
Now that we're ready to reconsider buying, it's sold, as have two other similar units in the same complex.
So now, we're back to square one albeit a little wiser and maybe a little more open-minded. And we're still renting, helping to pay someone else's mortgage and enhancing their retirement egg nest.
Surpisingly, we both felt good today considering loss of the hour with daylight savings time, and more prevalent, because we were at a friend's place last night and managed to consume, beer, wine and homemade pizza until about 2 a.m. Someone decided that if we weren't going to cab it to Denny's for a grand slam breaky, second choice would be to toss together a three-cheese pizza.
Today we managed to relish in the gorgeous spring weather before a stop at Costco. Warm weather in March acts as a type of teaser because you start longing for those long, endless summer days when sunlight drenches the landscape and flip-flops become a staple article of clothing.
Speaking of flip-flops, we're back on the condo train again. After scouring the real estate guide, attending a few open houses and witnessing what a few hundred thou buys a person, condos started to become a viable option. Imagine our surprise when that lovely unit we checked out 10 months ago - the one with the park view located across the street from the lake, the one with the gym, the private entertainment rooms, the pool and hot tub - you know, THAT one?
Now that we're ready to reconsider buying, it's sold, as have two other similar units in the same complex.
So now, we're back to square one albeit a little wiser and maybe a little more open-minded. And we're still renting, helping to pay someone else's mortgage and enhancing their retirement egg nest.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mornings now officially start at 6 a.m.
Each morning, my wife rises about 6, wipes the sleep from her eyes, resists the urge to slam the "snooze" button and slips outside the bedroom where her running clothes are stacked neatly atop the washing machine.
Since joining the Sun Run club She's been following a weekly running sked in preparation for the big day. Good for her. One morning last week, her friend couldn't make it ... she hinted that because she doesn't want to run alone at that time of the morning that perhaps I could partner with her. Thankfully, the snooze button claimed victory and I was able to snatch another half hour of sleep.
I was just reading about the "accidental overdose" that has plagued so many former childhood stars, among them River Phoenix in 1993 and Dana Plato (Different Strokes) and more recently Jonathan Brandis (2003) and Brad Renfroe (2008)
Add smouldering hot teen idol Corey Haim to the list. He was found dead of an apparent OD early this morning in LA. He was 38 years old. Sad.
Right now, I need to get going. I have a cashew-coloured pug that is curled into a ball relaxing but who intuitively sense when its time for her morning walk. Here goes my final swallow of coffee, and on with my day. Tonight it's dinner and The Biggest Hoser.
Since joining the Sun Run club She's been following a weekly running sked in preparation for the big day. Good for her. One morning last week, her friend couldn't make it ... she hinted that because she doesn't want to run alone at that time of the morning that perhaps I could partner with her. Thankfully, the snooze button claimed victory and I was able to snatch another half hour of sleep.
I was just reading about the "accidental overdose" that has plagued so many former childhood stars, among them River Phoenix in 1993 and Dana Plato (Different Strokes) and more recently Jonathan Brandis (2003) and Brad Renfroe (2008)
Add smouldering hot teen idol Corey Haim to the list. He was found dead of an apparent OD early this morning in LA. He was 38 years old. Sad.
Right now, I need to get going. I have a cashew-coloured pug that is curled into a ball relaxing but who intuitively sense when its time for her morning walk. Here goes my final swallow of coffee, and on with my day. Tonight it's dinner and The Biggest Hoser.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Lying--the new lifestyle choice
We watched Ricky Gervais' movie, The Invention of Lying tonight. SPOILER ALERT: His character, Mark, gets the girl, Anna, played by a delightfully attractive, adorable (hot, maybe?) Jennifer Garner.
It's kind of a depressing movie that is lived in world where everyone tells the truth, sometimes painfullly so, which makes for good laughs. For example, when Mark goes on a date with Anna, she gayly tells him she's not attracted to him, he has a pig nose, he's fat and she won't be going out with him again. Mark's mother is in a seniors home where everyday she's told she's going to die, he's fired from his job and he's short on rent. Everything changes when he goes to his bank to withdraw some money.
Deepressing!
Both of us are still on the lookout for another job, one that pays better. I applied for two last night. We'll see what happens with those.
The bottom of another of our dresser drawers fell out this week, leaving us with three out of five useable drawers. It's time to put this one to rest and look for another one. I'm tired of having a bedroom that's beginning to look like a first-year college student's room.
We checked out a house last night; was nice but with an asking price of $439,900 there are more cons than pros so we've vowed to keep looking and perhaps adjusting our search parameters.
Excited that after 12 consecutive days working, I've got Sunday off!
Also excited that a friend of mine will be helping me with getting my website started. I"ve got the general design narrowed to one of nine. Really this is something I should have done eons ago. One of the few things I don't procrastinate with is the laundry and cleaning.
It's kind of a depressing movie that is lived in world where everyone tells the truth, sometimes painfullly so, which makes for good laughs. For example, when Mark goes on a date with Anna, she gayly tells him she's not attracted to him, he has a pig nose, he's fat and she won't be going out with him again. Mark's mother is in a seniors home where everyday she's told she's going to die, he's fired from his job and he's short on rent. Everything changes when he goes to his bank to withdraw some money.
Deepressing!
Both of us are still on the lookout for another job, one that pays better. I applied for two last night. We'll see what happens with those.
The bottom of another of our dresser drawers fell out this week, leaving us with three out of five useable drawers. It's time to put this one to rest and look for another one. I'm tired of having a bedroom that's beginning to look like a first-year college student's room.
We checked out a house last night; was nice but with an asking price of $439,900 there are more cons than pros so we've vowed to keep looking and perhaps adjusting our search parameters.
Excited that after 12 consecutive days working, I've got Sunday off!
Also excited that a friend of mine will be helping me with getting my website started. I"ve got the general design narrowed to one of nine. Really this is something I should have done eons ago. One of the few things I don't procrastinate with is the laundry and cleaning.
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