ThatPatti

Condo

We went to look at a condo today, and I know that several friends are going to have many detailed questions about it, so I thought I'd answer them here:

First of all there are some really practical questions that we need to have answered before we can even contemplate moving forward regarding the pet policy, condo fees, etc.

We really liked the space a LOT. It is very bright and open and the living spaces are good-sized. There are some pretty significant changes we'd like to make but I think we all really liked the overall feel of the place.

PROS

- really open feel w/ 2 story ceiling on the main level and overlooking upstairs hallway

- lots of windows, great light, even in the afternoon on a cloudy day!

- BIG 2 car garage with pull in spot for extra parking (currently we have a 1 car garage that is too small to park in and is used for storage - no big deal when the weather's nice but SUCKS in the winter.)

- Nice big entry way and big closet for coats/shoes/etc. (this is a big frustration in current house, particularly in winter)

- no yard maintenance!

- POOL!

- still walkable to our neighborhood park, school, etc.

- enough of a front yard for the boys to play outside

- definitely more practical living space than we currently have

- choosing a less expensive home means more saving for retirement, travel, etc.

CONS

- 1st floor master is small (not a major issue, we don't need a big bedroom) but it has 2 TINY closets. Master bath is the only bath on main level, though it does have a door from entry way. The bathroom is set up strangely, and I would want to open it up and remodel.

- No designated dining space, although I *think* we could open up the kitchen to the living room and create one.

- Kitchen is somewhat dated, although it is better than what we have now.

- Scott thinks it makes more sense for us to use one of the upstairs bedrooms, but that would mean sharing a bathroom with the kids. Also, in my head one of the reasons this place was so great was that the boys could have the upstairs to themselves. The upstairs bathroom is also set up very strangely and again I would want to remodel eventually.

- Would want to paint and put in new carpeting throughout the condo.

- Potential restrictions/downfalls of living in a shared community.

______

SUMMARY

There would be a bit more remodeling than I had anticipated in order to get it where we want it. However, we could potentially purchase the condo for as much as 30-40,000 LESS than our current home is worth and could comfortably mortgage a significant amount more than that for improvements. So, all of the updating is financially feasable. It's more a question of whether or not we want to take on that much work.

I really liked the idea of a 1st floor master with the boys having their own living space upstairs. Fisher has already started asking for his own bedroom, and the only other option would be to put him on the main level or down in the extra room in the basement eventually). I dont' really like either of those options. Potentially we could remodel the master suite and make it more workable, but I'm not sure. This is going to be the big question after all the other questions are answered.

Any questions? :)

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Poem

I was going through some old things and found this poem I wrote in high school:

Caught On Tape - Our Lunch with the Lord

We sat 'round the altar, our crosses in tow,

Filing in, taking our rows.

We knelt down to pray, to repent for our sins,

And when we were done, we looked upward and grinned.

He stood there before us, his robe gleaming white,

Around his neck, a bib fastened tight.

Why he was there, we had no hunch,

So he said, "Today, Ladies, I'll join you for lunch!"

We brought out the Sony, the tape began moving,

We had to admit, our day was improving!

And as we all chowed on macaroni and cheese,

He stood at the table and said, "Sisters, Please!

In all your excitement, you forgot to say grace,

Something, of course, you're used to in this place!

But since I'm right here, no need to be formal,

I think a simple 'thanks!' would be quite normal."

So we all hollered "Thanks!" and jumped to our feet,

(the tape was still rolling, not missing a beat)

And when he was done, took the napkin from his lap,

Said, "Thanks so much ladies, but it's time for a nap!"

And we solemnly asked about our frivolous livin',

and he said, "Aw, ladies - you're all forgiven!"

So he left through the kitchen, and out the back door,

(the tape was still rolling, just like before)

And when it was over, we knelt down to pray,

It certainly had been an eventful day!

So now we have video of the Lord's second last meal,

And we couldn't decide just how we feel.

But we considered it more than a bit of good luck,

when the National Enquirer offered us 1 million bucks!

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Dead

Last month, I had 2 hard drives go bad. The one in my iMac, and my external (backup, heh) drive. The internal Mac drive loss was not a big deal, because I backed up all my photos to the external drive. But the backup drive? Kind of a big deal.

All of my favorite photos of the kids were uploaded to flickr and remain safely stored there. What I lost were all the unedited photos, a few videos, and all my client photos from the past 5 years or so.

I am forcing myself not to freak about about this.

1.) all of the unedited/untouched personal photos likely would never really get looked at or used.

2.) there were only a small number of videos from when the kids were younger.

3.) losing the client photos means that it's going to be difficult to build photo galleries for my new website. however, i really am looking for a "fresh start", so it gives me the opportunity to be forced to build a new, better body of work.

It's a loss, for sure, but it's not critical. And what's done is done, so the best I can hope for is to move forward with a lesson learned. I don't imagine this pit in my stomach will last too long, I've got other things to worry about. Still, it sucks. :(

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