I spent the morning getting ready to leave. The first step was to find a place for the dog. I got lucky. The vet that did her x-rays will board her. I like having her at a vet where expert care is readily available.
Then I attempted to get a plane ticket. Everything went well until I tried to use PayPal to pay. For some reason it wouldn't accept the password that Ellen had written down. Eventually she got it to work. The ticket was expensive. The trip will take over 9 hours and involves a plane change in Las Vegas. I can't wait.
While I was doing those two things I was also doing the wash. Tuesday is the normal wash day, so I was about out of clean clothes. I also washed my sweatshirt. The one I wear daily, do work in, and play with the dog on muddy days in. It hadn't been washed in months and it was pretty dirty and smelled. When I took it out of the dryer it was a noticeably lighter shade of gray.
I got out my brand new suitcase and started packing. The closest thing to formal clothes I have is a pair of light colored Dockers and a polo shirt. I suspect I'll have to buy a suit in Spokane. I remembered not to pack toothpaste. After all, I could use it to blow up the plane. I'm taking a lot of gizmos. One MP3 player with music, one with recorded books, an iTouch for games, and the small laptop. I'm also taking three books and some magazines. Spokane is a very boring place. I suspect that it will be depressing this time around, too.
The day wasn't too bad, partly cloudy and low 60's. I took Lucy to the back of the park and she did about 20 retrieves. Charlie the donkey was out for the first time in awhile. I went back to the trailer and got the carrots we bought for him weeks ago. I fed them to Charlie, a couple of cows that muscled in, and Lucy (she likes carrots too).
After that it was time to take Lucy to the vet. It was funny. She recognized the place when she got out of the car and really wanted to go inside. When they weighed her it read 55 pounds. That's a little light, especially when I haven't been running her that hard. I didn't hear her screaming after they took her away. Maybe that's a good sign.
Dan called in the late afternoon. He was at the nursing home. They give Dad 24 to 48 hours. It looks like I might just make it in time.
There's nothing to do this evening. The programming on TV has been particularly dull lately so I'll just surf the internet until it's time to go to bed. I'll probably have to leave here before 6 tomorrow morning.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Day 128
The news isn't good. Dan called me last night, but because of ATT I didn't get the message until I woke up this morning. Dad isn't eating or drinking, and hasn't for the last three, four, or five days (Mom isn't clear on how long - surprise, surprise). I spent the morning reading the Sunday paper. Then I wrote a eulogy.
I can't make any travel plans until tomorrow. I'll have to find a kennel that will take Lucy while she is in heat. This is the bible belt, so nothing except the chain stores is open on Sunday. The only preparation that I could do was to go to WalMart and buy a suitcase. At least they had them on sale. I looked at the airline ticket prices. They definitely aren't on sale.
The day was glorious. Sunny and in the low 70's. After I bought the suitcase I went to the park to run Lucy. She did pretty good. It was interesting though. Usually she'll poop out and I'll stop for awhile. After a rest, she'll want to go again. Today she just didn't want to continue even after she rested. I didn't force her.
After I got home I spent the rest of the afternoon outside reading in the sun. I think I forgot to mention that we got a package of mail yesterday. That meant an installment of new magazines. I finished two or three while Lucy and I soaked up the warm.
I can't make any travel plans until tomorrow. I'll have to find a kennel that will take Lucy while she is in heat. This is the bible belt, so nothing except the chain stores is open on Sunday. The only preparation that I could do was to go to WalMart and buy a suitcase. At least they had them on sale. I looked at the airline ticket prices. They definitely aren't on sale.
The day was glorious. Sunny and in the low 70's. After I bought the suitcase I went to the park to run Lucy. She did pretty good. It was interesting though. Usually she'll poop out and I'll stop for awhile. After a rest, she'll want to go again. Today she just didn't want to continue even after she rested. I didn't force her.
After I got home I spent the rest of the afternoon outside reading in the sun. I think I forgot to mention that we got a package of mail yesterday. That meant an installment of new magazines. I finished two or three while Lucy and I soaked up the warm.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Day 127
Today was weather that I've only seen in Seattle. It was misting. If you go outside you get wet, but it wasn't raining. Not weather that was conducive to being outside.
I went to the grocery store to pick up something for the potluck and several other items. I actually had enough things I needed that I made a list. Usually it's just go to the grocery store and pick up what looks good.
Dan went up to Spokane to check out the situation with Dad. I'm waiting for a phone call. It might not come. As I've mentioned before, for some reason ATT doesn't believe that it needs to notify me by ringing the phone when someone is calling. I'm not expecting good news.
The potluck was more sparsely attended than I expected. There were over thirty people signed up, but there were only about 15 to 20 who attended. The food was good as expected. Someone made some great enchiladas and there was some really good fruit salad. I think there were enough desserts for at least three times as many people.
The dog wants out all of the time. I took her to the back of the park and she only did a few retrieves before she pooped out. After dinner she wanted to go out almost every hour. She didn't have to go, she just wanted to leave the trailer.
I went to the grocery store to pick up something for the potluck and several other items. I actually had enough things I needed that I made a list. Usually it's just go to the grocery store and pick up what looks good.
Dan went up to Spokane to check out the situation with Dad. I'm waiting for a phone call. It might not come. As I've mentioned before, for some reason ATT doesn't believe that it needs to notify me by ringing the phone when someone is calling. I'm not expecting good news.
The potluck was more sparsely attended than I expected. There were over thirty people signed up, but there were only about 15 to 20 who attended. The food was good as expected. Someone made some great enchiladas and there was some really good fruit salad. I think there were enough desserts for at least three times as many people.
The dog wants out all of the time. I took her to the back of the park and she only did a few retrieves before she pooped out. After dinner she wanted to go out almost every hour. She didn't have to go, she just wanted to leave the trailer.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Day 126
The day was cloudy, a step down from the last couple of days. It wasn't cold, but it was cool enough that I didn't feel like going out and doing anything.
The mortgage broker showed up at 8:00 AM. He had about 25 papers that I had to sign twice. Once with my name and once with Ellen's name. It's funny how her signature looks a lot like mine. We spent about two hours talking about a variety of things. He's interested in shotgun shooting so I showed him my target guns. We also traded some life story vignettes. It was quite enjoyable. He wants to get together for a beer sometime. I told him I would love to. I also said that since I'm retired, all he had to do was name the place and time.
The dog laid around all morning and then got antsy in the mid afternoon. So I took her to the back of the park. She did about 20 retrieves (not many for her) and then quit. I think the heat thing is getting to her. On the way back there was a squirrel sitting on the side of the road. It decided to walk across the road about 6 feet in front of us. I couldn't resist. I let Lucy's leash go and she chased the squirrel up a nearby tree. Then she stood at the base of the tree making these soft yipping sounds that she makes when she wants to play. The squirrel looked down from a tree branch about 10 feet up and declined the invitation.
While I was out with the dog I got a call from my mother. My father's health is deteriorating rapidly. The nursing home doesn't expect him to live for more than a week or so. Of course with Ellen away I can't go up there. Also of course neither of my parents have done any funeral planning. I told mother to call the priest to get advice and help on choosing a funeral plot and a burial site. After all, consulting on those things is a big part of his profession. I'll try to get up there if things progress as the nursing home expects. It seems to be a bad winter for fathers.
There was a concert at the clubhouse tonight. It was a country music band that apparently has been a fixture in the area for over 20 years. They come here every year. They put on a two hour show and they were very good. So were the brownies, cookies, and punch. I bought one of their CD's just to support them.
There's a potluck tomorrow evening. I've got to go over to the grocery store tomorrow morning and pick up something for it.
The mortgage broker showed up at 8:00 AM. He had about 25 papers that I had to sign twice. Once with my name and once with Ellen's name. It's funny how her signature looks a lot like mine. We spent about two hours talking about a variety of things. He's interested in shotgun shooting so I showed him my target guns. We also traded some life story vignettes. It was quite enjoyable. He wants to get together for a beer sometime. I told him I would love to. I also said that since I'm retired, all he had to do was name the place and time.
The dog laid around all morning and then got antsy in the mid afternoon. So I took her to the back of the park. She did about 20 retrieves (not many for her) and then quit. I think the heat thing is getting to her. On the way back there was a squirrel sitting on the side of the road. It decided to walk across the road about 6 feet in front of us. I couldn't resist. I let Lucy's leash go and she chased the squirrel up a nearby tree. Then she stood at the base of the tree making these soft yipping sounds that she makes when she wants to play. The squirrel looked down from a tree branch about 10 feet up and declined the invitation.
While I was out with the dog I got a call from my mother. My father's health is deteriorating rapidly. The nursing home doesn't expect him to live for more than a week or so. Of course with Ellen away I can't go up there. Also of course neither of my parents have done any funeral planning. I told mother to call the priest to get advice and help on choosing a funeral plot and a burial site. After all, consulting on those things is a big part of his profession. I'll try to get up there if things progress as the nursing home expects. It seems to be a bad winter for fathers.
There was a concert at the clubhouse tonight. It was a country music band that apparently has been a fixture in the area for over 20 years. They come here every year. They put on a two hour show and they were very good. So were the brownies, cookies, and punch. I bought one of their CD's just to support them.
There's a potluck tomorrow evening. I've got to go over to the grocery store tomorrow morning and pick up something for it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 125
The annoyance continues. Ellen called in the morning. ATT decided that I really didn't need to take the call. Instead it routed it directly to voicemail without ringing the phone. When I got the voicemail I called her. She said I could log in and get the statement I was lacking. Fat chance. She couldn't remember the login name and the password she left was printed so poorly that I couldn't figure out what it was. Things were made worse by both browsers on my computer failing to display the bank's page.
After about an hour of fruitless effort I gave up when the page informed me that the account had been locked out because of too many failed logon attempts. I decided screw it. Either the idiot bureaucrats could accept what we had or I'd find another vendor.
I drove to the mortgage broker and gave them the papers. Their I learned of more stupidity. The lender wants us to resign all off the paperwork (maybe two dozen separate documents). The reason? Because the current ones don't have the lender's name at the top. The mortgage broker is going to drop by the trailer park tomorrow morning (he lives near it) so that I can sign. They are going to have to live without Ellen's signature.
As long as I was down there, I decided to pick up some items for the house at Harbor freight. I got a moving dolly, a cutoff saw, fish tape, and some tie downs. They were all on sale, and I had a 20% off coupon too. I also stopped at an electronics store and got some connection plates for the surround sound wiring that I need to do. They were cheaper there than ordering them off the web and paying shipping. Finally, I stopped off at the pawn shop across the street and got a DVD.
At the shop I heard that someone had crashed his plane into the IRS office in Austin. Apparently the IRS was going to take his house and plane. So he burned his house down and crashed the plane into their office. I think it serves the thieves right. Now days they are just hired thugs that steal from productive people on behalf of welfare jerks and other useless pigs at the public trough.
I then drove 75 miles up to Austin to the house. I met with the couple (Margarete and Fred) selling the house and they spent several hours going through things. We talked about the water and sewer systems, the pool, and several items that I would never have known about. Things like the pump reset switch that's hidden under the box on top of the pump. Also that there's 110V out to the gate gate the front of the property. And how reactivate the trailer parking spot that's been turned off. Fred even told me about a couple of improvements that he had been planning but never got around to doing.
Fred and I spent quite a bit of time talking about other things also. I didn't really have anything else to do and I think he wanted a break from packing. They have a lot of stuff to pack up. One of the things that I found out was that they had two other people interested in the house. One said they wanted to purchase it, but our offer came in first. I guess it was good that I told the realtor it was a "take it or leave it" offer. Apparently they've been told to vacate the premises by 3/4. We're supposed to have a walkthrough with them on 3/5.
After the 60 mile drive back home I had to stop at the grocery store. I learned not to do this after six. Apparently by then lots of common stuff has disappeared from the shelves. I couldn't get cornflakes or the pop that I wanted.
When I got home there were three more packages from Amazon. One had speaker wire and a stud finder for the surround sound project. Another had the hand held mouse. I haven't opened the third, but I think it contains a hand truck. There were gifts from the kitties, too. One had barfed on the rug. The other had barfed all over the kitchen sink. As I said, the annoyance continues.
After about an hour of fruitless effort I gave up when the page informed me that the account had been locked out because of too many failed logon attempts. I decided screw it. Either the idiot bureaucrats could accept what we had or I'd find another vendor.
I drove to the mortgage broker and gave them the papers. Their I learned of more stupidity. The lender wants us to resign all off the paperwork (maybe two dozen separate documents). The reason? Because the current ones don't have the lender's name at the top. The mortgage broker is going to drop by the trailer park tomorrow morning (he lives near it) so that I can sign. They are going to have to live without Ellen's signature.
As long as I was down there, I decided to pick up some items for the house at Harbor freight. I got a moving dolly, a cutoff saw, fish tape, and some tie downs. They were all on sale, and I had a 20% off coupon too. I also stopped at an electronics store and got some connection plates for the surround sound wiring that I need to do. They were cheaper there than ordering them off the web and paying shipping. Finally, I stopped off at the pawn shop across the street and got a DVD.
At the shop I heard that someone had crashed his plane into the IRS office in Austin. Apparently the IRS was going to take his house and plane. So he burned his house down and crashed the plane into their office. I think it serves the thieves right. Now days they are just hired thugs that steal from productive people on behalf of welfare jerks and other useless pigs at the public trough.
I then drove 75 miles up to Austin to the house. I met with the couple (Margarete and Fred) selling the house and they spent several hours going through things. We talked about the water and sewer systems, the pool, and several items that I would never have known about. Things like the pump reset switch that's hidden under the box on top of the pump. Also that there's 110V out to the gate gate the front of the property. And how reactivate the trailer parking spot that's been turned off. Fred even told me about a couple of improvements that he had been planning but never got around to doing.
Fred and I spent quite a bit of time talking about other things also. I didn't really have anything else to do and I think he wanted a break from packing. They have a lot of stuff to pack up. One of the things that I found out was that they had two other people interested in the house. One said they wanted to purchase it, but our offer came in first. I guess it was good that I told the realtor it was a "take it or leave it" offer. Apparently they've been told to vacate the premises by 3/4. We're supposed to have a walkthrough with them on 3/5.
After the 60 mile drive back home I had to stop at the grocery store. I learned not to do this after six. Apparently by then lots of common stuff has disappeared from the shelves. I couldn't get cornflakes or the pop that I wanted.
When I got home there were three more packages from Amazon. One had speaker wire and a stud finder for the surround sound project. Another had the hand held mouse. I haven't opened the third, but I think it contains a hand truck. There were gifts from the kitties, too. One had barfed on the rug. The other had barfed all over the kitchen sink. As I said, the annoyance continues.
Day 124
This was an annoying day. Yesterday afternoon I got an e-mail from the mortgage broker asking for a whole lot of stupid paperwork. They want copies of our Social Security cards. We gave them copies of some investment account statements, omitting only the last pages that contain nothing but legal boiler plate. They want a copy of the boiler plate.
I spent the day trying to find the documents they wanted. I started with the stuff they already had. Then I had to look for the files that Ellen keeps for the other pages. Let's just say that I'm not really in sync with her filing methods. I managed to complete three of the four documents they wanted. There wasn't hide nor hair of the fourth. Of course her Social Security card isn't available. I found a letter from the Social Security Administration that might serve.
The whole thing was made more frustrating because it's bullshit. They don't need any of this stuff. It's just some brain dead bureaucrat justifying his phony baloney job. I left calls with two people at the mortgage broker. Neither bothered to return the call. I'll just go down there tomorrow and dump everything on them.
The file was such a disaster that I decided to clean it up. One of the biggest sections is medical. It gets big when you get old. I consolidated all of the documents into one envelope per doctor. This took at least an hour and a half. I ended up with a big pile of empty envelopes. I was going to do the same thing for the banking and investment sections, but I just didn't have the energy.
We got a couple of packages from Amazon. One was the Polk surround sound speakers for the new house. They look really slick. I hope they sound as good as they look. The other was a lap pad to put a laptop on. It's for Ellen. I think she's going to like it.
The annoyance kept on during Bingo in the evening. I came very close on at least three games, but didn't win a thing.
I spent the day trying to find the documents they wanted. I started with the stuff they already had. Then I had to look for the files that Ellen keeps for the other pages. Let's just say that I'm not really in sync with her filing methods. I managed to complete three of the four documents they wanted. There wasn't hide nor hair of the fourth. Of course her Social Security card isn't available. I found a letter from the Social Security Administration that might serve.
The whole thing was made more frustrating because it's bullshit. They don't need any of this stuff. It's just some brain dead bureaucrat justifying his phony baloney job. I left calls with two people at the mortgage broker. Neither bothered to return the call. I'll just go down there tomorrow and dump everything on them.
The file was such a disaster that I decided to clean it up. One of the biggest sections is medical. It gets big when you get old. I consolidated all of the documents into one envelope per doctor. This took at least an hour and a half. I ended up with a big pile of empty envelopes. I was going to do the same thing for the banking and investment sections, but I just didn't have the energy.
We got a couple of packages from Amazon. One was the Polk surround sound speakers for the new house. They look really slick. I hope they sound as good as they look. The other was a lap pad to put a laptop on. It's for Ellen. I think she's going to like it.
The annoyance kept on during Bingo in the evening. I came very close on at least three games, but didn't win a thing.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 123
I did the washing today. I note that just to show that something useful was done.
Today was a phone call day. I got a call from an online broker who had gotten our info from an inquiry I did about a month ago. I told him we already had financing lined up. I also got a call from some appraisal scheduling company saying that I'd be getting a call from an appraiser tomorrow. It was weird. The person was obviously reading from a script. It could have just as easily been an automated call. I'm a little pissed that we have to spend $400 for an empty gesture. I'm definitely pissed that they've wasted a week. The appraisal should have been done by now.
I also got an e-mail from the mortgage broker asking for a whole bunch of paper documenting our finances. I'll get them what I can, but some of it like 2009 1099's just isn't available. It's all BS anyway. These are the same people that wrote billions of dollars of liar loans which they then dumped off on the taxpayers.
I went over to Blanco and 1604 to look at the antenna. That's about a 40 mile round trip. It was a waste of time. The seller couldn't get the 12' by 8' antenna to fold back up. That meant I had no way to transport it.
The trip was good for the dog though. On the way over I took her to the park. I took a book along too. When she got tired I'd stop and read a few pages. She would recharge and I'd throw some more. We did this for over an hour. At the end she didn't look tired. However, she's spent the whole evening asleep on the couch.
I'll have to try to get together the paper for the mortgage broker tomorrow. I also want to get up to see the sellers. I'll have to see how long the paperwork takes.
Today was a phone call day. I got a call from an online broker who had gotten our info from an inquiry I did about a month ago. I told him we already had financing lined up. I also got a call from some appraisal scheduling company saying that I'd be getting a call from an appraiser tomorrow. It was weird. The person was obviously reading from a script. It could have just as easily been an automated call. I'm a little pissed that we have to spend $400 for an empty gesture. I'm definitely pissed that they've wasted a week. The appraisal should have been done by now.
I also got an e-mail from the mortgage broker asking for a whole bunch of paper documenting our finances. I'll get them what I can, but some of it like 2009 1099's just isn't available. It's all BS anyway. These are the same people that wrote billions of dollars of liar loans which they then dumped off on the taxpayers.
I went over to Blanco and 1604 to look at the antenna. That's about a 40 mile round trip. It was a waste of time. The seller couldn't get the 12' by 8' antenna to fold back up. That meant I had no way to transport it.
The trip was good for the dog though. On the way over I took her to the park. I took a book along too. When she got tired I'd stop and read a few pages. She would recharge and I'd throw some more. We did this for over an hour. At the end she didn't look tired. However, she's spent the whole evening asleep on the couch.
I'll have to try to get together the paper for the mortgage broker tomorrow. I also want to get up to see the sellers. I'll have to see how long the paperwork takes.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 122
It was sunny today, but cold with a wind blowing. Not exactly a day to be spending outside.
So I surfed instead. I found someone selling a long range TV antenna. I'll go see it tomorrow. I also called up the people who are selling us their house. They agreed to give me a tutorial on the place on Wednesday. These were the only two useful actions I took all day.
I took the dog to the back of the park again today. After her weak performance yesterday I didn't think it was worth the bother to travel anywhere. She surprised me. She did almost 50 retrieves. She is pretty wiped out this evening though.
I'll go see the antenna tomorrow. I will probably also take the opportunity to pick up a couple of things like groceries and propane.
So I surfed instead. I found someone selling a long range TV antenna. I'll go see it tomorrow. I also called up the people who are selling us their house. They agreed to give me a tutorial on the place on Wednesday. These were the only two useful actions I took all day.
I took the dog to the back of the park again today. After her weak performance yesterday I didn't think it was worth the bother to travel anywhere. She surprised me. She did almost 50 retrieves. She is pretty wiped out this evening though.
I'll go see the antenna tomorrow. I will probably also take the opportunity to pick up a couple of things like groceries and propane.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 121
I'm beginning to enjoy Sundays. I spent the first half of the day reading every bit of the Sunday paper. Actually I self-censored part of it. I purposely refrained from reading any of the national news as I knew it would just piss me off.
After that I thought it was my moral duty to do something useful. After all it was sunny and in the 60's. So I used some adhesive that I purchased about a month ago to make some repairs. Several places in the trailer had trim pieces that were falling off because the adhesive that they used in the manufacture had failed. This is the first day since I purchased the adhesive that it was warm enough, or dry enough, to use it.
I also took Lucy to the back of the rv park to do retrieves. Heat is hitting her pretty hard. She did less than half the retrieves that she normally would do. She's been sacked out since like she had had a hard day of running.
After we got back I decided that we both needed to enjoy the weather. I put Lucy in a lawn chair outside the trailer. I sat at the picnic bench and read and surfed. About 4:00 a front started moving in. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. It felt like 20+ mph gusts. It was time to go inside and continue reading.
After that I thought it was my moral duty to do something useful. After all it was sunny and in the 60's. So I used some adhesive that I purchased about a month ago to make some repairs. Several places in the trailer had trim pieces that were falling off because the adhesive that they used in the manufacture had failed. This is the first day since I purchased the adhesive that it was warm enough, or dry enough, to use it.
I also took Lucy to the back of the rv park to do retrieves. Heat is hitting her pretty hard. She did less than half the retrieves that she normally would do. She's been sacked out since like she had had a hard day of running.
After we got back I decided that we both needed to enjoy the weather. I put Lucy in a lawn chair outside the trailer. I sat at the picnic bench and read and surfed. About 4:00 a front started moving in. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. It felt like 20+ mph gusts. It was time to go inside and continue reading.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Day 120
Drove over to NW San Antonio to pick up the antenna pole today. It's a long drive, about 40 miles one way. The traffic was pretty heavy. Since there's only two main roads that get you to where I needed to go it wasn't possible to avoid the traffic.
The pole is a neat piece of work. It is a three section, telescoping, pole. It goes as high as 30 feet. It has connections for guy wires and lightning protection. It's in pretty good shape except for being a little rusty in spots. Because it telescopes, getting it home was no problem.
To avoid traffic I got out Google and plotted a way home using the back roads. I got a tour of some of the country to the north of San Antonio that I had not seen before. It's a lot like the country to the NW of Bulverde except maybe a little hillier. It's been pretty heavily built up with homes on 2 to 5 acre plots.
I'll say one thing for Texas. When they start building out an area they spend money on the roads. Not like Oregon where they build 100's of new homes an an area and don't upgrade the road network at all.
The dog got a chance to play in the park. She doesn't have the energy that she usually does. I think it's because she is in heat.
The pole is a neat piece of work. It is a three section, telescoping, pole. It goes as high as 30 feet. It has connections for guy wires and lightning protection. It's in pretty good shape except for being a little rusty in spots. Because it telescopes, getting it home was no problem.
To avoid traffic I got out Google and plotted a way home using the back roads. I got a tour of some of the country to the north of San Antonio that I had not seen before. It's a lot like the country to the NW of Bulverde except maybe a little hillier. It's been pretty heavily built up with homes on 2 to 5 acre plots.
I'll say one thing for Texas. When they start building out an area they spend money on the roads. Not like Oregon where they build 100's of new homes an an area and don't upgrade the road network at all.
The dog got a chance to play in the park. She doesn't have the energy that she usually does. I think it's because she is in heat.
Day 119
Except for Ellen leaving, it was a pretty good day.
After taking her to the airport early in the morning Lucy and I hit the pawn shops. It turns out that there is a group of them close to the airport. I went to them all. I was looking for tools, DVD, Blu-ray discs, CD's, and whatever else was of interest.
I came home with half a dozen CD's, 5 DVD's, a 19mm wrench, and an appliance dolly. The wrench and media cost me under $20. The dolly was $75 w/tax. That's a real deal as it is heavy duty in great shape. It will come in very handy when I have to unload the storage units. After that I'll probably sell it on Craig's list.
It wasn't really warm, 48 degrees. However the sun was shining which made it feel much warmer. I took Lucy to the park after I dropped off the paper from the realtor. I just had her do retrieves since it was pretty muddy. I stopped at HEB on the way home to stock up on frozen dinners.
I spent the evening cruising Craig's list and watching one of the movies I bought today. I found a telescoping antenna mast for $30. Hopefully I can see it tomorrow. It might allow us to get the on air channels from the new house.
After taking her to the airport early in the morning Lucy and I hit the pawn shops. It turns out that there is a group of them close to the airport. I went to them all. I was looking for tools, DVD, Blu-ray discs, CD's, and whatever else was of interest.
I came home with half a dozen CD's, 5 DVD's, a 19mm wrench, and an appliance dolly. The wrench and media cost me under $20. The dolly was $75 w/tax. That's a real deal as it is heavy duty in great shape. It will come in very handy when I have to unload the storage units. After that I'll probably sell it on Craig's list.
It wasn't really warm, 48 degrees. However the sun was shining which made it feel much warmer. I took Lucy to the park after I dropped off the paper from the realtor. I just had her do retrieves since it was pretty muddy. I stopped at HEB on the way home to stock up on frozen dinners.
I spent the evening cruising Craig's list and watching one of the movies I bought today. I found a telescoping antenna mast for $30. Hopefully I can see it tomorrow. It might allow us to get the on air channels from the new house.
Day 118
Today was cold and rainy. That meant another day of frustration for the dog. For us, too. Sitting in the trailer day after day gets old.
The main activity for me is looking on Craig's list for things that we might need for the new house. It's amazing the kinds of things that are for sale there. Fine furniture, tools, materials, farm supplies, etc. It's odd, but it seems that the Austin lists have more stuff than the San Antonio lists. I suspect that this is because Austin is a richer town.
We ordered a whole lot of stuff on Amazon today. I think it was more to provide the diversion of receiving packages then that we needed the stuff. Most of it was stuff we'll need for the house.
The realtor sent us a form to sign. Something about the option we took out on the house. We signed it and I'll take it to the office tomorrow. After this signatures will be a little problematic with Ellen in Michigan.
The main activity for me is looking on Craig's list for things that we might need for the new house. It's amazing the kinds of things that are for sale there. Fine furniture, tools, materials, farm supplies, etc. It's odd, but it seems that the Austin lists have more stuff than the San Antonio lists. I suspect that this is because Austin is a richer town.
We ordered a whole lot of stuff on Amazon today. I think it was more to provide the diversion of receiving packages then that we needed the stuff. Most of it was stuff we'll need for the house.
The realtor sent us a form to sign. Something about the option we took out on the house. We signed it and I'll take it to the office tomorrow. After this signatures will be a little problematic with Ellen in Michigan.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 117
We got the money transfers set up today. Unfortunately we forgot to call the storage place. While we were dealing with the banking we took some time to look at appliances at Best Buy. A customer saw us looking and stopped to extol the virtues of her Samsung refrigerator. Unfortunately Samsung products are built using real money. That makes them expensive when you have to pay for them with Obama toilet paper.
In the afternoon we drove up to Austin to look at a full size bed that someone was selling on Craig's list. We were lucky. The seller had flaked out and wasn't there. Luckily his mother happened to be visiting. Otherwise we would have made a 110 mile round trip for nothing. The bed was nice enough for a guest room so we bought it. It will stay at the seller's place until we close on the house.
Bingo tonight went well. Ellen won one game and I won a half share of the big ($10) blackout pot. The dog's definitely in heat and has to wear a diaper. She doesn't like it. She's already shredded a couple of them.
In the afternoon we drove up to Austin to look at a full size bed that someone was selling on Craig's list. We were lucky. The seller had flaked out and wasn't there. Luckily his mother happened to be visiting. Otherwise we would have made a 110 mile round trip for nothing. The bed was nice enough for a guest room so we bought it. It will stay at the seller's place until we close on the house.
Bingo tonight went well. Ellen won one game and I won a half share of the big ($10) blackout pot. The dog's definitely in heat and has to wear a diaper. She doesn't like it. She's already shredded a couple of them.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Day 116
Bad news in the morning. The wife's father broke his hip today. With his age and physical condition the prognosis isn't good.
This meant hurry up and get some stuff done. We went to the mortgage broker and gave them a check for the appraisal. We also signed a whole bunch of papers concerning the loan. I called the surveyor and set up the survey. It's $750 that I don't think I should have to pay, but I will.
On the way back we made stops to get lunch, buy cat litter and buy dog food. When you live out in the sticks, you make use of every trip into town. Then we took the dog to the park to tire her out. Half an hour and 46 retrieves and we were headed home with mission accomplished. She's just going into heat, so the diaper went on when we got home. She hates it and is always trying to shred it.
Back home it was man the phones. The house money is several accounts with several institutions. Wife found that we could put it all in the credit union account and access that account relatively easily. We did part of the work for that today, the rest will have to be done tomorrow.
I set up the insurance. It's a lot more expensive than the insurance in Oregon. I'd say as much as twice as much. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to set up moving our goods.
Wife also did some bills and set up her trip to Michigan. It's not as expensive as it might have been.
This meant hurry up and get some stuff done. We went to the mortgage broker and gave them a check for the appraisal. We also signed a whole bunch of papers concerning the loan. I called the surveyor and set up the survey. It's $750 that I don't think I should have to pay, but I will.
On the way back we made stops to get lunch, buy cat litter and buy dog food. When you live out in the sticks, you make use of every trip into town. Then we took the dog to the park to tire her out. Half an hour and 46 retrieves and we were headed home with mission accomplished. She's just going into heat, so the diaper went on when we got home. She hates it and is always trying to shred it.
Back home it was man the phones. The house money is several accounts with several institutions. Wife found that we could put it all in the credit union account and access that account relatively easily. We did part of the work for that today, the rest will have to be done tomorrow.
I set up the insurance. It's a lot more expensive than the insurance in Oregon. I'd say as much as twice as much. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to set up moving our goods.
Wife also did some bills and set up her trip to Michigan. It's not as expensive as it might have been.
Day 115
Monday so it was time to make some phone calls and try to get this house purchase moving along. There's a long list of things to set up - money (loan and cash), appraisal, survey, insurance, and moving our goods. It's all predicated on the title company giving us an estimate. Unfortunately, they aren't very responsive.
Made a call to the realtor, she's calling the title company. Got a call from the mortgage broker promising an estimate as soon as he gets the title company info. It was supposed to be ready by noon. It wasn't.
I spent the morning trying to apply for Blue Cross. I can't apply for Kaiser until next month. It ain't easy trying to figure out the right plan, etc. What it amounts to is that catastrophic health insurance with no drug coverage costs $200 - $250/mo. You can't get drug coverage at any price and more comprehensive coverage costs twice as much or more. In order to complete the application, I need some information from my doctor. I left a message, but the office didn't call back. His office people suck.
We waited around for most of the day with nothing happening. The dog was getting progressively more nutso. We couldn't do anything about it because it was raining. We finally decided to go to the grocery store because we couldn't stand it anymore. We also needed a few staples like milk, bread, and OJ.
When we got back late in the afternoon things started to move. We got the estimate in an e-mail from the mortgage broker and a call from the realtor with the name of a surveyor. Things to do tomorrow.
Made a call to the realtor, she's calling the title company. Got a call from the mortgage broker promising an estimate as soon as he gets the title company info. It was supposed to be ready by noon. It wasn't.
I spent the morning trying to apply for Blue Cross. I can't apply for Kaiser until next month. It ain't easy trying to figure out the right plan, etc. What it amounts to is that catastrophic health insurance with no drug coverage costs $200 - $250/mo. You can't get drug coverage at any price and more comprehensive coverage costs twice as much or more. In order to complete the application, I need some information from my doctor. I left a message, but the office didn't call back. His office people suck.
We waited around for most of the day with nothing happening. The dog was getting progressively more nutso. We couldn't do anything about it because it was raining. We finally decided to go to the grocery store because we couldn't stand it anymore. We also needed a few staples like milk, bread, and OJ.
When we got back late in the afternoon things started to move. We got the estimate in an e-mail from the mortgage broker and a call from the realtor with the name of a surveyor. Things to do tomorrow.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Day 114
The day was cloudy, damp, and cold so we didn't do anything. It's funny. If this were two years ago in Oregon we would have thought this was perfectly comfortable weather.
One nice thing about retirement is that you don't feel guilty about spending a whole morning reading the Sunday paper. So that's what we did. I took one break between sections to fill up the water tank and mix up some more dog food. Life is tough.
The dog was subdued until the afternoon. Then she got antsy so we took her on a walk. We didn't run her because it's still muddy and we didn't want to clean her feet. We had bought some carrots for the donkey that's penned near the dog run. We ended up feeding the donkey, two longhorns, and the dog. The dog loves carrots and was feeling very left out.
The club put on a Super Bowl get together in the clubhouse. Nobody attending cared which team won. However, the general consensus was that it would be nice if the Saints won. They did. Usually the only thing interesting in a Super Bowl is the commercials. This year was different. The game was more interesting than the commercials. The Who put on the halftime show. All they did was prove that with half of them dead, and at their age, that they should have stayed home.
I've been spending a lot of time on Craig's list looking for items for the new house. I spend it on the building materials, furniture, and farm sections. I'll never buy furniture in a store again. The stuff available online is just as good and much cheaper. I'm also looking for a cheap used car. Most of the cars in the rice range I'm looking in have well over 100,000 miles on them. It seems that people run them until they need major maintenance and then try to sell them at "good condition" prices. They don't seem to realize that if the $1,500 in scheduled maintenance hasn't been done, then the car isn't in "perfect" condition.
One nice thing about retirement is that you don't feel guilty about spending a whole morning reading the Sunday paper. So that's what we did. I took one break between sections to fill up the water tank and mix up some more dog food. Life is tough.
The dog was subdued until the afternoon. Then she got antsy so we took her on a walk. We didn't run her because it's still muddy and we didn't want to clean her feet. We had bought some carrots for the donkey that's penned near the dog run. We ended up feeding the donkey, two longhorns, and the dog. The dog loves carrots and was feeling very left out.
The club put on a Super Bowl get together in the clubhouse. Nobody attending cared which team won. However, the general consensus was that it would be nice if the Saints won. They did. Usually the only thing interesting in a Super Bowl is the commercials. This year was different. The game was more interesting than the commercials. The Who put on the halftime show. All they did was prove that with half of them dead, and at their age, that they should have stayed home.
I've been spending a lot of time on Craig's list looking for items for the new house. I spend it on the building materials, furniture, and farm sections. I'll never buy furniture in a store again. The stuff available online is just as good and much cheaper. I'm also looking for a cheap used car. Most of the cars in the rice range I'm looking in have well over 100,000 miles on them. It seems that people run them until they need major maintenance and then try to sell them at "good condition" prices. They don't seem to realize that if the $1,500 in scheduled maintenance hasn't been done, then the car isn't in "perfect" condition.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Day 113
Another nice day with the temp in the high 60's. Started out with breakfast at the park's clubhouse. We sat around and talked with some of the people that we've come to know while we've been here. Then it was off to Kerrville for the tournament.
I shot the worst that I have shot on any course, practice or competitive, in years. The course wasn't hard, I just couldn't shoot. My mounts were bad, and I couldn't swing the gun to save my life. I couldn't even hit targets on the skeet field.
I guess that shooting only twice in the last three months hasn't done my shooting any good. I had fun though. The weather was great and we got to shoot with some other people. One of them was originally from OR. We didn't know him, but he had shot at several of the big Oregon shoots that we have shot at over the years.
The dog walked the course with us. She was much better behaved than last time. We had her do some retrieves after we were done shooting. She's pretty tired tonight.
I shot the worst that I have shot on any course, practice or competitive, in years. The course wasn't hard, I just couldn't shoot. My mounts were bad, and I couldn't swing the gun to save my life. I couldn't even hit targets on the skeet field.
I guess that shooting only twice in the last three months hasn't done my shooting any good. I had fun though. The weather was great and we got to shoot with some other people. One of them was originally from OR. We didn't know him, but he had shot at several of the big Oregon shoots that we have shot at over the years.
The dog walked the course with us. She was much better behaved than last time. We had her do some retrieves after we were done shooting. She's pretty tired tonight.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Day 112
Finally a nice day. It was mostly sunny with a high around 70. Of course this meant that it was mandatory that we take the dog to the park. She had a great time. We let her run free as we walked around the park. I think she covered every square foot of the wooded area. When we got back to the parking lot, I threw the bumper for her. The wind was blowing fairly hard, so she was doing long retrieves.
We brought some reading material along, so every time she got tired we just read for awhile until she recharged. We must have done this four or five times. Finally she just stood there over her bumper waiting for us to call it quits. Because the park was a little muddy she had little balls of mud between all of her toes. They had to be pulled out by hand, they wouldn't wash out.
When she got home, she got a bath. She needed it. She doesn't seem near as tired tonight as she should be.
On the new home front, we got the inspection report. As we expected the house basically passes except for the roof and the drainage. I called the finance people, they still haven't heard from the title company. I'll call Rosie on Monday and tell her we need a new title company.
There's a breakfast at the park tomorrow morning and a shoot in Kerrville. We'll do some prep tonight.
We brought some reading material along, so every time she got tired we just read for awhile until she recharged. We must have done this four or five times. Finally she just stood there over her bumper waiting for us to call it quits. Because the park was a little muddy she had little balls of mud between all of her toes. They had to be pulled out by hand, they wouldn't wash out.
When she got home, she got a bath. She needed it. She doesn't seem near as tired tonight as she should be.
On the new home front, we got the inspection report. As we expected the house basically passes except for the roof and the drainage. I called the finance people, they still haven't heard from the title company. I'll call Rosie on Monday and tell her we need a new title company.
There's a breakfast at the park tomorrow morning and a shoot in Kerrville. We'll do some prep tonight.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Day 111
We went to the inspection today. It was quite instructive. We learned quite a bit about the type of septic system they have. There's some care and feeding involved, like switching drain fields every three months and not using bleach in the washing machine. It's a pump based system, so we can expect to have to replace the pump every few years. The good news is that the system was just rebuilt to the tune of $4,500.
We also learned about some things that happen in Texas, but not in Oregon. One of the strangest is the need to water the foundation in the summer time. It seems that the clay soil around here expands when it soaks up moisture in the winter. If you don't water it in the summer it dries out and shrinks away from the foundation.
We met the wife half of the sellers and had quite a nice talk with her. She told us quite a bit about the property. She offered to take us around the property and point out things we should know like the operation of the swimming pool. She also offered to leave us a list of "good people to work with" in the area. That's really valuable when you're moving into an area where you have no acquaintances.
The house needs about the amount of work that we expected. A new roof, shower, and counter tops are the remodeling things. The new roof needs to have "ridge vents" and ideally a radiant barrier coating. It would be nice to add a wood stove for times when the power goes out. The swimming pool needs a new pump. We might just have it removed. One thing I was disappointed about was that the house has single pane windows.
All in all the inspector gave the house a clean bill of health. The next step is to finalize on the lender and schedule the appraisal. Hopefully that can be done tomorrow. In the mean time the dog is just going to have to wait until it stops raining.
We also learned about some things that happen in Texas, but not in Oregon. One of the strangest is the need to water the foundation in the summer time. It seems that the clay soil around here expands when it soaks up moisture in the winter. If you don't water it in the summer it dries out and shrinks away from the foundation.
We met the wife half of the sellers and had quite a nice talk with her. She told us quite a bit about the property. She offered to take us around the property and point out things we should know like the operation of the swimming pool. She also offered to leave us a list of "good people to work with" in the area. That's really valuable when you're moving into an area where you have no acquaintances.
The house needs about the amount of work that we expected. A new roof, shower, and counter tops are the remodeling things. The new roof needs to have "ridge vents" and ideally a radiant barrier coating. It would be nice to add a wood stove for times when the power goes out. The swimming pool needs a new pump. We might just have it removed. One thing I was disappointed about was that the house has single pane windows.
All in all the inspector gave the house a clean bill of health. The next step is to finalize on the lender and schedule the appraisal. Hopefully that can be done tomorrow. In the mean time the dog is just going to have to wait until it stops raining.
Day 110
It started raining hard late last night and it rained steadily all day. We might as well be in Oregon. Of course that meant that we spent another day cooped up in the trailer. The dog is going nuts. She hasn't had a chance to exercise in several days. She can't understand why we'd let a little thing like a hard rain keep us from going outside and romping with her.
She's gotten quite vocal about the whole thing. She'll lay down for about an hour and then suddenly get up and start woofing. If that doesn't work she'll start howling. Usually she reserves this behavior for when she really, really, REALLY needs to go outside.
We're going stir crazy, too. There's only so much reading and surfing that you can do. After three or four days you just want to do something else.
The only movement on the house was a call from the realtor and another from the mortgage broker. The realtor half convinced me to pay for the survey ourselves. It seems like it will only be about $750. The mortgage broker sent us a good faith estimate. It's 1/8 point less than the bank, and doesn't have a $500 loan fee. However, it will cost $250 to have the lender not collect the taxes and insurance. We are waiting on the title company fees from the mortgage broker before making a final decision. It looks like all the other fees will be about the same.
She's gotten quite vocal about the whole thing. She'll lay down for about an hour and then suddenly get up and start woofing. If that doesn't work she'll start howling. Usually she reserves this behavior for when she really, really, REALLY needs to go outside.
We're going stir crazy, too. There's only so much reading and surfing that you can do. After three or four days you just want to do something else.
The only movement on the house was a call from the realtor and another from the mortgage broker. The realtor half convinced me to pay for the survey ourselves. It seems like it will only be about $750. The mortgage broker sent us a good faith estimate. It's 1/8 point less than the bank, and doesn't have a $500 loan fee. However, it will cost $250 to have the lender not collect the taxes and insurance. We are waiting on the title company fees from the mortgage broker before making a final decision. It looks like all the other fees will be about the same.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day 109
We did the wash in the morning. It took longer than normal because one of the washing machines it broken.
We spent the rest of the day sitting around the phone. We got a couple of calls from the mortgage broker. It seems that we will get a better price from them than from the bank. We haven't seen the paperwork yet, so I'll believe it when I see it.
The realtor called to try to convince me to pay for the survey. She says that they have a quote for $750. I told them I'd see. We need to do the inspection first. She also sent me a copy of a document that purports to show that the sellers did a $4,500 upgrade to the septic system in mid-January. I say "purports" because the paper they sent me is a quote, not an invoice. I'll ask the inspector for his opinion on Thursday.
She also sent me a signed version of the contract that has us paying for the survey. We'll see.
We spent the rest of the day sitting around the phone. We got a couple of calls from the mortgage broker. It seems that we will get a better price from them than from the bank. We haven't seen the paperwork yet, so I'll believe it when I see it.
The realtor called to try to convince me to pay for the survey. She says that they have a quote for $750. I told them I'd see. We need to do the inspection first. She also sent me a copy of a document that purports to show that the sellers did a $4,500 upgrade to the septic system in mid-January. I say "purports" because the paper they sent me is a quote, not an invoice. I'll ask the inspector for his opinion on Thursday.
She also sent me a signed version of the contract that has us paying for the survey. We'll see.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Day 108
Today was an interesting day. We started out at the bank basically filling out the loan application from scratch. They changed the rules at the first of the year and so what we'd done previously was null and void. The government has a new cost disclosure form that is totally useless. It replaces a detailed listing of the loan charges with one that only lists the loan costs as two lump values. This is plain stupid. Fortunately the bank provided the old form as well.
We didn't have all the paperwork that the bank wanted, so we had to go home to get some more. After we dropped that off, we went to the realtor to get more required paperwork.
We signed a pile of papers at both places. We must have signed at least 2 dozen separate pieces of paper. Then it was back to the bank to give them copies of the realtor's paperwork.
We have to go through the loan thing again tomorrow with another loan vendor.
Late tonight we got a call from the realtor saying that the sellers refuse to pay for a survey of the property. The cost is between $600 and $1,200. I'm incensed. This is a fee that is typically paid by the seller. I'm going to offer to split the cost with them. If they don't agree, we are walking.
We didn't have all the paperwork that the bank wanted, so we had to go home to get some more. After we dropped that off, we went to the realtor to get more required paperwork.
We signed a pile of papers at both places. We must have signed at least 2 dozen separate pieces of paper. Then it was back to the bank to give them copies of the realtor's paperwork.
We have to go through the loan thing again tomorrow with another loan vendor.
Late tonight we got a call from the realtor saying that the sellers refuse to pay for a survey of the property. The cost is between $600 and $1,200. I'm incensed. This is a fee that is typically paid by the seller. I'm going to offer to split the cost with them. If they don't agree, we are walking.
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