We Are Homeowners - Yay!

Since about 9:00am (after 45 minutes of signing and initialing papers), we are homeowners! I'm sure it will seem real after we move in -- and I can hardly wait.

The owner's son is living there and packing her stuff. He has 30 days to move, but he thinks he'll be done by mid-Feb. That would be wonderful but we're planning on a late Feb/early Mar move, just in case.

I met both realtors (ours and theirs) at the house last night to look at it again, go over any last-minute questions, and to learn how to light the sunroom heater. From the sunroom, we were treated to a beautiful view of the nearly full moon rising behind the branches of the huge trees in the backyard. It was especially lovely since we can't see the moon from our current apartment.

We want to pack as much as we can (especially things like glass, china, and Roger's books), then have movers pack the rest and move all of it to the new house. I've been researching movers and have learned a lot about choosing a reliable, professional full-service company. I think we're going to use Personal Touch Moving, Inc (located in Lake Orion, MI). Their Better Business Bureau rating is A- and they are about $1,000 cheaper than Corrigan Moving Systems (which several friends have used; Corrigan is near Detroit and has a A+ BBB rating).

I'm so excited about the house I'm having a hard time focusing on work. I've never wanted to move before and now I can hardly wait to do so. I'm looking forward to having more room, a yard (with bird feeders!), and no more neighbor kids playing Wii over my head or shrieking under my feet.

As a parting gift to our apartment neighbors, you are invited to a reenactment of Riverdance after our apartment is empty. Be sure to wear your hard-soled shoes! I'll provide loud Irish music and all you have to do is jump around a lot.

Kindle Addiction

I'm not saying I quickly adapted to my Kindle, but yesterday I was reading a printed book and I keep wanting to click the built-in dictionary... Sad, eh?

The Inspection

Today we had the inspection of the house we're going to buy. It was nice to have so much time to look around and think about where we want to put things, and to realize our furniture will fit. :) The actual inspection took longer than I expected (the inspector was very thorough and very good at explaining everything to us) but I learned a lot.

The best news is that house is great shape. Because they used real wood, cement, etc. the construction is strong, the walls are straight, etc. They don't use such good building materials today!

The only problems the inspector found were:
1. The garbage disposal doesn't work
2. The gas wall heater in the sunroom won't light
3. The logs in the gas fireplace in the basement need to be updated
4. The attic insulation was installed upside down (with the paper side up, so the paper needs to be slit)
5. Wall plugs in the kitchen and bath need breakers added
6. Smoke detectors need to be replaced and CO2 detector needs to be added

We're asking the seller to fix the first two. Roger and Dad can fix everything else (such little things!) and add a second bath (shower, toilet, and sink) in the basement. We also want to add a sump pump alarm, just in case.

The appraiser comes tomorrow. Now that it's starting to seem real, I'm so excited about moving I can hardly wait! We've asked our realtor to arrange the closing ASAP so we can move ASAP. I'll be so relieved to get away from our noisy neighbors and into our own house at last!

I'm also looking forward to meeting the seller. Given her collection of Dept. 56 villages and the amount of counted cross-stitch on her walls, we seem to have a lot in common! I might consider buying some of her Dickens Village and I want her to tell me how to care for the beautiful plants/landscaping, gazebo, etc. They have put so much work into making the yard lovely and I want to keep it that way.

I still can't believe we're finally about to become homeowners!

My Favorite Electronic Book Gadget: The Kindle

For Christmas my dear husband gave me a Kindle (second generation) book reader. This thing is every bit as cool as Amazon claims: light, intuitive (so much I can't help wonder if Apple designed it!), and addictive. I'll never give up printed books completely, but I *love* reading on my Kindle. The screen really is crisp and easy to read (unlike a backlit eye-strain-inducing computer screen). Best of all, it can hold TONS of books, magazines, blogs, and newspapers.

New "hardback" books are usually $9.99. New "paperbacks" are usually around $6 -- but public domain books (Shakespeare, Poe, etc.) are free or very cheap. Where was the Kindle when I was hauling around a thirty pound Shakespeare textbook? :) If you keep an eye out you can find new promotional paperbacks (temporarily free).

In addition to classics and murder mysteries I "splurged" on a couple of very helpful, inexpensive books:

1. The Complete User's Guide To the Amazing Amazon Kindle 2: Tips, Tricks, & Links To Unlock Cool Features & Save You Hundreds on Kindle Content by Stephen Windwalker $0.99

2. Kindle Shortcuts, Hidden Features, Kindle-Friendly Websites, Free eBooks & Email From Kindle: Concise User Guide for Kindle 2 (US & International), DX, 1, iPhone & iPod by Aaron Steinhardt PhD $0.25

From these I learned about how to access Project Gutenberg, free books and audio, keyboard shortcuts, and hidden features (like the calculator, Minesweeper game, and Go game). About the same time I also discovered Sudoku Volume 1: Interactive Sudoku Puzzles for Kindle 2 and Kindle DX and Word Morph Volume 1: transform the starting word one letter at a time until you spell the ending word (Word Puzzles Optimized for Kindle) -- both for just $0.01 each. Who knew you could play these games on a Kindle?

Interested in Kindle fiction? I recommend Stephen King's UR ($2.99) and The Gift of Murder (a $7 mystery anthology which features "The Kindle Did It!" by Gail Farrelly -- and profits go to Toys for Tots).

As you can see from the photos (courtesy of Amazon), the Kindle is light and comfortable to hold. I love curling up with my Kindle. It's so easy to use, I really do forget about the hardware and just enjoy the story -- just as advertised.

I love my new Kindle so much that I named it: Miss Marple (because it appears so cozy and simple, yet it knows so much more than you expect). I supposed the same logic could apply to Lord Peter (sophisticated, elegant, and knows so much more than you expect) but apparently I like to assume my gadgets are female. (Ask me about my car, Christine.)

For those who know I only like Miss Marple on TV (not in print), I can't explain this choice. The name just seems to fit!

Merry Christmas!

This was too funny not to share:

To All My Democratic Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wish.

To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2010.


Seriously, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

The Miracle on 34th Street

I still don't quite believe it, but we are about to become homeowners! (I've always wanted a house. To get one at Christmas is just like The Miracle on 34th Street!) The seller accepted our bid on the ranch I fell in love with. Photos and specs are below.

We can get out of our apartment lease four months early, so we'll probably move in March. I'm simultaneously excited and numb. I'll let you know when it finally feels real!














































































































































































































Brick Ranch in City of Davison. Many updates - Huge add on Family Room, Large Deck w/ Gazebo. 2 Car Garage, Finished Basement, Newer Roof, Electrical, Central Air, Fenced back Yard with Shade Galore ... Must See Home!

Built in 1956 (but in better shape than some new houses we saw!).
Lot size 70 x 136
Home size 1331 sq ft.
Master Bedroom: 11.4 x 11
2nd: 11 x 11
3rd: 11.4 x 9
Kitchen 12.2 x 11
Great Room 20.9 x 13.9
Family Room (Sunroom) 19.6 x 11.8
Downstairs Rec Room (w/gas fireplace) 23.4 x 12.6
Hobby Room (Workshop) 14.9 x 12.8
Laundry and storage room 35.6 x 11.1

Another Reason I Hate Renting

This morning the toilet in our master bath backed up. No amount of plunging cleared it, so I called maintenance as soon as the office opened. They promised to send someone right away but warned me "There's a service charge if it's not our fault."

"Service charge?" I asked.

"Yes, a service charge. It's $125 if it's not our fault." I started to wonder why she kept repeating this phrase.

"We only flush toilet paper," I said. "How could that be our fault?"

"We'll send the maintenance guy right away to assess the situation," she said, implying once again that it mus be our fault.

When I relayed this conversation to my husband he said, "We're not paying $125 effing dollars for this!"

I agreed, thinking of the bid I sent the realtor last night while waiting for the maintenance guy. We're guessing they have lots of residents with kids who try to flush toys, so this is now the standard reply for toilet problems.

The maintenance arrived shortly thereafter and it took two minutes for him to plunge the toilet, no service charge. Apparently I just need a different plunger. Still, the situation was just another reminder of how ready I am to move to a house.

More Houses

The adventure continues: Wednesday we looked at more houses.

First up was an older Cape Cod (1949). This is the house we wanted to see last time but the realtor was unable to contact the residents. It was nice but the wood floors in two rooms needed finishing (they had been sanded recently) and the paint needed touching up in some rooms. Bonuses: OK kitchen, LOTS of storage, big closets, 2 baths, and two rooms upstairs that would make nice offices. Negatives: the yard is very small (no room for a sunroom). The linolium on the stairs to the basement is peeling and the tile in the basement is probably asbestos (and would need to be covered/sealed). This house is my second choice.

I fell in love with the second house: a ranch with a wonderful sunroom, deck with gazebo, and finished basement. The yard is a nice size and nicely landscaped. We also really like the neighborhood: all brick houses from the 1950s, all well-maintained with low turnover. This is the kind of neighborhood people stay in. Negatives: there's only one bathroom. (Hey, how hard can it be to add a second bath? Roger and his dad used to build houses.) I put in a bid on this one last night. Wish me luck! I'm praying really hard...

The third house was a new home in a new subdivision. No trees or sidewalks, but the online photos looked great: large master bedroom/bath/walk-in closet, a wonderful kitchen and great room with fireplace, 3 baths, and huge beautifully finished basement. Sadly, the house is now bank-owned and recently had water standing in the basement. That meant that the basement had been stripped AND still had mold. I'm so allergic to mold I barely saw this house. A few minutes indoors and my eyes and throat were itching. This one is a definite no go.

The next house on our list was a split level in the township. It had a severe mold problem so we didn't even try to go there.

The most interesting house was next. It was originally built in the 1800s! It had a new kitchen but everything else needs lots of TLC (a definite no go term in my book). The second level was in good shape but there was water at the base of the basement stairs. We looked in the basement out of curiosity after the realtor told us the support poles were logs. Yup, logs were holding the floors up. Under the oldest part of the house the basement was fieldstone on one wall and something that had been painted white on the other walls, smoothed logs maybe? Nice yard but this was another definite no go.

The last house was a ranch just a few doors away from our apartment, on a busy and partially commercial section of Irish Rd. Traffic made getting in and out of the driveway a major pain. The house itself was a nice 3 bedroom 1.5 bath ranch with partially finished basement. The kitchen was really nice but the renter wasn't kidding when they said the house was messy. Judging by the toys covering most of the floors, we're guessing they had three kids. It had nice deck and huge back yard; the field behind it was included, so there was a lot of land. Negatives: one room in the basement (probably painted by a tween or teen) was black with rainbow-colored designs. It was far out, man. The waterheater was unusually small for a house that size. Given the traffic problem, this was a no go.

I really, really want the ranch and am praying the owner accepts the bid, but I expect her to make a reasonable counter-offer.

House Hunting

Yesterday the realtor took us to see three houses. I had no idea house hunting would be such an adventure! I'm so new to this that I'm glad Mom and Dad went with us.

The first house was a ranch three doors away from our dear friends John & Denise. It was small but nice. Denise met us there to point out things we might miss. I liked it but after our huge kitchen, it's going to be hard to get used to a small kitchen again. It did have 2 baths a partially finished basement, sunroom, and a 2.5 car garage. The best part about this house was the 50K price!

The second house was a Cape Cod that was listed at 99K and was about to be re-poed by the bank. It was larger than the ranch and had some interesting spaces (like the second floor of the 1.5 floors). Frankly, I can't actually remember much about this house except that the rooms were small but it did have a garage and 1.5 baths. I think I'd find it more interesting if the price were lower.

The last house was a ranch in the neighborhood I grew up in. Although it's currently listed at $107K, I think I liked this one the best. It was larger (1200 sq ft) with 4 bedrooms, a finished basement with day light windows, and a gazebo. The really interesting part was what we found in the house: an intercom system ("Scotty, I need more power!"), an incinerator in the basement (I'd never actually seen one before!), and boat (yes, a boat, specifically speedboat used for water skiing) in the garage, and chest freezer full of frozen food. Weird. Bonuses: gas fireplace, and new furnace/air, new hot water heater, and new roof. The realtor says the price is probably about to drop, so I'll definitely want to keep an eye on this house!

There were two more houses we wanted to see but couldn't. One had a bid (and only allowed one bidder at a time) and the other was still occupied. The realtor couldn't reach the residents in time for us to see it yesterday. That means the search will continue -- and next time I'll remember to take my camera and to take notes!

The Washer Incident

I spent Thanksgiving week crying about Saffron and have been numb ever since -- and frantically trying to work on my end-of-the-semester grading. Since I teach writing, I don't have to give final exams and the sooner I get done grading, the sooner my Christmas break begins.

Roger suggested we go up north for the weekend. Everyone I talked to thought this was a good idea. I could relax as much as I wanted, work as much as I wanted, and I wouldn't expect to see Saffron everywhere I looked. It was a good idea! We have wonderful time enjoying Traverse City and I even got a substantial amount of grading done.

All that relaxation disappeared when got home and discovered water standing in our hallway (in front of the laundry closet), in Roger's office, and in the master bath. I immediately called maintenance was told that my upstairs neighbor* overloaded her washer (apparently with a comforter, bedspread, AND pillows), then left the house. The washer was so full the sensor couldn't tell when to shut the water off, so the water just kept running. In addition to our apartment, the one next door also flooded. Since there's cement between the floors, the water came in through the smoke alarms and the vent/light in the bathroom.

I was furious at the mess AND at maintenance for not calling Mom and Dad. Before we left town I called the office to let them know we'd be out of town for the weekend and Mom and Dad would be stopping by daily to care for the cat. I gave them Mom and Dad's names and phone number specifically in case of a plumbing emergency so Mom and Dad could be here to prevent the cat from escaping if maintenance needed to come in.

All this was news to the maintenance guy. He did know the apartment next to us was flooded but he didn't even try to contact us?! (No message on our answering machine.)

After soaking up all the waters, then washing all the towels, I collapsed in bed -- just as the smoke alarm started beeping.

I called maintenance again. Apparently smoke alarms beep when they get wet. Taking out the battery didn't help, so we called maintenance AGAIN to learn how to pull the wires (the battery is only a backup). Even then, the damn thing continued to beep far longer than I expected. I was ready to wrap it in a towel and stuff it in a draw (or leave it on the porch) when it finally stopped.

Once again, I collapsed in bed. A few minutes later, Roger informed me that the smoke detector in his office was dripping again. I think I would have cried at this point if not for my anti-anxiety medicine.

The first thing Monday, I called the rental office to 1) make sure there's a note in our file saying no current or future water damage was our fault and 2) to find out why Mom and Dad's contact info wasn't passed along to the on-call maintenance guy. I also complained about the downstairs neighbor** kids who like to ring doorbells and disappear.

My next calls were to the bank and the realtor. It's time to house hunt!


NOTES
* These are the neighbors directly above us, the ones with noisy kids who fall out of bed frequently and play Wii a LOT.

** These children are apparently unattended while the parent works afternoons/evenings.

Good-Bye, Dear Little Friend

Our precious little Saffron died in her sleep the day after Thanksgiving, just two days after my last post. She was sleeping peacefully in one of her favorite beds under the Christmas tree and seemed to know Roger and I were both with her. She coughed very delicately a few times and just slipped away peacefully. I’m thankful for her peaceful passing and so glad she was home with us. I know we did all we could to give her a wonderful life but I miss my sweet little girl already and always will. I like to think she’s already in heaven with Sable.

Thank you for all your love and support during her illness, from all of us.

Cathy and Roger (and Sophie the oblivious cat who nevertheless howled at the moment of Saffron’s death)

Saffron Update

Saffron hasn't been doing so well recently. A couple weeks ago she had some kind of "event": she fell over, acted a bit weird for a few hours, and was back to normal the next day. There's no way to know for sure what happened, but since then, she's been acting like an old cat (pacing, vocalizing, and occasionally a little confused). The old cat behavoir appears to be unrelated to her liver problem or the "event."

I became really worried this week when her weight dropped to 4 lbs. (she should weigh about 7 lbs.). She's eating, but not nearly as much as usual. Although she's still drinking and getting around, I'm afraid she doesn't have much time left. We don't want to make "the decision" as long as she's not in pain and is still eating, drinking, and getting around. She seems comfy and happy -- I'm the one who is distressed! I guess we're never ready to say good-bye, no matter how much time we have to prepare. I'm still hoping that when the time comes, she'll leave us peacefully in her sleep. Until then, I'm going to sleep in the living room with her and love and comfort her as much as I can.

Here are some photos of her eating in bed (yes, she's the most spoiled cat on the planet) and sleeping in her favorite spot in the whole world (of course we put the tree up early just for her!). Say a prayer for my sweet little girl.

My Favorite Hardback Book Gadget

A while ago I wrote about the Gimble, my favorite paperback book gadget. This is my favorite hardback book gadget: The Book Buddy II.

As you can see from the photo (click to enlarge) it can hold any size paperback or hardback book or, with the optional acrylic desktop, most laptop computers.

I mostly use my Book Buddy for hardback books. It's comfy because I can read without holding the book (which makes my healing tennis elbow hurt). Even if I do hold it, the pillow really does make the book feel weightless -- just as their web site says!

The Book Buddy comes in a variety of colors and prices and I recommend it for anyone who loves to read. I bought mine when I had chronic tendonitis, but don't wait until you have a medical excuse. This is a good product for any bibliophile.

Remember in the Fitz

November is flying by so quickly I just realized that for the first time in many years, I didn't the about the Edmund Fitzgerald on the anniversary of her sinking. Listen to the song and remember a good ship and 29 men who just wanted to get home.



















Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot

Newcomers Sweep Davison City Council

Big news in Davison this week: City Council shakeup: Incumbents ousted by three newcomers.

I've pasted the story here in case the link disappears.

City Council shakeup: Incumbents ousted by three newcomers

BY SARAH FISH STAFF WRITER

DAVISON — In an obvious two-sided election, the threemember team supported by Mayor Fred Fortner and Councilman Jim Hershberger will be sworn into the Davison City Council at the Nov. 9 meeting.

Roger Lutze, Matt Judd and David Martin have earned four-year terms and will join the seven-member council.

Roger Lutze

Incumbents Ron Emery and Keith Flewelling lost their longtime seats on the council, while candidate Ralph Arceo also lost the election.

“Congratulations to Mr. Lutze, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Judd,” said City Manager Dale Martin. “I look forward to working with these three men, the mayor and the others on the city council. On behalf of the city staff, I also wish to thank Mr. Emery and Mr. Flewelling for their years of service to the community.”

According to unofficial election results from the City of Davison, Lutze received 369 votes. Martin received 349 and Judd received 306 votes. Emery received 250, Flewelling received 243 and Arceo received 198.

David Martin

In total, 1,717 voters turned out to the polls.

The results of the election come after an obviously twosided race, with the six candidates dividing into two teams of three. Fortner and Hershberger have gained a majority on the council, following a history with the previous council of a 5-2 voting split.

“I’m very pleased, I’m very excited and really looking forward to serving the community,” said Lutze after hearing the election results Tuesday night. “The main thing is going to be listening to the people of the city and that we started before we started the campaign.”

Emery, who has been on the council 18 years, said he was disappointed in the election results.

“After 18 years on council obviously I’m disappointed in the election results,” said Emery. “However with the resentment against incumbents and the strong campaign waged by Mayor Fortner against us, the results were not unexpected.

Matt Judd

“I wish the new council members well and hopefully they continue making Davison a great place to live.”

Judd said he plans to work in the best interest of the people, and will figure out the issues in the city once he takes his seat on the council.

“I think it’s time for new people to be in there and we’ll give it the best chance we can, do the right thing for people,” said Judd. “(I’m) just going to get on there and find out exactly what we’re doing, you know … and go from there.”

Flewelling, who has spent 10 years on the council, said he hopes the city will continue to be a quality place to live.

“I am obviously disappointed with the results of Tuesday’s election. It is clear that those who voted want a change in city government and I congratulate the winners,” said Flewelling. “I hope that the city continues to be progressive and maintains the quality of living its residents have come to expect.

“The employees of the city do an excellent job in providing the services that make our city what it is. I know that they will continue to do so and I expect the government officials will respect that.”

The incumbents are surprised and blame the mayor. Helloooo! Maybe it's because voters are unhappy about:

1. Their decision to remove the canopies downtown

2. Their desire to spend our tax dollars on a new, unnecessary municipal center.

Nah, must be a conspiracy. After all, the mayor is the former owner of a downtown business and was opposed to the canopy removal.

I'm so glad these clueless dolts are out of office and wish the best of luck to newcomers Roger Lutze, Matt Judd and David Martin!

Saffron's Special Day

The weather forecast says only a 20% chance of rain tonight and it should be cool and windy. Perfect Halloween weather! (You know you're from Michigan if you've ever gone trick-or-treating in the snow, wearing your winter coat over your costume.)

Best of all, today is Saffron's special day. We found her 12 years ago today and, despite her liver disease, she's still with us and doing OK. We are so happy she's here to celebrate her special day with us! Here's a recent photo of us together (don't you hate it when you're sleeping and someone starts taking your picture?):




















And here are a couple of Halloween pics from last year. (She no longer climbs onto the table with the village.)








































Happy Halloween birthday, sweet girl!

Happy Halloween!

It's the second most wonderful time of the year: Happy Halloween! I stitched this for my friend Nathan (click to enlarge):

Beautiful October

After killing frosts on Oct. 9 and 10, temps have stayed in the 50s F (some days going up to 60!). Apparently these conditions, coupled with our cooler than usual summer, have led to a long, beautiful autumn. Even at the end of October, we still have leaves on the trees.

For my fellow Tolkien geeks: it's like spring in Lothlorien! For everyone else, here's the quote:

"There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the eaves of that wood, and it were springtime!" (Legolas, The Fellowship of the Ring).

I took this photo in Davison Regional Park, Fall 2005. It looks about like this now, too!

RIP, Milvina

A memorial service was held Saturday for Millvina Dean, the last Titanic survivor. She was 97. The BBC story includes a short video with highlights from the service and her partner Bruno Nordmanis scattering her ashes "from a small launch on the water of berth 43/44 at Southampton Docks, the terminal from which the ship set sail."

God bless you, dear lady. I pray you are with your parents now and this time you all complete your voyage together. Rest in Peace.

Scream Theatre

I had a blast at the show tonight! The should cell CDs so we can enjoy the Halloween radio show again and again. If you're in the Flint area and not busy tomorrow, catch the show at 8pm at The Good Beans Cafe (810-237-4663). Tickets are only $7 for 1.5 hours of fun Halloween entertainment.