The Husband had a birthday and we celebrated by going to look at a house...and, it's obvious, his resolve is cracking.

The Husband had a birthday yesterday (happy birthday, you handsome devil!) so we both took the day off.

The Husband actually went to spend the night up in the mountains with Man-Child on Sunday and didn't make it back down the mountain until lunch time - which kind of cut into the whole "spending the day together" that I had planned.  But that was fine.

He had actually found a house online, in a very desirable neighborhood and we had made plans with our realtor to look at it yesterday afternoon.  I was kind of shocked that he wanted to look at this particular house; mainly because it was MUCH larger than what we had agreed upon, although the price was suspiciously low for the area.

After getting into the house, I saw why.  The house is apparently in foreclosure.  And while this house COULD be beautiful; it would take a LOT of work.  As in, if we were in the market to flip this house it would have been perfect.

But seeing as we don't have that kind of cash just sitting around we had to pass on it.

I've been watching a lot of home improvement shows on Netflix lately (and by extension, have coerced the Husband to watch a few as well) and even though I KNOW in my heart that we could have snapped that house up, gave it some love (and a BUNCH of dough), turned around and sold it for a very tidy sum; I also know that we just don't have that kind of energy and wherewithal to cope with that kind of project.

But this whole exercise has made me wonder....does the Husband protest too much when he says he is too old to get involved with a building a house?  I think so.  Because why would he be dragging me to look at a house that would require MUCH more energy than a new build?

He's cracking folks.  Slowly, but surely he's cracking.

Now, he just needs to hurry up and do it before someone else finds that particular lot that I've got my eye on.

...and hi, how are you?

Yes, I know....I've not been the best blogger-friend lately.

It's hard trying to blog in this tiny space.  The Husband is right there, constantly asking, "What are doing?  What are you looking at?"  And if he's not questioning me, he is watching whatever he is watching on television and making comments - actually expecting me to be listening and getting miffed when he realizes that I haven't been listening.

Plus, there has been a whole host of other things going on, which I'll share via a list...because who doesn't love a list?

* Still looking for a house.  Or trying to talk the Husband into building a house.  He's still not there yet.  So, in the meantime, we wander from house to house.  I don't even have to say I don't like it; because he pipes up with what is wrong with it long before I can start listing my complaints.  Although, I have asked him on a couple of occasions if he really wants to deal with renovations....so far, the answer has been a resounding NO.  Which makes me wonder why he is dragging this out.

* Work stuff that I can't/shouldn't really talk about.  Let's just say everyone is on pins and needles.  And, despite the fact that I'm not happy about it, I think it will be okay.

*  The fact that work stuff is going on while I'm in the middle of talking my husband into building me a house looking for a house to buy is stressful.  Seriously, couldn't they have waited to have that stuff going on until AFTER I'm settled.  So rude.

*  My dearest, dearest friends in North Carolina are moving.  To Arkansas, of all places!  While I'm sure Arkansas is very nice, and I know their family is there, I'd much prefer if they'd just stay here.  So far, they aren't willing to listen to reason.

*  Man-Child.  Need I say more?  Well, I suppose I should clarify - it's not that he's been in trouble or causing trouble - but he's been here a lot lately (or I've been there) and requiring some attention.  It's a good problem to have, I'll admit.

*  Since I've last blogged, I've been to see 39 Steps.  It was a wonderful play that I enjoyed so very much, if it comes to your local theater - go.  I've also been to see the movie, St. Vincent.  It was a fun movie, that may or may not have had me tearing up a time or two - who would have ever expected that from a Bill Murray movie?

*  My phone.  Dear God, my phone!  You know how much I love my little, smart phone.  Well, it has been quite persnickety of late.  Some days it refuses to charge.  And then others?  It charges like nobody's business.  During one of the days it refused to charge, I took myself off to Target to buy a new cable - because SURELY that was/is the problem since if you even bump the cable the tiniest bit, it stops charging.  After getting the stupid cable home, it still wouldn't charge.  So I took the new cable, the old cable, the phone and the plug in part back to Target where we (me and the guys in the electronics department) all played with it for at least 20 minutes and it still wouldn't charge.  Although, the new cable would charge their phones with no problem.  The Target guy apologized and said the problem was probably with my phone...how can that be?!  This thing isn't that old.  At any rate, I took the phone and paraphernalia home, with plans of hitting Verizon eventually, and - of course - my phone has been charging like a champ.  Until today.  ARRRGHHHH!  So, despite the intense distaste I have of visiting the Verizon store, it looks like I have an imminent visit looming.

*  The Husband is planning an overnight visit to Man-Child on Sunday and I'm almost giddy about the prospect of some quality alone time.  Not that I don't love him dearly...but jeez.  It's getting a little, cramped in here and we could both use some breathing room, I think.

So...that's what's been going on with me for the past few weeks...what about you?  What have you been up to - tell me, I'm all ears.

The Judge

The Husband and I have taken a couple of days off - supposedly, so we can get pre-qualified for a mortgage and house hunt.

We are going to get pre-qualified, as we actually have an appointment tomorrow to do so.  As for the house hunting - so far that has consisted of driving through a few neighborhoods we like and either one of us actively disliking a house that the other likes OR finding one we both liked enough to look at online only to discover that it was too expensive.  So, the house hunting isn't going so well, as I predicted from the start of this exercise.  Which leads me to wonder why we are even bothering to get pre-qualified since we can't agree on a house that is in our price range. *sigh*

We decided to spend today at the movies.  We had decided that we wanted to see The Judge.  As I've mentioned before, it takes a minor miracle to get this man to the theater.  So I consider this a win.  As we were driving up to the theater he stated that we haven't been to the movies in "a while."  I replied that the last movie we'd seen together was Lincoln - well over a year ago.  He didn't believe me but I have the evidence in this post, which is dated February 4, 2013.  As I said, well over a year ago.

Now before I tell you about the movie, let us pause for a moment to appreciate perfection...

In addition to being so easy on the eyes - he happens to be one of my favorite actors, so I knew I had to see this movie.

And, the movie did NOT disappoint.  It was very, very good.  I would definitely recommend it.  And not just because Robert Downey, Jr. is starring in it.

As you may have heard (or read, if you clicked the link at the top) in this movie RDJ plays a big-time lawyer who finally returns home for his mother's funeral - while there he remembers why he has been away for so long.  As he is set to return to his life his father, a local judge, is accused of murder and he stays to discover the truth.

I will warn you, this is a loooong movie - about two hours long - the only reason you will notice this isn't because the movie is boring but because your bladder will tell you if, like me, you order a medium drink only to have a giant BUCKET handed to you.  (Seriously?  When did medium sized drinks become big enough that you need two hands to hold it?  There is something fundamentally wrong with that).

Now, to wrap it up, one last look at perfection...

So, if you have a chance, go.  The movie is great AND it has RDJ in it - what more could a girl ask for?  Except maybe a house...

Let's talk about.... *whisper* Christmas

I know, I know.  Don't throw stones, please!

I get it - it's only mid-October.  And I'll be honest with you, I'm nowhere near ready to start the Christmas season; but...

Today I bought Christmas cards.

And special pens.

As most of you know, I haven't really "done" Christmas cards for the past several years.  First because my card list had grown to ridiculous proportions and after the Husband was laid off not only was I not in the mood, we didn't have the funds for that kind of frivolity.

And then, once we got through the unemployment and were in the process of getting back on our feet (oh, who am I kidding?  We are still in that process) I still wasn't feeling very secure AND we were in the midst of moving.  Needless to say, Christmas cards were not high on my list of "To Do's."

Although, I'm still not feeling very secure, I did find myself drawn to the Christmas cards and pens after stumbling across this website while trying to figure out how to do the chalk sign.

After staring at that page (and, subsequently, stalking every other article she'd written) for what seemed like hours, I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I could pull some of that off.

I know.  I'm insane.

But today, I went through the unbelievably long list and knocked off quite a few names and brought it back down to a more manageable level - both time and financially wise.  And then I bought some cards.  And pens.  Because, let's be honest.  If I am actually going to take the time to sit down and hand write the envelopes and the cards, I'm going to need some pretty pens.

Despite the much shorter list, I figure I better get started now, if I expect to get these darn things mailed sometime in December of this year.

And knowing my creative limits, you might want to wish me luck!

Some days I really wonder about myself....

Today I realized that I have been overdosing myself on generic Claritin; all while thinking I was taking generic Benadryl.  *sigh*

And I had been wondering why I was SO exhausted and headache-y.

As far as I can determine, I haven't done any permanent damage - except to my ego.  It's things like this that make me question my sanity.

How this came about is because I generally buy generic Benadryl in bottles of 100 and I take one every four hours.  One day, in a hurry - as usual, I ran into the store to pick up a new bottle and they didn't have my usual generic brand.  So I grabbed the other generic brand and took off.  And proceeded to take one every four hours, as is my habit.

Oh sure, when I opened the bottle, I was curious as to why there was only 30 pills vs. the 100 and as to why the pills weren't pink - but I didn't do any investigating.

Until today.  When I ran into the store to replenish my supply - only to discover that, once again, they didn't have my usual brand.  So I reached for the other...only to notice finally that the bottle said TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RELIEF!

I put the bottle back and left empty-handed.  Once in my car, I scrambled through my purse searching for my bottle...only to discover that yes, indeed, I had been ingesting the "once every twenty-four hours" tablets three times a day for about a week.

*SIGH*

In other news.  After obsessing over the lampshades in yesterday's post, I determined they weren't right.  (As a side note, the Husband actually asked me if I was obsessing over half an inch...it's like he doesn't even KNOW me!) So I packed them back up, and armed with the actual lamp in question, I headed out early, early (who knew?  This store is open at 9 am on Sundays!) to what is usually the most congested area of our city.  And guess what?  At 9:30 am on a Sunday?  The most congested area isn't so congested.

So I returned the shades and spent about an hour lugging my lamp around and trying on shades until I hit upon something that seemed to work.

Still not the best picture - I never claimed to be a photographer

As much as I liked the barrel-shaped lampshade, I think this lamp needs more of an a-line pattern.  And one that was half an inch longer.

So with that task complete, I turned my eye to something a little more crafty.

I know.

I was just asking for trouble.

In my travels I happened upon a sweet, little chalkboard.  With all the beautiful chalkboard creations that abound on the Internet, I had it in my head that I could do that.

Yeah right.

I tried to create a welcoming message free hand.  Multiple times.  It was a total disaster.  So much so that I was ready to toss the sweet, little chalkboard into the trash and call it a lesson learned.

Then I turned to Google.  Which, of course, led me right back to Pinterest.

According to multiple sites, you can create your message via Word or PowerPoint, print it, turn it over, cover the back in chalk and then place the paper chalk side down and trace the words with a pencil.  This method will magically transfer the message; then you can fill it in with your chalk.

I don't know what I did wrong.  My message was transferred but it was SO very faint that I had to cock my head, squint and pray while I re-traced and filled in my message.

But, despite that, it came out much, much better than anything I could have created on my own.

Although, I did do the confetti free-hand...so that's about the extent of my creative, overdoesed abilities.

Opinions please...

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I live in a home that gets very little light.

This drives me insane.

So, today, while out wandering around I found myself in an aisle full of lampshades and I had a "lightbulb" moment (pardon the bad pun, I couldn't help myself).

The lampshades in our living area are a dark merlot color and all of our furniture is dark.  This coupled with fact that this house lets in very little sunshine means that it is very, very, very dark in here.  Particularly on cloudy days.

So I decided, on the spur of the moment, to buy new, lighter lampshades.  The problem with buying lampshades on the spur of the moment?

The size.

Unless I have the actual lamp with me, it's very hard to determine whether or not the lampshade in question is the right size for the lamp.  But I found a pair that I liked - and looked to be about the right size and bought them.

I brought them home and put them on the lamps - and while I do like them and think they lighten the place up just a tad - I have a feeling they are too small.

But I'm waffling, mainly because I don't want to drive back across town to return them and search for new ones.

So I submit to you, Exhibit A.

Yes, I realize it's not the clearest picture in the world...ignore that.

Focus on the lampshade.  Is it too small?  It should be longer; shouldn't it?

The more I look at it, the more I'm thinking it is...but what say you?  Keep 'em or return them?

Moody and new shoes

I've been pensive and moody all weekend long.

It could possibly have something to do with Man-Child coming home this weekend to celebrate his twentieth birthday.  Maybe I feel the passage of time.  I do know that I love having him home though.  Although, he made a very prophetic statement that stopped me in my tracks.  We were talking about his friends and how they are doing at their various schools when he mentioned that he probably wouldn't be seeing much of them this coming summer.  When I asked why, he stated that a lot of them would be doing internships, etc. and that they (including himself) were getting ready to start their lives.

That could be one reason for the pensiveness and moodiness.  Yes, they are starting their lives.  And moving on.  And although it's a proud moment it's also one of profound sadness - as in the mom days are definitely over.  I need to find a hobby.

I also watched a bunch of angst-ridden, 80's movies this weekend; much to the boys chagrin.  That definitely could have something to do with the mood.

Or it could just be plain, old PMS.  Although, can you call it PMS when you are, apparently, in the beginning stages of what seems to be perimenopause and you are fifteen days past your start date?  I suppose that too could be a legitimate reason for the moodiness.

On the bright side, I did discover something wonderful this weekend though.  Higher-waisted skinny jeans!  I love, love, love skinny jeans.  What I do not love is the fact that until recently you could only find them in low-rise.  This drove me crazy.  I was constantly pulling them up and we won't even discuss the obligatory, no way around it, muffin top that happened when one was seated.

I love these new jeans so much that I bought two pair.  Although, I am thinking I should have bought them a size smaller....even if I did feel that they were a little too tight.  With the spandex they put in the jeans these days they tend to get a bit baggy toward the end of the day.

And then today, I realized that I was still thinking about these shoes after two weeks so I went and bought them.

I admit it.  I am in love with them and have a feeling that I will be wearing them often.

Ah well...tomorrow is a new day that will be kicked off with new shoes.  That's bound to turn the mood around, right?

Wanting...and the very hard art of waiting

I am ready for a house.  My house.

I know I shouldn't complain.  This townhouse is very nice...but it's not mine.  I know that good things come to those who wait...but still.

Pinterest and Houzz are exacerbating the matter in that, no matter how hard I try not to look, everywhere I see houses and projects and ideas.  And then I look up and remember that I'm not in my own home where I could paint the walls, the cabinets, the whatever.  Where I could replace two of the ugliest light fixtures I've ever seen.  Where I could rip out those poor, sad looking Nandinas and the pitiful Hostas - which are singed and burned because they were planted in full sun - near the front door and replace them with some of my favorites.

Despite the fact that there are things I could do - temporary things - I don't want to because I know we aren't here for the long term - but yet, I don't know how long we will be here.

The houses we've seen are ripe with possibilities....if we wanted to outlay the cash to renovate them.  And to do that would mean they would have to give the house to us.  We've yet to meet an owner that is willing to do so.

I still think we will build, eventually, but the Husband is continuing to entertain the idea while resisting it at the same time.

In the meantime, I sit here - wanting - all while reminding my self to be patient.  I tell myself that by rushing the process I will end up somewhere that I don't love.  I tell myself that the house isn't as important as the people who are in it...but...still....

I want a house.

NOS4A2...a book review

I read this book about a week ago.  One night, I actually had a nightmare, which all credit goes to the book.

I recall thinking, as I was reading, this guy is good!  Good enough that I might have to list him right up there with Stephen King....

Well no wonder.  Tonight, as I was researching the book online (since I gave the book to Man-Child to take to school) I discovered that the author, Joe Hill, is none other than the son of Stephen and Tabitha King. He's done his parent's proud.  Although, this leads me to wonder just what the conversation must have been like around that dinner table!

At any rate, this thriller is a must read.  The heroine of the story, Victoria (aka Vic) has an uncanny ability, aided with her trusty bicycle, to find things - no matter how far away they may be.

One day she goes looking for trouble.  And she finds it in Charles Talent Manx.

Charles has created "Christmasland."  And he finds children and transports them to this "magical" land where the children can experience his version of Christmas every day.  Vic was able to escape Charlie's grip once and her life was changed forever.

But, as with most unresolved issues, eventually they must be faced.  And after a hard life, Vic finds herself once again seeking out Charlie and Christmasland all in effort to save her son.

So if you are looking for a good, scary read this book is for you.  As for me, after reading some fluff to rid my mind of the scary, I will be seeking out other books by this author - because he is that good.

My Husband Thinks I'm a Genius....

I know!  I'm as floored as you are!  But it turns out, he only thinks I'm a genius because of this one, teeny-tiny, completely common-sense thing I said to him.

But, apparently, this one, teeny-tiny, completely common-sense idea absolutely astounded him.  It struck him as the most glorious idea that had ever been spouted.

Something, that I have ALWAYS done.  And he's just never noticed.

It all began as I was emptying the dishwasher.  The very same dishwasher that he had thoughtfully loaded earlier.  One of the chores he dislikes - but will do - is emptying the dishwasher.  I don't mind emptying the dishwasher, if it's been properly loaded.  Which, it never is, unless I load it.  But I think that is probably pretty much the same for everyone; we all have our own ideas about how the dishwasher should be loaded and that's fine.

But, just so you know, I am THE master at loading that dishwasher and I have it down to a SCIENCE...so my way is the best way hands down.

Be that as it may, this particular evening I was emptying the silverware caddy and I mentioned, in passing, to the Husband, that if he would load all the like spoons into one section, all the like forks into another section, all the like knives into another section, and let all the random silver go into the remaining slots that removing the silverware would be a lot less tedious.

I said this in passing, never really thinking that he would actually hear and process this information.  Much like he has never heard or processed other bits of wisdom I have passed onto him.

But hear and process he did.  Because for the next three times he emptied the dishwasher, that he himself had loaded, he proceeded to proclaim that was a GENIUS idea.  And every single time since, that I have emptied the dishwasher that he loaded, I find all the like silverware separated into separate slots.

Now, if I can only convince him that to listen to few of my other common-sense nuggets, then maybe this house would run like well-oiled machine.  But so far?  It hasn't happened.