Seasons Change

We're in the heart of summer right now, but everything is changing around me so I feel kind of like a kid about to start a new school year.

We're about 80% settled into the new house, and everyday it seems like we need to buy or do something new. This weekend we need to get a lawn mower, some gardening odds and ends, and I want to buy some more paint so we can finish decorating and hanging pictures. The whole family (kitty and puppy included) are loving the new house. It's exactly what we needed. Enough space without being too much upkeep, outdoor space for the furry children, close to work and businesses we frequest, and on a quiet street. I've even discovered two little shortcut paths from the cul de sacs onto the main road into the neighborhood. Makes dog walks and bike rides a little more direct.

Speaking of bike rides, I rode my bike to work this morning for the first time. I made the fatal error of trusting Google Maps and not questioning the seemingly insane route it chose for me. My penalty was riding my bike through thick woods on a single tire track filled with tree roots and often severed by "No Trespassing" signs and homemade fences. I was just waiting for a bear to jump out and grab me or a homeless person or an angry property owner with a shotgun to jump out at me. OK, so it's not exactly wilderness or the Mat-Su valley, but it's close enough to make me feel uneasy. I was not pleased and was certain I was lost. Luckily, after some gathering of courage, I pushed forward and wound up on the Coastal Trail near work. Yes, it was a "shortcut" but you know what they say about shortcuts.... Anyway, I took a second look at the map and found there's a non-bikepath residential road that nearly parallels the insane path I took this morning. Same mileage, etc, but less scary. Then I could always go the long way that I'm very familiar with. I guess that's what I get for being adventurous in the morning before work!

Speaking of work, my co-clerk finished up her time here yesterday. Now it's just me until the new clerk starts but I have no clue when that is. I thought it was today (?) but apparrently not. Maybe Monday? Anyway, I'll train him and then my own replacement before moving to the Superior Court on September 1. I'm feeling very ready to move forward to new tasks and a new routine. By this time next year I can imagine I'll be chomping at the bit to start a permanent position, I just wonder what that'll be....

After a health scare and a trip to the ER last Saturday, Leigh is feeling pretty good. She was getting dehydrated so we took her in for fluids and some quick meds. She'll go in for some tests on Monday morning. Hopefully this will lead to answers and some long term care for her, which will be both a huge relief health-wise and money-wise.

For my own health, I've been eating very well and watching the numbers go down on the scale. So far I've lost 10 pounds since my initial visit with my endocronologist. This past Monday morning I went in for a second round of blood tests to see how my meds are working out. I really hope my triglycerides are significantly lower so I can stay on these meds. They're fairly affordable with my insurance and easy to take everyday. Next I'm really hoping to find a good cholesterol/insulin resistance medication to take care of those problems and help me achieve more weight loss. My current plan is to lose as much weight as I can through dieting alone, then integrate some weight training to build muscle. This seems to be the most effective way to see significant changes without plateauing or getting frustrated. Plus I can keep an eye on my body fat percentages and overall weight easier if I'm not packing on heavy muscle at the same time.

The only other news is that we've allowed Cannelle Puppy to drop out of puppy school. The class was just too big for her to get a lot of attention and we felt we've learned enough about how to teach her things to work with her at home. It seems silly, but we're more likely to work with her at home 10 mins per day than to make an hour long class after a long week of work and errands. Oh well, c'est la vie. She's a great puppy and a smarty pants, we just need to stay on her and she'll turn out just fine.

Well, that's the news this week. I should get started on the file sitting on my desk....

First Week at Home

Today closes our first week living in the new house. We love it here. It's so much bigger than the places we've lived during the past two years. Not nearly as big as our apartments in Buffalo, but those were actually too big for us and they weren't as functional. This house is the perfect size and layout for us to have personal space without feeling lost and the place is updated to the point of being extremely comfortable without being overwhelming or overdone. Best of all, the kitty and puppy love this house! They can get away from each other when they need to, play in the yard for exercise and bathroom breaks, and hang out with us when they care to be social. It's perfect for all members of the family.

Our first week here has been sullied, to use an old fashioned term, only by other life concerns. I have been following a strict, low triglyceride, diet for about 3 weeks now and have seen some outward changes. As of Tuesday I had lost a total of 8 lbs since my last doctor's appointment, but put on about 2 lbs yesterday due to some indulgence at a work luncheon and a dinner out. Hopefully I can shed that 2 lbs again this week and a bit more on top of that. I'd like to break into a new weight range before my next doctor's appointment. I've also noticed that when I eat heavier foods with more saturated fat, etc that my tummy gets a bit upset and I can feel some slight cardiovascular differences. Basically, my chest will feel a bit tight and sometimes I get a tiny shooting pain in my biceps and forearms. Maybe I'm just imagining that part, but eating lighter foods that won't spike my cholesterol and triglycerides generally makes me feel better than not doing so, though I'm often tired from failing to find healthy protein sources.

Leigh's health has been deteriorating since we came back from Virginia for her father's memorial service. When we initially returned home she became very ill, but we assumed it was brought on by stress and travel. She got some antibiotics and started feeling better for a few weeks. Then last week she became very ill. The only trigger I can recall is a very spicy dinner we had. Maybe that caused an overall flare up or maybe it's just coincidence and she was "due" for some pain and suffering. Either way it's been really hard on her. Good thing she has some appointments and tests scheduled soon. We are both eager to get her on a good treatment regimen so she can get back to her old self.

These health concerns have put a small damper on the new house. We haven't really broken the place in at all yet! The kitchen is still in disarray even though Leigh has been looking forward to setting it up for weeks. We haven't had the time or energy to move our clothing into the closets and we have only used Leigh's new grill once! Travesty! But this is what happens when you're busy with work, medical stuff, puppy school, errands, etc.

We even had a relative visit this week for a few days! Leigh's grandmother was traveling through town on a bus tour, so we made as much time as possible to spend with her when she wasn't busy sight-seeing. She seems to be having a wonderful trip and it was great to see her. We were really happy to be able to show her the house she helped make possible and we were proud to know how much she's enjoying her visit to our new home. On multiple occasions she said, "well, I can certainly see why you like it here so much!"

I can't express how glad I am that it's the weekend now. I need some down time, though I expect I'll use every minute of my weekend to get things done. Tomorrow I have an appointment and we MUST do some shopping for the house. We don't even have a kitchen garbage bin yet! Then there's endless unpacking and tidying to do and, of course, laundry. At some point the puppy could use some homework time (we're learning "stay" and "wait" now) I could REALLY use a nap!

Speaking of naps, it's about my bedtime.... a la prochaine!

Moving Day

Last Thursday was our closing day on the house (!!!). After two months of anticipation and stress, we were literally biting our nails all of last week waiting for Thursday. Not only were we very excited to get our keys and such, but also because nobody had bothered to calculate our actual down payment until Wednesday afternoon. After MUCH back and forth about it, calculating numbers as much as $1,200 in any given direction, we were finally given an amount MUCH MUCH higher than mentioned ever before. It turns out that the geniuses at the mortgage company made the loan for an amoutn $2,000 less than needed because they failed to calculate our earnest money properly.

The end result was choosing between our $2,000 earnest money or insisting that the mortgage company go back and fix things, which would delay closing by as much as 3 weeks or so. We decided to take the path of least resistance and just pay a larger down payment. Instead of the minimum 3.5% for FHA loans, we ended up paying more like 4.46% down. The $2,000 difference is tough for us right now because we're between paychecks and had hoped to have a cushion, but ultimately we are just happy to be in the house.

That night I decided to take a personal day on Friday to finish packing the apartment and oversee the movers. This was the best decision I could have made! My stress levels reduced significantly by being able to spend the morning getting organized, loading up the car and keeping an eye on the pets. The movers were amazing and had our place cleared out in under and hour. All of our boxes and furniture were piled up in the new house within 2 hours of the guys starting at the apartment! Needless to say, they got a nice tip for being so mindful of my time and money.

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning the old apartment for our subletter and making the new place functional for the coming work week. We also made a run to Lowes to buy some paint and basic items. So far we've mostly set up the kitchen and arranged the furniture, put the bed together and set up the dressers. The bathroom is functional but we're not completely moved in yet. I've been really focused on priming and painting the spare bedroom so we can arrange the furniture and start enjoying that room. By this evening it will be painted a calm yellow color called "Beeswax." We also really need to focus on getting boxes unpacked and our clothing arranged so it's easier to get dressed in the morning. At this point it will likely be a few months before things are exactly as we want them, but that's OK. Setting up our first house is so much more fun than moving into apartments!

On the health front, things are looking good. I've been vigilant about eating foods that I can metabolize properly and avoiding foods that will cause my triglycerides and cholesterol to spike. In the meantime I've lost a total of 8 pounds since my last doctor's appointment! I need to lose quite a bit more, but this is a good steady pace of weight loss so far. I will need to go into the lab this week or next to have some bloodwork done and see how my medications are working. Fingers crossed!

More From the Home Front

After yet another house-buying hiccup, it seems we are finally ready to close! The ONLY item we have left to provide to the mortgage company is the re-inspection, or post-repairs, documents. This will just tell the mortgage company that the requested repairs were done properly so that the house is worth the mortgage amount. Hopefully that will be done by the end of this week. We will also get to do another walk-through to approve the house and the seller wants to show us a few odds and ends including where the garden perrenials.

So that's a nice turn of events! I was getting so stressed out about this process. It felt like no matter how on top of things I was with getting documents and money together that I was always falling behind. Using an FHA mortgage made the process even more complicated. This process has taught me a lot though. First of all, it's always better to buy a home with your own money rather than gift money. If you MUST use gift money, it's better to have it in your own account for several months prior to applying for the mortgage. This cuts down on paperwork. Finally, it's best of all to get a non-FHA mortgage because less paperwork is required. All you have to do is show that you have the down payment and good credit and voila, there's your house!

So we've been doing some Craigslist furniture shopping and basic packing. This weekend we need to really rev things up and finish the packing. Movers are scheduled for Friday July 15! In the meantime life is continuing regardless of the house process: things at work are getting a little busier for several reasons and my head is in the clouds about moving and being a homeowner. I'm also daydreaming about life after closing. We've spent the whole summer buying this house and dealing with medical issues, so we haven't really had any fun! First order of business, after moving in, will be a weekend in Homer with the puppy dog. We could use a weekend away, a change of scenery and some camping time. Most of all, we're excited to watch Cannelle the Puppy play on the beach and maybe dig for Razor Clams!

Well, I should get to work!