Bummer

I typed a whole blog post this morning and I guess I forgot to post it. Oh well. This blog won't write itself. Today I just finished putting the grout in for the front entryway tiles. It is going to look great when it's done. As for now, it is a little hazy. That will go away. The next room will be the bathroom. Unfortunately we have to get our stuff out of there to lay it and it will be a very cramped second bathroom. For now it is ok... because we haven't moved anything yet.

Today we may sell the neighbors car... part 67. Hettie's Aunt and Uncle are interested in the car now. They will try to come over this afternoon to see it and determine whether or not it is a good investment. I can only show it to them and hope for the best. If it does not fit, then it was not meant to be. I am hoping to finish up my job or today in a little while. Time to get to work.

Me

Tile today

Starting to put in the rest of the tile. It should be quicker this time. The tile in the kitchen had a lot of corners to go around. The entryway, is square. Piece of cake. As long as I follow directions. I hope to get it done this morning. Then we'll have the rest of the day to relax. The bathroom is going to be another project. I'll have to make sure we have taken out all the stuff in there before laying the tile down. Then we just have to suffer through the little garage bathroom all three of us!!! I can do it and finish quickly. I just want to do it right. I am excited to see how it all comes out. When the tile is done in those two areas, we'll be ready to start on the wood. Everything is coming together nicely. Soon we'll have a finished house. One day at a time right?

Yesterday, we rode our neighbors bikes up to Ozona and back via the Pinellas trail. It is beautiful, and very safe. I like going up there. That is the first time we did that for that amount of distance. I can certainly feel it today in a lot of muscles that I don't remember using recently. It is a good soreness though. Now there is talk about getting bikes again in the near future. Since we are close to this kind of trail, any day we get the time, it makes for a wonderful trip. Time to look for some used cheap bikes :) Salvation army here we come.

Talk later
me

BACK TO NORMAL!!

Finally. Maybe selling the neighbors car today. We will see what they say about the initial offer, and how things will pan out. I don't think it will be accepted, it is far lower than what they need. They will probably negotiate. Still praying for our pastor and we hope to see him today feeling better.

The best thing we can hope for today is a good time with the babies and getting back in time for the Geek squad. They will be performing their yearly checkups on the computers. It will be something that we need to do to make sure we keep them in working order for Hettie's work. Good to do before we go out to AZ. That is still coming up down the road, but it is always a good thing to do preventative maintenance.

All in all, we can keep our schedule open and relax a bit. Happy Sunday to all.
me

What a weekend!!!

We have been anticipating a few things to happen this weekend. Hettie can finally get her facial done today. That is the first thing. We get some more time with our cats in the Humane society. Can't wait!!! I am also excited about possibly selling the neighbors car for them. They have had such a time with this. There are potential buyers that keep flaking on them. It would be nice to see someone actually come out to see the car. I think if I can just get them to come by they will want it. The neighbors are needing the money for their aspirations to start a new chinese restaurant. We hope all goes well for them. I am wondering what their food is like. We always like smelling their house from here each evening. They gave us some homemade spring rolls yesterday when I went over to tell them the news of the latest vehicle prospect. It had been interesting trying to explain how people are not coming or that they change plans. The language barrier is a tough one because the parents don't speak english. The kids do. If the kids are not at home, it can be interesting conversation.

We will be going to Sam Seltzer's tonight for Michelle's birthday party with the fam. Happy Birthday Michelle!

Tomorrow we are going to church in the morning. The sermon may be interesting. We heard that our pastor hurt his back yesterday. He was in some serious pain, and we are all praying for him. We'll just hope to see him at church. Other than that, I think I covered everything.

PS We need to exercise patience about the house. It could be as far in the future as July before we hear anything. We will be fine.

Love you all
me

we'll just try this...

I have been trying to fix the kinks in the system, and so far no good. I will just try to type it out. I think if the problem area is not on the page, then it may right itself. We will see. I hope that is all.

The kitchen is coming along nicely. I have one section of counter and cabinet done. I have one more coat of paint to go on the wall next to it to finish touching up, and then it will be ready to hold all the appliances again. As soon as that is done, it will look much better in there. I know the rest of it will call for a day off on John's part. He can't be here to help all the time, I only know it can be more than a hassle for one person. I have to connect the corner pieces before putting them on the cabinets. This happens to be the one that is 10 feet long, and the little one together. I was able to maneuver the 8 foot piece by myself. I am sure the weight is not a problem. The only trick is how it is awkward and I don't want to break a $100 piece of wood. Help is welcome! Soon enough it will be done.

I want to start on the rest of the tile now! I need some thinset. I may just go out to get some and finish up the tile projects. Then we can start the wood. We have had some extra time lately. Most of this time has been spent job hunting. It is not that we presume we will get this house in Tarpon. I think it is because we want to be prepared in case we get it. I am praying that God doesn't think we are trying to change what he wants for us. I know it is his will to guide us in the right direction. I feel we are doing what he wants us to do. We can only try and if it is what he wants for us, it is how it will end up. Anyway, time to finish the paint.
me

Getting somewhere

I am starting to gain some ground in selling the neighbor's vehicle. I have had a couple bites this weekend. For some reason, the people flaked yesterday... Just a little pet peeve. If we are going to flex our schedule around to help out with these things, I would hope to get a call from those that said they would. Anyway, I can't expect complete strangers to have the same feeling toward punctuality. I am still trying to fix this blog, it is starting to upset me too. I will just take some deep breaths and work on the cabinets today. When they call, they call. If they don't, oh well. I can only expect to be here when I can.
me

Counter Offer

Here is the situation. They came back with an offer to us for what they can afford. Apparently, they need to have almost their entire purchase price to sell this house. They are up to their ears in debt. It makes for an interesting negotiation. I should say, lack of negotiation. We are trying to figure out what God wants us to do about the offer. We know what we can and cannot do. The purchase price is not the problem. The real problem comes from not knowing the taxes or the insurance. We keep calling companies and they tell us they can't start new policies. The only company that does is Citizens. There is a problem with this. Each agent we have spoken to, gives us a different quote from citizens. They have differed in the amount of about 2000 a year. This makes no sense, and I am certainly frustrated. We have been praying for clarity on the prices, and patience on our part. That makes for a very tense weekend. We are not stressed, just frustrated and waiting. Hopefully all will work out by Monday.
me

Taxi?

Grandma has an appointment this morning. The doc office says they will be able to call when she is done. I'm going to be on call to get her home on time. I worry about her, she will be in there for 3-4 hours. I can't go with Hettie this morning to school. :( It's ok, we'll be back together after our duties today. I might even finish up the test counter. Looking good so far. Odd jobs today, but it will get done. Take care all. I'll be on later
me

Test run on the countertops!

I am being bold and a little impatient this morning. I decided that we should really just go forward with the first part of the project. I am learning slowly what is holding this counter up. Some parts are only held together by thin pieces of laminate. Other parts are nailed about 20 times in a 3 inch square. I'm not entirely sure the last installer knew what they were doing. Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon. So far so good though. I think I set up a good base for the new top. I am just finishing what I need to do before cutting and placing the new one. Good times!!! I love this stuff. Sometimes I wish other people could be here to share in the fun with me. Right now, Hettie is the only lucky bystander. I think she would rather me be done with everything now. But she is a great support system. She has put up with so many different messes in the house and she keeps going. I know how much these things bother her(and me), and I want to finish it so she can have a clean room to go to. There is no doubt that the project will be a success. Time to go back to work!
me

Technical difficulties

I am sorry that I could not post yesterday. I am trying to figure out all the problems I got on here. Right now i'm just posting to see if it will work this time. Yesterday was the first day I missed a posting since starting the blog. I think it might work this time. Any way, the day yesterday was really good. We got a chance to visit and look through the house built in 1910 that we absolutely adore. I think the price is reasonable and I will get a chance to do some handy work to keep the house up to date. So far, it seems to be in excellent condition, we will need a couple of inspections to ensure the structure is sound. I am getting excited about it. The town is quaint and the home has so much character that it would be a shame for anyone to change it at all. We are talking to our agent to be sure she gets all the details ironed out. We may be able to put in an offer soon!!! I pray we do. God will let us get what we need. Pray for us!!! We need to get this house:)
me

I am thrilled to be a part of another website that will help to contribute to the finances in the house! What did I do? I signed up for Pay Per Post. I can get into this by really speaking my mind about various products and services that I believe in and make some extra cash. What could I possibly do with all this dinero? I think I might just pay some bills. I am happy to be getting into some more interesting things and also the opportunity to make money while attempting to be creative. I may be lacking in the funny-business department, but I will learn and grow. I am already enjoying writing a lot more. I hated to read 12 years ago! What is wrong with me? Bad genes? Maybe I am just messed up. I can take my messed up butt all the way to the bank now, woo.. hoo...

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Church Banquet

For those of you who haven't heard, we had our fundraising banquet last night for New Beginnings Church. The fundraiser is for us to actually own the building. The whole thing has been a little stressful for our church community and we need to have some guidance. Hettie and I have to pray about how much we are going to contribute to this wonderful cause. There will be a second banquet soon for a lot of businesses in the area to try to get some more funds beyond the congregation. I think we will find out before this Sunday how much we can afford to offer. Since finances are tight, it will be interesting to say the least. We know that God will provide what we need, and we are sure that he wants us to stay in this location. The church community is helping out so much already in such a short time. We didn't expect half of the number of people in the congregation that we have and it really is a blessing. Especially since the church has very little leadership in the few short months we have been around. We are excited about the fact that this place will be a cornerstone in the community, and it is already showing amazing promise.

These next few weeks will finish up Hettie's prerequisites for nursing school! I am so proud of her! It will be great when we go to school together in the Fall. I need to utilize my GI bill and get a lot more schooling under my belt. The benefits will far outweigh the strains we will go through in the short term. I keep thinking of our Family, and how we will provide for them. It is going to be an exciting time. God is urging us on with our goals and we will achieve them in due time. That's all for now.

me

Stupid, Stupid, Song!

I am hating Dunkin Donuts right now! They have some new commercial out that has left an incredibly addicting song in my head. I don't like it at all. I need to listen to somehing else soon just to get my mind geared toward something else.

On a happier note, today we will be attending our fundraising banquet for the church. Our church needs to raise money to buy the building and make sure we can continue to hold our services there. I think there will be a couple of banquets. One is for all of the congregation and their families. The other is reserved for local businesses to pledge donations. I hope there is a good turnout.

I like the fact that we are able to relax and have a nice day today. We'll get some more studying in today and work on a few minor projects. The next step is going to proceed after a brief consultation with our friend about the counter tops. I did some more research and I think it may be easier than I anticipated. Still, I want to be sure. There is no sense in doing this job incorrectly. I like the color of the new counter tops. They are a laminate top in a design called "labrador". They do not look like dogs, it is just a name. Anywho, time to check the other emails. Suu you all later.
me

Terrible Tues...

Today is nice outside, grey skies and all. I love the fact that the weather calmed down for us a bit. We received over 4 inches of rain a couple days ago. I think it was nice. Now we have the after effects. Mosquitoes have decided to come out in battalions. The worst thing is, they find me tasty. I would prefer to remain anonymous in the mosquito nation, but alas, I am not. I think today will get better though. The forecast is nice and I will put on bug spray. Other than that, the beautiful wife and I will be here and enjoying the rest of our day. Time to plan and relax. Back rubs all around!
me

Why is Monday a relief sometimes?

I have no doubt in my mind that I am happy for it to be Monday. Why? There is nothing special about this day other than the fact I can be with my wife today. That is why it's so special. I almost panicked when I thought we would be late for school... hmm it's not Tuesday, so I breathe a sigh of relief. It has been a quiet morning. I am busy getting things straight here for my next jobs in the house and would like to be able to get started. The major stress is gone and we can go at our pace. This time is a good time to let everyone know what is up.

The dogwash was interesting. Lots of really nice people there and great food. The church service was very nice too. We were not in the nursery, so I guess we go next week. Things got a little mixed for the first time in a year. I think we can roll with it. Now it's time to just prioritize and get things checked off the list one by one.

Item one: Countertops
Item two: Cabinets
Item three: Tile
Item four: Move Furniture
Item five: Wood

This will be our reality over the next few weeks. We can also squeeze in other odd jobs and errands. All in all, no stressing allowed. Sounds good to me.

Life is good and we don't have a stinky dog now.

me

Relief... in the form of building materials.

I can relax and enjoy the new projects. By the time I get to the wood for installation, they will be well acclimated to the house. I am very excited about the projects coming up. I have some new problems to work out with the installation. I need to figure out how to best put the pieces together. It will be like a big puzzle. Since I enjoy puzzles, I think it can be a very relaxing time. The biggest issues will be where the furniture goes in order to make room for the empty floor space. I guess we need our thinset for the tile, then I need to get a consult from a friend who specializes in countertops. Then it's off to the races!! Setting up a timeline with priorities will help to break down the immense amount of work.

We have the nursery this morning so we get to spend time with the little ones for a few hours. This afternoon, we are praying for no rain. Allie needs a bath so she won't be stinky for another month. There is a dog wash in town we would like to try. They cancel the event if there is rain. I think Allie is looking forward to it too even if she doesn't like baths.

Still wondering about what is going on with houses here. Are we supposed to wait? Are we supposed to jump a little quicker? The other house we liked is on the block right now. I would like to at least see it. We are wondering about what God wants us to do. He has led us to a couple of houses recently. I find it strange because we have not been seriously searching. Then out of the blue, these homes that are exactly what we want, are coming into the picture. We should just keep watching and see where we are led.

Almost done....

We picked up a lot of the flooring materials yesterday. Hopefully the rest today. So close. It really is exciting. There are boxes getting acclimated in the house right now. I think that the anticipation of the event is much worse than the work to be done. So we have been through 7 months of anticipation. Now with all of these materials, we need to install. I'm going to put out a short message today. I have no idea what to think or say.
me

How would you like to improve your life?

What can be a part of your busy lifestyle? You have work, family, house duties, extracurricular duties, and even fun time duties. When did having fun, become a chore. Why do we have to plan a good time. If we want to go on a trip, we have to plan right. It takes a little bit of the fun and excitement out of the vacation, when you make it something you have to do. What about going out to eat? Do you have to fit it in to your schedule in order to go? Is there something you could do before you go, maybe something you could drop off on your way home. Why is everything a chore?
The answer lies in spontanaety. We have spent the past year filling up our schedule with some wonderful things that make our lives more meaningful to us. The hospital, for example, I am going to this morning for a few hours. Is it fun? Of course it is. I love the feeling I get by helping others who can't do what they need for a simple doctor visit. How about the Humane Society? We'll be there tomorrow. Our love for animals makes it a wonderful time for us to connect with them and make them better pets to go to a loving home. I seem to have very little free time. I didn't even mention church, school, or work. The lack of free time is not a problem at all. I love my schedule and would hate to have to change it.
We have brought up the idea of what to do with our fun time. Coming from a scheduled background, both of us have a hard time not scheduling things. This becomes our only real problem. How do we just go with the flow? We have been doing these things so much, it makes it hard to change our ways. I love my wife with all my soul. I want to make her happy. I want to surprise her and do nice things for her. How do I go into surprises without scheduling and make them memorable. I need to keep up with being a good husband. I think that is very important. I want to take advantage of our other free time to be the husband she deserves. I just don't want us to follow the agenda. I may have an answer but I have to try to implement my ideas when we have free time.
To improve our already wonderful lives, I want to be sure I do what I can for my baby. She is my best friend and deserves all the love I can offer and more. I just need to be there for her and continue trying. I will figure out the best way someday. Till then, we can continue to be wonderfully scheduled, because these things keep us grounded. And there really is nothing more fulfilling we can do with our time now. I love you sweetheart.
me

Wood Floors!!!

Guess what? It is actually going to happen. The flooring materials were delivered to the store in St. Pete. Thank God he came through for us. Now we are setting up a time to go pick up all of the materials and we will be installing soon. I may have to re-read the installation instructions. I know we are all excited here and we can't wait to get this thing up and running. Today is another lab day. While Hettie is in class, I'll be checking out the local farmers market. I want to see prices and quality of the produce. I think today will include a stop at the Sears essentials store for a new power tool. I may have to go to Lowes too for a couple items for our countertop installation. Lots of things going on, but it is a lot of fun and very exciting to get started on all of the new things.
Working at home is probably the best thing we could have ever decided on. I am really enjoying being close to my bride and we are looking into doing some part-time work for a vet clinic. She needs hours there for her vet tech degree. It will be a good way to get some extra money too. I think it is a very good time for us. God has been blessing our lives so much lately, I feel a little guilty about how well off we really are. I think we can keep doing what we are doing to keep in his good graces. I know we can do more. We are being led and it is wonderful.
me

Gaining cents in my site.

I am getting happier by the day. Today is going to be great. No school today, so I will have more time at home with my baby. Working to put together online businesses is frustrating at first. After a few days though I think it will just be routine and easy. I am trying to be sure that I have all my bases covered before going in and screwing it all up.
WOOD DELIVERY!!! Yes today is the day. If the truckers strike does not affect the delivery. I certainly hope it doesn't. The wood should be there today sometime. We just have to figure out how to transport it back home.... We will most likely be enlisting more family labor. I hope we don't get disowned at this rate. The floor project has been an ongoing PITA since we only have tile in the kitchen. The whole fiasco started about 8 months ago. Too long. Lets get it done. I'll be happy when it is over.
Hettie and I saw a beautiful home in our price range... It is apparently next to some chemical plant though... Have to look into that though. Need to see the property before ruling anything out. We really want to see it since it is bank owned and it is priced about 125000 under appraisal. Makes me think the area around it might be pushing the value down. Need more research. Time to go, I have to keep up my work for this site if I want it to move faster. Can't get paid on pennies a day you know. Catch you on the flip side.
me

Trying the online stuff

I figured it wouldn't hurt to get paid for some other things while I spend a little time online. As of today, I have made about 16 cents. I know it isn't much, however, it is a lot of fun seeing that time spent online can pay you back. I am looking into as many things as I can in order to try to make some extra income. I am still posting on sites that pay for writing. I don't think I can write too well, that may be a setback for me. Most of all, it is just fun to have a different creative outlet while I have time at home. I am really happy to be here and spending time with my wife. We are expecting the wood to be delivered to the store tomorrow. I need to get in touch with them then to see when it gets there. We'll have a little trip to move it all and then we can finally start installing the floors!!! It is about time. This has almost been a pipe dream since August. We can't help the fact that Home Depot didn't come through. I can only find comfort in not giving them business again... ever. I will patronize Lowe's and Ace. Time to get ready for school this morning. Until next time.
me