Thursday, February 02, 2012

On Permanent Hiatus

In case anyone is actually stopping by here any more, I wanted to let you know that I am officially retiring Life in the Dish but haven't given up on sharing with the interwebs. You can find me over at The Dish on This (just down the block and across the street). I wanted to change gears a bit, and it felt too awkward to do it here. (Plus the place is really dusty after all this time sitting vacant, and "dust" is a four-letter word. We don't use that kind of language on my blog.) So, I got me a shiny new blog for all of my big ideas.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Facebook Effect

I noticed in horror that it has been nearly three months since I updated the blog, and I have only one excuse, one torrid addiction to blame. Facebook. The little quips throughout the day, the immediate interaction with friends, the reading of others' quips en mass in short order. Oh, it is like yummy Internet Nirvana.

And it makes me neglect you, dear blog.

Of course, it doesn't help that I get these grandiose ideas about what I should be writing. Follow me as I cook dinner! Best shopping deals! Do it yourself! Vacation on a budget! My kids are awfully cute!

You get the idea, too much to say at one time yields utter silence. Oh, that and moving. Yep, we finally get our wish and in another month we will have a new address. Woot! And OMG I have to pack all of this stuff. Gah!

Add tracking my move in more detail that you ever needed in life to the list of things I should be blogging. Yeah. It doesn't get much more exciting.

Or perhaps I will spare you. In any case, don't stay away for long because I will be back in force. Really.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Nearly Done

I have to say that there is one fantastic thing about having a really short Christmas list this year (besides the ease on the pocket)--I'm nearly done with it. I'm one of those annoying people who wants so much to have just the right gift to give. Of course, I also want to find the bargain of the century.

I absolutely detest the Black Friday stampedes (not to mention that I am NOT and never will be a morning person). So, I buy a little of this, a little of that, and just stash it away throughout the year (with recipients in mind, of course). Being the slightly scattered person that I am, I have been known to forget that I have bought certain things. Or perhaps forget where I put them. Um, yeah...I do that sometimes, too. In fact, while I was clearing up a big closet in the attic, I found a whole collection of Christmas gifts I bought a couple of years ago. As you might imagine, that find put me ahead of the shopping curve for the year...and is not at all an indication that I am really a scatterbrained pack rat.

Nope. Not me.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

On Patience

It seems that our lives have become a rerun. The house has been on the market for about six weeks, and the traffic has dropped off to less than a trickle. In the first three weeks, we had six showings and an open house with 10 visits. Pretty fantastic given the time of year and the location of the house. And then...nothing. But we were encouraged by the initial flurry of visitors. Then, the house that we really want was relisted with a lower price. The price that we were going to offer in the first place if we had been given an offer on our house. So, we decided to take the gamble and throw out a contingent offer on the place at full price. They accepted with the modification that they would still be allowed to market their place. Fair enough (so to speak). So, now we wait. And wait. And wait some more.*

To give our place another kick in the shorts, our agent held another open house. Eight visits on this one, with one person so excited by the house that she made a second appointment immediately to return with her husband. Who...of course...isn't as thrilled with the house (she still loves it, BTW).

The overwhelming feedback is that we do not have a master bath (no, we don't), the people want larger bedrooms (ours are neither huge nor small), and they did not like the street (something you could check before the showing, no?). Most people have one of the three as their negative, except for one couple who wanted to have all of the above. In our price range. Laughable, unless you want to have a lot of work to do on making the house livable. Ours is move-in condition.

Part of me is really happy that we have done so much work that the only things that won't work for people are the things we cannot change. The other part of me wants to know where the 2010 version of us is hiding and when we might actually take a walk through the house and fall in love with it. Essentially, our only issue with the house was the street, and we decided that we loved it enough that the street was not a deal-breaker. Still isn't. It's the commute that is killing us slowly. So, if someone said that they really didn't like the commute, I would commend them for figuring it out from the get-go. Instead, I ponder whether placing my daughter's plastic potty in the bedroom counts as en suite facilities.

Speaking of which, the other life happening that forces me to channel much patience is Boudica's refusal to go on the potty. At home. She will happily go "pee pee potty" at school, and doesn't wear a diaper all day while she's in that building. But if I bring her home sans diaper, I get rivers of pee on my floor. No, to be more exact, on my BRAND NEW CARPETING. {sigh}

Today we may have crossed a threshold because she asked to pick out a toy at the store and told me that she can't have it until she goes on the potty at home. Ok, kid. Let's see how much you want Polly Pocket as your playmate.

*For those about to suggest that we bury a St. Joseph to sell the house, I've already done so. He's been hanging around for the last two weeks, and in that time we have actually transitioned into no showings whatsoever.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Whirlwinds R Us

Big news first--Mr. Moo came home from the hospital three days post surgery and hasn't skipped a beat (HA--*beat*) since. In fact, it took all of my energy to keep him from hurting himself as he did have a sternum that had been wired shut and all. But we are past the point in healing where he has any restrictions, and he is proud as punch to show anyone who happens to ask about the surgery his "line."

And thank you to all who sent prayers and good wishes through the whole process, it really meant the world to me.

Now the grand event du jour is that we are actually following through on those big expensive plans that I was musing about a while back. If all goes well, we will have our house on the market by the end of next week. Holy scary (and exciting) as hell Batman. The main tipping point of the whole decision was really the horrific commute that we would be able to cut down tremendously with a relocation. From 2.5 hours RT to more like 30 mins. Yeah. It's really that different. So, I will get 20% of the commuting time for the low low price of only 200% of what our current house is worth. But what's another zero between friends?

I will try to be better about posting so that I can share the whole saga as it unfolds. But for now, I have a big box of toys to sort. And tomorrow I get to ponder yet again what kind of crazy person put all of this crap in our house.