We Passed the Test!

In hopes of finding out who actually reads our blog, we thought we would post some major news and wait for the response. The rest of the slackers who don't bother to keep up will just be out of the loop for a while! (Yes, we have told our parents...)

Final Walk-Thru at Brookshire

We did our final official walk-through at Brookshire today. We were surprised to find a white kitchen sink. It was never presented as an upgrade option, but we just sorta figured it'd be stainless with the stainless kitchen package. Not so. Upgrading to the SS sink is an additional $1,150, so I think we're going to make do with white for now and change it later ourselves. Cheaper, plus I can pick what kind of sink I want, rather than accepting the single model the design center makes available (a 50/50 split one, which isn't my favorite anyway). Other than that, we LOVE how the tile, granite and cabinets flow together, and the "rain" glass in the doors is really pretty. Now we just have to decide what to put up there that looks nice ... boxes of Rice-a-Roni and cans of Vegeburger just don't seem like display items.

So that's it. We pick up the keys Wednesday. Gosh, it's been forever, and yet it went by so fast. Weird. Just like life. We were planning to paint this weekend before we move in, but because there are a lot of drywall things that have to be fixed, we need to hold off on painting til they're done. That could take up to 30 days. So, we'll finish packing this week and plan to have the movers come either Sunday, Monday or Tuesday next week. Our friend Chad is going to go in with us for the move since he lives close to us and is in the unit below at Brookshire. Convenient. It won't be a 50/50 split because he has less stuff, but every bit helps (both of us!).

The master bathroom vanity. We're really pleased with the way the marble, cabinets and tile flow together. I can't wait to start moving things in; it's like the first day of school � exciting!

The "Great Room." Can't wait to get the furniture in here to see how it works! The carpet is whiter than I remember, so we'll have to get a really colorful ottoman and some fabulous window coverings, then decide what color to paint the walls. Those elements will totally change the room.

Michael and MeeRa

Michael and MeeRa came over Sabbath so we zipped over to Malibu for some beach time. The weather was perfect and the dolphins were feeding near the shore, so it was a delightful afternoon (followed by a gluttenous supper at our favorite local Mexican restaurant...yum).

Wonder who lives in those houses?

Light as a feather...

Giddy-up!

The Most Recent

Seems like I haven't posted in a long time, but not because things aren't happening. I guess I associate posting with photos, which I haven't had many of lately. We've been shut out of the condo until the final walk-thru, so I don't have any new pics of that.

We signed our loan paperwork today. I can see how, for people who don't regularly deal with loan documents, it would be a really intimidating process. But since I see many loan packages as a notary signing agent, this deal was old hat. I knew where to look in the fine print to see what I wanted, where to sign this and that document, etc. Very easy. So, we'll find out our walk-thru date when we stop by the sales office Sunday; we are scheduled to "close" on Wednesday, Sept. 27. WOW.

We successfully completed day 1 of our yard sale. Sunday will be the big day, I'm sure. We sold a bunch of the big stuff (laundry machines, elliptical machine, BBQ and patio furniture) to friends, which is great, because we can keep using them until we move and not have to handwash clothes for three weeks. That would suck.

The bad thing is that since we paid 1.25 points on our loan to buy down the rate, we're getting back about $4K less at closing that I originally calculated. Bummer. But so goes it.

In other news, Ken is doing great in school and enjoying it. Even a shock to him! I still love my job and Brady is doing great. In fact, he just did a "poopy dance" and sang a song with daddy. Good times.

We just got back from a big meat supper at Bandits. I had prime rib and can now feel my arteries hardening as I type. And all my energy has gone to my gut to process this gluttonous meal, so I'm ready for bed and it's only 8:25. Oh well, I got up two hours earlier than usual this morning, so my body thinks it's 10:25. Sure. That sounds good. OK. Goodnight, then.

It's been a year since I worked with the 15 Hands Rescue Sanctuary and its associated projects, so it was a treat today to get out to their new facility. I did a trail-by-fire orientation to working with one of the groups from Casa Pacifica. It was a lot of fun, despite the freakish heat. So I think I'll be going out on Friday afternoons for the next eight weeks to help with this series of groups. This photo is the view from the barn area overlooking the Conejo Valley. Our (current) house is almost smack dab in the middle of this photo at the bottom of that hill in the distance. Cool; kinda like being in an airplane.

Went to visit Michael and MeeRa at their new house in Loma Linda last weekend. The house is really cute and in a nice neighborhood, so I'm sure they'll be really happy there. It was wonderful to see them again (I think we haven't seen them since the wedding May 28). Ken ended up getting sick, so he didn't go over with me. He's looking forward to a visit sometime soon.

Wasting time...

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. waitress at a steak house in Destin, Florida
2. secretary in the journalism dept at Southern Adventist University
3. magazine editor (one in Sacramento in the late 90s; one in LA area now)
4. in-house graphic designer at a copy shop in Sacramento

B) Name 4 movies you would watch over again
1. Liar, Liar
2. Bruce Almighty
3. Ace Ventura, Pet Detective
4. Mrs. Doubtfire

C) Four other places I have lived:
1. Niceville, Florida
2. Collegedale, Tennessee
3. Pohnpei, Micronesia
4. Sacramento, California

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy (ask again next month after the season starts)
2. Prison Break (though it's getting pretty far-fetched this season)
3. Bringing Home Baby (pretty much everything on TLC)
4. Oprah/Dr. Phil

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Hawaii
2. Germany (young, so I don't remember much)
3. Nebraska
4. Guam

F) Websites I visit daily:
1. Google.com/iWon.com personalized homepages
2. Yahoo! Answers
3. Craigslist.com
4. CostCo.com (I'm addicted!)

G) My favorite foods (in no particular order):
1. Thai (massaman curry, anything with rice noodles)
2. Italian (all of it!)
3. Chinese (spicy eggplant, curry tofu)
4. Everything else (I'm a pretty easy eater, unfortunately)

H) Four places I would like to be right now:
1. Nebraska (haven't seen my best friend in TOO long!)
2. Florida (haven't seen my other best friends in TOO long!)
3. Scuba diving someplace tropical (Pohnpei, Caribbean, Fiji, etc.)
4. Exploring someplace I've never been (Australia? Asia?)