Be less critical of others (especially my husband).

Learn to play my banjo at a beginner level (goal: 2 songs, able to do rhythm accompaniment to guitar)

Lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday.
Complete Couch to 5K program.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
Do 10 push-ups most days of the week.
Find a yoga class I like and attend class once a week.

Eat out no more than once a week.
Eat more vegetables (goal: 4 servings per day). Potatoes do not count.

Unpack all boxes in my house (except for seasonal clothes and decorations).
Give away all unwanted and unused items.

Consider all purchases more thoughtfully (especially clothes).

Spend more time with my grandparents.

Re-open Blue Swallow Handmade.

Check in monthly on all goals to assess progress.

Item! That new house I bought? Still infested with boxes! Most of the boxes are quarantined to the den (i.e. invisible unless you are standing in the laundry area), but we still have an extra fridge in the breakfast nook instead of a table and chairs. Fortunately, I'm off work until January 5, do I'm hoping I can put a dent in some projects in the next week.

Item! We have a new bird living with us! Molly is 15 years old and we got her from a retired couple who didn't feel safe letting her out of the cage due to aggression issues with the wife. Seamus can handle her, but she spends most of her days inventing new ways to try to attack and possibly kill me.

Right now, I'm giving her space and trying to win her over with treats.

Item! Guess what I got for Christmas?

Oh yeah, Seamus got me A BUNNY! He doesn't have a name yet, but I'm thinking of calling him (or her? we don't know!) Speckle because of the tiny white speck on his otherwise black nose. He's very playful and rambunctious and poops way more than anyone so small has any right to.

Item! I think I'm getting a promotion. My bosses are telling me different things, but I'm hoping the biggest boss is right and I'll be getting a sweet 18% raise in March. Given the changes that are being made to my responsibilities and schedule starting in January, I feel like I SHOULD be getting promoted.

Item! The end!

From some of the reactions here at work, you'd think that Obama had announced his plans to start personally knocking on doors and taking away their paychecks.

- woke up late
- rushed to a doctor's appointment
- got blood drawn FROM MY HAND (not recommended, it hurts pretty bad today)
- got the mail
- updated my Google Calendar with all the weddings I'm attending in the next 2 months
- called about an Amazon we might be adopting/fostering for a while
- browsed sofas online
- made some noodles with tofu and snap peas for lunch
- went to work, dealt with several "emergencies" that had been put off by everyone else in my department until I got there
- BOUGHT A HOUSE
- ate some Taco Bueno with Seamus and watched an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- returned to work, did all of someone else's work that they were nice enough to leave for me to get in trouble if I didn't complete
- worked an hour late
- came home, did the dishes
- took a sleeping pill
- finally went to sleep at 4 a.m.

Didn't close Monday. Still no roof inspection. Apparently there was a storm or something and all the insurance people are still assessing the damages?

OH WAIT. Remember Hurricane Ike? That was it.

The sellers are being assholes about it and were threatening not to give us a week extension to get the proof of insurability inspection that we need to show the FHA. (After wrangling most of the morning, they finally agreed to give us until October 6, but warned us NO MORE!)

The listing agent is saying, "oh, they're nervous that you're going to back out." Why would we back out? I mean, we came over and scraped and painted the stupid house. All day. On our only day off together. AND we bought the materials because the seller threw away his leftover paint. How more serious can we get about it?

Also, the house was on the market for over 50 days before we came along. What's 7 more days when you've already been waiting 3 months (50 on market + 30 since our offer)? It's not like he's waiting to sell it so he can move out of town. He's a skeezy real estate speculator who just moved into his own brand new McMansion or whatever (I know this because they threw away "our" paint during the move).

If they get assy with me again, I'm going to tell them to go fuck themselves and give me back my $500 earnest money deposit.

Then, in 30 days, when the house is still on the market? I'll go make them an even lower offer than what we already negotiated. I guess they haven't noticed that there's a little issue with liquidity in the credit markets right now, which might make it a teensy bit hard for unprepared buyers to get loans.

Since I got home at 11:30 tonight, I've seen 2 enormous roaches and a rat.

Suddenly, moving doesn't seem like such a horrific ordeal.

The day has come where we have to choose a home warranty company for the new house. I've been looking over the brochures the realtor gave us for weeks, and really? They all look pretty much the same.

Does anybody out there have a home warranty? (thesetiredeyes, you have one right?)
An awesome home warranty company that provides great service?
Especially a company that offers an annual premium around $400/year? (since that's what the sellers are obligated to pay)

I'm thinking we need it to cover the washer, dryer, fridge, dishwasher, oven, range, range hood as far as appliances go. And then the plumbing, electrical, heat, A/C, ductwork. Living in a 50 year ond house, this warranty thing should be kinda beefy, because I'm sure that something is going to go wrong...

Suddenly, I am in a state of sickening near-panic because I just realized that the house we just bought is on the opposite side of town from the nearest decent baguette.

(for reference, we are currently within walking/biking distance of 3 excellent bakeries)

Like, "it's nearly 4 AM and I can't sleep and I just had to take an anxiety pill near-panic." Not like "oh, oops, guess we'll just have to drive across town whenever we need good bread since baguettes are a one-day-fresh item."

WTF, self?

Know what's near my new house? Drugstores. That's a plus, I guess.

The inspection is done. Final purchase price and seller concessions are negotiated. We're waiting on the lender appraisal and shopping for insurance and we close on the house in 2 weeks!

I took my camera with me to the inspection and took a few pictures of my favorite features.




Check out the whole set on Flickr for layout notes and comments. I forgot to take any of the backyard, but it's nice, too. Needs some work, but has a lot of potential... half sunny, half a shady wooded grove, plenty of space for a patio, garden, hammock/relaxing/reading area, and some lawn to play bocce with friends!

Am I the only one who is absolutely disgusted by people who joke about eating their birds? I understand that they're frustrated with the birds for being loud or whatever, but I find this very disturbing and sickening.

It makes me literally nauseated to see this crap, and it's happening more and more often on that community.

1 can Veg-All
1 can beans, rinsed and drained (I used white beans)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 can tomato paste (tiny can)
2 bullion cubes (or not)
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning (or whatever herb is in your pantry)
1/2 tsp fresh pepper
salt to taste

Combine water, bullion cubes, tomato paste, Veg-All (including juices), beans, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning in a medium pan. Bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes or until you're ready to eat. Add pepper and salt to taste. Serves 2 generously.

This was simple, filling, light, and tasty with oyster crackers. Other recommended accompaniments include: grilled cheese sandwiches, saltines, cornbread, toast.

Kitchen:
Pale, buttery yellow.
Rich, soft aqua.
Punches of bold fire engine red.
All with silver (chrome, stainless) accents.
Black and white checkered floor.

Living room:
Sandy tan.
New spring leaf green.
Tigerlily orange.
Robin's egg blue.
Rich, deep chocolate and espresso browns.
White and pale cafe au lait paint on the walls.

Bathroom:
Emerald, mint, and kelly tiles.
White white white linens and mats.
Punchy orange accessories.

Bedroom:
Soft teal-y robin's egg.
Medium-creamy coffee (latte instead of au lait).
Sweet, soft yellow.

Guest bedroom:
Palest blushing pink (I'm suddenly into pink?).
Ashy deep charcoal grey.
More pale, buttery yellow.
French blue.
Stark white.

Other bathroom:
Funky fake-bake tan tile.
Brick tile trim.
Texas summer sky blue (circa July---weathered and washed out).
Gonna have to test some paint chips on this one... That fake bake tile is more nightmare than dream.

Much as I hate to move, I cannot WAIT to get started with landscaping and painting and arranging and NESTING UP A STORM.

The house contract executed today!

I have to take my earnest money check to the title company and schedule any inspections TOMORROW!

OMG!

Holy crap, this means we should start packing... Shit. I hate moving.

The sellers received our offer today.

They countered our initial offer with a number on the low side of in between their price and our offer. I accepted their number and then countered back asking for $2000 toward closing.

They said they'd give us $1000 toward closing, but were tapped (the agreed price is $6000 less than their reduced list price) and couldn't do any repairs.

But our final price is putting us at $58/square foot. Repairs I know about: garbage disposal doesn't work. Sick tree in front yard. Needs a a few new shingles. Nothing critical that we can't save up for a while to fix later on.

We went and visited the house today and walked the yard. I'm thinking raised vegetable beds, a koi pond, a brick patio... So many projects!!

Tomorrow, I get with my lender to do the financial part.

OMG YOU GUYS. IT'S FINALLY MAYBE GONNA HAPPEN.

Yes, Christmas. Already. This year's goal: 90% handmade gifts. An early start will be required to have any chance of meeting this goal without the INSANITY of last minute crafting.

The exceptions are for family members under the age of 15. They can have store bought stuff because they'll appreciate it more. But only educational toys.

We're still brainstorming what we'll be making. To be honest, I will be doing most of the making, and I will be teaching some skills to my very non-crafty husband. He can help this year, and then next year he'll be doing more of the work himself.

So far, we'll be making
- soap (FROM SCRATCH, not melt and pour crap)
- hats/scarves/socks
- lip balm
- homemade liqueurs (presented in recycled, decorated bottles)
- homemade candy (this was very well received last year)
- sweet curried cashews and pecans (a huge hit last year)

And maybe
- handmade picture frames (this will be entirely Seamus's project)
- beer bread mix
- caramelized onion jam
- balsamic syrup

I need to start checking supplies (yarn stash, soapmaking stuff) and shopping/stashing containers (little boxes and bags, pretty bottles) as well as testing recipes when this freaking weather cools off enough that we can have the stove on without wanting to kill each other from the heat.

No photos because both cameras are out of batteries, but too good not to share.

1 pie crust
3 eggs
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup milk
freshly ground black pepper
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 onion, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Heat the oven to 425 F. Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium low heat. Add butter or oil, onions, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and allow the onions to cook, stirring occasionally, until deep brown. (There is a good tutorial on caramelizing onions here.) When thoroughly brown and soft, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, lay the pie crust out in a tart pan (regular size is 10 inches, I think), folding the excess edges down to make a doubled edge crust. Place the pan and crust in the freezer. Thaw and drain the spinach.

Mix up the custard: whip the cream cheese until soft and loose. Add the milk a little at a time so the cheese doesn't lump back up. Then add the eggs and whip it all until it's a homogeneous mixture. Stir in the spinach.

Remove crust from freezer. (You can pre-bake the crust at this point if you want, 15 minutes with some pie weights ought to do it.) Spread onions and half the feta over the bottom of the crust. Pour in the spinach custard. Sprinkle the remaining feta over the top. Bake for 30 minutes at 425, then cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6.

This quiche could be made even easier by omitting the caramelized onions and stirring some finely minced garlic or chopped scallions into the custard instead. Quiches are good refrigerator cleanout foods. I use this basic custard mix (3 eggs, 4 oz cream cheese, 1/3 cup milk) with whatever might need using up. Carrots, potatoes, greens of all kinds, cheese, broccoli, tomatoes, anything goes so long as it's already mostly cooked or needs very little cooking. That's what makes leftovers so perfect in quiche.

Favorite combinations:
- dill, potato, cheddar
- oven roasted tomatoes, pesto, cheddar
- broccoli and cheddar (add a tiny bit of mustard and garlic to the custard)
- asparagus and swiss
- carrots and thyme
- ricotta and herbs (ricotta adds moisture, so adjust baking time accordingly)
- potatoes and rosemary
- sauteed zucchini and chevre
- sauteed mushrooms with thyme

This quiche also holds up well without a crust. Just don't use a removable bottom tart pan.

It appears that by severely curtailing our restaurant meals, I have saved over $600 this month. This is $600 IN ADDITION to my regularly scheduled savings.

There has to be a math error somewhere in there. Or maybe I've missed some bills? I hope not, because an "extra" $600 floating around will make home ownership (and the bigger bite it will take out of our budget) much easier to bear.

Newest house prospect.

PRO:
+ awesome vintage sliding storage spaces
+ built in cabinets in one living area = perfect craft room
+ perfect craft room also has tile floors for easy sweeping and a picture window onto backyard
+ covered parking
+ awesome exposed beam ceiling in living room
+ breakfast area in kitchen would be perfect for a little banquette
+ nice sized yards
+ huge closets everywhere
+ original tile in bathrooms
+ master bath is GREEN TILE
+ new paint and carpet (hate carpet, but won't have to do any work)
+ cool modern architecture
+ good floorplan
+ good sun in backyard for garden space
+ pecan trees
+ sweet, quiet established neighborhood with tons of old trees
+ tons of cabinet and countertop space in kitchen
+ space for regular washer/dryer (not stackable, which I'd have to buy)
+ 1 interior built-in planter, 2 planters on front of house
+ 4.4 miles from work (currently live 12 miles from work)

CON:
- in great shape = less bargaining room
- kind of higher than we'd originally wanted to pay for our first home
- electric range (may be plumbed for gas)
- sick tree in front yard
- stupid big hedges in front of house (which are obscuring an awesome fieldstone planter) have to be removed, which will be an enormous pain in the ass
- barking Rottweiler mix and pit bull in the back neighboring yard
- needs several ceiling fans
- big house = big utility bills
- lots of old people in neighborhood could cause instability
- opposite side of town from the independent restaurants and businesses we prefer to frequent

If we pay the buyer's asking price, our monthly payments should still be under the 25% net income target that I had set. Not much under, but still under. For the foreseeable future, we'd have to stick with our minimal restaurant meals and minimal discretionary spending habits that we've using to save money. That said, this house is of a size and layout that we could still live there comfortably with 2-3 children and 3-5 birds. That means we can not worry about moving (barring major career changes) for at least 10 years. In 10 years, the payment on this house should seem very low after career-related income growth and the fact that Seamus should have a grownup career by then and be making comparable salary to mine.

I think this house would be easy to own. We wouldn't need to paint or replace floors or anything until we were good and ready. And even then, we could just pull up the carpet a little at a time to replace it with tile or wood flooring. I also think it's a better deal than the last house we offered on (which, incidentally, we're the backup on) because no major remodels would be required. The last house needed to have both bathrooms plus a utility room remodeled and a major overhaul to the kitchen. So, in this case, we'd take on another $10-15K up front and then only have a few smaller DIY-type projects later on down the road.

Considering this is the 5th house we've offered on, I'm not holding my breath, but this house is different, so we might have a better chance. It's not a fixer, so there should be no investors hovering around, and it's not in a super hot neighborhood, eliminating the extreme competition.

http://www.ifoundahome.com/Search/Graphic.cfm?vuid=2646082

+ big lot
+ terraced backyard could make for awesome landscaping
+ room for a garden (with good sun exposure)
+ beautiful street
+ architecturally interesting
+ spacious living/kitchen/dining area
+ front porch with skylight
+ decent trees
+ good, central location near upscale shopping and FANCY neighborhoods
+ LOTS of potential

- no mineral rights
- some cracks in front steps and lava rock facing on front
- weird tiny hot tub left behind (this could be a + if it works)
- on a steep grade, which may create foundation issues
- unprofessional remodel done to turn a utility room into a bathroom
- stackable washer/dryer in other (not the former utility) bathroom
- bad, cheap tile (all rooms)
- weird ugly tile (bathroom)
- bad paint
- out of date fixtures and cabinets and appliances
- older A/C and water heater
- no garage doors, garage gets western sun
- kind of out of our price range
- no landscaping (not even grass in some places)

It's been on the market for something like 150 days. So, being as I am my mother's child, I think I'm going to make a hopefully-not-insulting lowball offer on it. The house needs to be completely redone---landscaping, paint, new flooring, new kitchen, plus a professional remodel to unscrew the totally screwed up bathroom/utility room situation. We're talking a pretty hefty chunk of change. BUT we've talked about it and with the space and neighborhood being like it is, it's somewhere that we think we could stay for a substantial length of time and just renovate as money comes available.

Plus, I've looked at the comparable recent sales for that neighborhood, and they're asking way too much for that area. Houses with substantial updates (and no horrible decor issues) have gone for $10/sq ft less than they're asking.

Our realtor gets back from vacation on Saturday. I'm going to see what she thinks about the line between hard negotiating and totally insulting and then we'll decide accordingly.

Hiatus. The power cord to our laptop broke a few weeks ago. Again. As we have been too lazy to set up either of our 2 desktops until this week, we have been without internet for nearly a month. Seamus's iMac is now occupying a corner of the coffee table until the laptop cord gets replaced or until we move to a new house and set up an office (whichever comes first).

House. We made an offer. Someone else made a higher offer the same day. Our offer became a backup, and then later became irrelevant because the other people bought the house. We're going to look at another batch of houses tomorrow, including one that may be too expensive and another that may be in a shitty suburb-type location (i.e. nothing to walk to, no sidewalks, no independent businesses nearby).

Accutane. Month 1 is complete. Pimples are down, cholesterol is up. The dermatologist increased my dosage on my visit this week, so I'll be starting on the higher dosage as soon as I finish the pill pack I'm on (later this week). As yet, no sweaty eyebrows or hair loss. In fact, the other night I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and thought that my skin looked suspiciously beautiful and radiant. I was too far away from the mirror for the dry skin flakes on my nose to be readily apparent.

Work. I got a weird meeting request from the big boss's assistant asking me to go to lunch with the big boss on September 4. Sources close to big boss suspect that this is a "getting to know you" type intelligence gathering mission on big boss's part to try and figure out where I will best fit in her organization. Considering big boss has already felt comfortable enough with me to ask for book recommendations and to explain the difference between transvestites and transsexuals, I feel that I am in no immediate danger.

Play. Seamus and I have blocked off some time at the end of the year to take a vacation. I'm thinking December 26-January 6 or so. I'm thinking Paris. An apartment in Paris. And celebrating our first married New Year in my favorite city on earth. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of introducing S (who has never been out of the US) to international travel.

Money. The cost of this trip will set us back a little on our housebuying savings, but I'm hoping we can find a house where we'll get the seller to pay a significant portion of our closing costs and then take advantage of the $7500 IRS Tax Credit that is being offered this year to replenish our savings or to invest (as it is an interest free loan). Speaking of investments, how awesome would it be to own a little apartment in Paris and rent it out most of the year, but still be able to go stay there whenever you wanted? I'm adding that possibility to our "future investments" list.