Remember how I said that I had a life changing event in April? Well I'm going to just say what it was because most of my friends and family know anyway. I was engaged. Wedding planned. Dress purchased. Vendors hired. Save the dates about to go out. And in April that all ended. Broken engagement. Wedding off. Dress hanging in the closet. Vendors cancelled. Save the dates put in a box never to be sent. And maybe I am dumb, but I didn't see it coming at all. I thought all was well with the world and that we were ready to get married. Apparently I was. He wasn't.
And so one day I was engaged and preparing for a certain life. And the next day I wasn't and I didn't really know what life to prepare for then. And so over the last 8 months I have learned my new life. I have been really brave, really strong, and really patient. But I want this blog to be honest. And tomorrow is the day that I was supposed to get married on. 12-1-12.
I am trying not to dwell. I am trying to stay busy thinking about other things. But I can't help but wonder, what if? What if were still together? What if tomorrow my last name was changing? What if I had never met him and where would be life be now? Uh.
My friends and family have been beyond amazing during this whole time. Whether it is a note, a glass of wine, a phone call, or just simply a hug, they are trying to make me feel better.
People say that I will find someone else. I hope so. I pray so. But I wonder, is it possible? I live in the smallest town on earth. The "new" people I meet are my 7 year old students. If there is a plan for me to get married one day, it is going to have to be God's plan because my plans just haven't worked out. I hope he has a plan for me. So I hate to be depressing, but sometimes it is really hard to be strong.
Have you ever just been tired of being strong?
Friday, November 30, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Moving in!
Project: Garbage Disposal Installation
Guest Team Members: Rick & Bryce Hupe
On Tuesday, my friends Rick, Chris & Bryce Hupe came to assist with the garbage disposal installation that my dad couldn't figure out. Rick has a background in plumbing so he is a great friend to have! Rick & Bryce worked away while Chris and I did what we do best: chit-chat! The garbage disposal was an easy install (At least I think it was. There was no cursing so I assume that means it went well. But maybe the Hupe men don't curse when frustrated....).
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| Bryce holds a light for Rick |
During the installation I commented to Chris that we have been hearing this running water sound and we thought it was coming from the water heater. Her plumber's wife recommendation was to just turn the TV up louder. Chris asked Rick about it later and he heard it too. He immediately determined it was a LEAK IN THE PIPES!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh. Disaster. Tragedy. Panic.
Superhero Rick jumped into action!!!!!!! Within seconds Rick was opening up my crawl-space to find the leak. Luckily, the hole was right where the crawl-space opened. He tried to turn the water off from the inside, but that didn't work. In a FLASH he was outside opening up the manhole in my front yard and turning off the water! Crisis temporarily averted. He said he would be back tomorrow to fix the problem. Chris assured me that it was not a big deal. But this was the same person who told me to turn the TV up louder, so I wasn't sure her advice was safe!! I spent all night imagining a huge hole flooding my entire house.
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| Rick turns off the water while Bryce assists with a light. Chris supervises. |
Project: Fixing a leaky pipe
Guest Team Superhero Member: Rick Hupe
On Wednesday Rick and Chris came back. Rick--superhero of the century--came with all his supplies. Rick got into the crawl-space and sawed and welded and did whatever he needed to do to fix the hole. New pipe was installed and he turned the water back on! There was a little water in the crawl-space but we got the leak early so no damage was done! Thank the Lord! (Really I did pray a prayer of thanks!) I was very thankful for my friends to help me out because the bill was $17.20 and not $100s! I am paying him in cookies for the next 2 years of my life, but that I can handle. THANK YOU RICK!!!
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| Rick is UNDER MY HOUSE! Fixing.... |
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| See that tiny black speck at the base of the L? That was the hole that nearly flooded all of Bryan! |
Project: MOVE-IN
Guest Team Members: Uncle Bill, Caleb
Team Members: Mom, Dad, me
Remember how I said I am all moved-in? I am. This means that my room at my parents house is EMPTY except for a shelf of books. It's eerie. I have slept, read, ate (oops, not supposed to), did homework, read, played, laughed, and cried in that room for 19 years. And right now it's empty. My daybed is at my new house. My desk is at my new house. It's weird. Many of my friends have married and moved into houses and apartments of their own, but few have had to empty out their childhood bedroom. Trust me folks, it is a bizarre experience.
The move has been slightly hindered by the fact that my parents are falling apart. My mom's back has been hurting her. My dad, while getting off of a ladder on Tuesday, stepped off a ladder and heard a snap in his foot. He is currently in a walking boot and in a lot of pain. (Note: This did not stop his Black Friday shopping
My Uncle Bill and cousin Caleb helped get my very heavy dressers and desk down the stairs. They are such hard workers! Not a complaint was uttered! Thanks Uncle Bill & Caleb!
Packing tip for drawers in dressers that do not come out: Take the contents out by drawer and put in separate box. Label each box like, Drawer 1: Sweatpants, Drawer 2: Underwear, etc. Even if the box is not full, don't be tempted to put more things in it!! It will mess you up!
So right now I am organizing and making lots of trips to Walmart for necessary items! Pictures soon, promise! (I get my faster internet on Thursday so that should help!)
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Weekend 2
Team members: Dad, me, and Uncle Bill
*Uncle Bill is JUST wonderful! Not only does he bring tasty treats, but he is super helpful and great!! We got so much done because of him.
Projects completed this weekend :
-Colorful, children's fan taken down in the exercise room and sold!
-Brown fan above dining area taken down and moved to guest bedroom
-White fan from guest bedroom taken down and moved to exercise room
-Gold light fixtures taken down from hallway and bedroom and replaced with new silver/glass dome fixtures
-Chandelier hung over dining area
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| Dad & Uncle Bill hanging the dining light. Dad was practicing sitting up and standing from the table as Uncle Bill held and adjusted the light. It was rather comedic. |
-Almost all the trim is painted white in the bedroom. The windows (yes they painted the windows the mauve color too!) might have to wait until warmer weather, because my dad doesn't want to paint them shut.
-Baseboard/kickboard in kitchen painted black
-Walls in kitchen are painted
-Cabinet "base" is painted (Not the doors though, does that make sense? Doors are in process. I am taking pictures of each step and am going to post all of those at once.)
-Refrigerator handle switched from the left hand side to the right hand side. (DID YOU KNOW THAT CAN HAPPEN!? It's just a freezer on top and fridge on the bottom kind and you can switch the handle and hinges so that it opens the other way. Definitely an option for those that don't like the way your fridge opens! Now people won't be able to see inside my fridge from the dining area/living room. Which is good, I don't want people to steal my food!)
-New locks installed on front door and back door from garage to kitchen. Still have one more to do on the very back garage door, but that entire door needs replaced.
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| Uncle Bill installing some new locks! |
-I did LOTS of moving. I moved 3 entire carloads of my things. I have occupied my bedroom here at my parent's house for the last 19 years. And apparently I am a pack rat. I cannot believe the amount of things I stuffed into that room. And no I can't part with it all. I think I threw away a few things, but for the most part this is stuff I want. If anyone wants to go through my scrapbooks with me dating to the 5th grade, let me know. You can come on over and I'll provide the wine! My clothes are still at my parent's house as am I. The kitchen has been unpacked a little bit. You can see the progress since the cabinet doors aren't on! :)
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| My baking supplies! Mom was thrilled that it cleared an entire shelf out of her cabinet! |
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| My "open-concept" kitchen... |
-Added sheet of thin sheet of stainless-steel beside stove where there was originally wood. The wood would have made it hard to clean. My dad just cut it according to size and nailed this on! (Picture below)
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| Before |
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| After! |
I met the neighbors! Well one of the neighbors, I already knew because I graduated with their son! I re-introduced myself when he came into my yard with his lawnmower and leaf collector. Yep, that's right my neighbor took care of all of my leaves in the front yard! THEN, he got on the roof and cleaned out the gutters! I didn't ask him to; he just did it! How lucky am I? I owe someone some cookies! I also met the other neighbors who welcomed me into their home and whom I had a nice chat with.
We did have a slight hiccup. Everything went so well with the lighting and the lock switching, but then we decided to paint. I had this great idea to paint one of the walls and the adjoining hallway a nice plum color...purple. The rest of the living room would be a nice slate grey. I imagined it to be quite lovely. WELL, sometimes things don't look the way we imagined them to be. I picked a color that was dark purple but not too dark because I didn't want the hallway to look too dark. The color was WAY TOO vibrant and bright. It looked like a color in a sorority house bedroom (I know, I lived in one that was hot pink!). We went to Sherwin Williams to see if they could make it more neutral and they couldn't. Of course this makes me forget all of the GOOD things that happened this weekend and I am in tears. I know it's only $27 of wasted paint, but still TWENTY SEVEN DOLLARS OF WASTED PAINT. You know how they say don't cry over spilled milk? Well I was crying over wasted paint. My dad was trying to comfort me and offer solutions but I was just too upset to hear any of it. I really don't like it when things don't turn out how I envision/imagine/dream of. It's happened before and I am sure it will happen again but it is just a little crushing.
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| Dad painting the purple accent wall. As soon as the paint went on he said, "Now THAT'S a color." He continued for about 3 more minutes before I decided that this purple was no good. |
I know, Marjory, get over it. Find a new color. Paint it the same as the rest of the walls. Just move on. Get over it. But. I. Can't. I still want a plum/eggplant wall/hallway. But I am still worried about it being too dark in the hallway. I am thinking of going and getting those tiny little paint samples of plum and just painting in a few different places in the hallway to see how it looks. Anyone else have any ideas or color thoughts? How big of a deal is it if the hallway is dark?
So right now we are at a standstill. My least favorite thing.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
"Learning" how to paint
So apparently I have gone 25 years without properly learning to paint a wall. Who knew? So far my dad has been doing all of the painting and hasn't let me do anything! (Whose house is this?) Anyway, I've been assigned cleaning/organizing/prep work but today I ACTUALLY GOT TO PAINT. Now I will tell you that the section I painted was behind the fridge and will never been seen by ANYONE, but still I painted!!! Today [we were working on painting the kitchen walls. (No the cabinets are not done, but the project manager {i.e., Dad] said we were painting the walls. I just follow directions.
Here were the tips I learned:
-Push hard against the wall with the roller
-Move in the same direction (vertical or horizontal) for one coat and then switch to the other direction for the second coat
-If you get paint on the trim (who me?) it can be wiped off with paper towel if you are quick
-Look for drips and correct them ASAP
-Get a good amount of paint on the roller; don't be stingy
-Don't talk while you paint; it ruins your focus......
Got in my run today AND I got a free pizza lunch because apparently it's some week honoring teachers! Go teachers!
Here were the tips I learned:
-Push hard against the wall with the roller
-Move in the same direction (vertical or horizontal) for one coat and then switch to the other direction for the second coat
-If you get paint on the trim (who me?) it can be wiped off with paper towel if you are quick
-Look for drips and correct them ASAP
-Get a good amount of paint on the roller; don't be stingy
-Don't talk while you paint; it ruins your focus......
Got in my run today AND I got a free pizza lunch because apparently it's some week honoring teachers! Go teachers!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Weekend 1: Cobwebs NOT included in the price of the house!
I got possession of the house this past Thursday. Since then, IT HAS BEEN NUTS. For all those moving into a new house, I ask you: ARE YOU CRAZY?! Just move into a nice, clean hotel where the maid comes daily to clean and wash the sheets. Seriously, consider it.
Below is a list of our projects so far that have been started by the team. The team consists of the whole family.
Dad--project manager
Mom--cleaning extraordinaire & future reupholster/sewing expert
Ajay--(22 yr. old brother)--providing humor, odd jobs, and his ability to lift heavy objects
Patrick--(19 yr. old brother)-providing a sense of reality, odd jobs, and his 6 ft. height helps to touch all the places the rest of us can't.
Me--providing opinions, bossy-ness, and apparently I am now an ATM where money just keeps leaving my hands
Day 1 (Thursday night):
Team members: Dad & me
Tasks:
-Vacuumed and shampooed carpets (me)
-Vacuumed cobwebs out of windows, tops of ceiling, corners of walls, etc. My new vacuum is phenomenal. (me)
-Cabinet cleaning--with the vacuum of-course (me)
-Installation of in-cabinet trash can (Dad)
-Took off cabinet doors and started sanding process (Dad)
HERE IS MY BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN!! Fireworks to be set off later! :)
Cabinet doors OFF! See ya later red, white, and blue!
Day 2 (Friday):
Team members: Dad, Mom, and me
Guest team member: Taylor, co-worker with a truck from school
Tasks:
-Put together IKEA bed (Dad & Mom)
-Started to paint bedroom (Dad)
-Painted cabinet drawers (Dad)
-Delivered bed & set up (Taylor-----THANK YOU! and me....though I just provided the conversation!)
-Went to El Mariachis and had a Corona (me)
Day 3 (Saturday)
Team members: Dad, Mom, Me
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets (me)
-Taking this annoying contact paper off of the bottom of the cabinets (me)
-Sanding, painting, building in the kitchen (Dad)
-Bathroom & window cleaning (mom)
-Fridge cleaning (me & mom)
-Beginning of taking my things over (Dad & me)
-Trip to Home Depot to purchase wood for the kitchen, new lights because a single girl needs to make sure her lights are bright, and new locks/door handle-thingy-ma-bobs
Day 4 (Sunday)
Team members: Dad, Mom, me, Ajay & Patrick
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets and putting a mesh liner down (no contact paper for me!)--(me)--THIS PROJECT IS DONE
-Major heavy lifting of furniture purchased at auctions out of parent's garage and into house (me, dad, Ajay, Patrick)
*I did have a major STAR STRENGTH moment where I was able to lift a 20 pound box over my head to put on a shelf. Wahoo for working out at the Y! There were a couple of boxes of pictures, grade school/high school/college memorabilia that have been in boxes for years. I still can't part with it though. So I just left them in the boxes and moved them to my new house.
-Oven cleaning (mom)
-Bathroom cleaning (mom)
-Shampooing of carpet (Ajay)
-Put dishes away in new cabinet, although the doors to the cabinet aren't there yet (me)
-Poop patrol of the old owner's dog (Ajay---seriously major points for this brother!)
-Installation of new furnace filters (Patrick---we are hoping he did it right. He is the only one tall & skinny enough to fit in the small area to do this!)
-Sold microwave & bread box left behind by old owners on local buy-sell-trade FB site (me)
Over the last 4 days there have been a lot of emotions going around in my head.
Excitement. Overwhelmed. Nervousness. Fear. Anxiousness.
There have been some tense moments between team members, especially me and my dad. He and I are a lot alike. Neither of us likes to have a voice raised AT us but that is how we both naturally respond when someone does something we don't like. In trying to get the furnace filters in, I nearly burst into tears because I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. I almost melted into the thought of: WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR? I CAN'T DO THIS. I CAN'T BE A HOMEOWNER. Somehow I didn't melt down though. Additionally, he annoyed me a bit when he was trying to bring all of kinds of things in to this house that I don't need. One thing I love is EMPTY space and it stresses me out to have lots of junk. He tried to bring in these TV tables that I didn't want/need and I almost flipped out.
A few surprises that we are not sure how we are going to deal with.
1) There is a 2 ft section of baseboard missing from the living room in the middle of the room. Lovely.
2) The border above the tile in the kitchen is not coming off easily. AND the walls underneath it are not textured the same as the rest of the wall. We will see how we "fix" that.
We have had some beautiful days as far as weather so I have just been itching to run. I love running without 97 layers of clothes on. I squeezed in a run before the Home Depot excursion on Saturday. My dad was tapping his feet to leave when I got back though. It takes a while to do 7 miles Dad! Then this morning, I got up early to run again. I love running in the morning when most people are still sleeping. It's like a secret being told between me, the road, and the day about to begin. Ultimate peace. I haven't done any Abs or Weight lifting since Thursday though so I better do a bit before I go to bed. Especially since I made these Funfetti Cookies to give away. Unfortunately, I ate a few too. They were calling my name....
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/10/funfetti-cake-batter-cookies-recipe.html
Below is a list of our projects so far that have been started by the team. The team consists of the whole family.
Dad--project manager
Mom--cleaning extraordinaire & future reupholster/sewing expert
Ajay--(22 yr. old brother)--providing humor, odd jobs, and his ability to lift heavy objects
Patrick--(19 yr. old brother)-providing a sense of reality, odd jobs, and his 6 ft. height helps to touch all the places the rest of us can't.
Me--providing opinions, bossy-ness, and apparently I am now an ATM where money just keeps leaving my hands
Day 1 (Thursday night):
Team members: Dad & me
Tasks:
-Vacuumed and shampooed carpets (me)
-Vacuumed cobwebs out of windows, tops of ceiling, corners of walls, etc. My new vacuum is phenomenal. (me)
-Cabinet cleaning--with the vacuum of-course (me)
-Installation of in-cabinet trash can (Dad)
-Took off cabinet doors and started sanding process (Dad)
HERE IS MY BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN!! Fireworks to be set off later! :)
Cabinet doors OFF! See ya later red, white, and blue!
Day 2 (Friday):
Team members: Dad, Mom, and me
Guest team member: Taylor, co-worker with a truck from school
Tasks:
-Put together IKEA bed (Dad & Mom)
-Started to paint bedroom (Dad)
-Painted cabinet drawers (Dad)
-Delivered bed & set up (Taylor-----THANK YOU! and me....though I just provided the conversation!)
-Went to El Mariachis and had a Corona (me)
Bedroom being prepped for painting. It was a lovely mauve
color. Notice how the homeowners painted the trim. :( Now,
we have to paint it white which is more work.
Day 3 (Saturday)
Team members: Dad, Mom, Me
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets (me)
-Taking this annoying contact paper off of the bottom of the cabinets (me)
-Sanding, painting, building in the kitchen (Dad)
-Bathroom & window cleaning (mom)
-Fridge cleaning (me & mom)
-Beginning of taking my things over (Dad & me)
-Trip to Home Depot to purchase wood for the kitchen, new lights because a single girl needs to make sure her lights are bright, and new locks/door handle-thingy-ma-bobs
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| Here is my dad caulking the gap between the white cabinet and the white ceiling. It's that yellow stuff! The gap was small, but happens as a house settles. He used his finger to slather it on. |
Day 4 (Sunday)
Team members: Dad, Mom, me, Ajay & Patrick
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets and putting a mesh liner down (no contact paper for me!)--(me)--THIS PROJECT IS DONE
-Major heavy lifting of furniture purchased at auctions out of parent's garage and into house (me, dad, Ajay, Patrick)
*I did have a major STAR STRENGTH moment where I was able to lift a 20 pound box over my head to put on a shelf. Wahoo for working out at the Y! There were a couple of boxes of pictures, grade school/high school/college memorabilia that have been in boxes for years. I still can't part with it though. So I just left them in the boxes and moved them to my new house.
-Oven cleaning (mom)
-Bathroom cleaning (mom)
-Shampooing of carpet (Ajay)
-Put dishes away in new cabinet, although the doors to the cabinet aren't there yet (me)
-Poop patrol of the old owner's dog (Ajay---seriously major points for this brother!)
-Installation of new furnace filters (Patrick---we are hoping he did it right. He is the only one tall & skinny enough to fit in the small area to do this!)
-Sold microwave & bread box left behind by old owners on local buy-sell-trade FB site (me)
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| Current state of the kitchen! The grey is looking great! |
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| Bedroom wall painted and trim is being worked on! |
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| Pat and Khloe are exhausted! (Yes Khloe had to come check out the new house!) |
Over the last 4 days there have been a lot of emotions going around in my head.
Excitement. Overwhelmed. Nervousness. Fear. Anxiousness.
There have been some tense moments between team members, especially me and my dad. He and I are a lot alike. Neither of us likes to have a voice raised AT us but that is how we both naturally respond when someone does something we don't like. In trying to get the furnace filters in, I nearly burst into tears because I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. I almost melted into the thought of: WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR? I CAN'T DO THIS. I CAN'T BE A HOMEOWNER. Somehow I didn't melt down though. Additionally, he annoyed me a bit when he was trying to bring all of kinds of things in to this house that I don't need. One thing I love is EMPTY space and it stresses me out to have lots of junk. He tried to bring in these TV tables that I didn't want/need and I almost flipped out.
A few surprises that we are not sure how we are going to deal with.
1) There is a 2 ft section of baseboard missing from the living room in the middle of the room. Lovely.
2) The border above the tile in the kitchen is not coming off easily. AND the walls underneath it are not textured the same as the rest of the wall. We will see how we "fix" that.
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| So under the patriotic flags is a lovely '80s swooshy-effect. I bet you are wondering WHY on earth am I changing it?! |
We have had some beautiful days as far as weather so I have just been itching to run. I love running without 97 layers of clothes on. I squeezed in a run before the Home Depot excursion on Saturday. My dad was tapping his feet to leave when I got back though. It takes a while to do 7 miles Dad! Then this morning, I got up early to run again. I love running in the morning when most people are still sleeping. It's like a secret being told between me, the road, and the day about to begin. Ultimate peace. I haven't done any Abs or Weight lifting since Thursday though so I better do a bit before I go to bed. Especially since I made these Funfetti Cookies to give away. Unfortunately, I ate a few too. They were calling my name....
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/10/funfetti-cake-batter-cookies-recipe.html
Saturday, November 10, 2012
We have taken over.
Good morning all! Just a quick update! I have possession of the house! More updates later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are cleaning & painting like mad people. I am taking pictures and will upload soon!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Running from the darkness
Just a quick note from me today.....as you know I am new to the running world and did not run at this time last year. So this Daylight's Savings Time might prove to be more difficult than I realized. At first I figured if I wear reflective gear and am really mindful of cars then I would be okay running in a little bit of darkness. Today I started my run at 5:25 PM (after Tuesday pilates!). The sun was setting and for the first 5 miles it was fine. Then the last 2 miles (Probably a bit after 6PM)....it got really dark. I stayed on the sidewalk thinking that would keep me safe from cars. Little did I realize.....I CAN'T SEE IN THE DARK. I can't see the sidewalk. I can't see the holes, difference in cement levels, or the twigs in the way. It doesn't matter what I wear or how careful I am with cars....MY EYES CAN'T SEE IN THE DARK. And if your eyes can't see, you are just asking to step on something or come down on your foot in the wrong way. In fact, on the last mile I may have stepped on an cat or a leaf or something. It definitely could be felt under my shoe and it made a crunchy noise. So I don't know what my plan is.......sometimes I can't run right after school. So we'll see. How nerdy would it be for me to get one of those miner-hats and wear that on my head so I can see the sidewalk?
On the housing front, I set up gas and water/electric today. The gas was easy! I just set it up over the phone. The water/electric I had to go in and fill out an application. The worker-lady asked me if my heat was gas or electric. I had no clue. I nearly called my dad. I must have had a clueless look on my face because she said, "Oh, I can look that up on the computer from past records." Thank goodness for that. Between that and dropping the city-issued garbage bags everywhere, I think I made a fabulous impression! :)
On the housing front, I set up gas and water/electric today. The gas was easy! I just set it up over the phone. The water/electric I had to go in and fill out an application. The worker-lady asked me if my heat was gas or electric. I had no clue. I nearly called my dad. I must have had a clueless look on my face because she said, "Oh, I can look that up on the computer from past records." Thank goodness for that. Between that and dropping the city-issued garbage bags everywhere, I think I made a fabulous impression! :)
Monday, November 5, 2012
Running versus a runner
Today I am feeling a little overwhelmed by housing things. Yesterday my dad (lead project manager....he designated himself) went over to my new house to get one cabinet door. The sellers are still living there but we wanted to get the cabinets figured out. My dad took a vacation week and spent the day experimenting with the cabinet door. More on that later.
Additionally, I really started to realize that I am going to LIVE in this new house. Like all the time. I will have to leave my house 3 minutes earlier for work. All my running routes are going to need to be re-routed. Khloe will need new dog-walking paths. I have to SLEEP there. And oh my gosh, I am going to have to buy EVERYTHING to stock a refrigerator and kitchen. Do you know how EXPENSIVE that is going to be?! I am not going to think about it. Maybe I just won't eat.
To add to my stress it now gets darker earlier because of daylight's savings time. STUPID IDEA. All day at school I was stressed as to how I was going to get my run in. So instead of talking about housing, I will talk about running!
I DID get my run in today. 7 miles in 66 minutes. (I am not fast, I know!) Before I dive into this running post, I want to clarify that I don't consider myself a runner. Runners are those people who run a 6 minute mile and are really thin.
In high school and college, I had very little interest in exercise, running, or sweating at all. People that knew me in high school would never think I could or would want to run 7 miles. By some strange shift in the universe, I joined the Y in spring of 2011. I would usually go and do the elliptical. I was quite happy with that and was seeing weight loss results and feeling better about myself. Well then one day in December 2011 ALL OF THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINES WERE TAKEN. CRISIS. I didn't know what to do and was in a time crunch, so by some happy mistake I got on a treadmill and decided to walk. Well after a while, walking got boring and I increased the speed. I WAS RUNNING. It was a miracle. The next day, I tried it again. And again, and again. You get the picture. When it got nice out I started to run laps around the soccer fields outside. 4 laps was 3 miles.
And then my life kind of fell apart and I needed an escape, an outlet, something to take my mind off of things. So I ran. I ran and ran. I cried while I ran. I prayed while I ran. I planned while I ran. And sometimes I just ran with no thought at all in my mind. I ran all summer, gradually increasing my mileage. I even entered and won awards at several 5Ks. Running provides a challenge, an escape, a way to accomplish something and I love the feeling of my heart beating out of my chest. Running provides a lot of peace in my life. I love running. Never would I think that those words would leave my lips. Still through all of that, I don't consider myself a runner. I just run. It's my therapy and peace and time for me. I love it.
For anyone who wants to try running, I think you should. It doesn't matter how far you go or how fast (or slow in my case....) you run. It's about doing it and finishing. No matter how slow I run or how much I am dreading it, that feeling as I take off my iPod and get a drink of water never changes. It always surprises how GOOD I feel. Almost like,this is what I was meant to do.
I am nervous as the winter months come....I love running outside. I hope I can keep up with it. I have bought some cold weather running gear and am hoping that keeps me motivated. I must mention the pants that I found at Target that are simply ah-maz-ing. Running pants by Nike cost like $60+. I found these at Target for $27.99. I have bought 2 pairs. I love how they fit, how they keep me warm (but not too warm), and I love that they make my legs look skinny!
Here's the link for the pants....you just might fall in love with them and become obsessed with finding more pairs. I am currently on a nationwide search for size mediums.
http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-women-s-cold-weather-running-tight-black/-/A-14115161#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=c9%20by%20champion%20running%20tights
Additionally, I really started to realize that I am going to LIVE in this new house. Like all the time. I will have to leave my house 3 minutes earlier for work. All my running routes are going to need to be re-routed. Khloe will need new dog-walking paths. I have to SLEEP there. And oh my gosh, I am going to have to buy EVERYTHING to stock a refrigerator and kitchen. Do you know how EXPENSIVE that is going to be?! I am not going to think about it. Maybe I just won't eat.
To add to my stress it now gets darker earlier because of daylight's savings time. STUPID IDEA. All day at school I was stressed as to how I was going to get my run in. So instead of talking about housing, I will talk about running!
I DID get my run in today. 7 miles in 66 minutes. (I am not fast, I know!) Before I dive into this running post, I want to clarify that I don't consider myself a runner. Runners are those people who run a 6 minute mile and are really thin.
In high school and college, I had very little interest in exercise, running, or sweating at all. People that knew me in high school would never think I could or would want to run 7 miles. By some strange shift in the universe, I joined the Y in spring of 2011. I would usually go and do the elliptical. I was quite happy with that and was seeing weight loss results and feeling better about myself. Well then one day in December 2011 ALL OF THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINES WERE TAKEN. CRISIS. I didn't know what to do and was in a time crunch, so by some happy mistake I got on a treadmill and decided to walk. Well after a while, walking got boring and I increased the speed. I WAS RUNNING. It was a miracle. The next day, I tried it again. And again, and again. You get the picture. When it got nice out I started to run laps around the soccer fields outside. 4 laps was 3 miles.
And then my life kind of fell apart and I needed an escape, an outlet, something to take my mind off of things. So I ran. I ran and ran. I cried while I ran. I prayed while I ran. I planned while I ran. And sometimes I just ran with no thought at all in my mind. I ran all summer, gradually increasing my mileage. I even entered and won awards at several 5Ks. Running provides a challenge, an escape, a way to accomplish something and I love the feeling of my heart beating out of my chest. Running provides a lot of peace in my life. I love running. Never would I think that those words would leave my lips. Still through all of that, I don't consider myself a runner. I just run. It's my therapy and peace and time for me. I love it.
For anyone who wants to try running, I think you should. It doesn't matter how far you go or how fast (or slow in my case....) you run. It's about doing it and finishing. No matter how slow I run or how much I am dreading it, that feeling as I take off my iPod and get a drink of water never changes. It always surprises how GOOD I feel. Almost like,this is what I was meant to do.
I am nervous as the winter months come....I love running outside. I hope I can keep up with it. I have bought some cold weather running gear and am hoping that keeps me motivated. I must mention the pants that I found at Target that are simply ah-maz-ing. Running pants by Nike cost like $60+. I found these at Target for $27.99. I have bought 2 pairs. I love how they fit, how they keep me warm (but not too warm), and I love that they make my legs look skinny!
Here's the link for the pants....you just might fall in love with them and become obsessed with finding more pairs. I am currently on a nationwide search for size mediums.
http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-women-s-cold-weather-running-tight-black/-/A-14115161#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=c9%20by%20champion%20running%20tights
Sunday, November 4, 2012
The Housing Journey
So I just bought a house.....
Yep. I am totally crazy. I have lived with my parents for the past 2 years since college graduation. Most would hate it. I don't. I love living with them. Really! I especially love the fact that it's free and that occasionally someone does my laundry or puts gas in my car.
Anyway, this whole "Marjory buys a house thing" started in the Spring. It started with a major life change. Have you ever thought your life was going down one path when suddenly that path ends? I'm not talking about a subtle ending where there is a nice pond and some woods and it's okay that the path ended because the scenery is beautiful. I'm talking about an ending where there is a concrete wall and you are not getting around it. The concrete wall is ugly. The journey you were on is over. You have to choose a new path. This new path is different than you ever expected. It's harder. Scarier. Unexpected. But I have found that this path does have its joys. One of those joys being that I am better, stronger, and smarter. I am not interested in the old path so here I am at a new path. This path means LIVING YOUR LIFE. So in living my life, I realized it's time to be a big girl and move out of my parents' house.
Rent....I did it in college. Renting in my small town is about $400+ a month. Many of those places don't allow pets. Did I mention I have an ah-mazing dog named Khloe? I am mildly obsessed with her and couldn't even think of not living with her. Well that's when my dad started saying I should buy. Interest rates are low. Houses are cheap. Blah, blah, blah. My dad is a shop-a-holic so I didn't really listen. But then my aunt started to do some research. She found this program where teachers get a lower interest rate. Then she started calling places in town. I do believe she disguised herself as "Marjory's legal council" but whatever... Eventually she found Amerifirst where Coley---the guy there, not sure of his title---introduced us to a program from the USDA (yes the U.S. Department of Agriculture) where you can have NO MONEY down. Being a single teacher this program was MEANT FOR ME!
In the meantime, we (me, my mom, and my dad) had looked at lots of houses. Like 10. Some were a ton of work. (My dad is pretty handy, so we weren't scared of a little work). Some were out of my price range and lovely. Some were okay but didn't speak to me. Some didn't have a good enough backyard for Khloe. I told you I am obsessed. In September, a good family friend told me to call this older couple in town who were thinking of selling their house but hadn't listed it yet. She said it needed a little work but that it had a fenced in backyard. We went over to take a look! Mind you, this is no realtor....so it's just me and my dad and Sid (the seller) going through this house! I fell in love with the house! The house was perfect for me and K-dog and the PRICE WAS RIGHT.
So I did what all normal people do, told them I would think about it. Then I went for a run. In my running, I sorted out if this is what I wanted and that I wasn't making a rash decision. After 4 miles, I knew it was right! So Coley---he really is amazing---got the process started and on November 2nd I walked into his office as a single 25-year old teacher and signed papers to buy my first house. All by myself. I nearly took a picture.
Over the last few weeks, I have been accumulating lots of things for my new house. I do appreciate the finer things in life, but usually can't afford them. It has been a combination of my shop-a-holic father looking for deals, researching DIY projects on Pinterest, and going to lots of auctions. My goal in all of this is to pay cash (no credit card debt for me--yet!), get quality items, and to get things I think are pretty....Khloe and I like pretty things.
Big purchases are as follows:
-Caned-back chairs (local used furniture shop)---$60 for 2.
-Bed (local furniture shop)---bought the floor model and saved $300!
-Coffee table, side table, buffet, dresser, chairs, miscellaneous home items (auctions)---auctions are my new favorite thing.
-Bedframe (IKEA)---Ikea isn't that expensive so it was like $160
-Sofa (local furniture shop)---bought the floor model. I do still have one more payment to make on this. I get paid tomorrow though!
-Chandelier (Lowe's)---Originally $99, it was marked down to $25 when I pointed out to the salesman that there was a light pink (hardly noticeable) mark on it. I also smiled at him. He said, how about $19 and I said YES. I will be smiling at salesmen a lot more if it saves me money. Who knew?
-Vacuum (Meijer)---Originally over $200, got it for $98. My dad found it on an end cap at the store and scoped it out for like a week!
-Paint (Sherwin Williams & the Anderson's in Toledo)---We are painting the Kitchen cabinets (more on that journey later) and cabinets require a mega-expensive paint (according to my pinterest research!). My dad found a coupon for Sherwin Williams paint and so we used that. The Anderson's at Toledo had some Pratt & Lambert (if you know paint, you know that's good paint) on clearance because the labeling had changed. Again, dad found it. I bought it. My dad's pretty good at this stuff....
-Fabric (JoAnn's)---We (and by we, I mean my mom) are making curtains for the kitchen and reupholstering a couple of chairs. Upholstery fabric was 50% off and we had a coupon for 25% off. Mega savings.
So basically I feel like I am blowing all my money. I do realize that these are INVESTMENTS and not just a new pair of Puma flats (my favorite shoe to wear to school) or a new running shirt (Champion brand at Target & Nike are very tempting!!!!). I don't love parting with my money though....
Immediate projects that we will be working on in the house are:
-A good clean! Windows, shampooing carpet, etc.
-Reupholstering chairs & creating chair cushions
-Painting kitchen cabinets & kitchen walls. The kitchen cabinets are currently a festive red, white, and blue. Seriously. Pictures later.
-Painting my bedroom
-Painting/refinishing/doing something with all the furniture I bought at auctions
So there's my update. I promise not every post will be this long. And it won't be about my house all the time either. Sometimes it might be about running, eating, baking, teaching, life, etc. That's why I am new to it all. This is a new journey. A new path. Let's see how it goes.
Yep. I am totally crazy. I have lived with my parents for the past 2 years since college graduation. Most would hate it. I don't. I love living with them. Really! I especially love the fact that it's free and that occasionally someone does my laundry or puts gas in my car.
Anyway, this whole "Marjory buys a house thing" started in the Spring. It started with a major life change. Have you ever thought your life was going down one path when suddenly that path ends? I'm not talking about a subtle ending where there is a nice pond and some woods and it's okay that the path ended because the scenery is beautiful. I'm talking about an ending where there is a concrete wall and you are not getting around it. The concrete wall is ugly. The journey you were on is over. You have to choose a new path. This new path is different than you ever expected. It's harder. Scarier. Unexpected. But I have found that this path does have its joys. One of those joys being that I am better, stronger, and smarter. I am not interested in the old path so here I am at a new path. This path means LIVING YOUR LIFE. So in living my life, I realized it's time to be a big girl and move out of my parents' house.
Rent....I did it in college. Renting in my small town is about $400+ a month. Many of those places don't allow pets. Did I mention I have an ah-mazing dog named Khloe? I am mildly obsessed with her and couldn't even think of not living with her. Well that's when my dad started saying I should buy. Interest rates are low. Houses are cheap. Blah, blah, blah. My dad is a shop-a-holic so I didn't really listen. But then my aunt started to do some research. She found this program where teachers get a lower interest rate. Then she started calling places in town. I do believe she disguised herself as "Marjory's legal council" but whatever... Eventually she found Amerifirst where Coley---the guy there, not sure of his title---introduced us to a program from the USDA (yes the U.S. Department of Agriculture) where you can have NO MONEY down. Being a single teacher this program was MEANT FOR ME!
In the meantime, we (me, my mom, and my dad) had looked at lots of houses. Like 10. Some were a ton of work. (My dad is pretty handy, so we weren't scared of a little work). Some were out of my price range and lovely. Some were okay but didn't speak to me. Some didn't have a good enough backyard for Khloe. I told you I am obsessed. In September, a good family friend told me to call this older couple in town who were thinking of selling their house but hadn't listed it yet. She said it needed a little work but that it had a fenced in backyard. We went over to take a look! Mind you, this is no realtor....so it's just me and my dad and Sid (the seller) going through this house! I fell in love with the house! The house was perfect for me and K-dog and the PRICE WAS RIGHT.
So I did what all normal people do, told them I would think about it. Then I went for a run. In my running, I sorted out if this is what I wanted and that I wasn't making a rash decision. After 4 miles, I knew it was right! So Coley---he really is amazing---got the process started and on November 2nd I walked into his office as a single 25-year old teacher and signed papers to buy my first house. All by myself. I nearly took a picture.
Over the last few weeks, I have been accumulating lots of things for my new house. I do appreciate the finer things in life, but usually can't afford them. It has been a combination of my shop-a-holic father looking for deals, researching DIY projects on Pinterest, and going to lots of auctions. My goal in all of this is to pay cash (no credit card debt for me--yet!), get quality items, and to get things I think are pretty....Khloe and I like pretty things.
Big purchases are as follows:
-Caned-back chairs (local used furniture shop)---$60 for 2.
-Bed (local furniture shop)---bought the floor model and saved $300!
-Coffee table, side table, buffet, dresser, chairs, miscellaneous home items (auctions)---auctions are my new favorite thing.
-Bedframe (IKEA)---Ikea isn't that expensive so it was like $160
-Sofa (local furniture shop)---bought the floor model. I do still have one more payment to make on this. I get paid tomorrow though!
-Chandelier (Lowe's)---Originally $99, it was marked down to $25 when I pointed out to the salesman that there was a light pink (hardly noticeable) mark on it. I also smiled at him. He said, how about $19 and I said YES. I will be smiling at salesmen a lot more if it saves me money. Who knew?
-Vacuum (Meijer)---Originally over $200, got it for $98. My dad found it on an end cap at the store and scoped it out for like a week!
-Paint (Sherwin Williams & the Anderson's in Toledo)---We are painting the Kitchen cabinets (more on that journey later) and cabinets require a mega-expensive paint (according to my pinterest research!). My dad found a coupon for Sherwin Williams paint and so we used that. The Anderson's at Toledo had some Pratt & Lambert (if you know paint, you know that's good paint) on clearance because the labeling had changed. Again, dad found it. I bought it. My dad's pretty good at this stuff....
-Fabric (JoAnn's)---We (and by we, I mean my mom) are making curtains for the kitchen and reupholstering a couple of chairs. Upholstery fabric was 50% off and we had a coupon for 25% off. Mega savings.
So basically I feel like I am blowing all my money. I do realize that these are INVESTMENTS and not just a new pair of Puma flats (my favorite shoe to wear to school) or a new running shirt (Champion brand at Target & Nike are very tempting!!!!). I don't love parting with my money though....
Immediate projects that we will be working on in the house are:
-A good clean! Windows, shampooing carpet, etc.
-Reupholstering chairs & creating chair cushions
-Painting kitchen cabinets & kitchen walls. The kitchen cabinets are currently a festive red, white, and blue. Seriously. Pictures later.
-Painting my bedroom
-Painting/refinishing/doing something with all the furniture I bought at auctions
So there's my update. I promise not every post will be this long. And it won't be about my house all the time either. Sometimes it might be about running, eating, baking, teaching, life, etc. That's why I am new to it all. This is a new journey. A new path. Let's see how it goes.
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