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Timber

April 4th, 2016 at 04:09 am

I have just had a very nice weekend.

On Friday evening, SB met me at my office at 5:30. We walked to a nearby restaurant which is one of our faves. It is very casual and eclectic, and serves gourmet food tapa style so you can try various things. We had bacon wrapped prunes, a salad with fava beans, green beans, roasted carrots, onions, and feta cheese over mixed greens, and halibut in a lemon sauce served over asparagus. Delicious! Afterwards, we walked a few doors down to our local independent movie house to see "I Saw The Light", a biography of Hank Williams. My mother loves Hank Williams, so I was familiar with his music in my very early childhood. It's sad, but quite good.

On Saturday SB and I went to my mother's house. A friend of hers came over, and the 4 of us played cards all afternoon and into the evening.

Today SB and I went up to his timber property. He needed to check on things and he took pictures of some repairs which need to be made. I took some pictures, too.



The timber property has several ponds on it. This one is the largest. The level is low right now because of the drought. This view is right out the back door of one of the simple cabin homes on the property. How horrible to have to walk outside and see this every day. I don't know how some people manage. Stick Out Tongue

This is the next big thing SB has to tackle. There are a lot of decisions to be made regarding this property.

Oh, and as we were driving up there today, SB remarked to me that my friend Emily, whom he works with, is planning a birthday lunch this Tuesday at his office and wants to know if I can make it. I said "Oh, who's birthday is it?" SB just looked at me. Gradually it dawned on me that Tuesday is his birthday! Whoops.

Trouble With Incision

January 22nd, 2016 at 07:07 pm

I got my stitches out yesterday morning. A couple of times yesterday evening, I felt a slight pull in the incision area. Last night I went to get a good look in the mirror, and what do you know? My entire incision (about 3.5 inches) was gaping open.

So a trip to the ER, and I learned that it cannot be stitched back together. The risk of infection is higher if they stitch it again than if they leave it alone and let it heal on its own. They dressed and packed the wound.

I went to my surgeon's office this morning. He was in surgery, but his nurse looked at the wound and redressed it. The ER had given me an Rx for an antibiotic. The surgeon's nurse confirmed that is what the surgeon typically prescribes. She gave me some supplies and sent me on my way, promising to call after she speaks with the surgeon.

It isn't too painful, but frankly is very gross. The scar will no longer be the tiny barely-visible line the surgeon promised, but I don't even care. It's just below my left armpit, which is hardly an area receiving a great deal of exposure.

SB drove me last night and again this morning, and the nurse showed him how to press the wound together with steri-strips.

I am at work now and being very conservative with my movements.

My medical expenses this month are high. Two $250 co-pays, $93.08 to the allergy doctor, and two extra prescriptions (the other was for pain pills following surgery). I am definitely over budget on "everything else", but it cannot be helped.

I have $200 in cash in my wallet from SB for rent which I will deposit into savings later today. We have agreed that he will pay me $200 twice per month (he gets paid on the 5th and the 20th) starting with his 1/20 paycheck. So, that is my first bit of progress towards rebuilding savings.

All Is Well :)

January 21st, 2016 at 06:05 pm

I saw the surgeon this morning to get my stitches out. The pathology of the removed mass was complete. It was not cancer.

What a great day.

Hmm, Part 1

January 19th, 2016 at 12:34 am

The balance on my car loan (without accrued interest since 12/20/15) is 9,060.13.

The balance in my savings account is 11,508.82.

A difference of 2,448.69.

Hmm.

Home From Surgery

January 14th, 2016 at 05:07 am

I had my surgery today. It went well. I am home and resting. I am taking tomorrow off but plan to work Friday.

I am looking forward to sleeping the day away tomorrow.

Finally Funded

January 1st, 2016 at 06:25 pm

Proceeds from the house sale hit the estate's account yesterday. Smile I will have my funds in hand very soon.

I had the most wonderful Christmas this year. The resort in Napa was beautiful. We had a lovely 4 days relaxing and enjoying the resort.

For Christmas dinner, my Italian sister-in-law wanted to have stuffed shells with sausages, a tradition in her family. Part of the tradition is that once the shells are cooked and the cheese stuffing is prepared, everyone gathers together and stuffs them. What a fun tradition! And the meal was delicious.

We are leaving the house shortly to deliver a cashier's check to SB's brother in Elk Grove. We will spend the rest of the day at my mom's house, and might take in the new Star Wars movie today.

Have a Happy New Year, Savings Advice peeps. Smile

Finally Funded

January 1st, 2016 at 06:22 pm

So yesterday, a mere 7 days after the buyers signed, money was wired into the estate's account. SB says it feels so good to have that behind him.

So now money can be distributed out. I will have my funds in hand soon. Yay! I will be so pleased to set up those bill pays and have that credit card debt gone.

I had the most wonderful Christmas. The resort in Napa was beautiful, and we were able to relax and just enjoy our time together.

For Christmas dinner, my Italian sister-in-law wanted to make her family's traditional stuffed shells and cheese with sausages for dinner. Part of the tradition is that once the shells are cooked and the cheese stuffing is ready, everyone gathers round to stuff them. It was fun, what a great tradition. And the meal was delicious.

The holiday fun was tempered with my coughing fits. I started coughing about 3 weeks ago, and no doubt have many more weeks to go. It is exhausting. I can't hardly wait to give high elevation and dry air a try.

SB and I are leaving shortly to deliver a cashier's check to his brother in Elk Grove. I think we might try to see Star Wars today too.

Happy New Year. Smile

Dee Oh Enn Eee

December 24th, 2015 at 07:14 pm

DONE!!

Whoo-hoo! Eveyone has now signed; it is a done deal.

There is just the little matter of funding and recording, which will happen next week.

Merry Christmas! Smile

Quilts Sewn By My Great-Grandmother

December 23rd, 2015 at 05:02 am

Today I received a package from my aunt who lives on Vashon Island. She sent me two quilts which my great-grandmother made in the 1950s. The quilts were used by my birth mother, her two sisters and one brother during their childhoods.

She wrote a nice letter providing some family history of this ancestor and the early life of her son, who grew up to be the father of my birth mother and her siblings. She told MrsM180 and I this history when we visited last June, but how awesome to have it written down.



I hope I get better at using my phone for pictures.

Yay For Pictures Being Back; Misc Updates

December 14th, 2015 at 04:33 pm

Here is a picture of SnugglyBumps and Kissylips:



Ting update:

A customer service person at Ting e-mailed to say they are willing to replace my phone. She asked for the IMEI number which I have given her. Waiting for further instructions.

I went to my company Christmas dinner party and did receive a nice bonus. I have decided to pay my January mortgage payment in December with part of it. The advantage to me is I will have another $600 of mortgage interest to deduct, saving me $200 in income taxes. Of course next year I will have to do the same or have only 11 months to deduct. Even so, I will take the tax break now.

This year for Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law have rented a 3 bedroom condo at a resort in Napa using their timeshare points. I am heading to Napa on Christmas Eve and will stay until Sunday the 27th. My mother and nephew are going. J will drive himself and stay just two days. MrsM180 and hubby are a maybe. SB is a go.

Yet Another Frustrating Delay

December 6th, 2015 at 07:48 am

The docs were not drawn yesterday.

Two months ago, the buyers were asked to submit photocopies of some bonds they own. They submitted a list instead. They did not follow directions, so that is on them. However, apparently no one at Chase mortgage (their lender) bothered to review the documentation. Until yesterday. So now the buyers must submit photocopies and the bonds must all be verified.

The extent of the incompetence we have experienced during this transaction is unbelievable.

So now we are told it will be next Friday for docs, at the very earliest.

Still Waiting; Holiday Weekend Summary

December 4th, 2015 at 06:16 am

We are still waiting for the house sale to close. The most frustrating part for me is I must wait for information to trickle to me and I don't get to ask direct questions of people who can answer them.

But the latest word today is...BF's realtor spoke with a management level employee at Chase (the buyer's lender) and was assured that the docs will be done tomorrow a.m.

So, we will see.

I had a wonderful holiday weekend. My brother and SIL came down and stayed for 3 days, bringing a 13 year old granddaughter with them. My brother has 4 living children (two more were lost in infancy to SIDS). One of his daughters also came down for 2 days, with her husband, their 6 year old son and 3 year old daughter.

And of course my mother and nephew live nearby, and I have my motley crew. Smile

Over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we ate turkey, played cards, visited, went for walks, went to the movies, and met a grand-niece and her brand new husband (of two weeks!) for breakfast.

It was just a wonderful time, and even though there are many gaps in our family where loved ones used to be, I really felt very thankful.

I enjoy teasing small children to enjoy their reactions. Smile My little 3 year old grandniece made a remark, and I said "I don't know. I'm just a little girl, like you." She immediately replied "Nuh-uh! You're someone's grandma!" in an accusing tone. So I guess I can't pass for 3 anymore.

SnugglyBumps and KissyLips

November 24th, 2015 at 04:20 pm

Those are the names BF and I call each other. Disgustingly cutesy, I know. We adopted them early on and they are somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Somewhat. Stick Out Tongue

In the future, I will refer to him as SB. I always feel silly calling him my "boyfriend". He is 54 and I am 48. We're a bit past adolescence.

Signing Held Up Again

November 24th, 2015 at 02:52 pm

The signing on BF's house was held up again. This time it was due to the fact that the buyers had deposited money into their bank account. Yes, you read that right.

To comply with the Patriot Act, the buyers went through a process wherein they documented the source of all funds in the account which will be the source of their down payment. They had already completed this process. When it came time to sign documents, it was discovered that they had deposited more funds after completing the process. Well, that means they had to do it again. They submitted the documents Friday, but it takes time for them to be reviewed.

The wife of the buyer couple in particular was very upset as she had wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner in the house.

Word is that it will close this short week anyway, but I will believe that when I have funds in my hot little hand.

Meanwhile, BF has decided to invest 85k of his proceeds into his contractor's next project. He will earn 7.5% on his principal and if the contractor defaults, he will be able to foreclose on the property. Myself, I would just stuff it all into index funds and calculate when I could retire.

Medical Appointment Frustrations

November 20th, 2015 at 12:20 am

I've had a very frustrating day today. Frown

I've had a small hard lump just under my left armpit for maybe a year, maybe longer. I had Googled and it looked to me like it was a cyst from either a clogged sweat gland or hair follicle. It did not hurt and was just my normal skin color.

Last summer it changed color to red, started growing and began to hurt. I called my primary doctor in July and described the symptoms, they scheduled me an appointment in August.

When I went to that appointment, I was hoping she would just cut it off for me right then. She said it was too large to do in her office, she was referring me to a surgeon. She thought it was a sweat gland or hair follicle problem.

I had to wait through the referral process, but then a surgeon's office did call and said I had an appointment on October 1st. So, I had to wait some more.

On Sept 30th, the surgeon's office called to say the doctor would be out of the office on the 1st and my appointment had been re-scheduled for Oct 29th. So, I waited until October 29th.

When I finally had my appointment, there was another patient in the waiting room who was very upset. He had shown up for his appointment but was told his appointment had been moved to a different date and time. He claimed no one had told him. My impression at this point was that the office was not well run. I did see the doctor and I really took a liking to him. He was very no-nonsense, professional and personable. He told me frankly that he could not say for certain what my lump is. He said it was too large for an office procedure and I would have to have a same-day procedure in the hospital. Because of my history, he wanted to see the medical records from when I had my breast lump removed and my thyroidectomy.

Well, that has been a circus. I had Kaiser insurance when I had those two surgeries and have Anthem Blue Cross now. The surgeon's office called to say Kaiser told them I had been their patient but there was no record of my ever having surgery at a Kaiser facility (!). So, I was asked to obtain my records myself. The first batch I obtained did not include the information the surgeon wanted. So, I had to request again. My second request was simply ignored, even though it was submitted in an email. A Kaiser medical records employee stated they probably assumed it was a duplicate request, even though I clearly indicated the first set did not include the pathology and "h and p" records which my surgeon specifically requested. But today, after 2 weeks of my requests, I did finally receive the records.

I was delighted. I faxed the records to the surgeon's office and called to let them know they were coming. (Yes, their preferred method to receive the records was via fax).

Well, a little while ago, the office called to say it's great that I finally got them the records, but the doctor will now be mostly off until after the first of the year. He will have two office days in December, and I have been scheduled an appointment for December 15th. But, that's just for another consultation after he reviews my records. Mad

I want this darn thing OFF. It is growing and it hurts, especially if I accidentally bump it.

I called my insurance to see about getting in to another surgeon sooner. They were sympathetic and explained if I could get in someplace else, I could then call my primary doctor for a referral, and that would be just fine. So I have been calling other surgeons. What I have found is there is no short-cut. I can get an appointment in December, and will likely be scheduled for surgery in January. That's what I have now so is no help at all.

In happier news, the buyers of BF's house have their signing appointment at the title company tomorrow. If that goes smoothly, funds should be disbursed Monday. In that case, I will have the credit card charge for those property taxes paid before I do my month end net worth statement. It will be like it never happened, except for the sweet reward points.

Mortgage Lending Nonsense

October 26th, 2015 at 09:45 pm

Just for giggles, I took a moment to read a junk e-mail I received today. What a sales pitch! The title of the e-mail is "How to SKIP a mortgage payment for no cost!" and begins by lamenting that the holidays will soon be upon us, along with all the stress of how to pay for them. Thankfully, these self-titled "longtime mortgage advisers and consumer advocates" have a "strategic option that could PAY FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON - without increasing your credit card debt!"

Isn't that wonderful? Here is their solution, direct cut and paste:

Example:

Current Mortgage:
Two years ago you financed $250,000 at 4.25%
Principal & Interest (PI) = $1230
Taxes & Insurance = $400
Monthly Payment = $1630
Current Escrow Balance ~ $1600
Estimated remaining balance $241,388

You could net approximately $1230 + $1600 = $2830 during the holidays with no closing costs !

Refinance at 4.25% (choose a rate to allow lender to pay all your closing costs)
New Loan is $241,388 plus new escrow account plus one months interest to allow you to skip a month. $241,388 + $1600 (escrows) + $853 (30 days interest) = $243,850 new loan amount

Yeah, I believe I will NOT be taking advantage of their helpful strategy, even though they are "consumer advocates". Rolleyes

Weekly Box of Organic Produce

October 18th, 2015 at 02:56 am

We decided to join a CSA and get a box of organic fruits and veggies each week.

I was torn between a small very local one and a slightly more expensive larger one. I decided to give the larger one a try first as you do have the ability to customize your box and exclude things you just don't want.

The CSA we are trying is called "Farm Fresh To You".

They will not deliver to my home (no deliveries in the area) but will deliver to my office. My office is close to the freeway, so I assume that is why.

Our first box will be delivered this Wednesday and will contain:

3 Bartlett pears
1 butternut squash
2 Fuji apples
1 lb green beans
1 lettuce (either green or red leaf)
1 bunch Nantes carrots
1 bunch red kale
1 lb. white potatoes

The base price is $26 but this box is $28.19. When you substitute, they charge by the lb. Our box was supposed to contain red radishes and kiwi. We took them out and put in green beans, pears, and potatoes.

This is the smallest box, they also have 3 larger sizes. We will see how we like the service and quality, then decide if we want a bigger box.

The more local CSA is a bit lower priced, but charge a fee if you have your box delivered to your door, which would make it slightly more. Alternatively, you can pick up your box at a drop off point. There is one just a few blocks from my office, so that would be convenient.

With the more local CSA, you choose either a full share of veggies for $22 or a half share for $17. The full share is supposed to feed 4-5 people for a week, the half share 1-3 people for a week. Then they have a fruit box which is $16 for a full share and $8 for a half share. I have a friend who gets a half share veggie box each week and she says the produce is excellent.

We have agreed that we will do our best to not let any of the expensive organic produce to go to waste.

BF's House Back In Escrow

October 16th, 2015 at 03:10 am

This has been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. But for the second time, the house is in escrow. The agreed upon price is 950k.

I have been very surprised by some of the people who have been interested. One man submitted an offer with no financial information. BF told him, via his realtor, that he would not consider any offer at any price without documentation showing the buyer is able to purchase. The gentleman said oh, of course, he would send that right over. After 3 weeks, without ever having submitted any documentation, he withdrew his offer.

Another woman made a "cash" offer. She claimed she had had over 2m in cash in various bank accounts. But alas, she had been the victim of identity theft. Someone had been doing business under her SSN and when she failed to report the revenue, her bank accounts were seized by the IRS. But this horrible fraud was all straightened out now, and happily she has a letter stating her money will be returned to her on a specific date in October. When asked to show that letter, she did produce one. However, it states she has a hearing on that date. You notice how a hearing is not the same as cash? Yeah, I noticed that too. The matter is not resolved at all.

There was another written offer which was too low, so BF declined it. There was no negotiating as the couple had offered the absolute pinnacle of what their lender said they could afford. They are fortunate BF said no. As we all know, spending every last cent the lender will allow is a recipe for disaster.

Hopefully, this time the sale will close without a hiccup. Oh please, oh please, oh please.

Another Offer On BF's House

September 8th, 2015 at 09:38 pm

BF received an offer yesterday, but has not entered into a contract. The offer did not include a pre-qualification letter, and that is a MUST before going any further.

The offer was for 945k and the buyer wants ALL of the furnishings in the house. Not all of the furnishings belong to BF, so he is checking to see how much the true owners would accept to sell. The dining room set is from an actual consignment store, but the other pieces and several decorative items belong to BF's realtor, who had no intention of selling them, she placed them strictly for staging. BF asked if I was against selling his furniture; in truth, I don't care. If it makes the buyer happy, whatever.

This offer is lower than the previous two offers, but BF has gotten himself into quite a pickle and is in no position to pass up any reasonable offer.

So, fingers crossed that this deal will go through. This entire process has been so unbelievably stressful for me, I just want it to be over.

Pet Killing Neighbor is GONE !!

August 15th, 2015 at 08:10 pm

I like my neighborhood so much better now! Smile

I think they must have moved out last weekend when I was in Redding. Today painters are painting the interior of the house, so I Googled and yep, escrow closed this past Wednesday. Yay!

BF's House Under Contract

June 30th, 2015 at 06:13 pm

Well, BF and the interested buyer have agreed on a price and entered into a contract. The escrow is supposed to be 30 days. So, we will see. Smile

MrsM180 and I had a fabulous time in Seattle. We spent one night with my dear friend from childhood, two nights at my aunt & uncle's house, and spent the last day with my niece and her boyfriend. My birth mother lives near her sister and we spent time with her too. We had great visits with everyone and enjoyed some of the local sites. So good to re-connect with loved ones. Vashon Island is certainly lovely. Here is a pic I snapped standing at a window in the guest bedroom at my aunt's place.



And oh happy day, what joyous news! Our creepy neighbor has a "for sale" sign in the yard! Yay!!! Does life get any better than that? Oh please, someone, make an offer.

Offer and Counter Offer

June 24th, 2015 at 05:32 am

BF received an offer on his house yesterday for 1.02m. He slept on it and decided today to counter with 1.1m. The signed counter offer will be sent to the buyer's realtor tomorrow.

Keep your fingers crossed. Smile

Fun Weekend

June 23rd, 2015 at 12:17 am

This past weekend went by in a blur, but it was such fun. Smile

On Friday, BF and I went to a concert. Brian Setzer (of Stray Cats fame) opened for George Thorogood. What a fun show! It was outdoors and the temperature was definitely warmer than I would have liked, but still so fun. Everyone in the crowd was dancing and having a great time. George Thorogood is lithe like a cat, he moves like Mick Jagger. And at age 65, he still has that deep, gravelly, booming voice. BF bought these tickets. After, we spent the night at BF's Davis house (concert was in Lincoln, in Sacramento area). BF bought dinner, too.

Saturday morning we had a nice breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot in Davis (I paid), then headed home. We spent a leisurely afternoon watching Netflix, walking the dogs, puttering in the yard a bit.

Sunday, I got up early, picked up my mom, and we headed to the Alameda County Fair. We met relatives there and just had a great day. Didn't spend too much, we all bring a picnic lunch. Still, $10 to park and $12 to walk in the gates. One of my cousins has a new baby, about 9 months old. What a cutie-pie! I just love when I get to hold and cuddle a baby. It was late by the time I got home.

This week I want to get a pedicure so my toes look cute, and get my eyebrows threaded. MrsM180 and I are heading to Seattle this Friday afternoon.

I dipped into EF and paid my credit card bill in full this month. Even though the interest rate is currently 0%, the very idea of carrying credit card debt again makes me feel ill. I just don't wanna.

Open House Tomorrow; Video of Home

May 23rd, 2015 at 01:29 am

At long, long last...there is an open house tomorrow at BF's house! I thought this day would never come.

Here's a video the realtor commissioned. It's on YouTube.

Text is https://youtu.be/5hyYuC4gC6w and Link is
https://youtu.be/5hyYuC4gC6w

There is nothing else to do but wait for an offer. Hopefully, it will be a short wait.

Prom Night

May 10th, 2015 at 09:51 pm

Here is my son, heading out to pick up his prom date.



I've been having a spendy month already. Between prom, bad news from the dentist, and another expensive repair for J's car, I am trying to pinch my remaining pennies. This month I received what I expect is my last child support check. My car insurance premium is due June 2, to the tune of $1587 (6 months). So lots of dollars lining up to leave my wallet as quickly as they can. I believe I will make it through with no debt, but CurveBall is going to be back to square one. Again. These expenses are what CurveBall is for, but I still hate to see it happen. Of course I put them all on a rewards card, but will rely on CurveBall to pay the bill.

I have decided to stop my $50 monthly contribution to E Fund and send it to my car loan instead. E Fund is fat enough for now, I want out from under that car loan.

BF's House Hitting Market

May 5th, 2015 at 08:03 pm

At long last, BF's house is about to hit the market! A drone will be making a video this week, as soon as the link is live I will share it so you can take a tour, if you like. There is an open house this coming Sunday. I am told the asking price is 1.2m. Should I make an offer? Stick Out Tongue

So last weekend as I was enjoying my last naked hot tub weekend in that beautiful pool room, BF was saying that what he would really like for his next house is to recreate that one, on a smaller and more modest scale. Instead of the pool room being in the house, it could be a covered patio. Instead of a pool and hot tub, just a hot tub with perhaps a water feature. Lots of plants, big clear windows on the house so that the view can be enjoyed from the living spaces. I thought about it briefly, and realized, I would just love that. So we talked about if we found an older home with a large lot and the house was shaped and laid out right, we could make it happen.

BF says he can't believe the day is finally here. You and me both pal, I thought. Goodness, it has been a long time coming.

Time to Plan My Exit

March 22nd, 2015 at 05:04 pm

Well, once again the nut trees are all in bloom and I cough day and night. Cough until I am dizzy, cough until I vomit, then cough some more. Last year in spring I coughed for only one month and I was euphoric. (Last year was my first spring on allergy shots.) This year it has been almost two months already and the cough is still here. So I don't know if this spring is worse or the shots become less effective over time or what.

Once the cough is finally gone, I will have several months without it until it is time to harvest the nut trees, then the cough will be back.

I am ready to leave this nonsense behind and plan my exit. I intend to list my house for sale next spring come what may. Once it is sold, I will move into an apartment and then begin my long-distance job hunt. If I have to accept a lesser job with a lesser salary, that is what I am going to do.

I am planning to relocate to Reno, Nevada. The high elevation and dry air are exactly what my allergy doctor says I need. The relative proximity is great as I will still be able to visit with my mother. (About a 4 hour drive from Reno to my mom's house). There will be some adjustments, but I choose to look at it as a grand adventure.

BF intends to move with me. Everything is very good between us. He has a part-time job here in my town now. His bridge loan did fund but I was not repaid as the proceeds were much less than planned. He was required to pay 12 months interest up front, which was sprung on him at the last minute. That came out of his proceeds and did not leave him with much. (The first six months is non-refundable, the second six months is). However, the contractor and all sub-contractors were paid in full to date, so the contractor is moving ahead with the last few things. Fingers crossed that the house goes on MLS shortly.

Snaps of BF's House

February 10th, 2015 at 06:38 pm

I have been promising these for a long time. Here is a confession: I am not the world's best photographer. I did not even come in second in that competition! And of course, the house is still not done, so it is not staged at all.

Nonetheless, I tried to capture some of the best features and a sense of how the house flows together.

This is the fireplace in the living room. It is between two floor to ceiling windows.



Here is a shot of the living room. See that ladder outside the window? It is the same one as in the shot of the fireplace. The fireplace is just out of range in this shot.




Here is a shot of the front door. We have shifted just a bit to the right from the previous shot. The doorway on the right leads into the kitchen.





And now I've turned 45 degrees, and this is the view from the living room into the pool room.




A shot of the kitchen.



Here is a shot of the sinks and counter in the master bath. This is the same bathroom with the huge oval tub (shared previously) on the raised platform and the walk-in shower for two. The bathroom also features a separate counter with lighted mirror for make-up, his and her water closets, an 80 sq ft walk-in closet, and an area with built in drawers and which could be used for linens or as dressers.



This shot is from the far end of the pool room looking back towards the kitchen. You can see the stairs leading to a room above. There is a bedroom, sitting area, and bathroom tucked away up there.



From the last shot, I did a 180 turn and snapped a shot of the back yard. The field beyond the trees is not part of BF's property.

From Xmas 1996: Picture Updated

December 18th, 2014 at 01:03 am

I have been enjoying the holiday shots of people's children so much, I thought I would post one from when mine were little. Of course, my pics from this era were not digital, so I had to scan this in. I am afraid I do not have a color scanner. (The kids are dressed in red and white). And of course, it looks like a newspaper photo, which detracts from their cuteness.

But here are my kiddos at Xmas time, 1996. MrsM180 was 6 and J was 1. MrsM180 is making a face because I kept telling her to smile. If I had just let her be, she probably would have smiled beautifully. But I had to keep saying "smile", and she kept trying. J is very suspicious of the entire affair.



I miss the little people days.

If anyone has any tips as to how I could get this looking like a photo, please share!

Update: Still not picture perfect, but so much better! Thank you for the technical help, Starfishy!

Just For Fun: The Ghosts of Concerts Past

November 25th, 2014 at 09:19 pm

In my career as a music lover, I have seen the following musical artists in concert:
38 Special
Air Supply
Ambrosia
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Boney James (jazz)
Bonnie Raitt (surprise appearance in Jackson's set)
Brian Setzer & His Rockabilly Riot
Cheap Trick
David Cassidy
Eddie Money
Fleetwood Mac
Foghat
Foreigner
George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Honeymoon Suite
Hootie & The Blowfish (2 times)
Jackson Browne (front row once, 2 times total)
James Taylor
Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band
Journey (3 times)
Kansas
Kool & The Gang
Little River Band
Loverboy
N'Sync (took MrsM180 when she was a 'tween)
Night Ranger
Pat Benatar
REO Speedwagon
Rick Springfield
Styx (2 times)
The B-52s
The Doobie Brothers
The Eagles (2 times)
The Outfield
The Zac Brown Band
Three Dog Night
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (front row)
Some of these cost me dearly; others were very inexpensive (like free with fair entrance). I'll have to keep thinking, I might be missing some. I've seen plenty of other local artists, who have never charted but nonetheless put on a great show. How about you? Who have you seen? Spill it! 


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