That's what it appears when you've got two young daughters at least. Pink socks, purple flip-flops, hot-pink t-shirts, bold purple corduroy pants. With the recent move into a bigger house, and the presentation of bedrooms for each, we're painting again...
Parents: "P, what color do you want us to paint your new bedroom?"
P: "Pink and Purple"
We're doing P's room (well, the lower 1/3rd of it) a pink that matches the pink in her new bed linens. Of course. T's room you ask? Well, that whole thing will be a purple that matches her new bed linens. Pink and purple curtains, pillows, bean bag chairs and sheets.
Jesus, even their soccer ball is pink.
When I had P at a home improvement store (what a joke, these places should be called "Oh shit, that broke? Again? I'll go get it's replacement/quick fix" stores) before the move, looking for packing supplies, she BEGGED me to buy a roll of duct-tape...you guessed it...bright effing pink duct-tape.
I swear I'm going to paint my bathroom jet-black just to have a little masculinity in the house (of course, our tub is a nice rose color...FML).
I'd say I'd like to have a son, to get a little blue or dirt in the house - but that would never happen. We'd wind up with twin girls...I am 101% positive of this. Then we'd need a 6 bedroom house (probably somewhere in Omaha - you know, middle America?), which would be even pink and purple-er. I'll just bide my time until they have families...hopefully two boys each...
13 September 2011
07 September 2011
Finally
Finally: I'm on here writing again.
Finally: We've rid ourselves of the small town house in a poor school district and a bad (not terrible, but bad) neighborhood.
Finally: We've taken possession and moved into a beautiful, spacious, clean, neat, well-appointed single family home in a quiet neighborhood with an excellent elementary school.
Finally: I can begin to re-focus on my science and start making true headway as I'm not being pulled in 16 different directions outside of work (only the usual 6).
Finally: I have a commute less than 35 minutes each direction (actually, it's like 7 minutes, but who's counting?)
Finally: It feels like we are where we are supposed to be. It's a bit more rural (still nothing like where I grew up...we won't be butchering our own pigs in our front yard here...) and picturesque but has a solid suburban atmosphere at the same time. An hour from DC. 5 minutes from my local homebrew supply store! HELLO BEERSVILLE!
Finally: I believe I'm (we're...) providing my daughters with what they've deserved all along...
Finally: I'll be a bit more active in the blogosphere...promise.
Finally: We've rid ourselves of the small town house in a poor school district and a bad (not terrible, but bad) neighborhood.
Finally: We've taken possession and moved into a beautiful, spacious, clean, neat, well-appointed single family home in a quiet neighborhood with an excellent elementary school.
Finally: I can begin to re-focus on my science and start making true headway as I'm not being pulled in 16 different directions outside of work (only the usual 6).
Finally: I have a commute less than 35 minutes each direction (actually, it's like 7 minutes, but who's counting?)
Finally: It feels like we are where we are supposed to be. It's a bit more rural (still nothing like where I grew up...we won't be butchering our own pigs in our front yard here...) and picturesque but has a solid suburban atmosphere at the same time. An hour from DC. 5 minutes from my local homebrew supply store! HELLO BEERSVILLE!
Finally: I believe I'm (we're...) providing my daughters with what they've deserved all along...
Finally: I'll be a bit more active in the blogosphere...promise.
16 July 2011
Well, things seem to be tracking right for our little clan these days. The kids are a mix of absolute joy and a healthy dose of derrière discomfort. They're kids, I guess.
We put our house on the market 11 days ago, at a very uncomfortable (low) price. It worked. Received two offers after just six days and actually got higher than the asking price ($100 is $100...). We close on Aug 30th...as long as the inspection/appraisal and financing go well. So, we're nervous but hopeful.
Then, 2 days ago, the wife and I found our kingdom a real castle. Made a strong offer and got the contract (it should be being signed as I type). We're going from a two bedroom poorly laid out 1400 square feet with curbside parking and no yard to speak of to an open floor plan with four bedrooms, 3000 square feet, a deck, 2-car garage and .27 acres of yard. And the kitchen? Holy moly what I'm going to be able to get done in that space...
Great elementary school and a really nice, put together neighborhood. We close on the 31st of Aug, and move that same day. Crazy. Then, two days later, we head to the Outer Banks of N. Carolina for a week with our great friends C & J and their two rug rats. Going to be a GREAT time. Beers, pools, beaches, and awesome company. And, we'll get to come "home" to our new castle. For the first time in quite a while, things feel really really positive in our little world.
The idiot (me) manifested this morning. As part of the sale of our townhome, we agreed to recarpet the staircase on the main level. $500 job, not a big deal. The guys showed up to bang it out this morning (Empire Carpet is worth EVERY penny...highly recommend them) and did a fantastic and FAST job. In and out in 35 minutes. I, however, did not have a single shekel in the house to give them as a tip. It was really awkward. I felt awful. Still do. I DID overpay for the job (a $375 job but a $500 minimum installation floor) but still...I wish I'd have had $20 to give each of them.
Well, next time I'll make sure I've got cash on me when having work done. Maybe I'll feel less douche-baggy.
We put our house on the market 11 days ago, at a very uncomfortable (low) price. It worked. Received two offers after just six days and actually got higher than the asking price ($100 is $100...). We close on Aug 30th...as long as the inspection/appraisal and financing go well. So, we're nervous but hopeful.
Then, 2 days ago, the wife and I found our kingdom a real castle. Made a strong offer and got the contract (it should be being signed as I type). We're going from a two bedroom poorly laid out 1400 square feet with curbside parking and no yard to speak of to an open floor plan with four bedrooms, 3000 square feet, a deck, 2-car garage and .27 acres of yard. And the kitchen? Holy moly what I'm going to be able to get done in that space...
Great elementary school and a really nice, put together neighborhood. We close on the 31st of Aug, and move that same day. Crazy. Then, two days later, we head to the Outer Banks of N. Carolina for a week with our great friends C & J and their two rug rats. Going to be a GREAT time. Beers, pools, beaches, and awesome company. And, we'll get to come "home" to our new castle. For the first time in quite a while, things feel really really positive in our little world.
The idiot (me) manifested this morning. As part of the sale of our townhome, we agreed to recarpet the staircase on the main level. $500 job, not a big deal. The guys showed up to bang it out this morning (Empire Carpet is worth EVERY penny...highly recommend them) and did a fantastic and FAST job. In and out in 35 minutes. I, however, did not have a single shekel in the house to give them as a tip. It was really awkward. I felt awful. Still do. I DID overpay for the job (a $375 job but a $500 minimum installation floor) but still...I wish I'd have had $20 to give each of them.
Well, next time I'll make sure I've got cash on me when having work done. Maybe I'll feel less douche-baggy.
15 July 2011
It's killing me
Short post. Because I need to get it out and I think about 4 people, including myself, actually pay attention to this gas station bathroom of a blog on the interweb superhighway.
Contract on the current house, waiting for appraisal. Nervous.
Offer on what would be a spectacular place to spend the next 4-7 years (or more)...should hear back today. REALLY nervous.
I just want it to be September 1st...I trade my summer for this to be behind us.
If it all works, I'm going to suggest you, dear reader, to invest in Pottery Barn stock...the wife is going to heat up the plastic furnishing our kids' rooms....
FINGERS CROSSED (men it"s hard to tyep liek thaat)
Contract on the current house, waiting for appraisal. Nervous.
Offer on what would be a spectacular place to spend the next 4-7 years (or more)...should hear back today. REALLY nervous.
I just want it to be September 1st...I trade my summer for this to be behind us.
If it all works, I'm going to suggest you, dear reader, to invest in Pottery Barn stock...the wife is going to heat up the plastic furnishing our kids' rooms....
FINGERS CROSSED (men it"s hard to tyep liek thaat)
28 June 2011
F me
Just a random observation for today. I've been at my current place of employ for 11 months now, and it has it's share of curiosities, as most places do. It's government, so there is this secondary layer of BS that many who haven't worked for the Feds can't truly appreciate. Whatever...that isn't the point.
Lately I've been taking notice of the duds that the folks who work for facilities/maintenance wear...grey tshirts with block letters that go like this : FME
Facilities, Maintenance and Engineering...so the acronym fits, sure, but what toadstool eating no-nothing decided to write F Me all over janitorial gear? The world needs fixers and maintainers...they are truly valuable people...but to put a dude in Dickies, workboots and a F Me tshirt just adds insult to injury.
Why not make them walk around the campus wearing a sandwich board that says: "Uncle Sam wants ME! (to plunge the stopped up toilet)"
Weird.
Lately I've been taking notice of the duds that the folks who work for facilities/maintenance wear...grey tshirts with block letters that go like this : FME
Facilities, Maintenance and Engineering...so the acronym fits, sure, but what toadstool eating no-nothing decided to write F Me all over janitorial gear? The world needs fixers and maintainers...they are truly valuable people...but to put a dude in Dickies, workboots and a F Me tshirt just adds insult to injury.
Why not make them walk around the campus wearing a sandwich board that says: "Uncle Sam wants ME! (to plunge the stopped up toilet)"
Weird.
25 June 2011
Worms don't eat sidewalks
Strange title today, no? It arose from a conversation I was having with Paige this afternoon. talking about teeth and how many of them different kinds of animals have. Sharks, it turns out, have 22. And worms? Well, they apparently don't have teeth because they don't need teeth because they don't eat sidewalks - they're too hard. Brilliance and insanity all in the space of a single sentence.
We, as a family, actually had a rather enjoyable day together today. The first without a major incident clouding our happiness, or a mad scramble to get somewhere important, or feverishly flit about the house getting it ready for sale (a log entry I'm trying patiently to avoid writing because it is a rather disappointing and maddening experience). The kids had gym class this morning and were fairly well behaved all day. They ate well, slept (Taryn) and rested (Paige) decently and didn't do much fighting. They were rewarded with a trip to the playground (a mother playground with all the trappings across town).
The wife was rewarded with two helpings of Mike's fabulous Sangria. Mike is hoping for his reward in a little bit, after the Sangria kicks in...
We, as a family, actually had a rather enjoyable day together today. The first without a major incident clouding our happiness, or a mad scramble to get somewhere important, or feverishly flit about the house getting it ready for sale (a log entry I'm trying patiently to avoid writing because it is a rather disappointing and maddening experience). The kids had gym class this morning and were fairly well behaved all day. They ate well, slept (Taryn) and rested (Paige) decently and didn't do much fighting. They were rewarded with a trip to the playground (a mother playground with all the trappings across town).
The wife was rewarded with two helpings of Mike's fabulous Sangria. Mike is hoping for his reward in a little bit, after the Sangria kicks in...
21 June 2011
More to come
It's been a few days since I've said much here. It was a difficult and sobering past weekend. I'll get into it tonight, perhaps. It's going to be a tough summer 2011 methinks.
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