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Thursday, November 19th, 2009
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9:40 pm - I Never Want To Move Ever Again
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It's official. We're 100% moved in. Now it's time to unpack. You never realize how much shit you have until you have to pack and unpack it. Oh well...at least now I have a basement to store shit. Yup. I am a bit of a pack rat.
I'm stoked that we have so much more space now. But sadly not enough furniture to fill it yet. I see quite a few Ikea trips in my future. However, we do plan on hitting up some antique stores in the area to see if we can find any mid-century modern gems. For some crazy reason, I want a credenza.
But with a house comes other headaches. It's an older home, which has it's pros and cons. I love the fact that it has tons of character, which can be difficult to find in some newer homes in bland subdivisions. Since it's old, ~40 years, the electrical and plumbing are old. There is no electrical outlet in the hall bathroom! And the walls are a bit on the thin side. And did I mention that all of the trees in the yard decided to shed their leaves this week? I can't even remember the last time I had to rake leaves. That shit sucks. At least that only happens once a year. Maybe eventually we'll hire someone to take care of it since we are that lazy.
There's still a lot of things I want to do with the house. The kitchen needs a pantry and a garbage disposal. The downstairs needs to be remodeled. I just hope that the old tiles aren't asbestos! But I might take my concrete knowledge and cement over them as an easy fix. The wet bar downstairs needs to be reinstalled. Sadly, due to Dekalb County water restrictions the matching blue toilet in the blue bathroom had to be removed. I'm all for low-flow eco-friendly shit. But for some sick reason I want to poop in a blue toilet. The previous owners saved it for us. But only an unlicensed plumber MIGHT re-install it. The blue jack-n-jill bathtub is quite interesting too. And last but not least, the yard could use some professional landscaping. It feels very overwhelming since I want all of that done NOW. But timing and money are an issue. But as my mom says. There's only one way to eat an elephant. One bite at a time.
current mood:  restless
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| Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
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9:18 pm - Just When All Hope Was Almost Lost....
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It looks like we'll finally be closing tomorrow afternoon!!! I can't wait.
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| Sunday, November 1st, 2009
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1:13 pm - House Headaches
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I'm starting to wonder if there is some sort of cosmic force out there that is preventing Rick and I from getting into a house, at least in the immediate future. The good news is that whenever we do get into our sexy mid-century home, it has plenty of room for expansion so we won't have to move immediately if our family expands. Getting into a house has to be one of the most stressful things I have ever fucking done.
I did have to choke down one huge ass pill when I paid off ex-fuckwad's debt. It almost killed me, but I got through it somehow. Thankfully, Rick and my mother (who is a lawyer) fought with the collection's agency jerkwads and got them to lower the collection slightly, but I still had to pay close to $4,000 out of pocket. We do have some 'oh shit' money which was used towards that. I did speak with some Florida lawyers about my situation. I could possibly fight to get reimbursed later on or put a lien on those fuckwads, so that their shitty credit would be fucked up even more. But honestly, I don't know if it would be worth it. That whole situation opened up a deep scar and re-opening it again would not be pleasant. I've already wasted too much emotional energy on that fuckwad. Besides, isn't the best revenge living well? Hopefully, I'll have an amazing house soon. I have an awesome husband. And over all a pretty great life. Ex-fuckwad is still stuck in Crawfordsville, IN, where he will be dead beat loser forever.
We were supposed to close last Friday on the house. But that got delayed for an undetermined amount of time. Something about how the house has to be re-appraised by a 3rd party for Quality Assurance reasons. Supposedly, there has been lots of appraisal fraud in the Atlanta area and we're paying very close to what they house appraised for, so that might have set off some red flags. It's bullshit if you ask me. But the mortgage underwriters won't give us an exact date for the closing. They could potentially drag their asses up to 60 days to get the house re-appraised. Which, I hope not. When we ordered the appraisal within the first week after putting in the offer, it got done in under 24 hours. Why the underwriters waited til the last minute is beyond me.
Now this delay, is causing even more headaches. Our realtor, who has to be present at the closing, will be out of the country, selling real estate in Italy, in a week. She will be gone for at least a month. We have to close before the end of November, if we want to be eligible for the $8,000 tax credit, granted it doesn't get extended. We also have put in our 60-day notice to vacate our current apartment. Depending on how long this shit takes, we may have to scramble last minute to find a place to store our shit and to live. Also, when he got pre-approved we locked in at a super low interest rate. That lock-in rate contract expires soon. Since then, interest rates have gone up 0.5%. It's hard to say if the underwrites will honor the initial rate or not, since they are the ones who are delaying this shit.
current mood:  frustrated
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| Sunday, October 18th, 2009
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11:05 pm - Shit Storm
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Sadly, it looks like I may have to pay off ex-douchebag's debt if I want to get approved for a loan. Because I have this collection, a lien could be put on the house and no bank will give us money. It sucks but $5k is small price to pay to cut all ties from that asshole and to get into an amazing house. There is a good chance we can talk down the collection's agency so that I may only pay pennies on the dollar. It really fucking sucks, but I don't have much time to fight this shit until after the fact.
I'm still currently waiting to get actual proof for the charge's from the collection's agency, but more than likely they will play hardball about that shit. I was able to get some documents from the apartment complex. The documents include a 2 pages from the lease agreement with my signature on it (which is what's damning my good name). It does have those 2 chumps' social security numbers on it. The vengeful side of me would love to expose that confidential shit. But then again, who would want to assume those assholes' indentity? The other portion of the documents is something that was put together when ex-douchebag moved out i.e. abandoned the property. The documents state that he owes about $4k in penalties and damages to the apartment. My name is NO WHERE on this document. Just douchebag's. You think that would be enough proof, but sadly it isn't to the collection jerkwads.
If only I could find that damn lease release form! I'm anal retentive about keeping all types of important documents. But for some damn reason I cannot find that one piece of paperwork. I would not have tossed something as important as that on purpose. It probably got lost in one of my moves. Who knows. I have contacted the apartment fucktards and they are of no help. They claim they don't keep documents past 2 years. Whether this is legit or not, it's hard to say. Since they sold this debt, they could give a rat's ass about my situation.
It would be one thing if this collection was an erranous credit card bill or something else stupid. But this whole situation has opened up a deep emotional scar, which makes it even more difficult to deal with amongst all of the other craziness I'm going through. The angry part of me would love to hunt down ex-douchebag on Facebook or something and send him an uber nasty message. It wouldn't do any good since he is a dead beat and that will never change. And of course he would try to manipulate the situation and try to turn it back on me, since I left and made all of the bills go up. If he was so concerned about the bills then why did you break up with me? It was for the best anyways, cause I ended up meeting my dear Ricky.
Worst case scenario, I pay off the debt in full and hopefully can secure financing before the closing date (October 30th!). Then I can have a long, drawn out legal battle with the apartment complex/collection's agency and try to at least get reimbursed. It may be a long shot but I will be talking with some Florida lawyers tomorrow. Hopefully they may be able to add some insight to all of this. Or I could just be pretty much fucked because I don't have that lease release form.
Now for the good news! I was one of the winner's of the 2009 Atlanta Yarn Shop Hop! I scored a bunch of free yarn and other stuff to make a tote! The winnings probably just make up for all of the money I spent going to 10 yarns shops in a week! If only I had won the grand prize....
current mood:  tired
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| Sunday, October 4th, 2009
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8:37 pm - Ex-Boyfriends...The Gift That Keeps On Giving
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Buying a house has to be the most stressful thing ever. I've been feeling like I might burst since last Thursday when we started getting all of the paperwork together. I've already had one quasi-meltdown. I'm sure there will probably be more to come. It also doesn't help that Rick is out of town most of the week in Columbia, SC, and I'm supposed to fly out to Denver, CO, next Sunday for quality audit. It's the one audit that I get to travel for. It also doesn't help that I'm swamped at work, and will probably have to put in some OT this week so that I can get all of my audit prep stuff done. I see lots of wine in my future.
And to make matters worse, a 'blemish' recently came up on my credit report when they ran it for our pre-approval. My credit score has been over 700 for quite some time. I pay all of my bills on-time and pay off my credit cards in full every month. So I was rather surprised to find out that I owe $5200 for a debt my ex-boyfriend never paid back in 2006. I run a credit report from time to time just to make sure it everything is OK. And when we got pre-approved last February, there were no such issues on my credit report.
After dickwad ex-boyfriend broke my heart, 3 months after moving to Florida, I had to move out. Both the ex and the other roomate agreed to sign me off of the lease. I thought that part of my life was over and dead. But now, the debt collectors are coming after me since those douche bags couldn't pay rent...imagine that. Thankfully I haven't been getting any phone calls...but then again this just recently came up. And for some damn reason, I can't find the paperwork showing that I got signed off of that damn lease. I'm going to see if I can get any documentation from the apartment complex. But most apartments tend to higher absolute fucktards, so I doubt I'll be able to get anything from them.
Well...the good news is, my credit score is barely over 700, despite this blemish, so there might not be any issues with getting a bank loan. And my parents have agreed to sign whatever is needed. But I still have to get that blemish taken care of. It just really pisses me off though
current mood:  stressed
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| Friday, October 2nd, 2009
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10:27 pm - Finally
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It seemed like all hope was lost when the last decent mid-century house in Northcrest went under contract....and then the most gorgeous of them all got listed yesterday. Rick saw the listing only 30 minutes after is was posted. Needless to say, we rushed to see the house. Heck, they were still taking photos of it for the listing when we arrived. Now it is ours!!! Who would think that in this economy that house would sell in under a day? And did I mention that his house was also featured in Atomic Ranch magazine when they had an article about Northcrest?
The house is amazing! It's been updated but yet a lot of the orginal features that make it mid-century modern not just modern. (Check out the blue bathroom!) It's like the best of both worlds. It's a bit pricier than I would prefer...but then again I am a cheap ass. Now onto the photos!!
current mood:  exhausted
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| Sunday, September 27th, 2009
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10:27 am - House Hunting Yet Again
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Now that Rick is getting paychecks in and our Venice trip is over, we've started up our house hunt yet again. Sadly, all of the mid-century homes in Northcrest have all recently gone under contract. Boo! Two homes are supposed to go on the market soon, but they're in horrible condition.
We're hoping to be able to close on a house before December 1st so that we can get that $8000 tax credit. But yet I don't want to rush into a house I don't particularly care for either just for that tax credit.
We did see this beautiful mid-century home yesterday. It definitely has some potential. It has the right style even though the kitchen and bathrooms could use some updating. (Check out the owners intersting cookie jar collection in the kitchen!) The yard is nice and small and it survived the recent Atlanta flooding. However, the price is a bit higher than what we can reasonably afford. Of coarse if we do put in a bid, it's going to be a low-ball offer. Also the lower level is in the middle of being renovated. But since the current owner no longer lives there, all renovations have been stopped (and most likely won't be completed). At least that helps us in regards to giving a low ball offer.
Rick does have a major boner for this house. But for some reason I feel lukewarm about it.
current mood:  confused
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| Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
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6:48 pm - Vagina Motherfuckers
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I seriously hope that Obama will get his healthcare plan approved. I'm tired of all of this 'pre-existing condition' bullshit CIGNA keeps on sending me everytime I see a damn doctor.
I've had my thyroid condition for quite some time now. The only treatment I need is a yearly blood test to make sure my hormone levels are normal and that my medication doesn't have to be adjusted. It's never been an issue before with previous policies I've had with CIGNA. But all of a sudden, I now have a pre-existing condition and everytime I see a doctor, whether it's in regards to my thyroid or not, it's a pre-existing condition. In the meantime, CIGNA continues to have record breaking profits and my employer is paying more each year to cover their employees. Hmmmm....so the insurance costs more but yet the coverage goes down. Gotta love that!
Sadly, I doubt Obama's healthcare plan will ever get approved. All of our politicians are whores for the money from health insurance and pharmaceutical companies. I'd be glad to have my taxes go up. In the end it would probably cost the same as what I pay my employer for coverage and all of my medical bills and prescriptions. Not to mention how much money employers would save by not having to pay out the ass for health insurance for their employees.
I went to the emergency room after a nasty case of food poisoning. Those motherfuckers tried to say that was a pre-existing condition. Cuz you know I love to eat ill prepared food and shit my brains out. I had my eyes checked out after trying to make my last pair of 2-week disposable contacts last 6 months. That's a pre-existing condition. What next? Having an uterus is a pre-existing condition? Will my birth control and yearly coochie exams no longer be covered?
current mood:  angry
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| Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
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6:48 pm - Dull Life
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Why does it seem like clothes at the stores keep on getting uglier and uglier. I've seen several of these hideous jumpers at stores. It doesn't even look good on the model. And since when did pleated, taper legged pants ever look good on anyone?
current music: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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| Monday, August 10th, 2009
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10:08 pm - Spock Monkey
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Somehome I managed to put down the knitting needles for a few nights, and created this awesomeness. It's the only thing that Rick wanted for his birthday.
Sadly, I have to admit that this adorable Spock Monkey was not 100% Amanda creative genious. I purchased a kit off of Etsy since making the shirt and hair was just a bit too intimidating for this girly. Someday I plant on making a bunch more sock monkeys....and maybe even on my sewing maching. Hand sewing this things together just takes too damn long!
current mood:  happy
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| Monday, July 27th, 2009
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8:15 pm
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Someday my knitting skills will be good enough to make this amazing monstrosity.
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| Sunday, July 12th, 2009
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6:31 pm
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The good news is, Rick has finally managed to get a job after countless interviews. He's now an Consultant and will be doing lots of travel. His current assignment involves being in Jackson, MS, 4 days out of the week. I'm not too thrilled about that much travel. But the pay is right and he will be home every weekend.
Hopefully in a few weeks, we'll start up the house search again. And then once we get into a house, I'll more than likely begin my job search. I'm starting to think that concrete isn't quite my thing.
In the meantime, I've been quite a crafty bitch. Knitting calms my frazzled nerves.
Racerback Tank:
Banana Socks:
current music: The Shins - New Slang
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| Monday, June 29th, 2009
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7:35 pm - Best Behavior
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My 10 year high school reunion has come and gone. If I was still traveling for work, my audit trip for Indianapolis/Cincinnati/Louisville would have brought me to Indiana just in time to attend. But because I wouldn't be getting free air fare, I elected not to go. The only reason why I even wanted to go was mostly mean spirited. I totally wanted to have a Romy & Michelle moment and show off how awesome my life is. Oh well. There's a good reason why I didn't keep in contact with these people after I graduated. I just can't believe I'll be 28 in a month!
Part of me feels like I've done a lot with my life. I have a decent job. Can pay my own bills. I no longer live with my parents. Graduated with a degree in Chemistry. I got married. But when I compare myself to my friends and family who have a house and kids, I feel kind of like a slacker. The house I definitely want. But kids, I'm not too sure about. I've never been into babies or kids. I actually kind of despise them. I do know that I'm currently not ready for kids, at least mentally and emotionally. But that could all change once that biological clock goes off.
It looks like Rick and I will finally be taking a quasi-honeymoon.....2 years after we got married. Unfortunately my current employer is very stingy with the vacation time. I have to work a full motherfuckin' calendar year before I can get 2 weeks of vacation. It's kind of crappy, but at least I have a job. So even though I've been with them for over a year, I have to wait another 6 months before I can get 2 weeks. Rick and I will be going to Venice, Italy, for a week. We're super excited. However, we will be meeting up with my parents and brother in Venice, since my parents are kinda paying for it all. But who am I to decline a free trip to Venice? I see lots of gondola rides and wine in my future. And perhaps Rick and I can sneek off for some private moments.
I've also been thinking about getting some more ink done lately. I'd love to have full sleeves or a back piece But they are a bit pricey and a big commitment. Not to mention I couldn't get job with full sleeves. And now that I no longer have wedding photos to worry about ruining with visible bad tattoos, I'm free to get whatever I want. I definitely want get my dumb 19-year-old-girl-in-college tattoo covered up. I had a small ladybug tattoo put on my hip. The red is kinda dark, so the tat looks more like a weird mole instead of a lady bug. I'm thinking about having a cliche all black star put over it. I'd also like to get something a bit larger and more colorful than what I currently happen. Perhaps a shoulder or 1/4 sleeve thing. I feel totally inspired by this yarn/craft tattoo. I'd love to get some sort of knitting tattoo or something Hello Kitty related.
current music: Jeopardy
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| Sunday, May 31st, 2009
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9:27 am - Some People Like to Hug
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So I finally caved in. I joined Twitter. I doubt I will be 'tweeting' much, as my life is extra boring. But that's kind of how I like it. All I pretty much do is knit and work, and the occasional viewing of a bad B horror movie.
Back during my college days, I was the biggest MySpace ho. I was all about the online social networking. But then again I had way more free time (and was single). But once I started working, my interest in that stuff has pretty much died off. Especially now that I sit in front of a computer all damn day at work When I come home, the last thing I want to do is sit at my personal computer. Also, unlike some other people that have 'computer jobs', I don't get to fuck off all day online. I do try to sneak a few minutes during my lunch break to check my email or Ravelry. I'm just way too busy at work now. I might actually have to start coming in weekends to get caught up. *sigh* At least I have a job though. That's something to be greatful for these days.
My favorite so called 'networking' site has to be Yelp, as it involves actually getting of your ass and doing things and interacting in real life with people.
As for actually interacting with people, I went to the ICE Craft Fair yesterday with some friends. Despite the heat, it was a good time. Sadly, the fair was a bit smaller than last year's, probably due to the economy. But I did pick up some neat-o stuff.
Tiki Cocktail Hat from HumbleBumbleB. I have no idea when I'll ever wear it, but I couldn't resist it's awesomeness.
Cute Robot print.
current mood: old
current music: peaches - I Feel Cream
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| Sunday, May 10th, 2009
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1:20 pm - Pride
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Sadly, it looks as if I may have to retire my Vera Bradley mini-messenger bag. Even though her bags kind of resemble potholders, the prints are pretty. And the bags are made in America, which is sadly a rarity these days. Unfortunately the quilted cotton didn't seem to put up with my everyday abuse and has started to fray badly.
I've been scouring the internets and Etsy for a replacement. But I couldn't find anything that I liked or was the right size. Then I found this $6 messenger bag at Hobby Lobby.
But gasp! There are no pockets inside. How's a girl supposed to stay organized?
Add a lining with pockets! I somewhat followed a tutorial I found on Craftster. And to my surpise, this novice sewer, was able to produce a quasi-professional looking lining. I'm super fucking proud of this.
Eventually, I'll add some sort of embroidery to the front flap to spruce it up a bit. I'm thinking of the Julie West pattern set from Sublime Stitching in colors to match the lining.
current mood:  accomplished
current music: Mates of State - Along For The Ride
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| Monday, April 27th, 2009
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8:53 pm - Yarn Yarn Yarn
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It's official. I'm a yarn junkie and my new addiction is sock yarn. I'm still high off of the yarn fumes from Stitches South. I ended up purchasing 7 skeins of gorgeous sock yarn.
I love the name of the colorway of the black-red yarn. It's called Twice-Stabbed Lady Beetle. Gotta love that.
And not to mention, this is the perfect yarn for some murderXcrew socks.
Maybe someday I'll find the time to knit up my now insane-o stash of sock yarn, along with my huge ass list of other projects.
I'm slowly plugging away at my Lizard Ridge blanket. I'm almost done with half of the squares. Hand sewing all of them together is going to be a motherfucker though. Originally this was going to be a travel project, but since all of my travel is now cancelled, I'm trying to make one square per week. It's going to be the most gorgeous impractical blanket ever, considering it's made out of 100% itchy wool.
current mood: ambitious
current music: The Black Heart Procession - The Invitation
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| Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
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9:03 pm - Well That Changes Everything
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So we just got delt a huge blow. My hubby is getting laid off in a few weeks.
The good news is I make enough money to support both of us if needed. We do have a large nest egg i.e. house down payment money. And Rick has skillz, so he should easily be able to find another job, granted the economy doesn't turn to more shit. I just hope my job remains secure.....
Maybe it's a good thing that we didn't get either house we put a bid on....crazy how that shit works out.
current mood:  distressed
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| Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
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10:46 pm - Smokin' Needle Drugs
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So it looks like that other mid-century house is a no go. We were told they were no longer going to accept offers until we came up more to their price range aka $265,000. As if the house would even appraise for that much. We can afford that price but it doesn't leave much room to do all of the renovations the house needs in the time frame we want. Apparently the sellers aren't too desperate to sell their home. Fuck that shit. Even if they sold the house at our price, they'd technically be making a profit of over $100,000 compared to what they orginally purchased the house for, almost 20 years ago. Fuckin' greedy bastards.
Part of us, is so anxious to get into a house, that we'll buy the next piece of crap we find, whether we like or not. But part of me wants to hold until the "right" house comes along, if there even is such a thing. It seems like we've looked at almost every damn house in Atlanta. I just hope a shit fuck ton of houses come to market now that summer is quickly approaching. Maybe we're just too picky. We want a house with character and not some ticky-tacky generic shit. But it can't be near ghetto or too far from where we work. We'd prefer the house to be somewhat updated. Or at least cheap enough so that we can afford to renovate, but a house that doesn't need to be completely gutted, just a new kitchen or floors. And it has to have plenty of room for all of our crap and be in our price range. Is that really too much to ask for?
The Atlanta area is still pretty damn affordable compared to other metro areas. If we started looking just a little further out in the suburbs, we could easily get a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom for a little over $200k. The house is brand spankin' new and has all of the nice modern conveniences of a new house. But you're stuck living with soccer moms and HOA's that want to fine you for having an unkempt yard. And there are no trees at all. It's the deal of the motherfuckin' century. But I just don't know if I'm quite ready for that type of lifestyle. A part of my soul dies every time I think about it.
current mood:  pessimistic
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| Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
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2:24 pm - Yet Another Damn House
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So we might be putting another bid in for another mid-century modern house we found. It actually has the same floorplan as that other super sexy mid-century modern house we lost. But there's only one problem. The house we'll be putting a bid on hasn't really been renovated, but yet it's listed for a comparable price to the other super sexy mid-century modern house that was fully renovated. It turns out that sexy house appraised for $265,000. However, the seller of this new house is smoking some sort of needle drugs to think that they'll get that much money for their house.
It's in a nice area and some 'upgrades' have been made i.e. new roof, hot water heater, HVAC. New carpet and tile were installed but it is cheapest most generic crap from Home Depot. There are hardwoods in the bedrooms but they're not in the best shape and will need to be refinished. We'd want to put hardwoods through out the house anyways. The worst part of this house is the kitchen. It's the original kitchen. It's tiny and way out-dated.
( Kitchen Photos )
We're planning on low-balling the heck out of this house by at least 20%. But there's a good chance the seller will tell us to go fuck ourselves. Rightfully so, but they want way too damn much for that house. We're estimating that it will take at least $40,000 to re-do the kitchen, floors, and bathrooms. And the more we have to pay, the less money we'll have to pay for that stuff. Did I mention it has a jack-and-jill bathtub?
Having to do and pay for the renovations is kind of a turn off. But at least the house will be exactly what we want. We just hope the seller is willing to go down in price so that we'd have the liquidity to make the updates.
The one thing I do really like about this house is that it still has the orginal light fixtures from the 60's which I definitely plan on keeping.
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| Friday, March 20th, 2009
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8:26 pm - I Totally Have To Figure Out How to Make These
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iheartmytho's journal
