Saturday, January 7, 2012
We’re nearly a week into the new year and I don’t know where the time has gone. My son and I had a wonderful break. Lots of sleeping in. Taking walks. Maybe too much baking. Visiting the library and reading. All this relaxing was balanced by a few gatherings with friends and family. And we continued with other annual holiday traditions. An annual secret satan/santa exchange. New Year’s Eve at a hotel, with pool and hot tub (and a trip to Uncle Hugo’s across the street), and New Year’s Day at the home of some lovely friends who host a gathering each year.
Five more good things:
Somewhere along the way I got sucked into a Glee vortex. And it may have influenced my playlists during this past work week. Aretha Franklin, Erasure, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. But after catching up with the bright and bubbly Glee I plunged into season two of The Walking Dead (which some complain isn’t dark enough). I’ve officially consumed more than enough media for a while. Time to get back to creating. And, as with any new year, I have an ambitious list of projects I’d like to tackle. Many with my wonderfully creative son (but I know better than to post about them before they’re in progress). This afternoon we’re heading over to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for inspiration as The Edo Pop exhibit ends tomorrow already. Seems like it just opened. I don’t want “blink and it’s over” to be a running theme of 2012.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Well, that happened. I am no longer a homeowner. Though I was holding my breath until the very last moment. The morning of the closing the skies darkened and a freak snowstorm blew in out of nowhere. The drive to the title office was slightly treacherous. Upon arrival I learned the buyer was trying to wrangle some last minute concessions out of me (denied) so we were placed in separate rooms. And the person handling the closing forgot her notary stamp. But it finally happened. Naturally it’s not totally over yet. In the long run there’s the repayment plan with both banks, until 2021 and 2026 respectively. In the short term? Yesterday I spent hours on the phone dealing with the aftermath of canceling the utilities. Most were reasonable and understand that it will take me a while to pay off the final bills (over $500 that I surely don’t have). But these are much more minor nuisances. The albatross around my neck has finally been removed. And I’ve been able to relax a bit and enjoy our holiday break.
Five more good things:
I tried to do nothing on Monday/Boxing Day. Honestly. But I wound up washing three loads of laundry, taking the kid for a long walk (it was gloriously Spring-like out), taking out the trash and recycling, editing photos and organizing the garage and basement storage unit. But it was lucky that I was downstairs that day as I noticed the hot water heater leaking. I called and then emailed the landlord’s property management company. I was worried they’d taken the whole week off for the holidays but a couple of dudes showed up yesterday. They replaced the hot water heater with a brand new one and I didn’t have to pay for any of it. I LOVE RENTING. I’m still wrapping my head around this wonderful new reality but I’m sure I’ll adjust soon enough.
Monday, December 19, 2011
I’ve been on the verge of an anxiety-fueled total meltdown for far too long now. But I am in the home stretch. I spent much of the weekend removing personal effects and trash from my former home. While doing so I was reminded of how much I loathe that neighborhood. A woman across the street was shrieking at her small children to “get the eff back in the house.” But at least the area scavengers are on top of things. On Saturday I left a bunch of broken items on the curb. A BBQ grill, vacuum cleaner, lawn chairs, etc. When I returned Sunday most had been taken. I also found my spare car keys hidden away in a closet, which was nifty. Today I sign yet more paperwork for one of the banks. Some time this week I need to track down a certified copy of my divorce decree. It might be tacky to borrow my ex-husband’s copy but I’m going to ask anyhow. And Friday is the big day. I need to let all the danged utility companies and my insurance company know because after closing? I will no longer be responsible for that property. And then I can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
How about five wonderful things?
On Friday I had a really fun and satisfying experience at work. In under 24 hours my co-workers, along with a little help from some of our friends, managed to raise something like $1600 for Toys for Tots and I was one of the shopping spree volunteers. We had a pre-planning meeting where we created a spreadsheet of what to buy for which age groups. At Target we split off into pairs with our smart phones, entering dollar amounts into the spreadsheet as we chucked each item into our carts. And we deliberated very carefully over each and every purchase, trying only to get things that were both fun and useful (like Thinsulate texting gloves for teens). At the end of checkout our group of six managed to come in about $20 under budget. The extra cash was donated directly. I had to take off to meet my son after school but part of our group was able to deliver our haul to the drop off site right away. Very rewarding.
Monday, December 12, 2011
We’re not out of the woods yet. I’ve been trying so hard to stay positive but this last week has threatened to push me right over the edge. The unraveling began last Monday with bad news from my credit union. To keep the short sale alive I had to agree to a repayment plan with them (on top of my repayment plan with TCF). But now I’m waiting for yet more paperwork so we can proceed. And the closing is tentatively scheduled for the Friday before Christmas - less than two weeks away! And I’ve still got to do a final cleaning up at the house. We are cutting it close here, people.
Five non-stressful more interesting things:
There have been some good times in the last week. Saw Wilco with Nick Lowe. Attended the Social Science Masquerade at the Science Museum. Friday night we had another Clockwork game night where my son played ping pong and entertained himself with a lego game set (alas he didn’t have the concentration required for Kids Dungeon Adventure, a kid-style D&D game whose tagline is: “You bring the dungeon, we’ll bring the monsters.“) Yesterday the boy and I saw Aardman’s Arthur Christmas which wasn’t half bad. And we walked there from our new place. It’s wonderful to live within walking distance of a movie theater again.
This morning we had company in our new home for the first time. Well, aside from the dozen or so friends tromping through on moving day, which doesn’t count as a relaxing gathering. And with the exception of the boyfriend, who isn’t company so much as a regular and honored guest, mostly on weekends. Oh and my Dad came by that one time a couple of Sundays ago. But that was mostly to loan me a mallet (for flat pack furniture assembly) and to replace my dead car battery with his fancy toolbox filled with socket wrenches and whatnot and with his fancy arms that are a much more reasonable and useful length than my short stubby T-Rex ones. I digress. So this morning I invited a handful of my favorite folks over for brunch. I made a spinach and cheese strata with a winter fruit salad, and hash browns. Guests brought doughnuts from A Baker’s Wife (I’d never had them before - they were quite good) and champagne for mimosas, and bloody mary mix to go with my vodka. After all that it wasn’t a terribly productive Sunday. For me anyhow.
Five other great things:
I am no longer day drunk. This is good. The lad and I have had dinner. And now I may finally hop in the shower, and contemplate catching Irregular Readings #5 at the Triple Rock. Unless I get sucked back into the Top Gear vortex. Not nearly as addictive as something like Boardwalk Empire or worse, Game of Thrones, which I still haven’t given into.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
It is December now. I am inching ever closer to the closing on the house. The buyer had the place inspected the other day. So far I haven’t heard anything. No news is good news? In actual news of the positive variety, the friends who have been occupying my old house have found an apartment for their little family to rent. A big relief all around. Now I just need to get through this month in one piece and then I can shuck off this crazyass year, with all of its ups and downs, and glide my way into a mellow 2012.
Five good things:
This weekend the No Coast Craft-O-Rama will be held, once again, at the Midtown Global Market. But I don’t do well in crowds and I’m broke anyhow. Instead I may unofficially begin to celebrate the Krampus tradition. If you’re in Chicago you should get to The Krampus Show. Some mighty fine Krampus art will be on display.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Apparently I’m lacking in the spatial reasoning department. I took my son out to select a smallish fresh cut Christmas/Giftmas tree. And, just like every other year, we got it home only to realize it was MUCH larger all around than intended. This wasn’t as much of a problem at the big old house. But we’re working with closer quarters in our new place. In fact, the boy talked me into putting the tree up in his bedroom because it would be a tight squeeze anywhere else, and this way the cats can’t get at it. But in the middle of the night the tree fell over on its own (a friend remarked “That’s what you get for getting the tree drunk”). This woke my son up. Which woke me up. And interrupted sleep is particularly sad-making as I’m getting over a stupid cold. It was spreading like wildfire at work last week but didn’t strike me down until bedtime on Thanksgiving. What would have been a luxuriously long weekend was mostly spent uncomfortable and bored, in bed or on a couch, cursing my bad luck and the sad state of my social life. I’d intended to hang out with friends and get to the Turf Club Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Instead I went not at all. I did make a half-assed attempted at reading. And finally watched The Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man. And Super 8, which started out well (they nailed the period) but veered into schmaltzy territory. I did put pants on to leave the house, just long enough to see Scorsese’s Hugo. The boyfriend and I quite enjoyed it but my son found to be BORING. It must be the first kids movie in history to double as propaganda for classic film preservation. We also saw A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas in 3D. Without my son. Sure, my Dad dragged me to many a Cheech & Chong movie when I was a kid, but let’s just say we have different parenting styles.
On to five compelling things:
Tomorrow I hope to resume our usual routine. After getting a full night’s sleep. Uninterrupted by the middle of the night carousing of Christmas trees or any other sentient or non-sentient entities.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
It could be so much worse. This I know. I feel lucky that my son and I have a safe and comfortable place to live. That the slow landslide, the years and years of attempting to save our house, didn’t land us in much more dire circumstances (as it has for countless others after the housing crash). I don’t have a lot of excess time or money but I try to share a bit of both when I can. This morning I Donated a Thanksgiving Meal Through Second Harvest Heartland - a $15 contribution provides 55 meals. And soon we will acquire our annual batch of goodies to drop off for Toys for Tots. The boy and I both enjoy shopping for that one, though not during the conspicuous consumerism frenzy of Black Friday. I shudder to think. It’ll be another Buy Nothing Day for us.
Five good things:
As always I am thankful for my son. He is healthy and happy and hilarious. And thriving thanks, in part, to the hardworking special ed and general ed staff at his school. I am also thankful to have such a wonderful boyfriend. One who adores me and exudes a certain brand of calm and patience, and an understanding of my hectic single mom lifestyle that I am unused to. But I appreciate it ever so much. And I am thankful that my car is paid for and has brand new tires for the upcoming winter and a garage to hang out in. And I’m especially thankful that my nearly 13-year long ordeal with The Barn of Despair is (knock on wood) almost over. 2011 sure had its ups and downs but it seems like things are starting to straighten up and fly right. And for that I am very very thankful.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
My realtor has an approval letter in his hands, from TCF. The letter gives us the go ahead to proceed with the short sale. And they’ve done their due diligence, negotiating with the credit union that had a lien on the house. So if my buyer is still willing, and he seems to be (knock on wood), this means I am within spitting distance of the finish line. The only snag? All parties involved want to push the closing date up to get this out of the way before the holidays. Something I would be a-ok with. Only now I’ve had to tell my housesitters they have even less time to find a new place to live. Not that I’d been able to guarantee them any kind of timeframe to begin with. All along I’ve been at the mercy of the banks and the crumbs of intel they’ve been allowing me. I won’t be breathing easily until this is all over and done with officially. Hopefully soon.
So many people are like me, dealing with frustratingly unpredictable bureaucracy and erratic red tape requirements in this housing market. It’s little wonder post-apocalyptic fiction is so popular! An apocalypse would render all such tediousness meaningless. Lately my escapism has included Jericho, and I just finished reading Colson Whitehead’s new book on politics, class and zombies - Zone One - described as a literary zombie novel. See, not all zombie/supernatural fiction I read is from the Young Adult section! Which brings me to the recent and spot-on Simpsons episode with an excellent guest appearance The Simpsons by Neil Gaiman, an episode where Homer and Bart (and others) write “the next tween fantasy phenomenon” by committee. I snickered all the way through. (Not quite as solid but still entertaining was the episode guest-starring Werner Herzog.)
Five good things:
One last good thing for this Tuesday, the second day in a three day work/school week. Soon I will enjoy a leisurely dinner with the boyfriend. Wherein I will not over-think or worry about anything. Or that’s the plan at least.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Some of the pieces are finally falling into place. Today the Qwest/CenturyLink guy rooted around in the basement of the duplex, and found the little bit of twisted wire that was preventing our hi-speed internet connection from working. Huzzah! We really are at home now. But our previous abode? Complications abound. Within a period of less than 12 hours I was contacted by TCF’s attorneys about the Barn of Despair being auctioned off at a Sheriff’s sale next month. And then called by the guy in their negotiations department, informing me they’d like to approve the short sale after all. My realtor has been in touch with my buyer who has, thankfully, been patient and seems to be sticking it out for the long haul. What a headache.
How about five good things for this Friday?
I’ve got to just suck it up and accept it. The holidays are upon us. And, before long, a new year. I was so focused on moving that I sort of tuned out the rest of it. The Toys for Tots drop boxes at Dunn Bros. The changeover from Halloween to holidazzle merch at Target. The emails about the upcoming No Coast Craft-O-Rama. But earlier this week it was staring me right in the face. With a holiday photo shoot at work (more to come about that). And the photos appearing in my flickr contacts’ streams, like this one. So I better not be a Grinch and just embrace it! Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving gatherings, vegan and otherwise are next week. And Festivus for the rest of us is not long after that. My son has so helpfully volunteered to list off everything he wants for Giftmas, and to put our Giftmas tree in his new bedroom, as we have to keep Freddy the cat away from it. Sigh.
