So, I feel horrible that I haven't had a word to say the last few weeks! I haven't been to check my email, update my blog, or visit my regular forums and blogs! Let me briefly let you know what I have been up to.
First, we are in the process of buying our first house. It has turned out to be a nightmare! For someone that researches and looks into EVERY possible scenario you would think the things that happened would not have happened to us. Well, our first house we bid on and got an accepted offer.. it fell through and cost us about $1000, not to mention the time I took from work to drive back and forth to meet inspectors, loan officer, etc. For 3 months they kept us in limbo rescheduling closing dates until they finally told us that the owner of the house had liens on it and was in the middle of filing bankruptcy. What???!! I won't go into the details and there are plenty! We found another home and that is a long story too... aww.. I did say I would be brief, but what the heck.. I will go into the story. This newest house, offer accepted, etc, etc.. well, I did a lien search myself and even stipulated in the contract this time around that we must be reimbursed our money if the deal were to fall through. So, everything is looking good and then the appraisal comes back. It appraised high enough, but the bank decided the floors needed to be refinished and the walls painted. This is a 1958 home and the original owners are selling it and have never painted the walls and had horrendous shag carpeting over the most beautiful white oak floors. Needless to say, carpeting and walls were horribly stained. The problem was I right away insisted that AC/Heat be fixed as it was not working. Who would have thought the bank would focus on stained floors and walls?? So... the little old couple fixed the AC AND changed out the fuse box to a breaker box totaling about $1,000. Of course, the bank comes back and tells us floors and walls! Well, don't kick me because I am already beating myself up over this one.. but in a fit of desperation when the couple said they just could not afford to have floors refinished and painted and couldn't do it themselves (80's here).. I told them if they would buy the materials, I would do it. Ugh.. I know... I know.. believe me 2 days into it, I knew I had made a horrible mistake. So for the last two weeks I have been kicking a** and have refinished 1300 sq feet of wood floors and painted all of the walls. My dad did help the first weekend.. but he is more a hindrance than a help for all his expert knowledge. Sorry dad :) He is the type that wants you to stand right by him and "hand me the screwdriver", "I need water", "hold the power cord to this floor sander.. if I run that over the whole project is down the tubes".. he is very needy. haha, every time I picked up my paint brush he was hollering my name! So, appraiser came back out Friday and we are just waiting to hear back.. keep your fingers crossed that I didn't just practically remodel someone else's home.
Second, family issues. Need I say more? My sister and her husband are going through a divorce and it has gotten messy beyond belief. As I am the only one living here of our siblings (at least with a level head) it falls to me now to babysit and help her pick the kids up. Don't mind, but let me tell you.. it's impossible to work on my minis' in front of a 7 year old girl.. haha, how can you tell a little girl that the dollshouse is NOT for touching?? What a mean auntie I am! :P I end up watching her at my sister's house for that reason.
Third.. I finally had my nice 4 day weekend due to the holiday with plans to dedicate it all to minis and guess what? I got so ill that I felt for sure it was the end. Ugh, but I do feel much better! Just in time to make it to work on Monday! What irony!
Haha.. so you have heard all of my ailments from the past few weeks and hopefully I will get back up to speed and be listing again very soon and posting and commenting again. I also have my Christmas swap all ready, but must make photos to send over before I package it up and mail it out. I can't wait to put it in the mail! My first swap and even with all the road blocks I had enormous fun making it and participating. :)
Happy Monday to all!
~ Reisl
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