July 18, 2008
Proud Owners of a Footprint
On Monday we had stakes. On Tuesday we had the promising beginnings of a hole. On Thursday, we thought they were pretty much done digging.
We were pretty happy about it.
We were especially happy because there is a clause in our contract that says that if they have to bring out the big guns to get through major rock formations more than one day, then it happens at a cost to the buyers in the form of $1500 per day.
This lovely piece of rock is where our garage is located. I’m guessing there’s really no point in asking for a crawl space under the garage.
I thought that Mr. BBM was crazy when he said they were done, because "That hole is not deep enough! We ordered 9 ft. basement walls to accomodate my kobudo training!" Then I realized that Mr. BBM was probably right. Back against that wall of dirt and rock, we could have fit Mr. BBM twice, length-wise.
When we realized it was totally flattened out, we figured we’d be getting a footprint soon.
Then we discovered these rocks in what will be in our backyard. . .
. . . and we were even more happy that they were finished digging and that we didn’t have to pay anything extra to have a kobudo-worthy basement.
Today, we arrived to find this. . .
We officially have our footprint.
It feels good to have something in concrete.
Stay tuned, because next week, we’ll have some walls!
July 16, 2008
Thankful, Hectic, Proud
This morning, a friend took both of the girls to play with her four daughters so I could have a couple hours to pack in peace (i.e. pack up all the things the girls don’t want me to pack). Is she fantastic or what? In the middle of my morning, I got a call from the showing center. I used to crave calls from the showing center, but when they called this time, I was first confused and then completely thrown off my game plan.
It was 11 a.m. when the phone rang and the person on the other line, who had set up many of our showings during those grueling months on the market, told me that the appraiser wanted to come at noon TODAY! I sighed with disgust as I looked around at my house. Newspapers were everywhere so that I didn’t have to keep walking up and down the stairs to get more to wrap things in, empty boxes covered an entire wall, full boxes were littered throughout the house and you may remember that I have been on a cleaning strike since last week. I’ve shown fantastic follow-through with that pledge.
I figured it was better to just get it over with while the girls were out of the house, so I said yes. Then I turned into the Tazmanian devil and spun my way around the house, picking up dirty clothes, folding the pile that needed to be folded, making beds, wiping off counters and begging Mr. BBM to please, for the love of God, use part of your lunch break to run the vacuum.
Instead of arriving at noon, she came at 11:30. I think I would have told her off if she wasn’t so overly apologetic and sweet. I continued to pack while she went from room to room, taking measurements and pictures. When she was finished upstairs, she found me downstairs in the family room and asked me if I had a professional decorator work on the house. Dumbfounded, I told her no. "Well, are you an interior decorator by trade?" I think I may have snorted with laughter, as I told her "I wish." She then said, "Well then I hate you. I seriously hate people like you, because you didn’t have to hire anyone and this place is gorgeous. It looks like a model home. You’re amazing at picking colors."
Her comments had me on my heels and I almost fell into another box of "misc toys." I thanked her and then followed her around fishing for more compliments. I told her that her compliments meant the world to me because I am currently second-guessing everything I’m choosing for the new house.
Want the truth? I think she was buttering me up so she can come in with some out in left field low appraisal that’s going to wreck my life. I’m all for thinking positive, but that’s just too much good all in one day right there.
I got a ton of packing done, despite all the interruptions, and figured I’d take the girls to the pool this afternoon. Lil C wanted to hang out in the baby pool, so I sat there and watched her demurely make her rounds, surrounded by her little float. When she noticed another little boy who was probably newly two, she approached him and told him her name. He ignored her and walked away. She seemed irritated.
A few minutes later, the little boy walked over to Lil C and started splashing her. As the water droplets landed on her hair and face, she clenched up her little arms in disgust and turned her back to him to weather the rest of the storm. When he was finished, she turned around, clenched her fists and raised her arms and said, "I VANT YOU TO STOP SPLASHING ME RIGHT NOW!"
He looked at her with fear, turned on his heel and went quickly back to his side of the pool. He didn’t bother her the rest of the day. After listening to Big I ask me to take care of her problems for her since she’s been born, I can’t even tell you how my heart soared with pride when Lil C took care of business on her own! That munchkin is two years old and she completely stood up for herself, without whining, without crying, and most importantly, without asking me to get involved. It was simply awesome.
Later tonight, we went to check out the progress on the house. The hole is deeper and the girls were having a blast running around in it and asking which room they were in now. When I first put Lil C down in the hole, she looked up at me and asked, "Where’s the hole Mommy?" It was fairly obvious we were many feet below the normal ground level. Then, she looked down and saw a little area where the dirt was pushed away. It looked like a small rock had been removed, leaving a little gutted out area in its place. "There’s the hole!" she yelled.
After a couple more minutes wandering around the dirt, she murmured to her sister, "this is fun." As we were about to leave, one of our new neighbors rode his bike up with his sons to say hello. He was super nice and he let us know that everyone on the street hangs out, drinking beer and cocktails while the kids run around and play behind the houses in the park. I’ve never been happier about the lot we chose.
Next week, our realtor is taking us to a pig roast as his guests at the local pool. Our realtor will live just down the street from us, so he offered to take us and introduce us to all the neighbors. I just hope no one splashes Lil C. Things could get ugly.
July 15, 2008
The Bulldozer Man Can Work It
I realize that posting three times in one day is a bit obnoxious. I just can’t help myself though. I think that the bulldozer man saw me applauding him on the street and decided to really work it.
Work it, bulldozer man. At this rate, I’ll have a basement by next week! Do you think they’ll let me store some stuff in there once it’s concrete?
July 15, 2008
A Bulldozer CAN Make You Happy
I don’t feel the least bit silly for stopping my car in the middle of the street and breaking out in applause. You see, we just got back from our lot and this is what we saw:
and this. . .
Previously, there was nothing but weeds and overgrown grasses. Most of that is now gone. When we go back tonight, I’ll get Mr. BBM to take some good pictures. The bulldozer guy was looking at me like I was insane, and I didn’t want to distract him from his job by taking a close-up. This is my basement we’re talking about, after all.
After I took these, we drove up the street from the other end and the hole looks much more impressive from that side. By the end of this week, the hole should be completely done. That seems to be about how long it took the one across the street.
If you look closely in the first picture, you’ll notice the park that’s just a short walk down a path behind us. No more houses will ever go in behind us. I’d write more, but I need to go jump up and down (Don’t worry-on one leg).
July 15, 2008
7 Months
In just two days, I will be seven months post-op. I thought I would be back in the dojo by now, but I’m not, unless you count sitting on the sidelines watching Big I and trying to keep Lil C from running off with one of Hanshi’s trophies. The next opportunity to test for shodan is August. The next one after that won’t be until February.
For the first time in many months, my knee feels. . . good. One would think I’d be dying to get back in the dojo, but I’m just not quite ready. After having so much pain for so many months, I am enjoying the fact that I am pretty much pain-free for the first time in a long time. When I got to this point a couple weeks ago and went to the fitness center, I went right back to square one. Over the weekend, I woke up one day and realized that I wasn’t hurting. Steps aren’t bothering me much at all and although I still favor it and don’t squat down on it, even bending and doing things that previously caused me pain, isn’t causing me pain.
It’s not like my non-injured knee. I don’t think it ever will be. I still can’t kneel. I can’t crawl around on my hands and knees. I can’t squat down on that knee alone. But I’m feeling better and that has been wonderful.
Because of how I set myself back (going to the fitness center) a few weeks ago after I finally started feeling good, I’m afraid to ruin it. I’m afraid that if I start working out again or go back to karate now, I’ll rebound. I don’t want that to happen. I can’t have that happen with the move coming up.
So, I’m going to wait until August, see how I feel, and then start trying some things out at home before making a return to karate as usual. I am so afraid of pivoting, twisting and turning. I have made the decision that I would much rather wait a little longer to return, feeling confident that my knee is completely healed and solid, than return with shaky resolve and potentially set myself back months if not years.
I’m plugging along. I’m feeling confident that I’ll be able to return. I’m just not chancing it quite yet.
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