Jaye's Musings

Well, okay, along with the hubby.....and, oh yeah, the bank.

And not just any house, but after (for me) 28 years of moving every very few years, this is intended to be our forever home. For a brief description, it's rural central PA...as rural as I would allow the hubby to move me and about 30 mins from the closest good sized city, but the location is stunning. It's American farmhouse style, built in 2008 and about 2700 sq.ft, but we're going to finish off the basement, so that'll bring it up another 1000 sq.ft, four bedrooms, 2.5 baths. The only thing 'wrong' about it is the decor...so not to our taste, very flowery...but that is easily remedied. It sits about halfway up a big hill/small mountain with open fields in front and wooded to the top of the hill/mountain and is all but 22 acres (21.96 to be precise). It almost backs onto a state park...and the strip of land between the two is an easement for utility companies, so no one is going to build there anyway.

I won't say how much we paid, but if I converted it to British pounds, it would cost only 50kGBP more than my mum's 2-up/2-down end of terrace in the middle of town.

It was a long, roundabout journey to getting the house though.

We first viewed it back in July and really liked it (duh!). The problem was, at the time, twofold. 1) Hubby did not have a job, only his AF retirement (that hadn't actually come through yet) and naturally banks were not willing to lend him the money without a job, even though he would have a very good, steady income for the rest of his life. The second was that the property was actually divided into two parcels of 10 acres and 12 acres which would have meant two mortgages...one at a much higher interest rate. We had to walk away as it was just impossible.

Clearly, we weren't the only potential buyers with that problem, and within a couple of months they had combined both parcels into one. That problem solved, hubby still didn't have a job and our bank that caters nearly exclusively to the military would not give him a loan (despite the retirement pay). So, on the advice of our wonderful realtor, we went to the small local bank in the town, and we were pre-approved with very little fuss and certainly they weren't bothered by his lack of employment, knowing that a) he had his retirement, and b) he was looking for work. Our mortgage is worked out relying solely on his retirement, which is very good. As it happens right before Christmas, he got a job with the DoD, although he hasn't started yet.

Our next and last hurdle was the fact that the sellers, a Mennonite family had already moved out and were in Bolivia doing missionary work. We actually should have closed last week, but they had signed the Power of Attorney for their representative incorrectly, so they had to travel to the US Embassy in La Paz to redo it and then express mail it here. With the holiday weekend and the heavy snow on Tuesday, it didn't reach their agent until yesterday.

So now, after 28 years of moving, 9 months without a home of our own, and over 7 months of living with the in-laws...we have a house. Not that we've moved in yet...or will do for a little while. Arranging for our belongings to be delivered out of storage, some in VA and some in CA, can take a few weeks, and so we're going to spend that time decorating it to more our tastes. And that in itself is a thrill after so many years of base housing and rentals where magnolia white is the only permissible colour!

So two weeks ago Friday was hubby's last day at work in the Air Force (he officially retires in July), which is why I've fallen behind with updates...again. I'm just not used to having him around the house all the time. As for writing, it's very hard to do when he's around and interrupting me every five seconds.

That said things are speeding up for our move. We've been getting a lot of stuff sorted out, ready for the movers to come at the end of the month and setting up all the necessary stuff like shipping the cat and car, as well as getting the other one ready to sell.

But as the Subject line states, from next week it's really going to get busy and I'll be lucky to be around online at all as his sisters are arriving on Monday and we are all down at Garmisch for the week. Fortunately, though, before that hubby is away down in Munich for the weekend for the Strong Beer Fest with 12 other middle-aged guys, and I get to enjoy this weekend to myself. Just what the introverted me needs!

Well, as some of you on Facebook may have seen, I'm in Germany and have been for about two weeks. Not that I've had much time at all to spend a lot of time on the Internet. Yesterday, we moved into our house, but it might take until Friday (or later) for the DSL to be connected. So at the moment, I'm snagging free wi-fi at different places on base...which is also a pain in the ass, as we only have one car at the moment, and I can't wait until hubby gets off his butt and calls about two potential used cars we've seen for sale.

In the meantime, I'm trying to catch up on reading flists -- although I've tried to keep up when I have been able to get on line -- but if there's anything people want me to see/read/whatever, post a link and I'll get there.

I'm also setting up journals over at Insane Journal, and will be RPing over there quite a bit...although I will be keeping, and probably crossposting to and from, my main LJ journals. Many of my 'lesser' pup journals, however, will be transferring fully to IJ to take advantage of the increased user icons for free accounts.

If anyone wants to know my new address and/or phone number, leave a comment...which will be screened. :D

I do have a few emails to reply to, and I'm sorry to those people that I've taken so long to do so, but I will in the next few days.

Now to get my writing mojo back...as with being in transit and with no time to myself for over a month, the pups have for the most part been quiet. I have ideas, just not the inclination to write them down.

I'm just adding this from the last post as comments are screened here.

I will be updating through Twitter and Facebook while I'm moving, as I can do that from my phone, and that will, at times, be easier than by computer.

My Twitter is quite obvious @simplyjaye.

If you wish to friend me on Facebook, email me, or would like my cell number (for texts only and only while in the States), please leave a comment, and I'll give that information. :D

And I apologize for spamming flists today. :D

But I thought I should give advance warning to all and apologize in advance if you find me getting snappy, irritable, or just generally bitchy. I am well underway in preparing for our move, and as the hubby is away, all the arrangements are down to me!

I HATE doing this stuff with a passion, and dealing with military bureaucracy, so I will -- if today is anything to go by -- be ready to strangle someone quite happily.

So if I do get, for no apparent reason, testy (shall we say?), you'll probably know why...and you are more than welcome, encouraged even, to point it out to me.

Thanks in advance!

*HUGS*

The beer and wine shipment arrived today!

1,000lbs or over 200 bottles of beer, wine and a few liqueurs shipped all the way from Germany!

Including 4 crates of Köstritzer, Franzi!

Good times!

Just signed the agreement and put down the security deposit on a house, so we'll be able to move in once our furniture has arrived (and we're still waiting on any word on that). The house is lovely...bigger than any we've had before by far. It's in a fairly new subdivision, so it's only a couple or so years old...four bedrooms, three baths, and a three-car garage, plus it comes with all appliances, and even a BBQ plumbed into the house It's about nine miles from base, so not a bad commute. We sign the lease in two weeks, or less (depending on our furniture getting here), but at least this let us get my youngest registered for school, which he starts tomorrow, much to his chagrin.

Now, to get a move in date so that I can get all the necessities set up like high-speed internet and TV...oh, and those other odds and ends like gas and electric. *g*

Made it!!

Got into California yesterday and almost died stepping outside. It's so easy to forget just how hot 100+F is! It's FRELLING HOT here!!

So, next task is to find a house and wait for the furniture to arrive, then life can return to what passes for normal. At the library's computer lab right now, and hopefully I'll be able to check fairly regularly, although there's a time limit.

Thanks to everyone who sent emails and comments!! I know I haven't replied, and I will, but I just wanted you all to know that your thoughts and kind wishes are very gratefully received...and I've been thinking about you lots during my exile.

Just a little more patience, and I'll slowly work my way through my inbox.

{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}


PS....now Gmail is having fits. *grrrr*

Back online. There was a temporary hiccup getting back online as the router forgot how to connect back to the internet, but a super knowledgeable friend managed to sort it out, so I'm back. In a nearly empty house, but at least we have chairs now...nearly three days of just one chair between four people is not fun.

Now, to just hope we see all our furniture arrive safe and well in CA in a couple of months.

House is a mess! Stuff everywhere! But at least all the pictures, etc on the walls are down. Just no room anywhere!

I HATE moving!