They say it isn't over until the fat lady sings....well I hope that somewhere out there, there is a fat lady singing in the celebration of the completion of our refinance.
When we bought our house a couple of years ago, we opted for a 30 year fixed loan. Unfortunately the rates weren't so hot when we closed on the house and we were above 7%. We planned to wait at least a year, reasses things, and then consider refinancing at a better rate. This past April we got our tax bill and realized that it had more than doubled. Not only would there not be enough money in escrow to pay these taxes but our payment was going to take a major hike north. After meeting with our financial advisor we learned that rates were lower and that by refinancing we could keep our payment about the same but allow for more money to go into escrow to pay taxes.
We met with the loan officer that our financial advisor recommended and we were told that this would be a quick and easy refinance. The only obstacle would be in getting our house to appraise high enough since the market had pretty much taken a dump. We had an appraiser over and to our surprise the house appraised for more than we had hoped. It seemed that all systems were a go and we would be done with the refinance before mid-May. We didn't want to pull out any equity or do anything else. All we wanted to do was to get a fixed rate loan at a lower rate. With rates at 6% we were happy to learn that our payment would even drop a little bit while still including the necessary increase in taxes.
We began this process April 24th (3 months ago!) and let's just say that it wasn't all that cut and dry. To begin with, my self-employment became a major issue. Although I am still doing the same thing I have been doing since 2003, I no longer have a guaranteed paycheck. Therefore, the underwriter would not consider my income in determining whether or not we could get the loan. This was unsettling as we were now looking for the same loan on half the income. I can understand not counting the income of a self-employed person in such a bad economy. However, although they were not counting my income for us, they counted my debt against us. Even though they weren't counting my income, I was required to provide my business financial statements and bank account information. To make matters worse, my husband is an hourly paid employee who nearly doubles his regular earnings with overtime and bonuses. Of course the underwriter did not want to count this money as earnings either.
I have to say that if I knew then what I know now, I would have refinanced in December before I quit my job to start my own business - we could have avoided all of this! We went through months of unsettling absurdity. They didn't verify my husband's employment once - no they verified it about 6 or 7 times! He is a union employee who has been with the same company since 1999. Was it really necessary to reverify his employment every week?
Our loan officer told us that if we couldn't get this loan completed that he would be looking for a new job because if we couldn't get financed he doubted anyone could. He guaranteed us the loan would be done before June 1. That didn't happen. He then guaranteed us it would be done before June 15 and then before June 30. None of these things happened. The underwriter was incredibly slow in getting back to us and for nearly 3 weeks straight there was no communication between the underwriter, account executive and loan officer. It was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.
We finally went to the closing on July 15th. We thought we were done...isn't that why they call is a "closing"? Well - we were not done. We closed on Tuesday and then on Wednesday found out that the underwriter was demanding that my name be taken off of the deed, title, note, and mortgage since I am self-employed. I was not happy with this, but after 90 days of himming and hawwing around I just agreed to do it to be done with it and planned to do a quit claim to put my name back on later. On Friday, July 19, we met with the loan officer to sign more papers to take my name off of everything. Now we thought we were really done... WRONG AGAIN!
On Monday morning, I received a call from the loan processor. She tells me that the account executive has called to let her know that the underwriter has changed her mind and that now we need to sign even more papers in order to keep my name on everything. While I was pleased with this change, I couldn't believe it was happening so last minute - especially after everyone scrambled to get papers signed on Friday afternoon - all for nothing.
Monday afternoon the title company was to receive a wire in order to pay off our original mortgage. We got another call that they needed to re-verify my husband's employment one last time before they would wire the money! This was done and finally on Tuesday, July 22nd it was a done deal.
This has been the longest most nerve-wracking experience of my life! I have heard from other friends and people in the lending business that it is like this everywhere. Basically it didn't have anything to do with us in particular - that it is more of a problem with the economy. Throughout this process there were lenders that were taken over by the FDIC, others that halted trading, and many that are sinking because they lent money to people who couldn't afford to pay their bills and are now in foreclosure. I was even told by one person that you could miss your mortgage payment for 13 months before they could catch up with you because there are so many people heading into foreclosure right now.
We are thankful and grateful that it is finally over. Having bought other houses in the past, on our own and together, we never expected this process to take so much time. I literally spent at least 20 hours of my own time in scanning, emailing, and faxing documents over to the laon officer, answering questions, filling out forms, getting contact information for them to verify employment, etc.
In the end there were several other small hangups that we were not happy with either. Because so much time went by since we started the process to when we finished, our rate went from 6% to 6.375%, the underwriter also required that we pay off an auto loan at the very last minute.
I have to say that I am relieved to be done with it all. I can't begin to describe the frustration and anger that this process caused. One thing is for sure - we will NOT be moving anytime soon!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
BamBam's Surgery
Right now our dog BamBam is in surgery. A couple of weeks ago he had one of his semi-annual check-ups when our vet noticed a very loud heart murmur. An x-ray proved to show an enlarged heart as well. While he appeared to be OK the diagnosis was not good. A few more months of these heart problems and he would likely go into congestive heart failure. We had noticed a few warning signs - coughing a lot, drinking a lot, etc. Many times these heart problems are caused by dental problems (gum disease, etc.) just like in humans.
The vet has never actually seen BamBam's teeth because he wears a muzzle whenever he goes in. He is a bit hyper about going to the vet. I have seen his teeth though and have even taken pictures for the vet to see. She suggested that we get the dental work done right away. Since it is risky putting him under anesthesia they are going to remove a couple lipomas on his chest as well while they have him out. When it's all over he should feel better and be much healthier. It should stop the murmur from getting worse and could even slightly reverse some of the effects.
I am glad that they are able to do this, but still I am a little bit nervous about the whole thing. Surgery started at 8:30am today and should be over soon. I am waiting for the phone call now and keeping my fingers crossed.
I know he's "just a dog" to most people, but I love that little guy so much. He brings us a lot of love!
The vet has never actually seen BamBam's teeth because he wears a muzzle whenever he goes in. He is a bit hyper about going to the vet. I have seen his teeth though and have even taken pictures for the vet to see. She suggested that we get the dental work done right away. Since it is risky putting him under anesthesia they are going to remove a couple lipomas on his chest as well while they have him out. When it's all over he should feel better and be much healthier. It should stop the murmur from getting worse and could even slightly reverse some of the effects.
I am glad that they are able to do this, but still I am a little bit nervous about the whole thing. Surgery started at 8:30am today and should be over soon. I am waiting for the phone call now and keeping my fingers crossed.
I know he's "just a dog" to most people, but I love that little guy so much. He brings us a lot of love!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
How to save the airlines
This gave me a chuckle this morning - enjoy!
HOW TO SAVE THE AIRLINES
Dump the male flight attendants. No one wanted them in the firstplace.
Replace all the female flight attendants with good-looking strippers!
What the hell -- They don't even serve food anymore, so what's the loss?
The strippers would at least triple the alcohol sales and get a 'party atmosphere' going in the cabin. And, of course, every businessman in this country would start flying again, hoping to see naked women.
Because of the tips, female flight attendants wouldn't need a salary, thus saving even more money. I suspect tips would be so good that we could charge the women for working the plane and have them kick back 20% ofthe tips, including lap dances and 'special services.'
Muslims would be afraid to get on the planes for fear of seeing naked women. Hijackings would come to a screeching halt, and the airline industry would see record revenues.
This is definitely a win-win situation if we handle it right -- a golden opportunity to turn a liability into an asset.
Why didn't Bush think of this? Why do I still have to do everythingmyself?
Sincerely, Bill Clinton
HOW TO SAVE THE AIRLINES
Dump the male flight attendants. No one wanted them in the firstplace.
Replace all the female flight attendants with good-looking strippers!
What the hell -- They don't even serve food anymore, so what's the loss?
The strippers would at least triple the alcohol sales and get a 'party atmosphere' going in the cabin. And, of course, every businessman in this country would start flying again, hoping to see naked women.
Because of the tips, female flight attendants wouldn't need a salary, thus saving even more money. I suspect tips would be so good that we could charge the women for working the plane and have them kick back 20% ofthe tips, including lap dances and 'special services.'
Muslims would be afraid to get on the planes for fear of seeing naked women. Hijackings would come to a screeching halt, and the airline industry would see record revenues.
This is definitely a win-win situation if we handle it right -- a golden opportunity to turn a liability into an asset.
Why didn't Bush think of this? Why do I still have to do everythingmyself?
Sincerely, Bill Clinton
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Little Changes = Big Changes
We do not have mail boxes in our subdivision. They claim that not enough people live here yet to justify sending the mailman here to drop off our mail. SO, we have to go to the post office to pick up our mail. While the post office is only a 5 mile round trip it is starting to get annoying after 2 years of going there almost daily.
Yesterday morning I decided to walk to the post office. Not only was it good exercise for me, but I had some time on my hands to think and calculate things. My car gets great gas mileage. Specifically, I am getting 34.21mpg around town with the air conditioning on. (If it weren't for my allergies - I wouldn't have the air conditioning on.) It has been a while since I have calculated the highway mileage, but I plan to do that soon. People are always asking me what kind of mileage I get when they see my little car and I would like to be able to give a correct answer.
At 34.21 miles per gallon, and with gas at $4.20/gallon, it costs me 12.28 cents to drive one mile. (See, I told you I had some time on my hands...) With the post office being a 5 mile trip, it costs me 61.4 cents each time I go to the post office. If I were to get my mail every day (like most of the other people in the US), it would cost me $191.16 each year just to get my mail. (That would be if gas stayed at $4.20/gallon). In order to cut back I can either walk, ride my bike, or get my mail less often. While I did enjoy the walk yesterday morning, I don't exactly have an extra 90 minutes to squeeze into my schedule every day. Typically it takes me about 30 minutes to ride my bike that far, and I don't always have that much extra time either. But, I am going to do what I can. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to walk or ride a bike that far.
They say that it takes everyone to make small changes to make a big change. I got to thinking about our neighborhood. There are about 40 homes here and we all have to get our mail at the post office because again, the town won't justify giving us a mailbox. (I wonder what the $7,000+ in taxes each of us pays is going towards.....?)
Now my car is probably the most efficient of all of the cars in our subdivision, but just assuming everyone had the same fuel economy as me - we would be talking about an extra $7,662.80 being spent on gas annually just to get mail. More imporrantly we are talking about wasting an extra 1,824 gallons of gas - just to get mail. Because everyone else's cars likely have a much lower fuel economy, these numbers are certainly going to be even higher.
Should our town decide to put in mailboxes in our subdivision we would be doing the environment some good by not burning up so much fuel. We could also save a decent amount of money as a community which could be used for something else.
If the town continues to leave us without mailboxes, perhaps they could provide some sort of public shuttle service to and from the post office twice a day? I don't know - I am trying to think outside of the box. My point is that something as simple as getting the mail is having an impact on the environment and in our wallets. This doesn't need to be the case - yet nothing is done about it. If something this simple and small is making an impact, think of the problems that exist in the grand scheme of things.
If our town would make this one small change by putting in mailboxes it coule make a larger positive change in the long run.
As we all hope to live the "American Dream" and raise our families in a clean, healthy and safe environment - I urge everyone to make small changes. Small changes add up. Look at the thousands of dollars O'Hare airport ended up with because of thousands of people leaving a little bit of change behind. The same goes with our actions. You may not think it's a big deal if you make an effort to take a shorter shower, use more efficient light bulbs, recycle household items, or use canvas grocery bags - but if we all make little changes, they will truly add up.
Yesterday morning I decided to walk to the post office. Not only was it good exercise for me, but I had some time on my hands to think and calculate things. My car gets great gas mileage. Specifically, I am getting 34.21mpg around town with the air conditioning on. (If it weren't for my allergies - I wouldn't have the air conditioning on.) It has been a while since I have calculated the highway mileage, but I plan to do that soon. People are always asking me what kind of mileage I get when they see my little car and I would like to be able to give a correct answer.
At 34.21 miles per gallon, and with gas at $4.20/gallon, it costs me 12.28 cents to drive one mile. (See, I told you I had some time on my hands...) With the post office being a 5 mile trip, it costs me 61.4 cents each time I go to the post office. If I were to get my mail every day (like most of the other people in the US), it would cost me $191.16 each year just to get my mail. (That would be if gas stayed at $4.20/gallon). In order to cut back I can either walk, ride my bike, or get my mail less often. While I did enjoy the walk yesterday morning, I don't exactly have an extra 90 minutes to squeeze into my schedule every day. Typically it takes me about 30 minutes to ride my bike that far, and I don't always have that much extra time either. But, I am going to do what I can. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to walk or ride a bike that far.
They say that it takes everyone to make small changes to make a big change. I got to thinking about our neighborhood. There are about 40 homes here and we all have to get our mail at the post office because again, the town won't justify giving us a mailbox. (I wonder what the $7,000+ in taxes each of us pays is going towards.....?)
Now my car is probably the most efficient of all of the cars in our subdivision, but just assuming everyone had the same fuel economy as me - we would be talking about an extra $7,662.80 being spent on gas annually just to get mail. More imporrantly we are talking about wasting an extra 1,824 gallons of gas - just to get mail. Because everyone else's cars likely have a much lower fuel economy, these numbers are certainly going to be even higher.
Should our town decide to put in mailboxes in our subdivision we would be doing the environment some good by not burning up so much fuel. We could also save a decent amount of money as a community which could be used for something else.
If the town continues to leave us without mailboxes, perhaps they could provide some sort of public shuttle service to and from the post office twice a day? I don't know - I am trying to think outside of the box. My point is that something as simple as getting the mail is having an impact on the environment and in our wallets. This doesn't need to be the case - yet nothing is done about it. If something this simple and small is making an impact, think of the problems that exist in the grand scheme of things.
If our town would make this one small change by putting in mailboxes it coule make a larger positive change in the long run.
As we all hope to live the "American Dream" and raise our families in a clean, healthy and safe environment - I urge everyone to make small changes. Small changes add up. Look at the thousands of dollars O'Hare airport ended up with because of thousands of people leaving a little bit of change behind. The same goes with our actions. You may not think it's a big deal if you make an effort to take a shorter shower, use more efficient light bulbs, recycle household items, or use canvas grocery bags - but if we all make little changes, they will truly add up.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Road Trip
This fall we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to FL for a baptism for our friend's daughter. As we have been planning this little trip, we have gotten a little carried away with the idea of a road trip. Our schedule is still tentative, but we are almost certain we will be going to Atlanta GA, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL, Pensecola FL, and New Orleans LA. If anyone has any suggestions on things to do in any of those places, please let us know!
Who are you?
"You are defined by your family and the friends that you keep."
This weekend we had a lot of partying going on. On Friday night, we got to hang out with our good friends Donna and Brandon while at a party for our friends Kristin and Brandon who were in town from Savannah. On Saturday night, we went to a party for my Uncle Mike and Aunt Sue who are twins. It was a surprise party celebrating their 50th birthday(s). On Sunday we went to a first birthday party for my cousin's son Jeffrey.
The party on Saturday night was a big surprise for my uncle Mike. Little did he know that his twin sister would be in town to spend the evening with him, and that 50+ other people would be waiting to surprise him when he went into a dinner where he epxected to see just a few other people. It was nice to have everyone together. My cousins gave heartwarming and humurous speeches while talking about their dad and many others shared memories of the twins growing up. At one point my uncle stood up to thank everyone and talk about how grateful he was to have such wonderful family and friends. One of the things he said was this. "I have always said that you are really defined by your family and the friends that you keep."
I got to thinking about that and realized how much it applied to me. I feel so fortunate to have such a great family of people who truly care for and love each other. I am not just close with my parents and sister, but with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws. Over the years I have met wonderful friends who I have grown extremely close to. In the past several years, my husband and I have learned more about what a true friend is than we had expected to. We are extremely grateful for the people in our lives who we consider to be our friends. And we have finaly come to the realization that we are also grateful that some "so-called-friends" who proved to not really be friends at all - are no longer in our lives. Afterall, if it is your family and friends that you keep that do define you, it is nice to know that the good ones are the ones you continually surround yourself with.
In the past several weeks we have been to many parties, out to dinner with friends, to a baptism, several birthday celebrations, and had a party and a few get-togethers at our own home. In the next several weeks we have other dinners, parties, concerts, and weekends planned with friends and this fall we will see some of our friends in FL for another baptism. We are very grateful for the company we keep in our families and friendships. We have been blessed to have some truly wonderful people in our lives.
No matter who you are, your life will always be enriched when you share a strong bond of true friendship with someone else. How exciting would life really be without friends? So to all of our friends out there who might be reading this, thank you for your friendship. You have helped to make us who we are. And to our families, thank you for the unconditional love, support, and comradery. You guys are awesome!
This weekend we had a lot of partying going on. On Friday night, we got to hang out with our good friends Donna and Brandon while at a party for our friends Kristin and Brandon who were in town from Savannah. On Saturday night, we went to a party for my Uncle Mike and Aunt Sue who are twins. It was a surprise party celebrating their 50th birthday(s). On Sunday we went to a first birthday party for my cousin's son Jeffrey.
The party on Saturday night was a big surprise for my uncle Mike. Little did he know that his twin sister would be in town to spend the evening with him, and that 50+ other people would be waiting to surprise him when he went into a dinner where he epxected to see just a few other people. It was nice to have everyone together. My cousins gave heartwarming and humurous speeches while talking about their dad and many others shared memories of the twins growing up. At one point my uncle stood up to thank everyone and talk about how grateful he was to have such wonderful family and friends. One of the things he said was this. "I have always said that you are really defined by your family and the friends that you keep."
I got to thinking about that and realized how much it applied to me. I feel so fortunate to have such a great family of people who truly care for and love each other. I am not just close with my parents and sister, but with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws. Over the years I have met wonderful friends who I have grown extremely close to. In the past several years, my husband and I have learned more about what a true friend is than we had expected to. We are extremely grateful for the people in our lives who we consider to be our friends. And we have finaly come to the realization that we are also grateful that some "so-called-friends" who proved to not really be friends at all - are no longer in our lives. Afterall, if it is your family and friends that you keep that do define you, it is nice to know that the good ones are the ones you continually surround yourself with.
In the past several weeks we have been to many parties, out to dinner with friends, to a baptism, several birthday celebrations, and had a party and a few get-togethers at our own home. In the next several weeks we have other dinners, parties, concerts, and weekends planned with friends and this fall we will see some of our friends in FL for another baptism. We are very grateful for the company we keep in our families and friendships. We have been blessed to have some truly wonderful people in our lives.
No matter who you are, your life will always be enriched when you share a strong bond of true friendship with someone else. How exciting would life really be without friends? So to all of our friends out there who might be reading this, thank you for your friendship. You have helped to make us who we are. And to our families, thank you for the unconditional love, support, and comradery. You guys are awesome!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Old Comiskey Park
As a kid, I enjoyed many ball games at Comiskey Park in Chicago. From the Age of 2 I was a zealous White Sox fan. My dad took me to lots of games. Besides watching the fireworks explode from the scoreboard, I enjoyed eating boxes of raisinettes and hot dogs covered in chopped onions at every game. We made a lot of great memories at Comiskey Park. My dad sent me this link this morning with a note that read "this will take you back to when you were a little girl" and he was right. This slideshow brought back a lot of memories. If you have any interest in revisiting the old Comiskey Park, click on the link below. As an FYI - there is music along with the slideshow.
Ballparks, Arenas and Stadiums
Ballparks, Arenas and Stadiums
Pets
DOG DIARY
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
This morning I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.
For now... the Cat
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
CAT DIARY
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
This morning I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.
For now... the Cat
Friday, June 13, 2008
Upgrading the Back Yard
Here is what our back yard looked like about a week ago.....
One of the gates. - In all we are so happy this project is complete. It's just another step towards making our house more of a home. We have wanted a fence for a really long time so it is nice to finally see it up. The deck is geat because now you can get in the pool without having to walk through the grass. Before the deck we had a 3 foot x 2 foot concrete slab in the back. We could just barely sit on it together. Now we have 700 square feet to hang out, entertain, grill out, eat out, and party on. YAY!!!!!!!
And here is what it looks like today.....
We have added a 700 square foot deck and a privacy fence. (When I say "we have added" I mean "we have paid someone to add." If we were working on this project ourselves we'd likely still be digging holes! It came out nice though and we are very happy with the end result. We look forward to many back yard parties this year with swimming and hanging out in the back yard.
Another view of the deck. In all there are 4 sets of stairs - these large stairs, a small set on the right and the left ends of the deck, and then a small set goingup to the upper-pool deck area.
The upper pool deck is gated in - good thing it is because everytime Rusty goes outside he tries to jump in the pool. He just loves to swim!
The boys enjoying the yard. With the new fence they can run around and we finally don't have to keep them on chains. We can't say how excited we are about this. For the past 3 years, we have had to hook each dog up to a chain many times a day whenever they went outside. They would usually get tangled up with each other or stuck on something and we would have to go out and untangle them. Now they are free!
Another view of the fence (before we took the pool fence down). The fence was finished before the deck. We have 3 gates, one on each side of the house and another in the back leading out to the pond.
We have added a 700 square foot deck and a privacy fence. (When I say "we have added" I mean "we have paid someone to add." If we were working on this project ourselves we'd likely still be digging holes! It came out nice though and we are very happy with the end result. We look forward to many back yard parties this year with swimming and hanging out in the back yard. 
Another view of the deck. In all there are 4 sets of stairs - these large stairs, a small set on the right and the left ends of the deck, and then a small set goingup to the upper-pool deck area.
The upper pool deck is gated in - good thing it is because everytime Rusty goes outside he tries to jump in the pool. He just loves to swim!
The boys enjoying the yard. With the new fence they can run around and we finally don't have to keep them on chains. We can't say how excited we are about this. For the past 3 years, we have had to hook each dog up to a chain many times a day whenever they went outside. They would usually get tangled up with each other or stuck on something and we would have to go out and untangle them. Now they are free!Another view of the fence (before we took the pool fence down). The fence was finished before the deck. We have 3 gates, one on each side of the house and another in the back leading out to the pond.One of the gates. - In all we are so happy this project is complete. It's just another step towards making our house more of a home. We have wanted a fence for a really long time so it is nice to finally see it up. The deck is geat because now you can get in the pool without having to walk through the grass. Before the deck we had a 3 foot x 2 foot concrete slab in the back. We could just barely sit on it together. Now we have 700 square feet to hang out, entertain, grill out, eat out, and party on. YAY!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday(s)
May 22, 2008
My mom celebrated her 50th birthday and my Grandpa his 82nd.
After we returned home from the restaurant where we enjoyed a scrumptious Italian cuisine, we went back to open gifts and have cake. 
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Yummy Chicken Salad
We have become addicted to a tasty chicken salad around here that many of our guests have enjoyed as well. I cannot take credit for the recipe as I received it from a friend years ago, but I thought it might be worth sharing in case any of you were looking for something different to make over the summer.
-1 pound of cooked, diced, white chicken meat (I buy the pre-cooked, pre-diced bag from Schwans when I want to save some time.)
- 3 Tablespoons of Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
- 4 green onions, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 cups of red grapes, chopped in half (if you don't like red grapes you can leave them out or you can substitute with cherries or craisins)
- 1 cup mayonnaise / miracle whip
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and keep refrigerated.
Tastes great on croissants, kaiser rolls, or regular bread.
Enjoy!
-1 pound of cooked, diced, white chicken meat (I buy the pre-cooked, pre-diced bag from Schwans when I want to save some time.)
- 3 Tablespoons of Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
- 4 green onions, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 cups of red grapes, chopped in half (if you don't like red grapes you can leave them out or you can substitute with cherries or craisins)
- 1 cup mayonnaise / miracle whip
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and keep refrigerated.
Tastes great on croissants, kaiser rolls, or regular bread.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Cool Website
HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam . Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands . HEMA also has stores in Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany . In June of 2007, HEMA was sold to British investment company Lion Capital. Take a look at HEMA's product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. This company has a sense of humor and a great computer programmer.
Stressed?
Do you ever have one of those days where you just need to get rid of some stress? I am having one of those days right now. Rather than punching a hole in the wall or breaking dishes you might want to check out this link. http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Unbelievable Math Problem
Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you.
Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your Head)
1. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the Area code...)
2. Multiply by 80
3. Add 1
4. Multiply by 250
5. Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number
6. Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
7. Subtract 250
8. Divide number by 2
Do you recognize the answer ??
Does anyone know how or why this works? I can usually figure these types of things out, but this one has me stumped!
Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your Head)
1. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the Area code...)
2. Multiply by 80
3. Add 1
4. Multiply by 250
5. Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number
6. Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
7. Subtract 250
8. Divide number by 2
Do you recognize the answer ??
Does anyone know how or why this works? I can usually figure these types of things out, but this one has me stumped!
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