Haiku Friday - sickness blues and good news

Sick most of the week,
Lost my voice, sore throat, can't sleep.
Need rest this weekend.

We may finally
have a house now, our first choice.
It's taken so long.

I don't want to be
too excited, no, not now
dreams might get deferred.

Next is the closing
Financing, walk-through, blah blah
I'm ready to move.

If you read my blog from the other day we are back to our original home choice at the moment. Things are looking up. Andrew might go sign papers today, he has a meeting with a few mortgage people on Monday at Fifth Third and Key Bank to see what he can get (although he is pre-approved already). Then its waiting for the closing and we can finally start working on the house. The loan he would like to get would allow us money to fix up the house and to get the appliances/new hot water heater/possible new furnace.

I have a crazy weekend ahead of me, and I have been sick 1/2 the week.....here's to hoping I get better soon!

Well.....that was odd......

So I just got a text from Andrew stating, "well I'm buying the house on Mink" and in case you forgot already (lol) this was the original house, the split level with some water damage. Wow, things sure did turn around quickly with that situation!

Last night the realtor told Andrew that the house was his if he wanted it, the bank FINALLY accepted the offer (this had been going on for 2 weeks or more). We talked about the options for a good 2-3 hours on the phone last night, what work would need done, what we liked about the house and so on....I went to bed with a heavy mind wondering what we were going to do. This morning, still unsure, Andrew decided to walk through the house one more time and check things out a little better. There was still snow on the ground at our previous showing and we couldn't find the septic or the well to see if they were in okay shape. Apparently everything turned out alright, or else he wouldn't be wanting to buy the house.

The mortgage he qualified for will allow us some money for repairs and some updating the house needs and we will still "make out like bandits" since the house is very reasonable for what its worth. It has a nice deck and a decent yard, a good sized garage and big closets (which if you know me will come in handy).

So here's to homeownership.....wow.....it seems more crazy to see that written out!

Its possible

"For a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage. It's possible, for a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage...."

Okay so seriously, I just had that song stuck in my head from the Cinderella movie with Whitney Houston and Brandy....random I know!

So moving on, the house we looked at in Johnstown was perfect! It's adorable and hardly needs any interior work. The yard needs some major work done....but that will come with time. Its got 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, kitchen, living room, enclosed patio/eating area, laundry room and a 4 car garage! It also sits on about 3 acres of land and is really out in the country, but about 4 miles from the actual "town" and schools. The inside of the house is adorable and the yard will be great for Bessie, since most of it is fenced in. Andrew is putting in the first offer probably right now or very shortly :) I am just praying that this place works out and that the bank does not take forever....its a Foreclosure as well but owned by Fannie Mae which we heard was much easier to work with!

On a side note, the friends that I had talked about just made it evident this weekend that we don't really have much in common anymore. We hung out on Friday night and then kept telling me it was dumb that I never go out (they said bc Andrew "runs my life" - which is not true) and that I am going to move in with him. Well, I'm just glad that I don't have DUI's or anything like that.......and that I'm in a COMMITED relationship, no matter what issues we have had. It sucks that things are just not cool with them anymore, but there is nothing I can do. Guess we will just see how things go but I'm not going out of my way to hang out with them!

Well, time for my Sunday errands!

Haiku Friday - Overwhelmed

My mind is heavy
Just another long week, ends.
Happy for some rest.

Feeling overwhelmed
Spinning out of focus now.
I just need to breathe.

Sorry for the cryptic Haiku this week. I have had a lot weighing on my mind. Most of it having to do with some friends of mine, stresses at work and the ever present house debacle with Andrew and I. We are going to look at another place tomorrow afternoon with the Realtor, its a little further north, and more in the country but it sits on almost 3 acres and the house (from the looks of the photos) is really cute! Its more of a farm house, which is what I had wanted and doesn't need as much work as the last house.

Maybe I am feeling overwhelmed lately because I feel like my youth is gone. I see my brother and his young friends with this fever almost for fun and life and I feel like I don't have time for fun anymore. I don't care to go out to bars or clubs much these days, I rarely drink more than a few glasses of wine or a couple beers with Andrew on the weekends. We don't really go out much either, maybe to dinner or the store....I am just feeling "old" and I know that sounds dumb because I am 23 going on 24, but its just strange. I look at some of my friends from college who still party and go out till all hours of the night, they drink till they black out and I am assuming it affect their jobs and personal lives. That's just not me anymore and I don't want to regress back to those days.

Maybe soon I'll share the stories of my college party days and who I was about 5 years ago. Maybe even writing it will gain some extra insight for me!

Its a toss up....

No word still on the house....the Realtor sent more places this morning, I guess its worth it to keep on looking since some new places went on the market in the area that we like. I already have about 4 on my list that I believe would be worth looking at. We could still get word this week that we will get the house, but at this point neither of us are counting on anything....I've pretty much just pushed it out of my mind for now.

Its sad that because of this crummy economy that we are able to buy a home. Most of the homes we have been interested in are bank repossessions or foreclosures. A few of the recent ones I looked at today though were not, but for what its worth are priced way lower than that same home would have been 3 years ago. I am fearful that my parents home could be next if my dad is unable to find work once he looses his job in April. My brother has already been laid off once and Andrew's brother is laid-off again until March and the baby is due in July.

I've never been one to read the paper or look at the news on a daily basis but now I do every single day. I am worried about my family, and what might happen to me after college. It seems not even a degree from one of the top private liberal arts colleges in the nation will get me a good job these days. I didn't think I would live to see something like this happen. I'm really worried about my family and everyone else who is being affected by this crisis. I just have to pray that things will work out.....

Haiku Friday: Standing Still

Time is standing still
it seems, going much too slow.
I grow impatient.

Nothing to report
on the house, still just waiting.
Driving me insane!

School and work distract
making time go much faster.
The unknown still sucks.

"Maybe its this week"
"Maybe we will know something"
I am impatient.

SIGH, we still don't know about the house....I think I'm going to just quit writing about it and maybe something good will happen. I've just been bummed out that we don't know anything yet and its starting to drive me nuts!!! Work has dragged on this week yet again, but at least its the weekend now. Plans are still up in the air for Valentines day although tonight I am making chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for Andrew (got the recipe from Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network...she is amazing with baking!). I have a mid-term tomorrow morning as well....

I did meet with my advisor yesterday and found out I will be walking at graduation in June and getting my diploma in August has hoped!!! But on a sadder note, my dad will now for sure be loosing his job in April 17th. Please pray or hope that my parents get to keep their house.....I don't know what I would do if they had to move or if things took a turn for the even worse......

I hope that everyone has a good weekend and Valentines Day with their sweetie!!!!!

Patience is not my virtue......

Last night at dinner, the realtor called....after not hearing from him in 4 days (I know no fault of his own) and said that the bank is STILL working on processing our offer. Me, being the most impatient person on earth, had called the other realtor yesterday (Caitlyn, don't tell your dad!! lol) and pretended to be someone interested in the property. Basically she told me:
"I pretty much only deal with bank-owned homes, I've never had a bank take this long to give me an answer. 3 days is the norm for this, but this has been going on for over a week now. I just hope that the buyer with the higher offer can remain patient and just wait this out (that higher offer is Andrew's). Technically the property is not in contract but I wouldn't suggest going to look at the place since it probably will be soon."

I felt bad trying to juice information out of this woman, but I just wondered what the other agent was telling people, but now I feel a little better, knowing that things are moving along, even if it is at a snails pace.

Maybe by Friday we will really know........maybe I need to work on being more patient......

Haiku Friday - More waiting/anticipation

This week went on for
much too long, day after day.
But now its over.

We still are not sure
If our offer on the house
was accepted, **sigh**.

Last night I wondered
what it would be like, a house?
Somewhere for just us.

(Well, and Bessie too)
We have never been alone.
Parents or roomates.

I just pray it works
By spring we will have a place
small but cute, and ours.

As you may have guessed the house situation continues to linger....but its looking up. Apparently the bank that owns the property normally takes this long to get things approved. Today we MIGHT know something, but I'm not really expecting anything. Last night as Andrew and I drove back from dinner, he turned and looked at me and said, "can you imagine in a month we won't have to sneak around our parents anymore.....we can just go home and be us?" - he grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight.....I smiled so big thinking of how wonderful that would be. Here's to hoping that it soon becomes a reality!

6 rings!!! AMAZING Steelers!!

It was this very catch that won Super Bowl XLIII for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just 3 years ago they were in this game and won with what I thought were some of the greatest plays I had ever seen. Nothing in my mind can top this game....nail biter down to the last seconds of the matchup.

I will be honest, there were moments that I thought it was over for the Steelers, and the end of the game really showed what the offense could do, and now we are the first NFL franchise with 6 Super Bowl wins!!!

I know that not many of you who read this are as fanatic as I am about football, but its always a good game, and even if you just watch for the commercials that's fine with me too!

Side note: Andrew and I should find out about the house today.....I'm anxious to find out what is going on....