Tough times

So Hubbie's job had to go through layoffs this week. Tough for any
company to go through. Thankfully he is still there. They did it so
they could keep profitable and keep going.

He reached out to his network to get connections at companies who had
job openings for those laid off. It's a different time to when silicon
valley went through this last time. Internet Networks and social media
have made closer smaller real time networks. Hopefully that power
will be used for good for most.

Re Economy Freeze I think we re headed for a slow thaw. I noticed
that while it was slow slow before holidays it has started to pick up,
especially at work. Folks still have to do business and my job is
about helping business do more with less which helps a lot.

My company did close over the holidays, and so did a lot of companies.
What I noticed is that it was actually a good thing. Families spent
more time with each other. Always a positive move.

So when's your predictions for when it will turn around?

Getting closer

So getting closer to actually moving in to the house. We have a
wonderul handman referred to us by our realtor. Julian is amazing and
not only is a workhorse but is great in getting others when he doesn't
do a certain job. It's all painted inside and now they are painting
doors and outside trim. Also painting sidewalk a nice gray instead of
the horrible teal colour that sat there. Much easier on the eyes.
Julian is busy refinishing all floorboards and replacing some old ones
and staining the hardwood again. Also laying down some carpet and
putting white baseboards down. It's a beautfiul house that just needed
some polish. We know that we couldn't do this all with working and the
baby so great to have the help.

This weekend we move in appliances and we keep on packing here in our
apt. We picked out hardware for cabinets and himself sanded and put
them on. Look amazing. He's all happy to play with his DIY kits.

A daughter of a friend of ours was laid off and she has been over
helping babysitting and packing. Last night she packed both bathrooms
in a whiz bam 1 hour. I can't remember being that fast even when I was
her age. LOL. I would stop and check out everything going into box. As
it's no memories for her she gets them in and gets going.

Photos of before during and after coming soon.

In meantime have a wonderful week

Sunday cleaning

So Sunday morning, up early and my friend Ciara came over with her two
wee ones and a ton of boxes for packing. We had been out night before
with them and two other couples at family style dining place and had a
brilliant time. The babysitter also brought over boxes as well.

So after Safeway delivered food (I can't say enough how much that
saves me once a month in time going to shop with a wee one). Then
munchkin was down for a nap and I started to get the house sorted. I
cleaned the clutter in both bathrooms and then the kitchen. Himself
was off at new house and meeting the man there to move spa.

Then after he came home we took wee lad out on his tricycle for a
spin. He is delighted with himself and loves being pushed saying wheee
as we go. Brilliant that he loves the bike so much. He proudly says
my bike

After feeding all of us we tackled our bedroom and front room. Not so
much messy but boxes in the way. So nice to get wee man to bed after a
good splash in bath where Winnie the pooh glove wash cloth was a hit
with wee man laughing every time I did anything with the puppet face
cloth.

Then we sat, relaxed, had a beer and some white cake, enjoyed our nice
clean for now house and watched last season battle star episode and
the new one. Great show but of course now we are left with even more
questions.

My folks come in today and MLK day here in states, which I have off.
So will me picking them up and can't wait to see them. They are of
course excited to see wee lad. He is such a mime and character that I
can see they will all have a brilliant week.

Have a good week folks!

You talking to me?

DIY man

Rubix cube

These didnt come through previous post. Guess apples dont fall far from tree

photos

tis a blurry one but the tshirt explains what hes doing climbing into a cupboard


Here he is in Florida with his turtle pool alarm watch on






















Here he is playing with scooper.. Thankfully clean one

Been a while

Been a while since got to blogging. Mainly it's because I'm now in
front of a computer 8 to 530 and when I come home and play with
munchkin, fed him and we have dinner then get him ready for bed, I'm
too tired to go into the office to blog. So let's see how emailing
will work instead!

So lots happening since I was blogging. Nothing came of the short sale
house we put offer on. The one Saturday afternoon our broker had us
see a house. Himself saw it it morning and worried I wouldn't like the
wood den. I hate wood paneling but this was no Brady bunch room. They
had converted the sun room/patio into a beautiful sunny room with
honey wood walls. Nearly like a cabin but with so many windows you
can't help but feel sunny as soon as you go in. So we put offer on
that and now it's ours.

With that extra bonus room you then get a library room or as himself
called it a parlor up front. The all wooden floors leading you to the
4 bedrooms and hallway bathroom.

The kitchen is bright and open. We are repainting right now. It's
amazing what changing the color of the walls will do. I'm sure the
luminescent blue and green walls were good in someones world. Just not
ours.

So we closed escrow on Friday and it's ours. We in our geek mode use
google docs and a spreadsheet to track the progress. We were blessed
meeting Julian the handyman who is amazing and now we have a lovely
laminate kitchen floor and his painters are showing what some polish
can do to our rough diamond.

I of course am on freecycle mode. We found a lawnmower unused that a
family didn't want. The hubbie there had insisted on getting it saying
they would get rid of their gardener. A year later it comes to us
after never kissing any of their grass blades. Was interesting
getting it over to the house but well worth it. We are on a 7000 sq
lot so we have to make sure we have a mower.

Yelp has also been our friend. The garage door is busted and pretty
broken. After seeing Ron's reviews for garage door guy in our are we
gave him a call. Wonderful guy and well deserving of the reviews. So a
new garage door goes in next week shiny and white and half the cost of
home depot or sears.

Craigslist find yesterday was a hot tub. The folks who own it are
getting a new one they can also swim in. Seriously. The house they
lived in was built at time of winchester mystery house. Amazing and
old. The folks who had come before us were there for the free glass
doors. He will transport tub for us to new abode and himself is
planning a zen type relaxing area side of the house for the tub and us.

We needed appliances like a fridge, microwave, washer and dryer. We
started hunting for those when we got news from our friend Ciara. Her
hubbie got a job in Seattle and they were moving to there in January.
She needed rid of her appliances so we got them all in one batch. This
way she can keep them till end January as her main furniture already
gone but still cook etc for the kids.

I will miss having her so near but in good fortune she will be working
remote for the hotel still a sales so will come down once every couple
of months.

We also got lucky in meeting two new babysitters. The YMCA no longer
suits our wee lad. He needs to be in bed by 8 and it's easier to have
someone here after he is already down. Not that we are out galavanting
but a friends daugther was laid off and she is a grand packer so has
been coming over and helping with him and packing books.

We are getting movers to help us after we pack some, we have too much
heavy furniture and after having movers last three moved it's too easy
to see why we would pay them. We still plan for our cleaners to come
clean still at new house and do massive clean of this one. We have
been here 4 yrs and best landlords ever but nice to have own home
that's not white walls and landlord beige carpet. We first moved into
this house while dating, got engaged and married while here , then had
our wonderful baby boy so it holds many memories for us but more
excitment is around the corner.

Including my folks coming in Monday for 5 days on their way to New
Zealand. So this leg out be staying here in old apt and leg back we
should be in our new one :)