Okay, so we now have a computer at our house and I have downloaded all the adorable photos/videos of Asher. We got the phone line hooked up today, and (hopefully) the UPS man dropped off our modem so we will have the internet tonight (currently at the in-laws using theirs)!!! The light at the end of the technology tunnel is becoming more and more bright.
This means that I have no more excuses for not updating our blog. So, I now commit that I will post at least once a week. I may not have pictures with all the posts, but I promise to keep you informed. (Why you are so interested in our boring life, I will never know. But I will keep my skepticism to myself). :)
Okay - here is my start: Today is Asher's 7 month birthday (mutters "weird" under her breath) as well as his Granpda Pettey's 64th. Pictures to come soon!
The house is getting really close to done (again, you hear muttering "right, is it ever REALLY done???" under her breath). The flooring is done, and we have the base boards in the front room, kitchen and entry. Our bedroom door and the bathroom door still need to be painted (bummer when you paint them the wrong color - curses!!!). Oh, and we still don't have a dishwasher. Or counter. Oh, and no kitchen sink either. BUT - I have a stove, fridge and a table - life is good!!! I do have some before pictures that I intend to post soon, for all of you who aren't here to fully appreciate the transformation.
Summer break is coming to an end for Durrant and the pressures of Semester Opening are fast approaching. Here's to sleepless nights, ornery students, instructors and bosses. Fortunately he has a little boy who adores him and a wife that can't live without him to come home to. (chanting "There's no place like home. There's no place like home.")
As for me, work is still going pretty well. It is literally Christmas in July for me because all the clothes I ordered and have seen pictures of are coming in. I never know what will be waiting for me when I get to work in the morning, and then comes the challenge of finding a home for it on the floor.
I'm also going to start scoping for Heidi. Thanks to Michelle (you rock!!!!) I have the software to edit things and really help her out. However, I haven't officially started yet, so hopefully things will go okay. ;)
That's all for now. The birthday party is starting soon, and there are candles that need to get blown out.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
We're In!!!
After owning our home for more than 6 weeks we decided to finally move in. The final straw came when we found out one the cabinets we ordered for the kitchen won't be here until the 30th. I simply wasn't going to wait that long. So, we are there without the floor or the kitchen done. :) Even so, I think it was a good move. I am able to get a lot more done with a bed for Asher, and I am amazed at how much time we spent traveling back and forth. Anyway, we plan to have a house warming party some time soon so check back relatively soon and we will let you know. I think we might be shooting for the end of July, but we'll see. :)
Oh, and by the way, we don't have internet at our house yet, so if you don't see us on FB or things like that for a while that is why. Hopefully we will be all set though, and we will have a computer that doesn't have a broken memory card and you will see all pictures we have been taking! :)
Oh, and by the way, we don't have internet at our house yet, so if you don't see us on FB or things like that for a while that is why. Hopefully we will be all set though, and we will have a computer that doesn't have a broken memory card and you will see all pictures we have been taking! :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Construction Update
Durrant and I are working hard daily to get things going on the house. I'm usually out there all day Tue/Thur/Fri and on Mon and Wed we both hurry out there after work to get stuff done. Then it is full bore on weekends. However, when there is a kid in the mix things simply don't go very fast. I am very grateful that I don't have a toddler that could trip and fall on the tack-strips everywhere, but I confess that I am lamenting the ease of getting things done without a little one underfoot.
Anyway, currently all the main walls are painted and we are working on the trim and doors, which we hope to get done tomorrow-ish. On to the kitchen! We are hoping to get the kitchen painted and get all the tiling prepwork completed the rest of this week. Tiling will be the project of the day on Saturday/Monday. The next weekend will be focused on putting in the cabinets (thank you Lowe's for the pre-fab's, they will be great!). If any of you locals are bored and would like to help, watch a 5 month old, or want a tour of the house you are welcome to stop by. Odds are we will either be there, or on our way there. :)
At some point we will be picking up then putting in the wood/laminate floor, the appliances, the bed and the furniture. We are tossing around the idea of possibly putting in canned lighting in the front room, but we'll see how much money it we have left over.
Maybe, just maybe, we will be moved in by Christmas!
Anyway, currently all the main walls are painted and we are working on the trim and doors, which we hope to get done tomorrow-ish. On to the kitchen! We are hoping to get the kitchen painted and get all the tiling prepwork completed the rest of this week. Tiling will be the project of the day on Saturday/Monday. The next weekend will be focused on putting in the cabinets (thank you Lowe's for the pre-fab's, they will be great!). If any of you locals are bored and would like to help, watch a 5 month old, or want a tour of the house you are welcome to stop by. Odds are we will either be there, or on our way there. :)
At some point we will be picking up then putting in the wood/laminate floor, the appliances, the bed and the furniture. We are tossing around the idea of possibly putting in canned lighting in the front room, but we'll see how much money it we have left over.
Maybe, just maybe, we will be moved in by Christmas!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Painting Party?!?!?!?
Hey All! So, we FINALLY closed on Thursday, we are now home owners! I went to took a bunch of shots of the house so we could show you before and after pictures. We have a LOT of work to do, and will be painting this weekend. If any of you have time, we would love to have your help. We will even bribe you with lunch and/or dinner. I will be doing a lot of the prep work this week (Tue and Thurs during the day) so we will be ready to paint like crazy when you arrive. If you would like to help with that, I would love to have company as I tape up the place! :) Give us a call and we will feed you whenever you come!
For those of you who can't come, photos will come soon! We love you all, and can't wait to have you visit now that we will have a place for you to stay. ;)
For those of you who can't come, photos will come soon! We love you all, and can't wait to have you visit now that we will have a place for you to stay. ;)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Update on Enterprise, the House, and Asher
So, I need to exonerate Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A week after my last post I got back on and noticed they commented on my blog. I talked to their reps and everything was taken care of that day. To their credit, they took care of the customer, and I might actually rent from them in the future.
The house... Well, we were going to close on the 16th. Then the 17th. Docs didn't come in on time, so we pushed it back to the 20th - no big deal because the contract said we had until the 24th; as long as we close by the 24th we won't get charged. Well, the 20th didn't work out either - it got pushed back to the 23rd, which would be okay because we could get in before the last day and the weekend. Nope. Last resort, back to the 24th. I literally had my amended taxes in hand to put in the mail because I was SURE it would be on the 24th. Yeah, didn't happen. Who really knows when we will actually close on our house?!?!? At this point we are looking at Tuesday, the 27th.
All of these delays, while not our ideal, may actually have turned into a blessing. Because we went past our contract date, the percentage we locked in no longer applies. Fortunately, for us, the interest rate fell from 5% to 4.87%. This will end up saving us approx $150 a month on our house payment. Yeah. Needless to say, I'm not too upset about closing late.
Now, to my favorite subject - Asher! This picture was taken two weeks ago on Easter. In honor of Katie and Nelson's much dreaded departure in the near future, Marilyn put up the ball pit in the front room. Great times were had by all - and awesome pictures were a great result. This is Asher's first experience with the ball pit, and I don't think he was ready to jump in swinging. However, I'm betting the next time it gets put up he will be playing with the rest of his cousins. ;) (Thanks again, Katie for sending the photos!)
Oh, P.S. When we get moved in we will set up our other computer and will be able to show you all the fun photos we have of Asher on our camera! :)
The house... Well, we were going to close on the 16th. Then the 17th. Docs didn't come in on time, so we pushed it back to the 20th - no big deal because the contract said we had until the 24th; as long as we close by the 24th we won't get charged. Well, the 20th didn't work out either - it got pushed back to the 23rd, which would be okay because we could get in before the last day and the weekend. Nope. Last resort, back to the 24th. I literally had my amended taxes in hand to put in the mail because I was SURE it would be on the 24th. Yeah, didn't happen. Who really knows when we will actually close on our house?!?!? At this point we are looking at Tuesday, the 27th.
All of these delays, while not our ideal, may actually have turned into a blessing. Because we went past our contract date, the percentage we locked in no longer applies. Fortunately, for us, the interest rate fell from 5% to 4.87%. This will end up saving us approx $150 a month on our house payment. Yeah. Needless to say, I'm not too upset about closing late.
Now, to my favorite subject - Asher! This picture was taken two weeks ago on Easter. In honor of Katie and Nelson's much dreaded departure in the near future, Marilyn put up the ball pit in the front room. Great times were had by all - and awesome pictures were a great result. This is Asher's first experience with the ball pit, and I don't think he was ready to jump in swinging. However, I'm betting the next time it gets put up he will be playing with the rest of his cousins. ;) (Thanks again, Katie for sending the photos!)
Oh, P.S. When we get moved in we will set up our other computer and will be able to show you all the fun photos we have of Asher on our camera! :)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Word to the Wise - don't go with Enterprise
Hey All,
I'm not usually this emphatic about these things, but I can't even believe how upset I am with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. So, I am telling everyone I know, and even those I don't to never go with Enterprise when you rent a car. I've had great success with Avis, and in the future will go with them (or anyone) over Enterprise. Let me tell you a story:
As you know I had a conference in California that I had to go to for work. After much discussion Durrant and I decided to rent a car and drive the distance rather than trying to deal with a 3 mo. old baby and all the accoutrement's on the plane. It turns out that Enterprise had the best deal and we thought it would be fine. Having rented cars before, we knew the routine. However, I should have known from the beginning that it wouldn't turn out.
First: When I picked up the car I was told that I could either return the car with a full tank of gas, or be charged to have them fill it up (normal to all rental agencies I've dealt with). However, they were not obligated to provide me with a full tank when I picked it up. That was my first sign.
Second: The car was dirty when I picked it up. Not only on the outside (actual mud splot on the mirror), but literally covered with pet hair on the inside. Can you say NASTY????
Third (and most significant in my mind): The middle seat belt in the back seat, where we would be putting the baby's car seat, was broken. The belt was stuck, and wouldn't give. I considered taking it back, but was told when I arrived that they didn't have any other cars for me to take. And, I didn't have the time to deal with the problems that would ensue with exchanging cars at a different location.
All of these things were not ideal, but something I would probably store away in my mind and remember never to personally rent from Enterprise again. Not until I tried to return the car did I decide to tell the whole world to black list the company.
The reservation was through Sunday, but I had intentionally extended the reservation knowing we would probably be back sooner than that. On the way home on Saturday I called the company to see where to drop the car only to find out that their office was closed. Their hours were 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. So, I called the national line and found some disparraging news: since it was after hours I could either pay a $75 drop off fee to take it to another agency, or simply pay through Monday 7:30am; regardless of when I dropped the car off. Seeing as how I only paid $52 a day for the car, it wasn't worth it to drop the car off early. So, I figured if I was going to pay for the car, I might as well hold on to it.
I expected to hear from the car company on Monday, so I could tell them exactly how I felt about things. Nothing. On Tuesday, I received a call that said that everything was okay when I returned the car (they obviously didn't check the seat belt in the back seat), and since I returned it on Sunday I would only be charged $200 more than I originally budgeted and was contracted for. Yeah...
Oh, it only gets better. I went online to lodge a complaint with the company and discovered that you can't complain via email, you are forced to do an online chat with one of their agents. Unhappy with this, I proceeded to tell them how I felt about things. They asked for my contact information and told me the regional manager would be contacting me.
They waited a few days, then called Durrant's phone (weird, as the only way they would have that is to look on the contract and it was listed as HIS phone number, not mine) saying they heard something about us not being satisfied. I called them back, and the person I talked to wasn't who called D's phone, and didn't know anything about it. They said they would pass on the information to their manager, Dave. That was 10 days ago and I have heard nothing.
As a result, I am so angry with this company that I am on a personal mission to broadcast to the world how unhappy I am with Enterprise. I hope you pass this on to any/all who might ever be interested in renting a car.
My advice: go with Avis.
I'm not usually this emphatic about these things, but I can't even believe how upset I am with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. So, I am telling everyone I know, and even those I don't to never go with Enterprise when you rent a car. I've had great success with Avis, and in the future will go with them (or anyone) over Enterprise. Let me tell you a story:
As you know I had a conference in California that I had to go to for work. After much discussion Durrant and I decided to rent a car and drive the distance rather than trying to deal with a 3 mo. old baby and all the accoutrement's on the plane. It turns out that Enterprise had the best deal and we thought it would be fine. Having rented cars before, we knew the routine. However, I should have known from the beginning that it wouldn't turn out.
First: When I picked up the car I was told that I could either return the car with a full tank of gas, or be charged to have them fill it up (normal to all rental agencies I've dealt with). However, they were not obligated to provide me with a full tank when I picked it up. That was my first sign.
Second: The car was dirty when I picked it up. Not only on the outside (actual mud splot on the mirror), but literally covered with pet hair on the inside. Can you say NASTY????
Third (and most significant in my mind): The middle seat belt in the back seat, where we would be putting the baby's car seat, was broken. The belt was stuck, and wouldn't give. I considered taking it back, but was told when I arrived that they didn't have any other cars for me to take. And, I didn't have the time to deal with the problems that would ensue with exchanging cars at a different location.
All of these things were not ideal, but something I would probably store away in my mind and remember never to personally rent from Enterprise again. Not until I tried to return the car did I decide to tell the whole world to black list the company.
The reservation was through Sunday, but I had intentionally extended the reservation knowing we would probably be back sooner than that. On the way home on Saturday I called the company to see where to drop the car only to find out that their office was closed. Their hours were 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. So, I called the national line and found some disparraging news: since it was after hours I could either pay a $75 drop off fee to take it to another agency, or simply pay through Monday 7:30am; regardless of when I dropped the car off. Seeing as how I only paid $52 a day for the car, it wasn't worth it to drop the car off early. So, I figured if I was going to pay for the car, I might as well hold on to it.
I expected to hear from the car company on Monday, so I could tell them exactly how I felt about things. Nothing. On Tuesday, I received a call that said that everything was okay when I returned the car (they obviously didn't check the seat belt in the back seat), and since I returned it on Sunday I would only be charged $200 more than I originally budgeted and was contracted for. Yeah...
Oh, it only gets better. I went online to lodge a complaint with the company and discovered that you can't complain via email, you are forced to do an online chat with one of their agents. Unhappy with this, I proceeded to tell them how I felt about things. They asked for my contact information and told me the regional manager would be contacting me.
They waited a few days, then called Durrant's phone (weird, as the only way they would have that is to look on the contract and it was listed as HIS phone number, not mine) saying they heard something about us not being satisfied. I called them back, and the person I talked to wasn't who called D's phone, and didn't know anything about it. They said they would pass on the information to their manager, Dave. That was 10 days ago and I have heard nothing.
As a result, I am so angry with this company that I am on a personal mission to broadcast to the world how unhappy I am with Enterprise. I hope you pass this on to any/all who might ever be interested in renting a car.
My advice: go with Avis.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Recent Picture of Asher
Unfortunately, the memory card drive on my laptop no longer works so I apologize for not putting any pictures of Asher up. However, my sister-in-law (thanks Katie!) emailed me some pictures of Asher that are really cute so I can post them. Anyway, here is a 3 month picture of my boy playing with a mirror.
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