Hm. Should I revive the ol' Blog? I think so..... Needs a little work though... Coming Soon.

Lots of New

So, Lots of New around here. New:

• Roommate
• Puppy
• Car (shortly)
• School year starting soon
• Resolution to blog once a week from now until I die.

I guess I should provide some detail.

New Roommate: JODIE!!!!!! (good friend and teammate from high school) has come from Michigan to live with us. She's awesome and she's going to teach me how to be a good rock climber.

New Puppy: Wilbur!!!!!! (his dad's name is Mr. Ed). He is a 6-month old redtick coonhound with a strange ability to honk. Rather than barking, that is- he kind of honks, a bit like what a choking goose might sound like. It's actually extremely endearing. We just got him about two weeks ago now from the Colorado Coonhound Rescue.

New Car: Maybe. Ross is going to look at a Jeep Cherokee tomorrow, exactly like the one that was declared totaled, but with a lot fewer miles, and minus the totaling. PS: We got T-boned earlier this summer, but everyone's fine :D just needed to find a new car as a result.

New School year: Self-explanatory. I reported for work for the first time in a summer this week. My first reaction is to think "ewwwww" but then I remember that I'm sick of sitting around. I'm actually very excited to be back.

New Resolution: hahahaha yeah right. But I'm going to try. :D

55 and still goin' strong (not me!)

Happy Birthday Dad!!! Love you. :D

P.S. Can I mention as an amendment, that a 16-year old kid just got run over and beat to death about 4 blocks from the first house we were looking at in Thornton? I guess we made a good decision there. [see previous post]

Here's the story.

A HOUSE is a house for me.

House Hunting: Woes and WOAHS!

So.... we're buying a HOUSE!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!

Here's a link to a bunch of photos of it; once you're in the link, go to "featured tour" down near the pictures and then hit the photo gallery tab at the top of the next page:

[The link no longer works will post pics soon!!!]

!!!! So here's the scoop on what's happened and what's next:

First we found a house in Thornton, just a town away from here, that we really liked! It was newly remodeled, nice yard, finished basement... but I couldn't help but noticing that there was a lot of graffiti, etc. in the neighborhood. So, we drove it at night and actually stopped by a local school to check out an event there. Ross actually got to chatting with a cop, and asked him about crime in the area... and in the most PC way possible, this cop told us pretty much that he would never live in the neighborhood. So we were like, OK! and moved on.

Day 1 on market

So we looked again. Found our house, its very first day on the market. Fell in love. Snuck into the yard and peeked in all the windows before even the showing (vacant). Couldn't stop staring at the shiny wood floors, the fireplace, and spacious kitchen with all new appliances. Felt comfy in the neighborhood- just a few block away from where we're renting now.

Day 2 on market

Second day on the market, official showing with amazing realtor, Mark. I make weird noises of awe and wanting throughout the showing. We know immediately that we want to make an offer. The neighborhood is solid. The updates are outstanding. The yard is huge. This beauty won't last long.

Day 3 on market

Third day on the market, we meet with Mark at his office at 7:30AM. I'm hungover. We sign paperwork for 2 hours and submit our official offer. By 12:45PM we have a counteroffer from the seller. By 1:00 we have our own final counteroffer submitted. Then I sit by the phone and wait. And wait. And wait. Waiting... Aarika, thankfully, keeps me occupied for 2 1/2 of those, but suddenly it's 5:30 and I've heard nothing. Finally, 8:30PM, I get a call from Mark. His voice is heavy and sad. I already know. There's been two other offers. Highest bid, one shot, gets it, due by 12:00 tomorrow. I cry and fret and am sad. I wonder what we should offer. We want the house but also to make a smart financial decision. So much more complicated now.

Day 4 (TODAY) on market

I wake up at 6:30AM, unable to sleep. I fret some more about the offer. This much? That much? Closing costs? ERggggggggg Ross and I talk it over. I call Mark for advice. I call mom for advice. Ross and I talk again. We make a decision. At 9:45AM I'm in Kinko's faxing out our last and final offer; to go to the highest bidder of three- one chance. It takes 15 minutes and $15 to send a 15-page fax! Dang. But by 11:45 we have our answer. This time Mark's voice is quiet, a little tired, but confident. Our bid wins. I find out from our lender that it was a close race; the seller actually called him to check on our credit and qualifications- apparently an unusual move. I go shopping to celebrate and bought a Little Black Dress. (Why??? I don't know.)

Days to come...

Inspections, appraisals, meetings, closing... nothing's official yet and we're not out of the forest yet, but we've won the first battle. :D If all does go well, we're supposed to close by March 15. I'll keep you posted!!!

Gallery of Writing - Fort Lupton

Gallery of Writing - Fort Lupton

Just wanted to share a link to a bunch of writing from students and people around the Community of Fort Lupton, where I teach. It's kinda cool, check it out! I threw a poem I wrote on the gallery, too. It's basically an online spot where we can be published through NCTE- the National Council for Teachers of English. the gallery is just getting off the ground. :D

One Resolution Destined to Fail: A Pledge to Blog Again

A Photo Review of 2009...

as I jumpstart my resolution to make time for blogging and exercise during the school year. How long this will last... one can never tell.

January 1, 2009 (says my camera date... it might be lying): Penny and Ross on our bed back at Elm Street, a year ago. Am I really the only one who thinks Penny is getting fat?

January 25, 2009: Grandpa's birthday! That was a good party. A bunch of Townsend's and some alcohol... that's always a good time. Gotta love these posed family pictures... right Jay?

March 14th, 2009: St. Patty's Day in Naperville, IL, a 2nd-year venture to Ben's roosting grounds. Roosting? I don't know. Anyway, this video says most of what I don't have to.

April 6, 2009: Spring Break... and The Week I fell in love with Colorado. All of you who miss us can blame Erick, pictured in plaid below- our Coloradoan Informant.

April 10, 2009: Me, about to eat Ben at MoJo's in downtown Grand Rapids.

May 10th, 2009: Jay's graduation!!! Love this.

May 31st, 2009: ERHS Graduation. I watched my some of my best ever students walk. I'll never forget English 12B at Eaton Rapids High- an unforgettable experience- they left a mark! Also the close of my first full year of utter insanity. *Cough* I mean teaching.

June 7th, 2009: Sabira's wedding. And yes, that's us, the only white faces among the over 1,000 that attended, in a family picture. That's what I love about our Indian friends! We're family when we're there. :)

July 25th, 2009: Hiked to 11,000 feet and took some of the best pictures I've ever taken.

August 21, 2009: New job. New partner, new classroom, new age group... I was ready. Well, I thought I was at least, it had been awhile since I had tackled teaching 7th graders... (while = a 1 year gap. How much one does forget!)

September ?, 2009: Ross is mid-academy. And mid-being searched. Apparently.

September 27th, 2009: Sheri & Gary visit their kids in Colorado!!!!

October 5, 2009: Boredom procures: a Naked Fruit Photo Op.

October 25th, 2009: Carved Pumpkins.

October 28th, 2009: Biggest October Blizzard in Colorado History.

October 29th, 2009: Gotta hit the hills on the snow day (Actually we got 3!). First time ever snowboarding... epic FAIL.

November 27, 2009: Best Thanksgiving Ever. Six of our very best friends in Colorado, hanging out on the mountains. Could not ask for more.

December*, 2009: Jeana didn't take a single photo in this month somehow. Or rather if she did, they're all on her camera which is somewhere between Michigan and Colorado, in the traditional "All the Shit You Forgot!!!" care-package. Thanks Mom!!! You're the best.

*Will be back to post December photos of Ross' graduation. But probably not Xmas because I really don't think I took any pictures for that.

I'm going to write very soon. So that you can see lots of fun stuff we've done lately. :D Stay tuned.