What smells like mildew?

Oh, it’s you.  That’s the bad part.  The good part is that when I was at the house with the plasterer getting a bid on redoing the plaster and taking down the walls the police showed up.  The neighbors called them.  “You know, someone stole the copper pipes in this house,” they told me.

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”  I responded.  Then they ignored me and talked to the plasterer.  Who is, by the way, going to gut my basement up to the ceiling.  Bad part-- not until Monday.  (I’m going to try to sweet talk him into starting earlier.)  Good part – he gave me advice about renting and suggested we not refinish the basement so as to discourage additional illegal renters in the basement.  Good part – he’s going to hook us up with a dumpster.  Bad part – my basement is still damp.

I tried to cut a little bit of the plaster (it’s not drywall – I didn’t know) off the wall but got bored within 5 minutes.  (And my husband’s little saw thing freaked me out a little.)  I have some skills but I think it more along the lines of handing my husband tools and being verbally supporting.

Figuring out Lizzy

It’s no secret that Lizzy kicks my butt.  She can out subborn, out wait, out … me.  Well, I came up with a little bit-o-magic on Tuesday.  I got her to practice her flute, and do her homework without complaint.  (Ok, let’s be honest, she actually did both rather than just complain about me wanting her to do both before not doing either.  Yes, I realize that wouldn’t fly at your house.  I agree you are the better mother.  Move on.)

I started by announcing she could go with me to thtudnwytb.  Then I casually mentioned I would be using tools and cutting walls.  She could not do her jobs fast enough.  Jacob on the other hand asked “do I have to go?”

Now that I have it, I don’t know what to do with it

I visit the house … a lot.  I’ve gone shopping for it but don’t exactly know what to buy.  The plumber can’t start on it until Thursday.  I rented a floor fan and dehumidifier (for the week) and I’m trying to dry the basement out and I need to find someone to cut off the bottom couple of feet of drywall.  If I don’t get a call back today I’m going to start cutting it off myself.

I’m not kidding.  I will.  I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought blades for something my husband owns (I don’t remember what it’s called).  I think I really, really impressed the clerk when I asked him if he’d use a dremel or jig saw to cut drywall.  He looked at me as if he was thinking “you don’t look like you know which side to use and I’m a little concerned about the ethics of arming you.”  I thought back at him, “I do.  I’ve handed tools to my husband before.  And anyway it doesn’t matter because I want that drywall cut off!  And I can hire someone to fix what I’ve done later.”

Have I mentioned that my husband travels … a lot?  No?  Well, he does and of course he won’t be back until Thursday.  But I’m sure I’ll have everything taken care of by then.

Why does he always start with an egg?

I walked into the kitchen bleary eyed.  Will was already up.  The evidence was on the counter.  He’d cracked an egg into a bowl, added soy milk and had measured out powdered sugar.  “Will, what are you making?”  I questioned.

“A cake.”  He giggled.

“Oh, no cake right now.”  I told him.

Will walked to the cupboard and pulled out a container.  He poured his mixture into the container and put it in the fridge.

… As soon as Will got off his bus that afternoon he put the container in the microwave to cook it.  So, I added flour and xantham gum and made pancakes for him.

Maybe it took (the house, silly!)

Is that like saying maybe I’m pregnant?  I can hear Marcy in my head saying there’s no maybe about it, you either are or you aren’t.  So technically we didn’t buy the house.  But baring it burning down, a homeless person blowing it up, and a tornado scooping it out of the ground we will buy it on Monday. The bank, naturally, didn’t get a paper to our lawyer in time to register the deed on Friday; but was on top of things enough to cancel the electricity in the house on Friday.  But since the sump pump curiously enough needs actual electricity to work (no, really!) we are paying for utilities in a house we do not own.  (Regretfully we decided not to go with the indoor basement wading pool option.)  

 I have declared March 25^th my official “Pay for Someone Else’s Utilities Day” and have decided to have everyone submit their proposals through the bank we have been dealing with (thus insuring I will never need to actually pay for anyone’s else utilities but will be able to claim that I do – I know, I’m brilliant and very, very kind!) providing certain conditions are met*.

Naturally Monday morning I will drive over to the house to make sure it is still standing before we permanently adopt it as our problem.

*Which I will make up and change at will. ;-)

Prepare for more rental house postings

Because I think we may have bought the house that Marcy will forever refer to as “the house the universe does not want you to buy” or thtudnwytb.  The reason I’m not sure if we’ve actually bought it yet is because today was the third time I’ve sign mortgage papers.  The first two didn’t take but we’re hopeful this time.  (Gosh, that kind of sounds like fertility treatment doesn’t it?)

We almost didn’t buy it because my husband started to balk the second time the basement flooded.  We went for a final walkthrough Tuesday night and there was about a foot of water in the basement.  The silly man thought the bank should 1. Remove the indoor wading pool and 2. Fix the sump pump. And when the bank responded – and I quote: 

“the asset manager will do nothing more to the property. It is "as is". The listing agent said you can hire someone to go in if you wish.”

He got a little testy.  I told him we are either buying this house now or never.  So, in spite of everyone’s (really) warnings we decided to buy thtudnwytb.

I think it will all work out.

I asked my real estate agent what hobby she’ll take up now that she (hopefully) no longer will have to check up on this house bi-weekly.  And she said that she worked so hard on this house for Will. 

I really do know the nicest people!

Report on Vegetable Consumption: Week 1 CSA Full Share

Started off strong the first day with roasted potatoes and onions served with sautéed zucchini.  Ended the week with one head of broccoli, some mushrooms and Swiss chard left.  Tuesday the CSA raised me some rainbow chard (honestly, I probably could have gone my whole life not knowing that rainbow chard existed), lettuce, possibility another type of greens, onions, a huge portabella mushroom, apples, juicing oranges, more broccoli (crap, hadn’t finished the first week’s yet).

Summary:  Falling behind

But I’m still sure this is a fabulous idea (after all I already paid for my summer share – thus it has no choice to be anything but a good idea)! 

... I think I’ll buy some bacon.