Thursday night (obviously), the kids were here while Mom went to weight watchers (the last payment of which, BTW, came out of my checking, she hadn't changed that when she moved out. Bounced a payment I had made too. But I digress...) They are home now and the place is quiet. The house was on the market about 2 weeks or so and someone made an offer on it. So we meet at the real estate office to go over the paperwork. Our agent is on vacation in Hawaii (must be nice), but her brother, who is also a licensed agent, got her on the phone to go over the offer. I would have been happy taking only $6K off the asking price, but apparently that's bad real estate etiquette. You HAVE to make some kind of counter offer, so you don't appear desparate, so we counter offerred, they accepted that, new paperwork was made up, and a day wasted, along with 3 hours of OT, so I'll be going to work on Saturday. BUT! The target closing date is November 14th! On that day, I will be in a new place (all mine)(except when the kids come), I can pay off all my bills, and I will be out shopping for a NEW car. Note the emphasis on NEW. NEW. I will NOT be buying another 8 year old vehicle. The Blazer did good getting to 210K miles, but it is tired and needs to be laid to rest. I'm thinking extrication drills. It just has to last another 35 days, and they better not push back that date. I should be fixing the checkbook tonight, but I just don't feel like it. I can go online to see how much is in there anyway, and I'm going to close it soon anyway. I have to open a new one and move my direct deposit over. If I can ever get out of work when there's a bank open.
35 days. I guess I need to start making phone calls for a new place to live. On one hand, there ARE apartments here in town, I might even find one that takes pets. On the other hand, I have numbers for a couple of places at the Lake (Crystal Lake, where I grew up). It would be nice to go back there. If I go to the lake, I would have to leave WSFD. They have a residency requirement. The only person still on CLFD from when I was there in the '80's is Chuck. I have to think on that some more. It would be alot cheaper on gas if I move to Simsbury area. The idea just doesn't appeal to me somehow. I guess i'd need more incentive than that to go out there. The new car is a definite, though. I've been looking at either a Ford Escape or a Jeep Liberty. About the same price, but the Ford with that inline 4 gets better mileage. This having to worry about the price of gas sucks. What happenned to the days when you could drive around and just about fill the tank with $20? Gas has come down recently...$3.29 last time. The Blazer still took $43! And that didn't fill it!
Guess I won't get much chance to bowhunt the backyard if I only have another 5 weeks. Hell I haven't had much chance to even practice with the thing, working untill 1800. It's dark by the time I get home now. And the clocks will get turned back soon. I still have shotgun season to look forward to. I've already told work. That IS my vacation, I WILL be taking it off. They wanted to pay me for the unused vacation time, I said NOT yet! I plan on USING that time! That'll be less than 2 weeks after the closing. Then in December finalize the divorce, and I can start 2009 clear of everything. Well, almost. There is child support. I really don't mind that , I understand the purpose of it. Alimony I have a problem with, especially if she's shacking with someone else.
O.K. enough for tonight. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those that can sleep in tomorrow (but, boy, if I could, I'd sleep till noon!) So its time to sack so I CAN get up. I'd say thank god it's Friday, except that I'll be working Saturday too.
TJC