Avenida Exterior Update

A couple minor hiccups in the Avenida progress. Our original stone is no longer available in the quarries right now. So we had to pick out new stone. We found one very similar, but with more variation and more uniformity. I think I actually like it better. It's just a bit of a delay on the front exterior. This stone will also be on our fireplace, along with a flag stone cap on the hearth. I am really excited for that progress.

New pick of stone, Granbury Chateau

An example of light flagstone for the hearth cap

The drywall is up. I haven't gone inside yet to see it, but I am dying to!

I confirmed the kitchen hardware and their placement with our builder yesterday. (So pretty.) And I signed off on our landscaping design with our landscaper. We were able to have the trees that we want, where we want them, along with a collection of bushes, shrubs, ground cover, and ornamental trees that we picked out. Best part, it didn't cost us anything,

The two pieces of hardware I picked for the kitchen

Our approved landscape design

Our closing date is a bit fluid at the moment, we will probably add on one more month to our apartment lease just to make sure we aren't in a serious jam later. A week difference between closing and move out is a bit too close to make me feel comfortable. It's another month's premium rent, but I don't think there is a feasible plan B, so we will just have to go with it.

Hopefully I will have new interior pictures soon!


M.LEWIS

Between Kingsmill and Avenida

You know that scene in Jurassic Park where Tim is in the smooshed SUV, stuck in the tree and Dr. Grant is leading them down before the falling car crushes them? They finally get to the ground and the car falls over on them, they are unharmed, but in the wrecked cab of the SUV again. Tim, exhausted, says: "Well, we're back in the car, again." Dr. Grant responds: "At least we're out of the tree."

An odd comparison, but this is how I feel about life right now.

I cleaned and organized and cleaned and packed and cleaned and repaired and cleaned our house getting it ready for list, I then repeated all those tasks during the contract period, and repeated them yet again until close. I was pooped. I am a perfectionist, and I wanted my house to look, well, perfect. It wasn't perfect, but I think it was pretty good. We packed up our world, moved it into a garage/apartment, turned in our keys, and left our home for good.

I was tired and stressed. My goal at that moment was "get it clean, get it pretty, and get out." I did that, and now that I'm out of the house (and in an apartment) I am exhausted, and somehow back where we started before the house ever happened. "Well, I'm back in an apartment, again."

What is my "Dr. Grant" response?

"Well, at least we made money and got a new house...eventually."

It's the "eventually" part that is the hardest right now.

I try to focus on the positive, but it is the negatives that continually get in my face. Being happy, or even content is difficult at 12:30am and your upstairs neighbors are crying, screaming, stomping their feet, and slamming their doors.

No yard is both a relief (no maintenance) and a frustration (the dogs...enough said).

I am thankful for a walk-out back porch and grass right outside the porch. That makes the dog situation not too bad, but we do have to leash up and beg for scheduled bodily functions many, many times a day.

We have an attached 2.5-car garage, and that is where 80% of our belongings reside. There is no down side to this. Our stuff is all together and with us. I am grateful for this. We also can park right outside the garage, so that is a guaranteed, close parking spot.

We finally have internet and tv set up. Yes, I am one of those people that need internet and tv. Having this helps my patience and makes me feel connected to the outside world.

The major downsides are my noisy co-inhabitants and the, well, non-cleanliness of things. Again, perfectionist here, I spent hours cleaning and cleaning...and this place has rewarded me with sticky paint, hard water and lime stains, and roaches. Yes, we have found several...it's disgusting. I bought bait/poison, I think it's helping.

My mind is impatient. I want to get into my new house asap. We do have a scheduled closing date now, September 30. I pray this date sticks. We have the apartment through October 9, so we don't have much wiggle room to play around with. Please, pray with me. I don't know what would happen if our lease ends and we don't close on time. I don't want to solve that problem.

Let's hope no more Jurassic Park scenes come to mind.

M.LEWIS

Kingsmill Days Numbered

This very well might be my last entry from the Kingsmill territory.

We close on Thursday, but have possession until Sunday evening. The movers come Friday and hopefully we will get at least 90% of our things moved then. We still have all of Saturday and most of Sunday to move any lingering items. Of course there is still the need to clean up the things I can't right now, i.e. vacuum under beds, peel glow-in-the-dark star stickers off the ceiling, and touch up paint.

I feel pretty on top of things right now...but it is only Monday. I have already packed most of our things. I am waiting for Wednesday evening to pack most things...mainly kitchen things. I will even unplug the refrigerator/freezer then and allow it to defrost in time for the movers to arrive bright and early Friday morning.

I have to remember to deconstruct the back deck. That I keep forgetting. It's amazing how many more things we have gained in 4 years.

We do have an attached 2 car garage with our apartment, so the goal is to use it as a storage unit and keep all of our things in one location. But that does mean that we have to squeeze in a refrigerator/freezer; and washer and dryer; a huge, heavy dinning room table; an extra couch; a lawnmower; Lorelai's queen bed, dresser, and nightstand; and many more large items, and tons of boxes.

I do hope between the apartment space and garage we can make it all work.

I have scheduled water to be shut off, but we will need to set up shut off for electricity/gas, TV, and internet...not to mention setting up all those things at the apartment. Though, we are going to try to just watch Netflix and other online tv options so we can avoid the whole cable thing again.

I have set up a forwarding address with the USPS and plan to switch most paper bills to emails to avoid any extra shuffling. I will also have to change our address with insurance companies (health, car, renters), the bank, credit cards, etc. I will wait and plan to change our driver's license info once in the house...WHICH I am told could be mid September. I am mentally planning for later so I don't get disappointed when things take longer than they think. Construction tends to do that. ;)

Avenida is moving along nicely though. We should be drywalled shortly. We have our plumbing and electrical inspections to go through, we have our floor plug installed, our kitchen island pipes and wires set up, we have can lighting in place, arches marked out, and almost all the windows installed.

Once drywalled, we should hit a good pace of progress. I pray for speedy, but quality work to be done so we can get in as soon as possible.

Back to my boxes and newspaper. Packing onward.



M.LEWIS