Well, we can at least start this
Good morning this is me. It’s very late on a Saturday. It’s almost noon. We just finished having some turkey and mayonaise minus the bread. Earlier we’d been working on finishing the post from yesterday and in between there was a little time with Rich. He’s back now watching a silly knight show with Heath Ledger, but he had gone out to take care of some banking and a little bit at the store. When he went out, I took our shower and I got dressed and cleaned up the house. I felt pretty good about that.
There was a problem though before he left. I looked over to him – I’d been watching CNN for a short story and then I looked at him and he was crying. He said that he’d gotten an email from his son Chris and that Chris did not want to talk to him. I felt very bad for him. He decided the errands would help distract him I think, but while he was out his son called him and said he didn’t want to talk to him. I think it was Chris that called. It hurts Rich’s feelings. We did our best to massage and hold him, but it wasn’t worth nearly what I would have liked it to mean.
He won’t really talk too much about it. He said a little. I think he has to figure out what to do next. I think he’s thinking that he can’t share with his kids what they want to him to share. Basically, a couple of things happened over the last few days and it’s causing everyone anxiety. The first was that Jon told his family that I was going to Thanksgiving, and then there was a lot of speculation and somehow they figured out that Rich and I were still together and they are thinking we are probably living together.
But, Rich is in a divorce situation where he can’t afford to have the kids communicating to their mother anything that he might entrust to his kids. They’ve proven over and over that they go to each other to provoke problems though not often in calm friendly times. I teased Rich later in saying well at least they now are talking to each other. It wa a lame joke that was made after he’d calmed down. He says that he might have to go up to a year or more without talking to them until the divorce is finalized.
I understand a little what he’d going through, but not nearly enough. I felt too when I left the kids with their father that whatever I told them was going to him and his girlfriend/wife. I felt pretty much on my own except that I had Dr. Woollcott to help me become sane. I didn’t even know Rich back then, but I heard today or yesterday that his family is still thinking that Joe is his son. I don’t know all of where they can make those kinds of inuendos, but that seems to be the case. Rich is pretty sure he doesn’t want them to know how long we’ve been together, but 15 years might show them that we didn’t even know him the 9 years previous when Maury and I had Joe.
It’s pretty insulting to think that this person and her family is messing with my family. But, I’m sure they are feeling like it is us that is messing with their family. There was one point being with Rich’s mother that she mentioned that surely I could see how hard things are for them and especially for the kids. I believe I said yes, if I said anything at least. I don’t know if I was just quiet and listening. She didn’t belabor the point. I believe that as a grandmother that she is protective of her grandchildren and sees in having a relationship with me it’s a conflict of interest.
The event with Rich and his son Chris was canceled for today … he was supposed to go to his grandmother’s with Rich. I don’t know what’s going to happen with all that.
He might be angry for a long time in coming, but I don’t think the kids can pull themselves away from their father. They depend too much on him for advise and money. I think too that Rich’s kids actually like him. I think Chris especially is feeling betrayed, but it doesn’t make any sense that he can’t think through that his father has a right to privacy and him telling his mother Rich’s life would be to only the mother’s advantage. Why would Rich put himself out like that. I don’t like that Chris thinks himself more than equal or superior to his father while he’s living off the graces of Rich. Chris has worked so hard to become the man of the family. I guess my thought now is that if he wants to do that without Rich’s support … than that is what he’s going to do. I would cringe to think though that to help his mother he might intentionally hurt Rich. It would be easier to understand that he is just nursing his hurt feelings in realizing that he’s not so close and trusted by his father to have been told Rich’s private life.
As to where the other two kids are, it’s hard to tell. I think they both get excited as maybe they should. I think change is hard to understand. They have now more directly me to deal with, but they also have the trust issue with their father. I guess they could say they can’t trust him, but I think it would be wiser for them to understand that he’s done the best for the family as humanly possible.
This includes taking care of the mother.
I’m not sure of all that’s going on for Rich. I question my own role in that if Rich weren’t with me or loved me that none of this would have taken place. From my understanding Rich hasn’t told them I wasn’t there, but rather told them that it wasn’t something he could talk about. Even now they call trying to find out more information than they could probably handle. When I asked Rich and when I told him that he could change our relationship to be more accomodating to the kids and what they are able to handle, but he says that he’s done what he’s done and basically, that part isn’t a question to his mind. I still think he has to handle what he seems set out to do if necessary. I think though that it would hurt both if they weren’t talking. Rich is used to taking care of people. If Chris doesn’t need his father’s help, then maybe well … maybe this is part of Chris growing up.
I don’t know what the mother’s role in all this is at the very moment. Rich says she’ll be at her lawyers very early on Monday. I guess if that were to happen, then it might just be something that has to happen in whichever way it should. I don’t mean to sound as if I don’t care, it’s just that as much as the family would not like to see Rich with someone else, they aren’t going to maintain that kind of control on him for ever. Rich still has an unquestioned right to have a friend.
True maybe a choice should have always been made between a lover and a wife, but I guess I’ve always held that if she didn’t love him, that at least I’d be able to make that part of his life liveable. I don’t know if the kids and especially not the wife is looking after his best interest. It seems always about what he can give. He’s tried to be very giving within his capabilities.
I think there is a basic part though in that he has a right to his own privacy. I don’t assume I can be the one he always should be talking to. I know very little of the actual conversations and correspondence of him and his family. I think most often this is not only Rich claiming his own privacy and person, but it is also his way of keeping me from being absorbed in his other life. I think more than anything this is admirable. I think in the same way he’s tried to protect his family from the relationship he’s got to me. I don’t think he thinks of the relationship as being sordid … mostly this is from the long years where I insisted I was just a mistress and he argued no, I’m his friend and for a majority of that time his best friend. I guess I just feel that everyone deserves one. He’s my best friend too … I don’t think that would have happened if the wife would have given some semblance of loving him for something other than his provisions for her, which I’m sure she feels quite unsatisfactory.
*Sigh* but again … that’s my thoughts as the other woman … and everytime we go in this direction I find fault in ourselves for having an opinion of a situation that is only a small part of my life. I feel bad that Rich has to go through hysterics … my part has to be remaining calm as to my own part. Well, that is calm for all of us who don’t fear the freezer being out of fudgicles. *Sigh*
But, that’s a horse of quite another color.
I don’t think we’ve had a chance to talk over the other relationship that is pretty new and exciting on the positive side. Yesterday, I was so much into my finishing up of the next leg of the house dream that I did not cover fairly having met Rich’s mother and step-father, Bud.
I was very excited through the whole meeting and I was excited all the way home. I believe it to have been a good meeting. During part of the disucssion we talked about what I would call her. It was later while we waited between dinner and dessert. I’ve always just called her Rich’s Mom. I think the question kind of startled her too. Not in a real bad way though. Her first statement sounded confused, but then Rich repeated for her, that I didn’t know what to call her. She said how about Granny. We looked a little dismayed at that and then Rich said that wouldn’t be a good idea, and she asked why. Rich explained and I interrupted that I was too old to call her Granny. I didn’t say, but could have that this might be threatening to Rich’s kids.
I don’t remember whether it was Rich or his mother, because it sort of came at the same time that I call her Mom. I’m not sure if Bud suggested her name, but she seemed to think that Mom would be fine and I looked to and asked Rich and I think he said basically that if it were fine with her, it would be fine with me. I felt pretty honored at the time and I’m hoping that I have the courage to call her Mom.
She surely has earned that title, but I’m not sure I’ve earned the honor. I know I call Bud, Bud, but that’s mostly because that’s what Rich calls Bud.
There is this nice part of it in that it feels very accepting, but then there’s this other part that says I don’t know how Rich’s kids and his ex will respond to it.
Rich’s Mother didn’t feel and reservation in letting me know that she hasn’t liked Rich’s wife from the start. I don’t know what makes her so angry toward her, but I knew ahead of time through Rich that this was the case. The two did not go to each other’s homes nor did they talk on the phone. But, I’m not sure I understand the anger. I told her that when I talked about things like that I usually got myself in trouble and dug myself into the ground. She seemed to be ok with that, though it didn’t give her a chance to expel her demons. I knew she wanted someone to understand her point of view, but I couldn’t afford speaking negative of the wife or kids or wife because of the kids.
What reservations I have basically come from the part where she was mean enough to Rich to make him cry. Not often, but I’ve heard through the years particularly the later years that he’s tried hard to calm her. I’d like to think and now I am starting to think Rich is thinking that it’s not as much his job anymore. He’s even seeming to get past the point of thinking that he might have to stay just separated instead of divorced. Now it seems that he just wants to get things over. I asked him about why he decided that I should see his mom now … what made it seem that now was the right time. He said something that really surprised me, but afterward I wasn’t surprised in that it comes from his excellent character. He said he’s waited 1 ½ years without introducing me to the family and that I’d waited long enough. For Rich I would have waited forever. I think he knows this much about me after not being introduced over the last 15 years. But, it felt very important coming from him to me. I was pretty touched. It’s the kind of sweetness men aren’t always known for sharing.
I thought our time with Rich’s folks went very well. Early in the trip, we’d stopped by for flowers – at least Rich had. I waited in the car and decided to make a few calls to my own family. I left a message at my mothers and then I talked to my sister. Afterward while still in the car, my mother called back so I talked to her. We’ll talk about all that later, but for now the point is that the trip to his mother’s went pretty quick. I had gotten off the phone soon enough to appreciate some of the farmland, but I had pictured the place as different than I was seeing as we pulled into their drive. It seemed pretty much like a double trailer, but now I think only parts were doubled. The driveway was very wide and blacktopped and it had a carport and in back of that some kind of buildings or sheds. There was a lot of clutter back there that I saw more from after dinner when Rich took me for a walk to see the river which was part of their very nice back yard.
We’d seen pictures in there somewhere where the place had been flooded and of course I heard about all that ealier through Rich. That happened quite a few times where they started to explain things as if I didn’t know anything … and I would say yes I heard something about that. I wanted to give them a chance to tell their storie, but I also wanted them to know I’ve heard and listened to quite a lot of stuff.
When we came up the driveway, Rich and us got out of the car each from our own sides. Rich had come over to my side to help with the food, and Bud had come out to meet us and he came to my side. Rich was so busy organizing he forgot to introduce us, so we looked at Bud and smiled and told him our name was Ann.
Rich seemed a little flutter and apologized and made sure we each knew who the other was. Then we all went on to gathering things to take in the house. Rich had brought the big red thermos with turkey gravey and dressing, I had the pie and bud took something else, but I don’t remember what … Hmm, maybe the flowers. To the left side of their home was like a sun porch … and it turned out this is where his mother was sitting … Actually she was fussing in the chair. The first thing I noticed about her was her pretty blue eyes. I also thought she looked less scary then I was afraid she’d be. I came in and within a few moments had bent down to give her a kiss. It was a little clumsy, but I’m glad I went that direction.
Rich and Bud were fussing with the goods and had walked through the open entry to the next room – it seemed the kitchen was straight ahead. This left me with Rich’s mother. Somehow I think before the two men left us, they had taken my coat. I tried not to think here I was being held hostage or against my will. Truth be told, I’d waited for a very long time to be here and I was extremely happy. I sat down on a chair opposite Rich’s mother, but then she soon rearranged me saying that chair sat too low. It had been a little broken down and I was appreciate to be out of it and thought it bolder that I sit in the chair perpendicular to his mother.
I found out right away that we could be grateful that she likes to direct the conversation. This helped us get over the immediate difficulty in the newness of our relationships. She had said something about jillian Rich’s daughter already knowing that Ana was coming. Rich only had to hear that one time – before he corrected his mother on the usage of my name as being Ann. I was disappointed because I’d prefered the name Ana. Rich discussed with his mother briefly about the kids trying to get information from her and that she wasn’t supposed to give it.
Conversations switched over quickly enough so I couldn’t begin to tell you all she’d said. I know she had to put in her hearing aid which I hear she doesn’t use to much, because she said that my voice was too soft. I apologized while recognizing out loud that many people have said that. I remember telling her at one point that I had hoped to hear some stories about Rich as we went along. She says that there wasn’t too much to tell and that Rich had been the good one between the two brothers. Then she went into stories about how much trouble that Mark had caused.
She seemed to summise that most of it was because Mark had been thin, but stood 6’4” and she said that he had quite a mouth on him.
Somewhere in and around the conversations Rich came back to sit down, but it seemed that we were left with the mother for a long time while Bud and Rich arranged dinner. There was way too much food we found later and they’d put out a lot of ordoerves. But, I think they must have counted on us going inside rather than staying on the porch because the goodies weren’t discovered until dinner time as sitting on their dining room buffet. I would have liked to get into those shrimp out there.
Hmm, we’re back, but it’s the next morning … Sunday. I’m going to pick up from there, k?
Lot's more pictures ... the last set was the Devonshire and this set is the set we've chosen from the Buckingham - TWO stairs
Good morning. We’re getting a late start … it’s already 8:30 am. Yeeks. I better get my medicine …
brb
Ok, ok … we’re all good. We had a rough start this morning in that we got up about 4 or so, but then went back to bed with Sweetie, and then we got up about 6 am and let him sleep another half hour, and now we’ve been up with him with both of us being on our computers and we just turned on the news. BUT NOW … Rich is gone. He had to go do a game. He says he’ll be back in about 2 ½ hours because his game is just around the corner. Then I think he has to go do some work, or maybe do it at home, but then he’s getting back home at about 4 something and then about 7 something he’s going out with the guys for some card playing.
Pswhoo. He’s a busy guy! He’s suggesting we MIGHT want to go to the gym, but I’m not so sure … we’ll have to think about that later, ok - but, not now. It is in alignment with paying bills – maybe later, but not now. We should though at least get out to be paying the banking. Hmm?
There’s a lot of news about terrorist attacks in India 327 wounded 176 dead. I think those are the numbers … or at least something close. I think they took over 7 buildings. They still have hostages.
They are doing some reporting now about a Jewish Center. That makes me a little more nervous, because Rich works for a Jewish Center called Jewish Vocational Services (JVS). Literally, I think he’s going to be ok, but any association gives one an opportunity to grimace. One Rabbi was on-line and said something about the network the Jewish services have. JVS is run by the Jewish Federation, so I’m very sure that they are involved in that communication system.
Hmm, kitties are actively chasing each other … wonder what’s going on there. Have I found their play time? They’ve wanted a lot of petting this morning. So, we’ve been very busy. I think that has taken as much time as anything in getting started. We were a little clingy to Rich this morning too … We let him have his quiet time, but we were actively wanting of a little of his attention. We had to hold back. Maybe we were just like the kitties then. We got in a few smooches, but would have liked to jump back into bed with him. I know he was too much into the activities of the day and getting things set-up, but you know … I be me.
Hmm, they are interviewing a hysterical woman … it’s hard to listen to.
Ok, ok … that’s enough of that kinda stuff, now I think it must be time to get back to our thoughts of the house. Hehehe … yah yah … you know me. We’re pretty one tracked. I’m not sure where my thoughts are this morning, because we’ve been in this haze, but it’s time to check out those thoughts. Hmm, where should I begin this time.
Well, one thing is for sure, that we need to be coming up with global plans to get to where we want to go. Hmm, we looked for a second at some of the Oswego community pages, but it was too much information and we found we aren’t able to really concentrate that much on it. That’s kind of the general trend right now is that we’re a little discombobulated. I want so much to progress the situation, but I’m not really sure where to go at this moment. Maybe we could go back to at least looking at the house and seeing where we can go from there.
Hmm, this is a good place to start. This is the general overview of the Buckingham .. it’s just a short paragraph. Maybe we can take it from here to someplace.
Buckingham
The elegance of the Buckingham is immediately apparent with its gracious two-story entry featuring an angled staircase. On either side of the foyer you'll find formal living and dining rooms, perfect for entertaining. The entry leads to a soaring two-story family room, sure to be the hub of activity in your new home. On either side of the family room are a large kitchen/nook and a private library with double doors. A walk-in pantry, laundry room and powder room off the library complete the first floor layout. Ascend either of the home's two stairways and you'll find four bedrooms, including a luxurious master suite that pulls out all the stops: tray ceiling, his and hers walk-in closets, and sumptuous bath. The upstairs hall offers dramatic views of the family room below. The secondary bedrooms share a bathroom with double vanities.
Hmm, just looking at the mortgage calculator. If we were to get a 30 year loan at 5.750 for $320,000 assuming with extras we’d be paying $30,000 down it would come to monthly payments of $1867.43.
Doesn’t that seem somehow doable? Now I know though that Rich would want to pay it off sooner. So, if we went with a 15 year loan, it would cost … $2657.31 and if we went 10 years, it would cost … $3512.61. I think though that the interest rates are down right now, so that it’s like 5.47. If that were the case the loan would come down about $100 a month. I’d have to check that part out.
I know … let’s go through some of the features and options. This part hasn’t been recorded here yet.
There’s some really nice standard features here. Ok, let’s take a look.
As to Distinctive Exteriors – we have exceptionality. Here we go.
• Fully sodded home site
• Alcoa® premium maintenance-free vinyl siding
• Simonton® Low-E single-hung, double-insulated vinyl windows
• Simonton® Low-E double-glazed insulated patio doors
• Asphalt driveway
• Mailbox
• Exterior LP Smartside® trim
• Decorator exterior light fixtures
• Schlage® front entry handle set with deadbolt
• Screens throughout on all operable windows
• Frost-proof hose bibbs
• Waterproof ground fault interrupt outlet
• Underground utilities
Under Quality Construction we get …
• 200 amp electric service
• 25-year CertainTeed® shingles with continuous ridge vent
• Therma-Tru® steel insulated 6-panel front door with sidelights
• Copper plumbing water supply
• Drywall glued and screwed
• Direct wire smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Energy Seal package
• Pulte Homes unmatched 1-2-5-10 Yr Home Protection Plan
Impressive Interiors
• Full basement with rough-in plumbing
• Dramatic 2 story foyer
• Vinyl-coated wire shelving in closets and laundry
• Painted stairs in basements
• Doorbell and chimes
• 3-panel white Clermont doors and trim
• Schlage® interior door chrome lever hardware
• Oak wood railings
• Decorator selected Sea Gull Lighting® light fixtures
• Vaulted ceiling in master bedroom
Energy Features
• R-13 batt insulation in walls
• R-38 insulation in attic; R-30 in vaulted areas
• Bradford White® 75-gallon power-vented water heater
• Dow® Weathermate™ Plus house wrap
• Energy Seal package
• Honeywell™ programmable thermostat
Floor coverings
• Choice of Mohawk® luxury carpeting (berber, plush, or frieze)
• Choice of ceramic tile or hardwood floors in kitchen, foyer, powder room and walkway
• Ceramic tile flooring in master and hall baths
• 8-pound carpet pad
HVAC
• Lennox® energy-efficient gas forced air heating system with 90% efficiency
• Lennox® 13 SEER central air conditioning
Designer Kitchen
• Walk-in pantry (per plan)
• Moen® faucet with sprayer
• InSinkErator Badger® garbage disposal
• GE® gas range, ENERGY STAR® dishwasher, and microwave-choice of black, white, or stainless steel
• Corian® countertops with integrated Corian® sink
• Ground fault circuitry
• Icemaker line
• 42-inch Merillat® maple cabinetry with roll-out trays
• Kitchen Island
• Recessed cans above island
• Sink and desk
• Desk and butler pantry
Elegant Bathrooms
• Moen® polished chrome faucets
• KOHLER®/Sterling® bath fixtures
• Pedestal sink in powder room
• Elongated toilets
• Deluxe master bath with walk-in shower and separate KOHLER® soaking tub
• Corian® double bowl sink in master and hall bath
• Large vanity wall mirrors
• Merillat® maple vanities in all baths
• 12" x 12" ceramic tile flooring in master and hall baths
Garage Features
• 2-car attached front-load garage
• Overhead steel garage door
• Garage door opener with 2 transmitters
Plumbing and Electrical
• Direct-wire smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery back-up
• Gas line for dryer hookup
• 8 pre-wired phone jacks
• 6 pre-wired TV jacks
• 6 ceiling fan pre-wires
• RQ6 quad shield homerun to a central location
Ok – that’s pretty cool, right? I might have to go back and read through all this again now that I’m done cutting and pasting.
Wow … just going over it again now. It’s really pretty jam-packed with some really cool stuff.
WooHOO. We found a few more pictures of the home. I saw different outside decors and this one is the one I like the most … it is of darker brick on the front.
Did I mention I really like the pillars? I don’t think I’ve even mentioned the nice arch over the door. But, this is pretty much it from the front side … like more to come. AND, we’ve found two pictures of the interior. One is a picture of the kitchen and the other is a picture toward the family room … hold on …
This kitchen is the standard maple I believe the model that I looked at had cherry, but that was another add-on though a very nice one. I think this picture too of the family room, might be the one where there is an extention of the family room of four feet. I don’t remember the window on the side of the 3 main lengths. But you sort of get how the fireplace is placed and the general flow of the rooms. I don’t remember the pillars being square, but they just might be. That’s fine with me. In this one too the floor in the living room is all wood, where I think the standard model has the kitchen being anything and the living room being one of 3 kinds of carpet. It’s funny, but the furniture in this room is similar to ours, with the exception of ours being more mossy green than gold. I am also pretty sure I wouldn’t have polka dotted curtains, but I don’t mind the curtain arrangement here.
I think what’s important here is that you see how beautiful the place is as to general structure. Man …. I might sit here and stare at this image for a while, but now I’m inspired to look around the internet for maybe more pictures. I was very happy to find this one. It’s a Pulte home in Carmel, IN … and there the house is going for $432,385 - $479,510.
Oh man oh man … I think I found an interactive!!!!!!!
Oh man oh man oh man oh man. Ok, now you might imagine what we’re going to do for the next several hours. Look out for another 50 pages. This one that we found has a few dismilarities, but the majority of it’s the same. Like I don’t see double closets in the master bedroom and there’s a double sink instead of two sinks, on either side of the socaking tum, but you’ll definitely get some better idea. I’m a lot happier with the decorating though at the house we saw, but then again …. We’re just giving you an idea of the feeling of the place. Are you ready? We’re probably going to start at the foyer again and work our way around. I’m a little disappointed we don’t have a view of the bridge, but there’s some really good shots coming up. Ok, are you ready? Here we go!
This is a picture of the front door. It’s nice … nothing real special, but much nicer than we have right now. I like that there are windows where we can look out at who is coming in. You get an idea too of how wide the foyer is in front … there’s a lot more to it, but this is the first view. Now we’re going to look straight up.
Pretty, hmm? You can see from this view how tall the foyer is how big and round the window is above the door and the placement of a couple of the pillars. We’re going to need getting used to some change in that this house is in reverse from the one we looked at. I think I like the one we looked at better than this, but again … we’re just getting general ideas. This next picture we are going to look to the right where the living room is.
I don’t like the color in this one or the green rug, but you get an idea of the space. I think the living room is in general small, but it’s built more to be a sitting room or parlor. There’s still a pillar to the left and one to the right of the one shown, but this shot got the most room in. Again nice windows, enough room for a regular size couch, plus … but we’d really have to figure out that space. If we were to get this house, I’d guess that since my couch would go in the family room, that Rich would have more choice as to how to decorate the living room. I don’t really know his style. I think he has a dining room set he’d like to keep from the old place, but he’s giving the wife first option of anything she wants … so that part might have to be checked out. It might be she also has her mother’s dining room set, so she’d like to get rid of the one Rich had gotten.
This picture is covering a nice part of the back foyer. To the left you are seeing one of the missing pillars to the living room. The door you are seeing to the left past that is the first floor bath, and the red room we’re looking at through the double doors is the office. You see the bottom part of the stairs and you see a part of the family room where you are looking directly at the fireplace. Notice how big wide and open the floor is? Ok, a better look? Let me show you a picture of the floor … which is only part of the foyer.
Nice, hmm? Ok … you don’t really want to look long at the floor. Ok, I get that … Why don’t we look up the stairs and see what we can … deal?
This is part of the picture, but we’re going to get one more of the railings that is pretty cool.
You can see in this picture how it goes up at an angle and how part of it is a landing that looks not only over the foyer, but toward the family room in the back and the living room, office and dining room. It is a spectacular view. Can you see the tall window in the back which is the family room?
And, of course the fireplace mantel which is two stories and stunning. To the right, past the flowers, you are seeing the entry to the dining room which is directly across from the living room. Oh yeah, but wait first I want to show you upstairs from this view.
WooHOO!!! This is actually from the bottom a picture of the bridge we keep talking about that is sooo sooo special! You can see from underneath the big windows and the width of the ceiling/floor (with spot light) and you can see from the top of the bridge both sides of the railings on either side of it. It is SOOO cool up there and remember that its very long. There’s more railing on the other side than the railing on this side. I cannot say enough about this house’s openness … I’m pretty sure it’s been awarded as a premier design. Let’s take a peek now at the dining room. Isn’t it just sooo cool that I can look at the Internet and see my house before it is even built??
This is a picture of the dining room. I think it’s too much red, especially due to the paleness of the hall, but the sense of room is nice. I don’t remember it being indented, where the china cabinet is but it’s pretty non-the-less. Now that I’m looking at it it might be the same for the living room … or maybe it’s because we’re looking at the bay windows. I’m not sure whether the bay part is a regular feature or an add on. This picture though is very nice. It’s very cool to look in to the right and left and see this much formality and I like the thought that these rooms are used primarily for guests so they can stay nice and neat without the sense of being lived in. To draw someone into the house further would take familiarity with the family, or to show off the interior maybe you could bring some in through this portal to the office. Let’s take a look at that now.
Oh wait … I gotta show you this picture first. It is a picture of the foyer we were just at – the side going toward the front door and includes the dining room to the left and living room to the right. You ready?
Isn’t it something! What a marvelous place to stand with your guests or even BOYFRIEND as leaving and entering the formal house. I wanted to get in here the wooden floor which I think is standard here. Maybe another shot would be here to look up. Hmm, the pictures are kinda similar, but because these are sooo cool, maybe we want to do that now. Hmm? Here is looking up. Because of the lower ceiling where we are standing in the office we can’t see HOW tall the foyer is, but this includes a nice picture of the arch and the ceiling light.
Isn’t it just too cool! This is my dream Buckingham palace! Again this is standing inside the double doors of the office so visitors doing business can come right through and appreciate, but yet be kept somewhat at bay as to the entire interior which is more family orientated. This next picture is a minor picture, but I thought we’d include it anyway since we were here. This is the living room of course on the left and the office door to the right, but in the center is a picture of the front hall closet and behind it where you can see the light playing on the floor is that bathroom we talked of before. It is a half bath and placed in an excellent position for people coming in and needing a rest-stop, or a business contact needing on the way out or for that matter to bring anyone in the house back to this wonderful space from the kitchen or family room. It’s very centrally located.
Hmm, I think we lost the above picture ... *sigh* moving on...
This next picture is one wall of the office and then again we’ll look at one more. You can sense how nice it would be to work in here. I think we discovered before that it’s about the same size as the living room. The dining room might be larger. Here let’s look at that. I guess the office is 11’7”x 16’1”, and the living room is 13’0”x12’11” and the dining room is 11’11”x15’4”. SOOO, that means the library is the longest room of the three and the most narrow by just a few inches. The living room is the most square.
I think this is the long 16 foot view of the room. I’m thinking that at least … and then this is an image of the right side of the room looking more in-depth and including the window at the far end. The window actually for the sake of your bearings faces the back yard.
We would have to come up with a way of managing this room for two people. I’m thinking at this moment of a tall credenza and hutch on the long wall for the big computer which is mine and then a really nice size desk on the other side. I’m not sure if there would be room for two chairs like the one pictured on either side of the window, but in my mind here I’m thinking Boston legal where they are sipping their cognac at the end of the show. It’s a nice image of a place for two business associates to relax. I don’t like the narrow curved table and I might think that the desk not be so big that you couldn’t put a couple of guest chairs across from it. It would depend how big the credenza chair would be … This way anyway I could be working at the computer from the credenza and Rich could have the big desk for his lap top. AND, when Rich wasn’t in, I could be using the big desk for writing or making calls. The double doors to the room really open it up and I couldn’t be more happy to have this room on the first floor.
This next picture is one I hadn’t thought of as coming … so in this sense it’s really a good idea to take your time when going through things. The left frame of this picture is the right side of the office door. I hadn’t realized til now how open it was toward the family room and the kitchen. This is your first view of all that. You don’t really get a view of how tall the family room is, but you get a sense of space. Here you can see also the two pillars breaking up the nook and kitchen from the family room. And to the top right corner you can see something else new … though it might be seen better from one of the next pictures. But, it is a picture of the butlers cabinet. Directly across from the butler’s cabinets is a door going down to the basement. I’m not sure right now what that other door is just to the right of the pillars. I know in general toward the back of the kitchen is a laundry room, a door to the garage and the backstairs going to the second floor. I think there is a better picture coming up in that area so for now we’ll go on. There’s one more picture I think of the stairs from this view we want you to see.
This is a pretty good picture of the front stairs and then directly across from it is the back stairs going down in one straight line. This is where I imagine the grandchildren to run up and then down and over and around and up again. Hehehe … Oh yeah we have a sparkling imagination. You can tell from the ceiling here where those two ceiling lights are of the balcony/bridge up on top. I’m not really committing here to what that door is up on top, but if I were to guess, I’d say it is the 2nd bedroom. The master bedroom is toward the back of the house more over the kitchen. Are you having a good time? Can we go on? Oh please!
This is the family room view of what we were just looking at … you can see here how wide this particular wall is and you can see a better picture of the Butler’s pantry. It is really a beautiful piece. This is also a good picture of the landing we’d mentioned before that looks into the family room, and is part of the openness of the front hall. You have a sense of being INTO the room, but there is a smooth continuity to the front rooms of the house. Again the ceiling with the cans here is the bottom part of the balcony/bridge. Let’s see how much of that we can get in this next picture.
Wow … you can’t get it all here, but this is the majority of the railing. You can see toward the floor a slight view of the railing on the other side. You can also see a light coming from the top right. This is because on the other side is the archway and door and the ceiling light over the foyer. It is really just too cool. Let’s see what’s then in the next shot. You can’ tell any real pictures of the hall or other bedrooms here and indeed I don’t know if we’re going to see a better shot of the upstairs hall and small bedrooms. There is a set of master bedroom pictures coming up, but they center those pictures on the bathroom, so you don’t get the full sense of hallway, I think.
I was right … there wasn’t too much more to be seen from down here, but we did finish up the hall and point out this wall which is part of the family room, but the upper part. You gotta imagine this cabinet is about 7’ – 8’ tall to appreciate the height of this room. Now let’s see what happens when we look down.
This is not a great picture, because it looks out of perspective … we pulled the camera back to get in as much of the wall as we could. I’m imaging those pictures on either side of the TV cabinet to be about eye height. This is the wall if I’m not mistaken on the back of the library. Now the next picture is going to be the fireplace at least part of it and this wall is an angled wall.
This is a nice warm view of the fireplace. Pretty much your seeing floor to ceiling, not quite, but your getting a very good view of it. I can see why they charge an extra $7000 for it, but I’d also say it was a bargain, because when you see the fireplace on – and it’s one of those electric kind, you just have to imagine how handsome it really is. I’ve always, always, always wanted a fire place in my house, but I thought I’d never get one. Now we’re still at that point of knowing we might never get this house, but even having it included in my dreams is very satisfying.
I’m not sure if the fireplace in this picture is distorted or if it really appears as this huge next to the windows. But, in this view you can easily see there is four windows and not three … I’d have to take another good look at that and figure out whether it is part of the deal or part of the extended option.
In this picture they have just one chair, but in real life we saw a full couch here and it seemed fine. Not sure all of how they placed furniture here and again it’s backward from what we saw so the imagines are a bit strange to me. Why don’t we look to the next picture, but please keep in mind that these particular windows are one of the home’s best highlights. The model of the Devonshire had four sets of window on that back wall, but you can see here how 3 windows is just fine – especially if you get that 4th window on the side.
This is a shot into the family room that includes now the kitchen in the back. In this model they have put the full couch in front of the other room. I kinda liked the view where that space is left more open, so that someone on the couch could be looking inward toward the kitchen and not so blocked off, but we’ve got one more side of the family room to look at … my guess is that there is going to be a love seat when I pan right. We’ll see in a second. I don’t remember what was there from one of the previous views. This house really does lend itself to leather, but again … we’re not ready to give up on our couches.
Ahh, that’s interesting … in this next view they actually have TWO full size couches. I can’t tell if the couch to the inner right stair wall is pressed up against the wall or has left walking space in back of it. I really don’t like the way this set-up seems to close off the kitchen and nook. It seems on the left there is a small coffee table and then one on either side of the other couch as well. I’m not sure if I’m all for that much space in the living room. I’d rather have the … well, our couch is really I guess like two couches too. How would that work? Hmm, forgot to show you the picture, wait!
Well, saying all that … I think we are done with this room! I think we’ve got two more rooms left. We have to do the kitchen and we have to do the master bedroom and bath. Ok, are you still up to this?
Let’s move on! It is a very big house with lots of views. I think the house is officially 3,175 square feet.
http://www.pultenewengland.com/communities/in/carmel/cherry-creek-estates/plans/buckingham.aspx
Whoops lost my web page … I think this is the link showing the interactive views we’ve been showing single shots of. I’m able to do this because I have the Snag it program. Very good thing to have.
Hmm this picture from the kitchen to the family room answers the question asked above. There is a nice walkway in back of the couch. I still don’t like that you have to go around all this to walk into the family room, but it seems to make a little more sense now. They’ve made use of both “invisible” walls to place furniture for a lot of people. They’ve got space for 7 people to sit comfortably.
I think in the case of a big family, this might really be necessary. I’m not sure if these are the best models though for families in that there should be space for the kids to be playing away from the general family. In this case you might want to set up something down in the basement or if there were an extra room available upstairs use it as a game room. I would not like to be in a situation that kids are underfoot all the time – especially older kids with their long lanky legs, wires and cords, noise and snack plates. I’d feel pressed to be in the kitchen where I’d be hearing them all the time and that would make me feel like their maid. I’m thinking well maybe as a Mom then you have the option of spending more time in the formal living room. That’s really a possibility, but man … the kids get
ALL THAT SPACE!!! Sheesh.
Better that I imagine the place to be JUST Rich’s and ours with lotsa room for visitors, but you can go home whenever you want too! I think it’s a very good room to visit and you’d really want to consider a situation where you can close the cabinet for the TV so that you can get a reprieve from it. But, mostly I think of adult children, MAYBE with a few grandchildren, but more visiting like than really laying around to watch TV. Rich and us can really use up a couch or two well. I think the TV really has to be on this wall, but I would put one long length of couch under the big windows, then wrap by the kitchen so that the lounge part is facing the big windows perpendicular to the TV. That way at least there’s a little better opening to the kitchen and other. But, there’s too room to play. I do like the border that appears to be over the pillars and around the kitchen ceiling. It’s a nice break.
This is a picture of the family nook in front of the glass sliding doors. This is not the same picture of the two story windows from which you can see light to the upper left. It’s separate. You can almost see the ceiling wallpaper here over the lamp, but most of this was to give you perspective into the family room from the nook table. I wouldn’t use a glass table, but that’s a matter of preference. I really like the glass on my coffee table, but it looks down at nice wooden legs and a display shelf. I don’t find anything interesting in looking down to other peoples’ laps and shoes.
Plus I like the option of putting down a table cloth. I used to like lace table clothes a lot. I also would put at least a 6 person table here instead of a 4 person. There really is enough room for it.
This is the most direct picture into the kitchen so far. I’d really have to look twice as to Maple or cherry. I would love the cherry, but know that it’s an extra cost. This is a really good picture though as if you were standing on the close side of the island. You’ve got a nice counter a great sink – the top of the counter goes right up to where the sink sinks deeply. I don’t know how much though I’d like to put on the counters. I’ve never liked the clutter. I would much more likely put lights underneath them and turn off the bigger florescent light in the middle. Hmm, is there a fluorescent or did I imagine that? I guess I imagined it … there’s just the recessed lights. That’s cool, but I’d like more space on the countertops. I like that there is space on either side of sink or stove and especially I like the space on the island. I’d like to imagine though that it was me on the cooking side and Rich looking in. Maybe he’d have his laptop on the island top. There are electrical receptacles on either end of the wood cabinet parts. This is where we thought before too if Rich’s mother were to live we could put a small TV.
This is another pulled back picture of the kitchen. In both pictures you can see the stove and microwave, and in this picture you can see the double oven. Man-o-man … wouldn’t Rich like that?! The door your looking at is the back door closet. Directly in back of the stove to the left of the door is the laundry room. And then toward the right of that closet door is the door going to the garage and opposite the closet door is the second stairway going upstairs. It’s really a full working corridor.
I like the back hall closet to the garage entrance for coats, I like the laundry so close to the back stairs, and I like the backstairs simplicity from the kitchen.
This picture just goes to show this house keeps giving and giving. This is the view to the back of the seating at the island. You can see here the writing desk, the extra storage the really, really nice fridge and the pantry. It’s a nice walk-in. I’m not sure what I would do at the writing desk. I know it’s a place you are supposed to work on recipe cards, but I’m thinking maybe with the help of a laptop, it would be a good place to pay the bills. I like the thought of there being a special place – this one would make it fun to sit-down.
Ahh, rich just came in … its 12:15 pm now. He sat down with us for a few moments to look at the house. He’s back to claiming that I’m going to need making a million first from selling my book.
Either that or, we have to wait till he makes his first million. We need to discuss again I think how the house only costs $1600-1700 if we pay for another 30 years. That’s reasonable and then he can pay off the house earlier under less pressure if he wants to do that. In the meantime having a mortgage and building equity should be a good security for the future. I still think that house prices even here are going to come down faster than not, but it would still take time and waiting is as sometimes risky as putting down. I do know that the Pulte houses have lowered their interest rates.
Ok … we’re back. We’ve been away pretty good this time. It is now 4:18 am the next morning … we’re going to add a few more pictures and then post AND then … probably several hours later, maybe start a new entry. We only have one more room to display – the master bedroom – well two rooms if you include the master bath. Let’s take a quick look.
The room is very large
This is pretty much the left side view as you look out of the master bath toward the bedroom’s double door. In this picture the ceiling is vaulted though in the model it showed a tray ceiling that means it’s indented upward at a pitch of about 1 foot. I like the trey ceiling better than this vaulted one. There is a lot of space though between the bed and the cabinet – pretty sure its for the TV. I like the double door feature though a lot … that continues the flow that we’ve been talking about. It seems on this model too toward the ceiling over the vent and between the two lights – that there might be some kind of speaker system. I know the model we saw had music piped throughout the house through a music system in the basement. I’m not sure if that is what it is, but I don’t think the builders build it naturally. Carpet is a feature of the upstairs, but you might have an option of tile in the bathroom.
This is one of the three pictures left. This gives some perspective on the size of the room. We’re pretty sure this is a king size bed. This bedroom has 3 windows instead of the four windows of the other house, but it really does seem big enough. It might be better in some ways, but I’m not going to stretch myself at this point to figure it out. One way or another it’s a pretty nice room.
This is a picture of the bathroom, but it’s not exactly like the bathroom at the model I saw. You can see though the Open door where the dresser is, and there’s a door to one side for one of the two walk-in closets. I’m not sure exactly what all the doors in this picture is, but in our model there is two sinks that are on either side of the soaking tub. There should be two doors for the closets, plus one door for the toilet, plus the door getting in the room. In this picture you can see too a bit of the glass door to the shower.
This is the last picture … you get a good picture of the double shower and a good picture of the tub.
In our model we looked at you get a little better access to the tub – where in this picture it is pretty wedged in. I think there must be something voyeuristic about having the tub right by a window, but I’m not sure how that all goes hehhehe. The tub in our place is a little different in that there are three clover-leaf type sides to it so that you can lean back and it seems then a little more generous. I’m thinking there might be advantages to a two people shower … hmm, am I being too suggestive? Shhh…
Ok, one more picture. I want to show you one more picture of the front of the house … there are several designs, but the one I’m about to show you is the best of what’s available to look at here.
Well, on second thought I’ll show you a couple of pictures. There are some nice options and many we’re not showing. I seem to gravitate to the brick fronts and the pictures with the more outstanding door entrances. I like the double height ones.
Hmm, pretty impressive, hmm? I’m not sure if some cost more than another. But these three were the best that I saw.
In the first picture I like the pillar effect, but I’m not so sure I like that there are fewer windows. I’m not sure if you have options there. I like the roof-line of the second one in that it seems more interesting. I saw a crawl through up to the attic in the second bedroom, but I don’t think it’s something you go to very often so I’m not sure there are any advantages to the one with more gables, but the roofline is what I like about the third picture – especially the one over the garage which is the part of the building toward the right. I like more brink and less siding though and I like the higher arches over the door, but if we could combine the pictures I would like the garage in the third picture.
I think I like the brick better in the first picture. I could do with the reader brick, but it seems sort of like school house red. I like the more subtle affect of the first one. I think the model we saw was more like the entrance to the first picture. I guess the final run is that I like the brick and double windows on the first, the pillars and gables on the second, and the garage on the third.
Now if we could combine all of those without dipping into the options fund then we’d be doing phenomenal. I’m hoping that when Rich goes back he won’t give me too much static on talking over these things with the sale person. He says he doesn’t want to talk to a sales person, but we explained that wasn’t reasonable. We’ll have to see, but I’d really like to ask questions.
Well that’s about it of the current updated tour. We’ll post this now and then continue properly with the next entry for Saturday morning officially … thanks for your patience. I really hope you enjoyed the tour and maybe appreciated the last tour and in being able to compare a bit. BBS.
Happy Thanksgiving
Good morning and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Well that’s gotta be the most important thing of this note. It’s 7 am on Thanksgiving morning and we’re feeling pretty good. It’s a special day and I’m sure special things are going to be happening. I can hardly wait to meet Rich’s mom. I sure hope it goes ok. I don’t want to get on her bad list. I’m a little confused because of not knowing what Rich can put up with me telling her or not.
Hmm, we just talked to him about 2 minutes … we suggested that he hold up a finger if we were straying off in a direction he didn’t want us going, but he said that we have to be responsible for ourselves. He says his mother would see the finger and think he is controlling us. Well, like yeah! Ok, we didn’t want that, but I can already foresee a trip home where he’s telling me all the things that I did wrong.
Ok, good I checked that out … he promised he would be gentle. I can’t go too far wrong there then. Pswhoo.
He just opened the curtains so it’s a little cheerier here. He’s working on my computer in back of me now. He just got done fixing the turkey and stuffing and it’s in the magic oven. I think he said something about starting soup on the stove too. I swear I can smell turkey already. WooHOO. Ok, we’re not going to make ourselves overly nervous, so let’s try to creep away from all those thoughts for a bit k?
Mary nodded par-rum-pum-pum-pum… Hehehe
Ok, we’re back to the normal stuff. We brought up our floor plans … we need to figure out where we are with it today. I think … hmm, better check. Did we get through the whole house with you yesterday? Whoops left a note … we’re supposed to finish up on the upstairs and talk about Dr. Marvin. It looks like we ended up getting to the library part. There’s not really too much to tell after that … there is two more bedrooms. One on the other side of the library on the other side of the bathroom and the other one opposite the master bedroom right to the left of the front stairs as you’re walking up.
These last two rooms are going to have to be our guest rooms. As long as we’re imagining, I really want to imagine bedroom #4 being for the library as noted yesterday. There’s not as much privacy with the other bedrooms door being just across from the master and away from the upstairs hall bathroom, but it should be fine. There would still be a couple of doors shut. I don’t think we’re having sex if someone is sleeping over. We’ll be just like Mr. & Mrs. Beaver Cleaver. Yah that’s the way to go
There’s something else to be mentioning now because we’re about to wrap up our first tour with you with the new house. Between the two bedrooms just stated is the stairs, but I wanted to remind you that the stairs bend at an 45 degree angle at the bottom and that it leads toward the front of the foyer. Only thing here is that you’re not thinking how far that other room is away, because you are taken with the beauty of being on that bridge and overlooking either the family room or the foyer/living room. I remember remarking to Libby that I was disappointed not being able to see too much into the kitchen from the second floor, but the sight of these other two just mentioned is dizzying. Again … let’s mention pillars! Oh, and before we leave this situation totally, I want to mention there is one hall linen closet and the second upstairs bathroom has a nice tub and shower and a double sink. Lots of places to get cleaned up. Hmm? Oh and all three of the smaller bedrooms have nice double sliding closets and it looks like the one being made into the library is just a little longer well now looking at it both bedroom #2 and #4 are a bit bigger, so I guess that would mean leaving bedroom #4 the more masculine of the two. We are really going to want to do neutral, but the more feminine of the two should be closer to the master bedroom. It has to do with far off notions of protectionism.
Hmm, we haven’t thought too much of these two guest rooms yet. I think in both I’d like to have one Queen-size bed. And, we’d like to have a low slung dresser with mirror and a mirror on the back of the door or it would be really cool to have a free-standing dressing mirror. That be cool cuz if people were there it would be because they were formally visiting. I would also like to have a TV in each room and a rocker. Let’s see how that would go. Both of the walls in bedrooms #2 and #3 are wider than taller, but not by more than 1 – 1 ½ feet and both of these bedrooms are the only upstairs bedrooms to the front of the house. They sit over the dining room and the living room.
I think I’d like both the beds on the east walls as I am facing them now. Then they will be away from the door as you walk in. They both have double sets of windows.
The dressers should be opposite the beds on the west wall, and the rocking chairs on the SW corner to the left of the windows. The windows are placed a little differently in the rooms, but we could have the stand-up mirror to the corner or between the windows depended on window location. As to the TV? Hmm, let’s think.
There’s room for double nightstands for each bed and the closets are both placed on
the north wall. Maybe we’d have to have a longer dresser in both and put the TV on top of that. That seems to make sense. You know the other possibility instead of having a rocker … well, maybe the rocker can sit next to the bed instead of the 2nd nightstand, and in that old rocker spot, we could put a little desk and chair … that would be nice for the guest. Yep you got it – it’s like decorating a hotel room.
Because that is pretty much the effect we want to give in that people can feel comfortable.
I’ve seen both my mother and father try to establish guest rooms, but they made the mistake of filling those rooms with junk in the closet and dressers and having other things going on in the room. I think that’s a wrong idea … if you want someone to feel comfortable … make sure everything is set-up just for them. We’re talking here maybe to the point of even putting little mini-coffee pots on each of the dressers.
I mean I really want people to come in and feel at home getting ready for the morning and for going down stairs. Some of that which is sitting around the room while getting ready. Coffee would be nice and so would a double set of chairs between desk and rocker. Yup yup … think we got it right … Feel much happier now.
Wow … we just got done taking medicine, using the washroom, and pouring more coffee for Rich and us. We showed him for a moment where the half wall is going in the library so we can look down at the family room as from a loft. That’s really what it’s going to become. And, we discovered that with it being directly over the office downstairs, that quite possibly we could put the same double doors going into it. Both rooms are 11’7 and then either 13’5” with the closet or 16’ Without a closet. I didn’t catch before this synchronicity of having both working rooms one on top another. Now seeing myself back on the stairs looking at each, I can see how cool it will be to have the double doors to the rooms. I can hardly wait to one day be looking at my house for real enthralled by the whole thing.
Ok, ok … calming down here again … the whole thing has just been done one first round. It’s time to sit back and look at the bigger picture, which leads me to trying to remember the conversation with Libby the seller. It was actually a roaming conversation because we talked the full distance around the place. I’d be busier comparing my mental notes while moving, but then we would stop to pause in trying to absorb the sense of some of the views - like looking in at the Master bedroom, or at the fireplace from the kitchen or one side or another of the balcony. The longest conversation was downstairs in the family room.
Oh too and we went down to the basement. It was nicely proportioned with high ceilings and large spaces for 3-4 rooms, or one or two major ones. I think that part would remain roughed in until someone had to come and live with us seriously.
I told Rich last night that we’d build in shelving into the loft library to make the best use of space and that he would inherit the old bookshelves. I told him they could be for one of two purposes the first would be if we wanted to store extra grocery items, and the other would be if he’d like to use them to be sorting out all his fishing equipment. Either would be fine with me. They will make a nice natural divider in the basement until something got going. The floor is cement down there so it’s really a rough basement, but there is a set-up already for plumbing to be down there. If Rich were going to be spending a lot of getting ready for fishing time down there he’s going to want a bathroom … Oh man aren’t we nice! Hhehehe
Ok, now back to Libby. I think I’d mentioned long time ago that she was rushed getting us across the street to the house, but it was because most likely there was only 40 minutes left til they closed. She let me go at my own pace once we got over to the house. I thought I was a little weird at one point, but she explained in good humor that that was the reaction of most people. I could see she’d been through the house quite a few times. She did say that this one was her favorite design. It didn’t take too long to figure out why … the place was stupendous. Oh, have we mentioned that already? Silly girl.
When we sat down in the family room, she went toward the love seat in front of the nook, and I thought it was too far to sit down on the opposite couch, so we sat at the large footstool that faced the fireplace. It had brought us a little closer to an intimate conversation. Throughout she’d asked feeder questions as to our situation and our plans and hopes. There was one question that captured the essence of our visit. She asked a question relating to a time line - maybe not so direct, but pretty close. I sidestepped it the first time, but then came back to it as I was starting to put the plans through in my head.
I told her about the situation with Rich and I about him going through a divorce and that it would most likely be then about spring the following year, before we could consider things seriously - although that wouldn’t stop us from planning. She said that after things were decided that it would take about 6 months to build the house. Yup, yup … this is from scratch dears! It would depend how early we could commit as to where the house would be built as to lots. We would need a little bigger lot in that we would want to have the three car garage, which is an add-on.
We also discussed the part about not knowing yet whether his soon to be ex wife would want to sell the house and move into something different, or whether we’d have to be carrying that mortgage debt. It would be a lot easier if she sold, but then that’s nothing to do with what we may or may not want. We’d have to be prepared as to the kind of financing or credit we could get one way or another.
She seemed to be interested in what we were saying and non-judgmental. She wasn’t overly aggressive. I liked her very much. She had a job to do, but you could tell she’d learn to personalize things. For the most part we controlled the conversation, though we were feeding into what we thought as a sales associate might be about –as to what needed to be discussed. We remember telling her about that it would be Rich the one that was going to own the house and that I would come up with a set amount of money I would be paying him each month like about that $1000, we’ve talked about before. She took good mental notes. I liked that she wasn’t prying or overly aggressive. I think that they’d have to take different stances in going into selling houses in this day and age, but she’d learned through whatever that she was in the business also to make people happy. The product pretty much sold itself.
About the time we were leaving we told her that this would then be our dream house and that we wouldn’t be looking for any other house … that all our energy would be in making this dream come true. We did talk about that the final decision would be Rich’s since it would be him taking out the mortgage. We told her that it would be a matter now of going over the situation until it could be worked out. We told her the biggest problem with the house was also its best part. Basically, that was the situation of having stairs … And, boy oh boy were the stairs grand! The point here immediately was that in our older age, we wouldn’t know if being on two floors was going to be a major problem. And, I think that Rich has felt some hardship in the stairs in that I think he’s experienced them more recently from his own house. But, then that is what makes this place so gosh darn cool is the space and overlooks throughout the house and the phantasmal sense of openness that we’ve mentioned many times already.
We had discussions too as we went as to what came and did not come with the house.
Like she explained the difference in floor coverings offered as natural to the house, but also the ones we’d have to pay extra for. I think we covered this before though. Things that were added on that I wish weren’t was that we’d have to pay like $7000 for the fireplace and extra maybe $12,000 for the garage. But, don’t quote me there it might have been less. I’m trying to think now what else was extra … oh I know one thing. There is an option to add 4’ to the family room. It’s a nice addition, but I wish that the larger size was a natural. She did say that a lot of the things that people liked about houses in general were already added.
Things like good floor coverings some of the appliances the soaking tub, extra stairs, etc. Oh, I remember another add on. The dishwasher and stove and such were regular, but the fridge was a $1200 add on. But, it was a nice fridge that we’d really want. So, let’s see what we’ve got here so far – Seems about $25,000 add-ons which would bring the house to $350,000 … that’s not super bad … I think the one we looked at with Rich in Elgin was about $100,000 add-ons to get the house we want which brought it to $450,000.
This location is better – newer and more exciting to us and the house was more special. Of course the other house was single family and this one wasn’t, but then that’s a risk that we’d have to take. I like the thought that one of the kids families could move in some day and that we’d if on our own without Rich move ourselves to the office. That option is still there in that there’s a first floor bath right next to the office. I would like for as LONG as possible to live in the luxury of upstairs. One other thing we could consider there.
My father had a stair lift added to his place. So, if necessary we could get something like that. It didn’t cost him anything because it was a part of one of his policies, but it stood aside the steps so you could still walk up it and it could be as long as the stairs. In his case it was only about 5 stairs, but I could see that being a possibility using the back stairs. That kind of settles everything for us - Just because there is that option. It makes it especially nice AND important that there is a back stair that is especially in this case very utilitarian.
Hehehe I just told Rich about the stair conundrum problem being over … he rubbed his head grinned and said oh I see. The best reason that Rich is getting through our obsessions here is that we agreed that we could consider the house hunting as a hobby. That helped him take pressure off. But, we told him what Dr. Marvin had said and here I’ll get into it just a little further. But, basically, that Dr. Marvin seemed very encouraged. He thought that if we dreamt it we could make it come to life and that was the nature of building on one’s dreams. He was very encouraging and said that it was only a matter of time and patience. He said that as we go toward the dream we start changing and adapting things so that it becomes possible. I thought here to an old book we’d read called the Social Construction of Reality by Peter Berger. Basically, it is this one step-at-time reality building that takes place as two couples or societies come together to adapt to one another.
It’s a little give and take, but always building to take on the ideals and necessary considerations of both parties to work out a joint solution advantageous to both.
I’m encouraged that Rich is letting us talk about it. Last night he said something about his dream to getting a boat. He was right in that it took a couple of years putting it together in his head, until it came to be the most natural step to be taking. Hehehe I just stopped to remind him and he said that he’s reading about deep-water bass. Heheheh he’s on the computer … we’re still listening to Christmas music and we’re smelling turkey … and we just reminded him of that part too. It’s pretty cool. This is my biggest dream fulfilled. Especially, after all those years of Rich not being able to see how things could work out in us being together.
Dr. Marvin said that we had a relationship with Rich in which I was the one to come up with these kinds of dreams and that Rich left to his own would never get past the humps because he takes so long in deciding things. We have a valid role in helping get him to a place I know deep in our hearts we both want to be. I had said maybe it was a female thing to want to nest. But, Dr. Marvin said that it was a human thing and that men liked to nest too. I think that Rich really wants to be the King of his own castle.
We also talked about me being manipulative … I forget Dr. Marvin’s immediate argument toward that, but basically, he said that we are planning and not manipulating. I think he liked manipulative as being underhanded and devious.
We’re not doing that … everything is above board. As we come up to new conclusions for the obstacles presented to us, we tell Rich where we are with it.
One of the other conversations with the lady … and I’m not sure here if we already told the story or not, but we told her after having driven the 1 hour and 20 minutes through rush hour traffic that that wouldn’t be something we wanted to do every day – then to calm her poor nerves AND ours, we told her about applying for other positions immediately the next day after we’d seen the place. I told her that was part of the thing putting the decision to a goal of the spring. We would have to work on getting a position where we could work at home. I know we could also gain a position out west at a place closer to Oswego, but then we would be defeating our purposes. One purpose was to get us out of working a daily grind in Chicago and the other purpose was to let us be in the castle of our dreams on a day to day basis with just going out periodically to fulfill other job contracts.
Hmm, I don’t think I’ve mentioned those other job prospects. I’m not sure if the positions are still over or we would qualify, but we checked out a couple of things. The first was the job of working as an advocate of the college I forget the term, but the person who helps and council students. Hmm, maybe we mentioned this already? Maybe not I think I posted it to Dr. Marvin and not here … but, just in case we missed it here, this is the position that we would be looking at. Oh yeah … that was the title learner Services Coordinator. I would absolutely love this job and it seems to be an on-line position, but we might be required to travel, which is very cool to me. We’d have no obstacles there except we’d need some new clothing, but we need that now, so let’s sail ahead!
JOB TITLE: Learner Services Coordinator
HOURS: A minimum of forty hours per week, plus other hours as may be necessary to complete job duties. A combination of day, evening, and weekend hours are mandatory. Schedules are set by the Dean of Academics and Learner Services.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required.
SKILLS Energetic; customer-oriented attitude; excellent organizational and computer
EXPECTATIONS: skills; self-motivated and goal oriented; ability to facilitate team effort as well as ability to work independently; excellent written/oral and interpersonal communication skills; ability to work quickly to meet deadlines; strong work ethic, and willingness to learn and improve in all aspects of the position.
DUTIES Be familiar with the objectives, requirements, and content of distance learning
RESPONSIBILITIES: courses offered by the university.
Proactively contacts students on a regular basis to build and maintain rapport and serves as the student’s advisor as a first point of contact to ensure questions are answered and concerns are resolved.
Ensures continuing and re-entry students are advised and registered according to proper course placement and to the quarterly goals.
Assists the Academic department with contacting students who need to appeal their
suspension status and provides guidance to at-risk students to ensure student success.
Confirms students’ change of registrations to ensure accuracy for processing.
Enro ll students in CampusVue, update student contact information, enter assessment test scores, and other daily processes.
Develop thorough knowledge of DL website, processes and university policies to be used daily in university services and assist in maintaining up-to-date information.
Serves as a liaison between the region and the distance learning campuses.
Refers students to tutor services when needed and provides guidance on utilizing the online tutoring service.
Assists students with questions related to WebCT navigation, library services,
Illuminate, and other low-level technical issues.
Provides students with information on how to obtain course materials such as MBS Direct and Instructional Materials.
Other duties as assigned by the Dean of Academics and Learner Services.
REPORTS TO: Learner Services Team Leader
If you are interested in this position, please send a letter of interest, application and resume to Angie Clements at the above address.
DL
Man-o-man … would be pretty cool. I just read over it again now – and I have no doubt I can fulfil this position. I would very much like the change of working with adults and being in a situation of encouraging learning more than anything else that has to do with people not being in well health. I think I could be very good and I know I have the computer and coordinating skills to do this kind of work. I would have to come up with new systems and stick to the rigorous needs of the clientele, but I’m imagining I could do this and especially, I imagine doing this from the new house. I don’t know yet if it’s like entry level paid work or whether it’s a bigger position. I do know BA is required. The university is based in South Dakota, so maybe some of my travels would be taking me in that direction. That be pretty cool, or maybe they would have to send me sometimes to other states to set up a educational promotion. That be nice too.
I’m trying not to get too excited here, we haven’t even sent in the application and now it will have to wait until after the vacation, because I still don’t have either V’s or Dr. Woollcott’s permission to use them as a reference – and if and when I do get one of them, I’m going to have to re-print the document. At least this too gave me an area of interest that might be tried out with other on-line universities. I did look for a few and I’m not sure all of them are thought of as on-line positions and some of the schools seem to have more of academic advisors with master’s degrees. So, we’re still in the stage of holding our breath.
I think most of the planning and figuring toward this has been in the car, but basically the thought is that if I could get this job, I would start after giving sister a month’s notice if possible. Then I would try to establish a connection where I could or would still be doing CARF, but most of it would be done from home, which isn’t really a problem all the data and entry stuff would transfer. I have a thought that I could go into St. Rose Center like once a week or so. I would leave after rush hour and try to miss it as well coming home. I would like to start it from our home here in Brookfield and then of course transfer it to our dream place when that becomes available.
I think one of the hardest things would be to give up my office. But, I’m sure I would have to unless Sister would make it both Rich’s and our office and she would free up the complete other office to the new Q. But, I see most likely that Rich and I would be sharing the office with two desks. I would hope to get my computer switched over and the new Q get a new one. I’d have to be very patient without having the extra space, but I would maintain control over the shelves where the CARF books would be kept … that would have to stay in the new person’s office. Getting that office though would be a highlight of someone new coming in and because neither Rich or I would be in every day she’d really have a lot of privacy, and might not mind then us coming in to keep her a little company. But, most of the time in would be gathering resources or having meetings.
I think you could get by with this in the new job, because it clarifies that we would be working days and/or evenings and/or weekends. That suits me fine. I don’t mind a schedule that offers some change-up – especially working from home. This though is the reason that we figured that we’d have to share the main office on the first floor with Rich. Since I would be home most days and he’d be home some days, it would be important to stay on the first floor for ease of use.
Hmm, Rich just found a channel – 205 that has a moving landscape picture and the sounds of a stream with birds occasionally sounding. That’s interesting … a little less pressure than the pulling sounds of X-mas music.
Hmm, I wanted to mention one other thing while we’re here on a break. We got an email from Brandi. You know the old person that had the Leadership group? She wanted to say that she hoped we were doing well, and that she was 5 ½ months pregnant and she was looking for more information on real or imagined drama that might be going on at St. Rose. I could very much see her wanting to stay in some kind of loop and I imagine her talking to other employees. I answered the letter back in a nice way which was heart-felt, but I disregarded any information she wanted to gain from gossip at work. I don’t partake in that AT work, why would I do it in my free time? When I talk about work stuff like now, it’s to work out my own part in it. I appreciated that I could send Brandi a nice note on Thanksgiving, but that was enough of that. I think St. Rose is doing better without her and with Karla. Karla has seemed to mature a lot – and there hasn’t been a day where I haven’t appreciated her for her intelligence and sound senses. If she’s involved in the drama at all, I happily don’t know about it. So that’s pretty much of that.
Ok, getting back to our comfort level here … better figure out where we are again - Ahh, the giving up of our office. If I could have this other position and it paid similarly or even better, than I would take it in a heartbeat. Rich says that I’d still have to leave the house, but I would figure that’s what the gym is all about.
Ok, I think we’re in need of a break as much as to think more casually about the feeling of being around the house. We might have started this before … I think I remember saying something about a morning routine. But, now that I’ve got the house images sketched in for you, it’s a good time to look into some of the softer-lined feelings. Hmm, I thought Rich was being quiet. He’s got one foot up on the couch and one foot down and somehow he seems to have let his eyes slip closed. I imagine he’s been tuned to water sounds as being bedtime sounds. Hehehe he’s such a gigglerush. Maybe I should have made that extra coffee a little sooner.
Rich talked a little bit lately of the traveling we would be doing for the fishing.
He’s talked of going down to Texas over to Missouri and Arkansas and as far east as his aunt and uncle in South Carolina. I know when he says this he means he’s going to take the boat with him. I think the conversation came up in talking about leaving our house and getting out – not wanting to spend all the weekends at home.
I know this is going to be a new reality, because I’d much rather be with Rich than think of him being out there all alone. I think the safety part is there as well as the conversational part. It’s good to have a buddy with you. I know that on the times he’ll want to be with his friends, I’ll be left behind, but then I will like those times to because being left behind would be so great. And, then too if I got the job at the University then I would have to work some weekends. That really suits me fine.
Again I like the change-up.
Ok, so let’s get to a place that I would like to imagine in our house, I think that this is going to be happening more and more often. I told Rich a little bit ago that if we move to the house that I will be domesticated and clean and cook. That be a little more probable if I were going to be home most days. I could imagine doing it more as I were going along – like I’ve been able to when paying attention to the Flylady. I would try to work in that kind of routine – or that when I needed a break from work, I would just get up and do it. I sorta feel like that now, but I don’t want to wake Rich. Hmm, maybe if I go into the kitchen I could unload the dishwasher for him. That be nice!
There that felt nice and we didn’t even wake him up. We did the dishwasher, reloaded a few things, washed the counter and picked-up the table. My back was starting to feel it though and that with a few other signs and being still at the weight 250 is pretty much telling us that we have to get back to the gym. Hmm.
AHA! We’re back. We talked to Rich a little, but pretty much we got ourselves together. It is now 10:30 am and we’ve taken our shower and gotten dressed and experimented with a TINY bit of makeup – we used powder on our face and then we put on the tiniest bit of perfume. Yup, yup I got it … but probably haven’t used it for about 10-12 years. Let’s just think that it matures and ages well. We just put a tiny squirt on one of our wrists and then rubbed from there to our other wrist and from their our neck. We’re trying to get over that every whiff we can smell it.
We’re kinda hoping that it helps counter the smells of smoking. Yup, haven’t thought of that for a bit, but am right now because we are going in toward it.
There’s a bit of a problem though. Rich’s stepfather has taken away his mother’s alcohol. Like Lordy not today! I think she fell again a couple of days ago because apparently she’d drank too much. She’s called a couple of times asking for Rich to bring some alcohol … I told Rich that we needed to bring two bottles if three people were drinking, but he’s saying just one and that will be for a toast. I think he’s headed my first day to be a disaster. He’s just sitting their smug-like saying you gotta let me handle this. But, it’s not HIS first impression we’re worried about.
Maybe Bud will give his mother at least one glass before we get there to steady her nerves. Why pick THIS day for her to not drink. She’s been an alcoholic for 50 years! Damn, Damn.
Ok, now calm down … we just turned around and asked Rich if he didn’t think maybe WE would need to get a little drunk. He just smiled so we frowned on him saying it woulda probably helped our cuteness. That’s his explanation of how we look. Not pretty, not beautiful, just cute. Hmm, was that REALLY the look I was going for?
I went through all my jewelry. Yes, there were found about 3 ½ necklaces and odd earrings. We skipped the earrings because we thought grimly of our ears not be pierced for over 10 years. But, we found a necklace that would work. Actually it’s the only one that fit. It’s a little gold chain with little gold hearts with little pearl like things in them. I’m pretty sure this is one of the necklaces that one or more of my boys got when they were little, but that was calming to me. She’ll have to guess whether I own real pearls. Fortunately here we’re hoping that in this case she’s blinder then not. Not wishing bad on her, just we figure we might be more attractive if we were a little fuzzy. Ya know? I just don’t know what she’d do with cute from an alcohol-starved view. Sheesh.
But for the most part we’re doing pretty well. Pshwoo the last call was only Chris … he’s worried about his sweet potatoes. He seems to be cooking his mother’s Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a male Prykop thing I think.
Hehehe we just talked to Rich again for a while. I told him to be patient with me as we are with him. We listened through to this part where he explained a fish map and all the different depth levels. I told him I would learn from him and I told him we should be putting things into a data base. He said something about the fish finder being for that. Well, I figure if that’s giving us numbers than I could do something with it on the computer.
AHA! We’re looking at our Microsoft Access for the first time. That’s their data base. We wanted to study it for a bit so we took out their Home Inventory List.
Thought hmm, that be fun to play with, hmm?
AHA! We're back but just for a sec. We been turkey soup eating and gravey stirring. Now Rich says it's time to go to Mom's ... wish us luck!
