Avalanche

I haven't really spent time contemplating the hazards of falling snow until the last few days.  There is a sign on the door heading outside into the courtyard of my apartment complex, which tells you to watch for falling snow.  Every time that I go out the door I think about it, look up and make a dash.  I have been sitting in my living room filling out paperwork, for all kinds of exciting projects, when I hear a sudden rumble.  It is pretty loud.  Then suddenly, there is a full force flow of snow.  Now this snow is definitely not the soft kind of snow either.  The speed at which is projected of the tile roof is extremely scary.  I think that if I was walking out the door that I may not be able to protect myself.  In fact, as I am sitting here I can just imagine the snow hitting someone, knocking them out, and giving them a face grater trophy.

I think I will only be using the front door where the snow has melted.

Taking My Life Back

The past couple of days I have spent pondering my circumstances and how I have lost my motivation.  Yesterday I made the decision that I was going to take my physical life back.  Going to therapy is slowly bringing my emotional life back into play, but raking through my past has brought up a lot of feelings that I just haven't wanted to deal with, so I was running from them.  I did pretty good at running, until there was a big change in my life, a loss, or confronted interpersonal relationships.  Dreading through my baggage (as many would say) I have had a hard time dealing.  I suppose that I should be happy that I didn't become addicted to drugs or alcohol, but instead my numbing medicine has been food.

As an individual who has spent a lot of my life enjoying the great outdoors and participation in sports this weight gain has been extremely devastating.  I love to travel, but every foreign country I have been to has been more than willing to tell me to my face how "fat" I am.  I loved the people and know that to them it is like saying the sky is blue.  It still hurts though.

Yesterday, I made the decision that I needed to go to Weight Watchers.  I had attempted to do it at home for several months and instead of weight loss I have actually gained somewhere inbetween 60-80 lbs.  Devastating.  So, I am publicly announcing that I am going to take my emotional numbing by the horns and channel it into something more productive.  This morning I woke up and went to Weight Watchers scared to death that I might fail, but knowing that I can't live like this anymore.  Then I went to the gym and worked out on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes.  Followed by a trip to the grocery store to buy more fruits and vegetables.

Now I know that most of you don't really need to know my weight, but I am posting it here so that I can remind myself of my goal and my progress.  Plus, sometimes a little humbling is a motivator.

Current Weight: 300.2 lbs.

Goal: 173

;(

Support

I typically try to write about good things that are going on in my life on my blog.  Although, don't get me wrong I like to complain about the weather or some trivial items like an ingrown toenail, but recently life has been hard.  The past couple of days have felt especially hard.  I don't talk you all of you (being both family and friends) on a weekly or even monthly basis, so I am never sure who is aware of what.  I guess that I just feel like I need to know there are a few more prayers out there for me.  I am really struggling.

So that you know what you are praying about I will at least update you a little....leaving out some of the details.  I have been on a leave of absence from work since January 11th of this year.  Why?  Well, I have a Severe PTSD and Major Depression.  I have been going to therapy, taking medication, and trying to do the work to get better.  This past week I had to drop all of my classes that I was working on for my doctorate because I was getting failing grade.  I have noticed little signs that I am getting better, but I still have my setbacks.  This week I am feeling extremely sad and lonely.  I know that people love me, but sometimes it is really hard to feel it. I am trying to get myself back to work in the next couple of weeks and that is causing some stress.  I feel like I need some extra support and I am not sure how to get it.  If you could help me out I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

Annually

Every year I get so excited as I start to see the signs of spring.  Every year I also get upset because then it always starts to snow.  Why do I let this happen every year? Such a letdown.

I just keep hoping that spring will come soon anyway.

Magazine Coasters

I know that it has been a couple of months since I threatened to make magazine coasters.  Well, my time arrived.  I had a Relief Society Luau Tuesday.  We were having a white elephant exchange, which is the tradition in my ward.  I decided that I didn't want to spend money.  I spent an entire day wrapping magazines.  I was running late, so the polyurethane I sprayed on them was still wet when I went to the party.  I forgot to put down the window on the way there and got a little high with a severe headache.  There were four wet coasters, which I put into an ice cream container.

Inspection and Tour

Today I got the opportunity to head into the house that is most likely going to be mine in a month.  The inspector came by to make sure that I wasn't getting myself into a money pit with too many disasters to count.  The house is old, but there were only a few items such as the linoleum in the kitchen needs to be replaced.  Several windows need to be replaced because the old ropes/pulley that helped the windows go up and down.  One electric outlet in the kitchen that had some issue, but I don't remember what it is, so I will just have to wait for the official report.  I decided that since I was there that I would have take the opportunity to get some photos to do a tour.  I just have to say that I loved the house just as much as I did the first time.  Small, but charming.

Two of the ugly duplexes across the street.

My neighbor with a house I like.

My other neighbor which will be beautiful.  You can't really tell, but the porch has a lot of building supplies to finish fixing up the place.

After walking into the small front 3-season porch (no pics) you enter the house.  Looking to the left when walking in you see the small front room.

To the right is this view.  The windows were so bright that my camera wouldn't let me get a light picture.

The little shelf in the above picture with w little view into the kitchen and dinning room.

From this picture of the dinning room you can see the stairs going upstairs.  You can also the the doorway to the left that goes to one of the bedrooms and a bathroom.

Here is a view into the kitchen. Small galley kitchen, Ugh! I will survive though because the rest of the house I just love!

Here is the first floor bathroom.  A lovely blue soft toilet seat seen in the lower left.  I really like the charm of the clawfoot tub.

This is view into the neighboring bedroom.  One has to love the drafting table.  I think that the owner is either a graphic designer or an illustrator.

The closet outside the bathroom and the bedroom.

Now lets head up the stairs.

As you get to a landing at the top of the stairs, here is nook #1.  Here it is filled with the current owners junk/art supplies.

Here is nook #2 to the right of the stairs.  You can see here the original flooring of the house.  I love the feel of the house with the flooring.

Standing right next to nook #2 you can see an open area leading to the bedroom ahead.  The current owner have placed a desk in the area...which can be labeled as nook #3.

Looking back you can see the area where you climb up the stairs.

Here is the little desk.

Ready to enter the bedroom? Too bad.

Here is one of the bedrooms.

The closet in the bedroom.

The bathroom connected to the bedroom.

The shower in the bathroom....bad photo.

This is the 3rd bedroom.  There is a door between bedroom #2 and bedroom #3.

You can see that outside the door you can head back downstairs.

Just another shot of the floor which I love.

Now lets head back to the kitchen.  At the back of the kitchen you can start heading outside through the door to the right.  We are going to go downstairs to the left.

Down we go.

The new furnace that was installed in August 2010.

Another shot of the unfinished space.

And finally the end.  I did not take pictures of the garage or the outside.  I figured you had seen them in the link.  Hope you enjoyed this.  I am excited to get updating, painting, and making it my own.

Accepted

The offer was accepted.  An inspection should occur before next Thursday and then I will be a homeowner sometime in April.

The Offer is In

I filled out the paperwork and the offer was placed today for the little house.  I am not quite so anxious about this house.  Although, I am excited and I have my fingers crossed!

Trying Again

Alright, I am not sure that you all want a play-by-play of my home hunting experience.   If not, you should be glad that I didn't start posting about it until recently.  I am now on the 4th home I would like to purchase.  Out of all of them this is the home that I fell in love it at first sight when I walked in the door.  I had seen it online for months, but I looked at the square feet and thought it was too small (plus it has a galley kitchen which I don't really love).  It is a house with character and has an old farmhouse feeling.  The pictures don't do it justice, but I thought that I would share.  The other good thing is that it is move in ready because someone is still living there.  There are no pictures, but I love the clawfoot tub in one of the bathrooms, plus the upstairs has lots of little nooks and crannies, where you could just hide and read a good book. My mind is racing with ideas to fix it up to my taste.  I am imagining the amount of wallpaper that I will be removing. Plus, the basement is unfinished waiting for me to come up with what to put down there.  The ceilings are high enough for anything I want.

***EDIT*** since the link is hard to see i just added to down here.

http://www.edinarealty.com/MN/St-Louis-Park/55426/homes-for-sale/3612-Rhode-Island-Avenue-S-58963621/popup

All Those Pictures and They Accept Another Offer

So, someone gave them a cash offer...so I am back to the drawing board.

No Word, but Plenty of Photos

Welcome to the house....you are entering the white front door, with a closet on the right.

So, I know that I gave you the link to look at this house in a previous post.  Lee had told me that he was interested in more photos, so photos of this ghastly disaster waiting my touch as to be found below.  The second offer that I put in has not been approved yet.  Today, I went and looked at other homes that I might be interested in if this doesn't go through.  I found three others, but decided to go back and take a look at this one again.  I really like this neighborhood the best of all of them.  The house is an eyesore right now, but has potential.  I am going to attempt to give you a tour of the house through pictures.  Be prepared that there are about 52 pictures here.  I left out the outside photos because it was night.  I also forgot the bright colorful room, so there is a bedroom missing.

Entering the front door this is the view to the left.  I know the flooring is terrible.  I have plans to replace all of the wood flooring.  I want the wood flooring, just not the stains that I won't be able to sand out.  Now remember this photo because we will be coming back to go through the door on the right hand side.  This area is the dining area.

This is the view to the right through the front door.  I think that something needs to go top the sides of the fireplace.  I am not sure what yet.  I also think that something needs to happen to the surrounding rock...like find a garbage dump.

Going straight forward through the room we see this lovely little cubby....I think it is for all of those lanterns I will be lighting the home with, nightly.

Immediately through the little doorway, a bathroom can be found on the right side of the hall.  The tub needs some refinishing and perhaps some new tile.

The sink, toilet, and flooring need a lot of help.

Plus, what is above them is in dire need of some TLC and decorative intuition.

Let's exit this special place.

Oh wait!  Pooh found his way to this house too.  I think I saw at least four homes with Pooh somewhere.  He doesn't really match anything, therefore I believe he was a bit of an afterthought.

Closet right next to the bathroom.

Keep walking down the hall and turn right into this bedroom.  The wallpaper was painted over.  Bad idea!  As you can see it is now peeling off.

What you see from the door...the closet which we will peek into.

Little closet.  Gotta love these old homes.

Someone had a dog or something that ruined the beautiful wood floors.

Walking out the door this beautiful cupboard is seen.  Shutter doors. Interesting.

Open the doors to shelving.

To the right of the bedroom door is another little closet.  Plus you can see into the amazing pepto bismol room.

Entering there is immediately another closet.

Pink, pink everywhere....awesome!

Doesn't anyone take care of the floors anymore?

Alright, remember the dinning room photo you were supposed to remember?  Well, we are now entering through the door into the lovely baby blue kitchen.  I love the push button stove.  Is it from the 60's?

Just giving you a look around.

Not exciting

I believe cabinetry will definitely have to be changed to fit in the fridge I would like.

This is a view into the kitchen, through the door seen right by the fridge space.

This is looking up to the stoop where you enter the kitchen to the left.  There is also a door to go outside right there.

Downstairs we go.  Looking off to the left we find this little nook.

To the right of the stairs is the bright colored room I forgot to take pictures of....sorry Will. Straight forward is the hallway.

The green room across from the nook.  The very right of the picture is where there is a door into the garage.

Entering the garage from the house.

Yes it is a one car garage with lots of workspace.  It may become a two care garage someday.

The doorway outside that will go away if it is to house two cars.

Storage or work area.  Sorry so dark.

Going back inside to the green room.  Here is an entrance to the Raggedy Ann Room...complete with blackboard wall.

Looking through the door we see the electrical panel and peeling wallpaper.

More room.

Terrible closet.

Going back to the stairs and walking into the hallway,

At the end of the hall on the right.  Another room.  The one that belonged to the Brady Bunch.  Although, I can't figure out why they put exterior siding inside the house?

Ugly and peeling.  It would look great with a lava lamp.  John can I have mine back?

Closet

Straight across from Greg Brady's room we see the furnace.  Hiding to the left is the dryer.  Just take not that is is outside the bathroom.

Water heater close to the furnace.

Then in it's own little cave, the water softener.

Ah oh! Yikes!  It looks like they did not winterize the home soon enough.   Entering the door into the bathroom right next to the dryer you can look up and see a problem with the tubs plumbing.  Luckily the ceiling is paneling and the pipes can be seen from right there.  Talking with many people this should be a fairly easy fix.

Bathroom sink.  With my friend Derek standing there examining the ceiling.

Toilet through a small opening.  Right across from the toilet is a shower.

Across from the bathroom sink is the utility sink and the washing machine.  Someone really needs to do some serious work arranging this bathroom.  Perhaps get the washer out of the bathroom together?

The water from the tub seen above....plus some ugly stuff.  Needs some beautifying.

Well, I saved the worst for last.  Overall I think that it will clean up really nicely.  If this offer doesn't go through I already have my eyes set on another home.  Fingers are crossed.