Friday, July 27, 2007
Friends
lately i have been missing my friends from grad school. since graduation, things have definitely changed. my social life has changed. mostly for the better. i have found someone who lights me up everytime i look at her, think about her, or talk to her. she has helped in so many ways to fill in that void. while spending time with her is amazing, i miss having a group of friends to call up and say, "hey, what are you doing? want to come over and watch 'family guy' or '24' or 'the jeffersons?'" not having friends around gives me a new appreciation for the ones i still have. times change. things change. the 'tao te ching' talks about letting things come into our lives and then letting them go. but is reminiscing such a bad thing? i don't think so. i think it's important not to dwell on the past or on what could have been. negative or painful memories help us to have a greater appreciation for the positive and happy ones. i am thankful to the friends who have given me my happiest and most positive memories. to my friend in boston: my thoughts are with you and your wife as you guys continue to find a proper home for roo! hang in there! to my friends in florida: i hope harper is continuing to fill your lives with joy! to my friend in long island: i hope the city and your man are treating you well for you deserve it! to my friend in cincinatti: i hope your mud has settled! to my indian friend: i hope that the pain and anger have subsided and that you are happy wherever you are and whatever you're doing! to my friend who lost her sled in a lake in 7th grade: i hope you and your family are happy! to my old friend who drove me home after i fell down the steps in our fraternity house: i miss you, man! i send my love to all of you and to those i haven't mentioned. and to my love: may you enjoy the time that you are spending with your friends! i can't wait to hold you in my arms once again!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Sometimes you have to go through Hell to get to Heaven
thank God for power and water! what does this mean? well, let me back this story up a few weeks ago to let you know how i got to "thank God for power and water!" i'm going to "Tarantino" it, if i may (thank you, Dane Cook).
about two weeks ago, i was preparing for a family trip to myrtle beach. i was scrambling to get the last pieces of information that a certain lender needed to approve my mortgage loan application. the first being an unofficial transcript from W&M. apparently, they needed to make sure that i wasn't using an MBA degree to provide substance abuse counseling. i had faxed the request the week before and heard nothing for a few days. when i called, they told me that requests were taking 3-5 business days. on the 6th day, still nothing. on the 7th, i go over to the Registrar's office to see what the deal was. i had called beforehand and was told i could come pick it up. one lady thought i was imagining things because she could not find it anywhere (of course the man i had spoken to was not there). another woman told me to fill out another request and then handed the transcript. if i had only known it was that easy . . .
this probably seems like a ride going nowhere so just be patient. next step: my most recent bank statement. by the friday before my vacation, it still had not reached my mailbox. fortunately for the miracle that is the internet, it was available on my online account. i printed it and had it ready along with the transcript on thursday. things were going pretty well, right?
not quite! waiting in the mail for me on the friday before i left for the beach was a letter from the lender listing the things that they still need before they could approve my loan application. some of the things i had just completed. the other things made no sense to me. i tried calling people to get clarification but could not reach a single person. i'm freaking out at this point! i shouldn't be going to the beach when there are things i may need to send straighten out first. i calm down and decide that i have done all i can. the week at the beach was great! that is until i get a phone call telling me that the lender will not have the funds sent to the lawyers by my closing on the monday i get back. fortunately they can reschedule it to wednesday at 10am.
this is taking too long so here's the short version. closing is then rescheduled to 2pm on wednesday. i set up the electricity to be turned on in my new house for this wednesday. after the closing (woo hoo, i have a new house!), i stop by my house and the power is not on yet. i come back later that night to move stuff in, and it's still not on and it's freaking hot and humid! i call the power company the following morning (yesterday) and they tell me that the account was set up for the house across from me. they got one number in my address wrong. fortunately, the lady i spoke with was able to correct it and have a technician turn it on the same day. so . . . thank god for power and water!
oh yeah, i own a house!!!
about two weeks ago, i was preparing for a family trip to myrtle beach. i was scrambling to get the last pieces of information that a certain lender needed to approve my mortgage loan application. the first being an unofficial transcript from W&M. apparently, they needed to make sure that i wasn't using an MBA degree to provide substance abuse counseling. i had faxed the request the week before and heard nothing for a few days. when i called, they told me that requests were taking 3-5 business days. on the 6th day, still nothing. on the 7th, i go over to the Registrar's office to see what the deal was. i had called beforehand and was told i could come pick it up. one lady thought i was imagining things because she could not find it anywhere (of course the man i had spoken to was not there). another woman told me to fill out another request and then handed the transcript. if i had only known it was that easy . . .
this probably seems like a ride going nowhere so just be patient. next step: my most recent bank statement. by the friday before my vacation, it still had not reached my mailbox. fortunately for the miracle that is the internet, it was available on my online account. i printed it and had it ready along with the transcript on thursday. things were going pretty well, right?
not quite! waiting in the mail for me on the friday before i left for the beach was a letter from the lender listing the things that they still need before they could approve my loan application. some of the things i had just completed. the other things made no sense to me. i tried calling people to get clarification but could not reach a single person. i'm freaking out at this point! i shouldn't be going to the beach when there are things i may need to send straighten out first. i calm down and decide that i have done all i can. the week at the beach was great! that is until i get a phone call telling me that the lender will not have the funds sent to the lawyers by my closing on the monday i get back. fortunately they can reschedule it to wednesday at 10am.
this is taking too long so here's the short version. closing is then rescheduled to 2pm on wednesday. i set up the electricity to be turned on in my new house for this wednesday. after the closing (woo hoo, i have a new house!), i stop by my house and the power is not on yet. i come back later that night to move stuff in, and it's still not on and it's freaking hot and humid! i call the power company the following morning (yesterday) and they tell me that the account was set up for the house across from me. they got one number in my address wrong. fortunately, the lady i spoke with was able to correct it and have a technician turn it on the same day. so . . . thank god for power and water!
oh yeah, i own a house!!!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
New house!
On 5/19/07, I made the fastest big decision of my life: I made an offer on a new home. It was sheer luck that I even looked at the place. Along with my realtor, my parents, and Annie, we had looked at two other homes that morning. Both houses weren't what I had hoped they would be. After seeing how bad the last house was, I was discouraged. My realtor told me about a townhouse in Carleton Falls that she had just heard about. I agreed to take a look at it even though I had had my mind set on buying a house. This place didn't jump at me either. The view of the reservoir wasn't as asthetically pleasing as my Dad had thought it was. The layout I admit was interesting, but there was just something about it that I didn't like, and I couldn't put my finger on it.
Annie had seen another townhouse with an "Open House" sign in the front yard. We decided to take a look just to satisfy curiosity. All it took was one step inside this place to know that I wanted it! The deck itself was awesome! I could have sworn that this was a model that we were looking at. All the light fixtures were new and very modern. The colors of the walls would be perfect with my stuff. The owners were throwing in a flat-screen TV located in a cut-out just above the gas fireplace as well as a home theater system with the speakers hanging from each corner of the living room. The kitchen was spotless and the appliances looked fairly new. And then we walked upstairs! Two bedrooms and two full baths in addition to the half bath downstairs. As I walked into the master bedroom, I thought there were two closets. As I opened the folding glass doors, I was surprised to see an office instead of a closet. The room was large enough to be another bedroom. And then there was the private deck just off the master bedroom. I couldn't believe that I had spent over a month looking at only houses! I knew that this was the place for me! This is the thing that shocked me the most: this place was $7000 less than the first townhouse we had seen.
There was another interested buyer there before us who said to me, "Sorry, it's already sold." I thought to myself, "Not if I have anything to say about it." I asked my realtor how quickly we could write up a contract on it. We got in the car and booked it back to her office in Williamsburg and wrote the contract a little after noon. I offered owners exact asking price. I even asked for a 1-year home warranty as well as the washer and dryer. Apparently, the owners were looking to sell the house quickly. On the way to Richmond for my best friend's medical school graduation BBQ, my realtor calls me at 2:15pm to tell me that the owners had accepted the contract. I was in shock! I didn't think that they would accept my contract as quickly as they did. They even threw in their microwave! I close on the townhouse in just a few weeks.
Last week, Annie and I met with the owners, our relators, and my home inspector to clear up a repair that he was recommeding. They fortunately agreed to make the necessary repair. The owners took us for a walk in the neighborhood where we got to meet a few of the neighbors. They are moving to a larger house in the same neighborhood. Comfortable is the best way I would describe how I felt during the walk. It gave me a good chance to soak everything in and realize that this would be my new home soon. Owning a new house is definitely going to be a challenge but one I gladly accept!
Annie had seen another townhouse with an "Open House" sign in the front yard. We decided to take a look just to satisfy curiosity. All it took was one step inside this place to know that I wanted it! The deck itself was awesome! I could have sworn that this was a model that we were looking at. All the light fixtures were new and very modern. The colors of the walls would be perfect with my stuff. The owners were throwing in a flat-screen TV located in a cut-out just above the gas fireplace as well as a home theater system with the speakers hanging from each corner of the living room. The kitchen was spotless and the appliances looked fairly new. And then we walked upstairs! Two bedrooms and two full baths in addition to the half bath downstairs. As I walked into the master bedroom, I thought there were two closets. As I opened the folding glass doors, I was surprised to see an office instead of a closet. The room was large enough to be another bedroom. And then there was the private deck just off the master bedroom. I couldn't believe that I had spent over a month looking at only houses! I knew that this was the place for me! This is the thing that shocked me the most: this place was $7000 less than the first townhouse we had seen.
There was another interested buyer there before us who said to me, "Sorry, it's already sold." I thought to myself, "Not if I have anything to say about it." I asked my realtor how quickly we could write up a contract on it. We got in the car and booked it back to her office in Williamsburg and wrote the contract a little after noon. I offered owners exact asking price. I even asked for a 1-year home warranty as well as the washer and dryer. Apparently, the owners were looking to sell the house quickly. On the way to Richmond for my best friend's medical school graduation BBQ, my realtor calls me at 2:15pm to tell me that the owners had accepted the contract. I was in shock! I didn't think that they would accept my contract as quickly as they did. They even threw in their microwave! I close on the townhouse in just a few weeks.
Last week, Annie and I met with the owners, our relators, and my home inspector to clear up a repair that he was recommeding. They fortunately agreed to make the necessary repair. The owners took us for a walk in the neighborhood where we got to meet a few of the neighbors. They are moving to a larger house in the same neighborhood. Comfortable is the best way I would describe how I felt during the walk. It gave me a good chance to soak everything in and realize that this would be my new home soon. Owning a new house is definitely going to be a challenge but one I gladly accept!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Hot Curls
After almost three months of being without them, Herr's Hot Curls have been found!! I'm a happy boy!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Quote of the Day
"What's the point in reaching you, my lonely friend? What's the point in friends if friends can't make amends?" -Carbon Leaf
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New Year's Eve
I'm sure most of you had a fun and exciting New Year's. As for me . . . not so much! I spent New Year's Eve in the ER. I woke up that morning getting rid of everything that was inside of me! After three violent episodes, I decided that I needed to see a doctor (and for those who know me, this was pretty serious). I was driven to the Sentara Emergency place in Newport News where I spent 5 grueling hours! I'm not sure how long it took for someone to finally see me after I had checked in, but it was a long time. I was half conscious and completely dehydrated at that point. I think I was in the bathroom for most of the time I had waited to be seen. When they finally called me, there was some uncertainty as to whether they would accept my health insurance or not. Now, don't you think this was something they should have told me when I checked in and had given them my insurance card? I was so ill at that point that I didn't care. I knew that I wouldn't have made it somewhere else. I now know what it feels like to wish for death when someone is suffering from an illness or disease. I was actually thinking things like that! I wanted it to just stop, but it wouldn't! It took four IV bags of fluid to rehydrate me! After the first one, I was shaking uncontrollably with cold. They had to put four or five heated blankets over me to warm me up! Apparently, my heart rate was really high after I had finished each bag of fluid. After the fourth one, it was finally back to normal. This was really serious, but I didn't know that until long afterwards. The funny thing that happened to me during my stay were the hallucinations I had as I was in and out of consciousness. I would say something and then become immediately aware that I wasn't making any sense. I was finally released and taken back home where I fell asleep just past midnight. I woke up to the fireworks from Colonial Williamsburg. There was a certain person who was there for me the whole time and saw me at my absolute worst. I don't know what I would have done without her, and unfortunately I ruined her New Year's as she spent it taking care of me. I owe her BIG time! I'm feeling much better thanks to lots of Gatorade and soup! So I hope everyone had a better New Year's than I did! Happy 2007!
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