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February 18, 2014
by BulgingButtons 8 Comments

Simple Pleasures – Open House Style

As I prepare to sell my house, these are some of the things that give me satisfaction:

1. A decluttered closet. Nothing extra is hanging about. The surplus has been donated, and out of season items stored away. Ahhh.

2. Smudgeless appliances. This is the ideal. It rarely is the reality. Stainless steel is harder to keep clean than the old fashioned type of appliances.

3. A poop free yard. My silly dog won’t go anywhere but in the side yard at home. She never leaves behind anything on a walk, not even a drop of pee. Too much information, I know. At least she only uses a small, out of the way area.

4. Cleared off kitchen counters. This is how I like them. I have a toaster, a fruit bowl, and a small container of utensils. That’s all.

5. The fresh smell of an “Ocean Breeze” candle. It makes the whole house smell clean and puts me in a good mood.

February 1, 2014
by BulgingButtons 13 Comments

February Focus – Sell This House

It’s time to move on. This has been a great home for us, and we have it almost the way I want it, but it’s time to go.

When I first saw this house in the summer of 2011 I was newly divorced and needed a place to call home for me, the boy, and the dog. My budget was tight, and my list of must haves was firm. I needed a safe neighborhood. I needed a commute that wouldn’t kill me. I needed a certain amount of space. And I needed a pool. Yes, really. It’s hot here and I actually enjoy exercising in the water. To me, it’s worth it.

There were plenty of homes on the market in my price range, but they had needs too. They needed appliances. They needed new roofs. They needed new air conditioning units. They needed to be completely gutted because the previous owners left angry. I saw things I never thought I would see. I saw a kitchen where every door and drawer had been opened, including the oven door, and a can of paint had been splashed over every surface, inside and out, from ceiling to floor. I saw a house where every light fixture had been ripped down. I saw a house where the toilets had been smashed. I saw a house with a spray painted wall sharing the previous owner’s feeling toward a particular bank. I saw a house with multiple holes drilled through every single door, including cabinet doors. It was disheartening.

Then I saw my house listed. The picture online was pretty. We got in to see it right away. It was empty; bank owned. It was in a nice area, it was bright and open, and it had a pool. Yes, the backyard was tiny, but less to maintain. The house was more or less more in ready. I had seen enough. I knew this was the one and I had to move fast. Negotiations began, and we got the ball rolling. That was in August. I moved in the week before Christmas in a move that can be best described as a nightmare. My furniture and belongings were held hostage on the truck as the movers demanded cash, although I confirmed that they would accept credit. That was only part of the nightmare, but I’ve put it behind me. We settled in and began making it a home.

In the meantime I started dating my sweetheart. In fact I met him while I was house hunting. I had no idea that he and I would build a life together. This house was purchased for me, the boy, and the dog.

Things change. Last spring it became clear that it was silly for us to continue to maintain two households. He moved in with us, and we have all adjusted nicely. Especially the dog. Last summer we talked about the possibility of moving. I poked around and saw a couple of houses, but the pickings were slim and the idea of another move was daunting. I shelved the idea. We would make this house work for all of us. It was fine. In fact, it was nice. It is nice.

So why do I want to sell? The thing is, not too long ago the vacant lot on the other side of the street from me became a construction zone. Oh. It’s behind a block wall, and it wouldn’t be accessible from our street, but we would see it. Every day. It’s time to move.

The market has changed. My house is worth more. We have two incomes. It’s time.

The house is in good condition, but there are a few little things that need to be dealt with. We’re dealing with them. Today included a new towel bar, a new light fixture, the removal of a tv dish that we never used, and some yard work. A trip to Home Depot is in order, and some calking should make for a hot date night. I’m excited and nervous all at once. If you know anyone who needs a great house in a nice neighborhood with a view of a temporary construction site, please send them my way. Oh, and keep your fingers crossed for me.

December 18, 2013
by BulgingButtons 6 Comments

Throwback Thursday – Sick

Knock on wood I’m not sick at the moment, but a lot of my students have been. I’ve been washing my hands like a maniac and pumping out the hand sanitizer. It got me thinking back to when I was a kid and what it was like when I was sick. Here are a few of my childhood memories.

1. Mom and Dad’s bed. This is where I would spend the day missing school and watching game shows and sleeping. Mostly sleeping. There were so many pillows, and a bathroom closeby. Just in case.

2. Cough medicine with codeine. Worked like a charm. I’m sure Mom appreciated it too.

3. The sliver bowl. Next to the bed. ‘Nuff said.

4. Ginger ale from the big glass bottle. There was this weird rubber and metal plunger stopper thingie that reclosed it and kept the bubbles in. Mostly.

5. The glass thermometer under the tongue. I hated that thing. My mom always put it too far back and poked me.

6. The revolting taste of penicillin. I thought my dad was so lucky that he was allergic to it, but now that I’m all grown up I’m glad I was able to benefit from it as a child.

7. My grandmother’s huge fluffy featherbed from Germany. I believe the down of an entire flock filled that featherbed. It was toasty warm and chased those nasty germs away.

8. The horrible ordeal of getting a shot at the doctor’s office. Oh how I cried. Always. I was such a big baby. I still cringe when I get my blood drawn.

9. Kaopectate, chalky and soothing. I never even had Pepto Bismol until after I graduated college.

Through it all, my mom was there. She took my temperature, cleaned out the silver bowl (ew), took me to the doctor’s office, tucked me under the featherbed, turned on the silly game shows, and poured out the ginger ale and codeine laced cough syrup. She has always been there when the going gets tough, because that’s when the tough, like my mother, really get going.