Just when I thought things were getting better....
Mood:  irritated
As most of you know I have a VERY strained relationship with my father. Until I moved here to NC I hadn't spoken to him in 7 years. Our conversations since then have been brief and usually one-sided since I really had nothing to say to him. Well one day he called me to see how things were going and I told him that I had put an offer in on a house. He asked me what he could do to help. At first I said nothing because his gifts always come with strings attached. He said it would be string free. All he hoped for was that maybe we could start to mend our relationship. So I told him that I could use about $2500 to pay for my share of closing and get out of my lease on the apt. He agreed and sent me a check.

Last week I deposited the money and everything seemed to be coming together. Well Monday I got a call from my bank stating they put a hold on the check I deposited. The bank said they had gotten a call from my Dad's bank stating that funds may not be paid. I asked what exactly that meant. She said that it was common. That he might have automatic drafts to his account and they wanted to make sure those cleared before they paid the check he gave me. She told me not to worry that everything would be fine.

Well this morning I got a call from the bank to tell me that my Dad's check had bounced. WHAT!?! She said it was returned for insufficient funds and they were charging me $5 to send his check back.

At first there was this wave of anger. Then the worry set in because I had cut back on my hours at the pub because I was counting on his check. How was I going to pay my closing costs now and how the hell am I supposed to come up with $1400 to get out of my lease? In the end all of that was replaced with sadness. I thought...or I should say hoped...that he had changed. I thought that maybe I might get my dad back. Granted we would never have a great father/daughter relationship but we could at least talk and that was something. Now it is all ruined. I am sure he will have some sort of excuse. I called him and left him a message but haven't heard anything back. I don't really expect to.

Everyone has been great. My boss sent me out to "walk it off" because I was about to cry and I knew once that started I wouldn't be able to stop. I called my mom who I think was madder at the situation than I was. She calmed me down by saying that we would get the money somehow. Even Lennie has offered to help. I know that I am surrounded by great people and I thank the powers that be everyday for that. But they shouldn't have to come to my rescue.

It has just put a damper on the day.

I'm Still Alive...Just Barely
Mood:  lazy


What a weekend! I am so glad St. Patrick's Day is over although I had it a lot better than most. I was scheduled to arrive at the pub at 9:30AM. I was expecting most of the set up to be done prior to my arrival. It wasn't. So we had to scramble to get everything set up. We were told a week prior to the event that we would have a breakfast buffet. So when people called that is what we told them. A bunch of people came in for the buffet and after I sat them I went to ask the owner where the buffet was. He informed me that we didn't have a buffet just Bangers and Mash. We had some very pissed off people. Great start tot he day.

After the Race for the Oaks ended people started to flock into the bar to start drinking and eating. I quickly ran out of tables and we went to a 2 hour wait. The bar became so packed that it was impossible to seat people so I just gave up and told everyone who was waiting, "If you see a table open up...grab it!" That pissed people off who had been waiting for a table for over an hour. Oh well. I then started to go around and pick up trash. The occupancy of the pub is 200 people we had well over 1000 people crammed in there. The original goal was to block off the street and the park. People would come in and get their beer and head back outside. Well the weather was so cold that people didn't want to stand outside. It got so bad it would take me 20 minutes to get from the front of the pub to the back and trust me...the place isn't that big. About 7 o'clock Lennie came to me and asked if I was ready to go. Those of you who know me know that I don't like crowds. I suffered two panic attacks and had to hide in the mechanical room for a few minutes until I could breathe again. I went to Annie and the owner and told them that if they didn't need me I was going to leave. I had been there all day and was tired and hungry. They weren't happy about me leaving but at that point I didn't really care. I knew that if I didn't get some sleep I wouldn't make it back to work brunch the next morning. Lennie and I headed out, caught a couple songs from The Battlefield Band and then headed to get something to eat. We stopped first at Mosaic’s which is a VERY trendy club in Raleigh. If you haven't been there before you must try it out. We had a glass of wine then headed up to the Hudson Oyster Bar which is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to eat. Thanks to Dave for telling me about the place. Hopefully the next time you are in town I can come out and hear you play.

After dinner we headed back to my place and went to bed. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow. Then up at 7AM Sunday to head back downtown for Brunch. Lennie came with me to see if they needed help cleaning up but they didn't so he ate and left. Lucky Bastard! I however had to stay. We were busy but not as bad as I thought we would be. I felt so bad for the waitresses who had worked till 4AM and then had to come back in at 9AM. They are young though and can bounce back quicker than I can.

After getting home I made spaghetti for Lennie and me then we crashed on the couch. I feel bad that I haven't been more active when it comes to Lennie. He is leaving for two weeks to go play war games with the Marines and whenever he comes over I am exhausted.

I was suppose to burn tomorrow but looks like the wind might be too bad. I will know this afternoon if I have to drive to Jordan or not. *sigh* This is going to be a rough week.

I don't know how much posting I will get to do so I hope everyone enjoys their week.

The Eggs Have Hatched
Mood:  happy
If you have been following the Norfolk Eagle Cam you will be happy to know that all three eggs have hatched. Both adults seems to be great parents. The female is very alert and you can see her scanning the area for predators. The males has been a great provider. He has brought back 5 fish and 2 sea gulls. If you look closely at the edge of the nest you will see the carcasses. At this rate all three chicks with have a great chance for survival. If you haven't been checking out the site...have a look. As of 1:57 on Friday both eagles were on the nest.

Eagle Cam

Also there is a great picture of the chicks on the Eagle Blog

Maggie the Cat seems to always land on her feet.
Mood:  hungry
My friend Tanya likes to call me Maggie the cat. Not because I resemble Elizabeth Taylor but because I always manage to land on my feet. Maybe it is just the luck of the Irish. :)

I decided back in December that I wanted to buy and house but I knew it would be difficult to come up with the extra cash I needed for the inspection, earnest money, and appraisal fees. The nest day I get offered a part time job at Tir Na Nog. Extra cash problem solved.

I was worried that the inspection fees would be costly but I found an ad online and managed to get $15 off the inspection. Then the guy said if I wrote a reference on his site he would take and additional $10 off.

After the inspection I submitted my repair list to the sellers. A lot of it I thought would be rejected because it was all stuff I could have easily done myself. But my agent said to put it down anyway. They could always say no. Well as luck would have it, they are trying to close on a house and they can't do that until they close on this one. The husband feared if he didn't meet my demands that I would back out of the deal so he has agreed to fix everything and even fix two things I didn't mention on the repair list.

I was a little worried about the condition of the roof. I contacted the builders and they representative agreed to meet with me out at the property. He said the roof looked fine but that it had some damage done to it by what looked to be a large tree limb. The owner expressed that the limb came from the dead tress on the neighbor’s trees and they he planned to fix the roof. The builder said that after I move into the house and have a problem with the siding or the roof that we would come out and take care of it free of charge.

As I got ready to leave the house I went over to look at the large dead trees on my neighbor's lot. There are about 4 of them and they look as if they could go at any minute. I knocked on the door to see if I could talk to the owner to see if they had plans to remove the trees and express the liability I would place on them if they damaged my roof. This little Hispanic woman opens the door and true to form...doesn't speak any English. The daughter of the family who owns my house came over to translate. I found out that this woman just rents the house but I didn't have any luck getting the name of the owner. I look at the deed records for Wake County and found out that the house is owned by the City of Raleigh. I called and talked to this REALLY sweet woman who said she would check it out. This morning I got a concerned call from her. She was appalled that she didn't know of this situation and said she was starting a work order to get them removed as soon as possible. She also gave me a form to give to the current owner to be reimbursed to the repairs to my soon to be roof because the damaged was caused by their trees.

So everything seems to be falling into place. Just when I think there is a hiccup the situation turns around and usually to my benefit. The lawyer has been booked and the appraisal is about to happen. So barring a major catastrophe March 30th at 1PM I will be the proud owner of the little house on Silverdene.

St. Patrick' s Day and massages too!!!!
Mood:  happy
Are you looking for something fun to do for St. Patrick's Day? Are you tired of bars who only offer green beer and no entertainment. Well look no further!!!!!

St. Patrick's Day O'Raleigh Block Party 2007!

Hosted by Tir Na Nog and a bunch of other people.

There will be a parade starting at noon at Moore Square so get there early and reserve your spot. Then at 4pm the party doors will open for the biggest block party Raleigh will see this year.

featuring the award winning Scottish rock legend The Battlefield Band. Also playing: The Best Local Party Band EVER...The Dickens!

Free Admission before 4pm. $5 Admission for Adults after 4pm, Kids under 13 Free.

I am not sure where I will be working but I am sure if you wonder around you will see me.

Are your muscle tired and sore will Primp Salonbar (that's right it is a salon and bar combined) in Raleigh on Glenwood is offering a great deal for the month of March. 60 minute deep tissue or Swedish massage for $40. Trust me folks...That is a great deal. I pay almost $80 normally. So give them a call an book your appointment.

Primp Salonbar
401 N. West Street
Raleigh, NC 2760
(919) 821-9885

Okay now that I got all the advertisements out of the way.....

The weekend weather was gorgeous! I managed to get some hiking time in between my shifts at the pub. As you read above we are gearing up for St. Patrick's day which should be huge. Looking forward to making some major money. We had a meeting last night at the pub to discuss the event but the only thing we did was look at a map and then were told there would be another meeting Tuesday afternoon. Which I can't attend because I have to work. *sigh* So basically I wasted an hour of my time. I could have been out hiking instead.

On the house front...I made a few phone calls and manged to get an appointment with the guy from Beazer Homes (the builders) to look at the defected roof. So keep your fingers crossed. If they agree to fix the roof then the rest of the repairs will be minor.

Helicopters, Eagles, and Shanty Shacks
Mood:  hungry

Yesterday the weather was finally perfect to fly. A little cold but the winds were much calmer than Tuesday. The above picture is of me and our pilot, Stanley. Stanley used to be a ranger at Ulmstead State Park but now flies for the Guard full time. You can see our lovely little tin can of a copter in the background. Stanley strapped me in and gave me the exact same death talk that Ty gave me last year. "In the event that I become incapacitated...." Once again I zoned out and imaged us all crashing to our death.

We left the airport at about 11:30am and headed straight for an area where a bald eagle nest had been reported. A co-worker and I had been out on foot the week earlier to locate it but no such luck. After about 10 seconds of searching by air I discovered it in a pine stand near a development.

I know the picture isn't real clear but if you look in the center of the picture you will see a white speck. That is the eagle. There were two birds on the nest and the female was in incubation posture. I now have to go back out and locate it on foot. But I was happy that we found it.

Next we flew towards to dam and the visitor center to take a few pictures.

The above is a picture of the dam. It isn't a concert dam like most of you are used to seeing. This is called an earthen dam. It is made out of rock, sand, dirt and grass with a conduit running through the center to release water downstream. On the left you see Falls Lake. On the right you will the tailrace and the emergency spillway.

This is a picture of the Visitor Center where I work. Can't you just imagine the views I have from my office? Jealous yet?

After a fly over to wave at my co-workers we headed up the lake to check out a few more nests. Two nests that we had observed last year were now gone. One destroyed by a storm and the other torn apart by a raccoon. We did see eagle on another nest and an adult and juvenile eagle soaring around below.

We had heard reports of some eagle activity up in the Beaver Dam Creek area so we headed up there next. While searching for the nest we discovered this.

Someone has built a Shanty Shack in game lands complete with rocking chair front porch. The only way to access this would be by canoe or kayak which amazes me because they somehow hauled all that building material out there. I am not sure if this is just a very elaborate hunting blind or if someone is actually living in it. I have given the info and picture to my boss so we will see what happens.

The flight lasted about 2.5 hours and there was only one insistence where I felt a little queasy. All in all it was a good flight but in all honesty I an glad to have both feet back on the ground.

Pictures
Mood:  don't ask
This is going to be a very short entry. I am SWAMPED with work. I have finally loaded the pictures to photobucket. I was going to do a really cool slide show but the govt has now decided to block photobucket and myspace. MEANIES!

Wimington Pictures

The Eagles Have Their Own Web Cam
Mood:  happy
I keep meaning to post this but I seem to always get distracted.

Many of you get jealous over the fact that I get to traipse all over the woods looking for bald eagles. Well thanks to the Norfolk Botanical Garden you can see a nesting eagle live right from the comfort of your computer screen. Unlike me...you wont have to wade through turtle infest swamps and tick infest grass. This is a great site for kids as well. The Eagle has laid eggs and is now in incubating posture. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks there will be chicks.

Enjoy!

http://www.wvec.com/cams/eagle.html

Helicopter a no go
Mood:  blue
We got the call this morning that it was too windy to fly this morning. I was so looking forward to it. We are going to try to reschedule for sometime this week.

The home saga continues. The pest inspection was supposed to occur this morning. I haven't heard back from my real estate agent. I am hoping that isn't a bad sign. I got my inspection report and I have gone over it 20 times. I just wish I knew more about building practices and materials so I knew just what I am in for. I know that I can not get the sellers to fix the siding. I am still waiting for a call back from the company that built the house. There are some things my boss said are easy fixes like replacing damaged siding, fixing the plumbing, caulking windows and doors. The roof however is what concerns me. The repairs the owner did are not correct and need to redone by a professional. As for the condition of the shingles...I think someone needs to contact the shingle manufacturer. Like I said...I just wish I knew more.

I went last night to the home of the lady from Craig's List who offered me some boxes. The woman and her daughter were VERY nice but I walked in the front door of this beautiful house and was hit with the smell of cat urine. It always amazes me that people who live with the smell can't smell it. But like I said they were both very nice and they gave me a lot of boxes.

Working at the pub tonight. I was hoping to get home around 9:30PM and start packing some stuff. But I know I will be too tired tonight to do anything. LOL

Still working on getting the pictures posted. Hopefully they will be up soon.

Dragonflies, Battleships, Home Inspections, and Helicopters
Mood:  lazy
Dragonflies:

My weekend was fantastic. Lennie took me to Wilmington, NC for a romantic weekend. We had been planning this for a month and all Lennie really had to do was book a hotel. As the weeks approached I kept asking him if he had managed to find a place. He would get this look on his face and would just say, "I'm working on it." Friday evening I picked him up and we headed south. As we got closer to Wilmington I asked where it is we would be staying. He smiled and said that he decided that we would just find a place when we got down there. I got a little angry. I didn't want to be driving all over Wilmington trying to find a place to sleep and end up in some bug infested rat trap. I took the exit for Market Street because I had stayed at the Wingate Inn there a couple of times. As I made the turn Lennie whipped a piece of paper out of his pockets that had some instructions on it.
ME: What is that?
Lennie: Directions
ME: Directions to what?
Lennie: I little place I found.
ME: What place?
Lennie: Some little place called the Dragonfly Inn

At this point I wanted to pull over and give him a huge hug. See I collect dragonflies and the fact that Lennie would remember that and would find us a B&B called The Dragonfly Inn was so sweet I just wanted to cry.

The Dragonfly Inn is a restored Colonial house in historic Wilmington. Both ladies who run it worked in the health care field for many years. All products from the food you eat, to the linens on the bed, and even to the soap you use are made of all natural organic products. It was such a fantastic place to stay and I felt totally relaxed there.

Battleships:

On Saturday Lennie and I got up and headed to the newly opened Aquarium in Ft. Fisher. They have done a great job with the layout of the museum and the exhibits. There are only a few changes I would like to see like the placing of animal identification plaques. Some were not right next to the exhibit so it made it hard to identify certain fish. I also felt the exhibits lacked interpretation. They seemed to be more informative. Which isn't bad but I think you really need to express to people why they should care that the sea turtles are declining in numbers not just...here is a sea turtle and this is what it eats. Maybe it is still a work in progress.

After lunch we decided to tour the USS North Carolina. I have been down to the Cape Fear River many times and have seen the ship but I never took the time to go on board. Lennie was in the Royal Navy when he lived in Scotland and is now in the US Navy Reserves here in the states so this was right up his alley. He took me around and explained everything to me. It was so fun to watch him get excited about something. At one point we went into the engine room and he lit up like a little kid. All I could do was smile.

Sunday morning we went for a hike at Carolina Beach State Park. Actually it wasn't really a hike. It was more like a really long walk. But it was nice and the weather was perfect.

I took some pictures and once I get them uploaded I will post a link.

Home Inspections:

Part of securing a loan and buying this house is getting both a building and a pest inspection. Both were scheduled for this morning but the pest guy called and said he was sick and wouldn't make it till tomorrow. My realtor and I met the home inspector at 10AM. He had gotten there early and had all ready done the outside. There were some minor problems inside like the kitchen sink was leaking and the hot water pressure was weak. The outside of the house was a totally different story. They didn't place a house wrap on under the siding so some of the wood was getting wet and starting to rot. The shingles on the roof appeared to be defective. They were drying out, curled up on the edges and cracking. They had done some repair work to the roof but it apparently was a homemade fix because he said they didn't lay the shingles right. There was no flashing on the roof or windows and there weren't any gutters. *sigh* So now I have to wait for him to give me the detailed report and then I go back to the sellers with what I found. Hopefully they will fix it all. The inspector stated that sometimes the builders cut corners and go with the bare minimum required by law. That way they can build cheap and sell high. He said there might be a warranty for the roof but that I would have to check.

Helicopters:

It appears that tomorrow I will be flying in a helicopter over the lake. I went last year so it was someone else's turn. The person who was supposed to go is in TX this week so I have been chosen to go in her place. I had a great time last year and I am really looking forward to going again.

Well I think that brings you update. Hope everyone had a great weekend. I will try to get pictures up soon.

Why can't humans be like this
Mood:  happy
In an age where we are at war with other nations and everyone can't wait to sue everyone else there is a bright spot out there. This morning as I scanned the AP newswire I saw the following article and it just melted my heart. If everyone got along like these four, the world would be a much better place.

Tiger, orangutan babies playmates at zoo
By NINIEK KARMINI, Associated Press Writer

CISARUA, Indonesia - Call them the odd couples. A pair of month-old Sumatran tiger twins have become inseparable playmates with a set of young orangutans, an unthinkable match in their natural jungle habitat in Indonesia's tropical rainforests.

The friendship between 5-month-old female baby primates Nia and Irma, and cubs Dema and Manis, has blossomed at the Taman Safari zoo where they share a room in the nursery.

After being abandoned by their mothers shortly after birth, the four play fight, nipping and teasing each other, and cuddling up for a shared nap when they are worn out.

"This is unusual and would never happen in the wild," said zoo keeper Sri Suwarni, bottle-feeding a baby chimp on Wednesday. "Like human babies, they only want to play."

The four have lived side-by-side for a month without a single act of hostility, she said.

Indonesian tigers and orangutans are both endangered species, threatened by rapidly shrinking habitats.

Conservationists estimate there are fewer than 700 Sumatran tigers still alive, while fewer than 60,000 orangutans remain in the wild. Around 90 percent of the jungle has been destroyed by illegal logging, poaching and cut-and-burn farming practices on Borneo and Sumatra islands.

The exceptional friendship will likely be short-lived, said veterinarian Retno Sudarwati, because as the animals grow up their natural survival instincts will kick in.

"When the time comes, they will have to be separated. It's sad, but we cant' change their natural behavior," she said. "Tigers start eating meat when they are three months old."

OMG What have I done?!?
Mood:  energetic
On Saturday I signed the contract for my new house. It almost didn't happen and I actually pulled my offer at one point. I gave them my counter offer That they pay $3000 in closing and I will pay $1000. The wife thought it was a great offer but had to check with her husband. I just knew he would be difficult and he didn't disappoint. He came back with the offer of $2500 in closing because he state they just put in a new stove. Ture he did but that was included in the purchase price. So when my agent called me back I told her no and to pull the offer. She called his agent back who then panicked and begged me to rethink. HE said he would talk to his clients to see what he could work out. They were going to leave their washer and dryer. I already own a set and mine is newer than their's so I was going to sell their set to get some extra money to do some things to the house. Well now they have agreed to take their washer and dryer and pay the $3000 in closing. I was a little upset but when I thought about it I think it is worth it because this way I don't have to worry about where to store them until I sold them. So in the end I agreed...they agreed and everyone seems to be happy. Now I have to get the home inspected and appraised by Mar. 30th which is the say I close. Here is the picture of the house for all of you who were interested. Sorry I didn't show this earlier but I didn't want to jinx it.

I was going to have a big "I'm a grown-up now" party the day after I close but so many people will be out of town so I think I might wait till the 1st weekend in April. So mark your calendars. Also for those of you who live in Raleigh if you are looking for something to do on Saturday, April 21st....I will need help moving furniture. I know it is not a fun job seeing as I live on the 3rd floor but if we get a BUNCH of people it wont take long and you may only have to help carry one or two things. I plan on buying everyone pizza and beer when we finish. I am hoing I can move most of the boxes in my car the weeks leading up to the big move.

Well that is about it for me. I need to get off here and start making some phone calls. I hope everyone had a great weekend...CATCH YA LATER!!!!

MIA
Mood:  hungry
Sorry I have been "Missing in Action" but with Valentine's Day and my mother's visit this weekend I just didn't have much time to write. To catch you up on what has been going on.

Wednesday 2/14:

As most of you know I don't really care for Valentine's Day. I despise the fact that society tells me that I must be with someone and I must get them a sappy card, some chocolate, and plan a romantic evening. Thank God Lennie feels the same way. At first we had just planned to have a quiet evening at home. I was going to cook and then slip into a little red number that Lennie has been eyeing in my closet and just see where the night took us. My boss at the pub however had different ideas. She gave us a gift certificate for dinner at the pub. So we went over there to eat and then came home. I slipped into my little red number and we took it from there. :) It turned out to be a pretty good night.

Thursday:

I had a Dr's appointment in the morning then took the rest of the day off to look at houses. I saw one that wasn't bad. The other three were horrible. One house came complete with two homemade Bidets. No, these weren?t nice porcelain bowls. These were those sink spray hoses like you have in the kitchen. They came out of the side of the bathroom sink and hooked on the counter were the toilet paper dispenser should have been attached. In the same house I went into a room that was supposedly the ?Man?s? room. It had a big screen TV against the wall and in front of it was a HUGE thing of Vaseline. At that point I was ready to leave. I am sick of looking at houses.

Friday:

I spent the day helping my boss understand a new computer program. I was ready to strangle him. Then I left to go work the Boat Show. About 6PM my mother called me to tell me that she got into town okay and that Lennie was going to take her to dinner. I was a little nervous about this seeing as the two have never met and because my boss at the pub as been after Lennie to propose. But both Mom and Lennie said they had a great time and no marriage plans were discussed. *breathe a sigh of relief* I don?t worry about my Mom being able to make conversation. She could talk to a wall and get it to talk back. But Lennie is a little on the quiet side.

Saturday:

We got up and ate breakfast then headed to the spa for facials. My skin was so dry it kept absorbing everything she tried to put on but it is amazing how better it is now. Soft and smooth and hydrated. That night we met up with Lennie at one of my favorite spots to eat, Firebirds. I called ahead at 6PM and had our names put on the list and the girl told me it would be an hour wait. No big deal we were planning to eat at 7PM anyway. We got there and the girl told us it would be another 20 minutes, so we just headed into the bar. 45 minutes later we were still sitting at the bar. I went over to check and see where we were on the list and the girl said we were next. We sat there another 15 minutes. This time Lennie went up and asked and they said we were the very next ones. I then saw a bunch of people (groups of 2 and 4) being sat. I then went up to speak to a manager. The manager was actually very rude to me. I will be writing to Firebirds. Finally at 8:30PM we had a table. The food was great as usual but the whole thing was ruin by the customer service. They didn?t comp our drinks or even offer us free desserts. Very poor!!! ;(

Sunday:

We got up and met Lennie at the Pub fro brunch. Tir Na Nog has the best brunch in town. Aster we ate Mom and I went shopping then headed back to the pub for the St. Patrick?s Day fundraiser. We grabbed a couple beers and listened to the music and watched the dancers. Then Lennie met up with us again and we headed to the new Hudson Oyster Bar for dinner. I must saw the food here was excellent.

Monday:

We met up with my Real Estate Agent to look at a few houses. One I liked a lot. It isn?t the ?perfect? house but it is in great shape and comes with all the appliances. I decided to take a day or two to think about putting in an offer. After we finished house shopping I decided to take my mom to Stein Mart. I didn?t think I was going to get her out of there. They were having a huge sale. Most things in the store were 50 to 70% off and the lady at the counter gave us a coupon for an additional 20% off each item. Mom bought a suitcase and some canisters and I think her bill came to $50. She saved something like $160. That night Lennie met us for dinner at Olive Garden and then he took mom over to Home Depot to get her the stuff she would need to fix her toilet at home. It was funny hearing Lennie try to tell my mom how to fix the toilet. I know all she is going to do is buy the stuff and have one of her guy friends install it.

Tuesday:

We got up and I got ready to go to work and mom headed back to WV. We had a great visit and I hated to see her go. I am glad she got along so well with Lennie. I spent all day thinking about the one house I looked at that I liked and decided to put in an offer. The agent said we would have a better shot of getting them to pay closing costs if I offered them the asking price, which was pretty reasonable. I called Mom, Lennie, and Alex and all of them said it was a good deal. I had trouble sleeping that night as my mind was racing with, ?Can I afford this??

Wednesday:

I made an offer on the house. I offered full price if they paid closing. The husband was out of town so the wife wanted to wait till he got home. The selling agent also informed us that there is another offer on the table. Was there really? Or was he telling me this to see if he could get some kind of bidding war going on? I told my agent that I am sticking to my guns on this. $129900.00 is the highest I am going to go. I am going to be financially strapped as it is. So then all night I wondered if they would accept my offer.

Today:

I heard from my agent this morning. They came back with a counter offer. They want me to pay $2000 in closing and they will pay the rest. I immediately said no. I don?t have $2000 and I think what I offered them is a GREAT deal. She stated that the $1000 I gave in earnest money could go towards that. I told her to see if they would pay $3000 and I would just use my $1000 EM for my share of closing. They also asked that I move up the closing date. I had asked for 60 days but was willing to close on 30 MAR. So now I wait to see if they accept my offer to their counter offer. I am going to give myself an ulcer. If they don?t accept this?they are idiots.

So I think that brings you all up to date on what is going on. I will keep you all informed on the house hunt. Keep your fingers crossed.

You want me to spend how much on what?!?
Mood:  don't ask
I have single handedly pissed off about 20 people today with just one word...."NO!"

One of my co-workers this morning came to me and handed me a request to spend $1900.00 on one of those festival tents. Looking over the request I remembered that we had actually purchased a tent similar to this one about 2 years ago. The employee agreed but said that the one we have doesn't have the District LOGO on it. My response was that we should look into getting the logo put on our existed tent instead of spending money to buy a brand new tent. I was then informed that the company making these tents was giving us a discount on the basis that all 5 projects were buying tents. If we don't buy a tent the other projects will have to pay full price. My response...."Oh well...sucks for them!" I also told the employee that we are still without a budget and we are only to be making necessary purchases to maintain normal duties. A festival tent doesn't meet those needs. The employee then looked at me and said they weren't going to be the one to break the bad news. So I then had to send out an email explaining that we were not going to participate in the tent purchase as of yet. That we would look into getting our tent modified and if the company couldn't do it then we would order one of the new tents. I also would need a memo from the District office stating that it was okay to purchase these items under the continuing budget resolution. Within a matter of seconds after hitting the send button I was inundated with nasty emails that basically said I wasn't being a team player. I am sorry but I would rather use my money on something worth while that we would actually get some use out of. The tent we currently have has never even been taken out of the bag. Am I wrong here? Maybe I am just too practical for my own good.

On a different subject. Last night, as I waited for HEROES to come on, I caught a run through of Grammy fashions. Most of the attire was great. It seemed like people got it right this year except for one...Imogen Heap. I love Imogen's music but someone needs to talk to her about her fashion sense. Incase you missed the red carpet this is what Ms. Heap decided to wear. What was she thinking?

On the Valentine's Day front. My boss at the pub gave Lennie and me a gift certificate for dinner at the pub tomorrow night. I normally avoid VDay like the plague but this year I am actually looking forward to it.

Birds should come with snooze buttons
Mood:  hungry
This morning at about 5AM a Red Shouldered Hawk decided to perch himself right outside my bedroom window and proceeded to call...LOUDLY! I opened up the window in an attempt to scare him off but he just flew back a minute or two later and continued to call. For those of you who have never heard the call of a Red Shouldered Hawk here is what one sounds like. Red Shouldered Hawk Just imagine that non stop for 30 minutes. I finally couldn't take it anymore and got up.

I am starving this morning and there is nothing in the office to munch on. Anyone want to run to Bojangles for me? LOL My appetite from being sick is slowly starting to come back. I was actually able to eat all of my lunch yesterday. I still didn't eat dinner but the fact that I am hungry today is a good sign.

Last night when I got home from the pub I logged on to my normal chat room and the subject for the hour was things that we never followed through with. Gosh I have so many of these. I always have good intentions but for some reason the task gets hard or I just can't seem to make time for it, so I give up. I know...I know...people make time for the things they want to do. Here is a short list of things I have started but failed to finish.

1. Learn to play the guitar. My dad got me a guitar for my birthday one year. I learned to play two cords before giving up because the strings hurt my fingers and I was always getting craps in my hands.

2. Learn to knit. For some reason I decided that knitting didn't look too difficult. I mean I went to college so I should be able to figure this out. I tried it on my own and wasn't getting anywhere. Just couldn't figure out what "pearl" meant. I decided to go to the local senior center to get some help. I got hooked up with a really sweet woman named Irma Jean Eyler who after about an hour of trying to teach me how to knit, placed her hands on mine and said, "Honey some people in this world are knitters and unfortunately you are not one of those people."

3. Learn Calligraphy. My intent here was to learn this great style of writing so that I could make some really pretty Christmas cards instead of buying the store bought ones. I bought a calligraphy kit and a book and got to the letter "a". I must have written that damn letter a hundred times and still couldn't get it perfect. So I put everything back in the box and hide it in my closet.

4. Learn to make pottery. I went with a friend to a pottery class and sat down at the wheel with a wad of clay in my hand. No one told me that you need to place the clay on the wheel and hold on to it before you start spinning it. I cranked that bad boy up and got it spinning really fast then dropped my clay onto it. The clay shot off the wheel and hit some poor woman in the back before it fell to the floor. The instructor came over and helped me get started. I had a nice vase shape going until I hit the side of it with my hand and the whole thing fell over. I decided that pottery just wasn't for me.

5. Learn the art of one stroke painting. My mother is quite the Donna Dewberry follower and when I came back from Ireland she convinced me to go to a class with her. There is a special way of loading two colors on a brush at the same time. I couldn't master it and everyone in the room, including myself, was getting completely frustrated with me. I decided to stop, rinse out my brushes, and wait for my mother in the car.

Now I don't want you to think I give up on everything. There are projects that I have started and finished such as:

1. Learn to Sew - I make my Halloween costumes every year and even made my dress for the Renaissance festival.

2. Learn to Cook - I love to cook. It is great when I find a new recipe that I can try out on my friends.

3. Learn Photography - This is something I have learned to really enjoy. It is very peaceful behind my camera and has become one of my ways to de-stress. I have even won a few awards.

My moral to this entry is that we may not be good at everything but you should at least try it.

Who lived here?
Mood:  irritated
Well the house hunting over the weekend was a bust. I must have looked at 9 houses and only 1 was decent. If it hadn't been so far out of town it would have been perfect. I didn't realize how exhausting the whole house hunting process was going to be. 94% of the houses we looked at were in horrible shape. Granted most of it was cosmetic but let's face fact. I don't have a bunch of money available to do a lot of repairs. All of these houses, save two, needed new carpet and a fresh coat of paint. A majority of them needed new appliances, new doors, new floors, light fixtures, etc. We figured that most of these homes were foreclosures just from the state the houses here in. In one house someone must have told them that they needed to paint and paint they did. All over the light fixtures, receptacles, cabinets, floors. One house had a dead bolt on the door to the master bedroom. Strange thing is...the lock was on the outside. Like maybe there were using the room to lock someone or something up. Very odd. One house had a gas leak somewhere because you could smell the propane.

The one house I had high hopes for turned out to be a major dud. The ad said the carpets needed to be cleaned. Well they were past cleaning. It all needed to be replaced. The kitchen was a nice size but they had purchased a refrigerator that was so big it blocked the oven door from coming all the way down. The back yard immediately dropped off about 5 feet from the deck so you had this sheer cliff that looked like it was eroding away and the house would eventually slip down the hill. The rest of the yard was level but was infested with bamboo. If I had bought it, I would have to bush hog the back and then burn it in hopes of destroying the bamboo remaining in the ground. I don't who insists on planting this stuff. They have no idea how it just takes over. *sigh* So I will just have to keep looking. Good news is...I am not in a hurry.

I went into work at the pub Sunday afternoon and found a note on the door stating they were going to close the kitchen for maintenance. I was a little pissed that I wasn't called and told there was no need for me to work. I went in and the bartender told me that we were going to have a company party. I sat there and drank a beer until everyone arrived and we left there to go bowling. We had a great time and it was nice to get to talk to some of the staff that I normally don't get a chance to talk to. I played about 3 games and decided it was time to go. I think everyone else headed back to the pub for more food and beer. But seeing as I have a job I have to get up for in the morning, I decided it was best to just head home.

This cold is finally getting better. Although I managed to developed a sinus infection. I also lost 4 lbs because I haven't had an appetite. I just want to thank the people who took care of me. I know it was not an easy job. Thanks Tanya and Andy for trying to find something that would appeal to me to eat. Thanks to Lennie for not running away at the site of me. Pimply, pussly, wad of crap that I was. I think I need a day at the spa to fully recuperate. I need a massage and about an hour in the sauna.

Well that is it for now. Oh for those of you who asked me the other night in the chat about how to leave a comment on here. If you look at the bottom of the entry there is a date and time stamp. Right beside that is the link to leave a comment. Hope that helps. Enjoy the rest of your day.

House Hunting
Mood:  not sure
I decided to switch Realtors after the first one kept trying to sell me a run down piece of crap. I am not very "handy" so I need a house that is in pretty good shape. I can handle things like painting and installing light fixtures but that is the extent of my knowledge. I am lucky to have a guy in my life who is rather good at repairs but the independent girl in me doesn't want to have to rely on him to get my house in shape.

The first Realtor sent me an email one day and said that I was running out of options in my price range. I have told him over and over again that I am in no hurry to buy a house. My lease doesn't expire till December, so if there isn't something on the market now, I could wait. But I guess with the decline in the housing market he was anxious to make a sale. The one things about me is, if I am not comfortable with someone, whether it is in a personal or business relationship, I will run away as fast as my legs will carry me. So I decided to contact a women who walks her dog here at the park. I see her everyday and have come to know her and her dog, Sophie very well. I trust her and know that she will take good care of me. I don't know why I didn't go with her in the first place. Amazingly she came up with about 20 houses that the first agent never bothered to show me. Funny how that works isn't it? She said there were tons of houses in my price range but that some she knew were in bad neighborhoods and wouldn't feel safe with me living there. How sweet is that?

Out of the 20 or so homes she sent me, I have selected 7 to view this Saturday. We are going to start in Youngsville and work our way down to Raleigh. There is one home in particular that I am anxious to see. There aren't any pictures online of the inside which worries me a little. I always figure that if they don't post pictures then they have something to hide. But if this house is as cute on the inside as it is on the outside...then I plan on putting in an offer. *keeps fingers crossed*

My new Realtor also put me in touch with a great mortgage broker. He is SOOOO nice and we talked for about an hour, going over my finances and discussing how much I would feel comfortable spending. This was a big change from the bank who kept trying to get me to go with a higher mortgage. This agent said he would make sure that I wouldn't get into trouble financially. That the last thing he wants is for me to have to foreclose on my house. I don't want that either. He is also willing, at no cost, to look up tax records and deeds for me on any property I am interested in. The bank didn't offer that service to me. :)

Everything seems to be falling into place. I keep waiting for something to go wrong.

Wish me luck!

The Assassin
Mood:  mischievious

With Election Day looming on the horizon, President David Brenneman is rapidly losing ground in the polls. The mounting death toll in Iraq has tried the patience of the American people for too long, and the escalating situation in Iran seems to promise more bloodshed. Just when it seems the situation can't get worse, a bombing in Baghdad leaves 19 American civilians dead. Although the Iraqi prime minister – the apparent target – narrowly escapes with his life, the effects of the bombing reverberate around the world as the country continues its slide into full-fledged civil war.

At first glance, the attack seems too sophisticated to be the work of the Iraqi insurgency. As the hunt for the true culprit begins, the president turns to the CIA and Ryan Kealey, a troubled young operative who, nearly a year after preventing a terrorist strike in Washington, D.C., is still working through his own tragic loss. Shortly thereafter, an unexpected break in the case takes place. In London, British-born analyst Naomi Kharmai stumbles onto an audio recording that brings shocking evidence to light: a ghost from their shared past has resurfaced in Baghdad, and he's intent on finishing the work he started in Washington one year earlier.

Spurred on by the revelations contained in the tape, Kealey and Kharmai continue to dig deeper. As strange new connections emerge, the identities and motives of those behind the bombing begin to blur. When the pair learns that members of the Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Alliance have been invited to speak before the Security Council in New York, they instantly fear that the worst is yet to come. But even the halls of the CIA are no longer safe from espionage and treason. There is someone inside who wants the next attack to go forward, and as the opening session of the General Assembly draws ever closer, Kealey and Kharmai must discover who is with them and who is against them – before it's too late.

This is the second book by Author Andrew Britton set to be released in March. I hear, from a very reliable source, that it is even more thrilling than the first book in the series, The American. Haven't heard of Andrew Britton? What?!? Have you been living in a hole? Run out right now and buy The American so that you will be caught up in time for the release of The Assassin. It is finally available in paperback so you have no more excuses.

For my readers in the UK who have said they can't find the book. According to Andrew's site the book will be on shelves Feb 22 and will have the title, Heart of Betrayal.

Also check out Andrew's webpage for tour dates

Happy Reading!!!!

Okay....YOU WIN!!!!
Mood:  blue
Diana Peterfreund wrote a great letter to her health today and I ditto everything she said. I don't know if my health has actually packed up and left home or if it just got to the point where it had enough and is now forcing me to listen.

I have been fighting off a cold since Saturday and I think the cold has finally won. I went to the dermatologist yesterday to figure out why my face has erupted (more on that later) and noticed that everyone in the waiting room was coughing or sneezing. I didn't stand a chance. Last night when I finally got home I could feel my skin start to ache...bad sign. I immediately went to bed and slept until 7:30. I got up, watched HEROES, then went right back to bed. This morning I got up and felt like I was in a fog. My head feels like it is going to explode and my body feels like someone has beaten the crap out of me. As I pulled into the control tower this morning to get the morning report I realized that I had no clue how I got to work. I know that I did because I was sitting there in my car but I don't remember anything about the drive. I then tried to get out of my car with my seat belt still on. Thank God no one was around to witness. Although it is probably on the security camera footage. That is why medications come with warnings about operating heavy equipment.

Whatever the hell is going on with my body has also taken a toll on my face. You might remember the cold sore entry from last week. That has finally started to heal but now my chin has erupted with acne. Occasionally I will get a few pimples now and again but it has never been this bad. So I made an appointment with the dermatologist yesterday to figure out what the hell is going on. Turns out it is all my fault. I was so self conscience about the cold sore that I washed my face too much causing the skin to dry out. The dryness coupled with the hormones from the impending period, inflamed my oil glands which has resulted in this acne explosion. I was hoping for some magic pill I could take to make it all go away but alas all I got was "take some Advil, use a cold compress, and buy a really good moisturizer." She said it should all clear up by the weekend. Let's hope so.

So last night as I lay there on the couch I started to think about what my body is trying to tell me. One of my problems is that I get so fixated on something that I will go full steam ahead until I finally hit a wall. I have been so focused on buying a house that I have been working 7 days straight at both the park and the pub. I haven't had any time to relax or to get myself centered. Another problem is I don't think I am allowed to be 100% happy. Whenever I am happy I will find some reason to screw it up. I have been so happy lately. Tired but happy. I have been earning good money at the pub which will help me out with buying a house. I have finally gotten a great real estate agent and mortgage broker who have been fantastic with my house hunting fears. I have met a guy who I really enjoy being around and spending time with. My friends and family all seem to be doing well. I should be on top of the world....right? There is this little voice though in the back of my mind saying that everything can't be great...something is going to go horribly wrong.

Maybe I just need some Nyquil and a good night's sleep.

Jade and the Eskimos
Mood:  mischievious
My boss at the pub just got back from visiting her family in Ireland and told me that the whole of the country is addicted to the British version of the show "Big Brother". There is a girl on the show named Jade, who has apparently caused some problems because she blurted out a racial slur directed at the Indian girl in the house. That would be bad enough but what gets me is the scene where they put her in a room and ask her, "If you could ask any question in the world, what would it be?" The following video is her response.




LMAO!!! Isn't that great? And here I thought Americans were the only ones capable of coming up with such profound questions. Where on Earth do they find these people? What does this say about our culture? These are the people who become celebrities. I think it shows young kids that you don't need to go to school. Just get yourself on TV and act like an idiot and you will make lots of money. It is very sad.

Onto a different subject? I went back out to the site of the flooded eagle nest. The water has receded a bit but there were still some deep spots. At one point I was walking along and my knee froze up. I tilted my leg a bit so I could pick it up not realizing that the water was really close to the top of my boot. By tilting my leg I submersed the top of my boot below the water line, allowing about and inch of water to seep in. All I felt was the shock of coldness. Now my boot was filled with water and my socks and feet were now cold and wet. YUK! We finally found the nest but there were no eagles in site. *sigh* All that for nothing. We are in desperate need of chest waders to make it much easier.