I have to say admist all these bumps along the we have to ride along, DB and I are glad we have each other, we are a team. I’m so thankful he I know he is really bummed out last Friday, I think, being rejected for an interview he was working on for almost 2 weeks. Boy, not easy to find comforting words at times. All I could tell him was if the job was meant for you, it’s yours. But that fella sure knows how to keep his spirits up albeit he does seeps into a very down moment for a while. I usually leave him alone and get on with my stuff. I do say a a little prayer to ask for strength to let us get through this little disappointment. I have to admit a lot of times I feel so angry, sad, disheartened, I wanted to give up with the RCIA program and especially now it’s just days before I get baptized, asking the good Lord what is happening to me. But then the next day, I wake up feeling good, even had a hymm (Turn my heart, O God) stucked to my head . So I do have my moments and I’m getting better at it now to let it go….which indeed makes me feel good. Weird, this very one morning waking up with that hymm in my head and the whole day….Prem, my friend said God is talking to me! 
- Blogging on my life events & whatever that comes to my mind!
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Feel good
Thankful for Thursday
I’m starting a weekly thankful post just for myself. I can get very darn negative if I really want to. And what do I get out of it being negative? More stress, anger, hatred and constant complaining! Darn negative al-titude is you ask me. Some days I hate my negative self. So today I’m want to be thankful for (mind you, these could be back on on my next “thankful” post) to cast away the negativeness in me:
- - Roof over my head. No matter how much I complain about the house, the things we needed to do, pack and showings, the slowness of the bank, that the bank didn’t just kick us out of the house in November of last year; both DB and I are still lucky there is shelter over our numbskulls and for the dogs!
- - Job that put food and pays the bills. Yes, this is the one should be totally thankful for. I’m slowly tuning my frame of mind to “like” the “lou paan leong” and be more chattier….I know, it’s all mind over matter, but I’m working on it. How’s that??
- - Car and a rust bucket truck that is cranky at times, but still takes me to point A to B and back. Without them I be taking the bus. Some folks don’t even own a car, so don’t I need to be grateful for that?
- - I still am able to do thing by myself and have most of all I want and need. I have been envying other, but why do that? I keep telling myself it’s not helping me, it’s just making me super angry and sad.
- - I’m still healthy, able to walk, breath, talk, smell and eat! No medical problems and even DB is not sick. Although when it comes to the boys, i have to stretch it out….heartworm and flea treatments have to be given every other month and fore go their annual physicals. Just have to keep a closer eye on them.
- - A husband who will gets up an hour earlier than me to pack my lunch which he fixes them during the weekend, prep coffee, send the dogs out and finally wakes me up at 5 am so I can have that extra 15 mintues sleep.
I should thank the good Lord for giving me all these. I keep telling myself there are some folks who are worse than us. Both the man and I still have a good sense of humor although some days it’s hard but we kept it light when the going gets tough. All these hardships, challenges is making me a tougher person.
Honestly, I’m really trying very hard to be more positive. It’s better for my well being and the people around me. Cheer me on, folks! Thank you! 
< New buyer >
The deal with the previous buyer felled through. I don’t blame them I like I had mentioned before. I was not a bit disappointed. The house is already given back to the bank. Then less than five days, the realtor called and wanted to show the house to a very eager buyer. Woohoo…sounds good. The buyer showed up on a Sunday with his family. We had to rush back home to let them in. He had quite a bit of questions for DB – is this the first time we had water in the basement was the only one I remembered! They spent about 20 minutes in the house. I was outside in the backyard with the boys. DB said the buyer is a very nice guy. So, the new week came and on we had good news from our realtor. The eager buyer wants to buy the house AS IS!!! We are not fixing any thing in the house, not even the broken shower faucet in the main bathroom, not tearing the basement walls down….everything is staying as it is. Yippee! DB and I signed the PA on Tuesday and faxed it back to the realtor the same evening. Now we are just waiting for the buyer’s inspection and closing dates. Yes, another inspection is underway but it’s good news.
News about the basement
On Wednesday the guy DB arranged to come over to give us a quotation of how much it would cost to fix up the basement came over. One look at the basement he said the carpeting including the padding needs to come off right away. I forgot to ask how much the quote was. That service guy checked around the whole living area and the exercise room which is also our store room where the sump pump is. The carpet in the entire living area plus part of the storage area leading to the sump pump had to come out.
This is what the living area looks line now….crappy old linoleum left on by the previous owners before they put on new carpet.
Here is how wet the board is….it holds the nails for the carpeting and padding.
The laundry is spared coz there is never any carpeting there but it’s full of our junk. DB had to remove the door to the exercise/store rom, that’s why you can see a door leaning against the washer.
And here is the ugly sump pump. It was filled with water, all the way above the white pipes last Friday when DB opened it.
Once the carpet came off, the smell that we were smelling since Monday disappeared. The smell of dead, moldy crap! Now the entire basement looks really disgusting….all of our stuff in the storage area that were sitting on the wet carpet (we didn’t know it was wet) are now in the middle of the living area. I took a video of the entire basement. It looks yucky, gives me the creeps. The linoleum is exactly the same as the ones in the laundry room.
The insurance guy came yesterday and guess what he said???? The water damage to the basement will not be covered by home owners’ insurance. Blardy hell!! We now have to cough the cash out to pay that service guy for his service (tearing and hauling the wet stinky carpet away) plus his service. The insurance guy said the damage was due to owner’s sump pump and water from outside. If it’s due to city’s fault, i.e. sewer or main pipes/drains, then they will cover for the damages.
What we are going to do is just leave it as is…the walls are wet too and we are not sure what to do with that. The buyers are not happy, that’s too bad. We don’t have the cash to buy and install carpeting for them. The sheet rock on the walls we might tear down but also might leave them as skeletons….I honestly do not have the extra cash and also the time to do it. DB is working hard to find a job so he can help me pay for the move and deposit for rental. Plus packing and our daily things that are going on. I told DB if our realtor is not happy with what we are thinking (she is not really too keen on leaving the basement half finished for the purchase), then she can help fork some cash and get some sheet rock and help to fix the basement. The walls have to come down soon as they are wet, a wonderful warm humid place for mold to grow. Hopefully by this weekend we will decide when the walls will come down.
< Spring is here >
Today is the last day of winter. Tomorrow is the official first day of spring. We had such mild weather lately, albeit the sun was warm. I actually had a tan from all the after work walks with the boys. All the snow is gone from our yard and majority of the areas in our state. Of course there are still some in the shaded areas but winter is over. I find that this winter went by super fast. I think it could be from the late snow fall (in early December) and I was so busy when DB left for TX. I’m now back to walking the boys on the sidewalks, walking quicker with them too….works like fat burner pills to me. Seriously, I feel my pants are loser. Also thanks to not snacking anymore in between meals. That I know is a big plus.
< Easter's coming up >
Easter is just around the corner….two more weeks it’s Good Friday. How time flys. I started my RCIA program last year February, attended the Triduum (Holy week). It was a wonderful observation knowing that I would be there the following year for my own baptism. And now, it’s just coming up for me. There are a few little girls who will be celebration their first communion on Easter Virgil (Saturday, April 3). My Filipino friend’s grand daugther is one of them. She sent out communion invitations to all her friends, and I received one. Sadly I can’t go, I have to be present for my own! I’m excited and yet kinda scared! It’s hard to explain. There are already practices going on in church for these three days….Easter is consider the biggest celebration, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And another good news is, DB is attending my baptism! Yeehaw, applause to him!
The wonderful basement
This was what our basement looked like on Saturday morning.
It was soaking wet, squishy as in when you walk on it, it squishes. We had to remove all the boxes and stuff off the floor, moved them upstairs and dry them. Then went to Sears and bought a dry/wet vac to suck the water from the carpet.
As soon as we got home, we went to work…DB did all the work. He sucked up 6 buckets of water and the floor is still wet but not squishy.
Two dehumidifiers and fans are on full blast yet it’s not drying. We found the sump pump was jammed up. DB fixed that and now the water is draining. Want to read what the sump pump does, read here, me lazy to type. Been in this house for 3 winters, no problem with the drainage, drain tiles.
The house inspection was today. The guy came and showed us what he found with the basement. He has a special kind of scanner to check for moisture. The entire family room area is soaked and the water stops right at the only bedroom, laundry room and bathroom. Then he scanned the walls of the family room. They too are wet 2 feet from the floor up. Wonderful, isn’t it?
We are smelling something foul now….it smells like something rotten. We think it’s mold starting to build up in the sheetrock – inside the walls. DB is now on the phone with our “dear” insurance company hopefully to be able to get it paid for to fix the mess. If they are not paying and there is a reason why they don’t, we will have no choice to tear the walls down and carpets off ourselves and we need to get the walls dry soon coz we don’t want to inhale mold for whatever weeks left we have in this house.
Just what we need right now….totally don’t know what to say except to throw it out here!
House and me stuff
The date I want to hear for the longest time….the date for closing with the buyers. It’s now set on April 15. That means we need to move out of the house latest on April 14. DB and I was so hoping the closing would be in May. Apparently the banks prefer it in April so they could settle their taxes, insurance and what not. It’s good to know we have a closing date but I’m not. The house inspection is scheduled for this coming Monday, 15th.
DB is still hunting for jobs, as long as they are not jobs in sales he is cool….but i think he is just seeking jobs in production/manufacturing. I’m super stress but just try to act ok….in others words I’m putting on a mask. Feeling shitty and emo too coz of our thoughts of sending the dogs to a shelter, giving them away. Which shelter I’m not sure yet but most probably to a shelter with a policy that says NO-KILL. I know of one north of the cities which belongs to one of the church RCIA member. She had told me if I’ve decided to put the dogs away, don’t put them in humane societies. Instead, send them to her no matter how old the dogs are. They make sure the dogs are adopted to good families who will keep the dogs and give them a good home and especially the older ones, they will look for families that will keep them for the rest of the dogs’ life.
So you see lah, if I’m sad or not…like giving away your kids. And a lot of folks I talked to who are not into dogs said they are just dogs…they are animals…they don’t feel anything. NIAMAH…if dogs don’t feel anything, why then do they wait for their owners by the door when the owners are gone? Why do they have separation anxieties? I just didn’t want to argue with them. I told them let just say you need to give your child/ren away for some unforseen circumstances, will it break your heart. Deep down I hope they had to do it…but that’s so bad of me to think that way. I sort of imagine the mothers in China (just an example coz there are tons of babies to little girls for adoption in China) who had to give away their daugthers to the orphanage….really sucks.
For now, we are still hunting for a place out in the boondocks (farm house) and cheap rental so we can keep the dogs and also the other option is apartments that’s when the dogs don’t come in the picture. On top of all that, the packing, going to work and our daily routine. I said it a lot of times, life sucks but then I keep thinking of others who are in worse situation than I do, much worse….so I have to keep counting my blessings and God is watching out for us. We just have to work it out.
< Budget >
I find it very hard to stay on a budget I have created for myself. This stupid budget sheet I started couple of years ago didn’t even get to be implemented! Most definitely I need some budgeting tip to help me how to use my money wisely within my means! I really suck at this, especially in our situation now, I am trying without an actual budget but it is not working. Major failure. I’m a spendthrift, how to change that behavior will have to take some time…hopefully soon!!
< >
So what do you do when you spouse is putting on pounds? DB is putting the extra pounds from snacking in between meals! I am glad I don’t anymore for many, many years. DB, however, said he snack out of boredom. I understand that. I told him I can even lift him up with his “handles”! I’m bad, ain’t I? But it’s our joke….we have good sense of humor to humor each other in these tough times. I told him if he so need to subdue his appetite, he might have to try those appetite suppresant pills. I told him back when I was a teenager I would buy Twenth Century Fat Burner pills….take them like downing candies! Those pills worked but definitely screwed up sleeping. So back to DB, I said if he’s bored of doing the same thing in the house, he should sign up doing reviews like weight loss pill reviews, shopping, car, etc. That will keep him busy for a bit plus he might get some kind of income for himself, too. If only he will proceed to do what I had told him…..
< Physical exam >
It’s the time of the year for me to make and appointment with my regular doctor for an annual exam. Honestly I don’t want to since every year is the same results and I just had my BP checked last month when I was in the clinic for my cold. BP and oxygen level were perfect. I had my blood work done last year, results were very good, too. I don’t need to get my bloodwork done again till next year…it’s a every two years thingy till I reach a certain age, or if the tests come back not good, then it will be yearly. The only thing I need to see a doctor for is a specialist for my joint pain, the kness to be more precised. I think they need to be replaced! Nah, I’m kidding!! The doc needs to look at them and go from there if I need PT or what needs to be done. I bought knee supports for them, but it’s not helping…I still think i over used it every day. DB is pressuring me to get my yearly annual in….coz he already had his done and it’s my turn now.
The weekend is approaching…yes, been waiting for it since Monday. I know it’s so sad that I’m actually wishing my life away, but I totally can’t help it. anyways, this weekend I got myself an appointment to get a hair cut and also if time permits, a facial too. It’s been 5 months since I last had my hair cut. Facial wise, it’s a hit and miss thing….depending on how much extra buckaroos I have left for that week. I know it’s good to go at least once a month facial in as my friend said is a good acne solution for those who are prone to acnes. Since my zits are pretty much under control now….yeah, had acne problem when I’m an adult, not during my teenage days, I didn’t really bother with the facial thing. The price per facial is $45 which I think is not too bad of a deal. Haircut alone without the facial is $20 and if it’s together with the facial – all in one session, than the price of haircut is $15 and sometimes she charges even less. So I am really looking forward to Saturday.
Signs of spring
The robins are out and about in our yard. I saw a couple of them last weekend….it’s actually nice to see the robins out and the good old brown chickedies (not sure the name of it) but they are busy chirping everyday. The temperature for the past couple of weeks shot up to the upper 30′s and lower 40′s. Snow is melting pretty quickly during the day and then it freezes during the night…..so that’s good….will slow down the potential of flooding. The snow on the trails are slowly melting….my form of quick weight loss is slowly taking away from me!!! Darn….I really love walking the snow packed snow trails, but oh well, can’t have it all the time! At least I can see what grass looks like again!
Songs of the 80′s
This is what I do at work when I have no mood….I flip on to YouTube and search for the hit songs back in the 80′s and early 90′s. I found video on the compilation of the 80′s music. They are in 4 parts.
Part one
Part two
On this compilation, the 3rd song, “Relax” I think is Duran Duran is the name of the band, not Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Part three
Part four
So many memories….the best of my growing up years…hanging out with friends jamming to these songs. I also have them recorded in cassette tapes. Super ancient, man! Also, the names of bands: Wham, Spandau Ballet, Queen, Duran Duran, Toto, REO Speedwagon, U2, Simple Minds, Police, Culture Club, and so many more….notice majority of the bands that I remember most are from UK??? I think these bands were the best! My all time favorite back then was Duran Duran and then Tears for Fears.
I could still remember the lyrics to most of these songs in the videos. Scary….goes to show why I didn’t do well in my SPM! Oh and don’t forget MJ back in the 80′s: Beat It, Billy Jean, Thriller…these songs were used in our school performances…I didn’t performed lah, but my schoolmates. And when breakdance came to life in the 80′s…trying to do some of the dance….surprised I didn’t break any bones.
I LOVE the 80′s! Right now listening to Karma Chameleon – Boy George.
The fun of house hunting for renting is making me think so much what we need to sacrifice for some thing. May is approaching us soon….especially on normal days, time is already zipping by so quickly. We scouted for rental homes on the internet which we started couple months ago and it’s still going. I saw two houses for rent at a dirt cheat rate. But the price to pay is if have nice to new modern furniture in your house. This is because that two houses are show houses. The rental management still wants the houses to be in inpeccable condition for future home buyers. Weird arrangement if you ask me. So the two things we are thinking of sacrificing are DB’s beloved satelite and both our needs of internet!!! And also our cellphones – the package needs to go on a very strict diet. All these sacrificing for the sake of keeping the dogs when we move. We cannot bear the thought of giving them away to the humane society especially the older ones. They younger, rowdy one, if worse comes to worse, he has to go….sad to even think about it.