Friday, February 29, 2008

Signed and Sealed!

Let the next step in our journey begin! We successfully closed on our new home and now it's all ours! I'm really excited. Over the next two weeks we have a lot to do - everything from replacing the upstairs carpets, upgrading our kitchen countertops, painting and buying new furniture. So now the fun really begins. If I could only settle on final color selections for the rooms. I have half the upstairs figured out and half the downstairs, but I need to have it all settled. Anyone have a suggestion for a good color for the staircases and hallways? It's a pretty open floor plan so I'm having some trouble finding something that's neutral, but not too grey and certainly not too white. Your thoughts, as always, are most appreciated!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Paint Pallete Pandemonium

Why is it every time I think I’ve settled on a palette for my new home, it changes? Honestly, it’s not even a dramatic change – more like a bit lighter here, a bit darker there. In any case, just spent another afternoon at the paint store and think I finally might have finalized everything but one bedroom and both bathrooms (but I do have ideas for these). I have my sample cans, my foam core boards and my little rollers so I’m ready to test and hold up to the walls to see what everything will really look like. I’m started to get excited (very) but also stressed (very). I knew this was coming, but for some reason I never let myself get into it for fear it may not happen. But it’s happening. We have the walk through tonight and by this time tomorrow we’ll officially have our new home!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Closing on the Horizon!

Having a new house is actually, finally a reality. Just got word today we are closing on Thursday! One week earlier than the date they set after they postponed our first closing which was one month ago.

Very exciting! I can't believe it's almost finally here.

I've managed to narrow down the master bedroom plan - tyler taupe walls and chocolate brown and blue accents - loving it!!! I think I'm good with the living room, just still working on the exact paint shade. The diningroom, alas, I think will be a sage green - with a 72" round diningroom table and chairs. Two more bedrooms to go and I'll be done with my plan. I certainly need to get on it though - it's almost here.

Yippee!!!

I can't wait for you to be ours!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Blog Issues - Anyone Else Having Trouble?

Grr!! For some reason when I open my blog initially I don't see any posts. And I'll admit it was pretty darn scary the first time I saw this. Yet again today, same thing. I had to hit the refresh button twice before any of my posts appeared. Is anyone else having trouble with this?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

First Me, then Miss Molly

For almost as long as C and I have been together Molly has had a, well, digestive problem. Those of you who have read this blog for a while know it’s a vomiting problem - a chronic vomiting problem I’ve been trying to fix forever. But in the past two months I’ve started talking to my Vet on a weekly basis and trying every option (aside from a medical procedure) to come up with a solution to make Miss Molly’s tummy settled and to keep C and I from killing each other.

I’ll admit it (I can’t believe I’m doing this) C was right (sort of) – I was in some denial that what was happening with Molly was a problem. All cats vomit right? Sure they do, only mine would do it several times a week, for no rhyme or reason, and without any pattern to help us figure it out. She’d vomit if she scarfed down her entire bowl of food, she’d do it if she only ate two pieces. She’d do it when she ran around too fast, or when she was just chilling. I couldn’t win. To make matters worse it’s not even like she has hairballs because she doesn’t.

I tried it all. About two months ago I switched her food to a formula specifically for digestive care. While that minimized the amount of vomiting, it did, however, make the consistency worse. Instead of hard little food pieces to pick up it was now porridge. (I’m sorry I guess I should have put a warning on here that this is not for the weak stomached).

Not only that but there’s nothing that can prepare you for the experience of having your cat high up in a window overlooking your bed who vomits in the night and you have to get up and clean it. Let’s just say the past two times it happened, not only was Molly tossing, so was I.

I tried elevating her bowl – which seems to have also helped a bit – I started this late last week and she hasn’t (EVERYONE KNOCK ON WOOD) vomited since last Thursday. Course she also knew I made a vet appointment on Friday and I think it was her way of telling me “I told you so.”

This brings us to Monday, I left work early so C and I could take her to the vet. I had to have C come because basically (and I’m owning up to this, too) I have no credibility when it comes to the cat. In fact C calls me F. Lee because of my tenacity of proving she’s not doing anything wrong (even if she is).

Basically the back story is when I called the vet a while ago she told me to try myriad things to make it stop before bringing an essentially healthy cat in for a very expensive appointment. But time is running out (we have to order new carpets for the new house and can’t have her vomiting all over them) and our options had basically run out too.

We spend an hour and a half at the vet Monday night where they poked, prodded, drew blood, drew urine, x-rayed and pretty much scarred my pet for life. There’s absolutely no way I’m ever getting her back in her travel case to go back there – ever. Period. The initial tests Monday night proved she was slightly dehydrated so they gave her some IV fluids and that she has a small heart – even by cat standards, but Dr. Hayes said it’s not something she’s overly worried about because just like the fact Molly has always had low blood sugar, she could have always had a small heart.

What they were doing Monday night was creating a baseline on Molly and to try and rule out anything that could be determined by that battery of tests. They even gave her a dewormer just in case that was causing the problem – they figured it couldn’t hurt. And they gave her a shot of Pepcid. We hoped and hope this would help us rule out anything serious or show us something that can be treated otherwise the vet wants me to schedule an endoscopy for my poor little kitty so they can go in and take a really good look at just exactly what’s going on her tiny little tummy.

Well Dr. Hayes called me back last night to tell me everything was fine, her thyroid was good, etc… and that her calcium level is slightly high – not in the range the would indicate a lymphoma, but close enough. So for the next two weeks I’m to give her a quarter of a Pepcid every night (just like my mom gives the family pup) and see if anything changes. If it does then we’re all set. If it doesn’t then we have to do the procedure and while I have no problem with that – the more I think about it the more I do not think I’m going to have it done at my vet’s office by their traveling surgeon. I’ll bring her to Angell-Memorial in Boston and have my dog’s vet – Dr. Kaye - do it if he can. He’s great and it’s a big hospital and I trust them more with my baby girl.

And that’s the crisis of the week. Hopefully next week NOTHING happens good or bad – I could use a few days of just the status quo.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Lia Sophia Jewelry Anyone?

So I've determined I need a hobby (OK, I determined this years ago) so I've decided to join a friend of mine and sell Lia Sophia jewelry. For those of you who have heard of it you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't, it's great - very reasonably priced and has a lifetime warranty so you can't go wrong. I got hooked on it about a year ago when a friend of mine had a party. When she decided to sign on to sell it - it only made sense that I join her.

If you know me you know over the years - since college - I have sold everything from Partylite Candles to Princess House Crystal to Stampin Up products to Mary Kay - all with sucess. So I figured this would be fun - something I would enjoy wearing and selling.

That being said, any of you who have done the home-based business know that, when you you start up - your starter show is most important and it has to be the biggest. My starter show - which is set for Friday, Feb. 22 - has to be a minimum of $650 in orders. A tall price to pay but it's worth it. Considering all shows after that only have to be $250 to qualify and that's a piece of cake.

Needless to say because of the way I am, I am doing everything I can to ensure my starter show meets this goal. So I'm reaching out. Anyone who thinks they might be interested in looking through a catalog and placing an order (no matter how small) let me know. Send me your email address and I'll put you on the invite and get you access to place an order. And if you live in Massachusetts and want to host a party and get lots of free stuff let me know that too. If you live outside the area, we can work something out (maybe a catalog show).

For now if you want to check out the product you can logon to www.liasophia.com.

Thanks to all of you for your support while I try my hand at yet another something new!

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Update

Gosh I’m sorry I haven’t updated in a while. I’m doing fine now – pretty recovered, but man I was down for the count there for a bit. I never tend to get sick so I’m not used to it and this was really bad. But now I’m feeling much more like myself – just ask my co-workers and staffers :-)

In any case, I do have a house update. And I preface this by telling you all it’s not really a big deal. Apparently with so many foreclosures in the system, judges are behind in processing all the paperwork. That being said our closing, which was originally set for this Friday, Feb. 8, is now pushed off 30 days. The bank wanted more time. And since we have a place to live and aren’t moving out of an apartment, it works out pretty well for us. So we are temporarily on hold which works out well because we have some work we promised my folks we’d do at Nana’s before moving and it gives me time to start making my lists.

Yes, in case you didn’t know, I’m a list person.

What I discovered the other day that although I purged SO MUCH when I moved in with C I still have a ton of stuff. (Note to C: I know, I know and I’m so sorry you had to lug it around so many times). Needless to say, I’m purging again, big time. I know what’s going to work in our new house and I know what’s not going to work. And I’m gearing up for a giant yard sale at the earliest possible time in spring to get rid of it all. Why drag it all out to the curb to have the garbage men ignore it when you can actually get money for some of it and have someone else haul it out of your yard?

That’s the scoop.

I’ll have more soon
L