Photo wall

Patent

I just submitted my first patent application to our Intellectual Property & Legal department. Here goes nothing!

Now, back to party prep.

Curling

In addition to playing at the Dakota Curling Club in Boo-urnsville I'm also playing at the Owatonna Curling Club in Owatonna (duh). At OCC I'm taking a break from skipping to learn how to play second. It's been interesting to say the least. I expected great and consistent ice but one sheet is anything but. So far we lost every game we played on that sheet. Suck. We're currently 4-3 on the season and hope to keep our momentum going.

In related news, it's the Dr. McGillicuddy Bonspiel at OCC this weekend. Sixteen teams with a three game guarantee. I'm playing lead in this tournament and I think we have a very strong team. Wish us luck!

Snow

In which things happen

Late last week my manager scheduled a fifteen minute long one-on-one meeting for today. Usually one-on-one meetings are thirty minutes. I thought to myself "uh-oh, no good can come from this," because at my individual development plan meeting we had two weeks ago there was talk of me changing departments and leaving my current position (with which I have a love/hate relationship).

Anyway, at the prescribed time I headed down to his office and closed the door. We talked for a few minutes about his continuing laptop problems (his laptop blue-screens and shutsdown at inopportune times during the day; he, our IT guy, and I have troubleshot this for the past eight months) before he said, "Let's get down to business."

"I have some news to share with you which I'm sure you've figured out by now."

Pause which lasted a lifetime.



"You've been promoted to Band 7."

I almost said, "No way!"

He went on about more responsibilities, what a unique experiences and exposure I've had as Band 6 and will continue to have as Band 7, etc, etc. I recall little else about those first few minutes as I was in shock.

"...I started this process back in July and with the reorg changes it finally got approved last week. The band change has been back dated so you'll receive back pay..." at which point I went into a little shock because it came with a raise, too.

Then we talked about my current projects and I headed back to my desk.

But it gets better: My living room rug finally ship yesterday, my curling shoes arrived, and there's a curling tournament this weekend. Can it get any better?

What a span

Almost two months since my last post. Where does the time go?

• Housework
• Work
• Trips to the Cities
• Trips to other places
• Planning other trips

Some highlights of note (in no order):

• I survived a business trip to Venezuela. I wasn't kidnapped or swindled... just incredibly hung over.
• I'm two hours closer to getting my Level I Curling Instructor certification.
• My team won the curling club's Hot Shots event. We received some awesome curling books (not joking, they rock! the title isn't half bad either.)
  
• I stretched my photog skills at the Rochester Triathlon.
• I decided on furniture for the upstairs living room. I need to double-check the size before ordering.
• Many gatherings were attended.
• I built a counter-flow wort chiller. Pretty awesome for next time I make beer (whenever that is).
  
• I'm leaving for the yearly BWCA trip next week. The next ten days are filled with planning and packing details. I should become Project Management Professional-certified.
  

So there we were...

...finishing up some housework when my dad says, "Look over there!" I look out the kitchen window and what do I see?






Yup, a deer lost in the city. I grabbed the camera and carefully stepped out on the deck.

It managed to cross a major highway and at least one busy street to get here.

Good for you. Now don't die crossing Elton Hills Drive.

Moved in

It's now day 7 of home ownership.

Rooms touched up: Bedrooms & bathroom & kitchen wainscoting
Rooms repainted: Kitchen (we couldn't find the original color)
Other painted: Inside of kitchen cabinets.
Rooms left to touch up/repaint: Living room, office, kitchen, basement.

Funny story about the kitchen: My mom and aunt volunteered to paint and do touch-ups. Unfortunately they couldn't find the original paint for the kitchen and didn't like the alternatives (my aunt was bold enough to try each of the remaining colors on the kitchen walls).

We got back from the apartment with a load of stuff and my mom says, "We're going to Home Depot to get more paint. We couldn't find the original color and don't like the ones here."

My response, "Go for it."

I now have a Mocha colored kitchen. Unfortunately the paint changed colors mid-paint-session and needs a second coat to cover up Behr's mistakes.

I still have a lot of totes to unpack but that number shrinks every day.

Left to unpack: Kitchen, master bedroom, books.

On a positive note I did get a new toy... a weed-whacker (or edger for the rest of you). It's a fun toy :)

henry takes claim of the house

owned!

the pen

the dogs are ready

Tomorrow

I went to the chiropractor yesterday and things are looking up. I have a second appointment Friday morning at 8 am (ugh).

In other news... tomorrow is closing! I'm beyond excited...I'm ecstatic! I have a few last minute items to attend to (like the cashier's check).

Tomorrow I'm updating the blog as the day goes on. Stay tuned for regular updates!

And weeeee! (possibly NSFW)

Three days to go...

...and I threw out my back. All the moving boxes and curling rocks caught up with me.

I literally rolled out of bed this morning. At a snails pace.

I'm going to the chiropractor tomorrow and in the meantime I'm staying dosed on ibuprofen.

Here we are

It's now a little over a week until closing. I'm pretty damn excited. The apartment is somewhat packed; books, garage, DVDs, and games are all packed. This week end I'll package most remaining wine/beer/mead, eat my way through the freezer, and start packing my room and the kitchen.

Hopefully I'll get a little Caprica thrown in there, too.

Second Post

Waaaaaaaay back in 2004 I took a merry old trip to England (Oxford, that is). On my last day in Oxford I paid the Anglican church five pounds (ten dollars) for the privilege of climbing the top spire of University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

It was a b-e-a-utiful morning and I snapped this shot:
Naturally I touched up the color, removed a bum, a van, a really ugly building and a few cranes.

Why all the hubub? Schmap picked this picture for it's Oxford guide. Sweet.

Wasting time (22 days)

I'm wrapping up my contingencies. Homeowner's insurance will soon arrive, the appraisal took place, and the preliminary title search came back clean.

In the mean time I'm packing. And by packing I mean packaging. And by packaging I mean taking care of brewing projects. I have three small projects (gallon jugs of wine and mead) and five large projects (five gallons carboys of wine and beer). I will have the three small projects and two large projects bottled and one large project kegged. The other two large projects need another year at least before they're ready.

Hmm. Maybe I might need more time off work...

New Toy

Because I'm a klutz and spilled beer on my old laptop (spilly!) I bought a new laptop. Nothing too spectacular, just an updated T60 and dock.

Back to our regularly scheduled program

This just in: the seller's found a house. Back to closing and moving April 30.

Let's hope it stays that way.

In which I'm a "decent" person

I gave the sellers three options:

1. They lease the house for three months @ $1300/month. This pays the mortgage and pays me for the damn inconvenience. I keep my apartment through July 31. They have to be out by July 15.
2. They get a one month lease for $2088. This pays my apartment's rent through July 31. They have to be out by May 30. I pay mortgage.
   
3. No lease and they hit the street April 30.

I think those options are more than fair, all things considered. It sucks that they couldn't get the house they wanted but they should have planned for this contingency.

If I didn't charge the fees similar to those above I'd be royally screwed as I'd be paying more than $2000/month in June and July for both a house and an apartment. That's pre-utilities and other monthly payments. If I were married we would have two incomes and might make this work but seeing as it's just little ol'me it ain't gonna happen.

I will say this: karma is a bitch. They jerked me around on the final price so maybe this is nature's way of letting me come out ahead.

Their agent is out of the office today so I'll know more Friday.

Hold your horses

Here I am, 29 days away from closing, when I get a phone call from my-aunt-the-realtor. She informed me that the sellers were unable to close on the house they wanted and that they want to push closing back to May 29.

That is not an April Fools Joke.

I told my-aunt-the-realtor that my loan lock expires May 5 (and I definitely want that rate), I've submitted my lease-break form, and I cannot clean a house, move, and clean an apartment in 2.5 days. Not going to happen.

I told her I'm willing to rent back to the owners if they're out before May 22nd. That's three weeks after closing and a full seven weeks from today.

Naturally this throws a wrench into my already made plans but I think I'm taking this whole thing rather well.

sold

Novice Spiel Day 2 &3

Saturday @11:15am: Lost big time
Saturday @9:15pm: Lost by inches
Saturday 11:45pm: Drank away our pain and planned for next year.

Sunday 11:00am: Watched the two remaining DCC teams play each other.
Sunday 12:30pm: Killed 4 hours at Ikea, Best Buy, Slumberland, and Potbelly's
Sunday 5:30pm: Fourth curling game of the weekend (regular curling league). I skipped and pulled out a win.
Sunday 6pm: DCC team wins the Fourth Event in the Novice Spiel!!
Sunday 8pm: Beer and appetizer @Applebees
Sunday 11:30pm: Back in c-Roch.... working.
Sunday 1:30am: Bed.

Novice Spiel Day 1

Draw time: 10:15pm
End time: 12:12am
Final score after 7.25 ends: 8-3
Result: We won!

Saturday Breakfast/Bloody Mary Bar: 10am
First draw Saturday: 11:15am
2nd draw Saturday: 9:45pm

Sunday...???

Lab

Testing... this is the view from my desk. Normally people sit at the tables on the other side of the room.

Check out that rockin' phone. It's older than I am and, I bet, older than anyone else who reads this blog.

The free pop machine that no-longer-gives-free-pop-due-to-budget-constraints.

One of many white boards.

The conference table which houses the pirate hat (if you screw up the network you have to wear the pirate hat).

Missing from the frame: Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott bobble-heads, the giant stack of manuals and paper, and my hoard of napkins.

Hump Day

Today I planned on finishing my PBC (Personal Business Commitment, or "How I'll contribute to the business's bottom line") and starting a new project at work. Unfortunately the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.


My realtor/aunt asking me to contact my lendor and find out if they have a title company they prefer I with whom to work. This was followed by an email asking me to send the PA to the bank and a request to hand the earnest money to the seller's realtor.

Keep in mind my aunt is two hours away in Fairmont, MN.

After talking with Eikie/Smelly and hitting up the Potato Bar at the Caf for lunch I headed to the bank. I walked out 20 minutes later having paid my origination fee and locking in my interest rate at... 4.625%. Rock. Lobster. I love 70 day lock-in.

I also came away with the final good faith estimate which took a huge load off my mind.

Whelp

Friday: Last episode of Battlestar Galactica. I could take it or leave it.


Saturday: Transferred orange-zest-infused hefeweizen into keg containing two quarts of blood orange juice for carbonation. Cleaned a dirty carboy. Bought and started a wine kit. Easiest. Brewday. Ever.

Made lemon-rosemary-thyme marinated chicken with port & onion reduction, with saffron & green onion rice, and steamed asparagus for dinner. In a word: awesome. Did you know some people lack the gene to smell what I'll lovingly call "asparagus pee?" I didn't.


Sunday: Curling season at Dakota Curling Club started! I drove up early to help setup and teach a "Learn to Curl" class. Following the class my team played and lost our first game of the season. It was rough playing with a new player who's a complete novice but he jumped right in, did his best, and had a few great shots.

Whelp Kiddos, as made evident by my last post the current owners countered my offer. After curling I learned the counter's details: Me paying closing and meet-in-the-middle selling price. I wasn't surprised by their counter but thought I could eek out a little bit more from them considering current market conditions. Current plan: counter the counter.


Monday: Called my aunt-the-realtor and said I want to counter with a reduced asking price. About an hour later she emailed me back saying the sellers won't budge on the price.

Decision time. Accept the counter or walk away?



I accepted and am closing April 30!

(Dawn, I changed my mind and decided moving into a house, moving out of an apartment, and cleaning said apartment over the course of three days would be a bit too stressful. Now I have an entire month to take down curtains, shelves, move, and clean.)


Tuesday: Came into work and talked with one of my coworkers. His brother was in town through Monday looking for a house. He told me March is a rough time to buy a house in Rochester as this is when Mayo Clinic doctors start their residency. He said his brother's list went from 40 houses to 30 in the course of a day due to sales closing. That explains the seller's behavior with respect to the counter-counter offer.

I just signed and submitted the acceptance. All the appliances are definitely staying and the electric fireplace might stay (I could care less).

Now I have an inspection, appraisal, walk through, loan application and major packing ahead of me before April 30.


Memorial day in Rochester? Maybe I'll roast a chicken. ;-)

Counter'd!

My realtor informed me that the sellers are countering my offer. I'm glad they want to do business with me! The seller and their realtor will discuss the counter tomorrow night. I'll know more Monday.

Here comes some more household lovin': the kitchen.

The offer's been made

Today was a stressful day. I woke up early and dropped the car off for an oil change and brake fluid flush. Come to find out the car needs about $1600 worth of work to fix everything that's wrong with it. I opted to fix as much as possible today and delay the rest until the next oil change. There goes my bonus for the year.

Also, since Monday I worked on putting an offer in on a house. Well the last contingency's been read, last line initialed, and the offer is at the seller's realator. Whew.

In celebration, here's another picture of the house. This is the hallway looking into the living room (on the right) the formal dining/third bedroom on the left. If you look through the bedroom you'll see the kitchen sink and cupboards. I really dig the hardwood floors and crown molding everywhere.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Here goes nothing!

Well kiddies, the ball is rolling: I've made an offer on a house.

I'm having a hard time not falling in love with the house and liking it instead. It sounds counter-intuitive but it's the truth. I want to save my love for after closing just in case things don't work out.

As such I won't post pictures of the house until after closing. It will help keep me sane.

Ok, one picture. I swears it.

Woot!

When my D40 arrived in the mail I headed up to the Cities and masqueraded as a tourist for a day (with T and Ace). First stop: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Botanical Gardens. The three of us took many pictures of Spoonbridge and Cherry and warmed up in the tropical gardens. A sample:

After the sculpture garden we headed to The Wienery for a quick lunch of, you guessed it, hot dogs. To clarify I had a polish sausage with sauerkraut, hot sauce, ketchup, and mustard. To top it off we shared an island of fries.

Post lunch we headed to St. Paul and visited The Cathedral of St. Paul.

What's missing from this picture? The bitterly cold wind whipping past the camera, freezing skin within minutes. Yikes.

Why am I posting this four months after the fact? One of my pictures made it into an online Twin Cities guide!

This picture of the Basillica of St. Mary in Minneapolis can be found in the Schmap.com Minneapolis guide to Churches & Cathedrals.

That brought some joy to my day :-)

I think it's time...

...to buy a house!

Now that the economy is surely in the crapper and current interest rates hover around 5% I think the time is right. Looking at a few real estate sites I've found I can get a 4 bed/2 bath, 3 wood-burning fireplaces-laden-, porch w/spa-house for less than $155k.

Not too shabby.

Time to visit the loan officer and see what happens.

Montana