House Pics

I don't know why, but they're putting in an oven before I move in. I'm not complaining, I just thought I would have to find my own. The price of the house was worth paying, even without a stove and fridge.


This picture and the bedroom are from the realty website, so they have been elongated, but you get the picture.




Imagine this without carpet, because it's the first thing to go. I think they are re-carpeting, which they started before I had a chance to stop them. But it doesn't affect how much I'm paying for the house, so...oh well. There are wooden floors underneath. The other bedroom looks similar to this one.

This is the third bedroom, which is much smaller, but could be an excellent office--once the carpet is removed. I like the french doors though.




The backyard has the brick patio lining, and a brick one car garage with a keypad entry. The left side of the house has a cement type fence, and I believe there is a tree also on that side, but I didn't take pictures of it for some reason. It's better looking in person. It has great access to sunlight, and I can't wait to put in a garden.










Here is the entrance to the basement, through the backyard. It is small, but perfect for what I need it for. I can totally put a kiln and two wheels down here, and it has a water source, which is good. It by far needs the most work, but I plan on re-cementing the shelf part, or something like that, and putting cabinets around the basement on the shelf for drying clay and the like.

Nothing new, other than the fact that I'm writing and haven't in a while.

Today I accomplished absolutely nothing. I studied a little in the morning, but quickly became discouraged and instead found myself watching a copy of Harry Potter I picked up at work on my ipod/comp. Throughout the day I accomplished some writing in my journal, some other internet surfing, and watched a marathon of Bones on the tele. I feel very boring and pathetic at the moment, but am okay with it really. After the week I had at work, I really just wanted to loaf. Mission accomplished. Mainly it was just slow, and I was discouraged.

I had found this house last week that I absolutely loved. By Liberty Park, brick, amazing porch, wooden floors, fireplace, built in nice wooden china cabinet, beautiful natural varnished wood around the windows, 3 bedrooms (one of which was small/office sized and had french doors), open kitchen, brick laid back porch, brick garage with keypad and vines growing on the side, decent sized yard with lots of sun, and a basement with it's own entrance in the back which was unfinished and small, but a perfect size and openness for a potter's studio. Decently priced as a bank owned approved price. I loved it. I put a full listing price bid in for it. There were 2 or 3 other offers. I was told they had accepted someone else's offer. I was crushed for days. I haven't really seen much else in the days that have followed. I had been considering a foreclosure next to Westminster, but after seeing that house I couldn't look past its flaws (namely the backyard size and openness to the yard next door and apartment building next door, low power lines, the apartment buildings around, and the shared driveway with the place next to it). Also, it was more expensive on account of being so far east (which I liked), but was so far south. I like Sugarhouse Park, but I like Liberty Park better. Even though it has more sketchy characters. Still, they're more fun to take pictures of. And less expensive. The area, not the people. And easier to sell when you're ready to upgrade. I don't see myself moving anytime soon, but you never know. The Westminster house hadn't had any other offers/interest. Which made it easy to put in an offer and get a counter, but you always wonder why it's not selling. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for, and there was a slight feeling of unease. For my parents too. I think it would have been fine probably, but I would have had doubts, wondered if I'd done the right thing, and had something better come along later, I might have regretted it. And there were things to be improved upon; and even though the price was good for where it was at, it was still at the upper end of my budget. Buying a house that's mostly what you want already I think is the way to go.

So the housing front has been hard. Work has been slow, and thus boring. I have my certification exam coming up, in 2 weeks to be precise, and it will be hard and no amount of studying will help me (so I've heard) so I'd better do a good job at guessing. Boys are always frustrating to me, especially one with the way he pops in and out of my life. I really just wanted something good to happen to take my mind off the anxiety and stress. I kind of reached a point of giving up. Then my realtor called me. He said the first offer for my house had fallen through, and they wondered if I was still interested. They resubmitted my offer to the bank today. We asked if we needed to change it at all, and all the agent said was to increase the earnest money check. I should hear back from them tomorrow. Probably with a counter offer? I just don't know. It seems everybody says something different, and it never all adds up together. It seems everyone is out for themselves in this world of ours. I'm really tired of looking for a house. If I don't get this one, I don't know if I'm capable of finding one. I can't stand to keep getting excited for houses, and then subsequently find myself emotionally crushed when some imperfection about the house arises, or the price. I need to get out of my parents' house though. I need to sleep in a bed again. Without everyone waking up so early and then waking me up so early when already I get off work so late and then have to travel half an hour. I'll also be incredibly disappointed for the second time over this house if I don't get it. I hate waiting and not knowing. Patience will never be one of my strengths. I feel bipolar or something.

I guess I could have written about Goblin Valley, Lake Powell, or backpacking it up to Lake Blanche, but who would I be if I were not focussing on all of the bothersome things in my life? Next time.

Old News

My sister-in-law told me about this feature on here that lets you schedule blog posting. As in, you write a bunch of posts, then schedule them to appear every so often. I decided to try this out. Even though I have absolutely nothing to say. Nothing anyone would want to hear anyway, including myself. So this is here now, but it was written on the 6th of July. Nothing short of miraculous...if it works. By the by, the picture here has nothing to do with anything. Just thought I'd make that perfectly clear. Though I'm sure it must be speaking to my psyche on some level for me to have chosen it.

Yeah, so my sister-in-law has been in town with my two nephews I rarely get to see. My 9 month old nephew Nathan is a total marshmellow. Pretty cute. He's also extremely mellow, and looks a lot like my brother, only very blond. Josh is 3 or something now, and is kind of shy, smart, and stubborn. But also cuter than I thought would be the case having been born of my brother. J/K; my brother turned into a very decent human being. Josh looks more like his mom, but definitely reminds me of my brother in a lot of ways. Ryan (said brother) is still in Arizona because being a resident is more demanding than anything else in the world apparently, and is especially bad in one's second year. I have zero desire to ever become a doctor.

I have to go back to work tomorrow, which will be old news by the time this posts. Part of me is excited, and another part of me doesn't want to go. I guess not having a living place makes one eager to go somewhere where one (temporarily) belongs. Even if it is only to perform someone else's grunt work. And I get to see a lot of people I really enjoy who I don't see, or see much of, when I'm not at work. I have a feeling there may be some drama when I get there, though it has nothing to do with me. I really thank the Lord that everyone seemed to sense the extreme sadness and worry in me when my own drama was happening, and thus left me alone and didn't bring it up in the lab. It made me respect a lot of people more. I wonder if it's just the other week that's so into gossip. I really just couldn't tell, since I have very little exposure to my opposite week.

Heard back from my short sale. They countered at 199,000. I said no. I don't think 185 was unreasonable for the amount of money and effort that will need to be put into that place over the next few years to make it worth what the other houses on the street are worth, and frankly, I'd already be paying more than I should for a house. It was just too perfect of a location not to try for. I really hope they just can't find anyone else to give them more, so that they'll come back to me and offer it at the price I want it at. Anyone willing to pay more is an idiot, and I think they'll realize it later.

Which brings me to the other house I put in a offer for. Perfect in most ways, and not a bad location, but the price they have it listed for is too much for something west of 700 East, the furnace is well over 11 years old, the electrical is 80% new (which means 20% not new), and it has a swamp cooler. It's been kept in great condition, has a great garden/backyard, wooden floors, fireplace...but no one would pay 184 for that location (even if it does seem like a really nice neighborhood) and only 2 beds 1 bath unless it'd been renovated. And they're not willing to go down at all. At first their real estate agent told us it was overpriced, but then suddenly decided to tell them they could get the price they're asking. Which frankly might be true. Some sucker caught up in the moment will probably give them that without thinking, and then they'll realize later they weren't thinking straight. Man I hate looking for houses. And being homeless.

I really don't know what else I've accomplished this week off. I found a lot of houses, and had a lot of dreams crushed. I put in a few more offers today, but they're short sales. I figured I might as well, considering nothing else has jumped out at me. I guess I did go camping with family this weekend. It was mostly fun. There were portions that were less fun, such as it being too rainy and windy to get much fishing done, but it was still nice to get out of dodge for a while.

Devin just passed his board exam. I'm more jealous than I can say. He's smarter than me, and it was really hard for him. I might cry a little. Now and when I actually take it. I'm not ready. I need to get some serious studying in this week, and actually schedule a date to take it. For right now I'm going to go eat pie with Devin. I need to find that kid a gourmet waffle iron for letting me stay with him. It's nice to have a place to crash on my on-weeks, with the alternative being to drive 30 minutes to my parents' house at 1-2 in the morning. Speaking of driving, I just replaced my two rear tires. It was expensive, and killed a little bit of my soul. I also need to get a new windshield and possibly a bumper before the end of August, at which point my car inspection is due. Happy Birthday to me. And speaking of the end of August, I really do need to plan New York. I really don't like having so many things in my life right now that cost money.