We had a nice Christmas. It was uneventful, which was so nice and a welcomed change from the rest of the year. I got Justin a new computer monitor and I gave it to him a couple of weeks ago. It was defective and had to be returned (I was afraid of this happening and I gave it to him early), so he didn’t get to open anything from me on Christmas.
Friday evening, Justin and I headed to Atlanta for the weekend. He rode down with a friend on Wednesday evening so it was so nice having someone ride to Atlanta with me.
On my way back to Nashville on Sunday, I was hoping traffic would cooperate and not be terrible. I was so fortunate! Traffic was a breeze and might have even been a little lighter than usual. Northbound traffic was not as fortunate. I felt so bad for anyone sitting in that mess around McDonough. Traffic was backed up for miles. We’ve all been there and done that and know what a nightmare stopped traffic can be. Northbound traffic stopped again around Cordele or Ashburn (can’t remember which) in the construction zone. I did see a semi-truck that was about to be towed, so I’m not sure if it just stalled or was involved in a wreck.
Now to the Darwin Award nomination…
I was headed through Tifton around 10:00 p.m. Sunday night. Traffic was cruising around 70 mph. I was between the S. Central Avenue exit and the Southwell Boulevard exit. I was in the right lane preparing to exit at Southwell. There was a pretty large gap between me and the group of drivers I was with and the group of drivers ahead of us. Out of nowhere, I see a pedestrian darting across the interstate and he was in my lane when I noticed him. I slammed on brakes (the Honda’s anti-lock brakes work quite well) and came within inches of turning this brilliant-beyond-brilliant individual into road kill. I’m not sure if he realized how close he came to being hit by 3,000 lbs. of metal and glass traveling at 70 mph, but it was pretty dang close. I think my heart dropped from my chest to my feet. What was so crazy to me was that the GSP had a vehicle pulled over near where this person crossed the road. I guess the patrolman was concentrating on his task and didn’t notice this person.
When I was driving from Tifton to Valdosta each day, I would see people running across this portion of I-75 frequently. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone brave enough to do it at night. I’m amazed that no one has been killed here. I think they’re running from a neighborhood on the east side of 75 to a convenience store/Steak-N-Shake on the west side of 75. While the food at Steak-N-Shake is tasty (love those cheese fries), it’s not worth dying for! The people have to cross a chain link fence (I’m sure one of these road-crossers has already cut a hole in the fence on both sides so they don’t have to climb it), cross one direction of traffic, climb over a concrete wall (it’s tall!), dodge the other direction of traffic, and cross another chain link fence. Why they can’t just walk down the road to the underpass and walk on a sidewalk is beyond my comprehension. It might take 1-2 extra minutes (I know when those cheese fries and a milkshake start calling, you need to hurry, but really.). Maybe playing “Human Frogger” is a lot more fun for them.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely." -Charlie Brown
I am very tired of being separated from my husband and only getting to see him on weekends. I know I have it much better than some people, like military families, but it still sucks. This started on January 1 of this year and as of now, I have no idea when it might end. I knew this arrangement would not be easy, but I had no idea it would be this hard or last this long. If I could find a job in Atlanta, I could join Justin up there.
I have been looking for a job for about six months. I know the economy stinks and now is the worst possible time I could be job searching. I guess I'm lucky since I do still have a job, but the situation surrounding my job search is crappy. Ideally, I would find a job related to interior design but because the construction market is so bad, that's not likely to happen right now. I have been looking outside of my field and have found postings for several "office" jobs. I find these jobs on "job websites" and get my hopes up that this job is "the one".
I applied for one today and kept checking my email (about every five minutes). I finally got a response and my mood went from hopeful and excited to annoyed and angry. The posting and subsequent response were spam. I was cautious after reading the response so I googled the responding email address and discovered that it was definitely spam. I was so disappointed. Other people have applied for "jobs" posted by this person and are as angry as me. Why do people do this to innocent and desperate people just looking for a job in an awful market? Why?! These people are beyond scum! It's hard to remain focused and positive when this happens and it's sad that today isn't the first time this has happened to me.
I know I should be thankful for what I have, but it's so hard when I don't have what my heart craves.
I have been looking for a job for about six months. I know the economy stinks and now is the worst possible time I could be job searching. I guess I'm lucky since I do still have a job, but the situation surrounding my job search is crappy. Ideally, I would find a job related to interior design but because the construction market is so bad, that's not likely to happen right now. I have been looking outside of my field and have found postings for several "office" jobs. I find these jobs on "job websites" and get my hopes up that this job is "the one".
I applied for one today and kept checking my email (about every five minutes). I finally got a response and my mood went from hopeful and excited to annoyed and angry. The posting and subsequent response were spam. I was cautious after reading the response so I googled the responding email address and discovered that it was definitely spam. I was so disappointed. Other people have applied for "jobs" posted by this person and are as angry as me. Why do people do this to innocent and desperate people just looking for a job in an awful market? Why?! These people are beyond scum! It's hard to remain focused and positive when this happens and it's sad that today isn't the first time this has happened to me.
I know I should be thankful for what I have, but it's so hard when I don't have what my heart craves.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
We had such a nice Thanksgiving. I ate too much, as usual, but had a great day.
I walked outside on Thursday morning to get something from my vehicle and noticed the flat tire on my car. While I was irritated, I didn't flip out like I normally would have. You can see the screw/nail/piece of metal sticking out from the tread. I'm not sure where I acquired it, but based on the condition of the metal, it has been in there a little while. I'm glad it went flat while I was at home and not traveling or at work or somewhere else.
I guess we should be thankful for small blessings. =)
I walked outside on Thursday morning to get something from my vehicle and noticed the flat tire on my car. While I was irritated, I didn't flip out like I normally would have. You can see the screw/nail/piece of metal sticking out from the tread. I'm not sure where I acquired it, but based on the condition of the metal, it has been in there a little while. I'm glad it went flat while I was at home and not traveling or at work or somewhere else.
I guess we should be thankful for small blessings. =)
I went to an auto repair shop that was recommended by a family memeber, but they weren't open. I went to Bo Lovein Ford and Mr. Rowe said he would go to the house and pick up the car and fix it. He picked it up and returned it in about 30 minutes. They are great! The Honda is ready to go.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunroom Repairs (Part 1)
The previous post showed the work going on in the master bedroom. This one shows the sunroom work.
The part of the house with the master bedroom and sunroom was an addition (not sure when it was added). Due to a deteriorating flue cap on the roof, water collected in the crawlspace and caused fungus to grow on the wood. This fungus destroyed the wood it came in contact with and made that part of the house very unsafe. This wood is so brittle that simply tapping the wood causes it to crumble. The inspector said the subflooring in this part of the house is so deteriorated that if left unrepaired, will just collapse one day (with everything on it dropping to the dirt under the house - sounds like fun!).
The part of the house with the master bedroom and sunroom was an addition (not sure when it was added). Due to a deteriorating flue cap on the roof, water collected in the crawlspace and caused fungus to grow on the wood. This fungus destroyed the wood it came in contact with and made that part of the house very unsafe. This wood is so brittle that simply tapping the wood causes it to crumble. The inspector said the subflooring in this part of the house is so deteriorated that if left unrepaired, will just collapse one day (with everything on it dropping to the dirt under the house - sounds like fun!).
This picture shows the room before any work began. Those things on the wall are light fixtures - not my style, so those will probably be replaced.
This pictures shows this room after the carpet was removed and a hole cut into the floor to check the extent of the damage.
This picture shows the room after a half of the floor was removed to expose the support framing.
This is a close up of the beams. This is what wood-eating fungus looks like.
Overhead view of the damaged framing.
Unfortunately, no work has been going on at the house for the last week (Justin has been doing some work in the evenings, but the contractor hasn't been working). We are unhappy about some issues with the contractor we hired, so we're evaluating the situation and hope work resumes soon. We were hoping all of this work would have been completed by Thanksgiving, but that is definitely not possible.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Master Bedroom Repairs (Part 1)
Justin and I are having some repairs made to the house. The contractor began working on Wednesday of last week. He and his crew got quite a bit of work done and said they would be ready to install the wood flooring this week. Justin and I decided to paint the master bedroom before they installed the new floor.
This picture shows the room before any work was done. The walls were very dark (either black or very dark blue). It took a lot of primer to cover that paint. We decided to paint the walls a pale tan. We think it looks really nice. Once again, I didn't get a picture of the walls, but you can see the new wall color in the 4th and 5th pictures below.
This picture shows the room after the carpet was removed. For some reason, the hardwood beneath the carpet didn't extend across the entire room. The wood that was there was in bad condition. That's our treadmill. It's a pain to move, so it was still in the room when the contractor began working. We intended to move it this weekend, but that didn't happen.
This is the room after the underlayment was installed. We're not sure why they installed the foam strips since the flooring is solid wood. (You generally only install the foam when you "float" an engineered wood floor or laminate floor).
Justin questioned the contractor about the floor not being level with the rest of the house because of the plywood subfloor being so high. Due to this, one layer of plywood would need to be removed so the new wood flooring would be at the same level as the existing floor. Justin decided to removed the plywood himself. When he did, he discovered some water damage the contractor missed.
This picture shows the room before any work was done. The walls were very dark (either black or very dark blue). It took a lot of primer to cover that paint. We decided to paint the walls a pale tan. We think it looks really nice. Once again, I didn't get a picture of the walls, but you can see the new wall color in the 4th and 5th pictures below.
This picture shows the room after the carpet was removed. For some reason, the hardwood beneath the carpet didn't extend across the entire room. The wood that was there was in bad condition. That's our treadmill. It's a pain to move, so it was still in the room when the contractor began working. We intended to move it this weekend, but that didn't happen.
This is the room after the underlayment was installed. We're not sure why they installed the foam strips since the flooring is solid wood. (You generally only install the foam when you "float" an engineered wood floor or laminate floor).
Justin questioned the contractor about the floor not being level with the rest of the house because of the plywood subfloor being so high. Due to this, one layer of plywood would need to be removed so the new wood flooring would be at the same level as the existing floor. Justin decided to removed the plywood himself. When he did, he discovered some water damage the contractor missed.
This is what one corner of the room looked like after the vapor barrier and foam strips were removed. You can see the new paint color in this picture. 
After he discovered the water damaged plywood, Justin removed the plywood and found even more damage beneath it. Needless to say, we were both unhappy about this discovery - a) because the contractor should have found this before Justin did and b) this is going to cost more money.
I'll post pictures of the sunroom work soon.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Pete, Annabelle, and the Webkinz
My niece enjoys collecting Webkinz stuffed animals. I really don't know what they are, but I know you buy the stuffed animal and register it online and do something with it. Some of her Webkinz animals are at Mama's house.
One day recently, Pete and Annabelle were exploring at Mama's house and found the Webkinz leopard (I think this is what it is). They were very interested in this leopard and decided they would play with it. When they find a toy they really like, they will throw it in the air and catch it and then shake the daylights out of it. It is the funniest thing to me! After they've shaken it, they will roll around on the floor with the toy in their mouth. Sometimes they will play tug-of-war with the toy. This is when the arms or legs (sometimes the eyes) get removed from the animal's body.
One day recently, Pete and Annabelle were exploring at Mama's house and found the Webkinz leopard (I think this is what it is). They were very interested in this leopard and decided they would play with it. When they find a toy they really like, they will throw it in the air and catch it and then shake the daylights out of it. It is the funniest thing to me! After they've shaken it, they will roll around on the floor with the toy in their mouth. Sometimes they will play tug-of-war with the toy. This is when the arms or legs (sometimes the eyes) get removed from the animal's body.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Honda Meets a Foot
Since I am blogging about injuries to the Honda, I'll tell you about the Honda being vandalized.
As I said in the previous blog, I spent many weekends in Atlanta this summer while Justin and I were house hunting. One weekend, we had appointments to see quite a few houses and were starting at 9:00 a.m. Justin was renting a room in a house that had a parking lot behind the house for the residents and their guests. When we walked out of the house that morning, we noticed a piece of clear, red plastic (it was part of a tail light) on the ground. We looked at the vehicle (SUV) closest to the plastic and noticed their tail light was broken. We also noticed scratches on the paint and the rear window wiper on the ground. I made the comment to Justin that it would really suck to be the owner of that vehicle. He agreed and we kept walking.
When we got to my car, my mouth dropped to the ground. My car was damaged, too! It didn't have as much damage as the SUV, but it had enough. The main thing was the big dent in the trunk. Because my car was so dirty, the vandal's shoe print was left in the dirt and dust on my car when he/she decided to kick my car. There were also scratches (the "scratches" didn't break the paint, so I guess they weren't really scratches) around the trunk and on the sides near the trunk. I was beyond furious!
I guess the person hated Hondas because the six vehicles around mine were Hondas and all were damaged. Mine and the SUV seemed to have the most damage. The others had scrapes and small dings. They apparently liked German cars because the BMW and Mercedes parked on either end of the Hondas were fine. We spoke with some of the other residents later and no one remembered hearing anything during the night and no one knows why this happened.
Justin and I had the house appointments so we had to leave. When we returned that afternoon, I called the police and filed a report. I learned something that day. When I called the police department, I called their non-emergency number and explained what I needed. I was told that in order for a policeman to be dispatched, I would have to call 911 even though it wasn't an emergency. So, I called 911 and a policeman arrived in about 30 minutes. He was very nice and informative.
I called the body shop that fixed the tire tread damage the week before and they gave me the number for a dent specialist. He came to my office and fixed it. I was amazed at how well he did...you couldn't even tell the car had been damaged when he finished. Before he started, he said it would only be about 90% perfect when he finished. I was hesitant, but I think it was 100% perfect! He worked for about an hour and charged $200. It was well worth it because he did a fantastic job.
As I said in the previous blog, I spent many weekends in Atlanta this summer while Justin and I were house hunting. One weekend, we had appointments to see quite a few houses and were starting at 9:00 a.m. Justin was renting a room in a house that had a parking lot behind the house for the residents and their guests. When we walked out of the house that morning, we noticed a piece of clear, red plastic (it was part of a tail light) on the ground. We looked at the vehicle (SUV) closest to the plastic and noticed their tail light was broken. We also noticed scratches on the paint and the rear window wiper on the ground. I made the comment to Justin that it would really suck to be the owner of that vehicle. He agreed and we kept walking.
When we got to my car, my mouth dropped to the ground. My car was damaged, too! It didn't have as much damage as the SUV, but it had enough. The main thing was the big dent in the trunk. Because my car was so dirty, the vandal's shoe print was left in the dirt and dust on my car when he/she decided to kick my car. There were also scratches (the "scratches" didn't break the paint, so I guess they weren't really scratches) around the trunk and on the sides near the trunk. I was beyond furious!
I guess the person hated Hondas because the six vehicles around mine were Hondas and all were damaged. Mine and the SUV seemed to have the most damage. The others had scrapes and small dings. They apparently liked German cars because the BMW and Mercedes parked on either end of the Hondas were fine. We spoke with some of the other residents later and no one remembered hearing anything during the night and no one knows why this happened.
Justin and I had the house appointments so we had to leave. When we returned that afternoon, I called the police and filed a report. I learned something that day. When I called the police department, I called their non-emergency number and explained what I needed. I was told that in order for a policeman to be dispatched, I would have to call 911 even though it wasn't an emergency. So, I called 911 and a policeman arrived in about 30 minutes. He was very nice and informative.
I called the body shop that fixed the tire tread damage the week before and they gave me the number for a dent specialist. He came to my office and fixed it. I was amazed at how well he did...you couldn't even tell the car had been damaged when he finished. Before he started, he said it would only be about 90% perfect when he finished. I was hesitant, but I think it was 100% perfect! He worked for about an hour and charged $200. It was well worth it because he did a fantastic job.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Honda Meets Tire Tread
While Justin and I were house hunting this summer, I spent many weekends in Atlanta. I was headed back to Nashville one Sunday evening when I encountered a piece of tire tread in the road.
I never really thought about pieces of tire causing a lot of damage until a couple of years ago. Justin and I were headed to Valdosta from Tifton on I-75 and saw a pick-up truck pulling a trailer hit a piece of tire tread. The tread flew into the air and hit a little Lexus that was in front of us. I was driving the Explorer and just drove over the tread after it hit the Lexus. As I went around the car, I could tell that there was quite a bit of damage. The side mirror was hanging by wires and there were lots of black scrapes and scratches down the previously white paint.
When the Honda encountered the tread, I was north of Macon. The vehicle in front of me hit the tread and it flew into the air. It hit the road and bounced up again as I was driving by it. Because of other vehicles, I couldn't swerve to avoid it, so I had to hit it. My first thought was that my tire might have been damaged but the car wasn't driving differently so I kept going.
I stopped in a few minutes when I got to Macon. As I was getting gas, I noticed that my bumper looked odd. After further checking, I realized my car had some damage from the tread. The bumper was detached on one side and it was cracked. The headlight was also cracked.
I used the restroom at the gas station and then went back to my car and called the insurance company. After getting all of that taken care of, I continued home. The insurance company arranged for me to get a rental car while my car was in the shop. I was to drop off my car the next day at the body shop and the rental car would be waiting for me. I was reminded to bring my driver's license with me.
During lunch the next day, I went to pick up my food and realized my wallet was missing. I searched my car and office. I drove to Nashville and searched the house. I went to Justin's parents' house because I stopped by there the night before to pick up Pete and Annabelle. I just could not find it! I grabbed my passport and headed back to Valdosta. I was going to go to the license office and get a replacement license, but they aren't open on Monday. I had to call the car rental office and the insurance company to make arrangements for the next day since I didn't have a license. I was so annoyed. I even called the gas station where I stopped and asked if they had found my wallet. They said it hadn't been turned in.
I got a replacement license the next day and got my car fixed before the weekend. The damage total was right at $1,000. I couldn't believe that a piece of tire tread did that much damage to my car!
On the 4th of July, I was headed back to Atlanta for the weekend (and more house hunting!) and stopped at the same gas station for gas. I asked the lady at the counter if anyone had turned in a wallet and she said they did have one. She pulled it out and it was mine! I was so happy! I had already gotten a new license and a new credit card, but I had everything else back and all of my stuff was still in the wallet. I guess I left it in the restroom when I was washing my hands. I'm so thankful an honest person found it.
I never really thought about pieces of tire causing a lot of damage until a couple of years ago. Justin and I were headed to Valdosta from Tifton on I-75 and saw a pick-up truck pulling a trailer hit a piece of tire tread. The tread flew into the air and hit a little Lexus that was in front of us. I was driving the Explorer and just drove over the tread after it hit the Lexus. As I went around the car, I could tell that there was quite a bit of damage. The side mirror was hanging by wires and there were lots of black scrapes and scratches down the previously white paint.
When the Honda encountered the tread, I was north of Macon. The vehicle in front of me hit the tread and it flew into the air. It hit the road and bounced up again as I was driving by it. Because of other vehicles, I couldn't swerve to avoid it, so I had to hit it. My first thought was that my tire might have been damaged but the car wasn't driving differently so I kept going.
I stopped in a few minutes when I got to Macon. As I was getting gas, I noticed that my bumper looked odd. After further checking, I realized my car had some damage from the tread. The bumper was detached on one side and it was cracked. The headlight was also cracked.
I used the restroom at the gas station and then went back to my car and called the insurance company. After getting all of that taken care of, I continued home. The insurance company arranged for me to get a rental car while my car was in the shop. I was to drop off my car the next day at the body shop and the rental car would be waiting for me. I was reminded to bring my driver's license with me.
During lunch the next day, I went to pick up my food and realized my wallet was missing. I searched my car and office. I drove to Nashville and searched the house. I went to Justin's parents' house because I stopped by there the night before to pick up Pete and Annabelle. I just could not find it! I grabbed my passport and headed back to Valdosta. I was going to go to the license office and get a replacement license, but they aren't open on Monday. I had to call the car rental office and the insurance company to make arrangements for the next day since I didn't have a license. I was so annoyed. I even called the gas station where I stopped and asked if they had found my wallet. They said it hadn't been turned in.
I got a replacement license the next day and got my car fixed before the weekend. The damage total was right at $1,000. I couldn't believe that a piece of tire tread did that much damage to my car!
On the 4th of July, I was headed back to Atlanta for the weekend (and more house hunting!) and stopped at the same gas station for gas. I asked the lady at the counter if anyone had turned in a wallet and she said they did have one. She pulled it out and it was mine! I was so happy! I had already gotten a new license and a new credit card, but I had everything else back and all of my stuff was still in the wallet. I guess I left it in the restroom when I was washing my hands. I'm so thankful an honest person found it.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Christmas 2007
Last Christmas, I wanted to get a picture of Pete and Annabelle in their Santa suits. They are not very fond of clothes (can't imagine why!). My sister bought these suits a couple of years ago and I thought they were the cutest! The suit comes with a jacket, a Santa hat, and "boots". I've never gotten the boots on them, but I did get the hat on Annabelle one time.
You can tell by their expressions that they are not having a good time. They are usually running around and going wild, but when I put the suits on them, they just freeze.
You can tell by their expressions that they are not having a good time. They are usually running around and going wild, but when I put the suits on them, they just freeze.
Pete turned to the side and Annabelle just looked pitiful. How sad is this?!
They both look so sad. How could I do this to them?
They were so happy to be "naked" again!
These 2 pictures were taken in December 2005 (lovin' that sofa!). They didn't like the suits in 2005 either.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Penske Moving Truck
I wish we had taken pictures of our move, but that was not high on my priority list that weekend. This link is a Google Image search for 26' Penske truck - so you can see the sheer size of the truck (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=26%27+Penske+truck&gbv=2).
We moved our belongings to our new home the weekend of September 20. That Thursday, I rented a 26’ Penske truck in Valdosta and drove it to Mama’s house. That truck was HUGE! I knew the 26’ truck was Penske’s largest, but I don’t think I realized how big that truck would be. Prior to that weekend, the largest vehicle I had driven was my grandmother’s Lincoln Navigator. It was a shoe box compared to the rental truck. The truck was also a diesel, so it was pretty loud.
When I got to Mama’s house with the truck, I parked it in her driveway – it barely fit! Justin and I put some of our furniture and boxes at Mammie’s house when we sold our house in Tifton. I decided that we should load that stuff in the truck first. Mama and I drove the truck out there and Justin’s parents, my sister (Carrie), and Carrie’s boyfriend (Mark) met us to help load. We spent a couple of hours loading and then headed home for the night.
Justin and I stored most of our stuff in Mama’s garage, so she and I spent all day Friday loading that stuff. We loaded most everything except for the refrigerator. I wanted to wait until we had help because it was so heavy. That evening, Justin’s parents, Carrie, and Mark helped us get the fridge loaded and we called it a day.
At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, we headed to Atlanta. I drove the truck and Justin’s dad rode with me. My mother and Justin’s mother followed us in Mama’s car. We stopped in Macon to eat and take a break. That truck was not comfortable. I don’t think the steering wheel was adjustable (if it was, I couldn’t figure out how to move it). Because it was a diesel, the engine was rather loud so listening to the radio was not really possible. Also, the truck wouldn’t go faster than 70 mph (believe me, I tried…that gas pedal was on the floor). I prefer to drive a little faster than 70, but I survived. Before we left Macon, we discussed buying gas. This was the weekend when gas was becoming scarce in Atlanta (actually, all over Georgia). We stopped at two different exits before finding diesel in Forsyth.
Did I mention that the truck was big? I was at the same height/level as semi-trucks. Because of the truck’s size and weight, we were supposed to stop at weigh stations (the only one we encountered was north of Forsyth). I was so glad to see that it was closed when we went by. I’m sure I would have been waved through, but with my luck, I would have been stopped and the truck would have been searched, box by box.
I was pretty comfortable driving to Macon – straight interstate…what’s not to love?! Once I started getting closer to Atlanta, I got fairly anxious. Our house is located north of midtown Atlanta (off I-85), so we had to drive through downtown and midtown to get to our exit. Because the lanes are so narrow, I was afraid I was going to hit someone or run another vehicle off the road. I did fine, though.
Our mini-caravan arrived at the house just before noon. Justin and I spent a few minutes showing our parents around and then we started unloading. It took us about an hour to unload. After that, we ate at The Original Pancake House (http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/). Oh, so good!
After eating, Brad and I took the truck to the drop off location. Justin followed in his car. My mother and Justin’s mother unpacked boxes while we returned the truck (THANKS!). We had to find diesel (again) before dropping off the truck. The drop off was quick and easy. We headed to Home Depot to grab a few necessities and then went back to the house. We got the bed set up before we had to head back to Nashville. I hated only spending a few hours with Justin, but we really needed to get back to Nashville. We did get the bed set up and I know Justin enjoyed being able to sleep in an actual bed again (he had been sleeping on an air mattress for a while). We were so tired, but glad that part of this was over.
I guess if I don’t find an interior design job, I could always be a truck driver. =)
We moved our belongings to our new home the weekend of September 20. That Thursday, I rented a 26’ Penske truck in Valdosta and drove it to Mama’s house. That truck was HUGE! I knew the 26’ truck was Penske’s largest, but I don’t think I realized how big that truck would be. Prior to that weekend, the largest vehicle I had driven was my grandmother’s Lincoln Navigator. It was a shoe box compared to the rental truck. The truck was also a diesel, so it was pretty loud.
When I got to Mama’s house with the truck, I parked it in her driveway – it barely fit! Justin and I put some of our furniture and boxes at Mammie’s house when we sold our house in Tifton. I decided that we should load that stuff in the truck first. Mama and I drove the truck out there and Justin’s parents, my sister (Carrie), and Carrie’s boyfriend (Mark) met us to help load. We spent a couple of hours loading and then headed home for the night.
Justin and I stored most of our stuff in Mama’s garage, so she and I spent all day Friday loading that stuff. We loaded most everything except for the refrigerator. I wanted to wait until we had help because it was so heavy. That evening, Justin’s parents, Carrie, and Mark helped us get the fridge loaded and we called it a day.
At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, we headed to Atlanta. I drove the truck and Justin’s dad rode with me. My mother and Justin’s mother followed us in Mama’s car. We stopped in Macon to eat and take a break. That truck was not comfortable. I don’t think the steering wheel was adjustable (if it was, I couldn’t figure out how to move it). Because it was a diesel, the engine was rather loud so listening to the radio was not really possible. Also, the truck wouldn’t go faster than 70 mph (believe me, I tried…that gas pedal was on the floor). I prefer to drive a little faster than 70, but I survived. Before we left Macon, we discussed buying gas. This was the weekend when gas was becoming scarce in Atlanta (actually, all over Georgia). We stopped at two different exits before finding diesel in Forsyth.
Did I mention that the truck was big? I was at the same height/level as semi-trucks. Because of the truck’s size and weight, we were supposed to stop at weigh stations (the only one we encountered was north of Forsyth). I was so glad to see that it was closed when we went by. I’m sure I would have been waved through, but with my luck, I would have been stopped and the truck would have been searched, box by box.
I was pretty comfortable driving to Macon – straight interstate…what’s not to love?! Once I started getting closer to Atlanta, I got fairly anxious. Our house is located north of midtown Atlanta (off I-85), so we had to drive through downtown and midtown to get to our exit. Because the lanes are so narrow, I was afraid I was going to hit someone or run another vehicle off the road. I did fine, though.
Our mini-caravan arrived at the house just before noon. Justin and I spent a few minutes showing our parents around and then we started unloading. It took us about an hour to unload. After that, we ate at The Original Pancake House (http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/). Oh, so good!
After eating, Brad and I took the truck to the drop off location. Justin followed in his car. My mother and Justin’s mother unpacked boxes while we returned the truck (THANKS!). We had to find diesel (again) before dropping off the truck. The drop off was quick and easy. We headed to Home Depot to grab a few necessities and then went back to the house. We got the bed set up before we had to head back to Nashville. I hated only spending a few hours with Justin, but we really needed to get back to Nashville. We did get the bed set up and I know Justin enjoyed being able to sleep in an actual bed again (he had been sleeping on an air mattress for a while). We were so tired, but glad that part of this was over.
I guess if I don’t find an interior design job, I could always be a truck driver. =)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Last Weekend
Justin and I are trying to get settled in our house. Justin has been unpacking during the week and I am going up each weekend to help. Last weekend, my uncle had a surprise birthday and retirement party for my aunt in Buford. My family came up for this party and they visited Justin and me at our house. While they visited, we played Guitar Hero and everyone did really well except me. I really stink! Mama didn't play.
While we were visiting, we noticed this cute little chipmunk running around outside. We initially thought it was a baby squirrel, but my niece and Mark informed us that we were incorrect. Pete and Annabelle don't like squirrels, so I'm guessing they won't like chipmunks either.
After everyone left, Justin and I noticed this insect in the hallway of the house. We don't know what it is, but Justin says there are a lot more in the crawlspace under the house. Yikes!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Yay!
We closed on the house on Friday and should be moving most of our stuff this weekend. We are glad that is over and look forward to getting settled.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
House
Justin and I are in the process of buying a house in Atlanta. If things go as planned, we should close next week.
This is one side of kitchen cabinets. The little orange notes are from when the house was winterized. I think the house may have been on the market during the winter.
This is the view of the living room from the dining room. The walls in the dining room are dark blue/gray. I would like to paint those walls a different color because they are too dark for me.
This picture was taken from the backyard. There is a courtyard before you get to the backyard.
Another backyard/courtyard picture. That room is part of the master bedroom. I call it a sunroom, but it's not really a sunroom. I would like to eventually do some renovations to that part of the house.
The backyard is really shady. I think Pete and Annabelle will enjoy it. They will have plenty of yard to explore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)