Hurricane Ike sucked eggs for most folks in its path, including us. It ripped off pieces of our roof like it was playing "52 pick-up" with the tiles.

As the storm raged, CD did his best to tarp off the holes but the winds were evil and against us. It rained in our dining room, destroying a wall and a bookcase. By the time the sun came back, there was mold, dust, and grime everywhere.

Allstate's disaster team showed up, looked at our old house, and wrote us a $962 check. You ever try to fix a roof with $962? Can't be done. Not without a superhero cape, industrial strength duct tape, and the ability to fly.

"It's not intended to fix your roof," said Allstate. "Your roof was old. Old roofs are excluded."

"Our roof was on top of our house," I reminded them. "And kept out the elements. Now the elements are coming and going and asking for their eggs sunny-side up."

Allstate shrugged, and left.

Allstate? Sucks.

We hired a handyman to do what he could, which wasn't much. The past 18 months have been insane. CD finally folded a kiddie paddling pool like a taco in order to get it up into the attic and placed it strategically under the patch. Then he tossed a beach ball in it.

When it's rained, he's stuck his head up into the attic. If he could see the beach ball bobbing, then it's been time to get the contraption. A strange beast CD has created from a wet/dry vac and a garden house.

No, I'm not making this up.

Bear and I have become great contraption-wranglers. This had become and official event in our home. Grabbing the vac, the big step ladder, unraveling the hose into the toilet... oh yeah, good times. Good times.

Despite our joy with the situation, we went to Home Depot last spring and got a line of credit for a new roof. All we needed to do was choose the one we wanted, and the joys of a an actual cover on the top of our house would be all ours...

Then the bad thing happened.

No, really.

We dithered.

We thought we had all summer to decide - and it seemed like a big decision. We have long thought we would someday dormer up. So buy the best quality tiles to maybe turn around and pull them off someday? But they seemed so much BETTER than the cheapest option. Oh, we went back and forth.

Here's my advice: Be ye not so stupid. Dithering is for fools! Would a PIRATE have dithered? I think not.

Because we all know what happened while we were ruminating, don't we? Banks tumbled. The housing market crashed. Then the credit crunch started.

We got a letter from Home Depot - "Dear Dithering Homeowners; you snooze, you lose. We're taking back our credit line. So there." It was signed by Dasterdly and Muttley, esq et al.

Could we have re-applied? Sure. But the new terms were North of crazy.

Home Depot? Sucks.

It was a long, wet Autumn. It's been a wet, long Winter. The moment Spring showed its face, CD headed up the extension ladder with a "Roofing for Dummies" book, tiles, roof paper, and determination.

For the past 6 weeks, this is what he has been dealing with. Dead tiles have rained down on the driveway. He's emerged each Saturday with grit on his skin and a sore back.

But for Easter? For Easter - he says we have a patched roof. He's down to the last bit. And even as it rained the other night, the inside of our house stayed dry!

Da roof, da roof ... it's a wondrous thing.

Posted by: Elizabeth at 06:27 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 634 words, total size 4 kb.

I know that if you read this site from a feeder or reader of some kind, you probably have the inside track when I post something and then bring it down.

In the past, I've been treasonously guilty of self-censoring. People who have known me my whole life have become frequent visitors and that has often left me a torrid case of second thoughts about my posts.

But this does not explain the past week.

I am spun glass.

I am stretched so thin that you could use me as a window to the world.

I am afraid, and trying to pretend nonchalance and bravery.

I am bold, and stoic, and calm. And convinced that I am already living a happy ending.

My doctor told me about the ping pong ball in my brain, and then you know what? I went food shopping. And looking for crafts to make my son a crown for Saturday (He's the king bringing gold in the pageant).

It's funny, but life does go on.

No neon light suddenly surrounded me, no muzak version of Amazing Grace playing as I walked my cart down the aisles.

Everyone has a story they are living.

That's what I remind myself.

But if look deeper than that, into the part of my soul that bubbles up when I sit at the keyboard, then I here the sharp crack of splitting ice. It is the glass of me, stretched too thin and breaking.

Quick, pass me the glue, before someone notices.

Or else, let me erase the proof before anyone reads.

I plead to my own weakness, my stumble in faith, and am ashamed.

Posted by: Elizabeth at 02:19 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 277 words, total size 2 kb.

1 I'm one of those feed-reader readers. It's sometimes disappointing to read the first few lines, become intrigued, and then come here to find the post has vanished. Because you do this blogging thing for us, right? I know the feelings you're having right now--I've been there myself. Don't apologize for having them. It's okay to crack and break now and then--it's a heavy load to bear. Everyone says to take it one day at a time, but sometimes you have to take it minute by minute. There's no shame in that. I'm thinking of and praying for you and your family.

Posted by: Sharkey at December 04, 2007 02:43 AM (cmHYN)

2 I am thinking about you and keeping you in my prayers.

Posted by: jill at December 04, 2007 04:43 AM (UxSxS)

3 I'm not a feed reader so I never saw the post you removed. I've been thinking about you so much & praying for you & your family. I feel like I know you so well, but I know I don't & you have no idea who I am. If I lived near you, I would be your friend I just know that I would!! You should never feel ashamed for worrying. Believe me I am a world champion worrier. It is human nature to worry. Please don't be so hard on yourself. I will keep praying for you. I love reading your posts, but I also understand how hard it might be now. God bless you & your family! If there are people giving you a hard time, then I don't think you need to waste any time on them - I can't imagine people being hard on you with what you are going thru. Just ignore the mean people!!

Posted by: Cindy at December 04, 2007 02:03 PM (cbnUD)

4 I keep track of you via feed and I never care if you take down a post. I know you tip toe a very precarious line from time to time. Lots of love, E.

Posted by: rp at December 04, 2007 02:57 PM (fWrQ6)

5 Life keeps going even when you wish it would just slow down for a little bit so you could catch up. Those cracks in the ice will seal up with the help of the cold winter wind ... from Iceland. He'll help you through just as you helped him through. There are those of us out here who are here for you as well. Sometimes we might not know what to say or fear that we might make the cracks wider, but we're still here thinking about you and hoping for the best. Thinking about you. Wishing there were more I could do.

Posted by: Michele at December 05, 2007 04:04 AM (h1vml)

6 EBY, I'm not one of the feed-readers and so I don't know what the original post said, but you would be super-human if you didn't get to the end of your rope with all that is going on. We all lose hope from time to time. I just want to say that you matter very much to me and I do read your posts regularly. I want to hear what you have to say, weather it is the hopeful brave side of you or the side of you that feels broken and spent. But it is ok to decide you didn't want to share something, after all. No apologies necessary.

Posted by: Laura at December 05, 2007 08:59 AM (Tqoj6)

7 Love you, E.

Posted by: Jenny at December 06, 2007 06:52 AM (fcvxR)

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My husband spent much of his growing up years moving from small apartment to small apartment with his working dad.

Despite all the years since, I suspect CD still harbors this deep need to roost. To be rooted, and never left.

Life has very little to do with what we see when we look into the mirror at ourselves.

The mirror sees a pink-haired woman, with too many curves and slightly creased with age.

But I see more than a reflection. I see a rebel, a mother, a free spirit, a lover. I see the scars from falls I took in small strips across my skin. And in my heart. I see my own eyes, and all the stories they hold.

I can't know what he sees. In me. In himself.

Other than this gnawing sense, that where you live shouldn't be a place easy to leave.

No amount of time could hope to completely erase this from him.

No amount of love, or help, or maturity can wipe clean the truths we cling to as children.

Maybe that's why it's so hard for him to think of selling this house. Why it is so incomprehensible to his heart that this home, that holds so many of the memories of us as a family, would belong to someone else.

And I begin to see it now.

Tomorrow, Bear tests up in karate to a blue belt. On Sunday, we take our annual trip to the pumpkin farm. When will there be time, he asks me, to get to that list of things we need to finish on the house.

And there it is, behind his eyes.

I begin to see it now.

This is home in a way that no place has been to him since he was his own son's age.

This is the place I always come back to, the bed I share with him. This is where we eat dinner. This is where Bear lays out his Magnetix creations for us to admire. These are the boxes with the winter sweaters. And over there is the bin with the Halloween decorations.

And as awareness began to dawn in my foggy head, I reached out to him.

It isn't each other we're leaving, I promise. If we sell this house and move - wherever we go, it will be home just as much as this place has been.

He nodded.

For years, I have been ready to go. To kick off a new adventure.

But it isn't only me that has to go.

And he's finding this house, hard to leave.

Posted by: Elizabeth at 03:56 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 439 words, total size 2 kb.

1 What an absolutely beautiful post. I can relate, in a strange way. My mother didn't leave, but rather died when I was three. I spent many years being shuffled first to my grandmother, then back to my father and his new wife, and then as a family moving several times. Never feeling at home in any of the places we lived. I am an only child and extremely shy and never made fast friends along the way. Finally, when I met and married my current husband (I had one before and he and I moved frequently, too) I found home. I married a man who had only lived in a different place the four years he was in the service. His parents built a new house when he got out and he moved back into the homestead. He also farms, and you don't pick up and move the farm, so farmers stay put. Fast forward to three years ago. We finally decided to build a new house. We are only two miles away from the old one, but the old one was where my husband had always lived, and where I had lived the longest. Where I had set down roots and raised all of my children. The memories are deep. I'm sorry to get so long... I just know that if our son hadn't moved into the old house and I'd had to let it go to strangers, it would be much worse than it was. As it was, it took some adjustment... but now we are fine. As will you all be. "Home is where the heart is"... is very true.

Posted by: sue at October 12, 2007 08:45 AM (WbfZD)

2 The way you write is amazing. Instead of going back into the corporate world you should think about doing a book. You inspire me.

Posted by: Mrs Groovy at October 12, 2007 12:31 PM (qod59)

3 Thanks so much for this writing. It is indeed beautiful. I'm glad you have eyes to see and a heart that understands. And soon, he will know that what you say is true - home is where y'all are...all together.

Posted by: Janie at October 13, 2007 03:00 PM (UCqK5)

4 You are such a beautiful writer! I stumbled upon you by accident looking up things on Google. I thought I'd stop for a moment and scan down a few posts but got captured by this post and had to read it through to the end. It brought tears to my eyes. It made me think of my husband. His father left him. Thank you for sharing this post ~ Valaine

Posted by: Valaine at October 17, 2007 09:28 AM (MzPSj)

5 Beautiful post! And you're good for understanding and then reaching out.

Posted by: Monica C. at October 18, 2007 12:50 PM (FMnfx)

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The picture I posted of the kitchen mold and mildew has gotten me quite a few emails and comments, mostly asking what we did about it.

Our son is allergic to mold, dust, Autumn, and most laundry detergents. Usually his reaction is to be cranky and have a rash and some post-nasal drip.

Occasionally, though, he spikes 105 fever, breaks out in hives, and can't breath and off we go to the hospital.

SO when we saw what was underneath the cabinets and walls of our kitchen, CD and I had a profound 'Holy Crap!' moment. 80-year-old dust and mildew is not unexpected, but then again - who can be prepared for what we found?

After locking our son in his hermetically sealed environment with filters going an mach speeds, we consulted the Internet and our family doctor about what to do.

Short of doing a complete gut removal of the room (which we did with the back room of the house but couldn't afford to do again) here's the consensus that we followed.

1) We scrubbed the bejabbers out of everything with a bleach-based solution. This was disgusting. CD did most of this, bless him.

2) Painted everything with Kilz Primer. We looked into other Eco alternatives, but Kilz has the availability and reputation we needed.

3) For the top coat, we used Sherwin-Williams for the whole kitchen. It was pricier that the Home Depot stuff, but we really wanted the mold-inhibitors and the anti-microbial properties.

I don't know if this helps anyone else, but there it is - what we did. (Man, do I need coffee!)

Posted by: Elizabeth at 02:54 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 292 words, total size 2 kb.

OK, as much as this makes me squinge.- I'm always so nervous to post pictures of our home because, well, after more than 6 years of living in a house that has been under renovation (yes, there has ALWAYS been something in construction) I'm terrified that people will say - 'Oh, THAT'S how you LIVE?' or something like that. (Especially since we do about 90% of the work ourselves.) So, please be gentle. Um, please.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

This is the kitchen the day we moved in, February 2001. The woman who was moving out was mid-divorce with 2 teen-aged boys. It was a heartbreaking situation, and I have long respected her for how she got this old, stained, warped house absolutely scrubbed clean.

Having lived with that yellow linoleum floor for 6 years - I can tell you that it was never this clean again.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

This is how it looked after we were settled in. It is basically a hallway from the front of the house to the back door. The cabinets had all been made by hand in the 40's (about 15 years after the house was built). Sometime in the late 70's, one of the owners had a counter top made out of pressboard and a kind of thick tinfoil application.

Of course, by the time we moved in all the appliances had changed over the years so nothing really fit where it was.

Notice that CD bought a dishwasher and a free-standing cabinet for it, which he installed in the space where the previous owners had had room for a tiny table.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

By 2003, we'd bought a new fridge and a new stove - neither of which "fit" where the old ones had been. We also upgraded the window to something that, you know, opened.

CD went ahead swapped the refrigerator and stove spaces, so now the fridge was at the back. This made it easier for him to run the piping for the in-door water and ice dispensers, too.

(That's the beloved Elia, by the way.)

That was how the kitchen looked for the next 4 years. Cluttered, mismatched, never feeling clean, and never enough space to do anything practically.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

The demo of the real part of the kitchen began in June, 2007. Our neighbors to the side, who we would pick up and move with us if we could, offered to help.

With a saws-all, a big ol dumpster in the driveway (they built a chute from the window to the dumpster), crowbars, and sheer force of will they completely ripped the place apart in 2 short afternoons.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

It took me much longer to pack it all up than it did for them to break it all down.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

What was underneath was... disturbing. This is an old (1920's) stucco house built before the introduction of vapor barriers and proper ventilation.

We found just acres of black mold and dust.

After the demo, we went in and cleaned (wearing masks and gloves). Gallons of bleach. Replacing boards where we could, and then painting the whole thing with a special paint that seals away allergens.

That said, CD couldn't breathe properly for weeks.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

The first part that was done was the left-side of the kitchen. While we were waiting for delivery of the cabinets, we removed the 80's flowered wallpaper, and painted (oi! choosing neutral paints was actually hard). Once we laid down the new floor along the hallway, this looked good.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

The upper cabinets went in first. With the two friends helping, CD got the (Maple, tall) cabinets mostly up in about a day.

The lower cabinets took the better part of 4 weekends. First, because the floor had to be laid and leveled. Then because the plumbing and electrical inspections both had to be done twice to correct some faults the house had and finally because that 3-drawer cabinet was on back-order.

We kept the layout basically the same, just much more streamlined. After all these years, we'd realized that this was the most efficient use of the space.

oooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000oooooooooooooooooo

There's still a lot to be done - the faucet is halfway in, to be finished tonight. The walls are being finished by a handyman who will be here this weekend. CD will put the doors back on, and do the trim work, as well.

Those soffits are gone, and everything painted more neutral colors. That makes it feel so much bigger already.

So that's where we are now. A couple of weeks from being ready to put it on the market (only uh...4 months behind schedule?). I'll post more pictures after the weekend....

(See link 'continued' for a couple more random pictures.) more...

Posted by: Elizabeth at 02:58 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 877 words, total size 7 kb.

1 Starting to look pretty fabulous! Congratulations!

Posted by: rp at September 20, 2007 03:35 AM (op1yW)

2 Looking great! We went through all that with the old farmhouse we lived in for...oh... eons. It's so much work, but well worth it afterwards. Love the dog! Poor little guy. We had kids with allergies to practically everything on the farm, but in their case it showed up as asthma, not hives. Guilt is a wonderful thing, huh? Yeah. Not so much.

Posted by: sue at September 20, 2007 04:14 AM (WbfZD)

3 Wow--looks great! It always amazes me in these old houses that the stove and fridge never really "fit" anywhere. It's almost as if they were afterthoughts. Like they finished the kitchen and then said, "Oh those? Hmmm . . . where should we put them? I know--let's just put them side-by-side on this empty wall."

Posted by: Sharkey at September 20, 2007 04:20 AM (cmHYN)

4 The kitchen is looking awesome! Your cabinets are beautiful and I think we have the same fridge! Not that having the same fridge would be all that special ... but it's late and I need to belong, dammit. Poor Bear, Maggie and Sara - although I have to say that Sara's cut is very very slimming. Thank god Bear is all better. I love that Maggie has a nice lap to curl up on - our cats just tolerate our kids letting them pet them backwards ... never climbing up to cuddle on their laps.

Posted by: Michele at September 20, 2007 04:47 PM (h1vml)

5 Wow, it looks great! You have done a tremendous amount of work, tremendously!

Posted by: Janie at September 21, 2007 12:09 PM (EKMxC)

6 Wow, Elizabeth, y'all have gotten a lot done! It looks great! And I'm impressed that you've done it all yourselves. We're really great at demolition, but have hired other folks to do much of the putting things back together. We've lived in a house that's always part construction site for 8 years now. One day we will have it finished... and then it will be time to start over again on something!

Posted by: Kimberly at September 22, 2007 07:04 PM (MxRdB)

7 Good work! Can you tell me: what is this paint that seals away allergens?

Posted by: trendoffice at September 24, 2007 01:59 AM (jIKRQ)

8 Kitchen looks great! I can't wait to see it in person. Sara actually looks good either fluffy or bald. I know those pricker bushes are aweful...there's one somewhere in my garden and Miles keeps finding it. I finally broke down and bought a really expensive mat cutting brush to use on him but sometimes all you can do is shave and start over. That mold is scary stuff. We are afraid of what we'll find when we finally pull down the plastic shower stall in the bathroom. I'm sure it won't be pretty. Cleaning and sealing it with that paint will be healthier for all of you. Poor Bear! I'm glad he's doing better with the allergies. I can so relate to what you guys have been dealing with. I have been keeping up with reading your blog, I just don't always comment these days. : )

Posted by: laura at September 27, 2007 02:01 PM (Tqoj6)

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Both the cabinet people AND the counter top people called today to say that by next Tuesday, I will have... a kitchen!

With a working sink and countertops and drawers for silverware and EVERYTHING.

Color me giddy!

Posted by: Elizabeth at 01:55 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Shhhhh...

The plumbers are here.

We had to hock a couple of organs and take out a 3rd and 4th mortgage. Plus kill a fatted calf.

But they're HERE.

Right this very second, as I type this, there are ACTUAL plumber people in my basement making noise and stuff.

Huge milestone.

HUGE.

Of course, their green room demands included 5000-count towels for wiping their hands, a catered lunch from Hooters, a bowl of M&M's with all the brown ones picked out, and a 6-pack of a lovely Cabernet but .....who cares???

I was starting to lose all kind of hope. Now, I'm practically giddy with a sliver of it. IF I squint my eyes and pretend the next week has 16 days in it, I can almost see the end of the tunnel.

Posted by: Elizabeth at 04:37 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 141 words, total size 1 kb.

We failed both inspections today.

As we are poised to finally, finally, FINALLY screw those damn bottom cabinets into the wall for good and have those nice counter top people do their business...

The electrical and plumbing guys came for final sign off.

Electrical guy wants CD to split the circuits for the 4 outlets. Which, because CD has a final exam on Thursday night, means I have THREE DAYS at least of no electric in the kitchen while I wait for CD to rip the wiring and redo it.

Then the plumbing guy walks in, and we say to him that we haven't even touched the plumbing. We're confused as to why we even have to have th guy here. Nothing with the plumbing is changing. Sink and dishwasher in exactly the same place.

He isn't even IN THE DOOR, just looking from the entry, when he says 'oh, see that? That's a MAJOR code violation.'

Yeah, so, 40 years ago someone moved the sink from the corner to under the window (makes sense, really) and when they did, they didn't attach the new plumbing back to the vent.

He gave us the name of a guy who can do the work, since CD's expertise doesn't extend to pipes. In fact, it is about the only place he doesn't have the savvy to do it himself.

We were so disheartened that we fell into a funk. CD stared at his beautifully installed wiring, knowing that he'd met code and utterly exhausted that the inspector had been so arbitrary.

My heart broke for him. And boiled in frustration at the 7 millionth setback.

"C'mon," I whispered in his ear.

CD looked up and tried to smile. We dug up the video iPod for Bear and plugged it into a widescreen for him to watch. With earphones.

And then we quietly, almost sadly at first, jumped each others bones. Tossing sheets and pillows as we weaved ourselves together in the long sunbeams of the afternoon. Kissing, holding, wiggling. Pausing each time we thought we heard something from Bear's room. Then grabbing for each other again.

The child blithely engaged in a Power Rangers movie.

He woke us up an hour later, after the house had fallen into a quiet snooze. "Mommy, Daddy," as he climbed up onto the big bed. "Let's go outside and play with the sprinkler..."

Under the sheet I felt CD's fingers touch mine.

Still pissed at the inspectors, and all their friendly recommended experts. But somehow, strangely, OK.

Probably denial. You know, because sometimes the light you see isn't the end of a tunnel - it's the Superliner from Detroit.

But I think that it's going to be all right. As long as we can keep pulling together (very very together) instead of apart....

Posted by: Elizabeth at 03:34 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 481 words, total size 3 kb.

It was on a day like this, 5 years ago, that we stood on the street before the big blue house and knew we had found home. (The peeling paint and upturned grocery cart in the yard notwithstanding).... more...

Posted by: Elizabeth at 08:44 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 341 words, total size 2 kb.

1 wow. I know that buying a new house takes a certain amount of courage. Our first house was a "YES! This will be our home!" and it was for several years. Then we moved across the street. A few more years later we up & moved out of the neighborhood. I wasn't totally sold on the whole suburban neighborhood thing, but it turned out to be a good thing. Yours will be, too.

Posted by: kalisah at September 21, 2005 09:01 AM (6pzhF)

2 Congratulations! I remember the incredible stress relief when we "pulled the trigger" and made the decision ourselves. This will be such an exciting time for you - picking out your new kitchen counters, living room flooring, etc. And it will all be what YOU want. Sure, it will be work (what isn't?) but in the end, you'll be in a better spot and happy knowing that you did something about it. Cows & geese sound GREAT!

Posted by: jill at September 21, 2005 09:19 AM (mPnaW)

3 how exciting! we're probably going to be doing the same in about two years. i'll be looking forward to reading about you decorating your new house.

Posted by: lani at September 21, 2005 11:27 AM (d/TO1)

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We are related to a bank. You know, on my husband's side - his sister's brother-in-law's cousin, 3 times removed? The one who always wears green awning and it does NOTHING to hide her hips? No? Oh, OK.

But, actually, through his new job. You know? And strange as this may sound, yes, we get an employee discount.

And we need it.

We refinanced around two years ago, in the Dark Times. I was slipping into panic, and left the nest of our bank and went through a broker. And all I have to say is - Be Ye Not So Stupid.

While we did maintain a 20% equity position, we paid WAY WAY WAY more than we should have in closing costs and percentage. Yes, thousands more. And our mortgage, which has been sold on average of every 6 months since, has become a source of shame to us. A reminder that we did it wrong.

So once CD got to his work anniversary, and eligible for this benefit - we pounced.

We have so many 'wants' - pay off the last of the debt, pull enough money out to rehab the kitchen and replace the roof, and lower the interest rate, and maintain at least a 30% equity position on the house which has, miraculously, continued to grow in value despite our broken lawnmower.

I want, so bad, for the last of the Dark Times to be gone, you know? This current mortgage, this Bad Deal, makes me nuts every month.

So I spent a lot of time repeating all this to CD, eleventybillion times, in a squeaky little high-strung voice. How he had to negotiate in whatever leeway they gave him. How he had to stand firm, and get in there and fight! fight! fight! for every possibly quarter-point and fee.

So off CD went to work, the precious paperwork under his arm, and walked it over to the guy who is in charge of employee mortgages. According to his faithful account, this is how the fiercely negotiated conversation went:

CD (handing over the paperwork): Dude.

Loan Guy (Looking the forms over and nodding): Dude.

CD (noting our current interest rate): Dude.

Loan Guy (pointing at the currently available interest rate): Dude.

CD (smiling, extending his hand): DUDE.

Loan Guy (shaking his hand): Duuuuude.

Well, we got a call yesterday. The Loan Guy says it looks good. We might get what we wanted.

The interest rate he's talking is about quarter-point higher than our fantasy interest rate (everyone has fantasy interest rates, right?) and the amount of money that will be available for rehab is a little less than we'd thought - mostly because we made a dufus error in calculating which I am too embarrassed to admit to.

We will probably find out today if the go is for-real.

And then it looks like Paris. And after that, Colorado. And may I just say that I am surprised at the poor showing of the Minnesotans? I mean, for all that talk - about the Lakes! the Diversity! Well, I'll keep voting open until Tuesday and see what happens....

Posted by: Elizabeth at 01:59 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 530 words, total size 3 kb.

Updated: 8/30:

OK, here's what we're researching so far based on your recommendations:
*Colorado
*Upstate New York
*Wisconsin
*Twin Cities (although that seems FAR off the beaten path)
*New England
*Canada (Toronto, Vancouver or Ottawa - all contingent on them letting yet another Yank in. Oh, and my company sponsoring me.)
* Oregon/Seattle - I know, different states, but probably the same scouting trip. Although CD wants it noted, for the record, that he is like a plant and needs a certain amount of sun. We have heard rumors that there is no sun in the Pacific NW of the US. This is probably a dastardly lie, right? Also, and not that anyone is counting, but I have more than 1 ex in the Seattle area.

Places on the 'probably not' list:

*RTP and NC as a whole (I have spent a LOT of time in RTP and not only can I attest to the beauty - I can attest to the heat, the traffic, the humidity and the GODAWFUL GREEN CRAP that falls from the sky every spring and sticks to everything like bird snot on crazy glue.)

* Montana (Although I LOVE Cheryl, I travelled to Butte once. Ever land in Butte? And then, you know, drive down the butte into Butte? In the snow? Ok, 'nuf said.)

*Georgia (Although, for the amount of time I have spent in the Atlanta airport they should charge me state income tax. Just too hot. And not just in August.)

*UK (I lived there in '94 and I LOVED it. I cried for 3 months after I got back to the states. But my company will not sponsor me there. And we can not afford to live there without a work visa. We can barely afford to live there WITH a work visa. Seriously, we would be squatting with my dear friends in the North, taking showers with that hand-held thing while sitting in the tub and wondering how we could afford the next pint of petrol. Or gin.)

Still taking suggestions. And now I am looking at neighborhoods....

**********************************************************
For about two years now, we've been aware that we have an opportunity to move. Anywhere.

I telecommute, and my husband currently works for a company with locations uh... everywhere.

So even though we'll probably move to the quaint little Bedford Falls town just over the road from our current home in Pleasantville, we aren't.... sure.

Where would you move? If you were up for an adventure, and could go?

We want a good school system for Bear, but on the other hand I could homeschool. We want a place that is beautiful to feed our soul - water, hills, green. We need a somewhat nearby tech corridor. And we need snow and winter and really, as few 80+ days as possible.

Ideas? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

Posted by: Elizabeth at 05:55 PM | Comments (31) | Add Comment
Post contains 489 words, total size 3 kb.

1 You should check out a suburb or town near Denver. The cost of housing here is much cheaper than most major cities, and it's incredibly beautiful. They have two tech centers on either side of the city. We love it here. Also, the weather? Is fantastic. When we went to the park yesterday, it was 91 degrees, but the heat index was 78. I didn't even know that was possible. I've also lost about ten pounds since we moved here. There's just something about this place that makes you feel like eating healthy. And the people are uniformly nice. Even the repair people are clean and courteous. We seriously haven't encountered a rude or angry person in the month that we've been here. We plan to stay here forever.

Posted by: notdonnareed at August 29, 2005 05:08 AM (RFcQ+)

2 Come on over to the Twin Cities! Very little traffic, you could live in a quaint suburb like Hopkins or the more pricey Edina is always lovely. Or you can live in NorthEast Minneapolis which is becoming a very nice neighborhood. You could live right on a lake and have only a 15 minute commute to downtown. School districts are AMAZING! and opportunities abound. Winters are very much like you experience now in CHI-town. Many huge companies are here, 3M, Medtronic, etc etc. Beautiful homes for sale all over my neighborhood if your lookin. Plus, you'd get the added bonus of living by me

Posted by: suzanne at August 29, 2005 05:23 AM (GhfSh)

3 You should check out this area. We are wonderfully positioned between three cities -- all of which offer us something. We have low crime, a slow-pace of life, beauty -- and yet the city life is only a train-ride away (75 mins). Drive 30 miles and you find Fortune 500 companies. What more could you ask for? I wouldn't go back even if someone offered me $1M in cash. No joke.

Posted by: Eyes for Lies at August 29, 2005 06:24 AM (QhI+Z)

4 I was thinking about Oregon a while back. Also, I thought about Vermont or New Hampshire. Might be nice to be within striking distance of the ocean.

Posted by: RP at August 29, 2005 07:06 AM (LlPKh)

5 I have to second what RP said-I love the Pacific Northwest, and a part of me thinks-should I ever return, something about the Northeast (Vermont, NH, Maine)appeals.

Posted by: Helen at August 29, 2005 08:50 AM (6/cg4)

6 I live in the Twin Cities like Suzanne and would certainly say its a great place to live. If I was picking for myself ...I'd pick Duluth/Two Harbors/Grand Marais or anything along the north shore in a heart beat. The only reason we haven't done it is because the kids are so far along in school and we don't want to up root them. Once they're out of school...we're up there as fast as we can.

Posted by: cursingmama at August 29, 2005 09:39 AM (PoQfr)

7 Naturally I think you should move up here. But since there would be no work (I imagine) for either of you, I would reccomend Calgary. It's gorgeous, and so near the mountains. You could live on the outskirts, and have the best of all worlds. Lots of snow. Wonderful schools. Great zoo. And of course, the health care system....

Posted by: Tammy/averagemom at August 29, 2005 09:44 AM (M++hX)

8 We looked at Canada - Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa. The problem is me - I am an American, and Canada is of the daft opinion that they have enough of us there, thank you. CD and Bear, in a heartbeat and I can tag along - as a dependant. We're continuing to look Northward - CD's comfort level with raising a child in the USA is always a bit iffy. It's no slam, he loves America and has worked and paid taxes here and served this country in thanks any way he could. But he is a social and political liberal, and so you can imagine.... And I actually could happily live in the UK again or Canada. I think. I'd miss my friends. And hamburgers withe blue cheese and mushrooms.

Posted by: Elizabeth at August 29, 2005 10:54 AM (UEEkh)

9 Athens, Georgia Cheap, beautiful, friendly, progressive, home of a major university and all its guest speakers/programs/etc., one hour from Atlanta, great schools, yummy restaurants, cool bars, awesome music scene, great small town feel, amazing history, quaint-yet-happening downtown--- PARADISE.

Posted by: Lucinda at August 29, 2005 11:44 AM (OPvIN)

10 I must agree wtih notdonnareed about the Denver area. Husband and I were just commenting that our quality of life has increased tenfold since moving here from the Bay Area. There is zero humidity. It's a beautiful thing! We haven't encountered anyone rude yet either in our 8 weeks here. The school system scores very high in the South Metro area. The tech center is mere minutes away. The skies are blue and gorgeous and we absolutely love it here. We feel so lucky to have made such a good choice! At the very least you should check it out over a weekend. That's what we did and we were hooked immediately!

Posted by: jill at August 29, 2005 12:58 PM (mPnaW)

11 Missoula, Montana baby. That's where it's at.

Posted by: Cheryl at August 29, 2005 01:35 PM (xz8OC)

12 Seattle. I'm a native Californian (southern), went to college in Milwaukee. Our life changed dramatically when we moved here. House, baby, I went from working 60+ hours a week to working 20. No humidity. 40 minutes outside of downtown is almost like country. The traffic is worse than the weather. Join me.

Posted by: lisa at August 29, 2005 06:43 PM (V+qBp)

13 We have hamburgers with bleu cheese here, baby. Or at least Angus does, I eat the tofu version. And it's only a two hour flight to CD's home territory. And there's loads of us with the flat vowels living here, and we aren't unpopular (you get a bit of ribbing now and then but only once did I get it in an unkind way, and he was a jerk anyway.) Free health care (it's quite good, actually). Good schools. Fantastic shopping. And ain't nothing wrong with the almighty pouind, seeing as it's nearly a 2-1 in the US, which means when you visit home, it's like one giant 50% off sale year-round. Hmmm....

Posted by: Helen at August 30, 2005 02:12 AM (R4iEo)

14 Look at Wisconsin--Madison or Milwaukee area. Then Minnesota--outside the Twin Cities, or even Rochester. Finally, depending on how much you want to get away from it all, how about Michigan's Upper Pennisula (da U.P., as they say)? Homeschooling is easy in Wisconsin, and I believe also in Michigan and Minnesota. But, good school systems, including in the rural areas.

Posted by: cc at August 30, 2005 02:41 AM (O2Ovh)

15 Here are a few links that I used to select our new area...hopefully you'll find them useful and fun! http://www.findyourspot.com/ http://houseandhome.msn.com/pickaplace/comparecities.aspx http://www.dickgilbert.com/downtowndenveraircam.htm (I had to throw in that last link - it is the Denver cam so you can check out our beautiful weather!!) ;-)

Posted by: Jill at August 30, 2005 06:26 AM (mPnaW)

16 Hmmm, I live in a suburb of Boston, and while my suburb is expensive there are TONS right outside of the 95 belt (which coincidentally is the second largest tech corridor outside of silicon valley) that are very reasonable. I say Massachusetts! Plus, we are very very liberal. Here are the pluses- very liberal, very accepting, best schools in the nation (ranked #1), very safe (houses safest city in the country), and we are nice! Nice is good! I am from California (San Francisco) and find the liberally goodness to be very welcoming and lovely, so if CD feels that way also, you might want to consider. Oh, and we have snow and lots of lovely nature. We do have very expensive areas but lots of beautiful areas that aren't so expensive. I am happy to talk more about it if you want!

Posted by: halloweenlover at August 30, 2005 06:51 AM (cdEd4)

17 The UK - i agree with Helen Ace schooling, free health care, if you stay long enough a crack at a european passport, what more could you want for Bear?! Seriously though, good luck with the decision making. abs x

Posted by: abs at August 30, 2005 11:23 AM (9TKPM)

18 We moved to North Carolina five years ago and I love it. Beaches of the Outerbanks to the east, Asheville and the mountains to the west, RTP smack center. It's gorgeous here, greener than any other CITY I've ever visited. And jobs are everywhere. The thing I love most, though, is the small town feel. It all depends on where in the Triangle you choose to hang your hat.

Posted by: Jennifer at August 30, 2005 12:38 PM (1X5Jq)

19 NC is HELL in the Summer. NC is a love/hate relationship for me. I repeat do not come here. I have been here for 5 years from Upstate NY. I'm waiting for something to bottom out to return back to NY. I hate the heat. Riding solo isn't as great as it seems. I miss my family. Write a list of what your looking for. I know I suffer from depression and would love to change everything about me if I could. Especially the fact I migrated to NC and have a decent job. I wish I would have stayed in NY. I miss the snow but not six months of it. 14-15 days a month I hate NC, the other half I love it. I hate the traffic in the metro city, the extensive congestion, the hight housing prices for a small lot of grass and a mini house. THen your neighbors are within reach from every room in the subdivision because they are so mini. Sorry to be a downer. Today, I HATE Nc. Good LUck. Another Jennifer

Posted by: another jennifer at August 30, 2005 01:24 PM (dz8iW)

20 My vote is Twin Cities, Toronto and then Denver. Listen to your heart and it will tell you where to go. Hugs!!

Posted by: azalea at August 30, 2005 02:51 PM (hRxUm)

21 I'll join Lisa in recommending Seattle. It has the best combination of water/hills/green that I've seen, and is close to snow when you want it. Great neighborhoods, very kid-friendly. Good luck figuring it all out.

Posted by: Kimberly at August 30, 2005 09:03 PM (CXd4V)

22 Ah, I see you've already vetoed Canada, for very sensible reason, but if I had my choice, I'd move back to Vancouver because that's where I'm from and it's gorgeous and vibrant and wonderful and I regret leaving it every single day. You couldn't get in as a "skilled worker"? Aside from British Columbia, my vote goes to Oregon or Washington State. The Pacific Northwest is fabulous. What fun to even have the option of moving!

Posted by: christina at August 31, 2005 12:45 AM (BWWXy)

23 I tried posting this the other day but it wouldn't let me: How about Madison? (; I'm enjoying it so far. It's got everything you want, not to mention ME. hehe!

Posted by: Anna at August 31, 2005 01:57 AM (DQlEk)

24 I'm a Portland, OR resident and can offer you a wealth of information should you want it. For starters, we have amazing Rogue River blue cheese and a plethora of mushrooms here. Not to mention Oregon Country beef, provided by a consortium of ranchers who commit to certain practices. And while I'm shamelessly dangling assets, you can usually get all of those things at our own local fast food chain, Burgerville - along with real ice cream/real fruit seasonal milkshakes. (It's either blackberry or huckleberry on tap now...) We've other redeeming qualities as well, promise!

Posted by: Betsy at August 31, 2005 03:09 AM (chwcp)

25 All right, then, my second choice is Wisconsin, particularly the Milwaukee area. It's gorgeous and friendly and close to Door County, which is the coolest place in the world. Although I hear winters there are a bitch. Could you have a beach vacation home?

Posted by: Lucinda at August 31, 2005 04:16 AM (OPvIN)

26 The heat's not bad down here. Seriously, we seldom go above 80. The whole "Hotlanta" thing is just a myth to keep out undesirables. What? No, my fingers are NOT crossed! Oh, the other hand. Okay, you caught me. But we do have air conditioning!

Posted by: Jim at August 31, 2005 05:15 AM (tyQ8y)

27 If you're looking for housing info in the twin cities - try wwwdotedinarealtydotcom - I'd be more than happy to answer any questions. Why do you think it's far off the beaten path?

Posted by: cursingmama at August 31, 2005 05:21 AM (PoQfr)

28 Yes, it's hot here in Carolina. But it's also the last bastion of the South for having four distinct seasons. The traffic is relative, all dependent on where you live. It takes my husband and I each about 10 minutes to get to work. I haven't driven on I-40 for six months, and I work in RTP. Just sayin'. It's got a lot to offer.

Posted by: Jennifer at August 31, 2005 06:46 AM (jl9h0)

29 Based on your criteria, I would agree with whomever suggested Colorado. Personally, I was with you until you said snow and winter ... not I! There is a website that asks you to answer about 50 questions, and based on your answers comes up with a list of places that you might want to move to. Darn it - I can't think of the site - maybe go to Google and try to find it? It's a great site and could help you research not only certain states, but particular cities, as well!!

Posted by: Monica C. at August 31, 2005 06:57 AM (gkN3L)

30 I've lived in Colorado Springs and Seattle-I loved them both. The winters could be pretty darn cold and snowy in Colorado, though (and I would suggest you remove the Twin Cities from that list if you aren't keen on cold. My Dad lived there for many years, and I am not big on places where the nose hair freezes. That is one of them.) It's true Seattle has a lot of rain. It is also expensive. In its favor, it's one of the more liberal places I have ever lives, and I just loved it.

Posted by: Helen at August 31, 2005 07:20 AM (ID3Q+)

31 I moved to NC from Miami in 2002. What a big mistake, NC is a sorry state, and I have been in Oklahoma for like 9 months. NC sucks big time on everything, people is rude, southern hospitality my @ss, the weather is sorry, the food stinks, the traffic is horrible, pine trees everywhere, everything is expensive, and I can go on forever. I'm just waiting in getting my divorce and I'm getting the hell out of here, hopefully DC or Atlanta.

Posted by: Gus at September 11, 2005 11:42 AM (M7kiy)

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Kitchen:
Cabinets and Hardware: $3400 (plus delivery and tax)
Flooring: $500
Construction Materials: $250
New Sink: $200
New Counter: $750
New Electrical wiring: $250
Kitchen lighting: $250

Bathroom:
New sink: $250
New Cabinet: $200
New bath tile & Construction Materials: $350

Front door:
Hardware: $150
Glass: $300
Construction Materials: $200 (Sander rental)
New House numbers: $100
New Porch light: $100

New House Roof: $3000
Hallway floor patching: $150
Tool Rental for path break up: $100
Tool rental: Chipper/Shredder: $100
Dumpster: $300
Storage rental: $150

New lighting for dining room: $200
New poly for floors: $500
Paint: $300
TOTAL: $12,300

Additional WISH LIST:
Contractor assistance: $2500
Curtains: $1000
House Painters: $2500
Landscaping (new bulbs and bushes): $500
New Driveway: $2500

Posted by: Elizabeth at 02:56 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 135 words, total size 1 kb.

1 You forgot to add: Peace and happiness: Priceless

Posted by: Cheryl at July 27, 2005 05:30 PM (DeH4g)

2 Add some "sanity" to Cheryl's comment. I don't know if you feel liberated from the all the good changes coming in your life, but I sure do.

Posted by: ieatcrayonz at July 28, 2005 05:01 AM (FLJz9)

3 Cheryl took my line! Good for you - I'm happy to come and read this update!

Posted by: Monica C. at July 28, 2005 05:47 AM (gkN3L)

4 Holy crap! I'm tired just reading your list! Best of luck to you, I know it will be worth it. Just not today.

Posted by: Tammy/averagemom at July 28, 2005 07:02 PM (aFeo0)

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I can't explain what it's like to have the construction started again on this old house. Even though he began the project in his usual impetuous way, it is so satisfying to look over and watch my husband measuring and hammering.

I flirted with the idea of not doing anything for Memorial Day, but I always do something for Memorial Day. We had three friends stopped by in addition to the four of us (my mom is visiting from out of town).

The parade in the morning was very sentimental. We stood for the flag, for veterans, for banners commemorating those who gave their lives in defense of America. Bear especially loved the bands and the muskets going off, but then he started to feel kind of puny. Once we got back home, we tucked him in on the couch with a nest of pillows and blankets and cartoons on the TV.

For the barbeque, I started cooking on Saturday. We had baby back ribs (dry rub overnight, baked, and then smoked with homemade sauce), my potato salad (which always comes out pretty good), mom's onion & roquefort salad, baked beans with sausage, sliced teriyaki steak, a roasted pepper and oil salad, grilled corn on the cob, sliced cherry tomatoes, and Dee brought cole slaw. We drank rum and punch, and had apple pie (store bought) and frosted brownies (Dee's) for dessert.

Afterwards, we did that thing I hate - split up in gender groups. The guys tucked pencils behind their ears and got to work on my office while I had the company (and help) of my girlfriend while gardening. But we came back together to drink and all push the new window into place before calling it a night.

Bear spent the afternoon cuddled with his Nana. Him not feeling well was the only dark cloud in a day of glorious, perfect weather and wonderful eats and fellowship. A great, great day. I wish it hadn't had to end.

In the extended entry, see the "before" and "during" pictures of my office! more...

Posted by: Elizabeth at 09:33 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
Post contains 594 words, total size 5 kb.

1 Looks great! And the description of the feast has now made me hungry. Damn.

Posted by: RP at May 31, 2005 10:26 AM (LlPKh)

2 You're very lucky to have a DIY guy. It took my husband three tries to patch the drywall in our basement. He got it in the end, but he was starting to remind me of Cap'n Ahab.

Posted by: notdonnareed at May 31, 2005 01:28 PM (82Da3)

3 Brings back memories of last fall when we reeplaced the windows in our dining room with one large window. The plaster is nearly finished on the inside and the outside ... well it looks like yourlast picture. No one has complained as of yet - and we don't expect them to since a few houses down they have no siding on their home at all. We're still working on gearing up to finish the bathroom. When I say we I mean the husband ... I just supervise.

Posted by: Michele at May 31, 2005 01:36 PM (iTYOZ)

4 It does look lovely, but I weep over the loss of the lovely 100 year old windows. I'm a sucker for sash windows!

Posted by: Helen at June 01, 2005 02:32 AM (8wm0s)

5 Helen - you want them? I'll mail them to you. Don't get me wrong, I love the architectural beauty. Don't love cotton in my ears trying to ease the drafts that are hard enough to blow my papers off the desk.

Posted by: Elizabeth at June 01, 2005 02:42 AM (MYWvr)

6 "Don't love cotton in my ears trying to ease the drafts that are hard enough to blow my papers off the desk." You sleep with someone that snores, too?

Posted by: Helen at June 01, 2005 04:09 AM (8wm0s)

7 It looks wonderful! I have to say, to have lived with those stripes for four years makes you a strong, strong woman.

Posted by: karmajenn at June 01, 2005 06:38 AM (fx1A8)

8 Looks great!! How did you stand those stripes?? They would have driven me around the bend. You are indeed a strong woman!!What a feast you served!! Are you willing to share any of the recipes??

Posted by: azalea at June 01, 2005 08:20 AM (hRxUm)

9 Congratulations!

Posted by: Cursingmama at June 01, 2005 09:33 AM (PoQfr)

10 Woo hoo!! Those stripes were awful!!

Posted by: Crystal at June 01, 2005 06:43 PM (Wn/9J)

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".... it was like having a giant thudding vibrator strapped to our heads. The only relief would come on the open upward stretches, when the van simply buzzed around us"

This is the worst of the trip, the part we were awake for... Boston to Pennsylvania, the longest 580 miles. Ever.

Massachusetts
Start time: 6AM, Sunday Morning
Route: Mass Pike - 134 miles
Time: 5 hours 15 minutes

Our alarms were set for 5:30AM and it was still dusky dark when we pulled out of my mom's driveway. We hit Dunkin Donuts (CD - "Can we get going already?") and then put our backs to the sunrise and hopped the highway towards the Mass Pike.

As soon as we hit 50 mph, the antique door that we had bought at New England Salvage and strapped to the roof rack started making a horrible noise; "thwacka thwacka THWACKATHWACKA!"

We pulled over and rearranged the door. Bear, almost asleep in the back, groaned.

20 more miles. 30 more minutes of "THWACKA thwacka THWACKA!"

Holy crap, we were barely to Worcester and we couldn't go over 50mph without rendering ourselves senseless with the noise. We stopped to readjust that ^(*&*$#@! door about a dozen times. We came thisclose to hucking it into a drainage ditch.

There are some serious hills on the Mass Pike. The road is forcibly wedged into rock cliffs, the striations from the dynamite blasts still visible. As the road narrowed, the 'thwacka' noise would increase - it was like having a giant thudding vibrator strapped to our heads. The only relief would come on the open upward stretches, when the van simply buzzed around us, quietly.

By Sturbridge, we were all bonkers. We pulled into the service center and had breakfast, got gas, and ran like banshees in circles. Bear's backseat nest was rearranged and his new Digimon DVD restarted. CD battled the door (again).

"Thwacka! ThwackThwackThwackTHWACKA!" for another hour as we gritted our teeth and made for the New York border.

New York
Hit the border on: Sunday Morning, 11:15AM
Route: NY State Thruway - 442 miles
Time: 11 hours 45 minutes

The first 125 miles of New York state passed in stupor. We were 3 numb bunnies, staring with glassy eyes at the miles of asphalt.

We'd passed through miles of construction, beautiful scenery, and glorious weather and never noticed a thing.

Thwacka. Thwacka.

By Utica, CD had passed back into anger and defiantly pulled off the thruway looking for a Target or something and some kind of solution.

What we found instead was a place called Big Lots. We'd never been to a Big Lots before. Oh. My. Stars. Have you ever been to a Big Lots? This is like a nice clean flea market.

We found a bunch of Rescue Heroes action figures and stuff for Bear's birthday! We found snacks! We found a bra! We found a cheap, streamlined boombox for Bear! We found a garden sprinkler thing! And best of all? We found a foam egg crate mattress liner!

All this, for like 5 bucks.

Out in the parking lot, CD and I pulled the %^#@@! door off the van roof, wrapped it in egg crate, and put it back on. We got back on the road.

Silence.

Oh, the blessing this was. I can't begin to explain. Nirvana.

I stuck the cruise control on 72mph and we tried to make up some of our lost time.

The next 200 miles spun by in a blur. Other than some bathroom and gas breaks, we sailed into the sunset on wings.

In Buffalo, we asked the toll booth guy for directions to his favorite hot wings joint. He sent us to Duffs. Wowza. CD, who is a hot wings gourmand of the highest caliber, purred like a kitten. Bear and I played in the grass with his new action figures.

Then we decided, what the heck?! Let's go to Canada.

After about 15 minutes waiting about a mile from the border in traffic, we decided that Canada? Not so much.

We turned around and headed to Niagara Falls. We pulled into the park just about sunset.

The lookout tower over Niagara

It was a 3-hour detour, give or take. We were all physically exerted, fed, and awed by the time we clambered back into the car. The plan was to drive to Erie and spend the night at a hotel.

40 miles later, we pulled into the Angola rest area - which actually sits in the grassy thruway median, accessible via a walking bridge from either side of the highway.

We took over the family bathroom (I love family bathrooms) to wash up, brush teeth, change into soft clothes/pajamas, and whatnot. Then we made a family decision - we were feeling strong, it was only around 10 PM. Erie was about an hour or so away - but did we really need to stop? Why not just keep driving until we got tired?

So we picked up some coffee and juice, cleaned up the car some and rearranged Bear's nest back into optimal sleeping position. The cool night air was good for a few stretches.

50 miles to the the Pennsylvania border, 550 miles home, a full tank of gas, a sleeping (wait - what time is it here?) 3 year old, a cooler full of juice and snacks, and a quiet door strapped to the roof.

Hit it. more...

Posted by: Elizabeth at 02:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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