Final Walk-Through... and Pictures

We did our final walkthrough this morning (to make sure that nothing was broken since our inspection and that the previous owner had removed everything prior to closing). And I took lots of pictures of the inside. Of course, since we don't have a "fish-eye" lens for our camera there are lots of pictures of rooms that look like "Here is the first corner. Here is the second corner." But I think you'll get the picture (heehee). These pictures are in no particular order (Blogger isn't the best about giving you options for inputting them in a particular order) so bear with me.

This is the tree house on the side of the house in the dying tree that will most likely be torn down this summer (sorry future children but it just isn't safe!).

The stove! Just to the left of the stove is the door from the little patio (see below). It is probably the door we will come in and out of most of the time. And the little cabinets above the stove in this picture and the little ones above the sink below I can't reach without standing on a foot-stool!

This shows you most of the kitchen. There is one more skinny cabinet to the right of the fridge and then there is a little island below the window (much further down there is a picture of the outside of the window).

This is the front door/window in the main hall. All the way at the end of this "hall" (which measures approximately 22' X 11') is the kitchen.

This is looking into the living room, which is the south-east corner of the house) The cats are going to LOVE the windows!

This is the entrance to the living room.

This is the front door, which is definitely old, if not original to the house. I love the shape!

This is standing in the southwest corner of the study (which is just to the left of the front door).

The guest bathroom has two doors, one in the main foyer area and one here at the bottom of the stairs.

And this is the front (south) side of the study.

These are the steps... pretty steep, as is custom in older homes.

This is the petal sink in the guest bathroom. Some of fixtures/etc could use a cosmetic redo (inculding above the sink) but it is all in running order.

I love this feature! It's a built-in shelving unit in the south facing room upstairs (which I have already claimed as a crafting/sewing room!).

This is the closet/windows in the same room.

This is the closet at the top of the stairs that we've already talked to our inspector (who is also a contractor) about some day making into a half bath. It would be tight, but do-able and would certainly be nice upstairs!

This is the only shot I got of the north facing room upstairs. The dark blue paint will be going. There is a closet right behind me and the door to the room is just to the left of this photo. We assume that the jutting out part next to the door is the old chimney.

These are the french doors in the master bedroom that lead to the backyard.

This is the other side of the master bedroom.

And this is looking into the master bedroom... the view of Blanca is right out those windows. The wood paneling is not my favorite part of the house... but it will do for now.

This is the master bath shower and sink. Across from the sink is the jetted tub (going to love it!) and across from the shower is the toilet. It's small but functional. Because it is completely interior someday I would like to drop some sun tunnels into the ceiling.

This is the tile work in the guest bathroom shower, which I really like! It's also on the floor. The guest tub is one of the old steel tubs, which our inspector says you can't hardly buy any more.

The backyard facing east.

We're not sure what the concrete slab in the backyard was for... but we think if we clean it up it could be a great place for an outdoor fire-stove. We will be getting rid of the dog lean to, as well as sealing up the little hole in the side of the garage which has a doggie-door, which goes into a dog house built into the garage. Tater is entirely too spoiled to use a dog house and we don't want any other animals taking advantage of that nice warm spot!

More of the backyard... the fence could really benefit from a nice paint job.

This is the little patio outside the kitchen door... definitely big enough for a grill says Reid!

Tater got to run around in the backyard and loved it! He did wonder why he couldn't come in the house yet. We told him he could do that tomorrow night!

This is the window on the east wall of the kitchen.

This is the east part of the fenced in yard (note Blance in the clouds way beyond the fence).

This is the little porch out of the master bedroom's french doors... and yes, despite many days of above freezing temperatures there is still snow in the shade on the north side of the house.

And that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Color Choices

Reid and I went to Sherwin-Williams this morning and picked up a whole bunch of color swatches and pamphlets. Then I came home and played around on their website where you can pick colors and "paint" designed rooms the different colors. And I have to admit, I'm stumped. I think I've lived with walls that were pre-determined (not by me) colors for so long that the idea of getting to paint my whole house is overwhelming. I want all of the downstairs to flow nicely together, but I don't want it to be all one color. I don't want to make my walls so bright that they make people squint (or worse so dark they make the rooms look small). But I also don't want to "go safe" with neutral colors. I am really drawn to colonial colors, or so I thought (but I don't like the colonial color scheme at S-W so it's possible that what I think of as Colonial isn't what any one else thinks is colonial).

Any suggestions? Helpful tips?

Pictures!

I thought of something to post, almost as soon as I had posted the "nothing to post" post (I think I should win an award for how many times I just used the word post).

Last Saturday Reid and I drove out to our future home and took a couple of pictures of the outside. Though many of you have probably seen similar pictures on the MLS listing I thought I'd post them anyway.

Here is our house! We plan to cut out/down the tree to the left of the house (which is practically dead, can't be particularly safe, a potential breeding ground for termites, etc, etc). Someday I would love to build an addition out to the left side of the house, making it more symmetrical and adding another bedroom downstairs. This summer we plan to paint the fence (and color suggestions? Right now the paint that is left is a brick red) and grade the yard, so that it slopes down from the house to the drainage ditch a bit more. Eventually I would also like to add a front porch.

This is the view of the house from the west drive.

This is Blanca, as seen from the east windows of the house. Crazy beautiful!

And this is the insulated garage that Reid is going to turn into a workshop/forge.

More pictures of the inside once we close on Monday!

A Post For Dad

Yes, it is true there is time for blogging (when you can't shower, do laundry, dishes, teach, or move). However, it means there is also little to blog about! :) I'm working in the costume shops in the afternoon trying to get ahead (or at least stay on top of) Fahrenheit costumes. And in the mornings Tater and I have been going for long walks and packing little bits and pieces here and there. All in all, very little is happening!

Free Coupons

I received a whole big envelope full of coupons from a wonderful woman who was giving them away last week on her blog. I have gone through them and pulled out the coupons that I would use and am still left with a really big stack (some are duplicates, I do not need six jars of mayonnaise! and some are products we don't use in our house, like contact solution). If you would like them just leave me a comment with your e-mail address and I'll write you for your address and then send them off! First person gets them.

Schools Out For... Salmonella!!

Something just doesn't quite work in that song lyric. Because they are starting the flush of the water system with chlorine today, Adams State classes are cancelled for Wednesday through Friday of this week. They are hoping that by next Monday the chlorine level in the water will be at "Code Yellow" meaning that it is still too high to drink but should be okay for getting on your skin, etc. Of course school being closed makes the fact that we aren't in our new home yet all the more frustrating. But these three days will allow me to plan classes in advance (so that I won't need to as much during the moving days), pack some more and make the arm-length list of things to do associated with moving. In response to questions about painting... I don't know what colors to choose! I think I need to be in the house for a little while to see the light at different times of day. I also want to get some area rugs for the rooms with wood floors, and will then probably pick paint colors for those rooms out of the rugs. So, we will probably not be painting before we move in... but instead over my summer break.

Closing

So... it seems that we won't be closing until March 31. (sigh) Our lender is just really backed up with closings and since we had originally set it for 3/31, that's what they were prepared for... I still have my fingers crossed that they'll be able to come through with a miracle for Friday... but it looks like we'll be living with Salmonella water for another weekend... and not moving our stuff until the first week of April. Ah well...

Salmonella... oh yumm!

The biggest news around these parts is, luckily, not mine. Alamosa has been declared in a state of emergency as 70+ people have been diagnosed with salmonella and they have, apparently, linked the outbreak to our water supply. So... the entire city is on a "bottled water" policy, where we are only supposed to use bottled water for drinking and cooking. They are going to start flushing the water system on Tuesday morning, at which time we are not allowed to boil water for consumption until the system is completely flushed. Overall, they have told us that this bottled water thing could be in place for up to three weeks! Crazy... it makes the prospect of having or own well on or own property look all the more appealing!

And in house news... well, there is no news. The loan people are still working our loan and we are aiming to close on this coming Friday. We definitely won't close any later than March 31 and we have been told by our landlords that if we need a few days into April to pack, no problem. So... like so many things in life, buying a house seems to be a "hurry up and wait" thing (I sat here racking my brain for what word to use... and all I could come up with is thing. Yeah, I'm a professor. Whatever)...

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy your weekend and I promise, we'll let you all know when there is movement on the house (or anything else exciting).

Mountains... and Winds

Reid, Tater and I took a walk yesterday while the sun was shining and everything was beautiful. We took this picture of Blanca... such a pretty mountain!

Then today Tater and I took a walk... and the winds have started to blow! It was gray outside, though less from clouds and more from dirt/dust blowing. My students have warned me that these winds keep blowing until after they're gone (beginning of May). As one of my students put a positive spin on them though.... it's a couple months where you don't have to do your hair (because whatever you do will be ruined the minute you step outside).

Beware the Ides... Or Celebrate Them!

Though historically this has been a pretty down day (especially for Romans), today 29 years ago my husband was born! And that brightened modern history considerably! I can't believe that next year is the big 3-0 but we're going to enjoy one more year of twenty-dom (and I'll enjoy one more month than Reid since my birthday isn't until April! Hoot!).

If you get a chance and want to shoot Reid an e-mail, I'm sure he would love that. And in house news, as an early birthday present yesterday, we got a call that our appraisal has been done and we should be receiving the appraisal report early this coming week. Also our loan application should be done by mid-week. Therefore, we may close as early as Friday, allowing us a week and two weekends to move before the end of March! And in another piece of "good" news, the deal on the house that we're renting fell through, so the pressure of "we have to get out of here" is off. Yesterday was a good day. And with the sun shining and coffee brewing this morning, today is looking pretty good as well. Happy Birthday Hubby!

So this is a grown-up Spring Break...

I thought I'd update everyone as to what I've done on my spring break (if you're looking for fancy mixed drinks or topless pictures, you should probably move on... nothing nearly that exciting is happening in our house). Of course there has been a little bit of lounging around...

(All three of us on the sofa together is a pretty common occurrence around our house in the evenings)

I also participated in the first day of the "Spring Cleaning" over at "The Motherload." Like so many things in my life, I then lost interest... plus what is the point of deep cleaning, when I am just going to have to deep clean before we move in two weeks? However, I got our fridge, inside and outside, cleaned and that made me very happy.

(So pretty! And it was definitely time to go grocery shopping, which occurred that evening)

And packing is officially in full swing. Some of the pets are definitely enjoying the packing more than others... I unfortunately wasn't able to get Izzy's contribution to packing on camera (she was in and out of the box too quickly). But you can see below how Clementine is helping to hold down the fort, and Tater's general feeling about the boxes (most of the time he's trying to sit on my lap while I'm filling them... there is definitely a "Don't forget me" sentiment in this dog).

(The pile is growing!)

(Clementine, doing a great job keeping those paper towels pinned down! Really any place with a sunbeam is good, but one with a comfy bed like these papertowels is perfect!)

(This has been the look on Tater's face for much of the packing!)

Meet my niece!

Here she is... I think she looks like her daddy!

The Negative Part of Teaching...

Grading... during spring break... anyone want to grade nineteen more informative speeches? I would seriously pay someone to do it. I've now graded three and am ready to fall asleep... I really wish I worked at a pass/fail school! :)

An Aunt!!

My sister gave birth to my first niece, Raley Margaret at 7:13pm this evening. She weighs 7lbs, 4 oz, is 21 inches long and mother and baby are doing great. My brother-in-law sent a camera phone picture and she is so darn cute!! My mom is flying out tomorrow so I should get some more pictures when she gets there. Of course, this doesn't help my desire for a baby any... but I'll just have to live vicariously for a while longer!

And I'm an aunt!!!

Tater Update

The vet proclaimed, after examining Tater and managing to elicit a few yelps, that in all likelihood Tater has a pinched nerve in his back. He deduced pinch nerve, as opposed to slipped or pinched disk because when it involves the disk in dogs there is frequently some amount of paralysis. Tater has none. In fact, when walking Tater is his normal tail-wagging self.

I don't know why I didn't think back, but I have to admit that it never crossed my mind. I wholeheartedly assumed that it would be a leg or hip problem. In part this is good news, because it means no surgery. In a way it is bad news because there is very little that we can do for it medically. The vet gave us an anti-inflammatory, which Tater will get twice a day for the next week. And Tater now has a personal elevator (mom and dad) for when he wants to get onto or off the bed or sofa... not exactly the perfect timing to be moving into a house with steep stairs, but that's what baby gates are for! And of course, even once this pinch heals (which will hopefully be quickly) just like people, once a dog has hurt his back he is much more likely to do it again. So, this is something that we could be looking at with Tater on and off for the rest of his life.

But at least I know what is now wrong with my "baby." That is very reassuring.

Tater

We thought Tater pulled a muscle the middle of this past week while we were out in the park. He started crying while playing with a poodle (we thought it was just excitement). Then he wasn't jumping up on the sofa or the bed (and when he did we would cry out in pain). It was getting better (less crying and wimpering) by Friday, but yesterday we had a relapse. I called the vet, explained what had been going on. He told us that we could give Tater baby aspirin but that if he wasn't better a week after the incident, we should probably come in... because dogs tear ligaments/tendons all the time. And as some of us remember from anatomy, ligaments don't heal... without surgery. This is Sunday morning and he's still crying when he jumps (we're trying to not let him, and most of the time he doesn't want to), and crying sometimes when he stands up and when we pick him up (though he can walk just fine and walked all the way around the park yesterday with no problem... go figure). So, I'm calling the vet's office tomorrow for an appointment. I'm in agreement with the vet; a pulled muscle should be getting better by now.

So, if you feel so inclined today, could you please say a little prayer for Tater (and for our bank account) that whatever is wrong inside of him heals itself...

A Cause Worth Supporting

In my endless (not really) bloggy reading, I came across an organization yesterday that I am really excited about! Check out the Good 4 Girls' website. I'm sure many (or all) of you have seen the commercials from Tampax and P&G concerning the giving away of menstrual pads and tampons in Africa. Though my heart was warmed when I saw these commercials, this organization has made me rethink my views. Good4Girls is organizing sewing Americans to instead make material, reusable pads to send to third world countries. And here is why:

1. You don't want to get a society hooked on a product (such as these free materials) because when the freebies go away (and eventually they will) you have girls who again have no way to go back to school, without buying more products which they can't afford.

2. Most of these products contain some plastic. In many parts of Africa the way that they dispose of waste is burning. This releases lots of unnecessary toxins into the air.

3. Most importantly, it allows these women (and girls) to be self-sufficient. They have their stash of washable, reusable pads which allows them the freedom to continue functioning in regular life during their menstrual cycle.

Anyway, I have decided to make some of these with my work study girls when we aren't working on other things in the costume shop. That does mean that I will need to order some waterproof material (anyone know of the cheapest source for PUL?)... if you are at all interested in this project, I encourage you to take a look at the webiste and donate (either monetarily, with sewn products... or you can donate to me and I'll use whatever you donate to fund our work in the costume shop). Hooray for conservation and humanitarianism!

Looking Good!

We had our inspection this morning and the inspector told us several times "This is a great first house for the two of you." We found some cosmetic things that could (and will) certainly be fixed at some point down the road but nothing that is a deal breaker. Just to be on the safe side we had him collect a water sample which he told us we should get the results for by the end of the week. Since it is a well system we want to make sure that the water is safe for drinking (though we will most likely invest in a water purification system anyway since potable doesn't mean that it tastes good). We'll get the inspection report sometime tomorrow but it looks like it is a go on that front!

Then we went and signed our loan application, which was a lot of paperwork but went very smoothly as well. And now it's simply a case of waiting for the appraisal, the loan paperwork and packing boxes! It looks like we're going to be moving! :)