Finally! The finished product!

update: 6 days from listing, 6 deals in the sorting hat! Best one at 20k over asking price with no contingencies - pre-approved - pre-inspected (they were prepared to go 40) - WE ARE IN ESCROW - closing in 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

It all feels a bit surreal right now, but hey ... I'm walking on sunshine ... and don't it feel good?!

…but first the ironies of life!

Part of this road trip was to put some space back between my ears and start to focus on the next “where”. The other part was to spend some unencumbered time with family in Atlanta – the operative word being unencumbered. To the first part I/we spent several days in Austin, TX and found several properties there that fit most of the criteria that we set for a new home. More and more energy is now pointing in that direction, but we haven’t made a final decision yet. I will look at things more critically when I return to Austin at the end of the week. “B” flew into Austin and after several days we started for Atlanta. The night before we arrived I got a phone call from my brother that dad had been hospitalized with an infection issue around his pacemaker and as we talked I realized that it was this very week 3 years ago that mom was hospitalized and died from complications following heart surgery. Well shit! Needless to say, the focus shifted for the stay here, but fortunately he will be released tomorrow after a revision surgery for the pacemaker. “Curve balls” – baseball only thought it had exclusivity.

Dad’s biggest agitation with all of the stay in the hospital was that he wasn’t able to spend time with the Buffledog. I’ve decided to stay at least until he is settled back home and has plenty of time to spend with the “fur child”.

Meanwhile the house is on the market and the pics below are the ones used on the listing web site. It’s crazy, but there has been an enormous amount of traffic on the site, 4 pre-inspections already and offers from out-of-state. It’ll all boil down to the offer “sorting hat” Tuesday noon. The agent feels like we’ll have at least a half a dozen solid offers to look at – WOO HOO! Nice pay-off for the work! The agent called laughing and said there were 2 agents arguing on the porch earlier – apparently one locked the door while “his buyers” were in the house – bwahahahaha! One called her to mediate! I’m only sorry I’m not there to witness the frenzy!

So, I’m back on the road alone with the Buffleboy at the end of the week and WILL take the “southern/coastal route” back. “B” flew home Sunday to be part of our own personal Monopoly Game – got Boardwalk? I’ll get to spend more time in Austin, New Mexico and Arizona on the return. Guess I really will be homeless when I get back!

Right now the front runners on property in the Austin area are both 5 acre horse properties in deed restricted communities – one in-between Smithville (of “Hope Floats” fame) and Bastrop (to the east of Austin) and another in Wimberley in the Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. Neither properties meet all the criteria, but each is unique and bears further scrutiny.

So, I’m off to visit as many of you I can tonight! Enjoy the tour!

I knew I was in New Mexico …

… when I saw this!

WHAT???? What happened to working on the house????????

The long and the short of it is …………… I’m through; as in done, completed, fini!

So what are you doing in New Mexico and how in the hell did you get there???

Ok, ok … back up the bus.

First, sorry to be so absent, but it’s just what had to be done - I really couldn’t afford any distractions at all if I was going to complete the project. Yeah, I know, I already said that. House goes on the market next week and we and the agent are really excited about the timing of the listing.

So …….. I buttoned up late Monday and packed the Explorer for a month’s road trip, loaded up the Buffledog and set out for Austin and eventually Atlanta to spend time with the girls, dad and other family. Austin because I’m house-sitting for the weekend and Austin is on the “list” of potentials for resettlement. So “B” is flying into Austin to meet us tomorrow and we’ll have a “real estate party”. We then drive to Atlanta and she returns to Seattle at the end of the week. The Buffledog’s and my return trip may get protracted and is still up in the air; however, it won’t be the “northern route” again. We ran into snow in Ogden, UT and it stayed with us until we were south of Lubbock, TX. Driving on slick roads at night isn’t my idea of a good time and both the 80 across Wyoming and route from Texline to Amarillo and on through Lubbock were a nighttime icy mess with a list of accidents too numerous to count … uggggg … but I had a time certain to be in Austin and sprouted a few grays. I think a southern, coastal route is in order for the return … whaddaya think?

Who knows, I may be homeless by the time I get back – LOL – here’s hoping that I’ll be packing up to move by then!

from our corner last Sunday!!!

The Buffle-boy has been stellar throughout the trip and is now enjoying the company of 2 other canine companions.

"Snake-a-dile Buffle-dee"

Stylin'!

I’ll post pics of the house project soon. I’ll hope to see you in the sphere in the next couple of days – lots to catch up on.

Someone left ...

... the bear out in the cold!

... wonder who that was?

It's 2:45 in the wee hours, I've got paint in my hair, the Buffledog's pouting, the rest of the house is asleep (where I should be) and progress is happening - sure hope that light at the end of the tunnel isn't the train! Shower's sounding good!

HAPPY THURSDAY!

p.s. - hope to get around to see you soon!