Short Sale Woes

Ugh.  That sums up how I feel about myself lately.  

Now that April is here, the anxiety level surrounding our house purchase has increased significantly.  This anxiety feels exactly the same as when I was in grade school and there was a big trip planned (to Sea World or the now-long-defunct Circus World) and for some reason, I was not going on the trip.  All my friends were going.  In fact, all of my classmates were going.  But I could not go.  I was staying home.  The feeling was a combination of misery, jealously, curiosity, and sadness.  I felt like I was missing the biggest event ever.

That's how it feels, waiting for a short sale to be approved.  All my other plans are on hold, pending the outcome of this.  Add to this, the fact that there is another person in this equation, feeling similar feelings.  Mr. Grumpbump is normally very laid-back in comparison to me.  But, his temper has been showing lately.

We constantly discuss that short sales typically take an average of four to six months to close.  We know this. It's the whole heart vs. head debate.   And our hearts are telling us we need to close soon in order to keep our sanity.

Mr. Grumpbump wants me to go running with him today.  I'm going to try for two miles (running and walking).  Time to go charge my first generation Ipod Shuffle.

Why Can't I Just Leave It All Behind?

We let Miss Macy out of the house this evening.  I put her collar on her and let her come outside.  Delilah was instantly on alert and vocally unhappy that Miss Macy was in her territory.  Mr. Grumpbump and I were not alarmed by this because that is the nature of the cats' relationship.  We were just going to let Macy roam around the house while we were watching her.  Of course, our great plan went up in smoke when a stray dog showed up.  He was a very friendly pup but Delilah the Sentinel was freaking out and bopped him on the nose.   I was so sure in the ruckus that Macy would just bolt.  Lucky for us, Macy ran to her safe zone, which was right back into our apartment.  The puppy, whose name was Timmy, just wanted to play with Delilah.  She was having none of that and tried to slice him several times.  His owner was so distressed by Delilah's hissing when she showed up.  Timmy was a sweet dog but dumb.

I finished my second sock.  So I have the first new socks of 2011.  They are too big, typical of my knitting style.  I am trying to get Mr. Grumpbump to wear them, hoping that they will not be too big for him.  I don't like the ribbing all the way done the leg.

I started a new pair of socks but they are already looking too big!

I am so frustrated by how things are going with the house.  I just hate our apartment so much.  I wish we could just leave her and start over with all brand new things.  I'm at the point where I want to get a new sofa/loveseat or sectional.   Starting over with everything new sounds so wonderful to me right now.  The thought of having to move our cheap, mismatched furniture makes me sick.

My grandmother is going on a week post-surgery.  I'm so glad that she made it through without any significant issues.  She is 85 years old so there will be a longer recovery but I am happy that she has made it through this far.

All I Have To Say=Knitting and Cats

My blanket is finished!  I don't really know the measurements but it's much bigger than a lap.  I added a crochet border (my first ever!) to clean up the edges.  The yarn was nothing special and is very soft but a bit heavy.  I used larger needles (size 10) so the blanket has a lightweight quality to it because the stitches are larger.  The colors are masculine because I knitted it for Mr. Grumpbump.  However, my grandmother is in the hospital having surgery and I've decided to give it to her.  She's not picky about colors.

Mr. Grumpbump is the lump in the blanket

Full Size

Crochet Border Close Up

I'm in love with my Wii game, Just Dance 2.  I wish they had more downloads for it.  I love pop music, but I can't listen to it in the car.  In the car, I like to listen to talk radio; I think it has something to do with conversation.  But when I'm working late or leaving work for the day, I pull out my earphones and my phone is my music player.  Pop music puts me in such a good mood and instantly erases the stress of the day.  Funny, it only works after work - before work just makes me depressed because I'm stuck inside all day.

Mr. Grumpbump says I take too many pictures of my cats.  He's right.

Delilah Bug

Miss Mace

Nothing new on our house purchase.  At this point, we would just like to be in the house by June.  How great would it be to have a pool during the hottest part of the year?  So excited.....

Many Hours In My Day

I bought a new cat toy at CVS of all places.  I know this is not a very exciting opening line, but keep reading.  I went to PetSmart to buy dry cat food and litter.  I always sneak a peek at the cat toys section but I don't give in to temptation very often.  I know my cats are older and, quite frankly, not really interested in most of the stuff they sell.  The only exception is the Cat Teaser, which we use infrequently when Delilah (mostly) or Macy express interest in it. 

I recently saw a show on Animal Planet, and its name escapes me, but there was a segment about a woman who owned four cats and she made her own toys to stimulate her cats.  She took plastic bottles and poked holes in the sides and then put cat treats in the bottles.  Her cats would play with the bottles in attempt to get the treats out.  She also had this wooden box with holes in and it served the same purpose.

PetSmart does not have this wooden box but I look every time I visit.  It's the only thing I would consider buying.  So I left PetSmart with just my food and litter in hand.  But I had to stop at CVS to pick up human supplies.  I can't help walking around CVS, even after I've got everything I needed.  And in their pet section was the wooden box!  It comes with toys inside.  Of course, I bought it.  

I made several other stops before getting home and I was starving when I finally pulled up.  So I unloaded everything but didn't make any moves to introduce Macy and Delilah to the new toy.  Of course, Delilah threw up after I got home (so I had to clean it up - not Mr. Grumpbump, who was sleeping after working 12 hours last night).  Then I made lunch.  I finally got around to putting the toy out for Miss Macy's benefit (Delilah was sleeping with her favorite human, Mr. Grumpbump).  Miss Macy comes running when I shake the cat treat bag, and I placed a few treats where she could get to them.  The rest I put inside the box and watched the smartest cat in the world dig around to get her favorite treats.

It took no time for her to figure out the box

Macy spies her treat

We have a completely signed contract for the (pool) house.  Now we settle in for the wait for the mortgage holder to give their blessing.  Mr. Grumpbump is going over to the new house tomorrow morning after he gets off work in order to measure the areas in the kitchen for the appliances.  We looked at refrigerators and ranges on Saturday at a scratch and dent store.  We are considering a blend of stainless steel and black appliances.  Mr. Grumpbump is going to be responsible for the refrigerator and range and I'm going to pay for the washer and dryer.   Mr. Grumpbump has been working overtime hours whenever possible so he can save up enough to buy the refrigerator of his dreams (stainless steel, french doors, and icemaker in front).

My lap blanket has morphed into a real blanket.  I'm working on my last two skeins of yarn and I have decided that I will use the blue color to crochet the edging.  For some odd reason, I run out of the black yarn much faster than the blue.  The yarn is the cheap red yarn (soft) brand, which I bought for a grand total of $8.00 (thanks to Michael's 20 percent off coupon and my $5 gift card from christmas).  

It's almost done!

Sunday is winding down but I've been up and about since 7:00 a.m. so this day has felt luxuriously long.  I'm going to knit a bit more today and then finish the laundry and start to worry about work in the morning.  I should have gone into work this weekend but, as usual, talked myself out of that idea on Saturday.  Today should have been a crappy day because I was at Starbucks drive-through and they gave me the wrong drink at the pass.  I didn't figure it out until I got home and took a sip.  I tried to salvage it but I ended up pouring it down the sink.  I sent an email through their website (which I frequently do when I get poor service at stores) and hope to hear from them soon.  I really only want a refund of the cost of the drink.  Mr. Grumpbump just laughs at me when I tell him I wrote them a letter because he knows it means I went on the website and bitched.  He knows me so well.

I leave you with a picture of Delilah Bug wrapped in blanket while I hold her like a baby.  Not her favorite past time, but she is so damn cute I can't help myself.

Delilah Baby

Left vs. Right

I learned how to knit continental, thanks to another class hosted by Sip and Knit.  I asked Mr. Grumpbump tonight if he noticed I was knitting differently.  He was, of course, very confused because he does not make a practice of analyzing my knitting style.  So, I showed him that I could knit with (a) the working yarn in my right hand (English) and (b) the working yarn in my left hand (Continental).  Surprisingly, he was underwhelmed by my new skills.

I'm still working on the striped lap blanket; I've knitted about two-thirds of it.  The whole thing is the knit stitch, so it's the perfect project to practice my continental knitting.  I've not touched any other project, although the only other things on needles is a second sock (why are they soooo hard to finish?) and a dishcloth.  I've asked a friend at work to give me a good beginner crochet project for me, which I hope is not a dishcloth.

Mr. Grumpbump and I have made an offer on yet another house and it's a short sale.  So, we are in for three to six months of waiting for the seller's lender to approve the contract.  We are very hopeful for this house because it is in really good condition, with tile floors and travertine counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom.  Oh, yes, it also has a pool!

Expanding My Fiber Horizons

Yesterday I attended a "Learn to Crochet" class at a local yarn store, Sip & Knit.   The class was only $30 and I received two plus hours of instruction (there were only two students in the class, including me, so I basically received one-on-one instruction).  I was totally confused for the first hour and thirty minutes; I felt like I was struggling to get my mind around it and that I was just mimicking what the instructor was showing me.  I didn't know the how or why behind it.

I fumbled around and managed to create a simple crochet border on a knitted swatch.  It was not impressive but I had fun in the class and signed up for another one on the spot (Learn to Knit Continental).  I was intrigued and after I got home, I pulled up as many beginner crochet videos as I could and started practicing stitches.  I was a bit bored with it until I found granny squares.

I ran through five or six versions of the granny square until I finally understood the stitches.  This was my first completely successful attempt. (I'm using the crappiest of crappy acrylic yarn because I'm just practicing and why waste decent yarn?)

Granny Square

I added a different color as a border to practice what I learned in class.

Granny Square with border

It's not much.  But I am very excited about this.  I have to finish my knit blanket and maybe the second sock on my needles.  I want to tackle a crochet project.  I'll do some researching (i.e., reading blogs and crochet forums online).  Also, there is a lady at work who is an accomplished crocheter and I will ask her for a recommendation.

I'm nervous about our possible move.  Nervous because we will have to acclimate Miss Macy to another new place.  It's been six months since she's been with us and she's still a 'fraidy cat.  I want her to feel secure and I'm not sure how we will do that with the new place.

Look how little she looks!  Miss Macy all curled up.

Home Is Right Around The Corner

I enrolled in a knitting class for this Saturday - actually, it's a crocheting class for knitters.  I am trying to learn some good finishing techniques.  My common complaint about my knitting is that it doesn't look polished or properly finished.  A few people have recommended that I do a crochet border around my projects to hide the uneven or unsightly edges.

I knitted up a few dishcloths and plan to make at least one more.  I have just a bit of cotton yarn left and I'm trying to use it up.  The pattern I used is called Double Bump Dishcloth and it was a lot of fun to knit.  Tonight, I will start on the third one.

Plain Old White Cotton Dishcloth

Dishcloth Part II

I also started working on a lap blanket.  I'm using very soft acrylic yarn that I bought with a gift card from Michael's.  The colors are dark - I picked them out for Mr. Grumpbump.  I am concentrating on making the stripes look good.  I'm only about 1/3 done at this point.  It's a completely knit blanket and I'm carrying each color up the side.  I am hoping that my crochet class will give me some good ideas for a border for this project.

I love stripes!

Mr. Grumpbump and I are thisclose to signing a contract for a home.  Even if we have a signed contract (which we hope will be tonight), there are still several hurdles left.  We have to do a home inspection and the home has to appraise for at least the contract price.  The house has most of the features we were looking for and I think it the house for us.  That being said, I am not afraid to walk away from it, should any of the inspections come back negative.  If everything goes as planned, we could be closing by the end of March.

The house would be a much larger area for the cats to roam around in, and this will be very beneficial for Miss Macy.  Since she never gets to go outside, she will, on occasion, run around the living room.  She doesn't get very far since our apartment is only 800 square feet.   Additionally, the new house will give her plenty of more places to hide from Delilah.  The house has a Florida room (a patio with actual walls and windows) and I think both girls will love it.  All floors are wood or tile, so we don't have to worry about cleaning carpets.  

I am constantly in the cats' faces.  And they don't love it.  I always want to get that perfect picture of them to capture how cute they are.

Delilah Cat

Miss Macy

Happiness Is A Sleeping Cat

Let's start off the New Year with a great picture of Delilah Bug.

Sleeping Beauty

That's my scrap blanket over her.  She's not usually a fan of having blankets or sheets over her but we've been experiencing colder weather these last six weeks.

We are starting to see some promise of relaxing between Delilah and Macy.  Close quarters still means that there is the occasion hiss or aggressive stance, but there are these moments between the two of them.  For example, during feedings, they can get rather close to each other with just a glance and I hold my breath waiting for the vocalizations to begin.  Instead, they just separate from each other.   I still hold out hope that they will be become friends.  To have a picture of these two curled up together.....I would die a happy woman.

Since my marriage to Mr. Grumpbump, my life is good.  This is very hard for me to admit openly because, well, I have a fear that to express your happiness and complacency in life just begs for bad things to happen.  I can no longer deny it; I am happy.  And we aren't even homeowners, yet.  It scares me to think about how I will feel when we actually own a home.

I have to go now.  Mr. Grumpbump wants to give me a massage.  Ah, the good life.  

Not Home For The Holidays

It's the end of the year, practically, and I'm in a horrible mood.  My dream of home ownership for 2010 is unattainable, and I don't feel that things are promising for 2011.  Typical me, I want to blame someone for this.  When I'm angry or hurt or slighted, I must direct my emotions to someone.  I feel better doing this.  The person solely receiving all the blame this time is my realtor.  Around the time of my birthday, the middle of December, the promise of closing on a house fell apart.

On that day, my birthday, my realtor called me and told me to contact my mortgage broker because I had to close before the end of the year.  So, on December 13, with approximately 12 working days left until the end of the year, I had to get my loan originated, underwritten, approved, and closed.  I told my realtor this was nearly impossible.

The house I was purchasing was a short sale, and I knew that my loan officer would need to see the short sale approvals as a part of the loan process.  When I requested those from my realtor, they never materialized.  I could see that this closing was not really going to happen by December 31, and I would be left holding the bag for the cost of a survey, appraisal, and home inspection for a home that would never really be mine.

We didn't give up right away; our realtor convinced us to submit a new, lower bid for the house, and it was quickly turned down by the sellers.  And, in keeping with the mess that this whole process has been, my realtor informs me that the sellers are not approved for a short sale.  Therefore, this means that some time between December 13 and December 23, ten days, the sellers went from a short sale approval to no approval at all.

I am frustrated because I feel helpless and stressed because I'm worried that there is not a house out there for us.  I am also sick of living in this small apartment and anxious to move out.

I've not done much knitting this holiday season but I'm planning to expand my craft during the new year and tackle a bigger project.  Perhaps something like a simple cardigan.

I will blog again before the actual end of year.

Future Impatient

My sweater wrap is off the needles but it needs to be blocked.  What worries me a bit is there appears to be some pulled stitches and I don't know if blocking will take care of that.

Only a small portion of the completed wrap

I bought mats and pins for blocking, so I'm really going to try to do this correctly.  This means I'll be back on the Internet, researching blocking procedures.  I think I'll go to the store and get some Wool-lite because I'm hoping that will fix the problems with the pulled stitches.

I started another cat blanket in order to use up some of my stash yarn and to practice knitting stripes.  The blanket is coming along great (it's so easy - all knit stitch) but I messed up by running out of a color in the middle of a row.  I'm not sure how to fix it and, of course, this glaring error almost ruins the blanket for me.  Then I remember, it's for the cats.  I'm going to have a bigger problem getting them to actually use it.  I'm just going to look at the error as a lesson learned.  

Ran out of pink and messed up the stripes

There are only four weeks left in this year and it looks there will not be a closing for us.  Realistically, I knew a  short sale would be a longer process, and my frustration stems from having a lazy realtor.  I never get updates from him and he randomly returns my emails.  I know he can't make a closing happen when there are a ton of variables out of his control.  However, he could and should be updating me on a weekly basis, even if it is to say "there's nothing new".  I am quite annoyed that I have to stay on top of him about everything.  I already do this as a matter of practice for Mr. Grumpbump but that's because I love him and he's my husband.  And sometimes, even doing this for Mr. Grumpbump pisses me off.  So, having to take care of a lazy realtor, who is supposed to be working for me, makes me completely insane and I have a hard time controlling my anger.  

After I sent him an email, telling him that, "while I don't expect you to make a closing happen, I am very disappointed by your lack of initiative in getting updates and information on these deals."  He responded after two days and said that he has sent me over 20 emails since October 7, including new market comparable listings. And that I have to be "patient".   I can't imagine being more patient with this fool, who has ignored me for the whole month of November.  My expectations are realistic, but his interaction with me has been disappointing.  Of course, his answer to tell me what I need to do.  I am so unhappy with him and just hope that one of our contracts is accepted and I can't get out of this business relationship with him.


Meanwhile, we are in a holding pattern with our apartment.  There are several things we need to buy but we have zero storage space (when we have people over, we have to use our closet as a temporary hiding place for junk using left out in the open).   I did break that rule and buy a cat condo over the Thanksgiving. Mr. Grumpbump wanted to wait but I couldn't see a good reason why we should.  I bought it hoping that Delilah Cat would like it so much that she would stay inside more.  I know you can guess what I'm going to say next, but Delilah is underwhelmed by it and makes no moves toward it.  Do not put it past me to pick her up and put her on it.  She quickly jumps out and runs to the door, yelling at me to allow her outside.    


Before you pity me for wasting money on this carpeted condo, remember that Miss Macy is a very good housecat.  And she loves the new views she has from the perches.  Also, in even better news, she actually uses it as a scratching post.  As if it is a part of my contract, the camera comes out and I've taken so many pictures of her in the condo that it even bores me now.

When I get close to her, she looks HUGE in this little perch

Macy The Spy.  

Does Walking to the Mailbox Count As Exercise?

I am so lazy on the weekends, or at least that's what it seems like.  Actually, I think it is more accurate to describe my weekends as "a body in rest, stays in rest; a body in motion, stays in motion".  Today, I am definitely in motion.  It's not that I did anything extraordinary, and actually it is a rainy, overcast day, but I managed to prepare two casseroles, one for the husband and one for a co-worker who just had surgery, complete the laundry, clean the kitchen, and make chicken for stir-fry tonight.

After I finish this blog post, I'm going to go back to knitting my sweater wrap, which has been on my needles since forever (February of 2010).  I have about 12 inches left to knit on it but it feels like I have a mile to go.

I also finished my thank-you cards from the wedding.  I have two left to do, and they are for my bosses at work.  Of course, I only had a few stamps on hand but I'm sure I have a few extras in my purse.  In fact, I found a stamp stuck to the hand lotion in my purse.

Just about the only thing that isn't making me satisfied is my weight.  I gained very slightly last week (I attributed it to the wedding) but I am not feeling the love this week either, even though I'm on plan.  I hope I'm just maintaining and that I'm not actually gaining weight.  I would hate to start the holidays this way.

I've been bugging Mr. Grumpbump to buy me a EA Sports Active 2 for the Wii.  I actually used Active and I should probably just start using it again until I get the latest and greatest version.  In fact, if I'm being honest at all, I need to start exercising in order to see results on Weight Watchers.

Possible good news regarding my cats.  Although they do not hesitate to hiss at each other, there have been developments that offer promise and hope that one day these guys might be friends.  On three separate occasions, Delilah and Macy have been on the same couch without incident.  Typically, these two just steer clear of each other and do not share the same space.

Temporary Truce

We can always count on Delilah to provide drama in our lives.  She has now taken to napping in the dryer, if we leave the door open.  Mr. Grumpbump is guilty of this as his idea of doing laundry does not include taking the clothes out of the dryer and putting them up.  Instead he just uses the dryer as additional clothes storage.  And, of course, Delilah takes full advantage of that.

Dryer Cat

We still have no word on our house purchase.  I am getting depressed that we might not close before the end of the year.  With only three working days this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I am sure we will go yet another week without much news.