And the Hunt Begins

Matt and I have started the drive-by routine.
You know the one:

1. Drive past the neighborhood
2. Drive around the neighborhood
3. Drive through the neighborhood
4. Repeat at night (because that's when all the creepies come out - like us)
5. Sit outside of various residences entering the address into your iphone to see if you can afford to live in that area.

Rinse, Repeat

Oh. Did I say afford?
Hahahahahahaha.....hehehehehe.....heh.
I make me laugh.

We've only just begun and I can already see myself making lists, taking pictures, cataloging, color-coding, budgeting and analyzing. (yeh, just a touch of OCD) By the time I'm done with it, I will have thoroughly violated the potential home. In my defense, it's not like apartment hunting where you can move out when your lease is up if you don't like it. You're just plain stuck with it.

Anyone have any tips, advice, stories?

Wish us luck - lots of luck. Oh, and money. Please. Ok? Thanks.

Identical?

I was talking to a co-worker yesterday when I noticed a picture of his oldest daughter and remarked how much she looked like him. He then handed me a family picture of he, his wife and two daughthers, then said to me, "I think my youngest looks just like my identical twin brother."

I just stood there, completely confused, then asked, "Identical"?

Noticing my confused expression, he said, "Yeh. I know, it sounds weird, but she gives me the same facial expressions that he used to give me when we were kids."

Huh. That's something I never would have thought.

Gone

We made it to Virginia in one piece - exhausted, sad, excited and frazzled, but we're here. Did I mention exhausted? Even the cats survived. Surprisingly, they were even quiet for the vast majority of the ride. I'm convinced they were in the back of the car plotting our horrible deaths. I'm pretty sure I heard sharpening of claws too.

I still stand by my thought that we should have found a way to bring our Florida apartment up with us. This apartment is nice, but I don't love it like I did the other. Plus, it doesn't fit our junk very well. Thankfully, and hopefully, this will be a very temporary place.

We spent 3 days running around Florida frantically cleaning, painting, packing, spending time with family and drinking with friends. We even plotted and planned a few trips down for a few football games (GO BUCS! GO BULLS!) and if we're really lucky, we may have a few friends come up and go with us to the WVU vs USF at West Virginia.

That is one thing I am really going to miss - football w/good friends. We didn't go to all the games but, we went to a lot and had a blast every time. Raymond James Stadium is very dear to my heart.

We'll miss you guys, come up for a visit!

Not Quite Gone

The apartment is packed. The movers are loading the truck.

I'm sitting here watching the action in a chair that will be loaded shortly. I've realized that I would really like to take this actual apartment with me. I really really like this apartment. It's roomy and spacious and laid out really well. Sure. Like any place, there are some things that I would change about it, but I can honestly say that this is the best apartment we ever lived in and I'm sad to be leaving it behind. All 1347 sq. ft of its reasonably priced self. I can't find anything even kind of close to its layout/price in Virginia. I will be sad.

Also, I'm amazed at how much SHIT we have (excuse my language!) Holy macaroni! When we finally settle in to whatever we end up buying, I will be doing some serious cleaning out! This is madness. There is just stuff everywhere.

Well, looks like it's time for me to go - I'm being kicked out of my chair.

The Sun Will Come Out...

Tomorrow!

I get to go HOME! to the hot humid yumminess that is Florida.
MMMmmmmmm....Home........squeek!
Somewhere around 4:30pm - as I leave for the airport - I will look a lot like this


If you happen to be close to the airport around that time and see some crazy lady with a ridiculous grin - it's just me. Wave!

Quick Update

I've been away far more than I had planned. I am surprised at how little I've posted lately, but my thoughts have been elsewhere. I've been pulling some long hours at work and getting ready for the big move. Not to mention the fact that I'm missing Matt. He inspires me daily with his silly antics and it has been 5 weeks since I've seen him.

I have officially packed up my room here at Sarah's for the move. (Click here to follow Sarah and her friends on their road trip across the US to San Francisco for the BlogHer convention) My plan is to pack up their Explorer with all of my stuff I have here on Monday evening, pick up the keys and unload it into our new apartment on Tuesday then fly out Wednesday afternoon for home (Florida). WOO-HOO! After some family visiting and one final night out with our friends, we will be hitting the road at dawn-thirty on Sunday morning for the long drive up. I know I will be weary at work Monday morning. Wish me luck.

Other than the mild insanity that is my life right now, all is well.

We will be posting more pictures from our Honeymoon (yes, my friends, there are many many more) and our road trip up as soon as we get the interweb set up at the apartment. I also promise to complete the final installment of the Honeymoon Diary sometime soon. Be on the look out for what I am sure will be the madness of house hunting too!

Three Sheets to...ANGRY!

Man!
I woke up on the dark side of cranky this morning. I don't know if it was the buzzing beast yelling at me to get up at 5:30am (aka: dawn-thirty) or if it was a bad case of the Monday morning after a long weekend blahs but HOLY! You would not have wanted to meet me in a dark alley this morning.

I think I would have actually bitten, clawed, hissed and spit at anyone who had dared to look in my direction. Luckily for them, I tend to be an even-keeled person and leveled out soon after arriving at the work environment. I guess I really didn't have a choice, biting my co-workers or boss isn't an option, is it?

Down the Home Stretch

Only a week and half until I fly home and visit with my friends and family. It is also the time when our household,the Kitty Empire, Matt and I pick up and move to our new home, 900 miles away. We will be driving up with 4 cats and the two of us in Matt's car - straight through. Huh...we should all look something like this

As I mentioned before, Matt is no longer employed and thought he would be bored out of his skull for 2 weeks. HA~! He should have known better. I've given him a list of things that need to be done and picked up. He's been running everyday so far. There is all sorts of things that need to be done for us to be ready to go. I fully expect to be worn out when we get here and I've got to work the next day! He will be busy waiting for the movers to arrive with our household and looking for a job.

Now, I have a question for you guys. If you were a first time home buyer again and had 6 months to find a home. Would you look into a townhome or a detached single family? Or, if you've had a townhome, did you like it? Anything I should be looking for? I'm slowly convincing Matt that we should at least consider a townhome. They are very nice here and detached homes tend to be very expensive while townhomes are much more affordable for people like us - just starting out. I don't know what is the right choice for us, but six months will come and go quickly - so we've got to start thinking about it and looking.