quick

I know it has been a while and there is a lot to talk about but as luck would have it (ok so it was planned) We're off to Canada for a week, YEAH finally a real vacation (well after the grueling 18 hour drive).

Maybe I will have time to catch everything up there.

Work has been busy, I can definitely say Community Relations is not a job where you occasionally work, it's one where you occasionally don't get a call or email every few minutes but being busy makes the time fly by.

PS Did I mention it's my birthday tomorrow, YEAH me (we  wont go into how old I am)

Before and in progress pictures

Ok YEAH me I closed on my house on friday and the painters got started asap which is good as my household goods are being delivered on thursday.  I have been busy as hell so I haven't been able to write nearly as much as I have wanted but such is life sometimes.  Now i'm going to try to add a bunch of house pictures.

Above is the prior owners version of K's room
Above is a work in progress for K's room

And this is the finished product of K's room

Before and in progress pictures

Ok YEAH me I closed on my house on friday and the painters got started asap which is good as my household goods are being delivered on thursday.  I have been busy as hell so I haven't been able to write nearly as much as I have wanted but such is life sometimes.  Now i'm going to try to add a bunch of house pictures.

It is time

For me to start thinking about some colors in the house if all goes well. And I think I finally decided. red for the kitchen, Carolina blue for my bedroom and bath, light brown for the dining area, sky blue for the living room, quest room and bathroom and of course K's room is purple. I hope it turns out.

Hectic day at work

Ok considering I have only been here a week, today was busy as i don't know what. The Atlanta Falcons came for a visit with the cheerleaders. they flew in on 3 Blackhawks (which makes me have a flashback of the time I took my first ride on one, that was great) and then the show began. We of course had media and they had media and they were late so that pushed everything to be shortened. And then the general wanted to greet them (he had decided that last minute) and then they were off to eat with 25 select soldiers. That was a great part of the day. You could really see it meant a lot to the soldiers and even the players seem to enjoy it. One of them asked many questions and was very interested in the Army itself as well as the soldiers

in search a house & financing, the story begins

Ok so here I am after being in Augusta almost and week and i have found nothing to rent in the school district that I want. I wish i wasn't so picky, it is only elementary school right. I don't care though because if he gets a wrong start with a crappy school, that wont help him build for the harder stuff.

Anyway I drove around so many neighborhoods, hoods being a key portion of the phrase. The once that were nice were about $1030 why would I pay that on rent like really. So now, I decided to play with the idea of buying a house. Markets not bad and maybe I can find something in the district.

Next step look at some houses. This is where things go a little astray. For work they sent me to a community expo where there all sorts of vendors to include realtors and financiers. So I randomly pick some people still not really being serious about this.

But I call them and get some info. So I tell the realtor what I'm look for and there are only 4 places in the school district I want at the price I want, WHAT that's it. oh well, I decided maybe a few others in different school districts but the same county is fine.

So now, friday morning arrives and I do a little check in at work then off to meet the realtor. Oh wait she doesn't want to deal with me until she knows i can get financing which i can understand but be ready when you say you're going to be ready if everything is cool and she wasn't. We were suppose to meet at 1000 with the condition of finance info. So around 1010 I receive a call from the finance person and i'm good to go. So now i'm expecting the realtor to call me to say, hey let's go see some properties but i don't hear from her until about 1400hr.

Don't get me wrong she's s really nice person and very helpful but i'm not sure i want her as my realtor. We go hit a few houses and i don't like any of them.

In the mean time, my mom has also been looking with another realtor and they may have found something i like.

Anyway once i return from the outing my mom tells me about the house and we make arrangements to see the places Saturday morning.

Ok so here is where my dilemma starts, i now have two realtors, the nice one i picked and the one my mom found who i like a lot.

Off we go to see the properties and there was one that isn't bad, I"m not in love with it but it's in my price range and it's in the school district i want. We head back to the office and I write and offer.

Did I mention that both realtors work in the same office. Also while I was out with the new realtor the other one called and wanted me to see a few other properties. I didn't take her call and put her off until Monday but i wont jump ahead.

The offer I make is about 5 grand below asking price and i'm asking for the washer and dryer and half the closing costs. DId I also mention the realtor who showed the property to us is also the one selling it. I'm not 100% comfortable with that but I press on anyway.

My first week in Augusta

Ok So we got here on Sunday and things have been pretty busy.  The drive was about 9 or so hours because i couldn't get motivated even though I really wanted to get here.  I took Monday driving around looking at some addresses and picking up a few things.

Oh did I mention my mother who is suppose to watch my son so I can go to work doesn't make it to the hotel until 1am.  I wasn't sleeping that well because I wasn't sure if I would end up taking my son to work with me.

Off to in-processing on Tuesday (which is a training holiday for everyone else) and all is going well.  I actually have everything I need, surprise surprise YEAH.  It takes about 2 hours.  Why do we have to do the same thing at every base we got to, we're in the system aren't we.

Now i head off to my office but there is no one there and I mean NO ONE there, I figured there had to at least be one person but no such luck.

I had to go see security at 1300hr so I went to lunch super early but before that tried to get other stuff done but no one of course was in.  After security I head home as there is nothing else  for me to do.  Just more time to look at some places.

Wednesday arrives and there are people at the office. YEAH and I actually get to see where I will be working out of.  I get my own office with a door and window.

And now i'm back to running around trying to do more stuff especially as I don't have access to computers.  I may even have to get a new id card so that it will work in their system here. I still can't get a key to my office though as that person is not in and the person who does the computer stuff is also not in so it's looking like next week may be the week i get further along.

So more of the same of nothing on thursday and friday except some staff meetings and a visit to the community expo where I pick up a few things and even win a $15 gift certificate.  I never win anything.  At first I won two meals to something on 10 Oct. (my birthday by the way) but I went back to them and told them I would not be here and to give it to someone else.  I didn't want anything back but instead they gave me another prize.

I do have to mention I have seen some hotties already, yeah new base.

Friday I spent looking at some house but there will be more on that.

A suggestion from http://www.abitofmylife.com/

This is a fun little meme.

Go to Google and type in quotation marks your name and then “likes to” (ex. “Tom likes to”). Type in the first ten things that come up and repost in your own note

Alia likes to sleep in the snuggli with Daddy since he is warm 

Alia likes to talk to her, need I say more

Alia likes to offer you Prague accomodation located right in Prague centre

Alia likes to play golf

Alia likes to sing all musical genres, with the exception of country music

Alia likes to wear comfortable clothing, jeans, tees, sweaters when she is having a casual day

Alia likes to help others and she is a great cook

Alia likes to meet. new clients at their local. job centre and can offer. them the full portfolio of. Work. In Progress

Alia likes to give hugs and snuggle more than Connor

Alia likes to read but other things are more important at times

Alexandria movers

Where should I begin.  Well I was told to call thursday afternoon if I hadn't heard from the moving company so I did to ask when they would be coming.  I was told the movers would be there between noon and 1600hr (not exactly what I wanted to hear).

So today I drop K off at school and then head over to Sye's house to drop off some food, then back to the hotel.  At the hotel I start packing some of the things up while waiting on a call from a friend as we are to go do breakfast.  I'm getting along happily when my friend calls to say they're close by cool, i say i'm on my way.  Just as I am starting to leave, my phone rings again and it's the moving company, they're at the house waiting on me. WHAT, so now I have to cancel breakfast and I call Sye to ask him if he can let the movers in so they can get started.  Good thing he was in a good mood (especially since he texts me to let me know one of the movers was hot, it was two women).  Now that they are in the house I met up with my friend for a hot second for a tea :) and then rush off to Sye's.  By the time I get there, they are almost done so i'm getting happy thinking i will have the rest of the day to myself to pack up at the hotel and maybe even hit a movie, WRONG.  They were only the packers, now i have to wait on the movers to pick the stuff up.  There goes the rest of my day.  But at least they came within an hour of the others leaving, glad I didn't take off until noon.  Well they take about 2 hours to load the stuff, and finally I get my day.  It's about 1300hr so really I don't get much of a day as I have to pick K up nlt 1600hr so he can get to his last Tae Kwon Do class on time.  So I head back to the hotel and do some packing and then decide why not, i"m going to go to the movies, this week has been pretty stressful.  The only thing playing around this time is Mamma Mia which I wanted to see.  So of I go and watch the movie even though I start to get impatient with it as it's getting a little close to 1600hr.  Anyway all goes well, movie ends (it was ok) and I pick K up in time and we make it to Tae Kwon Do class.  After that back to the hotel so I can finish packing up and get the stuff into the car.  Boy I have more stuff than I thought, wish I had known that before the packers came today as I would have give up a few things.  So now the car is full and I am wondering how i will fit the food I dropped off at Sye's in the car (I'd hate to have to leave it behind as I know he wont eat it plus it's wouldn't hurt to have a few things to eat on hand).  i guess I'll worry about that tomorrow.  So all in all I don't get out of the hotel until 2100hr and head off to my uncle's house so we can chill and say good bye before we leave the area.  And now I am way tired and am hoping my son will soon fall asleep (yes he is still awake boy do I miss having that kind of energy).

Not as good as Monday

So today was not as lucky as yesterday with the movers.  I get there early so there isn’t a repeat of yesterday but of course they don’t show until about 0930 L Now this completely throws off the rest of my day.  I was suppose to drop my car off at the dealership at 0800 but the movers said they weren’t going to take to long so I need to stay.  So far things aren’t going so well.  I mean it’s great that they are being so careful but shouldn’t it have been done yesterday and today should have been just a quick load, right? Not so much. 

So I have now watched two movies and am still sitting here waiting.  That’s what I get for over booking my day.

Oh yeah did I mention it’s been a little rainy today, hope nothing of mine gets wet (it’s stopped for now).

 OK end result, i don't get my car fix cause i run out of time and i have to leave them on site after the inventory so I can make my pedicure appointment.

This is a great pedicure place and Lerae is the owner who does my feet.  She also has a barn on base with three horses and invited me to bring K by so he could ride.

Later that evening, we head to the stables and K actually gets on the horse with no problems and then loves it.  He didn't want to get off, looks like there might be another sport he's going to want to start.  We'll see how that goes down in Augusta.

I'm off. later