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

my movers are awesome

Today is the first day I am dealing with movers and it was a good day.  I take my time get to the POD storage facility expecting the movers to get there around 9,10 or 11 but what a surprise to me they're already there when i pull up at 0807.  Great now let's see how long I will be stuck here, total 3 hours NICE.  I have a lot of running around to do.  GA requires kids to have their dental records to enroll so I have to work on that, get some food as we have none in the hotel, try to get my hair done sometime while i'm here (i know not really important but it will be the last time i can get it done as i haven't found anyone better that Tracy anywhere).  I also want to go get a pedicure sometime in the near future from my favorite spa here, G'day as again she is great, plus I can't find the color she uses anywhere I will have to buy some off her.  I decided also to stop by Toyota and see how much the timing belt and water pump are going to cost ( i have already mentioned the ridiculous price they want to charge in another blog but as a reminder they want about $850-900). So I stop by the Toyota place I use to use and low and behold they will charge me $600, I have to find time to get that done here.  Also I found out that the power steering fluid is suppose to be red so the other place got one over on me when they told me it wasn't suppose to be and i paid them to flush it and fill it.  That seals the deal I wont go back there again.

Side note, the damn Langley Inns, SUCK, the TV remote did not work, the room is really badly designed and the DVD player doesn't work.  Boy was K mad at me, cause he wanted to finish watching the movie we were watching in the car and he couldn't when we go into the hotel room.  oops.  And the internet sucks too.  

I asked the movers if they could load my stuff tomorrow so that we can get out of here on Wednesday with plenty of time to get to DC as K is testing for his white belt in Tae Kwon Do and that starts at 1700hr ( I want to take off from here nlt 1100hr).  If it goes like today (please please let it), we'll be on track.  I also arranged for the car to be taken car of in the morning tomorrow (so much for having the credit card paid off between tires and this plus a few other things it's right back up there, damn it, at least i had one statement with a zero balance).

I also managed to get in a pedicure appointment for tomorrow at 1300 (hope the car is done in time) and the dental records will be ready after 1400hr.

I hope to up-date tomorrow after I see how everything goes.

GO HEELS!!!

We made it to Chapel Hill and back even with all the traffic.  Oops did I skip ahead.  This weekend was Carolina Kids day with the football team so of course we had to go.  We went to meet the basketball team last year and it was great.

Ok so we head out around 1100ish a little later than I wanted but the thing doesn't start until 1645 so plenty of time right, WRONG.  I swear DC has the worst traffic ever and it NEVER ceases.  It took us almost 2 hours for approximately 20 miles.  I could just see us getting later and later.  Even after traffic let off a little it still was just damn congested most of the way until past Richmond and then I had some space to make up for time lost and boy did I ever :)

We made it right on time :) Go ME.

So of course there is mass crowd bigger than the basketball one I think.  It's wasn't as organized as the BBall one though so who knows.  We finally get the few free things and some snacks and head out to the football field where the inflatables are and there is already a ridiculous line but of course we have to wait in it since K loves the inflatables.  While he's in line I go off to the on-field tent that is selling UNC stuff I of course have to buy.  I get some good deals actually so i'm pretty pleased.  OK it's finally time to get the autographs and now the masses gather at the ropes ready to  bombard the players.  Holy cow are there a lot of players like 65 or 70.  K was getting impatient as was I.  So now he heads to the QB and gets most of them to sign and then off to WR table, as we're going through there though one of the coaches says we have to go to the other side of the tables and so K is like i'm done and wants to go back to the inflatables.  Fine by me, i'm ready to get away from all these peoples.  So now the lines aren't as long and he gets to do the ones he wants.  Finally around 1930 I say it's enough and we head out, I still want to hit the student store.  By the time we get there, there is only 15 minutes left until closing and they have turned off most of the lights WHAT, i can barely see what i'm grabbing.  So I buy a bunch of random stuff in random sizes, and hurry out of there.  The bill, $436 odd dollars way over budget.  Good thing is though, when we get to the hotel and i try the stuff on and check some of the stuff out, there is at least $150 going back.

Did i mention the hotel is only 2 miles from DUKE, i thought we might get booed at while driving around there, luckily when we're checking in the receptionist admits she too is a UNC fan and we are safe.  She was great.  Of course we are hungry and she recommends the restaurant across the street.  Did I mention Sye was with us on this trip.  K's godfather.  Anyway so we headed across the street and order some chow, while waiting for the found K is exhausted and falls asleep in my lap, oh how sweet.  Sye suggests I get some champagne as i'm not driving so of course you can only order champagne by the bottle and i get what he recommends.  It wasn't bad, not that i can remember the name.  Of course being the person I am I finished the whole bottle myself, he had a pitcher of beer he was working on.  We had a great time chatting, just like old times.  So just before we're leaving the restaurant and i took my last sip out of the glass (by the way how do you have champagne in a restaurant but no champagne glasses, i had to drink form a wine glass, is that even legal :)  And of course since I'm in a goofy mood, i decide to end the night Indy still, there is a part in one of the movies where he goes to get an artifact from his old girlfriend and she has a bar where she is having a drinking competition and every time you finish a shot you have to turn the glass upside down so that the shot counts, so as we are about to get up to leave, I turn the glass up side down and the bottom pops off the glass, WHAT.  So we now scurry quickly out of there.  On the way out Sye says to the waitress it wasn't me and she just had a confused look on her face.  We were cracking up the whole way back to the hotel.

So the next morning we get up and of course have to head back to the student store so I can return some stuff but now that I can see I start all over again and end up buying more stuff anyway.  I love the student store though and you can't buy on-line from them so I have no choice right.  Anyway we finally hit the road and everything is going well until we hit Richmond.  I decide I want some Carrabbas and head into town and Sye's not hungry and goes shopping by the mall right by it.  I am hoping to convince K he doesn't want McDees by going there because I know he likes the food, it didn't work, he doesn't get McDees very often so there was no way he was giving that option up.  Anyway once we are done traffic is still bad, once we finally get out of Richmond traffic shortly after we hit DC traffic of course.  We finally make it back home and I get to go through all the stuff again YEAH.

That's about it.

GO HEELS!!!!

Started out bad but ended not so bad

Ok i'm finally back at work today just long enough to get some bad news.

So everything was looking like it was on track, I got the information on my move for Alexandria and I heard my RPA (whatever that is) is going along nicely.  I then let the boss know my last day will be Tuesday based on all the move stuff and he comes back with a not if the job offer doesn’t come through, ok so now I’m paranoid.  Does he know something I don’t.  Damn it to hell, what’s next.  So now I’m trying to get everything in order anyway just in case everything falls into place because it’s better to be prepared and not have to be then to be scrambling.  Of course I only have an hour because we have to go to Ft Meade for our APAC tour and I’m running out of time.  Then I realize I don’t even know where we are going, no address or anything, lucky the Maj emailed me back in time with directions, it was close. 

So now I’m running out the door because with DC traffic you never know if you’re going to get to where you need to be on time if you don’t leave extra early.  As I am stuck in traffic on my way to MD, I get a call, it’s the official job offer BUT they weren’t aware of my GS 11 pay.  They ask me to send an email accepting the position naming the salary I am expecting.  Have to make sure that’s in writing, but of course I can’t do this until way later in the day as I have no access to a computer while heading to MD.  I’m anxious to get that email out so the paperwork can start rolling.  I finally get back from MD around 1400hr and I still haven’t eaten yet, stupid DC traffic and shoot off the email.  Thank goodness the person is still in the office and she replies with a confirmation of the salary I wanted GS 9 Step 7 and the position.  So it looks like things are flowing.

Oh yeah did I mention my boss is going to be gone the next week so if there is a glitch I’m in big trouble.  Hope nothing goes wrong between now and then.