We find a condo and love it
we bid on the condo but don't get it
highest bidder falls through
we get a call ... condo is ours
sellers try and screw us on price
we say no ... condo not ours again
all other bidders can't get loans
again ... condo is ours at our price
crazy stuff ... but as it turns out condo is ours ... papers were signed yesterday and we take ownership on august 1st ... although we won't be moving in for about 6 months ... we are going to rent it out until we have jobs and some savings ... i have a floorplan that i am going to scan ...
Saturday, July 6, 2002
Thursday, July 4, 2002
The Lights That Didn't Fail
Let's celebrate all that's right with our great country.
Wednesday, July 3, 2002 12:01 a.m. EDT I mark the coming holiday remembering the words of a friend of Samuel Johnson, who said, "I meant to be a philosopher, but happiness kept breaking through." Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and we must celebrate. Let us hold high a single sparkler to honor those American institutions that, in this interesting year, did not flounder or fail. Much has been said of those that did--Wall Street, big business, big accounting, the Catholic Church, the FBI and CIA. But most didn't. Some stayed good and some improved and some seem to summon a metaphor: While the towers of the institution tottered, the men and women who worked within them took the stairs two at a time, hauling 80 pounds of gear to save the structure. So: Let us hold a single sparkler to the lights that didn't fail.The U.S. military. Honored more than ever across the country and the world. They're not just tough, they're smart and brave, and to the extent we dig our way out of the current crisis they'll be the ones with the shovels and pails. Cops and firemen. Once patronized, now poster boys, and rightly so. They're exemplars of courage and sacrifice, especially the firemen. What they did at the towers last September was like what was done at Omaha Beach on D-Day: They raced to fight a battle and proved we'd win a war. Airline pilots and stewards. Under incredible stress, in a fearful time, without combat pay, they get us seated, settled and flying safely and in style. They have tons of guts. They do their jobs in spite of terror threats, pressure from family and friends to get out, and Department of Transportation rulings and methods that seem almost deliberately designed to encourage the bad guys and discourage the responsible. The men and women of newspapers. We forget until history reminds us. But there are times when the lengthy, detailed, independent coverage of the great newspapers, and the gutsy work of reporters and editors, is irreplaceable. The past year reminded us of what Thomas Jefferson said: Given the choice between government and a free press, he'd take the free press. American television. More news shows, more stations, more networks means more voices, more views. Only 20 years ago Big Media still had a monopoly on information, greatly pleasing those who found stimulation in bland, gray-suited corporate liberalism. It's changed. Now more than ever we need options, now more than ever we have them. And: On Sept. 11, reporters and crews on the ground in New York literally risked their lives to get the story and the pictures. Television entertainment. Once MGM had "more stars than there are in heaven," but now the great studio of our time is a cable outfit. HBO will be studied by future social historians who'll ponder the cultural impact of groundbreaking drama from "The Sopranos" to "Six Feet Under" to "Oz." No network has reached such a consistently high level of product excellence since William Paley's CBS, in the first golden age of television when his shop was called the Tiffany Network. American wit. From Conan to Dave to Jay to Comedy Central. It more than thrives, it keeps the country together each night as comics and writers tear apart What Isn't Working Now. Science and medicine. Research labs, new treatments, technologies, medicines. All continue as the best in the world. Some day someone really will cure cancer. It will happen here. The Internet. On Sept. 11, it was the light that didn't fail. Phones in New York and Washington went down but the Internet kept humming. Separated parents, children and friends instant-messaged news of their safety, or wrote last words. And within the Internet this year the rise of a new institution: Blogging. The 24-7 opinion sites that offer free speech at its straightest, truest, wildest, most uncensored, most thoughtful, most strange. Thousands of independent information entrepreneurs are informing, arguing, adding information. Imagine if we'd had them in 1776: "As I wrote in yesterday's lead item on SamAdams.com, my well meaning cousin John continues his grammatical nitpicking with Jefferson (link requires registration) 'Inalienable,' 'unalienable,' whatever. Boys, let's fight. Start the war." Blogs may one hard day become clearinghouses for civil support and information when other lines, under new pressure, break down. Local government. The federal government tends to flail about at the beginning of national crises but local governments continue doing what they do: seeing that traffic lights work, garbage is hauled, libraries stocked. Local governments provide the basic services of protection of person and property. They did their job this year. The local church. Whatever is happening in the higher structure, chances are the ministers, priests, nuns, rabbis and brothers on the ground in your hometown are doing the work of God. They're like airline pilots and stewardesses: They're saving the institutions they represent by doing their daily work with professionalism and love. American abundance. From the farm fields to your table it all still worked, and shows no signs of weakening. A friend wrote the other day: "Have you tasted the peaches this year? So sweet they'll make you cry, the best in years. Tomatoes too." The American Dream. Our greatest institution. Our greatest tradition. It proceeds apace. Individual dreams continue to flourish, and we chase them with a freedom of movement, an encouraged creativity and a sense of possibility that remain unparalleled. The other day I went to the oath-taking ceremony for new citizens at the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. There were hundreds of people in saris, in skullcaps, in suits made in Romania. There was a hugely pregnant woman from Nigeria, dressed in a red-and-white plaid cotton dress; there were young Eastern European women in too-tight pants from the Gap; there were young men in gym clothes. The usual mix from all over the world. They were so happy to be joining what others of us were lucky enough to be born into. They knew they were in the right place doing the right thing, and changing their lives for the better. New Americans. We hold high this sparkler for you.
Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal. Her most recent book, "When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan," sis published by Viking Penguin. You can buy it from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Fridays
Let's celebrate all that's right with our great country.
Wednesday, July 3, 2002 12:01 a.m. EDT I mark the coming holiday remembering the words of a friend of Samuel Johnson, who said, "I meant to be a philosopher, but happiness kept breaking through." Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and we must celebrate. Let us hold high a single sparkler to honor those American institutions that, in this interesting year, did not flounder or fail. Much has been said of those that did--Wall Street, big business, big accounting, the Catholic Church, the FBI and CIA. But most didn't. Some stayed good and some improved and some seem to summon a metaphor: While the towers of the institution tottered, the men and women who worked within them took the stairs two at a time, hauling 80 pounds of gear to save the structure. So: Let us hold a single sparkler to the lights that didn't fail.The U.S. military. Honored more than ever across the country and the world. They're not just tough, they're smart and brave, and to the extent we dig our way out of the current crisis they'll be the ones with the shovels and pails. Cops and firemen. Once patronized, now poster boys, and rightly so. They're exemplars of courage and sacrifice, especially the firemen. What they did at the towers last September was like what was done at Omaha Beach on D-Day: They raced to fight a battle and proved we'd win a war. Airline pilots and stewards. Under incredible stress, in a fearful time, without combat pay, they get us seated, settled and flying safely and in style. They have tons of guts. They do their jobs in spite of terror threats, pressure from family and friends to get out, and Department of Transportation rulings and methods that seem almost deliberately designed to encourage the bad guys and discourage the responsible. The men and women of newspapers. We forget until history reminds us. But there are times when the lengthy, detailed, independent coverage of the great newspapers, and the gutsy work of reporters and editors, is irreplaceable. The past year reminded us of what Thomas Jefferson said: Given the choice between government and a free press, he'd take the free press. American television. More news shows, more stations, more networks means more voices, more views. Only 20 years ago Big Media still had a monopoly on information, greatly pleasing those who found stimulation in bland, gray-suited corporate liberalism. It's changed. Now more than ever we need options, now more than ever we have them. And: On Sept. 11, reporters and crews on the ground in New York literally risked their lives to get the story and the pictures. Television entertainment. Once MGM had "more stars than there are in heaven," but now the great studio of our time is a cable outfit. HBO will be studied by future social historians who'll ponder the cultural impact of groundbreaking drama from "The Sopranos" to "Six Feet Under" to "Oz." No network has reached such a consistently high level of product excellence since William Paley's CBS, in the first golden age of television when his shop was called the Tiffany Network. American wit. From Conan to Dave to Jay to Comedy Central. It more than thrives, it keeps the country together each night as comics and writers tear apart What Isn't Working Now. Science and medicine. Research labs, new treatments, technologies, medicines. All continue as the best in the world. Some day someone really will cure cancer. It will happen here. The Internet. On Sept. 11, it was the light that didn't fail. Phones in New York and Washington went down but the Internet kept humming. Separated parents, children and friends instant-messaged news of their safety, or wrote last words. And within the Internet this year the rise of a new institution: Blogging. The 24-7 opinion sites that offer free speech at its straightest, truest, wildest, most uncensored, most thoughtful, most strange. Thousands of independent information entrepreneurs are informing, arguing, adding information. Imagine if we'd had them in 1776: "As I wrote in yesterday's lead item on SamAdams.com, my well meaning cousin John continues his grammatical nitpicking with Jefferson (link requires registration) 'Inalienable,' 'unalienable,' whatever. Boys, let's fight. Start the war." Blogs may one hard day become clearinghouses for civil support and information when other lines, under new pressure, break down. Local government. The federal government tends to flail about at the beginning of national crises but local governments continue doing what they do: seeing that traffic lights work, garbage is hauled, libraries stocked. Local governments provide the basic services of protection of person and property. They did their job this year. The local church. Whatever is happening in the higher structure, chances are the ministers, priests, nuns, rabbis and brothers on the ground in your hometown are doing the work of God. They're like airline pilots and stewardesses: They're saving the institutions they represent by doing their daily work with professionalism and love. American abundance. From the farm fields to your table it all still worked, and shows no signs of weakening. A friend wrote the other day: "Have you tasted the peaches this year? So sweet they'll make you cry, the best in years. Tomatoes too." The American Dream. Our greatest institution. Our greatest tradition. It proceeds apace. Individual dreams continue to flourish, and we chase them with a freedom of movement, an encouraged creativity and a sense of possibility that remain unparalleled. The other day I went to the oath-taking ceremony for new citizens at the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. There were hundreds of people in saris, in skullcaps, in suits made in Romania. There was a hugely pregnant woman from Nigeria, dressed in a red-and-white plaid cotton dress; there were young Eastern European women in too-tight pants from the Gap; there were young men in gym clothes. The usual mix from all over the world. They were so happy to be joining what others of us were lucky enough to be born into. They knew they were in the right place doing the right thing, and changing their lives for the better. New Americans. We hold high this sparkler for you.
Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal. Her most recent book, "When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan," sis published by Viking Penguin. You can buy it from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Fridays
Wow ... my aunt is crazy ... now I don't want to say anything mean ... cause she is a sweet woman ... but boy howdy I would say my mom's sister is a little loopy ... she was telling me how her plants talk to her ... I understand talking to your plants ... they are growing things ... and it has gotta be nice ... but to hear them talk back ... it was all I could do to keep a straight face ... she is telling me how some plants that her soon to be ex husband used to take care of ... told her recently when she was tending to them that they preferred having her take care of them ... geeee I wonder why they told her that ... it is just crazy talk ...
but now I have found there is a Twilight Zone marathon on today ... my brother and I used to spend the 4th watching these ... even taping the whole thing ... I need to let him know this is on ... ohhhhh I gotta check the guide now and see which episodes they are playing ... :)
but now I have found there is a Twilight Zone marathon on today ... my brother and I used to spend the 4th watching these ... even taping the whole thing ... I need to let him know this is on ... ohhhhh I gotta check the guide now and see which episodes they are playing ... :)
Wednesday, July 3, 2002
well everyone arrived today ... first my aunt and grandmother got here ... while my parents were off getting the condo ... and then soon after my parents got home Wally and drew got here ... everyone hung out ... we sat on the patio and talked ... ate sandwiches ... it was quite nice ... Wally was telling stories about how David took the car out way before he was old enough ... like when he was 3 he threw the gear out of park and ran over a fire hydrant ...
then my mom got a call ... now it looks like we aren't getting the condo ... I think the people were trying to stiff us or something ... and she said it was no deal ... then my dad said it wasn't for sure and we would have to wait and see ... so who knows what is going on ...
tomorrow we will be adding Jason and jenny to the mix ... 10 people here for dinner and festivities ... amazing ... wooohooo I almost forgot I bought all those American flags to hang up on the patio ... I must get up and do that first thing in the morning so the house looks festive ... :)
well I should get some sleep ... it would be terrible if I overslept all the guests in the house ...
happy independence day!!!!!
then my mom got a call ... now it looks like we aren't getting the condo ... I think the people were trying to stiff us or something ... and she said it was no deal ... then my dad said it wasn't for sure and we would have to wait and see ... so who knows what is going on ...
tomorrow we will be adding Jason and jenny to the mix ... 10 people here for dinner and festivities ... amazing ... wooohooo I almost forgot I bought all those American flags to hang up on the patio ... I must get up and do that first thing in the morning so the house looks festive ... :)
well I should get some sleep ... it would be terrible if I overslept all the guests in the house ...
happy independence day!!!!!
Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Well the need for a job has become more critical ... last night David and I were upstairs hanging out with my mom ... David was working on making his fried ice cream that he is going to serve on the 4th ... when the phone rang ... my mom answered and just seemed all excited ... I couldn't figure out who she was talking to but when she got off the phone she said, "GUESS WHAT!!!!" ... David and I had blank stares ... she said "Everyone who bid on the condo fell through ... you guys got the condo" ...
now David and I are quite excited cause it was the best condo we have seen ... but with both of us being out of work it is a scary proposition ... so we are taking possession of it on August 1st and we are going to rent it out till like January or so ... make some money ... get some furniture and then be ready to move in ... it was a great condo ... and I am hoping while David's family is here this weekend they will let us stop by and check it out ... we'll find out today ...
now David and I are quite excited cause it was the best condo we have seen ... but with both of us being out of work it is a scary proposition ... so we are taking possession of it on August 1st and we are going to rent it out till like January or so ... make some money ... get some furniture and then be ready to move in ... it was a great condo ... and I am hoping while David's family is here this weekend they will let us stop by and check it out ... we'll find out today ...
Monday, July 1, 2002
OH MY GOODNESS ... dinner was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good ... woohoo for the Kraft spaghetti ... it has been since 2000 since I have had it ... so the anticipation was well worth the outcome ... what would top off the evening perfectly is a Mocha Frap from Starbucks but I just don't feel like going out at all ... we'll see if the notion hits David ... he only ever wants to go if no one asks him ... :)
I am fighting a killer headache today ... but on a up note ... I just went to the grocery store to get some more stuff for our 4th of July feast ... and as I was browsing the isles I saw they are now carrying the Kraft spaghetti dinner ... this shit is my favorite ... it is what my mom always made when I was a kid ... I had no idea it was from a box until I was in college and I called home to get her recipe ... I was having a spaghetti dinner and I wanted to make it ... she said 'oh that is from Kraft ... in a box ... you just get tomato paste and add the seasoning' ... I was stunned ... I made it for everyone and they were raving about it ... when I was asked for the recipe and told them it was Kraft no one could believe it ... so tonight we are having Kraft spaghetti dinner ... I am so excited ... the stuff is the bomb ... yuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmm
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