Adam's 30th Birthday

Adam turned 30 this year and I planned a surprise lunch for him on Saturday. He had no clue about it but figured I do something. We went to Olive Garden and then a few of us went to the park after since we have kids. Then, we went to Ron and Lisa's coffee shop and the best part, Costco! OK... so we are not the most exciting people but it was still fun! Here are some pictures. They're not the best because I wasn't feeling so well. It also didn't occur to me to take more than I did! Lisa M., you'll need to send me any you took! Thanks to everyone who came to spend the day with Adam!

Kim's New Job

I have a new job! I am now a real estate agent at MGR. They have offices in Victorville, Upland and Colton. I'll probably have orientation next week and I have a LOT of training to go through. When I am done with training, I will be a commercial and residential agent, although I can start selling residential real estate now with the help of a mentor. So, if you're looking to buy or sell a home... keep me in mind! :)

Seriously?

Am I really upset about not getting to buy a junky mobile home? Yes, yes I am! Adam has influenced me more than I imagined. His un-natural desire to find the least desirable house has finally worked its way into my thought process. Anyway, the crazy lady that owns the ugly mobile (in previous post) has decided that she now wants $40K down and much more for the property. Seriously? Not going to happen. Perhaps she thought since we were OK with her last offer, this wouldn't be much more. It's not like this is my dream home or anything... it's a dump, but I liked the idea of knowing where we might end up. It's the not knowing that is getting to me now. Now that the IRS thing is settled (yay!), I am focused on our housing situation. I apologize now if my posts become house-centric! :)

Could this be our new home?

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that we made an offer on a junky mobile home. Well, this is it. The lady that owns it came to her senses, sort of, and agreed to the purchase price, but she wants a lot more down. If we can figure out the down payment, then this could be where we will go when we are asked to leave our house.
It is definitely an ugly mobile, but at a great price, in the best area and it has an awesome view. If we get it, it will need to be gutted. There is also a lot of junk on the land that needs to be removed but we have a dump truck so that will help. We already met a couple of the neighbors and they are really nice - so much better than our current neighbors.


Above: Looking North

Some of the junk

Love the view - that metal building belongs to the neighbor

Needs siding, a roof, a door, a new front porch...

The living room - that stove would be replaced with ours

Kitchen - I like how it is open to the living room. It actually has more cupboards than our house.

Out the rear door... more junk

Erin's 1st Day of School!

Erin officially started preschool today. She was so excited to go. She'll be in school every Tuesday and Thursday from 9-12. Today, they colored, played outside, went over the rules and some other stuff that Erin said she can't remember. Both of the teachers seem really nice and I am sure Erin is going to learn a lot this year. She looked so cute today too!

Let the house hunting begin!

Most of you know our sad story about our house. If you don't, here are the basics: we were sold and unpermitted house, fradulently. After wasting $2200 a month for this worthless house and after mounting a lawsuit, we have decided to cut our losses and we are preparing for foreclosure. There is still a chance we will win the lawsuit, but there is a big difference between winning and collecting. As a result of this housing debacle we are left in financial ruin. We have been unable to refinance out of our bad mortgage and it has cost us dearly. This, coupled with the loss of our biggest job last October has put us in such a bad situation. We will not be able to buy a house ourselves... but there is a light amidst all this financial darkness: real estate prices are down and my dad and step-mom are going to help us secure something. However, the price of a "normal" house is still out of our reach. So, we are once again looking for the undesirable.... *sigh*

I thought I had found the perfect property for us. It was the best of both worlds - crappy place to live to make Adam happy (inside joke - just kidding, Adam :) and a great area for me. We made an offer on a piece of property that only we are crazy enough to consider. There is so much junk on the property and the dwelling (a single wide trailer) is in need of some serious TLC. Fortunately, Adam has learned a lot about remodeling and we have a dunp truck. The reason we like it is the awesome view, the great neighbors and the location. We could rehab the trailer before we are forced out of our house and then live in it for a number of years before we built the house we want. Then after the house is built, Adam's mom will have a real home to live in (she'll get the trailer). We made an offer and it was rejected. The crazy lady that owns it is out of her mind. We offered less than she wanted but this is a buyers market and there are about $15K in repairs needed for the trailer and about the same in dump fees to remove all the junk. It has been for sale for 3 years now and we are the first offer. I am bummed since I love the area and the neigbors and I liked knowing we would have somewere to go, for cheap. Guess not.... we will keep looking. I should go back up there and take pictures of the junk... it is kind of funny.

Good bye, my beloved sunglasses....

I never thought I'd be sad to lose a pair of sunglasses. Normally, I'd just go out and get a new pair. But alas, I cannot afford to replace my beloved Coach sunglasses. I was never a sunglasses snob until my 25th birthday, just over a year ago today, when my mother bought me my first pair of designer sunglasses. I was admiring their beauty inside the glass case and asked to try them on just to see what they felt like. They were perfect and my mother generously bought them for me for my birthday present. I loved them. They went everywhere with me. I wore them with pride and I loved showing them off. And now they are gone..... *sigh*
I lost them in the Cinemark movie theater. We were watching Tropic Thunder. Adam asked for the candy I snuck in inside my purse. And that is when it happened. My purse fell through the gap in the seat onto the floor. I thought I picked everything up off the floor but I was wrong. It wasn't until the next day I missed them. I went outside to look in the car just in case they were there. I was blinded by the sun as I walked back from the car, disappointed. I dug out an old cheap pair from my dresser. They just didn't feel the same. They felt cheap, uncomfortable and were scratched. I wear them in shame - shame because I am now a snob and feel self-conscious about wearing cheap sunglasses. I called the theater and they were not in their lost and found. Undoubtedly, someone else picked them up and realized their value and is now wearing them or selling them on ebay. Perhaps my sunglasses were picked up by someone who travels and they will get to see great beaches, mountains and other things they have missed out by having been forced to be worn by someone they would consider beneath them - a person who lives in the dirty desert, a person who doesn't wear designer clothes, a person who didn't put them away in a case, a person who wore them casually on top of her head but loved them nonetheless... Good bye dear sunglasses, good bye.