The dreaded running into a former high school classmate’s mother…

You know the one, the classmate who had to get the highest score/best grade all the time or life just wouldn’t be worth living. The poor kid groomed to put others down anyway they can no matter how trivial just so they can feed their vortex of low self-esteem. Then you run into former classmate’s Mom at some place hopelessly innocent place like the drycleaners, grocery store or dentist and then you are trapped wondering what possible nasty thing you did to deserve the barrage of bragging. On the plus side, the Mom is too busy spouting off than to ask nosy questions about your own adult life that you would like to keep quiet. Nothing motivates privacy like a busybody asking questions with semi-automatic like speed. Smiling civilly you try to ask polite but safe questions and ultimately you are amused by aforementioned parent’s need to flaunt everything but a paycheck stub. And as you listen about how stressed out former classmate it (because God knows, we must equate success with stress) all you can think is wow. I am so glad that is not me, still striving for perfection—a race down a narrow lightless tunnel with no end. Ah well, it’s amazing how talking with someone five minutes can take you back ten years.

Land ho!

So Andrew and I are thinking it is time to try a different tact in finding long term housing. After looking at so many houses where either the house or the location or both was wrong to one of both of us we are thinking about looking for land first. Acreage is still cheaper in Mechanicsburg than places like London and Plain City. If we find a nice lot to suit us 1.5 to 2.5 acres we may be able to get it and put a new unibuilt house on it for what we would spend on a 30 year old house in a decent neighborhood. Unibuilt is really cool--they build the houses in pieces in a climate controlled factory and then put up your house in 8 days. It's less expensive than traditional contracting because you don't have weather delays, sub contractors, or materials coming from like, 5,000 different places. There are loads of floorplans and options too. Check it out, www.unibilt.com.

So now we have to find land, and that isn't going to be easy but Dad is going to drive around keeping his eyes peeled and our agent is on it. We are going up to unibilt this weekend to find out more. The weather is crappy and everything feels tired and worn. We took Kitten to the vet for her check up and have her on special food because she has been throwing up a lot. Yeah I know, special food from the vet but she hasn't thrown up since we switched her. Andy is fine. He's watching lots of home improvement videos and reading a lot of books. I think at this point he could be a house inspector. He's also cooking a chicken for us tonight. YUM, no cheese in that!

time?

Yeah, what is that? Nothing new to report this week, both of us just trying to keep our heads above water in terms of getting done what needs to get done. Looking at more houses on Sunday and waiting for warm weather. I am finally starting to feel better and am eating healthier but it's not much consolation when choclate and pizza are by and large off limits. More later, Julie

Dairy is Death

Okay, so I've been trying to live without the cheese/ice cream stuff for a few months now but apparently, milk in any of its forms from whey in breaded fish sticks to honey mustard salad dressing is bad, very, very bad. So it looks like shopping at Trader Joe's and Andersons is the order of the day. I'm eating a lot of fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, cereals and breads. Trying to incorporate some proteing in the evenings too. It's just such a big adjustment but between reading ingredients and when in doubt taking those lactase supplements I should be okay. I suppose I'll be super healthy compared to the average american but having to watch the chocolate intake really sucks! Andrew and I are still looking at houses and are getting a better idea of what we want and what we would like to do to a house when we do get one. I had to work this Sunday and have to work this Sunday, so we have to cram looking at houses in the morning. Even though I get to take four hours off during the week, it doesn't seem to even out. That's all for now I guess. Please forgive us if we havent' called, emailed or tried to arrange a visit. Our window for socialzing is really small right now. Jules

Andrew got his cert!

Of course I am not surprised. He's been anxious for weeks now and is really happy. He will have to wait until the state of Ohio sends a special card but he's and EMT-I now--I don't know what living with him will be like when he is waiting on the results from his paramedic test next year, but as Mom reminds me, I wasn't exactly easy going when I was in school myself--the real world has mellowed me out a bit. Andy is going to look at more houses while I work the late shift at the branch. later j