Puddle of Mudd

   Sitting in the drive, waiting for Bob to get home from Milwaukee.  He has been gone for 2 weeks.  Today it's supposed to be in the 80's.  Tomorrow is a fabulous day....we are going to MudFest, Puddle of Mudd is going to be in Eagle River at the derby track.  Apparently this is a first for up here, just in time for us!  A friend forwarded a groupon offer and we got a great deal on general admission tickets.  I can't wait.  We love music.  There are 2 other bands, and the winner of battle of the bands, which I don't know a whole lot about, but will tomorrow.
   I am hoping Bob can relax and enjoy the scenery and weather today and doesn't stress out about money and such.  I have accomplished quite a bit while he was gone in hopes that he could take a break while here at home. 
   A peliated wood pecker just flew past while I was typing this, so close I got almost touch it.  It's a huge wood pecker, (wonder if that what Woody Wood Pecker was?).  Also the blue jays are hanging off the suet and the red squirrel is harassing Maggie by constantly chirping at her.  I have to bring in the feeders every night now since the bears have visited and done some damage. 
   My pet sitter came this week and got familiar with the house as we both leave for Milwaukee soon, to see Bailey, my baby graduate.  I can type that now with no emotion, however once they start that pomp and circumstance song, I will be a blubbering mess.  I can't believe it.  On one hand the years have gone by slowly (some of the bad stuff), and the other they just flew by.  I cannot believe they will both be on their own come August.  Wow.  Plus, Mr. Drama himself will be visiting me in our new northwoods location.  That should be a trip.  Niko and bugs, dirt and other elements!  Although I know he will appreciate the scenery and the wildlife.  Hope he brings his camera (he will).  Wait until he sees how awful phone service is here!  Oh boy.  I plan on stopping at Verizon today to dumb down my phone.  My smart phone, is not so smart here.  I NEVER get service.  Never does it show missed calls...I have to call my voicemail daily, just to see if I missed a call.  However, Bob's generic contractor type phone works just fine.  d
   Met with a fellow retired GFPD guy yesterday.  That was nice. A little reminder of who we are.  His family has a cabin getaway about 8 minutes from my house and he is looking for a little help changing the sheets between guests.  What a small world. 

   Bob should be here any minute, I can't wait until he sees the bent hook from the bear and the now not so usable suet holder.....

It's the little things

As I sit in the driveway, enjoying this glorious day, in shock and disbelief that it's in the high 60's in northern Wisconsin, so early in the season.  Yesterday topped out at 83 degrees!  I am thankful for the little things.  My ER friend and I drive to Rhinelander each (almost every) Tuesday and coffee clutch with some ladies then do some city type errands.  Today was a plant day.  As most of you know I love my flowers.  I miss my perennial garden terribly, however I more than likely can grab a few from the yard when back in Milwaukee in two weeks.  Today we stopped at the local organic food store and found some pretty good deals for up here.  Flats in ER were $20!!! And a single 4inch Gerbera Daisy pot was $25!!!  Seriously.  But in Rhinelander at the Golden Harvest Organic store, flats were more reasonable (gerbera daisy's were $7, same size pot).  I was able to snatch up a few annuals within my budget.  We also stopped at a nursery called Forth Floral.  It was kind of like a miniature Mileagers.  Very healthy, not too pricey plants.   I was so proud of myself as I did not go crazy in there!  Back in the day I could walk into one of those nurseries and walk out with so many flowers I couldn't fit them all in the car or truck in one trip!   So a little color will be great at the new house.

So on the downside...just got a call from Bob who says the hooptie (aka the pedophile van) is dead.  Took it to our good friend Ralph who says, it's not worth fixing.  The transmission is shot.  Sigh.  Oh well, ups and downs is how we roll.  Ralph says it could make it a month or six months.  Hopefully he will get back!

Also a bear got into our bird feeder overnight and had his way with my Shepard's hook. Bent it in half.  Rude.  Not too hot on the idea of a visiting bear with the dogs and all.  I guess I will bring in the yummies from now on at night. 

I had a visitor this last weekend that helped with a butt load of yardwork.  Maddie was nice enough to come with her mom Misty and hang out while we sweated and worked hard.  As you see her and Maggie are also hard at work....lots more to do.  But, I love yard work and shaping it into a pretty space.  Well, the blue jays are yelling at me because they can't get to their feeder with me sitting here.  Headed in to finish some trim painting on my door.  It seems I have started a tradition and I have painted my entry door purple.  Sounds like a good name for a book, "Angie and the purple door".  Oh wait, that's Harold and the purple crayon!

  

Finally HOME

   A sigh of relief just left my lungs in a loud huffing noise.  I sit in my living room looking out the front window and am so giddy I could giggle like a kindergartener.  This past few months has been a roller coaster, and yet that is not the right word as that it implies that it was a fun ride.  In 4 and a half short months we moved a 3 bedroom home (and scrapbook room, and man cave stuff, and tools, fishing and hunting equipment) twice.  Through the process I wonder how people do it?  I have some relatives that moved states, jobs, lives almost every other year.  And they also had stuff. 
   My not-so-nice ex-landlord called yesterday and left a voicemail, he sounded defeated.  "Wondering if you gave any thought to buying the house you are renting from me?"  Uhhh, no.  I did recently tell him that we were re-locating and going to be out on or before June 1st. I wonder why he thinks we may change our mind.  This was after he called Century 21 who promptly put a 'for sale' sign in the front yard.  His offer for us to purchase the house was ridiculous.  He wanted us to pay an outrageous higher rent, for 3 years, and after that 3 years, still purchase it for the asking price of $159,000.  As nice as the house was to live in, it was not the house I wanted to live in forever.  Even if the water worked (needs a new drilled well $6,000) or if the heat always worked, or....well the list goes on and on.  Plus, on principle alone, no way.  He lied to us.  After living there for 2 months we found that our rent was going in his pocket and he was going to foreclose.  Hey, I get it if you can't afford the house, but don't tell us that you'd like us to be long-term renters with a possible time frame of 3-5 years. 
   Yet, in a way I am grateful to this man.  If it wasn't for him, we would never have found the home we just moved into.  A fabulous man who I will call BB, has this business who helps people like us.  We are renting to own.  It's truly a win-win.  He buys homes (more than likely foreclosures), puts some money into them, and sets up a rent to own program for a time period that allows you to recover financially and eventually purchase the home with your own financing down the road.  I did the math and he makes about 5% in the end.  No different than a bank.
   Let's move on to a new subject; Niko is coming to Milwaukee for Bailey's high school graduation and will be there June 1st.  I can't wait to see him.  My parents haven't seen him for 11 months!  Bob, I and Jake will drive back for Bailey's graduation, Jake will be staying with his mom for awhile, and I will bring Niko and Bailey back for a week or so.  I can't wait.  Hmm, Niko, do you think you can take some of your crap back with you to Hollywood?  It's taking up almost a whole storage locker !!!!  Then Bailey leaves for North Carolina in August for basic training, 9 weeks, afterwards, Missouri for 21 weeks for job training.  Wow, I am old.  However, not as old as Bob :)  He just turned 44 in April.  My brain still feels like I am 20 something, now the body, that's another story.  Knees are doing ok, but I really should get on that darn bike.  My body has been so sore from moving, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  But I will. 
   My goal is to keep positive during all these changes that are happening in our lives.  I continue to miss my family and friends, but truly feel that I belong here, up north.  I am at ease, calm and feel like I am in another world when sitting outside, watching the wildlife, trees, even the people.
   I saw a rubber stamp at an event I went to this weekend, and boy did it hit home; God always provides a safe landing, but he never said the ride would be calm.