Ok, I have tried really hard not to get too stressed about it, but we are getting down to the wire now - we need to sell this house!!
We have only had a handful of people come and look at the house (outside of open houses, which, as we all know, aren't populated by people who necessarily want to buy a house, but rather the curious and those that just tour open houses for fun). Each time, I had hope. To no avail. Some of the most promising lookers ended up "settling" (their words, not mine) for other houses. One decided to buy the house down the street - it was cheaper. And one decided to buy a house 30 minutes away, in Port Washington, after stating to my realtor that they wanted to be in Howards Grove only! They found their "dream house" which is half the size of mine, with half the amenities. So I ask, how can that be their dream house?! One family decided not to buy the house because we were on such a main street. Ok - that's ridiculous - this is Howards Grove, with a population of just over 2,000. And we live in a neighborhood! The latest looker came through on Thursday. She told the realtor that she just "wasn't feeling it" - whatever that means. She said the whole house would need to be repainted as the colors were hideous (I take serious offense to that!) which I think is stupid since everyone has to repaint when they move. And the two things she didn't like were my kitchen sink and master bathroom sinks. Let me tell you that those were two of the hefty upgrades we made. The kitchen sink happens to be my favorite - it is a beautiful sunlight yellow that matches the countertops and cabinets beautifully. The master bathroom sinks are a little more understandable since they are a funky light blue, but they are really cool shaped, and one of Kohler's hottest items right now. Not to mention that all three sinks are cast iron...
So I guess it's time to call in the big dogs. I am going to bury a St. Joseph statue in my yard upside-down, like a good Catholic. (It is St. Joseph, right?) Other than that, I don't know much else we can do (other than dramatically lower the price). The realtor said we are at a slight disadvantage because we almost certainly need a family who is relocating to buy since anyone in town who is ready to move up in the world has no buyers for their starter homes. (That, apparently is where our market is suffering the most - at the lower end homes for sale.)
Please pray for us!! I start work part-time in two weeks, which means half the paycheck. And we close on our new house at the end of August - which means two mortgages - and that we definitely can't afford!!
I would say that I need to contact HGTV to come and do a special on us, like "Designed to Sell," or "My House is Worth What?" but I think it already is designed to sell. Maybe not priced to sell, but doggone it, we paid a lot for this sucker and would like to at least come out even!
We have another open house this Sunday, so maybe something will happen there...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Computer Troubles
It's official - the Dell mom bought for me for Christmas a couple of years ago is officially dead!
I have had so much trouble with that computer. About 6 months after I got it, it started acting up. The first problem I encountered was that I could not log in. I could turn it on, but the screen would immediately go blank. I called customer service where I was helped by some man in India. I really do not know what all he said, but there was one point where I did a little test, and I did understand his response - the hard drive was shot. I was livid!! I lost everything (the most devastating loss being all my photos!!). I had to send in the bad hard drive to Dell and they sent me a new one. It was a huge hassel, and although it was a free replacement (still under warranty), it's not like I knew what the heck the hard drive even was! I had to call Troy (mom's trusty computer guy) to help me take out the old one and put in the new one. He then installed a back up hard drive that would automatically back up my files every night at 3:00 am. Problem solved. For a few months, anyways!
Not 10 months later, it happened again. I am not even sure what "it" was, just that our computer was all fouled up. I opted not to call my good friends in India, but instead went straight to Troy. He said my hard drive was shot and needed to be replaced - again! My computer was no longer under warranty, but somehow he finageled Dell for a free replacement. I was really bummed, though. At this point, I really didn't feel that I could trust this computer. And what a hassel! It's not like Troy dropped everything to come and work on my pc, so everytime I had an issue, my computer was out of commission for over a week. No email, no internet, and since my phone was through my computer as well, I had troubles with it, too!! Plus, even though I got the hard drive for free both times, Troy was not! But whatever, it was back up and working.
Fast forward another few months. Problems again. This time, we would be working on the computer and it would suddenly kick you off line, or shut down. Very wierd. But, I was in the process of getting married and moving, so I decided to just move the whole messed-up thing and deal with it here in WI. Of course, I don't have a Troy here, so I had to turn to the trusty phone book. Ok - we are in Sheboygan, WI - literally one of the smallest towns I have ever seen, and not close to anything large, so my options were like, nothing. I decided to wait until we were gong into Appleton or Milwaukee, and then I would try to bring it along and find a geek squad or something. But then I saw this ad in our work newsletter. It was a private guy, he worked out of his house, and would come to mine to make a diagnosis for free. So I called him.
He comes to the house and immediately I am worried. Not that I judge everyone by appearances, but he is kind of dirty and really needs to shave. But, still, he is taking a look at my pc (along with some of the laptops - which I will brief you on at the end). He took it home with him, and the long and short of it is that (over $300.00 later) he replaced the hard drive - again! But no files were lost, so I guess I am still in good shape, right? WRONG!!
Apparently when he installed the new hard drive, he did not put any security software on my computer! That brings us to the most recent problem. We kept getting a message when we were working on the computer. Something like "Malware has been detected on your PC. Warning!" Of course, I have no idea what this is, so we just ignore it and keep using it. Then one day, the creepiest thing happened. I was on it and suddenly the screen went blotchy bright blue, and hundreds of small, black cockroaches starting crawling all over the screen. Morgan and I were working together, and when it happened, we both jumped and even let out a little scream. I shut down the machine and then fired it back up. I was able to get to the log in screem but when I actually tried to log in, it flashed this huge warning "WARNING - Your computer has a Virus!!" It was like nothing I had ever seen. And that was it, you couldn't do anything.
This time, I called my new computer guy (similar to mom's Troy). It is the boyfriend of someone I work with, and as you will see below I had already worked with him, he is good, thorough, and fair. He takes it home and tells me shortly that he had never seen anything like this, that it would take many hours to fix - and the fix might not even bring the machine up to full working capacity. Of course, there is always the option to install a new hard drive! (For those of you who are counting, that would be number 4 on a machine that is only like 3 years old!) I opted for the sane solution - dump that piece of crap and I will get a new computer! The problem with this: I haven't sold my house, I am about to stop working, and we will soon be adding a new home to our list of bills. Purchasing a new computer right now seems a little foolish. But what else am I to do?? The other problem - since I had the back up hard drive set to update automatically every night, it probably updated the virus as well, meaning, you guessed it, all my stuff is lost. We are not sure that is actually the case yet, but if it is, I will die. I have EVERY ONE of my photos on the computer. I will be able to download my ITunes onto a new pc, so that is good, but my pictures!! I will die if they are gone.
So the breakdown of where my family sits right now as far as computers go:
1. No desktop - unsure if any files/pictures will be salvageable, and no Itunes until I get a new PC to download my account to (This is particularly devastating for the girls as they use ITunes every day)
2. I am currently using Mindy's old laptop she got when she graduated from high school - It works fine, but must be plugged in at all times since it has no battery. (This pc was given to me by my dad who was calling it a lost cause because the cord was faulty, so it kept shutting down. I paid the first WI guy to fix the cord so it would be usable.)
3. Bryan and I both have laptops from work. I am about to lose mine since I will no longer be working.
4. We have two old Mac laptops mom gave to the girls a few Christmases ago. Both are too old to really be of any use. They are too slow to go on the internet. Brantley is about the only one that uses them - to type!
5. We have Bryan's personal laptop. It, too is broken. It has somehting to do with the screen - again the first WI computer guy looked at it for me. It was going to be pricey to fix, so it is just sitting here, collecting dust. [Maybe I should pay to fix the screen and let that be my main computer. Beats buying a new desktop - but I really like a desktop for all my work!]
6. The girls each have a laptop that Bryan and I bought them for Christmas. They are refurbished Compaqs - although everything appeared brand new when they arrived. I have already had my good WI computer guy work on them both. When we got them they were really slow and should have been top notch. He got them all up and working perfectly. But now, Morgan's screen works on and off, and her wireless card is shot! So we are having that repaired.
I serously want to scream with all the problems we have with computers. It's just not like you can buy the darn thing - hook it up - and use it without any complications. I have sunk so much money into pc repair and maintenance - thnk of all the shoes I could have bought with that money!! So, this blog is long enough, let's end it by saying I am technologically challenged and should probably give up computers all together!
*On a side note, Sandy got the same Dell from mom the same Christmas. Hers lasted an even shorter amount of time before they had to replace theirs. All I have to say is I will never buy another Dell!
I have had so much trouble with that computer. About 6 months after I got it, it started acting up. The first problem I encountered was that I could not log in. I could turn it on, but the screen would immediately go blank. I called customer service where I was helped by some man in India. I really do not know what all he said, but there was one point where I did a little test, and I did understand his response - the hard drive was shot. I was livid!! I lost everything (the most devastating loss being all my photos!!). I had to send in the bad hard drive to Dell and they sent me a new one. It was a huge hassel, and although it was a free replacement (still under warranty), it's not like I knew what the heck the hard drive even was! I had to call Troy (mom's trusty computer guy) to help me take out the old one and put in the new one. He then installed a back up hard drive that would automatically back up my files every night at 3:00 am. Problem solved. For a few months, anyways!
Not 10 months later, it happened again. I am not even sure what "it" was, just that our computer was all fouled up. I opted not to call my good friends in India, but instead went straight to Troy. He said my hard drive was shot and needed to be replaced - again! My computer was no longer under warranty, but somehow he finageled Dell for a free replacement. I was really bummed, though. At this point, I really didn't feel that I could trust this computer. And what a hassel! It's not like Troy dropped everything to come and work on my pc, so everytime I had an issue, my computer was out of commission for over a week. No email, no internet, and since my phone was through my computer as well, I had troubles with it, too!! Plus, even though I got the hard drive for free both times, Troy was not! But whatever, it was back up and working.
Fast forward another few months. Problems again. This time, we would be working on the computer and it would suddenly kick you off line, or shut down. Very wierd. But, I was in the process of getting married and moving, so I decided to just move the whole messed-up thing and deal with it here in WI. Of course, I don't have a Troy here, so I had to turn to the trusty phone book. Ok - we are in Sheboygan, WI - literally one of the smallest towns I have ever seen, and not close to anything large, so my options were like, nothing. I decided to wait until we were gong into Appleton or Milwaukee, and then I would try to bring it along and find a geek squad or something. But then I saw this ad in our work newsletter. It was a private guy, he worked out of his house, and would come to mine to make a diagnosis for free. So I called him.
He comes to the house and immediately I am worried. Not that I judge everyone by appearances, but he is kind of dirty and really needs to shave. But, still, he is taking a look at my pc (along with some of the laptops - which I will brief you on at the end). He took it home with him, and the long and short of it is that (over $300.00 later) he replaced the hard drive - again! But no files were lost, so I guess I am still in good shape, right? WRONG!!
Apparently when he installed the new hard drive, he did not put any security software on my computer! That brings us to the most recent problem. We kept getting a message when we were working on the computer. Something like "Malware has been detected on your PC. Warning!" Of course, I have no idea what this is, so we just ignore it and keep using it. Then one day, the creepiest thing happened. I was on it and suddenly the screen went blotchy bright blue, and hundreds of small, black cockroaches starting crawling all over the screen. Morgan and I were working together, and when it happened, we both jumped and even let out a little scream. I shut down the machine and then fired it back up. I was able to get to the log in screem but when I actually tried to log in, it flashed this huge warning "WARNING - Your computer has a Virus!!" It was like nothing I had ever seen. And that was it, you couldn't do anything.
This time, I called my new computer guy (similar to mom's Troy). It is the boyfriend of someone I work with, and as you will see below I had already worked with him, he is good, thorough, and fair. He takes it home and tells me shortly that he had never seen anything like this, that it would take many hours to fix - and the fix might not even bring the machine up to full working capacity. Of course, there is always the option to install a new hard drive! (For those of you who are counting, that would be number 4 on a machine that is only like 3 years old!) I opted for the sane solution - dump that piece of crap and I will get a new computer! The problem with this: I haven't sold my house, I am about to stop working, and we will soon be adding a new home to our list of bills. Purchasing a new computer right now seems a little foolish. But what else am I to do?? The other problem - since I had the back up hard drive set to update automatically every night, it probably updated the virus as well, meaning, you guessed it, all my stuff is lost. We are not sure that is actually the case yet, but if it is, I will die. I have EVERY ONE of my photos on the computer. I will be able to download my ITunes onto a new pc, so that is good, but my pictures!! I will die if they are gone.
So the breakdown of where my family sits right now as far as computers go:
1. No desktop - unsure if any files/pictures will be salvageable, and no Itunes until I get a new PC to download my account to (This is particularly devastating for the girls as they use ITunes every day)
2. I am currently using Mindy's old laptop she got when she graduated from high school - It works fine, but must be plugged in at all times since it has no battery. (This pc was given to me by my dad who was calling it a lost cause because the cord was faulty, so it kept shutting down. I paid the first WI guy to fix the cord so it would be usable.)
3. Bryan and I both have laptops from work. I am about to lose mine since I will no longer be working.
4. We have two old Mac laptops mom gave to the girls a few Christmases ago. Both are too old to really be of any use. They are too slow to go on the internet. Brantley is about the only one that uses them - to type!
5. We have Bryan's personal laptop. It, too is broken. It has somehting to do with the screen - again the first WI computer guy looked at it for me. It was going to be pricey to fix, so it is just sitting here, collecting dust. [Maybe I should pay to fix the screen and let that be my main computer. Beats buying a new desktop - but I really like a desktop for all my work!]
6. The girls each have a laptop that Bryan and I bought them for Christmas. They are refurbished Compaqs - although everything appeared brand new when they arrived. I have already had my good WI computer guy work on them both. When we got them they were really slow and should have been top notch. He got them all up and working perfectly. But now, Morgan's screen works on and off, and her wireless card is shot! So we are having that repaired.
I serously want to scream with all the problems we have with computers. It's just not like you can buy the darn thing - hook it up - and use it without any complications. I have sunk so much money into pc repair and maintenance - thnk of all the shoes I could have bought with that money!! So, this blog is long enough, let's end it by saying I am technologically challenged and should probably give up computers all together!
*On a side note, Sandy got the same Dell from mom the same Christmas. Hers lasted an even shorter amount of time before they had to replace theirs. All I have to say is I will never buy another Dell!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Poor Jason!
I hate to admit it, but I think Jason is definitely going to get kicked off tomorrow. I think he is so cute and has such a different style than everyone else, but the boy's dumber than a pile of rocks!! I actually can't believe he lasted this long.
As for the rest - Syesha is definitely getting better, but why does she always have to pick the "big songs" by the "big blacks". Ok - that is totally my wording, but seriously - she did Whitney, Tina, Sam Cooke (and others earlier on that I just can't remember). I think she did the best on the Broadway night - that is her niche, the stage thing.
David Archuleta is still so cute, but come on, he only sings those ballads. Anyone remember the Wham! disaster? And that was about his only attempt at a more upbeat pop song. I do like him, though, and think he will get offers after AI no matter if he wins or not so...
That leaves David Cook - my favorite! I love him. To me, he is the one who already seems like a star. He is creative (and really cute himself). I was blown away to hear him during the Broadway week - who knew he could sing like that? I think I like him best because he really is a rocker with a personality. Plus he is reminiscent of the grunge bands from my highschool years.
Only two more weeks until the finish - then on with the tour (which I would totally go to if it were to come my way!)
As for the rest - Syesha is definitely getting better, but why does she always have to pick the "big songs" by the "big blacks". Ok - that is totally my wording, but seriously - she did Whitney, Tina, Sam Cooke (and others earlier on that I just can't remember). I think she did the best on the Broadway night - that is her niche, the stage thing.
David Archuleta is still so cute, but come on, he only sings those ballads. Anyone remember the Wham! disaster? And that was about his only attempt at a more upbeat pop song. I do like him, though, and think he will get offers after AI no matter if he wins or not so...
That leaves David Cook - my favorite! I love him. To me, he is the one who already seems like a star. He is creative (and really cute himself). I was blown away to hear him during the Broadway week - who knew he could sing like that? I think I like him best because he really is a rocker with a personality. Plus he is reminiscent of the grunge bands from my highschool years.
Only two more weeks until the finish - then on with the tour (which I would totally go to if it were to come my way!)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
I know you thought I was done blogging about the weather
but I had to lament one last time. Apparently WI doesn't get Spring weather until summertime. We have had temperatures in the 50's a small handful of times. We have made it to the low 60's twice. But Monday, we had snow. And today it is back to the 40's. I mean seriously, I didn't think the weather was like this unless you were in Alaska! I am so tired of being cold. We have not been able to turn the heat off yet this year. And there are still no buds on trees, nor any flowers blooming. When will it end????????
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Bryan says he doesn't like that he is the butt of all my blog jokes...
So today I figured I would play that role myself.
For those who know me well, it is no big surprise that I have gained a lot of weight (60 pounds to be exact) in the last 3 or 4 years. You may recall how hot I was at Malinda's wedding - I know I do! I had worked hard and had reached my ideal weight. I was determined to wear a bikini that summer (something I hadn't done since high school). Alas, although my weight was great, apparently having two kids moved too much stuff around and I never quite found a two-piece that really showed off my new figure. I did however find a really beautiful white suit in Italy. You never saw that one? Did you miss the "white suit in Italy" part? I know that Italians bare it all at the beach, but the store owner assured me it was doublelined - anyhow that's another blog entirely!! At any rate, I was looking and feeling great.
Skip to January after that summer. Again, for those who know me well, you also know that I have had bathroom issues since I was a child (3rd grade to be exact). So after suffering in silence for many years (while not understanding how others never felt like they wanted to strip naked and lay on the cold bathroom floor and die while going #2) I finally decided to tell my doctor about it. She was very understanding, telling me I had irritable bowel syndrome (which I now highly doubt was an accurate diagnosis). She put me on some medicine and I was cured!! Literally - within 2 weeks I was a normal pooper. So, the doctor gives you a diagnosis, puts you on medication, you feel better. The end, right? Not quite...
Skip to March of this year. I am lamenting to my family doctor (my new one here in Sheboygan) that I cannot get my weight under control. I explain how I have put on over 60 pounds in less than 4 years and that I had not changed my lifestyle in any great way - I still don't exercise and I still eat just about anything I want. I explained that I had tried so many diets at this point, and that my body just wasn't responding well to any of them. He really didn't do much but say the same old doctor fall-back response of "eat less and healthier, and exercise." But by the third time I was complaining to him (and with 6 months of weight data since he had been seeing me showing that I had gained yet another 5 or so pounds) he started to listen. Then he started reviewing my chart. Which is when he let me in on the A-ha moment. "Stephanie," he says, "the medication you are taking [and have been for the past few years] for IBS has side effects. One of which is weight gain (25 pounds per year for the average user)." I was stunned into total silence. Was he serious? My doctor never told me anything about weight gain. And I liked my medicine - I could finally poop right!! But, like any good patient, I went home and googled. And what did I find - you guessed it. He was totally right. Patients gained an average of 25 punds per year while taking this medication. At this point you may be thinking - problem solved, story over. But not quite.
I began discussing with Bryan what the doctor had told me. I admit that I was really pissed off that my "cure" had done this to me, but I was scared about not having it anymore - I remember "before" very well. I also talked some with my mom, who of course touted the same old, "You are way too young to be on a lifelong medication. Quit being such a hypochondriac and drink a glass of prune juice a day. You'll be fine." (Anyone who knows my mom well need not be reminded that she thinks all things are cureable by sheer willpower...) Eventually I decided that she was probably right. Even the doctor said he would help put me on a natural food program that should do the trick without any medication. Funny how my first doctor never mentioned this option!! So that is what I chose to do - go off the medication and begin to get my figure back. [As an aside, something else my first doctor never told me - coming off the medication would be pure hell. I have not nearly enough room here to list all the side effects. Suffice it to say that I am still suffering from some 3 weeks after the last dose!]
Ther is a lesson to this post: Always do your research!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am happy to report that I have lost 7 pounds in the three weeks that I have stopped the medicine. I am pooping almost fine - at least fine enough not to want the old drug again. And I hope that this [see picture below] is a thing of the past. So there, Bryan, now I am the butt of the joke, literally!!
[Yes, it did happen in public. Yes, I was mortified. Yes, I lost all sense of pride in my body. But, it has also helped me to stay the course, withdrawal symptoms and all.]So, wish me luck!
For those who know me well, it is no big surprise that I have gained a lot of weight (60 pounds to be exact) in the last 3 or 4 years. You may recall how hot I was at Malinda's wedding - I know I do! I had worked hard and had reached my ideal weight. I was determined to wear a bikini that summer (something I hadn't done since high school). Alas, although my weight was great, apparently having two kids moved too much stuff around and I never quite found a two-piece that really showed off my new figure. I did however find a really beautiful white suit in Italy. You never saw that one? Did you miss the "white suit in Italy" part? I know that Italians bare it all at the beach, but the store owner assured me it was doublelined - anyhow that's another blog entirely!! At any rate, I was looking and feeling great.
Skip to January after that summer. Again, for those who know me well, you also know that I have had bathroom issues since I was a child (3rd grade to be exact). So after suffering in silence for many years (while not understanding how others never felt like they wanted to strip naked and lay on the cold bathroom floor and die while going #2) I finally decided to tell my doctor about it. She was very understanding, telling me I had irritable bowel syndrome (which I now highly doubt was an accurate diagnosis). She put me on some medicine and I was cured!! Literally - within 2 weeks I was a normal pooper. So, the doctor gives you a diagnosis, puts you on medication, you feel better. The end, right? Not quite...
Skip to March of this year. I am lamenting to my family doctor (my new one here in Sheboygan) that I cannot get my weight under control. I explain how I have put on over 60 pounds in less than 4 years and that I had not changed my lifestyle in any great way - I still don't exercise and I still eat just about anything I want. I explained that I had tried so many diets at this point, and that my body just wasn't responding well to any of them. He really didn't do much but say the same old doctor fall-back response of "eat less and healthier, and exercise." But by the third time I was complaining to him (and with 6 months of weight data since he had been seeing me showing that I had gained yet another 5 or so pounds) he started to listen. Then he started reviewing my chart. Which is when he let me in on the A-ha moment. "Stephanie," he says, "the medication you are taking [and have been for the past few years] for IBS has side effects. One of which is weight gain (25 pounds per year for the average user)." I was stunned into total silence. Was he serious? My doctor never told me anything about weight gain. And I liked my medicine - I could finally poop right!! But, like any good patient, I went home and googled. And what did I find - you guessed it. He was totally right. Patients gained an average of 25 punds per year while taking this medication. At this point you may be thinking - problem solved, story over. But not quite.
I began discussing with Bryan what the doctor had told me. I admit that I was really pissed off that my "cure" had done this to me, but I was scared about not having it anymore - I remember "before" very well. I also talked some with my mom, who of course touted the same old, "You are way too young to be on a lifelong medication. Quit being such a hypochondriac and drink a glass of prune juice a day. You'll be fine." (Anyone who knows my mom well need not be reminded that she thinks all things are cureable by sheer willpower...) Eventually I decided that she was probably right. Even the doctor said he would help put me on a natural food program that should do the trick without any medication. Funny how my first doctor never mentioned this option!! So that is what I chose to do - go off the medication and begin to get my figure back. [As an aside, something else my first doctor never told me - coming off the medication would be pure hell. I have not nearly enough room here to list all the side effects. Suffice it to say that I am still suffering from some 3 weeks after the last dose!]
Ther is a lesson to this post: Always do your research!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am happy to report that I have lost 7 pounds in the three weeks that I have stopped the medicine. I am pooping almost fine - at least fine enough not to want the old drug again. And I hope that this [see picture below] is a thing of the past. So there, Bryan, now I am the butt of the joke, literally!!
[Yes, it did happen in public. Yes, I was mortified. Yes, I lost all sense of pride in my body. But, it has also helped me to stay the course, withdrawal symptoms and all.]So, wish me luck!
Monday, April 7, 2008
You know you're Stephanie Eads if...
Every friend you have spoken to within the last 5 years and all your family members (including your new husband) is tearing up your email to "See if you've heard", or to "Let you know" the New Kids on the Block are reuniting for a new album and tour!
I am so there!! I cannot wait. I feel 12 again - seriously that giddy. Today at work, all the ladies around my age were literally tittering with excitement. Meanwhile, all the ladies around my mom's age were reminiscing about their own daughter's fanatical behavior for the Fab 5 from Beantown.
Do you think it is inappropriate to drag your two pre-teens along to the show with you while waving an "I Love Joe" sign?
P.S. Mom, when I am there this weekend, I so have to get my NKOTB memorabilia out of your attic!!!!!!
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