What a long, strange trip it's been... [entries|friends|calendar] Sage Autumn [ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ] [ calendar | livejournal calendar ]

Ghost Shrimp [12 May 2008|01:19pm] In a massive display of "Wow, did that go badly"... I picked up and killed some (seven out of eight) ghost shrimp this weekend. I planned on using them to replace snails (which I think I've _finally_ gotten rid of) as low-grade debris cleaners. My water chemistry is good. My tanks aren't overcrowded, least I don't see how they could be... and yet... seven of these little guys died in about 24 hours. Sooo... what am I missing? The only thing I can figure is maybe they got stuck on the filter-intakes and weren't large/strong enough to break free? Or my 78-80 degree water cooked them? OH... and I will admit perhaps three of them were eaten--in the tank where there's only neons this shouldn't be an issue... but my other tank has tiger loaches and cory cats. I didn't think they'd really go after the shrimp unless they were hungry, but it could be I misjudged that. (OTOH, the one surviving shrimp is in this tank.) (xposted to 1fish_2fish) 1 comment|post comment

Birthday Posts I Never Ever Do, because I always miss them... [24 Apr 2008|09:34am] Happy Birthday, Zoethe!! post comment

Movie Meme [22 Apr 2008|12:41pm] Since I never did it... I figured... how about now. Some are my favorite movies, some are just my favorite lines. It seems like like verbose ones. Go figure. (Remember, I've never claimed my tastes were anything other than pedestrian.) 1. I know it's pretty damn weird to eat people. 2. I speak one. One Zero One Zero Zero. With that I could steal your money, your secrets, your sexual fantasies, your whole life. In any country, any time, any place I want. We multitask like you breathe. I couldn't think as slow as you if I tried. 3. Guys, if I don't bleed to death pretty soon, I'm gonna die of boredom. 4. You do what he tells you, every time he tells you and we might come through this alive! Might even save the boy. Otherwise you're gonna get yourself killed. Don't matter to me, but you'll probably get him killed too, and that does. 5. You know the guy who can pick up any girl? I'm him. On crack. 6. Why do I do this? Because the money's good, the scenery changes and they let me use explosives, ok? 7. Just so we're clear, you stole a car, shot a bouncer, and had sex with two women? 8. Yeah, right, and no harm ever came from reading a book. You remember how that one went? 9. My family has disowned me... my wife and son have left me... my brother is dead. Trust me, I fully appreciate the seriousness of my situation. 10. Girls who glide need guys who make them thump. 11. You're different. No arguin' that. But you're a lady alright. I'd take my oath on it. 12. No, but it's gonna need a paint job and a shit load of screen doors. 13. Those guys fell asleep in my truck! I thought I'd just gotten shit-faced and bought a bunch of sombreros. I didn't know there were dudes underneath. 14. Let me ask you something, if you had to go into battle, would you want him on your side? 15. I don't know why, but every now and again in my life - for no reason at all - I need you. All of you. 11 comments|post comment

And I always thought "Rain on the Scarecrow" was the soundtrack... [15 Apr 2008|10:18pm] - - - - - - Your Life: The Soundtrack - - - - - - - - So, here's how it works: Open your music player (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, etc). Put it on shuffle. Press play. For every question, type the song that's playing. When you go to a new question press the next button. Some songs fit perfectly. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WOW... so much of this, I don't even know if I've heard before. I... ummmm...kinda have a LOT of music. (Others, I know quite well.) Opening Credits: The Coolin, Joanie Madden, World Flutes Waking Up: Nobody's Fool, Avril Levgine, Let Go Falling in Love: Freestyle Rhyme, Kid Rock, Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp Fight scene: Symphony #7 in a major, Beethoven, 50 Greatest Hits Breaking up: Miniture Disasters, KT Tunstal Getting back together: Gypsy, Fleetwood Mac, Greatest Hits Secret Love: Time Warp, Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted Life's okay: Sea, George Winston, Pure Moods 4 Mental breakdown: Just Older, Bon Jovi, Crush Driving Flashback: Bittersweet, Fuel, Best of Fuel Partying: Innocent, Fuel, Best of Fuel (umm, shuffle isn't very random, is it) Happy Dance: Devil in a Fast Car, Sheena Easton, Singles Regretting: Sunshine On My Shoulders, John Denver, Best of Long night alone: The Little Things Give You Away, Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight Final Battle: Crazy On You, Heart, Greatest Death scene: Transylvanian Concubine, Rasputina, Buffy Soundtrack End credits: Jingo, Santana, Best of post comment

Meme--Happy New Year, I'm alive! [03 Jan 2008|09:59am] From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright. Bold the true statements. 1. Father went to college (Twice!) 2. Father finished college (He was, I think, 40?) 3. Mother went to college (Thrice!!) 4. Mother finished college (She was, I think, 50?) 5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor I'm Southern, relatives can be cousins... kin is kin. 6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers Teachers are upper class? 7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home 8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home (Hell, we probably had 3000... my family's been in the same house for like 200 years) 9. Were read children's books by a parent (custodial guardians count, right?) 10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively 13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs (costs after scholarships) 15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs 16. Went to a private high school 17. Went to summer camp (Like lessons, it was a good way to keep my mother away) 18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18 19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels (though campgrounds were more common) 20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them 22. There was original art in your house when you were a child (Original can be done by family) 23. You and your family lived in a single family house (Very true, we were land rich) 24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home 25. You had your own room as a child 26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18 27. Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course (though it was through public school, and free) 28. Had your own TV in your room in High School 29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College 30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 (I visited my father who lived across the continent) 31. Went on a cruise with your family 32. Went on more than one cruise with your family 33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up 34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family (At how old?? by 13 or so, I was) 1 comment|post comment

Free Movie Tickets [21 Mar 2007|02:34pm] http://www.bestbuy.com/PeacefulWarrior Since I haven't seen it posted anywhere else... I'm posting it here. Even seems legit and everything. 3 comments|post comment

Cell phone game code?? [01 May 2006|09:13am] Oh Genie, Genie Genie... I feel rather silly asking for this...but... I have a game (JewelQuest by JamDat) on my cell phone and I would like a code which would EITHER let me start where I "died" with more lives, or give infinate lives. My husband says there is surely a code out there--he says almost everything has a code. My Google-fu is weak, and I've never had to look for codes before, so I may very well be doing it wrong. But having to start over after like 60 levels... is just crap. Any help would be wonderful! Sage 13 comments|post comment

Weekend Update 3/17-3/19 [23 Mar 2006|01:00pm] YEah, I know it's late. I'm trying, though. Also... I have 1/2 an entry on my PRK (like Lasik, yet not) surgery written. Maybe someday I'll get that in here also. So... the highs and lows of the weekend: (+) Leon did all our laundry (+) my husband always does our laundry, what about that! (-) I have to put up the laundry, I hate that. (+) driving seems to be much much better, unless I'm tired (+) my eyesight upon waking is about where it was with allday-contacts and v.tired eyes (+) still have about 4 months of healing left to do (-) still can't watch any movies (flickering lights in the darkness) (+) am getting to watch WAY more TV on the weekends (-) TV on the weekends sucks (+) getting to sleep earlier!! (+) ordered Janna's cake for her first birthday party (+) it wasn't horridly expensive (+) Jenny's rubber ducky theme is ADORABLE! (-) the birthday outfit, however, was horridly expensive (?) Jen may pay me back, but... we'll see how that goes (-) tried perfumes again, and still can't find one I like (+) Steph, my girlygirl friend invited me over to see if I like any of hers, she's got a bloomin' million! (+) I'm a girl (actively--it's a euphemism) (-) I'm a girl and it's hurty (+) my husband doesn't mind, and it doesn't stop hardly anything (-) somehow I got ruined by a guy with whom that wouldn't stop ANYthing and was rather into that time... and therefor always wonder what a few select things would be like... while being a girl. (-) sometimes I h-a-t-e my brain (+) less hurty afterward (+) had dinner with Gran and her friend Peg (-) Gran's still mad at me for not being grateful she kicked me out of the house, packed all my stuff, and moved it into my new house lumped into huge garbage bags---all without asking me, and without regard for what was breakable/important/etc. (BIG MINUS) I _still_ haven't found our marriage certificate (-) bought a air freshner thing at Wal-Mart that STUNK!!! (+) did find an essensial oil room freshner deal-y at Bath and Body Works (0) Leon still has to approve it (-) cell bill was HUGE... joined accounts was NOT less expensive (+) they lowered my budget payment on the gas bill! (+) I expect it to be even lower later, since the insulation hasn't kicked in yet (-) spent way too much at the Cracker Barrel store (less that $50, but still) (0) bought a perfect-for-my-kitchen set of mixing bowls... which won't fit in my cabinets--doors won't close (?) am willing to take most back, if they'll give me cash for it ()part of the above was the bowls (BIG PLUS) I can read again, at a decent rate!! I'm sure there was more, but.. ya know... whatever. 3 comments|post comment

Movie Meme [21 Feb 2006|07:10am] [ music | George Michael--Freedom ] ( They say if it's over 70 total, you've no life. Wonder what that says about me...? ) 1 comment|post comment

[02 Dec 2005|02:08pm] Step One Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want. - If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you. - Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, so that the holiday joy will spread. Step Two - Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part: - If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it. You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call. There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special. 1. Our septic system to work properly 2. The kitchen to be properly arranged 3. Our bedroom to be painted 4. Ditto for Leon's man-cave (his TV/etc room) 5. A kingsize bedframe 6. A full pantry 7. Decorating advice for the stuff we already have (pretty much only good in person) 8. Cooking lessons 9. Recipe books, ones that are easy to read and reasonably quick 10. I reallllly want an under-the-counter CD player. Or two. (Kitchen cabinet and built-in bookshelf) 2 comments|post comment

From boofyjo [23 Nov 2005|01:30pm] List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your Live Journal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to. 1. As Good As I Once Was... Toby Keith 2. Blessed Assurance... gospel 3. Son Of A Preacher Man... Dusty Springfield 4. Carol Of The Bells... Trans-Siberian Orchestra 5. Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right... Billy Currington 6. Jesus Walks... Kayne West 7. Something To Be Proud Of... Montgomery Gentry I'm not tagging anyone--or I'm tagging everyone. If you see this, and want to, consider yourself tagged. post comment

I think it's the shoulders... they fill doorways so, so nicely... [12 Oct 2005|02:23pm] Racial profiling is bad. So are racial sterotypes. This is true, and I do believe it. But sometimes, just sometimes... ...it's so very very handy. For over six weeks now, I've been going around and around with the water company about changing the water into our name. I call, am nice... they tell me my house doesn't exist, I say it's almost fourty years old... they say it's on well water, I say that I think someone would've mentioned that and there's a meter... they say it's new construction, I say it's in a subdivsion that's been there FOURTY YEARS. (And once, I admit, I was snarky enough to add that I doubted they were that far behind on their orders.) So... twenty?thirty? phone calls, four requests for service-calls, and six weeks later (yesterday sometime)... our water gets shut off. Pretty nifty trick for a house that DOESN'T EXIST, eh? Leon calls me this morning, I sound down and I am, as I've gone through the above stuff yet again with the water company... and now I gotta figure out how to fix this on top of all the wedding stuff. He gets quiet and says... "I'll fix this," and hangs up. And tomorrow... ...yes, tomorrow by eleven am, our water will be on. Our billing address and changes are already in place, along with a credit for any fees associated with turning it on/off/etc. I guess having a six foot five, three hundred and thirty pound, very miffed glowering black man towering over their counter finally got their damned attention. He calls me... I say, "WHAT did you do?" He says... "I fixed it." Big black man... rarrrr! 8 comments|post comment

Past, Present, and (I imagine) Future... [06 Oct 2005|07:03pm] If there is at least one person in your life whom you consider a close friend, and whom you would not have met without the internet, post this sentence in your journal. post comment

[23 Sep 2005|03:24pm] Oh Dear and Gracious Genie... I am looking to have some repairs done to my house. One of the things needing repaired is to vent the bathrooms. They are currently vented directly into the attic. I have been getting quotes at venting them through the roof, as that is what I've been asking for quotes on. (If that makes sense.) One of the contracters I met with suggested we vent the bathrooms to/through the soffits instead. Does anyone know if this is an accepted practice? And if so, should it be less expensive, in addition to (I'm guessing, since he suggested it) easier for the contracter? With thanks, Sage Crap--posted to my journal first... sorry about that everyone. 4 comments|post comment

Maybe I just need drugs... drugs sound really good, truthfully... [11 Aug 2005|09:33am] [ mood | exhausted ] Jen says I'm shutting down mentally. She's right. I don't care anymore. I'm going through the motions, I'm making the calls that I need to, I'm hitting all the high points. But overall, I'm done. And I'm darn near giddy with not caring. She asked me what else needed to be done for the wedding... and I parroted back to her what everyone's been telling me, "Nothing... we're finished." We have dresses (okay, we've ordered dresses), Leon's got a suit, we have a preacher... we've got a caterer, invites are addressed. Everything else? Heck with it. Who cares? If it's not done by now, it doesn't matter anyway, right? Oh... like... the entire ceremony, music, and eight billion other things aren't done? Bah. Like someone's gonna notice. They'll just think I'm white so it's weird, and my family will just think it's black so it's weird. I couldn't care less. No, this does not bode well. She keeps telling me that I can't shut down. Wanna bet? I sure as shit can. I'm really quite good at it. I can function well enough, and mentally not give a damn about anything. It's amazingly freeing. I don't know why everyone else hasn't developed this skill. She says I can't, but I can. It's a bit selfish of her, really. =) She thinks as my best friend/family/maid of honor... that she'll be expected to do anything I don't. BAH. I don't expect her to do anything. I don't expect ANYone to do anything. They haven't up to now, why would I expect something now?? That'd be really stupid. Anything I don't, either Brandan can do--I paid her... or to hell with it. Who cares anyway??!? This is bad. I know this is bad. It's almost an out-of-body thing, a little person on my shoulder going, "Ummmm, Sage? Not good, hon... not good." I know it, it's not that I don't know it. I just don't feel it. I... ...I just don't care. And I can't care. When I start to think about one part of the wedding, or the house, or the moving, or the packing... ...and on and on and on. I'm me... I think about all of it. All at the same time. And I drown. I just drown in it all. All those decisions, all that thinking, and worrying and wondering. And I only have a month, month and a half if I really wanna push it out longer. Good God!! (and I've tried the "let go and let God" thing. It doesn't work for me, I suck at anything religious. I really really do. And that stresses me out a whole crapload, too.) (hell, what doesn't!?) If I think, I'm near tears. Constantly. Sooo... just don't think. And it's all little pittly crap. There's just so so so MUCH of it. And I drown. You can drown in grains of corn, if there's enough of them. (Jen and I got into an arguement over that--she doesn't believe me when I said that people do that every year... literally drown in small things.) I feel like I want to (note I didn't say I do want to) drive my car into a tree, or take something to sleep forever, or slit my wrists, or , or , or. At least then I wouldn't have to think about everything all at once. One act, one decision, and the rest just fades to black. (No, not a cry for help... not really... wanna help me? Paint my house. =p I'm too much of a wimp for suicide. I'd mess it up somehow, and end up worse off. I know this already. Plus, I'm too curious, I wanna know how everything turns out.) 5 comments|post comment

Update, finally... [04 Aug 2005|12:07pm] [ mood | I feel fine. ] We decided upon a house, and have gone through most of the hoops with doing that. We're pre-approved, and have filled out loan paperwork. I did switch real estate agents, and am very pleased with our new one--Peggy Petty of Century 21 of the Bluegrass for anyone interested. In the end, we ended up going WAY WAY lower than I had thought we would. We were approved for about 50K more than what we spent. We are going to toss a ton of money at it in the very beginning... there are a lot of updates I'd like to have, and will automatically increase the value of the house. Some are smaller--like ceiling fans in all the major rooms, but some are much larger--like pulling up the carpet and refinishing the hardwood floors. Getting all this stuff done in only a month, AND still planning the wedding... ...yeah, it's going to have me bald, crazy and the size of a whale by October. I keep waiting for everything to get fun. Jen says it doesn't, and I should stop looking. I'm beginning to think she's right. Damnit. There weren't many pictures up of the house... but here are the ones they had. ( Pictures of the house... smallish, but six?seven? total ) Of course, the wedding is still in planning. I think I posted my dress? If not, I'll repost just the train picture. Also, I decided upon bridesmaids dresses. We've gotten one of them in, and Jen looks pretty darn good in it. Jessi's got to try it on still, and I'm about to wring her neck. If she needs the same size as Jen, OR if it doesn't fit... then we needed to know that about two months ago. Soooo yeah. Hopefully she'll get that done today, or Friday. I need to know so I can order yet another if needed. They're coming from Speigal, and are about $60 each. Not bad, I don't think. But the timing has been horrid on them. We ordered the first one in the end of May and got it just recently. The others should be in shortly after, but ... I don't trust their ship estimates at all. My dress is coming from Ebay--I'm just hoping that works out well. The price couldn't be beat, so I had to take the chance... and it's a pretty small one, I think. It's due in at the end of this month, so I expect it in early September. Maybe I'll get excited when I try it on?? ( Dresses! ) 2 comments|post comment

Open Declaration/Vent... [13 Jul 2005|10:42am] [ mood | tired ] To my entire FRIGGIN' FAMILY... YES--"We're" buying a house. YES--It may be, in your eyes, an expensive one. NO, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE MONEY. It means HE has money. All your guilt trips, all your snide comments, all the all of it??? Feel free to share them with the huge hulking black man standing square center in my life. Otherwise? It's NOT ME, so STEP OFF. (Yes, I know they won't see this.. or I hope they don't.. that's not the point.) I didn't suddenly get a raise. I make about the same, or less (adjusted), than I ever did. It's going to be hard enough trying to make this work. Using my (future) husband like a lending tree isn't going to help. It won't help my "marriage", and it won't help my relationship with you. If I did anything, I simply chose well. Not my deal if you didn't. And I had to go outside my race, and generation to do so... and heaven knows ya'll aren't entirely happy about that choice. Do us both a favor and STFU already! And beyond that... (and yes, it's my choice, I could have just not)... I have a wedding to pay for. Isn't the brides family supposed to do something in that direction?? I'm not complaining (I'm really not)... but chripes, at least shut up. Just as I'm not "truly" poor (I haven't worried about shelter/food in a while)... you people, collectively, have so much more than you act like you do. I'm just... ...tired. 5 comments|post comment

Houses... [12 Jul 2005|08:52am] If you're truly curious... go to www.lbar.com and enter the listing numbers under the "find a property" tab. My comments are in bold. Marketing Remarks: 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath ranch on level lot. Great yard! Formal living room and dining room. Convenient to Lexington and Frankfort. There's a huge downside to this house in that either the bedrooms are all grouped together, or we'd have to convert the large den into a bedroom, and convert the smallest bedroom into a walkin closet (and expand a bathroom). But... it's very decent. Marketing Remarks: Large bedrooms, big utility room, yard backs up to greenspace area, fireplace in den. Lots of extras included in the price - whirlpool, tile floors, appliances package. LOTS of room. Not much yard, but a bit of one on the side. Not finished yet, so colors can be chosen. Very close to work, and Georgetown. Marketing Remarks: Great open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and partially finished basement with whirlpool tub. Nice workshop in basement and detached garage/workshop. 25x12 deck and patio overlooking backyard with lots of trees. 1-1/2 miles to I-75 and 2-1/2 miles to Toyota. Out of our price range by some, but supposedly motivated sellers. Wonderful location-wise. Decent, but not great yard. TONS TONS TONS of space, but I'm not sure it's not more than we really need. Pretty much Leon needs to take a look and see what he thinks, and if we want to spend that much. Marketing Remarks: Enter this beautiful brick&vinyl home from a covered front porch into a large entry foyer w/ hardwood floors, pillars/columns & a window. The entire home allows for lots of natural sunlight. There is a beautiful, large formal dining room w/tray ceilings, crown molding & chair railing. There is a huge livingroom/familyroom w/fireplace, kitchen w/lots of nice cabinets,pantry & large breakfast/dining area w/lots of windows! Kitchen has pass through window w/ a counter for bar stool seating. Half bath w/pocket door.Upstairs has huge master bedroom w/built-in bookshelves, walk-in bonus storage room,large closet,walk in closet off master bath. Masterbath has skylight, double basins, lots of nice cabinet space, linen closet,beautiful garden tub, ceramic tile floor& separate shower. All large bdrms PLUS a very large OFFICE or DEN w/natural sunlight. Nice double door garage w/openers, separate storage room. Beautiful yard w/landscape. Blinds, range, microwave,diswasher&disposal stay. Everything it just said. The yard isn't big, but it's nice enough. Overall nice, but the location is a bit farther than we'd like/distant from work and from Georgetown/my family. That's just some of the ones we've looked at. There are a couple others in Lexington that are not bad at all. They're just... well.. they're in Lexington. *sigh* Good for him. Decent for me, personally. But sooo far away from my family. There's on on Raleigh Road I'd like to take another look at, and one on Gano in Georgetown... ...both of those, and the first picture above are all ones the first creepy realtor showed us. There's a house on Sheppard Court, which is in/near the same location as Shuttle Drive. It has over 1/2 acre with it--all level. It's a HUGE backyard. We could have a pool, or a garden, or the boys could play football... or all three at the same time. It's really really big. BUT all the carpets need to be replaced, the AC system needs to be repaired or replaced, and all in all there's probably another $15,000 worth of work to be done on it. Now, that would automatically up the value of the house, so there is that. Peggy says I do have time to do it, and be in before the wedding... ...but I'd have to jump in and not be a bit scared of it. I'm not so good at not being scared. =) =( post comment

OMG I'm so so so tired... [12 Jul 2005|08:05am] The realtor thing has been somewhat worked out. I called the office involved, and said "As of this day, I am no longer a client, and no longer working with you." That takes care of any future problems. It does not, however, really take care of things if I want to buy a house that I was shown before--which, of _course_, we think we may. Sooo... yesterday I called to request a release on those properties. I left a voice mail for the agent in question (the creepy agent). She hasn't called me back. Peggy (new agent, friend of my aunt's, etc) says we give her until Thursday, then send HER a release on those properties to be signed. Even if the worst case happens, we just have to give her a finders fee on those properties. (Which, in all honesty, doesn't really bother me.) It's about $500, I imagine. Jen said hers was $200, so maybe that's a flat accepted amount, but I'm guessing it's tied into how much the house is. Note to self: Call creepy realtor again, to get called in return, to get the release, to view the space, to buy the house (that Jack built). That said, Peggy and I looked at about six houses yesterday... and it's a world of differance working with her. First off, she has an opinion. And her opinion isn't "Ohh, this is nice." (Since to begin with NOT everything is nice, and secondly, it's rather useless to have the same comment alll the flippin' time.) It's "This is a good feature... this is a new selling point, but you won't really use it... the house is nice, but there is ZERO yard... wow, look at all the space--do you really need THAT much?" etc. And just as importantly, she lets me take my time when I go through houses. I bet on average we spent about fifteen minutes on each house, more on some... less on others. I've found I need at _least_ two walk-throughs in order to truly form an opinion. The first one I get the lay of everything... on the second one, I mentally plot where everyone would be, and what rooms we'd need to change (a large family room/den into a bedroom, usually) in order to suit my taste. With the other lady, we'd get to the last room and she'd say, "So what do we think?" And I always thought... heck, I can't remember what the first room looked like. I'm bad like that, I've got a horrid memory. So we looked last night from 5:30 to almost 10pm. I'm beat. It didn't help that I had to go to Wal-Mart after that... didn't get home until right at eleven. But I HAD to get dog food, so not going wasn't a good choice. I'm just beat. And the thought of doing it ALL again tonight darn near makes me want to cry. I just need to make sure to nap at lunch, I guess. (Next, I'll post the listing numbers so anyone interested can go see the houses I'm most inclined toward purchasing.) post comment

Any experience with realtors? [08 Jul 2005|10:26am] ERGH!!!! (cross posted to lj-genie) We're buying a house (obviously), and in our search for a realor we discovered that I have a very close friend who is a realtor, and so does he. We waffled a bit between the two, and decided to go with another realtor in our community who has a very good name, and over a generation of experience. This seemed like a very very reasonable compromise. ( Whole story here... ) I feel manipulated... by both of these ladies. I'm not interested in having EITHER of them as the person I'm buying a house from. But I know/I've heard, it's not that easy to just not use someone once you've met with them. We have NOT signed ANYthing. So... help! What do I do? Am I stuck with buying a $200,000 purchase with someone I dislike and don't completely trust because they've spent a total of five hours in my company? Is it only a problem if we buy a house she showed us? I want OUT, and am not sure how I got so far IN! ??? This is the most screwed up system I've ever heard of! (cross posted to my journal) 6 comments|post comment

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