Saturday, October 19, 2013

Comedy of Errors

We've been in our home for 4 weeks now.  Loving it more and more each day. 

When we bought the property, the address was 6165.  Due to our not having a permanent place to live in August and three weeks in September, I wanted to plant our mailbox and get our mail at the new house.

Ah, no can do.  "We don't even put the house numbers on the house until the final inspection because the county usually changes the address."  Hmmmm, I thought, how odd.

OK, so the mail got changed to General Delivery and there was nothing I could do about it.  A couple times a week, one of us would go by the Post Office and pick up our mail.  A little bit annoying and inconvenient, but what the heck?

About a week before move, I filled out the "We've Moved" card and sent it to wherever it goes showing the 6165 address as our new one.  Oh boy...

Just before we move, one of the worker bees was putting up our house numbers and they put up 6162.  What?  Oh no, that can't be right.  Shoot!  I was trying to be efficient and I messed up!  So being the girl who hates doing anything wrong, I go to the Post Office and talk with the Post Mistress and told her what happened.  "Fill out a new card," she said.  OK, I fill out a new card with 6162.  I was so relieved I hadn't changed any addresses to 6165 anywhere else.  Whew!  Dodged a bullet there!

We get a new bank account, get the phone, get the tv, get the internet all with the 6162 address.  It was so nice to be moving in and moving on to the new stuff in our lives.

I think we had been in the house for about a week and Scooter was sitting here and the doorbell rang.  It was our mailman.  He introduced himself and then said, "Why do you have an even house number?"  Huh?  That's what the county gave us.  "Well, you are on the odd side of the street."   He went on to tell Scooter that if it said Rochon, he'd just deliver it here.  I told Scooter that will probably last until someone else builds on our side of the street!  Oh boy... 

By then, as I got a bill, I put the 6162 address as our new one and all was going well. 
Then I spent most of last Saturday trying to get addresses changed with our bills, etc.  The mortgage bank had called and asked why we were using 6162, they had 6126.  Oh no, I said, it's 6162.  He asked if I could get with our insurance because they had 6165 on their paperwork and it had to match.  I forgot Scooter had arranged all of that and started making phone calls.  Holy cow!  Our insurance was an easy change.  Everyone else, not so much.


I spent that Saturday on the phone and online trying to get addresses changed to the 6162 number.  Some I had some success.  Others it was like pulling teeth.  I found websites who like their customers and want them to a have a good experience and others that I wonder how they are in business.  All I could do was daisy chain around the site and then do it all over again. 

At any rate, I got addresses changed.  I talked to folks when it was needed.  I filled out forms and I ordered checks and all was well with the world.  Or so I thought.  Oh boy...

The one thing I kept forgetting to do was call our water company.  We had water, so what the heck, right?  A couple days ago, I started calling the number I was given.  No, you are not in our area.  I called a different one.  No, you are not in our area.  Hmmm.  I check out the web directory (I did work for the phone company.  I'm good at finding what I need).  No luck.  Then I called the builder and they gave me the correct number to call.

Success!  And no problem.  Got your name and here's how we bill.  Super, I say!  Then I make the mistake of saying, "Oh by the way, they changed our address."  What is wrong with me?  I just can't leave well enough alone.  "What do you mean?" he says.  I go through my spiel and he says he'll get the bill to us. 

Yesterday, Mimi and I go run some errands and Scooter gets a phone call from the County.  Our house has the wrong house number!!!  WHAT???  And guess what the correct number is.  Yep, 6165.  Oh boy...

I'm sure the water folks called the county and asked what the heck was going on.  And sure enough, oops, a mistake was made and the house number we had in the very beginning, last January, is correct. 

I think I'll wait a week or so and start this process all over again.  The Post Office knows us quite well by now.  The fact that we have gotten no mail in the last week concerns me, but I bank online, so that doesn't concern me too much.  I'll start by filling out the card at the Post Office and mailing it in.  Then I'll change the address as the bills come in one by one.  Oh boy...

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Sunshine Award




I was honored to be nominated for a Sunshine Award for my blog by Sarah Huizenga the owner of Paisley Rain Boots.  I really enjoy reading her blog and her photos are awesome. 

Sarah posted these questions for me to answer:

Here are my 10 questions for you:

1. Favorite Movie?  "Singing in the Rain"  Even as a kid, if I saw in the TV Guide it was going to be on tv, I'd tell my mom I was sick so I could stay home so I could watch.

2. What are you reading right now? It can be a magazine :)  "Hawaii:  The Big Island Revealed"  We're going next month and I'm looking for the best things to see there!

 3. Sweet Potatoes or Russet Potatoes?  Sweet

 4. Honey or Sugar?  Although I love Honey, I have to go with Sugar.

5. Favorite Weekend Activity?  Driving and taking photos.

 6. What decade would you most liked to have lived in?  I like where I am now.  The 70's were so fun - just after the hippies of the 60's.  Great music, just out of High School & College, on my own for the 1st time.  It was great.

7. Makeup or a la natural?  Unfortunately, it's mostly a la natural most of the time now.  When I wear it now, it just melts off! 

8. Tea or Coffee?  COFFEE

9. Sweet or Salty?  Sweet, always, darn it.

10. Thing that you are most proud of accomplishing this year?  I have to say building our house.  I love it.  It was a frustrating process, but I'm so pleased with the result.


Thank you Sarah for the nomination.  I really appreciate it.  I'm so happy you liked my blog.  I wanted to document the process and it worked well.

I don't read many blogs. I'm sorry, but I don't have anyone to nominate. 









 

Monday, October 7, 2013

Home Sweet Home!

Hi! Remember me?  I'm back with some finished photos. 

We did our final walk through with the builder on September 18th.  We got our keys, but did not move in until Thursday, September 19th.  Scooter set up the bed in one of the spare bedrooms and we slept there.  Our new bed and mattress was delivered on Friday.  And I feel like I've been unpacking non-stop.  I thought packing was a pain, but unpacking is worse.  Now I have to find a spot for everything.  I still have a ways to go, but it's starting to feel like home!

Here we go:


Our foyer.  This was taken from the family room looking toward the front door.  My office is on the right and the guest bedrooms are on the left.  Next, the guest bedrooms. 
 

 
We call this Mimi's room.  She likes to look out back, so this is perfect for her (or you if you come when she's not here!).


 
This guest room is in the front of the house.  The trundle bed makes into a king bed - lots  of room for company (hint, hint).
 

This bath is off the back bedroom.

 
This is off the front bedroom.  We have not oiled the soapstone in these bathrooms yet, so they are still gray.  We will get them done - sooner or later.



Here's the shower between the two. 

 
The family room from the foyer.  Looks like I need to vacuum!


This view is from the dining room looking into the family room.


The dining area is in the background.

The following are photos of the kitchen: 







The backsplash got finished on Thursday.  I love it!  And I really love the soapstone!  The cabinets look like they have a red tone, but they really don't.

And the laundry room:


The hamper.  The laundry room side of the hamper, then the master closet side.



The master bedroom:


We did get a new bed & mattress.  I found my bedside tables on craigslist for $50 each!  Score!

 
The master bathroom: 
 

 
The shower door got installed last week.


Linen closet:




 
Our master closet:
 

 
The built in dresser has four drawers & there are two rows for hanging clothes.  Next to Scooter's hanging clothes are shelves for folded clothes.  My side also has a small section for long hanging clothes, but I don't have a photo.  And I love the two shelves above for storage.
 

 
 
OK, I think that's it.  I hope you've enjoyed going through the process of building of our house.  I'm sure there will be more later! 
 
No grass in the yard or flowers yet.  I may take some photos and add them later.  Maybe if I ever get done with my unpacking.
 
Thanks for indulging me!  I love your comments.