Ladies & Gent came in 3rd. Two of our other teams were 4th and 5th.
ETA: The way the competition works is that the top 7 teams in each of the 8 regions compete in the state finals, so we will have 3 middle school teams competing at state. Each team of 5 can have two alternates, which will allow most of the students from our other two teams - who came in 12th and 16th out of 32 - to also go to state if they want to. This is especially good if they are the siblings of other students who are going, although, last year, D preferred staying home and spending the night with her friend from Scouts.
There are over 50 teams registered for the high school competition tomorrow. I promised F a Substantial Reward if his team is second or first. D's reward for 3rd was a Lego Bonsai set that Drama Queen gave me when she cleaned some stuff out of her house a few weeks ago. With the baby and two cats, she doesn't have a place in her life for Lego sets.
All our kids worked hard. D's team were all experienced and previously successful. Our 5th place team, the Underdogs, had 4 out of 5 new students this year, so they were overwhelmed by their success. The two girls hugged one another and started crying, while the three boys all looked embarrassed that their moms were cheering.
School was off yesterday for Eid, and starts today. But when mid-kid barfed Sunday morning, scratching our last scheduled day of vacation before driving home, we decided to delay travel home a day. The kids were well enough for one last big hike yesterday morning (and the ‘rents almost so, so we toughed it out).
Winter is not done in Central CO. Snow coming down heavy today. It is nature making fun of me for putting all the winter toys up just a few days ago and taking the winter tires off. I deserve it.
As if I needed it, I had another experience making me feel my expiration date may have passed. I volunteer at a performing arts venue. Lots of Broadway shows but also concerts and other events. Last night was an unusual one. The Sturniolo Triplets, 21 year old TikTok and YouTube stars, "performed" there. They did an hour long thing where they sat on couches and talked about mostly silly stuff. Funny text exchanges, group chats, their laundry at home...like a Seinfeld-ish show about nothing. Their videos have gotten 229 million likes and they have 9 million followers. The venue opened 5 hours before the show and there was a Q&A with them for those with more expensive tickets. The line for merchandise was full for about 3 hours. 2,300 in attendance, the vast majority young teen girls. They screamed and cried for these guys like audiences I've seen in old Beatles clips. After the show a lot of girls lined the ledge in the parking garage, trying to get a quick glimpse of the guys going from the exit door to their tour bus. I think I no longer understand a lot of things going on around me.
More than anything, I just want everything slower. I don't think it's because I'm getting mentally slower (though probably true). Rather, so much of the fast moving, fast talking, flashy experiences are geared to titillate an Instagram brain. But it makes me unsettled.
Seeing lots of reporting nowadays of fresh college-bound high-school grads who are functionally illiterate because they can’t read a book. Something that long won’t hold their attention.
This should go into the history books as the ADHD Era.
What worries me is all the people who are concluding "well, then I guess we shouldn't have books anymore." (Note I'm not talking about electronic vs. hard copy. I'm talking about long-form written-word works, fiction or nonfiction.)
This made me wonder, what's the diff between moths and butterflies...so I asked....
Moths and butterflies, both belonging to the Lepidoptera order, share similarities but differ in key aspects like antennae, wing position, and activity times, with butterflies typically having club-shaped antennae, folded wings, and being diurnal, while moths have feathery or thread-like antennae, often hold wings horizontally, and are mostly nocturnal.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Antennae:
Butterflies: Have long, thin antennae that end in a thickened, club-like tip.
Moths: Typically have feathery or thread-like antennae, lacking the club-like tip.
Wing Position:
Butterflies: Often fold their wings vertically over their backs when resting.
Moths: Usually hold their wings flat or folded in a tent-like fashion over their bodies when resting.
Activity Times:
Butterflies: Are primarily diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day.
Moths: Are generally nocturnal, active at night.
Other Notable Differences:
Body Shape:
Butterflies tend to have slender, smooth bodies, while moths often have stockier, fuzzier bodies.
Color:
Butterflies are often brightly colored, while moths tend to have duller, muted colors.
Life Cycle:
Both undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult), but the pupal stage (chrysalis for butterflies, cocoon for moths) can be a key visual difference.
Cocoon: Moths create a cocoon by spinning silk around themselves.
Chrysalis: Butterflies form a chrysalis by hardening the outside of their metamorphosing body into a shell.
The indoor daffodils I grew for Janet began to bloom yesterday: a white petal daffodil. Today would be Pam's birthday, a milestone birthday this year. Since we wrote about housing a few weeks ago, I thought I'd share this story with you of finding Pam's dream home.
***
Pam told me before we were married my house in Indy was acceptable for now but she’d need a bigger house for all our babies. I had an 800 sq ft 2 BR/1BA home. I spent $10k rehabbing it, doing the work myself, my Dad helping me. But Pam was happy there because I was there.
Once she was diagnosed with cancer, moving became a much higher priority. Pam preferred moving east, a little closer to her parents, for help with the baby. Charles was our realtor. I trusted him, but others thought he might have been a bit shady. He was certainly opportunistic, always looking for deals. But he made it work. I enjoyed working with Charles, and he loved adored Pam. She always asked how he was doing, she listened to him, she baked him bread.
Five months into our search there was a house in Wilkinson. 2,300 sq ft, four bedroom, 2.5 bath, an acre lot. It was at the high end of our budget, Built in 1979, it was in the same school district where Pam grew up. Wilkinson is straight north of Bob and Janet’s, about 11-12 miles as the crow flies, but 20 by car, as there is no direct route.
On October 17th we drove out to see it. Pam sat quietly in her seat, but as I watched her, I noticed something I hadn’t seen on prior house hunting visits. While our prior searches were still in Hancock county, they were mostly to the west of Greenfield. Wilkinson was east, almost to the Henry county line. This was the first real search far east. I noticed the farther east we drove the more relaxed she became. By the time we hit 650 North (just 3 miles from the house) she changed again, getting excited. As we pulled into the gravel driveway, I glanced in the mirror, her face shone with rapture. Without even seeing the house inside, I knew this was the one. The outside had curb appeal; as long as it hadn’t had major damage inside, she would want it. I knew.
I got the door for her, as she was 8 months pregnant. As she walked up a bright grin broke out on her face. In we walked, straight past the living room towards the eat-in kitchen. Her face shone with happiness, while she began thinking deeply about where to put her dishes, the pots and pans, etc. Mentally she was already moving in. Her smile was so bright it was as if someone had put a flood light in a jack-o-lantern. When she turned to me, she realized she might have seemed too enthused about the house, so she tried her best to look contemplative, seeking my input. It was too late. I knew she wanted this one. I’d seen her “mental tail” wag before, this time it was wagging hard enough to knock books off a shelf. I knew. That’s okay, knowing she actually wanted something was endearing, as she tried so hard to never appear greedy nor possessive. Her trying to hide her enthusiasm was so charming!
Pam saw this as her home, fitting her vision of what she wanted in life. She could raise a family here, make more babies here, walk kids to the school bus here. The decision was already made: did I want to risk hurting her, risk crushing her dreams, risk having our first argument, or do I give in without a fight? Duh! I’m not that stupid! “This house has real promise, let’s check out the upstairs”. She smiled, relieved. Up we went, when she saw the walk-in closet in the Master bedroom, game over. It had its own private bathroom, but I sensed it was small. Didn’t matter, she liked it.
Pam turned to me, with a pleading look on her face “I think I could be happy here, can you”? I felt bad, I thought I had been giving her a sufficiently supportive signal, but from the look of concern on her face I had failed, again. Too many times I wasn’t supportive enough of her, she asked for so little! I gave her a hug, kissing her cheek. Calmly I softly shared with her “You’re lousy at poker: I knew you wanted this house before we walked in and I know you love this house more than any other we’ve seen. Let’s make a good offer and see if they accept it or not”.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to be selfish, are you sure about this”? “Pam, you want this house, that’s a sign this is the one. I like clear messages”. “I just want one where you’ll be happy”. “If you’re in it I’m happy”. Charles overheard us, and smiled. He later told me he loved working with us because we both first thought of the other. He knew we had a special marriage. He told me enjoyed my wanting to buy this house for Pam. I was fine with the house, but if she had hated it, I’d have moved on without a second thought. But since she loved it, let’s roll!
Charles and I walked the lot, looked at the garage (really nice), when he noticed an old service station bell. We walked to the driveway, observing a tube across the driveway. We stepped on it several times, then went in. Pam looked puzzled, the house rang several times when we were out. Charles explained the gas station bell to Pam, explaining it let people know when there were visitors. I wished I had it for our house on Pleasant Run. Charles and I worked several issues; was the giant barn behind us just a barn or a factory? Area code and long distance? School district? Any major repair needs? Every single answer came up favorable.
The owners asked $109.9k for the home: what should we offer? Charles felt we should settle for $105k, so offer $101k. He explained to Pam there was something psychological at $99k that made it seem much lower, or that we were less serious, the extra $2k would reassure them we were serious. He shared how eventually they’d counter down the middle, and we’d get $105k. Pam nodded. Charles called their realtor, leaving a message how the visit went well, to expect an offer on his desk Monday morning. He wanted to finalize details tonight, but Pam was more than 8 months pregnant and needed to rest.
As we got ready to leave Pam asked to go visit her parents. We bid Charles good-bye, and I let Pam guide me to her parent’s home via State Road 109. Not the worst route in the world. 109 was also only about 14 miles to Anderson (we were actually closer to Anderson than Greenfield), shopping there would be fine. I commented it would be 20 minutes-ish closer to my parents as well, causing Pam to smile. I pointed out with the 90 degree turn in the road two houses down, cars had to slow down around our house, making it easier to get in and out. Pam smiled some more (if I found something good to say, she knew that was good news). As we pulled into her parent’s driveway Pam grasped my hand “Are you sure? I feel selfish”. “Pam, this house is as nice as any we’ve seen, but more importantly, you want it, that’s enough for me”. A tear came to her eye “I want you to want it as much as I do” “Pam, if I didn’t like the house I’d say so. It’s fine with me, but knowing you want makes it the right one”, and I held her hand, letting her cry quietly. “Thank you”. “Together we’ll be very happy there”, and she nodded happily.
Pam almost ran to her parents (she was 8+ months pregnant, she waddled more than ran), excitedly telling them “We found the right house, we’re making an offer”. Pam explained the location, they loved it. Much closer than Indianapolis, safer, same school district, our son could take the bus to their house if need be. Bob grinned, telling me I’d like it out here.
We offered, they countered, then Pam went into labor. Charles called the realtor to reassure him all was fine but the baby was a week early. He asked for an extension, due only to that. “My client went into labor a week early, it was a very hard delivery. She’s recovering. They remain very interested, we just need an extension due to the baby, there were complications”.
When the realtor relayed the request to the owner, she was concerned it might be a trick, she apparently had been burnt on a prior offer. The former owner was a nurse, asking “what complications”? Charles shared about Pam’s condition “The wife was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant, the treatment she’s on complicated the delivery severely”. He then shared she grew up in the area, she wanted to come home. When the owner heard the cancer message, she gave us a week’s extension. Charles thanked her for that, saying we’d find that very accommodating and reasonable. Come Friday, we countered their counter, and she accepted it. We requested a quicker closing date, which she liked. We didn’t come up much, it was amicable.
Charles recommended Rob for a mortgage, briefing him about Pam. He moved quietly in our house! She was unable to walk during the meeting, so he moved quickly and thoroughly. Fortunately I had excellent credit, a stable job, and we were putting down 20%. Approved. I had banked all of the checks I got from teaching, creating our down payment.
It turns out our house was the 3rd to last house in the Indy area code. Local call to Bob and Janet’s house, local call to work, to Irvington Friends. God was with us. The house was perfect. Had Pam lived, had NAC not closed I’d still be there. Had I gotten the job at Ball State I’d still be there. Sometimes something that is perfect is only perfect for a time, and then our lives change again. After I married Katie, and once we knew we were moving to Eaton, we sold the house. I kept the service station bell, installing it is still on my to-do list…
Good morning. It will be cooler today. For all of the local news outlets' weekend's worth of Weather Alert Day Coming!!! announcements, it remains to be seen if there was enough rain to wash away any pollen.
Not a moth. Good luck to Daughter D! Today is dog grooming day which means a 1:45 drive each way. It takes special skill to properly groom a PWD so I’ve always just gone back to the breeder.
This is my boy’s full brother. He’s always at the grooming shop so we get to visit him too. His momma used to be there but she passed a few months back at the old age of 15. It’s a family affair. https://www.h2opwds.com/smolder-pics
39 degrees here, rising to maybe the low 50s this PM.
The mothership is covering the protracted Ukraine peace talks, noting that Putin’s intransigence is actually making Donald Trump angry. Who woulda thought? Meanwhile, the FP is taking the day off to toot its own horn over newly added correspondents.
If he’s so angry, why is he still trying to accommodate Putin to such massive disadvantages to Ukraine and America’s (alleged) NATO alliance partners? Some intel “reports” say that Trump has been so pro-Putin that Putin is getting suspicious that Trump might be setting a trap.
This administration has to be the most destructive to American interests since James Buchanan…
Looks like I missed the two duplicate videos—sorry about that… I blame electrolyte imbalance. And distractions. “Multitasking” is a moronic euphemism for “never focusing on what you’re doing.”
Beautiful story Jay. Thank you for sharing
Ladies & Gent came in 3rd. Two of our other teams were 4th and 5th.
ETA: The way the competition works is that the top 7 teams in each of the 8 regions compete in the state finals, so we will have 3 middle school teams competing at state. Each team of 5 can have two alternates, which will allow most of the students from our other two teams - who came in 12th and 16th out of 32 - to also go to state if they want to. This is especially good if they are the siblings of other students who are going, although, last year, D preferred staying home and spending the night with her friend from Scouts.
There are over 50 teams registered for the high school competition tomorrow. I promised F a Substantial Reward if his team is second or first. D's reward for 3rd was a Lego Bonsai set that Drama Queen gave me when she cleaned some stuff out of her house a few weeks ago. With the baby and two cats, she doesn't have a place in her life for Lego sets.
How can a person not have a place for legos? 🤔
You haven't seen their house. It is full of Stuff and Cats.
Well done!
All our kids worked hard. D's team were all experienced and previously successful. Our 5th place team, the Underdogs, had 4 out of 5 new students this year, so they were overwhelmed by their success. The two girls hugged one another and started crying, while the three boys all looked embarrassed that their moms were cheering.
Their man cards will be issued in due course.
Greetings from Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, NC, where the Middle School Envirothon competitors have one more test.
I just heard a barred owl. It's in the other side of the lake.
Two Chinese men and a little boy are fishing near me. They've caught three or four bluegills.
Barred owls, Chinese men, and bluegills. A change of scene from horses, chickens, and puppies.
True.
Whatever else it is or isn't, it is definitely a butterfly.
Go team!
School was off yesterday for Eid, and starts today. But when mid-kid barfed Sunday morning, scratching our last scheduled day of vacation before driving home, we decided to delay travel home a day. The kids were well enough for one last big hike yesterday morning (and the ‘rents almost so, so we toughed it out).
Upper Calf Creek falls was gorgeous.
Winter is not done in Central CO. Snow coming down heavy today. It is nature making fun of me for putting all the winter toys up just a few days ago and taking the winter tires off. I deserve it.
Good luck to the Envirothon team!
As if I needed it, I had another experience making me feel my expiration date may have passed. I volunteer at a performing arts venue. Lots of Broadway shows but also concerts and other events. Last night was an unusual one. The Sturniolo Triplets, 21 year old TikTok and YouTube stars, "performed" there. They did an hour long thing where they sat on couches and talked about mostly silly stuff. Funny text exchanges, group chats, their laundry at home...like a Seinfeld-ish show about nothing. Their videos have gotten 229 million likes and they have 9 million followers. The venue opened 5 hours before the show and there was a Q&A with them for those with more expensive tickets. The line for merchandise was full for about 3 hours. 2,300 in attendance, the vast majority young teen girls. They screamed and cried for these guys like audiences I've seen in old Beatles clips. After the show a lot of girls lined the ledge in the parking garage, trying to get a quick glimpse of the guys going from the exit door to their tour bus. I think I no longer understand a lot of things going on around me.
More than anything, I just want everything slower. I don't think it's because I'm getting mentally slower (though probably true). Rather, so much of the fast moving, fast talking, flashy experiences are geared to titillate an Instagram brain. But it makes me unsettled.
Seeing lots of reporting nowadays of fresh college-bound high-school grads who are functionally illiterate because they can’t read a book. Something that long won’t hold their attention.
This should go into the history books as the ADHD Era.
Why, since no one will be reading *books*, history or otherwise, before much longer, right? Right?!
Ha!
I love it when I can Catch-22 you in a contradiction.
(Well, honestly, I think this is the first time.) (But I still love it.)
What worries me is all the people who are concluding "well, then I guess we shouldn't have books anymore." (Note I'm not talking about electronic vs. hard copy. I'm talking about long-form written-word works, fiction or nonfiction.)
Wild.
Happy April 1st! KFC just unveiled “KFC toothpaste” which promises to make your mouth extra crispy!
Ick.
This made me wonder, what's the diff between moths and butterflies...so I asked....
Moths and butterflies, both belonging to the Lepidoptera order, share similarities but differ in key aspects like antennae, wing position, and activity times, with butterflies typically having club-shaped antennae, folded wings, and being diurnal, while moths have feathery or thread-like antennae, often hold wings horizontally, and are mostly nocturnal.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Antennae:
Butterflies: Have long, thin antennae that end in a thickened, club-like tip.
Moths: Typically have feathery or thread-like antennae, lacking the club-like tip.
Wing Position:
Butterflies: Often fold their wings vertically over their backs when resting.
Moths: Usually hold their wings flat or folded in a tent-like fashion over their bodies when resting.
Activity Times:
Butterflies: Are primarily diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day.
Moths: Are generally nocturnal, active at night.
Other Notable Differences:
Body Shape:
Butterflies tend to have slender, smooth bodies, while moths often have stockier, fuzzier bodies.
Color:
Butterflies are often brightly colored, while moths tend to have duller, muted colors.
Life Cycle:
Both undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult), but the pupal stage (chrysalis for butterflies, cocoon for moths) can be a key visual difference.
Cocoon: Moths create a cocoon by spinning silk around themselves.
Chrysalis: Butterflies form a chrysalis by hardening the outside of their metamorphosing body into a shell.
So, I guess these guys aren't butterflies then, eh?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zohgyAAKF6M
I saw that when it was new.
Yeah. Me too. And now I'm old.
The indoor daffodils I grew for Janet began to bloom yesterday: a white petal daffodil. Today would be Pam's birthday, a milestone birthday this year. Since we wrote about housing a few weeks ago, I thought I'd share this story with you of finding Pam's dream home.
***
Pam told me before we were married my house in Indy was acceptable for now but she’d need a bigger house for all our babies. I had an 800 sq ft 2 BR/1BA home. I spent $10k rehabbing it, doing the work myself, my Dad helping me. But Pam was happy there because I was there.
Once she was diagnosed with cancer, moving became a much higher priority. Pam preferred moving east, a little closer to her parents, for help with the baby. Charles was our realtor. I trusted him, but others thought he might have been a bit shady. He was certainly opportunistic, always looking for deals. But he made it work. I enjoyed working with Charles, and he loved adored Pam. She always asked how he was doing, she listened to him, she baked him bread.
Five months into our search there was a house in Wilkinson. 2,300 sq ft, four bedroom, 2.5 bath, an acre lot. It was at the high end of our budget, Built in 1979, it was in the same school district where Pam grew up. Wilkinson is straight north of Bob and Janet’s, about 11-12 miles as the crow flies, but 20 by car, as there is no direct route.
On October 17th we drove out to see it. Pam sat quietly in her seat, but as I watched her, I noticed something I hadn’t seen on prior house hunting visits. While our prior searches were still in Hancock county, they were mostly to the west of Greenfield. Wilkinson was east, almost to the Henry county line. This was the first real search far east. I noticed the farther east we drove the more relaxed she became. By the time we hit 650 North (just 3 miles from the house) she changed again, getting excited. As we pulled into the gravel driveway, I glanced in the mirror, her face shone with rapture. Without even seeing the house inside, I knew this was the one. The outside had curb appeal; as long as it hadn’t had major damage inside, she would want it. I knew.
I got the door for her, as she was 8 months pregnant. As she walked up a bright grin broke out on her face. In we walked, straight past the living room towards the eat-in kitchen. Her face shone with happiness, while she began thinking deeply about where to put her dishes, the pots and pans, etc. Mentally she was already moving in. Her smile was so bright it was as if someone had put a flood light in a jack-o-lantern. When she turned to me, she realized she might have seemed too enthused about the house, so she tried her best to look contemplative, seeking my input. It was too late. I knew she wanted this one. I’d seen her “mental tail” wag before, this time it was wagging hard enough to knock books off a shelf. I knew. That’s okay, knowing she actually wanted something was endearing, as she tried so hard to never appear greedy nor possessive. Her trying to hide her enthusiasm was so charming!
Pam saw this as her home, fitting her vision of what she wanted in life. She could raise a family here, make more babies here, walk kids to the school bus here. The decision was already made: did I want to risk hurting her, risk crushing her dreams, risk having our first argument, or do I give in without a fight? Duh! I’m not that stupid! “This house has real promise, let’s check out the upstairs”. She smiled, relieved. Up we went, when she saw the walk-in closet in the Master bedroom, game over. It had its own private bathroom, but I sensed it was small. Didn’t matter, she liked it.
Pam turned to me, with a pleading look on her face “I think I could be happy here, can you”? I felt bad, I thought I had been giving her a sufficiently supportive signal, but from the look of concern on her face I had failed, again. Too many times I wasn’t supportive enough of her, she asked for so little! I gave her a hug, kissing her cheek. Calmly I softly shared with her “You’re lousy at poker: I knew you wanted this house before we walked in and I know you love this house more than any other we’ve seen. Let’s make a good offer and see if they accept it or not”.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to be selfish, are you sure about this”? “Pam, you want this house, that’s a sign this is the one. I like clear messages”. “I just want one where you’ll be happy”. “If you’re in it I’m happy”. Charles overheard us, and smiled. He later told me he loved working with us because we both first thought of the other. He knew we had a special marriage. He told me enjoyed my wanting to buy this house for Pam. I was fine with the house, but if she had hated it, I’d have moved on without a second thought. But since she loved it, let’s roll!
Charles and I walked the lot, looked at the garage (really nice), when he noticed an old service station bell. We walked to the driveway, observing a tube across the driveway. We stepped on it several times, then went in. Pam looked puzzled, the house rang several times when we were out. Charles explained the gas station bell to Pam, explaining it let people know when there were visitors. I wished I had it for our house on Pleasant Run. Charles and I worked several issues; was the giant barn behind us just a barn or a factory? Area code and long distance? School district? Any major repair needs? Every single answer came up favorable.
The owners asked $109.9k for the home: what should we offer? Charles felt we should settle for $105k, so offer $101k. He explained to Pam there was something psychological at $99k that made it seem much lower, or that we were less serious, the extra $2k would reassure them we were serious. He shared how eventually they’d counter down the middle, and we’d get $105k. Pam nodded. Charles called their realtor, leaving a message how the visit went well, to expect an offer on his desk Monday morning. He wanted to finalize details tonight, but Pam was more than 8 months pregnant and needed to rest.
As we got ready to leave Pam asked to go visit her parents. We bid Charles good-bye, and I let Pam guide me to her parent’s home via State Road 109. Not the worst route in the world. 109 was also only about 14 miles to Anderson (we were actually closer to Anderson than Greenfield), shopping there would be fine. I commented it would be 20 minutes-ish closer to my parents as well, causing Pam to smile. I pointed out with the 90 degree turn in the road two houses down, cars had to slow down around our house, making it easier to get in and out. Pam smiled some more (if I found something good to say, she knew that was good news). As we pulled into her parent’s driveway Pam grasped my hand “Are you sure? I feel selfish”. “Pam, this house is as nice as any we’ve seen, but more importantly, you want it, that’s enough for me”. A tear came to her eye “I want you to want it as much as I do” “Pam, if I didn’t like the house I’d say so. It’s fine with me, but knowing you want makes it the right one”, and I held her hand, letting her cry quietly. “Thank you”. “Together we’ll be very happy there”, and she nodded happily.
Pam almost ran to her parents (she was 8+ months pregnant, she waddled more than ran), excitedly telling them “We found the right house, we’re making an offer”. Pam explained the location, they loved it. Much closer than Indianapolis, safer, same school district, our son could take the bus to their house if need be. Bob grinned, telling me I’d like it out here.
We offered, they countered, then Pam went into labor. Charles called the realtor to reassure him all was fine but the baby was a week early. He asked for an extension, due only to that. “My client went into labor a week early, it was a very hard delivery. She’s recovering. They remain very interested, we just need an extension due to the baby, there were complications”.
When the realtor relayed the request to the owner, she was concerned it might be a trick, she apparently had been burnt on a prior offer. The former owner was a nurse, asking “what complications”? Charles shared about Pam’s condition “The wife was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant, the treatment she’s on complicated the delivery severely”. He then shared she grew up in the area, she wanted to come home. When the owner heard the cancer message, she gave us a week’s extension. Charles thanked her for that, saying we’d find that very accommodating and reasonable. Come Friday, we countered their counter, and she accepted it. We requested a quicker closing date, which she liked. We didn’t come up much, it was amicable.
Charles recommended Rob for a mortgage, briefing him about Pam. He moved quietly in our house! She was unable to walk during the meeting, so he moved quickly and thoroughly. Fortunately I had excellent credit, a stable job, and we were putting down 20%. Approved. I had banked all of the checks I got from teaching, creating our down payment.
It turns out our house was the 3rd to last house in the Indy area code. Local call to Bob and Janet’s house, local call to work, to Irvington Friends. God was with us. The house was perfect. Had Pam lived, had NAC not closed I’d still be there. Had I gotten the job at Ball State I’d still be there. Sometimes something that is perfect is only perfect for a time, and then our lives change again. After I married Katie, and once we knew we were moving to Eaton, we sold the house. I kept the service station bell, installing it is still on my to-do list…
Very moving.
That's the best and most meaningful thing I'll read anytime soon. Thank you.
Lovely story, Jay.
That is a very touching first house (purchased together) story. I was in the biz for 40 years. Lots of emotion investment in that first house.
Good morning. It will be cooler today. For all of the local news outlets' weekend's worth of Weather Alert Day Coming!!! announcements, it remains to be seen if there was enough rain to wash away any pollen.
It rained enough on us to wash off the pollen, instead of just getting it sticky.
Not a moth. Good luck to Daughter D! Today is dog grooming day which means a 1:45 drive each way. It takes special skill to properly groom a PWD so I’ve always just gone back to the breeder.
This is my boy’s full brother. He’s always at the grooming shop so we get to visit him too. His momma used to be there but she passed a few months back at the old age of 15. It’s a family affair. https://www.h2opwds.com/smolder-pics
What a beautiful pup! Though you might post a pic of your guy, as I’m sure he’s even better looking.
I can do that one of these days. He’s quite handsome.
Good morning. I see it’s Butterfly Time!
39 degrees here, rising to maybe the low 50s this PM.
The mothership is covering the protracted Ukraine peace talks, noting that Putin’s intransigence is actually making Donald Trump angry. Who woulda thought? Meanwhile, the FP is taking the day off to toot its own horn over newly added correspondents.
If he’s so angry, why is he still trying to accommodate Putin to such massive disadvantages to Ukraine and America’s (alleged) NATO alliance partners? Some intel “reports” say that Trump has been so pro-Putin that Putin is getting suspicious that Trump might be setting a trap.
This administration has to be the most destructive to American interests since James Buchanan…
Or since Andrew Johnson, who screwed up Reconstruction.
Go Team Ladies and Gent!
"Hello there ladies and gentleman
Hello there ladies and gent
Are you ready to rock
are you ready or not?
Would you like to do a number with me,
Would you like to do a number with me,
Would you like tooooooo
Would like toooooooooooo
Would you like to do a number with me.....
(From Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan").
Good morning. I have rousted D out of bed. She is not happy. We have to leave by 7:15 to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
Good luck to the team!
Looks like I missed the two duplicate videos—sorry about that… I blame electrolyte imbalance. And distractions. “Multitasking” is a moronic euphemism for “never focusing on what you’re doing.”
I missed it, too. Teh subscribers get what they paid for.
Yes. CSLF is such a *deal*.
Trump should take notes.
We provide value.
So does the free air pump at the gas station in town. Not that I'd ever posit that anyone here trades in moving large volumes of air for free.
Especially not, um, yours truly. Right?
Right?!
Free air is better than having to put quarters in.