A show of support.

This morning when I got home from a surprise night of "work" (aka, I went to the house of the family I nanny for and spent the night so that their older daughter, who is 17, wouldn't be alone in the house since the rest are in Florida for Mother's Day) at around 7:15 my mom informed me that her aunt Chic (not her real name, but that's what her nickname was growing up) who is a character in the best sense of the word, was really happy about the news that I'm trying to buy a house.
She's a big advocate of being independent and taking care of yourself. She's in her 80's, I think. Lives in California, has done so much genealogy work for my mom's side of the family, and the reason we started visiting Nebraska family reunions so many years ago. Her husband--a really wonderful man--died several years ago but she has a "gentleman friend". She's been coy about the details, but it's so much fun to tease her when we get to see her. He wants to marry her! But she said no.
Anyway!
She wanted to see the house and so I sent her an email with the house listing. I snuck into my mom's email and found Aunt Chic's reply and it really warmed my heart.

WOW! I LIKE THE HOUSE.

The 903 Square Feet allows you room to move around. Gary and Paula have been living in a house that size in San Francisco for 29 years and they have a dog and parrots, plus they store her harp and all of the other instruments.

Don and I have undertaken to remodel a house that was very much like this one. We painted, killed weeds, dug up the earth and planted flowers, etc. etc. It was fun and we were challenged by it. After we were finished, I was told that it was the best looking house on the street.

The termite problem is perplexing and needs to be taken care of. You might dicker with the seller about fixing the problem or sharing the cost of repair. Termites do not stop eating the wood.

I have printed a picture of the house and will take it to Senior Lunch to show my gentleman friend.

Just think of the nice colors that are now being used to paint the interior walls.

The fact that you have air conditioning, and other nice features, makes the house very comfortable. I like the laundry inside the house, too. Three bedrooms will be very nice. I have one bedroom that I call The Junk Room where I place the extras that don't fit in other parts of the house. I also have one room that is my office and holds all of my equipment. I vinal flooring installed when it was built because my office chairs glide easily around.

I am so exited about this house that I feel as though I should catch the next plane for Gary, Indiana.

Aunt Chic

::big grin::
I absolutely love the line about the Senior Lunch. She's too much! I love her.

For once no negativity...just encouragement with caution.

I signed an addendum today asking for $2,000 in a credit due to the finding of the termites and subsequent cost of repair.
I really hope it's accepted.
And goodness could the bank take any longer? Nerve wracking.

I toured IKEA tonight and had so many ideas. But I found the perfect inspiration in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living for the living room. It's perfect, everything about it spoke to me. And I've been able to find similar furniture/designs easily and they're affordable. I also found a lovely bed frame at IKEA for $134!! I love IKEA. And I've always wanted a bed frame with a headboard and footboard...is that what's it called? It's been so long I don't know! There was also a ridiculously comfortable couch. It fit all of my criteria--deep cushions so it hits the bend of my knee, the back is high enough, the arms were at the right height, and it was just plain comfortable. I wish I checked what it was called or the price...eh. Who cares.

I can't stop thinking about the end product. I can't stop fantasizing about how it'll look after all the sweat and tears and money and time...
And it all seems worth it.
I am the worst with buyer's remorse. If I walk through a store too long without leaving I'll put back everything I've wanted to buy because I talk myself out of it.

My humble abode.

cute.
Originally uploaded by This Year's Love.

Inspection day!

There are signs of termites.

He couldn't say how large of a problem it is, but it's fixable. Otherwise there's nothing really wrong with the place that isn't basic wear and tear from being 80 years old and lived in by God knows how many people. It won't interfere with the habitability of the home. He wished me luck and said it's a nice place.
We were there for almost two hours and in that entire time we all (Adam, my parents, the inspector and myself) would just stop and observe, "It's so quiet here!"
It's so peaceful. No barking dogs, no sounds of cars, it's basically a dead end (but not technically) and pretty much only the people who live on the street drive on it.
No gunshots, no sirens....
It's just plain lovely.

Okay, so back to the termites.
With my parents there they of course acted like it was the end of the world. My grandmother has had termites in her house for DECADES and it's still standing.
Yes, it is going to cost me several thousand (the inspector is familiar with termite extermination and said it would probably cost $1500 but it would be resolved after that) to treat the termites. Okay, so let's say $2000.
I could back out of the deal and say no thanks. Then I can try to find a place with similar space (not likely), in a similar location (ha!), with as much space (it's small, but the other places I looked at were much smaller) that isn't foreclosed on and is in reasonable condition for a similar price.
It just isn't going to happen. Even if I spent more, then what? Within four or five months I'll spend the amount it would have cost to fix the termite damage ... while that would be a one time cost, the mortgage is every month for 30 years.

I realized while talking it over with Anna and putting everything into words that my parents were so freaked out by it because they won't even fix the most minor of things in their own house let alone major issues. God forbid there was anything major! It would never get worked on and I would have to hear about it being broken for the rest of my life. No thank you!

So here's what I've decided.

If I can get a termite inspection and a real estimate, then I'll decide for sure.
But so far I can't let that deter me if it's only a few thousand right now. The price is too good regardless, it's pretty much ready to move in, and it has so much space for my animals. And let's face it. It's all about the dogs (and cat and all of the other critters soon to be acquired) and I have always done my best to give them everything. People might think that's ridiculous, stupid, and weird...but hey. It's better than supporting a deadbeat boyfriend who smacks you around and sits on the couch playing video games all day while scratching his balls.

Sorry. I had to say it.

Anyway.
My dogs can't tell me what to do. My dogs can't tell me they're disappointed in me. They don't care where we live, but if I can provide a nice backyard and a comfortable place to sleep and all the juicy raw meat they can eat...then I will. I love them so much.

I forgot! Today I noticed for the first time that (drum roll, please!) there are SIDEWALKS all around! I've been dreaming about sidewalks ever since we moved and I got a dog. It won't be the safest area, but I've got Is and Jude with me. Usually people run in the other direction when they see me coming. SIDEWALKS!!!!!

So in conclusion...

I'm going to go ahead and buy it.

I have absolutely no regrets. I don't have any misgivings and my gut is saying "Do it!"
I've been praying about it, too. Nothing is saying no.

I'll obviously talk to my realtor after she reads a copy of the inspection report.

The thing is, unlike my parents, I want to work on this house and invest in it. I want to make it mine. I want to live in it and love it despite the work and money it takes. They just complain and make excuses and I'm really, really done with that attitude.
They don't see it as a privilege to finally own a house. My father has stated countless times that he thinks it's a curse.
And whether or not he means to, and he even said he doesn't want to come across as negative, he is. He picked the whole house apart. They were such minor things that they're really only cosmetic. And he would never fix them if it was his house anyway. He has actually done many of the crappy quick-fix jobs found in the house himself. I grew up that way!!! They forget that.

All of those memories are filed away in my brain. I can recall them at the drop of a hat. They're filed under "B" for "bitter".

Termites be damned. I love this place and if it's going to happen, then I'm going to be living here.

The Way I Are.

ye old house.
Originally uploaded by This Year's Love.

Even grossly exaggerating my monthly expenses (I'm sure I've forgotten one or the other) I'm still $200 below my $1000 budget I set for myself. It would be brilliant to be able to stick to it. That leaves $200 to just..spend whilst sitll saving over $700 each month. I'll definitely need it!

I got an inspection scheduled for tomorrow at 5 PM. Afterward I remembered that I have a photo session scheduled for that same time that I've been planning since about two weeks ago. So I ended up calling the family and seeing if I could do it several hours earlier and it was fine.
I'll call the realtor tomorrow and make sure that we're on for the time and everything.

My parents drove by the house, my dad seeing it for the first time. He ripped it to shreds and doesn't like it. He got all cocky when he told me and said, "I wouldn't buy it!"
I just shrugged. I am done with defending myself. I find it completely unnecessary to do so anymore since he's proven that he knows nothing and has no business telling me one way or another.
Maybe if he spent any time fixing up his own house...but no. He's spent my entire life avoiding it at all costs. He nitpicked about everything.
"You could get a nicer house!"
And I snapped.
"Yes, I COULD, but I don't NEED to and don't WANT to. This house is FINE and that's why I'm getting an inspection done so I actually know what's wrong with it!"
Christ on a cracker! The man is just a moron. I'm so exhausted dealing with all of his bullshit.

There's a pretty silly wall in the kitchen that's flimsy at best and after Israel's literal run-in with the screen door (completely killed!) I think I would rather just tear it down and have a bigger kitchen than wait for Israel to bring it down himself.

Either way tomorrow is the deciding point since it hinges on the inspection going well. I know it's got problems but they're not terrible. Far better than what I had to grow up in!
I wish my parents wouldn't deliberately make it seem like we lived in this awesome house ... it was a shit hole, falling down around us. Nothing ever got fixed. We just moved out.

On a different note, it was a sad day for my mother. She's an ESL teacher and found out today during a party for the end of this semester for her classes that one of her students died along with her husband in a car accident while visiting her family in Mexico. Everyone was depressed after that and my mom cried a lot. Apparently this student was always the first there, books ready, and just a nice woman. People in the building remembered her even if they hadn't known her.
Sigh. I can't imagine that happening to me.
And then as I was talking to Rachel on the phone my mom held up a ten dollar bill.
"What?" I asked, not seeing anything special about it.
"It's from my Korean student for you for your house."
I laughed. It's sitting in front of my keyboard right now. How sweet is that?
And depressing. My mom's student is nicer about it than my own parents.

C'est la vie!

Where do we go from here?

I can't believe how quickly this is all going.
Saturday night I found the house listing.
Monday I went in to get preapproved for financing.
Tuesday I got a showing and saw the house. Within two hours of getting home and putting in an offer it was accepted. The offer was for $35k.
Obviously everything is pending on an inspection and appraisal. And...well...my financing.
I need to get that preapproval letter. I need them to accept my lack of credit history--I have a great score but it's only one--and the fact that I've only been working full-time for seven months. Rachel mentioned a sunshine letter from my employers and I think if I have to I'll ask them to write one up for me. I know they would do it.
There is no reason why I can't afford to move out. It's terrifying to imagine suddenly having bills to pay after nearly twenty-one years of paying back my mom for everything, even now. I really need to get a checkbook. I opted not to get one, using instead my debit card.

Sidenote: I'm watching The Daily Show tonight with George Tenet. I watched him on Meet The Press this last Sunday and was amazed at how eloquent he was. Anyway, so now Jon Stewart played a reel of other interviewers just blaming him left and right and Jon goes..."I have no where else to bruise you. So may I offer you a Fresca?"
I'm a hardcore Republican, conservative, etc., but I love Stewart and Colbert.

So anyway. Now I'm kind of scared.
Well, not kind of.
I am scared.
This is totally uncharted territory for me.
My mother keeps trying to scare me, too, saying "What happens when you don't have this job anymore?" Well, guess what. Nothing is guaranteed. Not their jobs, not mine. So I'm supposed to let that stop me from living?
They decided not to save for college for us. They decided to completely distance themselves from trying to assist me in attending school and have absolutely no remorse over how they told me this news (at the very last second) and saw nothing wrong with basically screwing me over.

::takes a breath::

I have issues with bitterness.

I realized after all of this--the phone calls, the reality of the situation--that I will live alone if I get the house. Of course I'll have plenty to keep me busy...the animals, adjusting to paying bills, getting furniture, etc., not to mention eventually the work that I will do to the house...but still. Alone. For the first time. I wake up alone every morning. I spend two nights a week at someone else's house for work.
If I could, I would find someone to live with me. There's a second bedroom. Plus it wouldn't hurt to have some financial help.
Adam says not to invest too much as far as fixing up the place...but you know, I can't see myself moving any time soon from that place. And my strongest desire is to live somewhere I can be proud of. I am not at all proud of the apartment where I grew up no matter the memories that come flooding back each time I visit it and am certainly not proud of living in this house.
My parents have sucked the enjoyment out of living in our own house. They can't just be. They focus on every single negative thing and obsess about it instead of fixing it or deciding it's not worth it to bitch about it all the time.
I don't want to live that way anymore. I just don't.
Obviously it wouldn't be practical or financially possible to fix everything right away, but there are a few things I could do to make it more...enjoyable.
We'll see what those things are if I do get the house.

So my plans are to have a joint birthday/housewarming party and everyone will be invited. I'll hopefully even have a garden scraped out by then, too. Anything to liven the place up a bit.

I'm not regretting this life-changing decision. At all. But there is so much to think about and do and argue over and I'm really just wanting it to be done already.
I know from the past that it really will go over so quickly that I won't even know what happened--which is why I've chosen to make this diary about it. I want to remember everything and what order it happened in.

If I had possession over judgement day.

I downloaded a Robert Johnson CD off of iTunes because it was $7.99 and I had just listened to him last night while cruising at night in the warm weather to Rachel and Adam's house.

I finally saw the interior of the house I have been obsessing over the last few days. It's been on the market for 12 days, which doesn't surprise me because I knew it had to be new since I had never seen it before in my searches on GNIARMLS. (I always say it like "grr, animals!" in my head when I type in the web address.)
Well, the inside needs some work--cosmetic things that wouldn't effect it's livability.
It thankfully doesn't have narrow rooms. They're fairly square and spacious (I first spelled that spaceish...wow.). It's a nice layout for 903 sq. ft.
The exterior looks good. Some peeling pant--big deal. Good roof, nice big yard, new windows, I'll have to put up a fence right away.

So I put in an offer. $35k, $900 less than they were asking. I didn't want to go so low as to insult them but why offer full price when you don't have to?

There's so much to do now. I have to call the bank, tell them I found a property, etc. But at least I went through the financing thing yesterday. I'm glad I have this week off. No way would I be able to work and juggle all of this.
But it's all going to be worth it. I have the money. I have the resources. Whether or not my parents want to admit it!

I should call my dad...no. I'll wait until I can tell him in person. Of course he's on the East Side right now laying down sod at the church. You'd never find him doing any sort of thing like that here.

Now I'm having trouble gathering my thoughts. I mean, I just signed papers saying I want to buy a house....but I don't feel nervous/bad...it's all nervous/good.

I just got a call from the realtor and she said that she talked to the listing against and he said it looks like a go. ?!?!?!?

Contain yourself.

My dad did his typical "stare" yesterday when he finally decided to talk to me about house buying. Otherwise he would go behind my back with my mom and I'd hear it through her. Such is life around here. It's how things work. He just walked up and said to be honest--that I couldn't afford to move out. I laughed. It will cost me less than $100 more a month than what I'm paying them to have a house of my own.
"Huh? How much is that?" he demanded.
"Around $250. I pay you guys $200 a month and what do I have to show for it?"
He narrowed his eyes.
Then when we were in the house he demanded to see the house online. So I showed him.
"Hmph."
He couldn't say much about it. He tried to tell me it's a bad neighborhood but it's lightyears away from where I was forced to grow up and it's pretty similar to the street we're on now. So...yeah. Don't try that argument with me.
He hung up on my mom yesterday when he told her I was crazy and she countered that at least I wasn't buying old cars and renting garage space like he did at this age. "I'll talk to you later," he mumbled and *click*. He hates hearing the truth.
He talked to a financial guy at his work, saying how I was only 21 (no, no! not yet! stop it!) and wanted to get a house and the guy said no one can stop me--and then my dad said the price of the house and the guy was like, "Well, actually..." in a tone that implied it would be silly not to look into it. Hello, $35k! That doesn't come around too often in the shape the house it's in, in the area it's in, and besides--I absolutely love the house. The siding has scalloped edges!

Today I have a showing for it at 3:30. I can't wait to see in the interior and to get a closer look at the house's outside. It's vacant, so that's nice. Rachel is coming along and maybe my Vivian too. She's out with her grandmother today since it's her day off. Hopefully I'll get to hang out with her.

I told my parents back in the winter when I got absolutely fed up with living with them (brought on mostly by the day's worth of drama when I brought Israel home) that I could move out by the summer.
Well, I of course got comfortable here again since they love Israel (and they adore Judah as well...I wonder how they'll handle not having dogs around? they play such a huge, intrical part in our daily lives and how we interact that I think I'll convince them to adopt a small dog from the shelter) and didn't bother really looking for a house. Plus, I didn't have enough savings.
It's a buyer's market. I've been hearing that for a couple weeks now.
And so I renewed my search and after two let-downs I stumbled across this house and it's...perfect.
So once again things shift into place and it looks like my earlier declarations ("I'll be moved out by the summer! You just watch!") are going to pan out to be the truth. I love saying "I told you so!". I get to say it quite often, actually.
I might be a homeowner by the age of 21...I could have my own place this summer, to do to whatever I see fit. That's over thirty years on my dad's final plunge into homeownership.

They take (they being my parents) no pride in ownership. In fact, my father sees it as a curse. He refuses to acknowledge that he's old, he's got zero energy, and he can't do everything by himself. Granted, if he ate better, slept better, and actually exercised he might feel differently but we're talking about reality. Everything that could have been worked on from the time we got the house to the time we actually moved in is still in the midst of being worked on--or torn apart to start being worked on. It's ridiculous and depressing. But you can't convince them to let anyone else do the work and they can't seem to find the time to do it either but I see them waste time ALL the time.
Meanwhile...
I am done jury-rigging. I'm done with temporary fixes. I'm done with annoying mods that make things work but not efficiently. I've lived that way for my entire life! Twenty plus years of that can get exceedingly frustrating. So I swear that no matter what, I will not let that happen. It means more money up front, but it means no frustration in the end.
Like I'll have to shell out big money for a fence, but it's worth it to have my dogs protected. I already have so many things to consider: Israel is a breed that is considered a huge threat, which also makes him desirable and people wouldn't hesitate to steal him. In my previous post I explained just how likely it was for me to give Israel up...ha.
Around here I can leave him out in the backyard because it's a private street and there's also a privacy fence. I was considering getting a nearly invisible type of fence and while economical all I can think about is how with a few snips while I'm not looking Israel could be let out. And even the idea of getting a "pit bull" kennel (steel tubing to make it almost indestructable) makes me pause because people could still come by and shoot him and he would have no place to hide.
And these are the thoughts (and very real fears) that accompany having a dog such as Israel. I still wouldn't trade him for anything.
How many people do you know that would turn down $1,000,000 if it meant giving up your dog? I wouldn't give up Judah even for a billion dollars. And that's not hyperbole! Judah is literally priceless. Nothing on heaven or earth would make me give her up. Which is another reason that I'm reassured that dogs do in fact go to heaven because it wouldn't be heaven without my Judah.
Anyway...(that was just a revelation. I never thought about that before. A billion dollars or Judah...it didn't even cross my mind to even consider taking the money. I would be miserable and suicidal without her.)

So today is the big day! I get to see the house, I get to start moving forward with growing up and being a big girl, and it also means I can stop hearing the word NO.
When you're twenty, it's frustrating and irksome to hear no and realize that you can't really do anything about it. Mainly because you're old enough to realize that, well, you live with your parents and it's not fair to think that it's okay and practical to have everything you want when there are other people living here and it's not your house.
Whether or not people realize that I know this already, let's just clear that up--Two dogs IS a lot of drama, it's a lot of work, but I knew I could handle it. I knew my parents could handle it. Not that I didn't hesitate and actually think about the consequences when I brought Israel home, but I knew that deep down it would be all right. I didn't want to go behind my parents backs AGAIN. I did that with Judah and then with Israel. Neither was planned ahead of time. I made the choice to go against what they said because I knew that in the end it would work out. It's not exactly fair or responsible to do that but my parents also know that I didn't do it to spite them (maybe just a smidge!) but because I needed these dogs. And even they can't say I don't take care of them and make it very easy to have dogs. I train them, I spend time with them, I feed them, I make sure they're healthy. And so my parents can trust that Judah will ring the bell to go outside, Israel will usually hold it, and if I need them to feed them I know exactly what and where the meat is in the freezer.
But in the end it's undeniable that my parents really love my dogs. Thankfully my mom's allergies haven't been so effected that she can't function, even though she does sometimes have congestion--but God knows there's pollen and what not in the air as well. And these carpets are OLD. Yesterday I even let the cat out into the yard for some fresh air and sunlight while my dad started to drain off the top of the pool. Judah and Israel wandered around, going up on the deck, and I always caught my dad smiling at Israel or Judah, talking to them, reaching down to pet them. And whether he admits it or not, he really likes Israel. It's hard not to love that jerkface. His personality is one that constantly seeks attention and approval and affection and returns it ten fold.
I digress...a lot...

This first year if I move out, I know that it's going to be hard adjusting to life on my own. Not to say I won't enjoy it, but I'm not going to kid myself into thinking it'll be honky-dory, even if life often does work out like that for me. I won't be able to have all the repairs I might need done right away, but they WILL get done as soon as finanaces allow. And I will get a third dog for my birthday. It's going to be interesting to see what Israel will do but I trust him. I know that if I introduced him to a dog, he would accept it. Especially if Judah met it first and displayed her usual confidence and friendliness as she does to all dogs, whether they're aggressive or nervous towards her. She has the most issues with small dogs. They absolutely despise poor Judah, who loves to play and is very aware of their size difference so she plays nicely...but little dogs--especially Dachshunds--never give her a chance. They usually bite her right away and it's so sad when she realizes that they don't want anything to do with her and she's still there with her head down and tail wagging, hoping they'll change their minds.
If the dog Mudd is still at the shelter by next month (I doubt it'll change) then I'll adopt him. Otherwise I'll look for a small dog (maybe 20 pounds) because I don't want to feed another big dog. And here I thought Israel would stay small--"pit bulls" range widely in size from 30 pounds to over 100 pounds--but he's almost doubled in size. If he was longer in the leg he would be as big as Judah. The circumference of his legs are twice that of Judah's as well. He's a big boy. Tough. Beautiful. And a pain in the butt last night when he kept getting up...

Anyway. I should check my breakfast before it burns.

Home Thoughts.

This morning I had an appointment at 10 at the bank to get preapproved financing so that I know how much I can afford to look for when I get a house. I've found a house and am still waiting for the realtor to call me back and let me know what's up with it. The list price is $35,900. I got preapproved for $60,000 since that's how much I could afford while spending only $500 a month on mortgage (with all other expenses factored in). Anyway. So I set my alarm for 8:30 AM. I let the dogs out (my shirt had ridden up and I was rudely awakened by creepy Israel licking my back! gross to the extreme) and then ... went back to bed. Wha'?
Needless to say I was jolted awake at 9:30 AM and was out the door at 9:33 AM. I was dressed, had all of my paperwork in my purse, AND had makeup on and managed to get Israel into his kennel in that time. I'm serious. Three minutes, if that.
I got there with ten minutes to spare (yes!) and then the woman I was meeting with was late anyway! So I was actually more than good. I love (not!) cutting it close.

I want to call the realtor I left a message for but I don't want to be annoying--but I really, really want to know what's going on with the house and if I can get a showing like...today. I know that's impossible, I'm just saying, I really, really want to see the inside of the house. It's about two miles from here (where I live now) and while my parents might tell me it's in a bad neighborhood it's ten times better than where I grew up--and lived until three years ago! So they have very little room to talk. I grew up a couple houses away from a bar. The kind with a big Old Style On Tap sign dangling over the sidewalk.

In less than a month I'll be twenty-one. The woman I spoke to today said, "You are very young" when I told her my birthdate. She had just been talking about her son and how he wants to get a house ... and he's twenty-six.

Look, I never thought I would be able to financially afford my own house this early. I've been so blessed these last few months (even more so this week since I've got the whole week off) and I'm tired to feeling sorry for myself. I hate living with my parents still and it's not really healthy anymore. They didn't get a house of their own until they were in their fifties. You couldn't pay me--I'm serious--to live the way that they did up until nearly three years ago. I lived that way for eighteen years and I have no intention of repeating that horrible mistake in my own life.

People are quick to tell me I should rent something first.
I made the decision to get a dog. I didn't know she was going to be such a big dog, but that's what it is. She's too big, she's too many breeds that people hate, and even if she is ridiculously friendly and well-behaved, it would still cost me more than twice as much for half the space and none of the freedom if I managed to even find a place that would let me keep her. And while some people would feel comfortable giving away their pets for the sake of a place to live, I could never, ever give my Judah up. If you think there would ever be a moment of insanity that would make me feel otherwise then you don't know me at all.
And I also have a cat. And my fish. Oh, and ...one of those dreaded "pit bull" type dogs. So that alone would make it literally impossible to find some place to rent. And I don't want to rent anyway!

I'm going to look into how much it would cost to get $100k liability insurance. I don't think Israel will ever attack someone and even if he did it would be justified. Sorry, but that's how I feel. He has to be provoked to want to react in any way and if that's the case, then whoever gets mauled would deserve it and then some. The thing is...he's a good dog. He's predictable. And whether or not people believe it, "pit bulls" are one of the best breeds I've ever come across. They have so much going for them and it's sad that a few complete morons own these dogs and make it that much more difficult to be a responsible pit bull owner.
Whether or like it or not I might even license him. I have Judah licensed but what a pain in the ass that was. No one knew what the hell they were doing and it took more than five phone calls and then more phone calls when I actually got to the office to find someone who knew what was going on. It was ridiculous and not at all worth the time. Plus I don't want them knowing I have a "pit bull" in case they want to confiscate him. Over. My. Dead. Body.
People were appalled when others were saying they would seriously injur/kill whoever tried to take away their dogs. Um, yeah. They would take Judah or Israel away only after prying my cold dead hands off of them.

Where was I...?
Oh yes. House hunting.

This house is so darling. It has a large yard that needs to be fenced in properly but I've found a great alternative that's half the price of any other type of fencing--and it's not permanent so if I moved I could take it with me. I can already picture the garden I would have and the landscaping and the goldfish pond! My goal/dream is to have a 300 gallon pond for the fish to live in rather than a twenty-nine gallon or even fifty-eight gallon aquarium. I would probably keep fish inside anyway during the winter but during the summer I would definitely keep them outside. Then they could get huge.
I'm going to have a cat-proof fence so I can let Omaha outside and not worry about her escaping and I want to get more cats and have them mainly outdoors but access to the inside. And they would eat birds and mice and all things cats should eat. Omaha will have to realize that, too.
I want some rabbits. Or just one. I don't know. That's for later, not right away. Maybe a ferret or two. I think I want a ferret mostly because they're part of the weasel family and they would eat raw meat, too. I really like owning carnivores because it makes you realize just how special they are and amazing but then too I want to have some strict herbivores. Even the goldfish are omnivores! So a rabbit, maybe, or birds like finches.
Rats! If I could find a way to get over my allergy I would have a rat room. It was always my dream to have a special room set aside just for a colony of rats. I know it's silly but I can still picture all of the custom changes I would make--like shelves all over the walls for them to climb on, real tree branches to gnaw and scurry over, a small pool to dive in, hammocks and boxes and toys everywhere, and anyway....I miss having rats something awful.

Well, I've got to go put on a bra (do I have to?) and pick up my little sister from school.