So We're Buying a House

As my Facebook post stated the other day, after five-and-a-half years of marriage, it's about dang time. We're buying a house. It's precious. I think a house can be precious. Because I can totally see more than the walls, doors, original hardwood floors, updated bathrooms; I see my babies running down the hall, Josh walking in the door after a day of work, kids playing in the backyard. I see what makes a house a home, and that's why it's precious.

But golly-gee what it took to get here. Cuz ya'll - there are some UGLY houses out there. This process has left me quite jaded. "Updated" has taken on a whole new meaning. "MUST SEE" - neighbors doing drug deals next door. "Move in ready" after you strip the house down to the studs and remodel. Jaded.

So I decided to share some of my home-selling recommendations for anyone out there who's considering selling their house. One thing to keep in mind, the homes we were looking at were older. Most were built in the late 50's, early 60's.
-"updated kitchen with granite counter-tops" - painting 50-year-old cabinets and putting granite on top does not update anything. If the cabinet doors stick from how many times they've been painted, they're by no means updated. They're old and ugly and now I'm going to have to rip out new granite to replace your nasty cabinets. Thanks a million.
-Smells. Folks it's all about the smell. And if I'm slapped in the face by cigarettes and wet dog odors as soon as I walk in the door, I'm not going any further. The showing stopped at your front door. Buy some Nicorette patches and 15 Scentsy candles and get after it.
-Don't take in your garage! I really don't have anything funny to say about this, but DON'T TAKE IN YOUR GARAGE! Where am I supposed to mark my car when golf-ball sized hail moves through DFW??
-"I'm beautiful inside" - HA! More like, "I hope you like how I look from the curb because that's all the appeal I possess." Seriously. We looked at a house that said exactly that, "I'm beautiful inside," and when we walked inside, the living room was missing the baseboards. The kitchen hadn't been touched since 1959. And the wood-paneling. Oh dear God, the wood-paneling.

That's all I've got for now. I will say the coolest thing we saw while looking was a storm cellar!! It was AWESOME. Smack in the middle of a neighborhood in Richardson - an old-timey storm cellar in the backyard. I won't lie. I took pictures. But that was the drug-dealing neighborhood, so don't get any ideas about weathering storms with the Braswells. But if you've got a bullet-proof vest I'll direct you to where you'll be safe in the storm.

Catching up...not really

HA! September was my last post. That makes me sad.

I determined this morning that I should blog more because writing is SUCH a cathartic experience. It's also a welcome outlet for my dripping sarcasm and cynicism in general. I found myself composing a paragraph of an email I knew I wouldn't send yesterday but wanted to write just to release some stress. It was funny too. It had to do with the fact that I was writing this email and then realized, in my delirium, that the content was supposed to be entirely different. Thank You, Lord, for my handy dandy notes and the delete button. Holiday weeks do that to you.

I feel there's so much I should say. Things I should vent. But it's 10:49pm on Friday, ya'll. If it hadn't been for a short nap this afternoon, I wouldn't be functioning - period. Josh and I are sitting here in our married bliss annoying each other with our incredibly different music tastes. However, he's now playing "Said the Sun to the Shine" which holds a sentimental place in my heart. I kind of fell in love with him to the tune of that song.

Anywho, like I said, it's late, I'm tired and a full Saturday awaits us...including a rousing game of Pandemic tomorrow evening. I'll let you know if the human race survives. Happy weekend.