Monday, August 28, 2006

Summer is over!

Today was my first official day at work (actually it was "New Teacher Inservice Day" for both Lani and me in both our districts). So, Summer is now over! The kids start school next week after Labor Day weekend. The way it should be everywhere, you Texas friends!!!

We're still living amid lots of still-unpacked boxes and there are still lots of house projects not fully completed, but it's nice to be in our own home.

I found out tonight at Portland Symphonic Choir rehearsal that I will be a paid "Staff Singer", so that was cool news! Also, Hannah auditioned for choir at Gresham H.S. earlier in the evening and the teacher agreed to put her in their top big choir (she is the 97th person in the group and the principal had told the teacher to cap it at 90).

We have a working home phone now, but still no internet service. I'm back over at Troy & Shauna's tonight typing this. I can check my personal e-mail and my blog at work, if needed. If you'd like our phone number, e-mail me at DanDalzell@aol.com and I'll send it to you (along with our new address too). Lani says I shouldn't just post it all here publicly.

We look forward to having guests in our home soon, but if you come right away we may put you to work helping put things away and finishing something. We have realized -- far too late -- that we just have too much stuff! So now one of our goals is to get rid of furniture, clothes, toys and such that we don't need &/or won't fit in our new house. Pare down and simplify!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

In Our New Home

Sorry for not posting lately! Life has been a busy blur as we've been working every day on the house and then finally moving in yesterday. We got all our stuff out of storage and piled into the garage, family room, back yard, etc. Thanks to many good friends here, the move-in was done in one day!

Later in the day I cleaned up and auditioned for the Portland Symphonic Choir. I think I did OK, but I certainly hadn't had the time or sleep to prepare to sing at my best. I find out sometime today if I made it.

Well, this was just a quick update. I'm off to sort boxes, unload things, put together some stuff, and continue the fixing of the house. Tomorrow Lani and I both have our first meetings at our respective schools. Busy, busy, busy. . .

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Closing on house tomorrow!

Just heard that we should close on our house tomorrow! Woohoo! The last 24 hours we've been thinking that maybe it would be delayed a week, then that it might not even happen because of some hold-ups in paperwork, and then suddenly a call saying that it should close tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 4).

I've got so much nervous energy! I can hardly wait to dig in and start working on things!!!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

It's August and what are we doing?

So, today it's August. Can you believe it? We were hoping by about now to be getting into a house. Or be close to closing so that we could start working on the house. But we're waiting. Our mortgage company is waiting on Lani's school district who is waiting on the Oregon TSPC and so on. Meanwhile, Lani & I are a bit fidgety as each day slips by bringing us closer to the end of our free summer days. I wake up each morning thinking through the projects I need to do once we get possession of the house. Hopefully all this mental energy will be helpful as I rehearse my strategies for each project over and over!

I had hoped to totally gut the kitchen and put in new cabinets, countertops, lights, etc. but after visiting Home Depot, Lowe's, and a cabinet shop, I've had to face the reality that you don't just order cabinets and get them overnight, or next week, or even two weeks from now. We're looking at 4 to 6 weeks to get cabinets -- if I order them today. So, now my project list is being reshuffled as we decide which things we want to do before moving in and which to put off due to cost, lower priority, or lack of available materials. There will be plenty to do any way you look at it!

Maybe next time we're in the house I can take some digital pics so that we can share a "before and after" look at things.

We did a second visit to the East County Church of Christ this last Sunday. I think we all enjoyed it a little better the second time around. There are a couple of other places we'll make return visits to. Of course, with people's summer schedules and all, it may be hard to get a complete picture of a church until after school starts back up in September.