my real life adventures

scheduling life

It seems that if I plan things better I can do more. Do I really want to do more?

posted by Heather @ 11:53 AM 0 comments

another widow

the football season is creeping up. today already a pre-season game being watched and controlled by remote arm-chair.

posted by Heather @ 9:08 PM 0 comments

my mug

Well so now we all know what I look like in a bright green shirt! I'm using this for my new business cards, which are being ordered today.

Quick someone stop me, I don't know what I'm doing!! Hello? Anyone?

O.K. well if that's the way you're going to be I'm going to do this thing and knock all your socks off. You are wearing socks, no? Well come December, when I sell my first house, you'll be wearing socks - so WATCH OUT BABY!

posted by Heather @ 10:44 AM 0 comments

another wednesday

there are only three wednesdays, including this one, till Rianne starts second grade. I'm still shocked that I have a kid in second grade!

so we gave our notice to our landlord, we'll be moving the last weekend in September. Where you ask? I have no clue! We're keeping an eagle eye out for prospects.

I've been super grouchy lately. I've even cried while watching stupid sappy girl programs. I don't feel very happy, not that I'm normally super happy, this just feels like a slide and I just want to get off. I think I'm just super stressed out and things keep piling up on me. I use to like sleeping, but it doesn't seem to be helping much, I'm all restless. At least the weather is clear today, maybe my wrist won't hurt.

Ok enough whining got to get back to work.
h

posted by Heather @ 8:48 AM 0 comments

per capita tax

I myself am not a big fan of taxes. It's part of the reason we've always enjoyed renting, there's only just the monthly costs. So we've only just moved to PA w/in the past year and we own land in NH. No big deal we just pay the NH tax on our un-improved land pretty reasonable and stuff we can plan for, but evidently PA has a Per Capita Tax.

What is a Per Capita Tax, I'm not entirely sure - if I had to guess I'd say a straight tax on individuals that live in the area getting taxed... just for living in the area. So we get this bill, one which I'm not expecting and really wouldn't even conceive of, from West Fallowfield Township saying that we owe them $10 ($5/per registered voter/adult/registered occupant) for living in the township. I'm just shocked! Who would have ever thought that anyone could tax you for simply living somewhere.

I'm somewhat outraged, not about the money, but about the idea that I, who don't even use the town dump, don't use public water and don't bother a soul out here on our little patch of grass am being charged taxes just because I am simply here.

The other thing that's getting me is that I bet the township office wouldn't even have our names and address IF we hadn't registered to vote and that burns a bit. If that is the case then I might actually be rather mad about this, it's basically boiling down to a tax on my voting priveledges. Should I have just paid them my $5 when I voted. That might have been easier, only then I think I might have at least wanted a cookie for waiting in line so long.

Am I nuts... I know I'm ranting a bit, but good grief! Do any of you have to pay a per capita tax or is it just my township?

h

posted by Heather @ 10:02 AM 1 comments

The puzzle of life

profound huh? that's me then - horribly profound and only slightly mad :P

so, today I had a great meeting at my brokers office. I've got a nice little list of things to do before I can start my real estate career and I was quite happy to meet the nice people that I met. I've ordered signs, a name pin, got a weichert email address hmccullough@weichert.com and will soon have my own extension # at the office. All in all a very productive 45 minutes.

So I pick up the kids from the sitter and come home to an email about a great full-time graphic design position at DuPont. I would love to work at Dupont, they have great benefits, great salaries and it would be good steady money.

Meanwhile we've decided that we want to move to a cheaper house. It's hard coming home from vacation to have to pay a rent that eats up 1.5 paychecks. So we almost took a great 3 bedroom for $600 a month, but the oil heat probably would have killed us and we didn't have the $$ for the first month a security because... we just paid our rent! It's a horrible awful conundrum... is that right conundrum or should I have called it a debacle? catch 22? Well in any case it's awful.

So, now we save and pray that the perfect place comes along while we pack, clean and paint. So sad, since we really like this place. But hey who knows I might get the Dupont job and then we might not have to move! Pray for God's will cause I sure don't know what to do!!

h

posted by Heather @ 4:11 PM 0 comments

meeting new faces

I've just been served yarn spaghetti and a paper salad with lego's for croutons. The service is great here but the food is beyond my imagination :P Nothing like home cooked food though.

So, I had my first staff meeting at my brokers today. It went from a regular sales meeting to a instructional meeting so it was a little more intimidating. Turned out great though. Met one lady from the Kennett Square office and another from the Chadds Ford office - both were delightful. I'm clearly going to have to start a list of the people I've met as there is no way I'm going to remember names! The only way I'm even retaining one lady's name is because it's in a song. "sara, sara.. no time is a good time for goodbyes".

Anyway, I can't really start selling houses till I've completed the "Fast Track" training and I'm scheduled to do that right after the kids start school. Marshall will be going to pre-school 3 days a week so it should work out fine. But I've got a pocket version of my license in my purse and I'm ready to roll! Anyone want to buy a house in PA? Just let me know!!

ciao!
h

posted by Heather @ 3:20 PM 0 comments

licensed to sell, though not sure how

I've received notice that I am now officially licensed to sell real estate in the state of Pennsylvania. I even have my first sales meeting tomorrow morning at my brokers office. I'm scared stiff! I'm not even sure I remember anything from my class. Good thing I still have that huge book, at the very least I can read it again.

Our trip to Maine was great. We, my parents, sister & brother, Dan, the kids and I, all went to Mt. Blue State Park in Weld, Maine. We got in Sunday afternoon and stayed till Friday morning. Beth had to drive by herself from Nyack and didn't arrive till around 9am on Monday. She put on a good face though and we spent our first day hanging out setting up camp while the guys ran to walmart for things we forgot (and things we didn't).

The really cool thing about the trip was that growing up Beth, Tim and I had gone to the same camp on family vacation, so this was like a little family reunion for us - only with fabulous hot showers! I was so thankful for those showers and took one every day. Couldn't do that back in the olden days!

Tuesday we went swimming with the kids in the lake and roasted marshmallows after dinner. It's much more challenging making dinner for 8 in the woods than at home, but for some reason it tastes just as good, must be the open air and the bits of dirt and charcoal.

Wednesday we hung out at camp, Beth got sick from swimming in the lake and was falling over with dizziness - this is the day where I figured out how exactly to sleep in a lawn chair. The kids went fishing and we had a short excursion to Walmart for a canopy to protect the picnic tables from the rain. Beth came with and threw up in the walmart shoe department...Sandal's anyone?

Thursday we ventured out in our van - adding a seat by inserting a wooden salad bowl (thank you Aunt Steph!) and a big pillow. We all fit with the extra "seat" and played video games all the way to Freeport. Visited the L.L. Bean store, ate a snack and then went to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park near by and saw the Osprey and it's young in a huge nest. Also some rare Indian Pipe plants. Then we headed off to the obligatory Lobster dinner at our old haunt The Taste of Maine where Dan and I learned a very important lesson about children and lobster - never again!

Friday we frantically packed up and headed back to Mom & Dad's. Went to Mr. Puttz for some fabulous ice cream - try the Bear Claw Mom got it and it looked totally awesome. I as always got Chocolate Peanut Butter gooey something :P

Saturday and Sunday we spent in a whirlwind of friends and family (Hi Patti! Mike, Allie, Luca, Paige et all) only to have to leave around 2pm Sunday afternoon. I wish we were still vacationing!

ttfn
h

posted by Heather @ 5:24 PM 0 comments

how to relax while on vacation

Falling asleep in a lawn chair is not an easy thing. You've got to kick your feet out way in front of you so that your bum is at the very edge of the chair. Only then will your head be able to rest comfortably on the back of the chair. BUT in order to actually fall asleep you've got to send the children off with their father to go "fishing".

I'll post more later hopefully with some pictures. Needless to say it was a delightful time!

h

posted by Heather @ 11:58 AM 1 comments