My Christmas Vacation - Part 1

Because I've neglected blogging for over a week, I wanted to post a quick entry but pictures will come later. I'm enjoying 2 full weeks off (well, almost - I've had to work a bit here and there but it hasn't been too much) and part 1 of my time off was spent in the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area visiting family. I hadn't been there for the holidays in two years b/c last year my sister-in-law, Missy, was almost 8 months pregnant. Chris, Missy and I enjoyed a very quiet holiday in Austin! And while I missed that this year, it was nice to see family and snow!

Buster went with me and was an amazing traveler. He didn't bark or whine once and he was in his crate for quite awhile. People sitting in my row on the airplane were quite surprised to learn there was a dog under the seat in front of me. He and I were both a bit confused with how to deal with snow - he didn't really know how to 'relieve' himself and I somehow decided I couldn't run in it. So I ended up taking some time off from my half marathon training - oops.

We spent the first few days with my Dad in Burke, where I grew up. I saw my high school friend, Shannon and her daughter (and my god daughter) Ashleigh who is almost 7! I can't believe how time flies. Once Chris, Missy and Lucie arrived we had a family dinner at my Dad's house and then Christmas Eve dinner with our aunt, uncle, cousin, her husband and their three adorable girls.

On Christmas morning, after Lucie 'opened' her presents, we drove to Easton, MD, where my mom lives. I spent the next 4 days there, mostly watching Lucie, eating cookies, drinking wine and spending time with my Mom. Chris and Missy went on a vacation and left Lucie with us, which was so much fun. She's at such a fun age and is, seriously (and I know I'm biased) but the most easy going baby I've ever been around.

And today we flew back to Austin. I was ready to get home and get back to my life and routine here but I was so sad leaving this morning - more so than I normally am. While I see Lucie all the time in Austin, it's never for this extended period of time. It's for 30 minutes before she goes to bed most times. It was great to see how she's developing, what her favorite foods are (bananas and sweet potatoes), her favorite toys are (plastic kitchen spoons) and listen to her 'talk'.

But now I'm prepping for Part 2 - visits from friends. Leslie and Scott arrive tomorrow night and Pam, Adam and Teddy on Thursday (although they're not staying with me). I've been unpacking, doing laundry, hanging last minute pictures and overall trying to make my home feel as much like a home as possible for my first guests.

Tomorrow I'll pick up and assemble my kitchen table and pick up some necessary items. I was so happy to come home today and walk into my new house. It felt fun and exciting all over again!

I promise Part 2 will have pictures! Stay tuned.....

My Secret Weapon

Today was a beautiful winter day in Austin. It was chilly overnight but it quickly warmed up into the 60s with lots of sunshine. I had a productive day despite dealing with a slight head cold. I finished laundry and packed for my trip on Tuesday, bathed Buster and did some practice time in his travel crate, hung a few pictures, baked cookies and explored my neighborhood for the first time.



Kelsey and I took Buster on a walk around our neighborhood. Since I moved in 2 weeks ago it's either rained or it's too dark out to regularly walk Buster. Poor guy, who is used to at least one walk per day, hasn't had one in 2 weeks! So we walked for about 45 minutes and explored and sniffed (well, he sniffed, we didn't) and discovered some great paths and routes to take and ones to avoid. There is one street corner where, and I'm not kidding, there are 7 dogs - either roaming around with their owners or barking behind their fences. While they didn't bother us too much, I'm just as happy to avoid that street corner.



And, finally, I took my obligatory weekend trip to Home Depot. This time I took Buster with me (b/c you can take dogs to a lot of places in Austin - another reason I love this place so much). I walked in, knowing pretty much what I needed. I have two small holes in one of the remaining chain link fences along my side yard. Buster can certainly fit through it and his friend, Murray (Scott and Leslie's dog) is coming to visit next week, so I want to ensure their safety.



Nonetheless I still find Home Depot intimidating. I've long heard that Lowe's caters to women a bit more. They are more friendly and helpful and will actually walk you to an aisle rather than aimlessly point. But Home Depot is closer and more convenience and they allow dogs. What I quickly discovered is that Buster will always go with me to Home Depot. From the minute I walked in, everyone wanted to pet him (I mean he is fluffy and clean after his bath today) - random strangers and their small children and the staff. I had such immediate and thorough help and, thanks to Buster, it was pleasant and will keep me going back there, with him in tow.



So while I didn't get around to closing off the fence holes today. I am prepared to do so as soon as I get back next week and I look forward to many more trips to Home Depot - with my secret weapon, Buster.

Lazy Blogger

I worry that I've peaked. In the blogging world that is.

I was doing so great - uploading pictures, using witty commentary, divulging the daily details of my life.

And then I got tired.

I think this is why I never blogged before (among other reasons I'm guessing). But while I don't think I overly worry about what others think of me, this is different. I don't think people are going to judge me or roll their eyes at my comments but I do want them to feel entertained. And I know I'm not doing that right now.

How exciting can I make my day when it's filled with early wake-up calls with Buster, working all day, running with Kelsey (although those are fun!) and then activities after work. But maybe I've just been too busy lately to blog? This past week I had my usual Monday pilates, our work holiday party (in our "Pit"; the place we eat lunch), book club, the joys of a flat tire, time with my niece (which I love) and a (couple) bday celebration(s) for Devon. All in all, I'm a lucky girl to have so much going on but it's left me little time to work on my house, which is what this blog was intended to be about.

Jess and I did manage to make some (temporary?) decisions about where to hang things. Right now, they're resting on the floor against the wall but tomorrow I hope to hang my first picture. And sweep. I sweep all the time it seems.

So that's my housing update - I sweep and I worry about holes in my walls.

I think January will really be my month to get settled. I did order a kitchen table the other day, though. And can't wait to entertain around it. First, I need to get stools.

So I vow to be a better, more interesting blogger in the new year.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

There are a couple of reasons I dislike the amount of rain we've been having:

1. Cleaning muddy paws (not just Buster's but his friend, Murphy's, who has been staying with us)
2. I don't have gutters. I know not everyone does but ever since my inspection and it was pointed out to me that this house doesn't have gutters and that rain run off can affect the foundation, I'm obsessed with getting them (or talking about when I'll get them)
3. It makes me realize that I'm not cut out to live in the Pacific Northwest
4. I'm training for a half marathon and spending more time on a treadmill than I ever wanted
5. I love my Ugg boots but they are not good wet weather boots. I keep wearing them anyway....

I know it's great for Austin to get so much rain but I wish it could be spread out over the year. I was begging for rain this summer to give us a break from the hot sun and heat but now I'd like the sun please. I guess I'm never satisfied, huh?

No pictures or major house updates this post. I did some more unpacking this weekend and now I'm at the point where I need to buy more things and hang things - both of which I don't quite feel ready to do. Luckily, with the busyness of the holidays and many social events this week, I will continue to avoid these big decisions.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

I'm heading to Northern Virginia and Maryland this Christmas for a week to visit with my family. Despite that, I still really wanted to get a tree. A real tree. Some of my greatest memories from my childhood are driving out to 'the country' (seriously it may have been 10 minutes away) to cut down a tree. They'd have apple cider and Christmas music playing and I have some faint recollection of snow being on the ground. But all of this could have been made up a bit. My memory isn't what it used to be. But the feelings of nostalgia I have around Christmas and the desire to capture those emotions are very real.

But I realize that I've been remiss about the other recent holiday we celebrated - Thanksgiving. I spent it here in Austin - mostly packing and house and dogsitting for my brother - but I'm reminded of all the things I'm grateful for. I've been keeping a gratitude journal for the past few years. Every night before I go to bed I write down 5 things I'm grateful for that day. I try not to repeat things but, inevitably, that happens. I try not to only list tangible items or food but that happens a lot, too. But this year, my list has only grown. Five things I'm grateful for (in no particular order) are:

• My niece, Lucie. She's brought so much joy to my life this year. I had no idea how much I'd love living near her. Hence the reason I bought a house and am settled her for awhile.....



• My dog, Buster. Despite the sadness of losing Max earlier this year Buster has helped me heal and love again.



• My job. During these tough economic times and an unemployment rate of 10%, I'm grateful for a job I love and a promotion this year.



• My friends and family. There are too many to name and fear of leaving people off but you know who you are.



• Chocolate chip cookies. They're a treat for all occasions.

So the coming weeks will be hectic. Buster and I leave for the holidays on December 22. Until then, I'll be busy with trips to Target, Ikea and the grocery store (which I need more than I can express. I found myself, sadly, going to an unnamed fast food restaurant yesterday b/c I still haven't had time to buy groceries). Upon my return to Austin, some of my best friends are coming to Austin- Leslie and Scott and Pam, Adam and Teddy! I can't wait for their visit.

Back to the grind

Despite buying a house, I still I have to work. I don't know why there aren't 'unpacking days' as part of a benefits package? But I'm lucky and grateful that I have such a flexible work environment - one that allowed me to work from my multiple homes last week and not make me feel guilty about it. Keep in mind, I am less than 2 miles from work and fully accessible (blackberry, Internet, etc.) so if anything did come up, I am readily available.

But despite working an odd work schedule last week and enjoying so much time to unpack and get settled this weekend, I was ready to get back to work on Monday. Largely because, as many of you know, I love a schedule. But every night that I've come home from work, I've tackled something else - unpacking more boxes, putting up my Christmas tree, enlisting Jim to help set up my wireless router. Considering I'm still squeezing in at least 4 runs/week to train for the Austin half marathon, my weekly pilates class and time with friends and Buster, I'm pooped. I've been sleeping better in the past few days than I have in months!

So, here's a sneak peak of the latest set up. I would have taken a picture of my fence (b/c I do love it so much!) but we have some massive fog going on in Austin. I can't even see my fence from my deck.

The unpacking has gone smoothly. My back fence and gate were finished yesterday, blinds were installed today and tomorrow I'll decorate my tree and start thinking about where I'll hang pictures. I've never felt so concerned about holes in walls before. Suddenly it's holes in my walls. So I want to be absolutely, positively sure that the place I choose to hang a picture is the place it will be for a long, long time. Wow. Responsibility is exhausting (and rewarding!). Who knew that the things I'd look forward to are when I can install my gutters?

Home Sweet Home

Yesterday was the big day - I moved. Officially. Austin has experienced some wacky weather this week, too. We had snow flurries on Friday and then a hard freeze over night. So I woke up to 25 degree temps and a car covered in ice but that wasn't going to impact me or my excitement.

I've been living out of a suitcase and boxes for weeks and, sadly, just because I'm in my new house doesn't mean that changes. I keep waiting for the moving elves to show up and help unpack and organize my stuff but so far no luck. Kelsey and Devon were a close second to that, though, yesterday.

As you can imagine, it was a hectic morning - movers arriving at the old house, Best Buy stopping by new house to check on my dryer that had an 'error' message (note: not an error message; just a friendly reminder. sigh) and the contractor building my fence also arriving to my new house. All between the hours of 8 and 10:30. How am I supposed to be in two places at once? Thanks to Kelsey, I didn't need to be.

Surprisingly, everything went smoothly and I've only found one casualty from the move. The movers only dropped one box the entire time and despite the fact that it included my Christmas ornaments, only one item broke.

After a quick trip to Target for some essentials, Devon came over to help tackle the unpacking. We made some great headway in the kitchen and family room and got my bed and shower ready for use so that I can truly function here.

In the midst of all the unpacking last night, there was a knock at my door and a neighbor, Bonnie, stopped by to welcome me to the neighborhood. She's our street's rep for the neighborhood association and was super friendly (and also has a dog named Buster!). After she left, I looked to Devon beaming with happiness - so excited for friendly neighbors and feeling part of a community!

I wish I could say that my first night of sleep in my house was magical but it wasn't. Despite Buster doing so well all week adjusting to all the change, he did not do well over night. He was up from 2:30 to 7 (when I finally officially got out of bed), wanting to go in and out and just pacing the house (note: hard wood floors and dogs nails are not easily tuned out). So now as I drink my second cup of coffee (in my new house!!!) and plan my day, he's back in bed, sleeping. Hopefully I can squeeze a nap in later but it's ok if I don't because I have many years to nap in this house.

Glee is the word.....

Today was the first day Buster got to check out his new house. He enjoyed sniffing around the yard, until a neighbor dog jumped a border fence and gave him a 'welcome to the neighborhood' marking. He survived the mini-attack. I think I took it harder. Understandably, my history with stray dogs isn't good. While I love Buster, it doesn't make me miss Max any less or wish that his final days hadn't been due to a stray and poorly managed dog. So when I see stray dogs, I get frustrated on so many levels - for the neglected dogs, for the owner who averted responsibility, for the system that's broken.

But I'm not going to let this ruin my new experience. I'm just going to build higher fences. Done and done.

For approximately 8 hours today I spent time at my new house. My cable and alarm systems were installed and it already feels more like home. Granted the only items at my house are an alarm system, my TV and cable box and some random food and half a bottle of wine in my fridge. Tomorrow night, before babysitting my adorable niece, Lucie, I plan to bring over other unpackable items - plants, pictures, ironing board - the essentials.

It's starting to feel like home. Really. I worried that I'd feel nervous living alone here but that's silly b/c I've lived alone for years. The alarm system helps for sure plus I've started to meet neighbors, get used to the new noises and overall claim my life here.

But boy is it exhausting feeling like an adult. Many times today I wondered where my husband was and why he wasn't helping me with some of this. Thank goodness I have such great friends and family close by - Haley and Jen for bringing me lunch and seeing the house for the first time, Devon and Veronica for being my IM buddies in crisis, Jess and Ken for bringing Buster and me dinner when I realized I was going to be here longer than I planned, Kelsey and Jim for just stopping by b/c they live so close and knew I'd appreciate company, Chris for being so practical and assuring when I called him after Buster's attack. All in all, not a bad way to live.

Closing, Closets and Close Calls

Today was the big day - settlement, closing, whatever you want to call it. I don't like that it has the word 'settle' in it but I'm not a fan of 'closing' b/c it seems like you're closing the door on something when, to me, it feels like an opening, a beginning and the start of something new. So while I thought I was fully prepared for today, I think my emotions got the best of me a time or two.

After signing my name what felt like a million times and trying to kill some time running errands for an hour before I could get the keys, I had a slight fender bender. I was making a Texas U-turn (the turn-arounds that I have only ever seen in Texas) when I literally rolled into the car in front of me. Luckily, there was no damage for either of us but it did shock me a bit (and give me a bit of a sore neck). I had to laugh that this happened right after such a big moment for me but mostly I think it jolted some emotions to the surface. After talking with the very nice women I rear-butted, I sat in my car and cried a bit. Cried for my past, my perceived independence of being a renter, the overwhelming feeling of being an owner and just the pure exhaustion of the past few months; to be honest, the past year.

But I quickly recovered and have moved forward. After a great pilates class with Jess we picked up some Thai food and her husband and my friend, Ken, and headed over to my new house. We sat on the floor and ate, toasted with some bubbly and beer and then built some closets. The closet space in this house is pretty minimal. In fact they were pretty much just nooks. This weekend I went to the Container Store and designed them and purchased the materials and then bartered with Ken to help build them in exchange for food. Lucky for me, he's handy, he cares about me and he likes Thai food!

Despite a bump on the head, a cut on my hand, some spilled champagne (a couple of times) and a lopsided wall, we did it! My first of many home modifications in my future I'm sure.

So these pictures reflect the before and after. Since the two closets are still smaller combined than the current one I have, I'll have to make good use of my space. But it's mine and I can change it, alter it and do whatever I want to it!

Past, Present and Future

Today, thanks to Jess, I made some major headway toward finishing my packing. Moving is always both physically and emotionally exhausting - even Buster agrees. So I was so thankful to have her help.

Although I close tomorrow, I'm not moving into my new house until Saturday. Having this one week of crossover time to live in two places is perfect. It gives me time to take over items on my own, have things delivered and installed and not feel rushed to do it all in one day.

While packing today, though, I was amazed, once again, at how much stuff I have. Largely, I was shocked by the amount of photos, photo albums and pictures I have. Mind you, they're all from prior to 2004 before I owned a digital camera. Remember the days when you had to mail your film in and wait for it to be processed and mailed back? It felt like forever! Tiny Mellie had no idea that in her future she would have instant access to all of her pictures but rarely print them. In the meantime, I have all of these pictures from college and high school. Some of which I never want to look at again or risk others getting ahold of in this digital age of Facebook. But somehow I can't let go of them; of my past.

So even though it's only been 1.5 years since my last move, I will part with little pieces of my past. It only seems natural that every time you move, you let something go. I won't mention specific items so that I don't inadvertendly offend anyone but suffice it to say that it feels good to think about my future and what items I'll continue to hold onto and choose to part with as I grow into my new roots!

Also, speaking of past, present and future, I realize that not all of you may be familiar with 'Mellie'. Upon moving to Austin I met my dear friend, Jess. She quickly coined my nickname Mellie and it's stuck and spread. But mostly in Austin. So to those of you who know me as Melissa, Mel, Meliss, Mellie Alana, Mole, Sil, Little Sil, Silly-o and anything else that may have been coined, I wanted to get you up to speed. I still welcome any nicknames, though, from the past, present or future.

Walk Through - check

Today, I met my agent for my final walk through of the house before closing on Monday. My friend, Kelsey, (who will also be a close neighbor) joined me for both moral support and closet measuring.

I'll admit it - I felt a little overwhelmed for maybe the first time.

This has all happened pretty fast. Most of you know that once I set my mind to something I usually accomplish it. This was no exception. I started toying around with the idea of home ownership the first week of October. Yes, just 7 short weeks ago. And here I am, closing on a home in two days.

While I'm a practical, responsible person, I also tend to follow my instincts and gut. It's not that they don't lead me astray occasionally but I still follow them.....

When I first walked into this home with my agent last month, I just knew. It felt right from the minute we crossed the threshold. It has the charm of an old cottage bungalow but since it's been recently updated (note: 98% redone) I feel good knowing that I have new plumbing, new appliances and pretty much new everything.

But that doesn't mean it's not overwhelming.

It's a powerful feeling to know that you've accomplished something on your own (well, mostly, I can't ignore the fact that I've gotten help from my parents, brother and friends all along). But it's also scary to realize that you're now responsible for this - for better or worse.

As someone who's never been married or had children, I imagine this feeling is similar to those moments of commitments. I applaud those who have made these big commitments. For now, I'm just trying to stay focused on making lists, packing and containing my fears.

Blame it on the alcohol

After a couple of good cocktails with some good friends, I've been convinced to write a blog. I've often thought of blogs as self-serving (sorry, friends) and as an exposed diary. But now that I'm at a turning point in my life, about to purchase my first home, I can see the appeal in wanting to document and share my experience with my loved ones. I'm both lucky and grateful to have the support and love of so many people across the world.

People who want to know what I'm doing, how I'm doing and where I'm doing it. Rather than innundating inboxes with email updates, I invite you to Welcome Home, Mellie!

Monday, November 30th 2009 marks my first home purchase and closing date. The following days are lined up with deliveries, packing, moving and installations. To get everyone started, a sneak peak of my new pad follows and then we'll take it from there.