House

So I think we're going to make an offer on this 3 bedroom/2 bath when Neal gets home next week. Here are some pics....







Here is the deal: This is a brand new little loop/small subdivision in Abita Springs. There are only 3 homes built in the loop so far. Two more lots are under contract. If the house above is still available next week, I think we're going to make an offer. If it's not available, we are going to build one that is similar. The homes are all New Orleans-style cookie cutter houses, but they're super cute. If we build our own, we have to pick out all the colors, etc which I don't really want to do. I would rather just buy the one that is already built b/c I'm perfectly OK with the one that is available.

So the homes are on lots that are going to be pretty close together, and I know that we could get a little more land or a bigger lot size or whatever if we looked in other areas like Folsom or Covington or Mandeville. But I've looked at houses in our price range in those areas and they are all BLAH. I seriously haven't seen one other house that I was interested in. And I just really like Abita. It's sort of this hippy dippy, laid back, unique little town. Their public schools have small class sizes and are better than the ones in Covington and Mandeville. The town is small, located on the Tammany Trace (the bike/walking path) and is only about 7 miles away from where we live now. There are all these cute little events and fairs and concerts in the town pavilion area and I just love it. LOVE IT.

I am going to miss our rent house and the 1/2 acre of land that we're on, but I will NOT miss the enormous electric bills that we have to pay all summer b/c the house is so old and full of cracks and windows. I will not miss having to walk outside to get to my laundry room. I will not miss the fact that every time our power goes out we can't flush the toilet because our water comes from an electricity-operated water well. And I will not miss the gecko that I found in my bedroom last night and which I'm pretty sure is still hiding somewhere in my closet.

Side note about the gecko situation; here's my convo on the phone last night with Neal:
N: How was your day?
C: It was fine, but there's a gecko in the bedroom and I don't know where he went.
N: He probably went back outside, don't worry about it.
C: No, I know he's still in here. He's hiding, just waiting for me to go to sleep.
N: Oh yeah? Then what's he going to do to you? Are you worried he's going to try to sell you some insurance?

The thought of having a brand new house is sooooo exciting. I have actually never ever lived in a brand new home so it may come as a shock to live in a house where everything actually works?! So I guess we'll see how this all plays out next week!

First-Time Homebuyers!

I met with a mortgage banker yesterday, and we were pre-approved to buy a home! It's real now, can you believe it? Holla!

Just a side note - I want to buy and wear a pair of clogs.....is that bad?

It's Not A Tumor

Just talked to the doc's office and my test results came back clean and normal! Yay! So I guess I just need to stay hydrated, not overdo it, and stay away from walmart.

Two More Tests

I met with the neuro this morning. He says that it sounds like the fainting/seizure episode was caused by dehydration and low blood sugar, but before they can say that and clear me so that I can drive again, I need two more tests. I have an EEG tomorrow and an MRI Tuesday. If those come back clean, I should be cleared. I'll let ya'll know how it goes......

So I Guess I've Been Better....

I went to WalMart right after work Friday to do my "big" grocery shopping trip. Last thing I remember, I was in the meat section looking for sausages that I needed so that I could make red beans. I was having some serious problems focusing though, like my eyes would not focus on one place. I was hot and shaky and I looked across the isle at a shelf full of Gatorade and thought, "I need to walk over there and drink one of those." Next thing I know, I'm waking up on the floor surrounded by EMT's. No joke. I passed out cold at WalMart.

The people who were there told the EMTs that I had been shaking, so they think I had a seizure. All I know is that I woke up and was completely disoriented and had no idea where I was or what was going on. Some WalMart employee picked up my phone and was making phone calls to my parents, but they couldn't get in touch with Neal. I was coherent enough to tell them to call Marilyn b/c Mr. Steve had the rig number and could get in touch with Neal while he was working. So the EMTs took me to the hospital where my step-mom was waiting when we got there. My Dad and mom showed up right after.

I had a CT scan at the hospital that came back clean. The ER doc released me that night and referred me to a neurologist who I am going to see Wednesday morning. Neal came in Friday night right after they called him and he just went back to work yesterday. His Mom came in town yesterday and is staying with me until tomorrow. He gets home (for the week) tomorrow night.

I am technically not supposed to drive until I am cleared by the neurologist, so I am resting at home. I am going a little stir crazy, but I'm just so freaking tired all the time that I sleep a lot.

My blood sugar was suuuuuper low when the EMTs tested it and I was really dehydrated, so they think that this episode was a result of that and not so much a neuro thing. I had worked out that morning and didn't eat much that day b/c my stomach was very upset, so I do think I was really, really dehydrated. Let's hope that's all it was.

I can't even begin to tell you what it's like to wake up, on the floor of a WalMart, completely unaware of anything that is going on. The entire night is still hazy. I felt like I was on drugs all night, but I hadn't taken anything.

So that was my weekend. I'll post an update after I talk to the neurologist Wednesday.

Decisions Decisions

You know, I've been wanting to update this blog for a while now, but I write/type all day long at work, so when I get home I have a major aversion to writing. If da' Parish would make google blogger accessible at work again I would be updating all the time. (Which is probably why it's not accessible anymore. The nerds in the I.T. department at work watch all employees like hawks. Every now and then I'll go to WebMD to look up some completely obscure illness or symptom and will hope that I'm freaking them out.)

--Seattle was good. My boss was a bit clingy; I had to eat lunch and dinner with him everyday we were there. I finally got away the day before we left and was able to do a little shopping by myself. Our hotel (Red Lion) was in the middle of the prime shopping area of downtown Seattle so I highly recommend it if you plan on visiting there anytime soon. Our flight was super delayed coming back due to bad weather and I was soooo ready to get back home, so when I landed in NOLA I swear I could have easily laid on the floor of the airport and kissed it. But then again, I think I feel like that almost every time I land there.

--My sister is moving to Houston this weekend and I am so bummed that I can't even acknowledge that it's about to happen. And then my brother and his family will be moving to San Antonio next spring. (Yes - City of Austin,Texas - I know that you are centrally located between the two cities. You're still in the back of my mind. Especially after I've been drinking.)

--But not really because we have agreed on a neighborhood in Abita Springs where we want to buy. Baby steps, people. Due to Neal's work schedule, we only have two weeks every month when we can do important married people things (like meet with mortgage bankers and Realtors) so we move slower than most. But the thing is, we make big decisions relatively quickly and easily. We found a subdivision we like, and that will be the one that we move into. It's the only one we looked at, but we know what we like when we see it. Now ask us what we want to order off of a menu at a restaurant and we will both go back and forth and change our minds, question our decision, etc.

--We had a good July 4th weekend. Hit up a few local bars, watched fireworks on the lake, bbq'd, went to Tartine's Grand Opening...good stuff. We also made it to Thibodaux to meet with his adviser. He is registered for 9 hours in the fall and I couldn't be prouder. We are going to Biloxi next weekend with his parents and I am so looking forward to getting some SUN. It will be 'safe' sun with SPF 45, but it will still be sun.

--Bethenny Frankel's show. I love it and her. Maybe a little too much.

Lastly (and please excuse the snarkiness),

--So I have a friend who got married to a very sweet, cute girl a few weeks ago. I really like her a lot and he seems soooo happy, so I am so happy for them. She is pregnant and is probably about 5 or so months along. They were keeping it under wraps for a while, but I think that a lot of people probably know and did know at the wedding. As far as I know, they have not made a formal announcement about the baby. Recently, she has started posting little comments on his facebook page that are, I'm sure, in reference to the baby. This drives me insane. Please do not drop little hints on facebook and wait for someone to ask you about it. If you want people to know that you are pregnant, just freaking say so!

Oh Lawd

Saturday before last I was laying in bed watching Valentine's Day (terrible) at about 10pm-ish when I hear a noise on the front deck and then that "power down" noise you hear when your power goes out. All the lights in half of the house shut down while others stayed on (but are very dim). Talk about freaky. Neal was gone, my landlords were out of town, and my Dad and step-mom were in South Carolina. I couldn't see ANYTHING outside because it was so dark and I was terrified b/c the power was not out everywhere, it was just half-out at my house. I flipped all the breakers, nothing happened, so I panicked and called my brother. He told me to get in the car and come stay at his place, but I didn't want to walk outside by myself. He told me to call the cops and ask them to come and check stuff out. I didn't know what else to do, so I called 'em.

About 10 minutes later a cop car pulls up and out gets a female cop who is both younger and shorter than me. She wasn't scared to walk around outside in the dark though, so she did and said she didn't see anything or anyone. She said it looked like a power company issue, so after she left I called Cleco. They showed up about 20 minutes later and spent about an hour fixing it. It had stormed earlier that day and according to one of the Cleco guys, "Them lines were all messed up in them woods up thar." After they left I finished up watching the crap-fest that was Valentine's Day and eventually went to sleep. (Honestly, that move is an awful, wanna' be Love Actually.)

And no, I'm not pregnant yet. For a few days I thought I could be though because I was about 6 days late. And I'm never late. I even made a doctor's appointment so that I could get checked out, but I decided to keep the appointment even though I wasn't preggo and get my yearly check-up etc. I'm glad I went because I totally love my new doctor. She is young and cool and sat down and talked to me, and I am so happy that I don't have to doctor shop for someone now.

I am taking the day off of work next Thursday to go to Thibodaux with Neal to meet with his adviser at Nicholls. We both generally prefer that I handle the administrative logistics of our lives (bills, paperwork, schedules, etc) so I don't mind going. This means I get to plan, make schedules, and possibly label binders and folders. It all makes me a little giddy.

I want to now take this time to give a shout-out to Sarah who was on her best behavior as bride-to-be/center of gift opening attention at her shower. And she did it all while looking fabulous and wearing pants. Also, she and John make quite an expert registering team...they have registered for some fantastic home goods. Coolest knife block ever.

I'm supposed to be going to Seattle for a work conference week after next, but I so don't want to go. I feel like I should be excited about going somewhere new, but the trip is with my boss and I just don't want to spend 5 days there with the boss while having to schmooze, etc. I think I would be more into it if he weren't going. I mean, I really do like working for him, but I don't want to spend 5 days out of town with him. Plus he's kind of clingy and likes to talk a lot...I'm trying to maneuver my way out of this one...we'll see. And I wouldn't get back until late Saturday night, which would make me very late for Kristenpalooza. And we can't have that now, can we?

A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to get my haircut and I didn't know where to go so I just made an appointment at this salon that is right next to my gym. I walked into a room full of very loud women talking and laughing with the "yattiest" accents I'd ever heard. I think I was the only woman in that room who was not from Chalmette. Oh lawd, it was love/hate on my part. I find it annoying and yet so entertaining at the same time. I don't think I can go back there again though..it was just. too. much.

And I have one observation from today: when there is a mini-cooper with two kayaks on top of it in a parking lot outside of a coffee shop, it is not difficult to walk into the shop and pick out exactly who they belong to.