Thank heavens the dream didn't sign a DNR form.

We're trying to fan the embers back into flame. Damn stubborn people, us. That's a good thing.

My thanks to so many of you for cheering us on. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me.

xoxo
HP

Aw well. It was a nice dream while it lasted.

Last night we went over the contractor estimates line item by line item, eliminating all work that we can do on our own and all that doesn't need to be done right away, organized our thoughts, what work absolutely needs to be done right away, and the order in which to do it.

We saw the realtor briefly today then ran over to the door store to review what we want for steel entry doors, sidelights, transoms, security doors, windows, etc etc etc. Got rough prices and realized we can shave another 5-7 grand off the contractor allowances.

Tomorrow we go back in to take more measurements and look over things even more critically. Wednesday the door/window guy meets us to take his measurements so we can get final quotes.

Thursday we meet with the realtor again to make an offer then hold our breath until we hear back from him. Friday is the meeting with our CPA/financial planner to set up a corporation and move money around.

In the midst of all this I realized my driver's license is about to expire and I forgot to sign the spawn up for drive's education. GAH!

It's a very exciting time for us. Fingers crossed we don't crash and burn.

xoxo
HP

The future daughter-in-law's birthday was yesterday. In deference to her folks, we did birthday stuff for her here tonight. My son gave her a promise ring. It's got a lovely heart-shaped ruby and a scattering of diamond chips. Poohbare asked what the heck a "promise ring" is. I told him it's a promise to buy a more expensive ring some other time. lol

They've been wanting a new tv and since there were good sales last weekend, I took advantage of the bargains and got one for her. The bonus here is that I know if I'd given it to them for some other occasion, my son would claim it as his. This way he won't. I know him so well. heeheehee

The spawn and I made a batch of gum paste to make decorative lil sculptures of dinosaurs for the cake. They turned out extremely badly. I mean horrendous. Hideous! Simply put: they sucked. It was great. We stuck em all over the cake.

Another good day to mark in the books.

xoxo
HP

We should be in position to make an offer to purchase within the next week. OMG OMG OMG I'm so freaking excited!

oops. I think I just wet myself. 'scuse me. *blush*

xoxo
HP

Get busy on them there doilies, PL. Time's a-wastin!

The webinar went well.... considering it's called a "webinar". I hate half-assed trendy compilation words. grumble grumble

We've got even more questions to ask now, which is excellent. Figuring out the right questions to ask has been half the battle.

We close on the home equity line tomorrow and are waiting for callbacks from the realtor and CPA.

Ahhhh the sweet smell of progress.

xoxo
HP

We went to a fact-finding meeting with a banker on Thursday and got a lot of useful info which we will use to take the next step in that process.

Poohbare was off work on Friday (had to work Saturday) so we went to a coin show and bought way too much stuff. He's been in a listing frenzy on eBay ever since and it's been going well.

Today was spent napping and raiding the fridge and napping and raiding the fridge. I give it a +1.

Tuesday we're attending a seminar for launching new business through a small business development center. Once that's done, we'll be assigned a mentor and we'll have a meeting with that person. It's a pretty nifty program. We'll get advice and strategies from professors and business professionals. I have high hopes.

Overall things are going pretty darn well. Hope you can say the same.

xoxo
HP

Yeah...so... yesterday morning the phone rings and it's the furniture store saying the chairs that were on backorder since last month would not be getting delivered on Thursday and wouldn't be in til late March. dammit. (This is background info for the next paragraph.)

This morning after the spawn was out the door for school I decided to catch a little more sleep. I finally settle into super-sound slumber and was dead to the world when the phone rang. The caller has a real heavy Jersey accent -- just like the furniture guy. He's calling to say he got my email (huh?) and would be getting the "some-kind-of-coin" out of the mail today. Huh? While he's talking about "some-kind-of-coin" my brain is thinking furniture delivery and simply cannot process what sort of furniture "some-kind-of-coin" is.

Thank goodness he is good-humored and patient. We got it sorted and it would not surprise me if he tucks a furniture sales flyer in the envelope when he sends the coin we're buying off him.

While on the phone, he offered to introduce us to "some guys" he knows in Jersey that could help with the loan. I told him I like using my kneecaps. He laughs and said they might take the Spawn if we don't pay. That just cracked me up. In the spirit of full disclosure, I told him that may be do-able, but I guarantee they'd send her back and tell us to keep the cash. LOL

Well.... crap. Option B didn't work, but we did get an offer of entering into a business partnership. We don't want to share. lol

So.... tomorrow we finish writing up the business plan and gathering our documents and apply for a small business loan on Monday or Tuesday and see what happens. We're also getting things set in motion for other financing options.

I'm not worried about obtaining the cash; I'm worried getting the cash quickly enough so that the building isn't bought by someone else.

We're keeping a positive perspective. If this location doesn't come through, it will be for a good reason and we'll find something else even more perfect. Of this I have no doubt.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I've been working on an oil painting. While Poohbare and Spawn keep saying it looks good, they are just being kind. It's currently just colorful blobs that I'm hoping evolve into identifiable flowers. Ain't gonna happen, but I'm having fun, breathing turpentine fumes, and it keeps me busy.

Financing Option "A" is a no-go. Options "B" through "D" are now in play. Option "E" is our safety net and will hopefully be unnecessary. I'm simply grateful there are options and we're not in an all-or-nothing situation.

I'm just itching to start scraping decades of paint off those old walls and clearing weeds from the yard.

I'm not a very patient person and all this hurry-up-and-wait is getting on my nerves.

Thank you for your kind words of support. They make the waiting much easier to tolerate.

xoxo