I'm writing this on a laptop at Keith's father's house. We have been bouncing around a lot lately and my access to the internet has been spotty at best. It's amazing what one can adapt to, though I must say, this whole situation has put incredible strain on both Keith and I. It's just to be expected, but it still is exhausting. I have managed to get coffee most mornings.
Day before yesterday we drove down to Kentucky to pick out houses. Both the houses that we'd liked so much turned out to be smaller and older than we'd imagined. The one with the pole barn would have been workable, but it was still quite old and the bedrooms were prohibitively small. A double bed in the master would have been pushing it.
Fortunately, the realtor had another house to show us and we picked that one right away. It's brand new and even comes with a warranty (who knew houses could have those?). We will have to build a pole barn, because it doesn't have a garage, and put in a fence and a wood stove, which is a lot of big expenses and frankly, I'm not sure how we'll swing it.
But the house is perfect. Right in our price range and possibiliy even more importantly, we could easily rent it or sell it should we need to. It's twenty minutes from post on a nice road, all the houses around it are gorgeous, which increases the land value and of course, it is brand spankin' new.
After we saw it, we went to have lunch and to frantically call the various banks we've been working with. None of the loan officers were in and we were getting panicked, being under the impression that we would need the money lined up before we made an offer on the house. And we really wanted to make an offer.
When we got back to the realtor's office, she assured us that wasn't necessary, so we signed the paperwork and put in a good offer. Four hours later it was accepted and we had a loan in place, at a rate of 4.8%, which is pretty darn good. It was a marvelous, glorious day.
And then we learned from the bank that the loan wouldn't be processed for forty five days.
It took a while for that to sink in at first, but when it did, horror enveloped me. That puts us at not moving in until December 31st.
Yes. We would spend not only Thanksgiving but Christmas as vagabonds. I wouldn't be able to decorate the house for Christmas. We would be living houseless for six more weeks.
I'm dying as it is, people. It's not that Keith's family aren't warm and hospitable, they are. And I have enjoyed visiting with them.
It's just that I'm a woman who is quiet and describing me as anti social might not be over the top. I could easily stay in my house for a week at a time. Grocery shopping and a trip to the library is a thrill ride for me.
And here I am, bouncing around from one household to another, sometimes without warning the households before hand. I'm sleeping on couches, on airbeds, on spare beds and cots. Not that it matters, it's just that I can't retreat. I can't get away somewhere and de stress.
Well, I could at Keith's brother's place, that was comfortable. But now we are out and about more and will continue to be so....for six more weeks.
I don't think my sanity will stand up to it, I really don't. And Keith has to report for duty on December 10th. What will we do for the rest of that month? Drive two hours to work? Get an extended stay hotel? Stay at a completely empty house that Keith's buddy is trying to get rented, with nothing but our suitcases, dogs and the air mattress?
Oh yes, the dogs. They have been riding along with us the entire time. Poor things. I'm developing strange quirks and so are they.
We are really, really hoping that it won't really take that long; that it will just take two weeks or at the most a month. Most people seem to think so. And on Monday, we will call and find out if that is plausible or not.
I'm trying not to freak out, but as you can see, I'm not too successful at it. Sometimes all a person can do is just hold on for dear life.
