Okay so a little background so you're not completely lost...
I have a 10 year old son (he'll be 11 in November) and for the last six years his father has had him up in Colorado. I live in New Mexico and have spent much of the last six years arguing and fighting with his father just to get my court ordered rights to call our son and have visitation. We were never married.
My ex is a big bully and likes to push me around and make me cry. Until four years ago I let him push me so far as I actually stopped calling because I could not handle the anxiety I would get when I'd go to talk to our son because of the remarks and comments the ex would make before putting our son on the line. I couldn't even get him to agree to any dates for visitation. As he put it, he didn't have any days to "sacrifice" to me going up to Colorado and meeting them someplace. I let it all slide because I had no knowledge of the law and I believed the ex's threats.
Four years ago I met my now fiancee and when he learned my story he encouraged me to grow a spine and helped me stand up to the bully ex and even intimidated him into picking a date for visitation and stick to it. Still with all of the intimidation and crying (on ex's part for once) I have seen our son a total of three times. And that's not because I've backed off, but because the ex likes to make it difficult for me to visit. Because he insists on being there for each and every visit despite the fact the current parenting plan states that after the second visitation I can have unsupervised visitation. We had to fight to get that third visitation to be unsupervised. So on that, I asked if I could have our son to take him to Sea World--a request that last summer the ex agreed to, of course that was right before our son broke his elbow playing on the trampoline--but of course this year the answer is not just no but basically a hell no, ex doesn't want me to even take our son out of Colorado. But I can have our son for a week.
For me to stay in Colorado for a week would cost more than I pay in child support for an entire year. And there is absolutely no reason for him to demand that I stay in state. However as our current parenting plan stands, he can decide whatever and I have to abide by it. So we (that is my fiancee and I) decided it was high time to update the parenting plan and make some fair changes to it. And just so you know, the current parent plan is totally in his favor. It states that I get to call our son once a week at a chosen time. I get the child tax credit once every five years. Like I said it was very his sided.
Near the end of May (the 27th to be exact) I sent a purposed parenting plan to update our seriously outdated parenting plan that wasn't a permanent one to begin with. All I asked for was summers at my house in New Mexico and every other year in taxes and holidays. I also asked that the ex pay half of the expenses on travel for me to get and bring our son back to Colorado.
He refused to accept the purposed parenting plan. Even when he KNEW it meant we'd go to court to have it settled. He rather spend the money I send to him a month in child support on court and attorney costs because he is still bitter about something that happened over 11 years ago.
What is seriously sad is the fact that my fiancee and I KNEW he was going to do this! So we have back-up plans. And yes, we are going to file the purposed parenting plan that was drawn up, but with some major changes that benefit me. If he wants to go to court that is more than fine with us. We've got quite a bit saved up for this exact thing. Why? Cause like I said, we knew the ex wouldn't agree to anything that didn't benefit him more than me.
So now we know what we are going to be doing this summer. And you know what? I AM ECSTATIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry I don't update this poor thing more often. I try. :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sleep is elusive.
I have not been sleeping well at all as of late. Last couple of nights it has been because I got a rug burn on the top of my left foot from the first joint of my big toe down to above the ball of my foot and it smarts something fierce, especially at night (and I'll leave how I got that rug burn up to your imagination - I do have a small rug burn on the last joint of my right big toe as well if that helps). I cannot think of anything else going on that would be keeping me awake at night. Yes the end of term is nigh but I have only two classes and they are both fairly easy.
Thank goodness for Tylenol PM. Kills the pain (mostly) and puts me to sleep. I just wish the pain releaver part wouldn't wear off after six or eight hours. I do so hate that.
I have my one month check up this Friday. I have lost 30lbs (I haven't weighted myself in a while so I am guesstimating here--I'll supply real numbers at a later date). And I am sure the only thing the doc is going to be concerned about is the fact I keep forgetting to eat. I swear this surgery wipes out the memory part of one's brain! I hate that. I also decided that my mini stomach just isn't ready for heavy meats like steak. Eating should make you feel good inside in the 'this meal was incredible and tasted heavenly' type way (not the 'I am sad let food comfort me' way). Not sit so heavy in your stomach that you feel like puking just to get rid of that feeling, which steak has been doing to me lately. It does bum me out that for awhile there will be foods I just won't be able to eat. Like Albertson's french bread. I adore their french bread (and let's face it bread itself) and even more so when it is fresh from the oven. I am strangely missing well made grilled cheese too. Perhaps that is the lack of bread in the diet talking. But I tell you, the sandwich I miss the most right now is peanut butter and pickle.
That's right I said pickle. You weirdos who eat peanut butter and jelly are the strange ones. Found out my youngest Travis likes peanut butter and cheese sandwiches. Can't knock it as I have never tried it. I do love cheeses as well.
PM meds kicking in now, so it's off with the light and deep uninterupted sleep for me--hopefully.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I wish the days would fly by.
I know it is strange to want days to fly, specially since there is still much to be done before October. But I would very much like to be fully recovered from my surgery. The incision has healed beautifully, only three small scabs that I have nicknamed Orion's Belt, are left. I keep having horrible muscle pain all around the incision area that felt like I had been doing sit ups all day long. At first I thought that I was having cramps, because I began my period but now that it has finished I called the nurse and asked her about it. She thinks that perhaps I am over doing it and I should rest more. Problem with that is that my muscles hurt the most after sitting at a table at school and there isn't much I can do about it. I find it strange that just sitting there is taxing me. Outside the fact that it seems no matter the chair height my incision area rubs against the side of the table.
Other than that I am doing well, I managed to scare Steve to death today by simply taking one of my Tramadol (pain medication) because I was suffering and it knocked my little empty stomach ass out. So I did not hear the house phone ring or my cell phone go off with calls and texts (of course I turn all sound but alarms off at night and had not turned it back on) and it is not like me to not answer even when I am upset. Steve had many things going through his mind and didn't do well in either of his classes and then rushed home to find me laying strangely on our bed and not responding to him, his touch or when he rolled me over. It wasn't until he was rolling me onto my right side that I sort of woke up. It would be a few more scary moments before I could answer Steve and answer his questions. He was about to call 911 because he had no idea what was going on. I feel a little bad about that but it wasn't something I could actually control.
I do have an appointment with my doc who did the surgery on the 15th of this month so I can ask him questions. Steve didn't have school or anything else for that matter after he had his surgery so he didn't go through a lot of muscle pain. Lucky bastard.
Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless
Other than that I am doing well, I managed to scare Steve to death today by simply taking one of my Tramadol (pain medication) because I was suffering and it knocked my little empty stomach ass out. So I did not hear the house phone ring or my cell phone go off with calls and texts (of course I turn all sound but alarms off at night and had not turned it back on) and it is not like me to not answer even when I am upset. Steve had many things going through his mind and didn't do well in either of his classes and then rushed home to find me laying strangely on our bed and not responding to him, his touch or when he rolled me over. It wasn't until he was rolling me onto my right side that I sort of woke up. It would be a few more scary moments before I could answer Steve and answer his questions. He was about to call 911 because he had no idea what was going on. I feel a little bad about that but it wasn't something I could actually control.
I do have an appointment with my doc who did the surgery on the 15th of this month so I can ask him questions. Steve didn't have school or anything else for that matter after he had his surgery so he didn't go through a lot of muscle pain. Lucky bastard.
Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
15 days later......
On March 14 2011 at 7:30 am I was wheeled into the operation room in Lubbock TX and had my first (and hopefully the last) surgery. A Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and I have lost 30lbs since.
And in case you are wondering, I didn't have a panic attack when I got to the hospital nor when I was shown to that room they put you in as they prep you for surgery. I did however cry. Just a little...until they put the IV in and then oh holy hell did I cry because it hurt so bad. I cried so bad that Steve was getting teary-eyed because of it. I don't mind admitting I bawled like a baby--seeing that this was my first surgery and I was scared to death. Steve having already got through this exact surgery told me what to expect when they wheel me back...I had to scootch over to the operation table and they tied my arms and then they were suppose to put a mask on my face and tell me to count back from ten....problem is the last thing I remember is the lady putting the heart monitor stickies on me warning they would be cold, just like the operating room. That's it. Next thing I remember is waking up but not wanting to open my eyes. The nurse turned on a bright light and then I was getting wheeled to my room, still didn't open my eyes until I heard Steve's voice. He had flowers and a card for me as well as my stuffie leopard that I have to sleep with or I seriously can't sleep. He stayed with me until I was released from the hospital the next day (with the exception of the times he had to check on Scott, get something to eat or needed a small break) and was completely supportive and understanding of everything I was going through. I am so very glad I have Steve, not just because he's a wealth of information (both on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and other things) but because I really don't think I could have gotten through this without his love and support.
I have survived what many who have had bariatric surgery call "hell week". That first week after surgery that during it you sit and wonder why the hell you did this to your own body. The first couple of days I personally was thinking 'when is this going to end' than anything else. I didn't really question why I did it, just when am I going to feel better and start feeling human once again. Since Thursday (March 17) when I was able to remove the pain ball and take a shower for the first time I have started to feel a bit more human than I had since Monday (March 14). Friday (March 18) I felt even more human by getting out of the hotel room in more than my pjs and robe to walk around and even venture to Wal-Mart (which is next door to the hotel) and then later go for a car ride. Saturday (March 19) I was up in the morning and quite agreeable to a trip to Dallas, TX (oh holy god of everything I will tell you about this trip in a few I promise!) to see the Sixth Floor Museum and Delaney Plaza (JFK assassination for those who don't know) then come back to Lubbock TX on Sunday afternoon. Tuesday (March 22) was my one week appointment with the doctor and I was released to go home. I went to Steve's appointment on Friday (he had this surgery back in December of 09 and this was one of his follow up appointments) and the doctor was quite pleased with my progress and healing.
Now about that Dallas, TX trip.....
As many know I love history and museums, so when the opportunity to go to a museum arises I am more than willing to go with it. And really Dallas isn't too terribly far from Lubbock....just you know 5 hours at the most. Well I had no problems with the drive to Dallas. Once we got into the Dallas area however, a whole new story emerged. Right off the bat a semi-truck decided it would be a great time to go around the person going slow in front of them, unfortunately they decided to merge into the lane we were already occupying just as we decided to pass the semi. Steve had to slam on the brakes so that we didn't end up part of the semi. Normally that isn't a big deal. But add the fact that I have an healing incision on my abdomen that even laughing a little hurts a whole heck of a lot and you have a small recipe for making me cry. Then when trying to get to the next exit so that we can get into the truck for my pain meds we get pulled over for speeding. Thankfully after showing the cop my incision he let us go with no warning or ticket, which was nice.
But seriously the drivers in Dallas TX are freaky scary. They tailgate you like you're the new guy in jail. They cut you off like they're more important than you are. And then they hand out parking tickets like they're fliers. Seemed like every time we parked we'd come back to a parking ticket. All because our handicap placard sits on the dash instead of being hung up on the mirror. The first one we got said that it was expired--when Steve went in to the courthouse to get them straightened out the cop had put that the placard expired 09-20-11. Not quite sure how that qualifies it to be expired, but okay. All of them were dismissed--the other one we got stated that it wasn't properly displayed. NM placards can be displayed on the dash or on the mirror, which it states right on the placard itself but apparently this isn't so for Texas placards.
The museum was brilliant however, even if it could have been done differently. There were WAY too many people in that place. Thankfully I wasn't elbowed or anything of that nature, they gave us audio tours things and we all got one of those pressed pennies that for some strange reason I have to get one whenever I see the machines. The museum had a lot of great information and the corner where Lee Harvey Oswald apparently shot JFK was glassed off with a reconstruction of how all the boxes were arranged. Sadly no pictures were allowed to be taken in the museum; that however did not stop me from taking a picture from the window next to the window from which Oswald shot from down to where JFK was shot. I also took pictures outside on the Grassy Knoll and from the spot marked on the road up to the window. Which you can see on my Facebook page. If you know my Facebook page that is.
By Tuesday March 22 I was so ready to go home. Now that I am home, the cats haven't left me alone for very long. Memnoch is always close by, Bast gets quite upset if I haven't made room for her on my bed and Trouble demands his hourly head butts. I am hoping (somewhat as I like the kitty attention) that things will go back to normal soon. Now that I am out of the binder I feel more human....although I keep thinking I'm a freak with the little I eat and the fact that I can only eat certain things or I get the acid reflux feeling, but without the acid. This feeling is so not fun and I do avoid it.
I have experimented with certain foods to see if I can tolerate them or not. I however stick to the diet so I don't do any damage to my stomach more often than not. But it's nice to try to pretend that I'm a normal person though. I can't wait until I am where Steve is now. I just got to get through the rough and tough first couple months. Steve's promised to take me to see Disney's 'African Cats' on Earth Day next month if I survive. LOL
More updates if I remember.
And in case you are wondering, I didn't have a panic attack when I got to the hospital nor when I was shown to that room they put you in as they prep you for surgery. I did however cry. Just a little...until they put the IV in and then oh holy hell did I cry because it hurt so bad. I cried so bad that Steve was getting teary-eyed because of it. I don't mind admitting I bawled like a baby--seeing that this was my first surgery and I was scared to death. Steve having already got through this exact surgery told me what to expect when they wheel me back...I had to scootch over to the operation table and they tied my arms and then they were suppose to put a mask on my face and tell me to count back from ten....problem is the last thing I remember is the lady putting the heart monitor stickies on me warning they would be cold, just like the operating room. That's it. Next thing I remember is waking up but not wanting to open my eyes. The nurse turned on a bright light and then I was getting wheeled to my room, still didn't open my eyes until I heard Steve's voice. He had flowers and a card for me as well as my stuffie leopard that I have to sleep with or I seriously can't sleep. He stayed with me until I was released from the hospital the next day (with the exception of the times he had to check on Scott, get something to eat or needed a small break) and was completely supportive and understanding of everything I was going through. I am so very glad I have Steve, not just because he's a wealth of information (both on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and other things) but because I really don't think I could have gotten through this without his love and support.
I have survived what many who have had bariatric surgery call "hell week". That first week after surgery that during it you sit and wonder why the hell you did this to your own body. The first couple of days I personally was thinking 'when is this going to end' than anything else. I didn't really question why I did it, just when am I going to feel better and start feeling human once again. Since Thursday (March 17) when I was able to remove the pain ball and take a shower for the first time I have started to feel a bit more human than I had since Monday (March 14). Friday (March 18) I felt even more human by getting out of the hotel room in more than my pjs and robe to walk around and even venture to Wal-Mart (which is next door to the hotel) and then later go for a car ride. Saturday (March 19) I was up in the morning and quite agreeable to a trip to Dallas, TX (oh holy god of everything I will tell you about this trip in a few I promise!) to see the Sixth Floor Museum and Delaney Plaza (JFK assassination for those who don't know) then come back to Lubbock TX on Sunday afternoon. Tuesday (March 22) was my one week appointment with the doctor and I was released to go home. I went to Steve's appointment on Friday (he had this surgery back in December of 09 and this was one of his follow up appointments) and the doctor was quite pleased with my progress and healing.
Now about that Dallas, TX trip.....
As many know I love history and museums, so when the opportunity to go to a museum arises I am more than willing to go with it. And really Dallas isn't too terribly far from Lubbock....just you know 5 hours at the most. Well I had no problems with the drive to Dallas. Once we got into the Dallas area however, a whole new story emerged. Right off the bat a semi-truck decided it would be a great time to go around the person going slow in front of them, unfortunately they decided to merge into the lane we were already occupying just as we decided to pass the semi. Steve had to slam on the brakes so that we didn't end up part of the semi. Normally that isn't a big deal. But add the fact that I have an healing incision on my abdomen that even laughing a little hurts a whole heck of a lot and you have a small recipe for making me cry. Then when trying to get to the next exit so that we can get into the truck for my pain meds we get pulled over for speeding. Thankfully after showing the cop my incision he let us go with no warning or ticket, which was nice.
But seriously the drivers in Dallas TX are freaky scary. They tailgate you like you're the new guy in jail. They cut you off like they're more important than you are. And then they hand out parking tickets like they're fliers. Seemed like every time we parked we'd come back to a parking ticket. All because our handicap placard sits on the dash instead of being hung up on the mirror. The first one we got said that it was expired--when Steve went in to the courthouse to get them straightened out the cop had put that the placard expired 09-20-11. Not quite sure how that qualifies it to be expired, but okay. All of them were dismissed--the other one we got stated that it wasn't properly displayed. NM placards can be displayed on the dash or on the mirror, which it states right on the placard itself but apparently this isn't so for Texas placards.
The museum was brilliant however, even if it could have been done differently. There were WAY too many people in that place. Thankfully I wasn't elbowed or anything of that nature, they gave us audio tours things and we all got one of those pressed pennies that for some strange reason I have to get one whenever I see the machines. The museum had a lot of great information and the corner where Lee Harvey Oswald apparently shot JFK was glassed off with a reconstruction of how all the boxes were arranged. Sadly no pictures were allowed to be taken in the museum; that however did not stop me from taking a picture from the window next to the window from which Oswald shot from down to where JFK was shot. I also took pictures outside on the Grassy Knoll and from the spot marked on the road up to the window. Which you can see on my Facebook page. If you know my Facebook page that is.
By Tuesday March 22 I was so ready to go home. Now that I am home, the cats haven't left me alone for very long. Memnoch is always close by, Bast gets quite upset if I haven't made room for her on my bed and Trouble demands his hourly head butts. I am hoping (somewhat as I like the kitty attention) that things will go back to normal soon. Now that I am out of the binder I feel more human....although I keep thinking I'm a freak with the little I eat and the fact that I can only eat certain things or I get the acid reflux feeling, but without the acid. This feeling is so not fun and I do avoid it.
I have experimented with certain foods to see if I can tolerate them or not. I however stick to the diet so I don't do any damage to my stomach more often than not. But it's nice to try to pretend that I'm a normal person though. I can't wait until I am where Steve is now. I just got to get through the rough and tough first couple months. Steve's promised to take me to see Disney's 'African Cats' on Earth Day next month if I survive. LOL
More updates if I remember.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
It's been awhile...
Yes, I have neglected this blog. I don't do so on purpose, I just....forget. So let's not dwell on it.
Now that I have a Droid X I can post more often if I feel up to it straight from my phone. Okay so I've had the phone for a couple of months now, just didn't think about Blogger is all. Life happens.
Speaking on life, I am having my first (and last) surgery this Monday. I have realized I tend to have panic attacks when thinking on this subject and I am usually pretty good with the panic and anxiety. I'm not worried about the surgery, I've got the best Doctor this side of the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River. Everything else however scares the living crap out of me.
Needles in the hands of uncaring, unfeeling women with funny accents? CHECK!
Waking up and freaking out because I have absolutely no clue where I am? CHECK!
Forgetting I'm going to have limitations? CHECK! CHECK!
Relying on others when I am used to being more or less independent? Errr....
And I'm not a big fan of pain and discomfort which I am assured is all part of the process. Despite everyone telling me not to worry, I tend to do just the opposite. Not because I'm a rebel and do stuff like that but those sweet, nice, caring words everyone has for someone having any kind of procedure done just doesn't seem to work on me. No matter how hard I try to calm down, apparently my mind has other ideas.
Haven't been able to sleep for the last few days because I will suddenly awake around 3, 4 am knowing I was having some sort of bad dream but not quite grasping the details of it and just laying there wishing my mind would just shut off. Then the mind wandering to morning of surgery and thinking how things (based upon prior experience being on the other side of this aka NOT the patient) should go and then having a panic attack when I think about them taking me back. Probably because I don't know what happens next and as much as I love surprises and adventure..... there are just some things I think I might want to know.
A complete change of subject---before I have a panic attack thinking about having a panic attack---I would really like to keep this thing up to date. I have another journal (LiveJournal) but it's not public like this one is, for a reason. I know a few people who use blogger and I feel bad that I don't remember to keep this thing up to date. Also the fact that people actually follow this and get nothing from me.....
Just turned on CNN and perhaps I shouldn't have. Tsunami (tsu= port, nami= wave) slamming into Hawaii, 6ft tall waves, and so far one death in California from 8ft tall waves...okay so the guy was taking pictures of the tsunami coming and was swept out to sea....but still.
And apparently the nuclear reactor is having a few major problems...explosion? Yeah unless it's on the Simpson's that's NOT a good thing!! Also depends on what actually exploded. Plutonium, reactor contains plutonium...okay. It's experimental fuel with plutonium. Wouldn't it be nice if the news could not use words like 'radioactive' 'disaster'
The earthquake moved Japan's coast by 8ft. Not sure which direction though.
Another change of topic, apparently men still prefer Marilyn Monroe. When she was told she didn't get the lead in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' she said "That's fine, I'm still the blonde!" I wish I could have experienced her in the flesh instead of through old movies and clips of things here and there. She is one of my old time favorite actresses. Not because she died tragically with more controversy than any Area 51 story. But because she was the "Angelina Jolie" so to speak of her time. She was a great actress but she was quite more than that. She had those "normal" every person type problems. Although she was seriously let down by all of her doctors and even some of the people around her. I can really relate to the things and some of the feelings she went through.
Well there is still much to be done. We leave for Lubbock tomorrow and nothing has been packed and only a few things have been prepared so might as well get to it. :)
Now that I have a Droid X I can post more often if I feel up to it straight from my phone. Okay so I've had the phone for a couple of months now, just didn't think about Blogger is all. Life happens.
Speaking on life, I am having my first (and last) surgery this Monday. I have realized I tend to have panic attacks when thinking on this subject and I am usually pretty good with the panic and anxiety. I'm not worried about the surgery, I've got the best Doctor this side of the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River. Everything else however scares the living crap out of me.
Needles in the hands of uncaring, unfeeling women with funny accents? CHECK!
Waking up and freaking out because I have absolutely no clue where I am? CHECK!
Forgetting I'm going to have limitations? CHECK! CHECK!
Relying on others when I am used to being more or less independent? Errr....
And I'm not a big fan of pain and discomfort which I am assured is all part of the process. Despite everyone telling me not to worry, I tend to do just the opposite. Not because I'm a rebel and do stuff like that but those sweet, nice, caring words everyone has for someone having any kind of procedure done just doesn't seem to work on me. No matter how hard I try to calm down, apparently my mind has other ideas.
Haven't been able to sleep for the last few days because I will suddenly awake around 3, 4 am knowing I was having some sort of bad dream but not quite grasping the details of it and just laying there wishing my mind would just shut off. Then the mind wandering to morning of surgery and thinking how things (based upon prior experience being on the other side of this aka NOT the patient) should go and then having a panic attack when I think about them taking me back. Probably because I don't know what happens next and as much as I love surprises and adventure..... there are just some things I think I might want to know.
A complete change of subject---before I have a panic attack thinking about having a panic attack---I would really like to keep this thing up to date. I have another journal (LiveJournal) but it's not public like this one is, for a reason. I know a few people who use blogger and I feel bad that I don't remember to keep this thing up to date. Also the fact that people actually follow this and get nothing from me.....
Just turned on CNN and perhaps I shouldn't have. Tsunami (tsu= port, nami= wave) slamming into Hawaii, 6ft tall waves, and so far one death in California from 8ft tall waves...okay so the guy was taking pictures of the tsunami coming and was swept out to sea....but still.
And apparently the nuclear reactor is having a few major problems...explosion? Yeah unless it's on the Simpson's that's NOT a good thing!! Also depends on what actually exploded. Plutonium, reactor contains plutonium...okay. It's experimental fuel with plutonium. Wouldn't it be nice if the news could not use words like 'radioactive' 'disaster'
The earthquake moved Japan's coast by 8ft. Not sure which direction though.
Another change of topic, apparently men still prefer Marilyn Monroe. When she was told she didn't get the lead in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' she said "That's fine, I'm still the blonde!" I wish I could have experienced her in the flesh instead of through old movies and clips of things here and there. She is one of my old time favorite actresses. Not because she died tragically with more controversy than any Area 51 story. But because she was the "Angelina Jolie" so to speak of her time. She was a great actress but she was quite more than that. She had those "normal" every person type problems. Although she was seriously let down by all of her doctors and even some of the people around her. I can really relate to the things and some of the feelings she went through.
Well there is still much to be done. We leave for Lubbock tomorrow and nothing has been packed and only a few things have been prepared so might as well get to it. :)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A New Horoscope For A New You....
Yes, you read that right...in addition to all those nifty and nice New Year's resolutions you've made (and possibly already broken) you also get a whole new horoscope! Well...maybe, the debate is still ongoing on this one...
But yes, we all know our signs...or we did if they actually manage to change things on us. And by they I mean the Minnesota Planetarium Society.
Horoscopes as we know it today:
Aries: March 21 - April 19
Taurus: April 20 - May 20
Gemini: May 21 - June 20
Cancer: June 21 - July 22
Leo: July 23 - August 22
Virgo: August 23 - September 22
Libra: September 23 - October 22
Scorpio: October 23 - November 21
Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21
Capricorn: December 22 - January 19
Aquarius: January 20 - February 18
Pisces: February 19 - March 20
This makes me a Taurus. But if what is being said is true and the Horoscopes actually change, I won't be a Taurus any more but instead an Aries.
The Horoscopes of Tomorrow:
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11
Pisces: March 11-April 18
Aries: April 18-May 13
Taurus: May 13-June 21
Gemini: June 21-July 20
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20
So why change now? I mean WTF? Right?
Astrological signs are determined by the position of the sun relative to certain constellations on a person's day of birth. These positions were determined more than 2,000 years ago so that nowadays the stars have shifted in the night sky so much that horoscope signs are nearly a month off. This shift is caused by precession, the wobble in the Earth's axis caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon to the Earth's equator.
We're just now hearing about this thanks to Minnesota Planetarium Society board member Parke Kunkle who just happened to mention to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about the gap between the astrological and the astronomical view. Of course this being the Internet, there's wildfires and the quickness of spreading going on. Funny enough, this isn't breaking news...it's actually old news.
Apparently around 280 B.C. there was an known astronomer named Aristarchus of Samos, perhaps you've heard of him? Yeah me neither..but I only dabbled for fun in the whole astro fields for awhile. But this known astronomer recognized and assessed the movement of precession and I guess just decided not to let the head of the astrology department know that things change....
Scientifically speaking: The Earth is a wobbly top that as it rotates, its axis swings in a circle, pointing in different directions. As the Earth's position shifts so does our perspective of the night sky.
Example: The North Pole Polaris so called because its the star most closely aligned with Earth's North Pole. But when the great pyramids were constructed, the star that aligned with the North Pole wasn't Polaris but a star in the constellation Draco called Thuban. In 12,000 years, Earth's North Star will be Vega the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.
What that means: It will be another 26,000 years before I'm a Taurus again. Not sure I can wait that long and there's no guarantee I'll get my old sign back either.
The good news: There's no evidence the stars have anything to do with peoples day-to-day existence. A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences used data from more than 15,000 people and found no relationship between date of birth and personality...this was back in 2006. Be that as it may, 25-30% of us still believe in it according to a recent Pew survey.
Did you notice the newly re-added Ophiuchus sign? This constellation is located near the celestial equator and is typically depicted as a man wrangling a serpent. No, not his own serpent...I don't think... anyway, Ophiuchus means serpent-bearer in Greek; The different characters from Greek mythology that Ophiuchus is thought to represent are Asclepius the healer, Trojan priest Laocoon who was killed by sea serpents and Phorbas who saved the people of Rhodes from an infestation of serpents. This sign is already found in the Sidereal Zodiac used by Jyotish (or Hindu) astrologers. Sidereal Zodiac is based on the moving Zodiac that we should have been using all along apparently instead of the fixed Zodiac we have been using in Western astrology. This poor sign was discarded by the Babylonians two millennia ago because they wanted 12 signs per year not 13. So what does this mean for those falling under this sign? Well, those under the Ophiuchus sign seek higher education and enlightenment and are expected to achieve a high position in life (like a doctor much like Imhotep of the 27th century BCE Egypt) and is an interpreter of dreams and vivid premonitions and is envied by their peers and favored by their father and authority figures. (much like the biblical Joseph). Fun Fact: The Asclepius and the Caduceus (the medical staff that represents all things medical) are based on this constellation.
Part of the debate being tossed around is that this new horoscope only effects those born after 2009 also that this does not effect the western world (despite the western world being the only ones who use the fixed zodiac) and that the zodiac depends on position of the sun and stars at the time of birth and not at the Earth's movement.
I don't live by the horoscope and like I mentioned earlier I slightly dabbled in both astrology and astronomy (and archaeology but that's a different story) so I understand the big deal all this is making and just why people are up in arms about it. Personally I think of it as growth. We all change as we age, why not have our sign change with us? I mean yeah okay it is a little silly since apparently I was suppose to be born an Aries not Taurus and I've always considered myself a Taurus at heart but I've added traits to myself knowing or unknowingly so perhaps I am more like an Aries than a Taurus now anyway or some strange mix of the two. I just don't know and possibly will instead when asked my sign (cause unlike our horoscopes that opening line never changes) I'll say "I'm an Arirus." This will hopefully kill two birds with one stone...one showing the guy who actually asked me this question that there are other things beside my sign I am interested in and that I don't take myself too seriously...no matter what an Aries is suppose to be!
If you would like to learn more about this new Horoscope just Google or Bing 'New Horoscopes' and have fun reading! I only got about 125,000,000 results....lol Not bad for the "news" being out for only three days. It was released Thursday January 13 2011
And if you are one of the many who are having a personality breakdown over this, have a cuppa and take a deep breath. You're still the same person you were a few days ago. Nothing is going to change that but you.
But yes, we all know our signs...or we did if they actually manage to change things on us. And by they I mean the Minnesota Planetarium Society.
Horoscopes as we know it today:
Aries: March 21 - April 19
Taurus: April 20 - May 20
Gemini: May 21 - June 20
Cancer: June 21 - July 22
Leo: July 23 - August 22
Virgo: August 23 - September 22
Libra: September 23 - October 22
Scorpio: October 23 - November 21
Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21
Capricorn: December 22 - January 19
Aquarius: January 20 - February 18
Pisces: February 19 - March 20
This makes me a Taurus. But if what is being said is true and the Horoscopes actually change, I won't be a Taurus any more but instead an Aries.
The Horoscopes of Tomorrow:
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11
Pisces: March 11-April 18
Aries: April 18-May 13
Taurus: May 13-June 21
Gemini: June 21-July 20
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20
So why change now? I mean WTF? Right?
Astrological signs are determined by the position of the sun relative to certain constellations on a person's day of birth. These positions were determined more than 2,000 years ago so that nowadays the stars have shifted in the night sky so much that horoscope signs are nearly a month off. This shift is caused by precession, the wobble in the Earth's axis caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon to the Earth's equator.
We're just now hearing about this thanks to Minnesota Planetarium Society board member Parke Kunkle who just happened to mention to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about the gap between the astrological and the astronomical view. Of course this being the Internet, there's wildfires and the quickness of spreading going on. Funny enough, this isn't breaking news...it's actually old news.
Apparently around 280 B.C. there was an known astronomer named Aristarchus of Samos, perhaps you've heard of him? Yeah me neither..but I only dabbled for fun in the whole astro fields for awhile. But this known astronomer recognized and assessed the movement of precession and I guess just decided not to let the head of the astrology department know that things change....
Scientifically speaking: The Earth is a wobbly top that as it rotates, its axis swings in a circle, pointing in different directions. As the Earth's position shifts so does our perspective of the night sky.
Example: The North Pole Polaris so called because its the star most closely aligned with Earth's North Pole. But when the great pyramids were constructed, the star that aligned with the North Pole wasn't Polaris but a star in the constellation Draco called Thuban. In 12,000 years, Earth's North Star will be Vega the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.
What that means: It will be another 26,000 years before I'm a Taurus again. Not sure I can wait that long and there's no guarantee I'll get my old sign back either.
The good news: There's no evidence the stars have anything to do with peoples day-to-day existence. A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences used data from more than 15,000 people and found no relationship between date of birth and personality...this was back in 2006. Be that as it may, 25-30% of us still believe in it according to a recent Pew survey.
Did you notice the newly re-added Ophiuchus sign? This constellation is located near the celestial equator and is typically depicted as a man wrangling a serpent. No, not his own serpent...I don't think... anyway, Ophiuchus means serpent-bearer in Greek; The different characters from Greek mythology that Ophiuchus is thought to represent are Asclepius the healer, Trojan priest Laocoon who was killed by sea serpents and Phorbas who saved the people of Rhodes from an infestation of serpents. This sign is already found in the Sidereal Zodiac used by Jyotish (or Hindu) astrologers. Sidereal Zodiac is based on the moving Zodiac that we should have been using all along apparently instead of the fixed Zodiac we have been using in Western astrology. This poor sign was discarded by the Babylonians two millennia ago because they wanted 12 signs per year not 13. So what does this mean for those falling under this sign? Well, those under the Ophiuchus sign seek higher education and enlightenment and are expected to achieve a high position in life (like a doctor much like Imhotep of the 27th century BCE Egypt) and is an interpreter of dreams and vivid premonitions and is envied by their peers and favored by their father and authority figures. (much like the biblical Joseph). Fun Fact: The Asclepius and the Caduceus (the medical staff that represents all things medical) are based on this constellation.
Part of the debate being tossed around is that this new horoscope only effects those born after 2009 also that this does not effect the western world (despite the western world being the only ones who use the fixed zodiac) and that the zodiac depends on position of the sun and stars at the time of birth and not at the Earth's movement.
I don't live by the horoscope and like I mentioned earlier I slightly dabbled in both astrology and astronomy (and archaeology but that's a different story) so I understand the big deal all this is making and just why people are up in arms about it. Personally I think of it as growth. We all change as we age, why not have our sign change with us? I mean yeah okay it is a little silly since apparently I was suppose to be born an Aries not Taurus and I've always considered myself a Taurus at heart but I've added traits to myself knowing or unknowingly so perhaps I am more like an Aries than a Taurus now anyway or some strange mix of the two. I just don't know and possibly will instead when asked my sign (cause unlike our horoscopes that opening line never changes) I'll say "I'm an Arirus." This will hopefully kill two birds with one stone...one showing the guy who actually asked me this question that there are other things beside my sign I am interested in and that I don't take myself too seriously...no matter what an Aries is suppose to be!
If you would like to learn more about this new Horoscope just Google or Bing 'New Horoscopes' and have fun reading! I only got about 125,000,000 results....lol Not bad for the "news" being out for only three days. It was released Thursday January 13 2011
And if you are one of the many who are having a personality breakdown over this, have a cuppa and take a deep breath. You're still the same person you were a few days ago. Nothing is going to change that but you.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Move
It was decided long ago that Los Alamos no longer held it's allure for us and that living there did us no good at all. The only thing was to choose a city we wanted to live in and then find a suitable home. After a month we had narrowed it down to two cities; Lubbock TX and Rio Rancho NM. We were having a hard time choosing between the two since both had their appeal...
Lubbock is in a different state, has almost no rush hour traffic, has a lot of parks and ponds/lakes, is visually appealing, has Texas Tech, house prices are low, is far away from both mothers that drop in visits would not happen.
Rio Rancho has all the shops and entertainment we wanted, great new high school, close to dads in case of emergencies, new or newer homes, close to friends, one of us knows our way around the area, area is always growing, new things are being added and home values will rise after a few years.
Of course there were cons on both sides as well.
Lubbock is far away in case something happens to one of our dads, there isn't a lot to keep us entertained, Lubbock isn't expanding and the house market is suspected to remain the same in the next few years.
Rio Rancho is close enough to one of our mothers but she at least isn't known to just drop in without warning first, the rush hour traffic is atrocious, house prices are a little steep, there is construction always around, not a lot of parks or walker friendly areas.
In the end we did decide on Rio Rancho NM mainly due to the fact it is close enough to Albuquerque that there are things for us to do, if something happens to either of our dads the trip to see them is short and doable without breaking the bank, the area is growing and being added to so the house values are expected to rise.
After figuring out the city, finding the house we wanted was actually a lot easier than it had been in the past. We decided to rent the house for the month of June and go to closing at the end of June with promises that any problems we notified the seller of would be taken care of even after closing. The move itself went as well as a move could go. Friday morning of the 4th we went to collect the large moving truck and my mother/step father.
At first there is no organization to how things are being placed into the moving truck which posed to be a big problem since we had more than enough stuff to fill the truck which we didn't actually think we did to begin with. After a few minutes of rearranging things we managed to get all the important things loaded into the truck just before nightfall. We had two friends and my mom and step-dad helping loading the truck. We took everyone out to dinner which cost us a little over $100.
We drove down to the new house that night with my mom and step-dad who helped us unload the beds and blankets then headed home with a promise to come back the next day to help unload the rest of the truck. One of our friends who helped us load was also going to come down to help unload. Apparently sleeping in the spacious library wasn't as good of an idea as was first thought as I supposedly snored badly that night and it echoed off the high bare walls bringing thoughts of Godzilla to unsleeping minds. I still require proof of this event to even consider it as truth.
Next morning our friend arrived and helped us finish unloading the truck. This is also the morning where I actually don't want to drink the coffee I brewed--turns out the water in Rio Rancho is nasty. Not just icky or gross, but downright N-A-S-T-Y. Drinking it straight from the tap made my face swell up and gave me that chipmunk look no one actually wants. It made my coffee undrinkable which I never imagined could happen. We now have 5 gallon and 3 gallon bottles for drinking and cooking water.
My mom and step-dad arrive after the truck is unloaded but help us move boxes and furniture to the appropriate rooms and even with a little unpacking. Quickly the running joke around the house is if we can't find it and ask where such-and-such is the answer is going to be "It's in a box".
We start making a list of problems that need to be fixed so that we can give the list to the seller. We use New Mexico Landlord law as a base on what we should put on the list as things a landlord is required to fix for tenants. We e-mail the list to the seller per the seller's request as they inform us they only pick their paper mail up once a month. Seller keeps giving us different numbers as to what is needed moneywise to bring to closing. In the end we have to milk another three hundred dollars out of an almost tapped out stone known as our checking account.
Closing comes and goes and I am still stunned at the unorganization of the city of Rio Rancho. I'm coming from a city that everything that is needed is found in one place: electricity, gas, water and waste. One call in Los Alamos along with one deposit took care of all four of those much needed services. Rio Rancho however you must call four different companies and supply four different costly deposits in order to get these much needed services. Which no one decided to inform us of until close to last minute. I had set up electricity (PNM) and cable/internet/phone (CableOne--this after a huge run around from Quest on whether or not the area we were moving to offered 20 meg internet services or the 7) services. It wasn't until after moving in that we were informed that we had to set up a gas account with New Mexico Gas and garbage with Waste Management of New Mexico as well as water with the city of Rio Rancho. All wanting deposits over $100--a couple charging it to the account to be paid with the first billing, the other two wanting it up front. Needless to say this extra was NOT budgeted due to the fact we just didn't know.
Before signing we took the paperwork for the house to a friend who is an attorney. They okayed the contract and Steve's mom also said everything looked fine, so at closing I went ahead and paid the money and signed the papers. Shortly after receiving copies of the signed paperwork I take the time to actually read the paperwork I signed and find a few things that was NOT even talked about when we went over the contract with the seller. I.E. paying an extra $215 a month for taxes AND for a insurance policy the seller still has on the house--the seller is already on our home insurance paperwork as requested (we're buying the house through the seller and not through a bank b.t.w.) but now we're also paying their insurance policy they have on our house. Also we're only paying interest on the house, none of the money we pay per month goes towards the actual principal. Which means when the contract is up in 10 years, we're no closer to having the home paid off then we are at this very moment UNLESS we opt to pay extra money per month. Also despite many emails and calls/texts the seller has not gotten back to us on when they plan on having the things we listed before closing that need to be fixed fixed. They called Steve once and congratulated him on the house and that was it. The seller only talks to Steve despite the fact that I am the one on the paperwork and I'm the one who basically is buying the house not Steve. But since that one call we have heard nothing. Everything is going unanswered and I have no idea if we can do anything legally about it since it was requested we email everything and not send it via snail mail and everything is through Steve's email account and not mine. I do know that the seller said "e-mail would probably be better than regular mail because I only pick up my mail every few days, so just send me a list and we will work out something regarding these issues." because every time Steve emailed the seller I was put as a Bcc to everything even replies he made to emails the seller sent him.
The house itself isn't too bad. It needs a few upgrades and a water system so we don't have to keep getting bottled water but these are things we are planning on getting either with my tax house credit (first time home buyer) and/or with a settlement that has nothing to do with the house.
On top of all of this lovely mess, we have to take our previous landlady to small claims court! We moved out of the rental on June 4, we paid rent for the month of May and informed her early May that we were looking at other homes since she hinted at wanting the house we were renting for her in-laws who just moved to the States and were living with her. NM tenant law states that a landlord has 30 days from when the tenant moves out to provide them with in writing a detailed list of what damages were done to the property and where the deposit was used and how much. By July 6th we had gotten nothing from our landlady (we did provide a forwarding address to her) so we emailed her about getting our deposit back and sending her links to the NM Tenant laws that applied; this included the law about the 30 days in writing and what can and cannot be considered as normal wear and tear. She THEN emailed us a list of "damages" and how much she "paid" to fix them, which she claims is more than our deposit was. She is also trying to 'charge' us with normal wear and tear things like painting and cleaning. She also printed out the email she sent us and mailed it to us. Both of them arrived AFTER the 30 days were up. In fact they arrived 32 days after the fact. So we went back up to Los Alamos and filed with small claims court so that we can get our deposit back. All we know at this point is that she has been served the paperwork, no clue on when we have to be in court for this though.
Monday when we went to register Scott for high school in Rio Rancho we were informed that we need his actual birth certificate (not a copy) as well as a utility bill proving residence and a $30 registering fee. When we called the district on this issue back in May/June after knowing we were moving there we were told that since Scott went to school in that district for kindergarten we wouldn't need his birth certificate and that a voter registration card with the new address on it would work the same as a utility bill. But Cleveland turned us down flat on both things saying Scott was no longer in the system since it's been a few years since he went to school in that district so a birth certificate was required and that we would need a utility bill no matter what. they really didn't care what district told us this was THEIR rules. We can't register him for school now until the first day so he doesn't know if he's going to get the classes he really wants (forensic science for example) or what bus he's going to take to get home. It's turned into a unneeded nightmare. Not to mention we wasted an hour just to find this information out since they were so unorganized.
All the first month bills have finally been paid and hopefully they will be more manageable now. However, PNM is about the same amount without the deposit as it was with. It is also more expensive than all four services combined in Los Alamos was. There's some part of me that thinks that perhaps some of the pros of moving to Rio Rancho have become cons as it is starting to become more expensive to live in Rio Rancho than Los Alamos. What we save in food/gas/entertainment expenses we are paying in utilities.
Also I have decided that I just cannot trust people anymore. I am being told one thing only to have the other thing be true or something completely different happen than what was originally talked about. Or important things are just not getting talked about and instead left for me to discover when it is too late to do anything about it. Obviously I cannot trust the opinion of others when it comes to my well being and although I know I shouldn't have left the reading of the house papers to others I just didn't have the time to sit down and read through the stack thoroughly. I felt so rushed due to the expiration to get the first time home buyers tax credit and when papers needed to be signed in order to receive said tax credit.
Live and learn I suppose.
Lubbock is in a different state, has almost no rush hour traffic, has a lot of parks and ponds/lakes, is visually appealing, has Texas Tech, house prices are low, is far away from both mothers that drop in visits would not happen.
Rio Rancho has all the shops and entertainment we wanted, great new high school, close to dads in case of emergencies, new or newer homes, close to friends, one of us knows our way around the area, area is always growing, new things are being added and home values will rise after a few years.
Of course there were cons on both sides as well.
Lubbock is far away in case something happens to one of our dads, there isn't a lot to keep us entertained, Lubbock isn't expanding and the house market is suspected to remain the same in the next few years.
Rio Rancho is close enough to one of our mothers but she at least isn't known to just drop in without warning first, the rush hour traffic is atrocious, house prices are a little steep, there is construction always around, not a lot of parks or walker friendly areas.
In the end we did decide on Rio Rancho NM mainly due to the fact it is close enough to Albuquerque that there are things for us to do, if something happens to either of our dads the trip to see them is short and doable without breaking the bank, the area is growing and being added to so the house values are expected to rise.
After figuring out the city, finding the house we wanted was actually a lot easier than it had been in the past. We decided to rent the house for the month of June and go to closing at the end of June with promises that any problems we notified the seller of would be taken care of even after closing. The move itself went as well as a move could go. Friday morning of the 4th we went to collect the large moving truck and my mother/step father.
At first there is no organization to how things are being placed into the moving truck which posed to be a big problem since we had more than enough stuff to fill the truck which we didn't actually think we did to begin with. After a few minutes of rearranging things we managed to get all the important things loaded into the truck just before nightfall. We had two friends and my mom and step-dad helping loading the truck. We took everyone out to dinner which cost us a little over $100.
We drove down to the new house that night with my mom and step-dad who helped us unload the beds and blankets then headed home with a promise to come back the next day to help unload the rest of the truck. One of our friends who helped us load was also going to come down to help unload. Apparently sleeping in the spacious library wasn't as good of an idea as was first thought as I supposedly snored badly that night and it echoed off the high bare walls bringing thoughts of Godzilla to unsleeping minds. I still require proof of this event to even consider it as truth.
Next morning our friend arrived and helped us finish unloading the truck. This is also the morning where I actually don't want to drink the coffee I brewed--turns out the water in Rio Rancho is nasty. Not just icky or gross, but downright N-A-S-T-Y. Drinking it straight from the tap made my face swell up and gave me that chipmunk look no one actually wants. It made my coffee undrinkable which I never imagined could happen. We now have 5 gallon and 3 gallon bottles for drinking and cooking water.
My mom and step-dad arrive after the truck is unloaded but help us move boxes and furniture to the appropriate rooms and even with a little unpacking. Quickly the running joke around the house is if we can't find it and ask where such-and-such is the answer is going to be "It's in a box".
We start making a list of problems that need to be fixed so that we can give the list to the seller. We use New Mexico Landlord law as a base on what we should put on the list as things a landlord is required to fix for tenants. We e-mail the list to the seller per the seller's request as they inform us they only pick their paper mail up once a month. Seller keeps giving us different numbers as to what is needed moneywise to bring to closing. In the end we have to milk another three hundred dollars out of an almost tapped out stone known as our checking account.
Closing comes and goes and I am still stunned at the unorganization of the city of Rio Rancho. I'm coming from a city that everything that is needed is found in one place: electricity, gas, water and waste. One call in Los Alamos along with one deposit took care of all four of those much needed services. Rio Rancho however you must call four different companies and supply four different costly deposits in order to get these much needed services. Which no one decided to inform us of until close to last minute. I had set up electricity (PNM) and cable/internet/phone (CableOne--this after a huge run around from Quest on whether or not the area we were moving to offered 20 meg internet services or the 7) services. It wasn't until after moving in that we were informed that we had to set up a gas account with New Mexico Gas and garbage with Waste Management of New Mexico as well as water with the city of Rio Rancho. All wanting deposits over $100--a couple charging it to the account to be paid with the first billing, the other two wanting it up front. Needless to say this extra was NOT budgeted due to the fact we just didn't know.
Before signing we took the paperwork for the house to a friend who is an attorney. They okayed the contract and Steve's mom also said everything looked fine, so at closing I went ahead and paid the money and signed the papers. Shortly after receiving copies of the signed paperwork I take the time to actually read the paperwork I signed and find a few things that was NOT even talked about when we went over the contract with the seller. I.E. paying an extra $215 a month for taxes AND for a insurance policy the seller still has on the house--the seller is already on our home insurance paperwork as requested (we're buying the house through the seller and not through a bank b.t.w.) but now we're also paying their insurance policy they have on our house. Also we're only paying interest on the house, none of the money we pay per month goes towards the actual principal. Which means when the contract is up in 10 years, we're no closer to having the home paid off then we are at this very moment UNLESS we opt to pay extra money per month. Also despite many emails and calls/texts the seller has not gotten back to us on when they plan on having the things we listed before closing that need to be fixed fixed. They called Steve once and congratulated him on the house and that was it. The seller only talks to Steve despite the fact that I am the one on the paperwork and I'm the one who basically is buying the house not Steve. But since that one call we have heard nothing. Everything is going unanswered and I have no idea if we can do anything legally about it since it was requested we email everything and not send it via snail mail and everything is through Steve's email account and not mine. I do know that the seller said "e-mail would probably be better than regular mail because I only pick up my mail every few days, so just send me a list and we will work out something regarding these issues." because every time Steve emailed the seller I was put as a Bcc to everything even replies he made to emails the seller sent him.
The house itself isn't too bad. It needs a few upgrades and a water system so we don't have to keep getting bottled water but these are things we are planning on getting either with my tax house credit (first time home buyer) and/or with a settlement that has nothing to do with the house.
On top of all of this lovely mess, we have to take our previous landlady to small claims court! We moved out of the rental on June 4, we paid rent for the month of May and informed her early May that we were looking at other homes since she hinted at wanting the house we were renting for her in-laws who just moved to the States and were living with her. NM tenant law states that a landlord has 30 days from when the tenant moves out to provide them with in writing a detailed list of what damages were done to the property and where the deposit was used and how much. By July 6th we had gotten nothing from our landlady (we did provide a forwarding address to her) so we emailed her about getting our deposit back and sending her links to the NM Tenant laws that applied; this included the law about the 30 days in writing and what can and cannot be considered as normal wear and tear. She THEN emailed us a list of "damages" and how much she "paid" to fix them, which she claims is more than our deposit was. She is also trying to 'charge' us with normal wear and tear things like painting and cleaning. She also printed out the email she sent us and mailed it to us. Both of them arrived AFTER the 30 days were up. In fact they arrived 32 days after the fact. So we went back up to Los Alamos and filed with small claims court so that we can get our deposit back. All we know at this point is that she has been served the paperwork, no clue on when we have to be in court for this though.
Monday when we went to register Scott for high school in Rio Rancho we were informed that we need his actual birth certificate (not a copy) as well as a utility bill proving residence and a $30 registering fee. When we called the district on this issue back in May/June after knowing we were moving there we were told that since Scott went to school in that district for kindergarten we wouldn't need his birth certificate and that a voter registration card with the new address on it would work the same as a utility bill. But Cleveland turned us down flat on both things saying Scott was no longer in the system since it's been a few years since he went to school in that district so a birth certificate was required and that we would need a utility bill no matter what. they really didn't care what district told us this was THEIR rules. We can't register him for school now until the first day so he doesn't know if he's going to get the classes he really wants (forensic science for example) or what bus he's going to take to get home. It's turned into a unneeded nightmare. Not to mention we wasted an hour just to find this information out since they were so unorganized.
All the first month bills have finally been paid and hopefully they will be more manageable now. However, PNM is about the same amount without the deposit as it was with. It is also more expensive than all four services combined in Los Alamos was. There's some part of me that thinks that perhaps some of the pros of moving to Rio Rancho have become cons as it is starting to become more expensive to live in Rio Rancho than Los Alamos. What we save in food/gas/entertainment expenses we are paying in utilities.
Also I have decided that I just cannot trust people anymore. I am being told one thing only to have the other thing be true or something completely different happen than what was originally talked about. Or important things are just not getting talked about and instead left for me to discover when it is too late to do anything about it. Obviously I cannot trust the opinion of others when it comes to my well being and although I know I shouldn't have left the reading of the house papers to others I just didn't have the time to sit down and read through the stack thoroughly. I felt so rushed due to the expiration to get the first time home buyers tax credit and when papers needed to be signed in order to receive said tax credit.
Live and learn I suppose.
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