Gin and Juice

Let's here it for Snoop Dog.  "With my mind on my money and my money on my mind".  Of course, I'm not "Sippin' on Gin and Juice", but wine. A nice Carmenera.  I know, how bourgeois.  Nothing gangster here.  Snoop does have a few catchy lyrics and right now that one is the most appropriate.

We have a lot going on.  Everything, of course, is getting more and more expensive except for real estate. Even so, I can't seem to get a bite on the house.  CC and I are basically in a position like we were right out of college.  Broke.  Except now we actually have a lot to lose. I really need to sell this house in Indiana.  It's a great house, don't get me wrong, but I would much rather live with my CC in our new house in Clearwater, FL.  The climate is better, the sports teams are better, the company is better, the pool is better....  Oh wait, I don't have a pool here.  So basically, that house wins out hands down!!!

Right now with the two mortgages, two car payments, two sets of utility bills, airline tickets, Son related expenses and savings depleted, it's time to get really serious here.  I don't want to ask the Family for help. Not that they wouldn't give it but damn!  I'm 44 years old.  One would think relying on your relatives is a thing of the past at my age.  My pride won't let me.  Well.... If I was a day from foreclosure I might, but you know what I mean.  I have been spending my time praying that this mild winter holds out.  I won't have to fill the propane tank so soon seeing as the electric heat pump can handle it but I think the fact that I have gone from my usual fill in November until January, my luck is probably running out.  It will be about 400-600 depending on the price of propane they day they come to fill it.  The best investment I made was to buy the tank when I moved in instead of renewing the lease on it.  It was a straight up $500 investment but you get at least $1 off each gallon of propane.  The thing paid for itself on the first fill.

The Son continues with grandiose ideas on what he wants to do to make money, cars he wants to build, etc.  Of course all of that rides on us owning this home which while it's nice, I have no intention of doing long term.  I talked to my realtor Jennifer and told her she needs to sell this thing quickly before the Son destroys it.

Ah, the latest update..  Tangent time!!
I returned to Louisville right after the New Year on Tuesday.  I arrived without any hiccups in the Ville and started my trek to the house.  Upon arriving there were a few of the Son's friends here congregating in the basement.  The house looked pretty decent for having a teenager here with just a friend of mine who is older but not necessarily more responsible.  I instructed the Son to clean up the garage floor as we were to have someone come to look at the house in a few hours.  His response, "I don't know what you want me to do about the blood, good luck with that."  Blood?  I didn't see any blood!!!!!  I asked him what he was talking about and one of his friends noted there was trash in the floor from the stereo installation that occurred in my absence.  Yes... I was talking about that... But blood???  I would not be distracted... I asked three times about it before I received a response.  "The GF punched me in the nose and my nose bled; but I deserved it."   Oooookkkaaaaayyyyy...  Maybe, just maybe, that is information I would just rather not know.  Needless to say, there was bloody towels in the laundry, blood on the garage floor, blood on the wall entering the basement bathroom and some on the basement carpet....  SWEET!  Just what a girl needs before her house is shown!!!


End of the tangent.  Needless to say I had some mixed feelings.  On one hand I was pretty proud of the GF as she stood up for herself and apparently stopped him dead in his tracks.  But on the other it was a bit disturbing it came to that as it means the Son and the GF somewhere down the line think that is acceptable behavior. (She was in the crowd of friends here on my arrival).  I have never struck nor have had anyone strike me in the Son's presence.  I am unsure where this whole thing arises.  The Son is actually quite a jerk to the GF and I don't know how it has lasted as long as it has.  I guess there is truth in the "girls stay with the guys that treat them like shit" theory.  That's all I can come up with.

Looking back amongst all of the ramblings above, I've gotten a bit off of topic.  Sorry about that.
Back to business.
The realtor has told me her company will do property management.  Basically, if I decide to take this place in IN off of the market, they will handle renting it.  Background checks, financial checks, issues with pipes, etc.  It would be a load off of my mind to have someone local watching over the place if I do need to rent.  Rent, of course, would include yard upkeep.  I have a person who has been mowing the grass throughout the warm season. It would be a throw in.  You can't expect people to buy $6,000 mowers to take care of 1.5 acres they don't even own.  I would reinstate my contract with the HVAC guys I have been using for a few years.  Routine maintenance included and you get bumped up the list should something happen with the HVAC.  I would rather sell, but you always need to have a Plan B.

Now the holidays are over I have already been contacted by a couple of head hunters.  I am hopeful I can find suitable employment soon.  Maybe, just maybe, it will all work out in the end.  We can only hope.  Everyone cross your fingers...