August 15, 2018 - It's Inspection Day!

I received an offer on the house about 9 p.m. Monday night.  Why would a realtor do that to you?  Send you something they know you are going to question, probably not like, and there is nothing you can do but think about it and not sleep.  Isn't that considered mean?

I had a lot of questions, and did not like the amount they were offering.  I spent all night thinking up different scenarios, and asking the Lord to give me peace and let me sleep.  I could not do anything until the morning, but my mind was still working overtime.  Tell me why couldn't she have waited until 6 a.m the next day?

I talked with numerous people Tuesday morning, the realtor being one, I vented, got questions answered, and eventually made a counter to the the buyer.   It took them all of 30 minutes to accept everything I countered with and asked for, and we are now in the 5 day option period.  That means the buyer has their inspection of the house and can still back out of the deal during those 5 days.  If all goes according to plan, the option period ends Saturday and we will close on the house September 7.

Today is Wednesday and it is Inspection Day!  Who knows what they will find during the inspection and what I will be asked to fix.  I had to be out of the house at 9:30 this morning and can't go home until 1:30 p.m.  Then another realtor asked if they could show the house at 2 p.m.  My realtor says we need to continue to show the house through the option period, just in case something happens and the first buyer backs out.  My house has never been this clean and looked this good for so long in my entire life. I can't clutter anything up inside so it is back to the garage for me as the packing of any remaining odds and ends will need to be done out there.

SO - what does one do when they have five hours to kill waiting on the inspection and another showing of the house?  I don't want to go shopping cause I don't want to pack whatever I bought!

I went to Mama Daughter's Diner to have breakfast.  I told the waitress when I sat down I had five hours to kill so she should give me the sign when she need the table wanted me to leave.  She was wonderful and kept my coffee cup full.  I gave her a good tip.  At 11 a.m. I decided to go to the movie.  I was not impressed with the movie and really a bit disappointed.  I won't even bother sharing the name because that might give it some publicity it does not deserve.

But - I have a offer and a contract!!  That is a big relief and weight lifter from my shoulders.  Now we just have to survive the inspection.  Remember to say those prayers.

Add the picture of the house

August 13, 2018 - Another Rainy Monday

It rained all night and again this morning so everything smells and looks so clean.

I am sitting at Whataburger enjoying orange juice and a Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit with sausage and egg while a realtor shows my house.  The Open House was yesterday and as far as I can tell everything went very well.

I say that because I kept getting text messages from the showing service realtors use.  When someone wants to show the house they have to set up and appointment through this showing service, and they text me so I can approve, deny or suggest another time for the appointment.   I was receiving requests to see the house even though it was during the Open House and I quickly approved those.  I also received four requests for appointments after the Open House up to 8:30 p.m. and then another one for 9:30 this morning.

The realtor called last night around 7:30 p.m. to let me know there was a lot of interest and she felt I would have multiple offers within 24 - 36 hours, and she was very confident about two of them.

I am feeling very blessed, happy and hopeful.  This journey has been such a leap of faith, and I continue to pray and trust the Lord and the plan he has in place for me.  I am selling my house, packing up 18 years of my life, moving 2,000 miles to the North West and I have no job waiting for me.  But you know what, I am going to be OK!

I have had some great people in my life this past three months who have shown up just at the right time.  Contractors, painters, roofers, landscapers, and friends who have adjusted their schedules, worked weekends & evenings,  and been there in a pinch when I needed them.  THANKS!

August 11, 2018 - I am really doing this!

The house is live on the realtors website. Here is a link to the site.

2023 Greenstone Trail

It rained all night and was a good morning to sleep in, but Christine and I had made plans to go to breakfast this morning at The Egg and I.  I had received a coupon in the mail for BOGO so we took advantage of it.   She and I have eaten here before and if you go back in some of our blog posts, when we were good about writing, you can see our review.

Normally when we go out there are not many people up and ready for breakfast at 9 a.m. and we can get right in.  This morning we actually had to wait a couple minutes.  The service and the food was great, as always. We like this place because you can sit, drink coffee & visit, and they do not make you feel like you are in the way or that you need to get out and give up the table.  I had Whole Wheat pancakes with apple slices and cinnamon butter.  How good does that sound!!

I am glad they did not want to kick us out this morning. The realtor contacted me and wanted to know if they could show the house this morning, so at 10 a.m. someone was walking around inside the house make comments and trying to decided if it should be their forever home.  That also meant I could not go home until 11, so we had another cup of coffee. Hope they liked what they saw, guess I will find out later.

The Open House is tomorrow from 2 - 5 p.m.  Winston does not know it yet but he and I are going to go visit a friend for three hours.

Got to run - I ordered a 20 lb. brisket and had it smoked by the guy down on the corner at the 401K Barbecue Shack.   I have to go pick it up.  I am going to freeze it and we will take to OR with us when we move.  Really, it's for Edd.   I am just going to serve myself a slice for dinner tonight.

Later

August 8, 2018 - Changes on the Horizon

Vickey:
A new adventure started for me three months ago on May 8 when Cornerstone Credit Union League decided to let me go.  My boss told me, "I was not in his vision for the future."

I will take the high road and say this was very much a blessing in disguise.  I had not been happy with the job for several years, and they freed up my future and made it possible for me to move on with my life in a much more positive and productive manner.

I am moving to Oregon to be closer to friends and my family, and all of them could not be happier.  When I called to tell them what had happened I could hear the cheers from Oregon all the way down in Texas.

What a busy three months it has been.  I've lived 18 years in this house and you would not believe the amount of "STUFF" one can accumulate.  I am on a first name basis with the guys at the Goodwill Donation Center.  Today was my 10th visit!

Almost everything in my house is packed.  I have been eating off paper plates for over a month.  I rented a U-Haul Storage Box.  When I open my garage door I can walk right into the box.  As of yesterday I would say it was full - what do you think?  You see realtors don't want anything in your house when they show it, and when you have as much "STUFF" as I do there is not enough room for it in the garage and my car.

Early this Spring I had all the trees and bushes trimmed up and the exterior of the house power-washed and painted. Thanks to a hail storm my insurance put a new roof on the house in July, so the outside looks very nice.  I had the whole interior painted, the place has been cleaned, windows washed, the house was staged, pictures were taken today and the carpets will be cleaned in the morning.

Friday, August 10, the listing goes live and Sunday is the Open House.  I need everyone's prayers that it sells and sells fast!

My brother Edd is flying to Dallas August 18 to help me move, and  I want to have a contract on the house before I leave.  Everyone tells me the house should sell very quickly.

Edd and I will begin to pack the truck on August 21 and we should be out of here by August 24 at the very latest.  I have been taking Winston, my cat, for rides in the car trying to get him acclimated to riding in a vehicle for the trip.  Wish us luck - this should be fun.  I hope Edd does not throw him out the window along the way.

I have a realtor lined up in OR and my family keeps sending me pictures of  houses they think may have possibility, they even have gone and looked at one house for me. I am going to live with my sister until I find something.  Honestly I think once we get the truck unloaded and everything into storage I am going to take a few days off.  This has been no small undertaking to pull off, and I am only half done.  I still have to find a house and unpack everything.

Here are some pictures of what your house looks like after someone goes through and "stages" it.

Front Door

Living Room with Fireplace

Sorry this picture is so dark - this is looking from the front door through the living room out to the back yard.

These are pictures of the kitchen area.

Coffee/Wet Bar

This is the Dining Room.  I used this area for my office.  The lady who staged the house brought the table in.

Dining Room from when you walk in the front door - looking into the kitchen.

Master Bedroom

Looking into the Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom

Guest Bedroom

Guest Bathroom

This was mu sewing room, now it looks like an office.

Patio and back yard

Sorry I don' thave a picture of the front yet.

September 17, 2016 - The Local Diner, Coppell

Christine: True to its name, the Local Diner was located in area that was once old town Coppell, but now developed into a walkable prairie style community of restaurants, retail stores, and homes. The Diner was on the corner in an old time brick building which was actually new construction. When we asked the cashier about the restaurant, we learned there were two only locations, and he added the owner was sitting at one of the booths in the back, and pointed to “the bald guy”. The restaurant was funky, bright, and sunny on this beautiful Saturday morning. The menu was 


The menu was typical breakfast fare with lots of choices and combos. I opted for the French Toast Plate which included two eggs, any style, and bacon or sausage patties. Our server was attentive, quickly took our drink orders, and returned shortly with a carafe
of coffee. Our breakfasts arrived on checker trimmed plates to match the décor. The French toast was thick and beautifully showered with powdered sugar.

Served on a separate plate, the eggs and the sausage were cooked to perfection. My breakfast items were ordinary items on any breakfast menu, but these were more delicious than usual. Sausage can sometimes be a disappointment when overcooked to the dry and flavorless round of meat, but mine

was tasty, moist, and fresh. The sunny-side-up eggs were cooked just the way I like them. A nice touch was the salt and pepper grinders on the table.

To top off this great breakfast, we took a short trip to the Coppell Farmers Market which was a just short walk behind the restaurant. It was a fun mix of local products: honey, produce, herbs, pies, cookies, mushrooms, and along with gourmet delights to sample and purchase. The Market was located in the center of a park which is reminiscent of an old Texas town square.  Surrounding this community square are beautiful Craftsman style homes with inviting front porches, forming a housing development named “Main Street” of Coppell.

 

September 3, 2016 - Burritos Locos, Grapevine

Christine: Our plan was for another restaurant on this day, but with no place to park, and a line around the building, we decided to save that for another day. Instead we drove to nearby Burritos Locos which we could see from where we stood.  I had eaten there before though never for breakfast. It is authentic Mexican food like you would get in any small town in Mexico.
;

The staff is Hispanic and very little English is spoken, but no matter, it works. I ordered the Chilaquiles con Carne which is Chilaquiles with meat, served with rice and beans. If you aren’t familiar with Chilaquiles, it is a dish of fried tortilla strips with cheese and salsas often served for breakfast or lunch. It is down home Mexican food often made with leftover tortillas. It was a generous breakfast portion and absolutely delicious. Breakfast is served with tortilla chips and three kinds of salsa. All three were very delicious, but two were very hot and spicy, so beware. I could not finish my meal so took half home which reheated nicely for another delicious meal later that day. Typical of restaurants in Mexico, they do not present the check until you ask for it, so we were able to sit and talk for some time without feeling pressured to give up our table.

It was so good, I forgot to take a picture of my meal intact, then remembered to after I had already eaten a good portion of it.

February 6, 2016 - Eggsellent Café, Carrollton

Eggsellent Cafe - Yelp

Christine: Vickey arrived early and saved our favorite spot - a booth by the front door. On this cold, dark February day, the wind whipped through the restaurant with each customer who opened the door.  Hang on to your napkins! The waitress was friendly, chatty and very attentive. She had my coffee poured and waiting for me as soon as I sat down. I had a hard time choosing from all the delicious menu offerings, but the website featured a picture of the “French Connection” breakfast platter of French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage. I had to go for it even though the Baconator Omelet was calling my name too! 

Young staff people constantly circulated through the cafe refreshing coffees, refilling waters, and taking away empty plates. I'm guessing some of them were the owner's kids and some of them maybe friends of theirs. It was clear that service was a priority judging from the number of staff people in this small establishment. This was the most efficient coffee service of all of our breakfast experiences to date!

My breakfast was perfection and really hit the spot. When the waitress asked how it was, I said it was “excellent”. Of course that sounds like “Eggsellent”, and she chuckled that she got me to say it. Regardless, they work hard to earn “excellent”, and they will get you to say it too!

Vickey:  A few people know that Christine and I go out to breakfast on Saturday mornings have started giving us recommendations of places to try.  A co-worker, Kati, gave us this recommendation. 

From the minute I opened the door it felt  warm and inviting, even though it want bitter cold outside.  The owner was working the register/hostess station and I don't think he knows a stranger.  We were seated in a booth right up front and I would swear he knew everyone who walked through the door.  It did not end with the owner, not only was our waitress friendly, but her parents were sitting at the table next to us.  She introduced us and we visited about the menu. I ended up getting an omelet smothered with country gravy.  Awesome, but too much to eat, the proportions were very generous. 

I have decided I need to return for lunch - there was a salad on the menu that sounded Eggsellent!


 http://www.yelp.com/biz/eggsellent-cafe-carrollton-2