Too many things, too many things!

What a shit storm. So I shouldn't let it bum me out too much, but we have decided to look for a different property because Larry is not flexible on the price and his asking price is almost twice what we could get a similar small 3 bedroom house for in Santa Rosa, which is less than ten miles away. And the bottom line is, Mom is not ready to retire, and so her moving this far from work with the price of gas being what it is now, it would be insane for her to commute for the next year or several years, depending upon when she feels ready to retire.

I am sad, because the location is so ideal, and I just love the land, and the trees and rose bushes etc. but I am sure we can find something else far more reasonably priced and by reasonably, I mean AT LEAST 200k less. He wants the full value that it was when he bought it, because he has over $560,000 sunk into it already. I can't blame him, but we can't really just throw away $200,000 which would keep us all in debt for the rest of our lives either.

So now we are trying to get into the mindset of moving again and meanwhile searching online for affordable properties (hopefully under 250k) with decent yards and in good neighborhoods for raising kids. The market is really bad here, so we shouldn't have too much trouble, especially if we remain a little flexible on our goal price. In any case, it will be better than the $560k for this 3br/1ba we are in now. Granted, there is no way we will find an acre at that price, or even a half acre, but the right home is out there waiting for us, I have to believe it. I'd be really happy with 1/3rd of an acre, but most of what I am seeing in our price range is closer to 0.15 :( and that's not even enough room to park my trailer, which I really want to keep!

So I am crossing my fingers and praying that something with at least a little patch of parking land shows itself to us once we have our finances in order. I've seen two or three listings that I want to go look at in person.

Tomorrow I am going to Kaiser to have them clear me for employment with the LifeHouse Agency, they gave me a TB test yesterday... and to get my fingerprints and background check at the sheriff's office, then off to Mom's to help finish putting up that ceiling paneling.

Friday I start work, Monday I start school. Wow, I am hardly prepared for all of this.

The workshop at SCC last weekend was really great. I totally enjoyed myself, and everyone loved my food. Several people asked for the recipes.

I'm trying not to be too anxious about the job, since it won't start until the end of Summer anyway. Things will all work out for the best, one way or another, I trust.