Let's Make a Deal

Well, as happens in an ever-shifting real estate market, the seller of our chosen house declined our offer in hopes of getting a better one (good luck there) and while we are disappointed, we have moved on. 
 
So, we're looking behind Door Number 2 now, in hopes of finding a home.  This house is the same neighborhood, same floor plan - on steroids.  Much larger than we want or need. I keep pinching myself to see if there has been some mistake. It's a lovely home, 10 years old or so. At this point, it looks as though we have a deal, pending home and pest inspections.  

It has the same Florida room (windows on 3 sides) and a Master Bedroom suite that will accommodate pretty much all the furniture we have here in Iowa. My sister suggested that we could have a family sleepover and the Arentson family could all sleep in the master on air mattresses. It could happen!
 
The good news is, interest rates haven't been this low since the 1960s. I've always said, if I was in charge of our finances, we'd be living in a cave - with a mortgage. But, I'm married to Bruce, and keeping books is a hobby for him. So, I'm in good shape there. I'm guessing it wouldn't surprise anyone that he has the checkbook and computer down in Tennessee, and I just send him emails to let him know what I've spent. It's kinda creepy, though.  Tuesday night I stopped by Blain's Farm and Fleet at 8:42 and bought some walnuts and almonds, and when I talked to him at 9:10, he already knew it because he was doing books online.  It's a good thing I know he loves me or else I'd be paranoid.

So now it's the waiting game. While Bruce is in Tennessee, I am busily sorting and taking care of details on this end. That means I secretly throw things away.  Or give stuff away. (I'm truly proud of Michael. He took his extensive collection of Legos and gave them to the Flickinger Learning Center (at risk kids) here in Muscatine. He "gets it.") I did find the set of keys Bruce has been missing for 35 years. I put his high school letter jacket in the dryer on "air dry" to knock some of the dust out of it, and it sounded like the enamel was being bludgeoned from the dryer drum. I opened it to find said keys. Bruce told me that he used to have a tendency to lock his keys in the car...but if all else failed, he kept a piece of baling wire twisted around a sign post at school, so if he needed to, he could pick the door lock. 

Oh baby, times have changed!