Update pt. 1 (Dec.)
2005-02-13, 10:38 p.m.

I've decided to give a proper update of my life WAC (without a computer). (Some dates are approx.) This is what happened in Dec.

When we last left off, our heroines had signed a lease on their new duplex and were preparing to begin Christmas break, aka mad packing time.

12-17-04 (Fri.) 3:45 - Christmas break begins. YAY!

12-18-04 (Sat) - Pack and get house ready to put for sale by owner sign out. It's going out Monday. We get a lot of traffic down the road beside our house, so I anticipate getting lots of business. Alan, evidently, doesn't feel he needs to pack. Or get the house ready to show. Whatever. I'm only packing mine and Amanda's stuff. he's on his own.

12-19-04 (Sun) - More packing. We have a lot of freakin' cds and movies. I had no idea. Actually, I have a lot movies and Alan has a lot of cds. Since he is still not packing, I take all his Cure cds. I like them more, anyways. :D

12-20-04 (Mon) - The sign is out. The weather is unbelievably warm. It's in the high 60's/low 70's. Boy did I (alone, of course) pick the right week to sell a house. Here's what the 'hood looked like exactly one week ago:

Weird, huh?

12-21-04 (Tues) - Damn freaking phone won't stop ringing so I can get some friggin packing done. I've also started showing the place. I, alone, of course. Alan evidently can't be bothered with taking calls or setting up appointments, either. We're (I'm) selling it as-is so we don't have to worry about fixing anything up. Some people are not happy about this. Oh well. Enough people are.

12-22-04/Approx 9:00am. (Weds) - Annoying real estate neighbor comes over to look at house for rental property. I don't like this man. I don't want to let him in. I don't want him to own my house. I want to tell him it's sold already. I'm not stupid. I let him in. And then I pack some more. Alone, of course, as Alan STILL hasn't packed a single thing. BUT - he has laid claim to the bed. Which is his, I suppose, since he painted one of his dad's mattress stores to get it. Funny thing, though, is it's going into storage for a few months, until he gets his own place. Which leaves me bedless, but I'll worry about that later. In retaliation, I pack my favorite sweatshirt, which just happens to be his. It looks better on me anyways. ;)

12-22-04/Approx. 4:00pm - Being not stupid pays off. Annoying real estate neighbor comes back with full price offer. Yay.

12-23-04 (Thurs) - Two more full price offers. Annoying real estate neighbor still has the best offer, as he has waived the home inspection and has agreed to purchase the property even if it doesn't appraise. Which it probably won't. People are crazy. I'm going to end up selling my townhouse for about $70,000 more than I bought it for 7 years ago. That's crazy. I sure the hell wouldn't pay what I'm asking for it. He also agrees to close by Jan. 11, which is great because I could sure use that money. Plus, that's my birthday, and what a great present, huh?

12-24-04 (Fri) - We officially accept annoying real estate neighbor's offer. The sign comes out of the yard, less than a week after it went up. I consider myself extremely fortunate, and very happy it's over. I can finally relax a little, with that major chore crossed off my list. My child decides this is a great time to put her arm through one of the glass panes on the front window. My first thought is of her safety, I swear, but it's followed very close by the the thought of how really bad the timing is. She's ok, just a few cuts, one of them kind of deep. She opts for the scar over a stitch (which is what it probably needed, just one stitch).

We spend our last Christmas Eve together as a family at my mom's house.

12-25-04 (Sat) - Merry Christmas!! Amanda gets an obnoxious pink satiny bedroom set. She loves it. Alan and I, of course, don't exchange gifts. This isn't a separation thing, we never exchange gifts. We're always too poor. We go to his family's house. Even though everyone knows we're splitting, they're all very nice to me. Which surprises me as they're very good at banding together and alienating people.

At my aunt's house that afternoon we have a pollyanna-type gift exchange where you draw numbers to pick gifts and anyone who goes after you can take your gift from you. Alan draws number 1. His gift ends up being a moose toilet brush holder. No one takes it from him. He doesn't like it. No one likes it. Except me. I WILL have the moose. I get one of those little video pac-man like game thingies that you plug into your tv. Cool. Amanda & I are happy.

December 26 (Sun)- More packing. After a week of abso-freakin-lutely gorgeous weather, guess what. This is Virginia. This is NOT supposed to happen.

Sigh.

12-29-94 - My baby is 10. For the first time in her life we actually celebrate her birthday on the actual date. We start the day, though, at the doctor's office. The arm that went through the window has a bizarre rash all over it. The doctor is a genious, he says it's a rash. He tells me to use cortisone. Glad I have insurance so that sage advice only cost $10. Ok, back to the birthday celebration. We pick up Amanda's cousin and spend the night down at the oceanfront (uh, in a hotel room, that is). It's gorgeous. I have great pictures. Maybe one day I'll even get them developed.

12-31-04 - New Year's Eve and the last night I'll spend in my house. Amanda spends the night at her cousin's. I fall asleep before midnight with my boy Diesel curled up beside me. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new life.

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