Finally! Something solid!

We're going to buy our house! Yes, my father has agreed to let us buy it for the payoff price instead of the payoff price PLUS the $5,500 we "owe" him, as originally planned. We changed our plans because we now realize that he has realized thousands of dollars in tax breaks using our money--OK if he was actually our landlord, but not OK according to the loose terms of our verbal agreement. So he's acting like a landlord, but a landlord who pays NOTHING--not even taxes and insurance--and does NOTHING in the way of upkeep, but is suddenly Mr. Landlord when it comes tax time, claiming that he has a right to keep the tax proceeds because it's "his" money. Ah, it's a long and tedious story. To make matters simple for you, dear reader, we've decided that he should subtract the proceeds from the taxes from the amount we owe him. If he's only realized $4,000 in tax breaks, then we owe $1,500. If he's realized more than $5,500, then we're off the hook and he can keep the rest pinched tightly in his little fingers. Whatever.

ANYHOO, we are finally buying the house--OUR house!!! We are going to celebrate by installing the new front door that we bought, the two solid-wood interior doors that replace the two remaining ticky-tack plywood things, installing the new dark bronze doorknobs and hinges, and finishing the bathroom remodel. And, since we plan on staying in the house for a few more years at least (plans change), we're also moving ahead with plans to redo the roof, fix the porches, landscape, add skylights to the living room, and maybe even put on a bedroom addition. Whew!

We also bought more chicks--13 of them! My nephews were visiting me yesterday and they got to pick out a total of 6 chicks to be "theirs". It was fun. In the way of full-size birds ("heavy breeds"), we got 3 Barred Rocks (we have 4 now), 2 Red Sex Links (a cross of Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds), and 2 White Leghorns (excellent white egg layers). The other 6 are all Bantams (little chickens) of some sort, but we think there are at least a few Araucanas in there, which means we'll have tiny little green and blue eggs come fall. Unless they're roosters, of course. Then they get sent to the nephews!

So one of the up-in-the-air situations is mostly resolved. (We still have to negotiate the $5,500 problem, but at least it's not tied to the house.) I still don't know about the job, though I feel very confident, and we still don't know about Anthony, the little boy we want to adopt. Soon. Breathe.

Ohio Boy Makes Bad

I'm pretty miffed at Senator Voinovich. He was one of 51 senators who voted against the Cantwell Amendment. The Cantwell Amendment would have pulled the issue of whether or not to drill in the ANWAR out of the budget bill, where it does not belong. They only put it there to try to sneak it past a public that doesn't want drilling in the Arctic.

Despite hundreds of thousands of calls, letters, and emails, Voinovich and his ilk voted to pay tribute to their corporate masters.

Turns out that George is a fellow graduate of Ohio U., my beloved university. The picture on his web page was taken at OU, and I said in my letter to him this morning that it was ironic because the vast majority of the good folks of Athens would completely disagree with his vote. With ALL of his votes, probably.

The war isn't over, but chalk up the first battle to the Greedy Bastards.

Another thing--three Dems voted for evil, too. One was from LA (do they even let Dems in LA?), the other two were both of Hawaii's senators!? Do you think President Bush threatened them with Bikini Atoll pictures or something? Conspiracy fodder.

Ohio Girl Makes Good

Last night, these folks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

U2, The Pretenders, The O'Jays, Percy Sledge, Buddy Guy

How this whole thing relates, man:

The Pretenders, headed by the venerable (and fiery) Buckeye Chrissie Hynde, wrote the song "My City Was Gone" which relates nicely to Sven Golly's blog entry (www.istandcorrected.blogspot.com) about a CVS being erected on an ancient Indian burial . . . no, wait. Where there is now a church. Good luck, CVS! Here are the words:

I went back to Ohio
But my city was gone
There was no train station
There was no downtown
South Howard had disappeared
All my favorite places
My city had been pulled down
Reduced to parking spaces
A, o, way to go Ohio

Well I went back to Ohio
But my family was gone
I stood on the back porch
There was nobody home
I was stunned and amazed
My childhood memories
Slowly swirled past
Like the wind through the trees
A, o, oh way to go Ohio

I went back to Ohio
But my pretty countryside
Had been paved down the middle
By a government that had no pride
The farms of Ohio
Had been replaced by shopping malls
And Muzak filled the air
From Seneca to Cuyahoga Falls
Said, a, o, oh way to go Ohio

Further, the Pretenders were introduced by none other than my forgotten husband, NEIL YOUNG!

Finally, one article described Chrissie Hynde thusly:

"Ohio native Chrissie Hynde was a tough but tender role model for women" Ah, the old "strong yet vulnerable" bullshit rears it's great stupid bull head.

No! No! Don't stop a rockin'!

If I really want to get my husband's attention--to actually make him STOP and TALK--I'll ask him a question about music.

The other day at lunch my colleagues and I were musing over which pop/rock star, alive or dead, we would choose to marry. Choices ranged from Franz Lizst--a total violation of the rules, but a total hottie--to Natalie Imbruglia (come ON Shirtless!), to John Lennon--a huge improvement over that person's first, unsure choice: Elvis. Yuck. As for Flip's choice, Eddie Vedder, I admit to rolling my eyes, but only because I don't like Pearl Jam, and he comes across as all "self-absorbed sincere." I realize now that I am, tragically, subconsciously, blaming Mr. Flip for all the loathsome Creedish singers that he inspired. In truth, he's a cool guy, very cute, and--the clincher for me--a supporter of Earth First!

I chose Beck, with Sting as a back-up, as all dear readers know. But I forgot someone! Someone who would be at the top of my list! A young Neil Young. Yum. And duh! I've only had a crush on him since I was, like, 5. And, if this same topic had been brought up 22 years ago, I would've answered Pete Townshend and ONLY Pete Townshend. And then I would have cried.

I was relating all of this to my husband this morning--you know, the guy who gets up at 5 AM but doesn't like to talk until, oh, around 1 in the afternoon? He STOPPED what he was doing and pondered. He agreed that the choices I offered on his behalf--Aretha Franklin and Liz Phair, were #2 and #3, respectively. But I had forgotten the woman both of us would marry, and his #1 choice--Lucinda Williams. (Come to think of it, I wonder if Lucinda, Ms. Unlucky-in-love herself, has ever met Neil, total rock god? Cute couple!) He also likes Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth (oh, don't they all, those grunge boys.)

If we stood in front of our album collection for awhile, I'm sure there would be more. And I love the Golly's choices! I'm not surprised that Sven chose Joni, Joan, and Michelle, but Karen Carpenter? As for Gwen, Duane Allman I can see (I'm married to a little lost Allman), and Van Morrison's astral plane of romance rises above his so-so looks (who writes more romantic songs than Van Morrison? Here's a clue: Um, NO ONE). And Mick can certainly shake it, but he seems to shake it with a LOT of women, and James Brown apparently read the Ike Turner manual for marriage. Oh, Gwen, you deserve better!

Anyway, this is the kind of question that can spawn hours of thoughtful discussion between my actual husband and myself. Give it a try, reader! Let the world in on your secret rock-star crush!

Next up: Voices you would marry. Joe Cocker, anyone? Ha!
After that: Songs that make you want to marry (or "your songs", as long as it's not "Your Song" by Elton John, because that's kinda cutesy. But it could also be construed as irreverently cool, so just ignore me and my intimidating coolness).

Secret Blog Clue

foggy notion

Wednesdays with Lulu

Not much is happening. Well, that's not quite right. Lot's of things are happening, nothing is RESOLVING.

I fell off the sugar wagon, but I have cut back tremendously. Except when I was home sick yesterday. Wafflooza! Am now auditioning for the South Beach Diet. It seems very reasonable, and the good Dr. Agatston makes a convincing case against simple carbs (fruit excepted). I bought $10 worth of sugarless gum today, to fight cravings (like the big one I'm having for a Snickers RIGHT NOW!).

We still don't have our house, but we're almost there. Almost. Almost. Almost.

We still don't have a second kid, but we're almost there. Almost. Almost. Almost.

Today I chose Beck as my rock husband, if I had to choose one. He looks a lot like my actual husband. I do love the tall skinny blondes. Not sure why. If Kev had been among us, he would've chosen Aretha Franklin or Liz Phair. My second choice was Sting, but only because he was in a good band, seems like a decent chap, and has a big ol' country house in England.

I'm pretty sure I got The Job. The Job that would null and void at least the time table of plans discussed previously on this site. The job that would enable one of us to stay home, at least part-time (not me). The job that would be much more interesting than my current job at this very time. The job that is so interesting that I'm blogging! That is so interesting that I cannot stay focused on it for more than 90 seconds!

But did I get the job? Well, it's been nearly two weeks since I last interviewed, and I still don't know. Almost. Almost. Almost.

You see? I really did 'got nothin'.