The view ahead is uncertain, but I remain on the lookout…

 

"When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind." 

I always pick the worst time to write here, it seems.  Last night I stayed up until 2:30am watching a 'Roseanne' marathon on TVLand, simply because around 11pm I couldn't decide whether to start this new book I've just gotten, search for new real estate listings online, or resume Season 2 of 'The X-Files'.  So I woke up this morning with my head feeling like it's full of sawdust--and the faint memory of Roseanne Barr's screeching still ringing in my ears!

The weekend before last, I drove down to my sister Shawn's house & stayed overnight with my niece Sophie (while Shawn's husband Jim was away).  We spent an exhausting couple days playing in the yard, eating fried chicken and ice cream cones, drawing & shopping & going to the movies (we saw "Up") and everything else a four year old girl can cram in between.   That kid is pretty good with a frisbee--and at giving orders! 

Anyway--I seem to have come to a crossroads with my quest for a new home.   Earlier this week on the last outing with my realtor (which involved a picturesque village named Sewickley, a cute 2 bedroom apartment being 'flipped' and an outrageous monthly association fee of $326.00 on TOP of the mortgage), Harper informed me that there just wasn't a real market in the area for what I'm looking for.  

(I’ve been in search of a 2 bedroom condo with a fair-sized kitchen, close to a community & priced around 100K.  I hardly think that’s too much to ask for.)  

 

Harper Bauer, my agent;  she's been both friendly & professional, I genuinely like her.  I just don't want to see the time she's invested in me go to waste

 

So, right now I'm unsure what my next move is; it's time to sign my annual lease with my apartment, and I'm feeling like I have no choice but to stay here another year.  

It's funny... when I first started thinking about owning my own home, I assumed there'd be a wealth of properties to choose from.  Particularly now, in this so-called "buyers market".  I've seen the occasional house out there, but my gut keeps telling me that I wouldn't be happy with a traditional property (well, as long as I'm single).   

 

Here's a new townhome I like--a great neighborhood & priced at 115K, well within my price range.  But it's back home in Waynesburg! 

All I can do now is keep looking; hopefully, this isn't over yet. 

 

And then finally, last weekend I proudly celebrated my one year anniversary of quitting cigarettes.   Well, it's not like I had a party or anything... and I still use my little electronic "stick" to puff on flavored vapor--but it really has been a whole year without tobacco.

 

On July 3, 2008  I was outside having my 'last smoke before bed', when something came over me & I knew that was my last one.  After 25 years, I had enough; & the Fourth of July became my own Independence Day 

 

Unfortunately, I've also GAINED fifteen pounds since this time last year.  A few days ago I was standing at the sink in my office’s kitchen rinsing out my cup, my boss came in to get some coffee and said “How long has it been since you quit smoking?”  When I proudly replied a year, he said “Now it’s time to work on those pounds.”  Uh!  I am thisclose to signing up with one of those prepackaged meal plans, and if my sister Shawn had her way, I'd have been enrolled in one a long time ago.  I need to come up with a new game plan here. 

Well, on that happy note...I think I'm going to make myself a little snack.