Sale Pending

We are awaiting final paperwork to officially own the house we moved into last Thursday. That's been the reason for lack of posting - we've been furiously unpacking while grandparents were still here. It's amazing how much a almost-3-year old can slow down the packing/unpacking process. But, we're relatively back to normal. All of the beds are set up, we've done laundry, and the cats have successfully mastered the new pet door. Max does fit through the cat door but has definitely had his pride tarnished a bit as his belly flops over the side of the cat door and nearly sent him head over tail the first time he went down the steps into the garage. We are waiting on flood certification through our insurance company so we can sign the paperwork and get the title to the house - or hand the title over to the bank, as it were. Apparently a 1% chance of flooding requires insurance, particularly since the neighborhood pond is drying up and fish are dying on the ever-receding "shores" as we speak. Currently this area of FL is in a drought. The rainfall in this area has been almost 0 since April. It looks like perhaps this little pond could easily be 10 feet deep in places but right now it is beset upon by a flock of herons who are getting fat on the fist who are literally flopping in the shallow water. It is also a lovely breeding ground for humongous mosquitos. Needless to say, we've swapped out our sunscreen for OFF! since the towering pines and swamp oaks block out the sun but provide great cover for bugs and stifling humidity. We're supposed to close on the house Wed. Things still continue to go wrong even though we do at least have a home now. The refrigerator refuses to cool and the repairman (who came at 11:45 of the 8-12 window we were quoted over the phone) said the motor is busted and he'll have to order a part. Which will probably be here Thurs. so he'll be back on Fri. Obviously the internet is now working but it was a 2 day battle that included the cable company, the modem/router helpline and a man who told me his name was Patrick but he was clearly in Mumbai, India nearing his lunch break. Our new kitchen table is winging its way to our new home thanks to the extra $105 that target.com charges for its Special Delivery Zones (SDZ) of which Tallahassee is included. (Of course it is.) Did I mention that the original shipping fee for the table was only $90? So total, we payed $195 to have the table shipped. Ahh, but the chairs were free shipping, so we dodged a bullet on that one, right? No. You see, target.com has no record of us ordering any chairs even though I have the confirmation email. And, naturally, the free shipping offer has expired. So now, I will pay the original $50 shipping plus $105 for the SDZ to get my chairs which Nanette at target.com assures me were never ordered originally. Fabulous. But, I'm trying to be positive. I no longer feel sick ato my stomach immediately when I wake up. Our roof doesn't leak (b/c we're in a drought), the A/C works (I'm sure I just cursed us) and our furniture came through the move relatively unscathed. We are all healthy and maintaining a semblance of sanity. On a postive note, the fridge is still under warranty. So, there are blessings, we're just really having to look for them. One of the major blessings being our parents. The Mauks selflessly worked like dogs the entire time they were here helping us unpack and put up the swingset. My mother cleaned our entire house like it was a hospital. We have a great family and I guess that's what really matters.