Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Birthday Parties, Endings and Sold Signs

Well, I thought last Friday would be a big day but when I woke up on Saturday I realized just how big!

Friday morning was quick, painless and final. I have switched back legally to my maiden name and am no longer a married woman. My mother and the Amazing E were by my side as they have been all along. I was smart, once I realized that there was no way Ted would change his mind about this to put myself in the driver’s seat and hire a good lawyer so the final stages were handled with dignity and absolutely no drama. Others involved in this whole debacle have not been as dignified, intelligent, expedient or drama free and as a result are still married nearly 2 years later.

TL’s birthday party was fun for all. One of her new friends is in a band and so after checking in to the hotel and getting settled (I got a suite so I had a separate room…) we went to watch them and had dinner at Pot Belly (yum). While we were sitting by the pool I got a call from my realtor and we finally got an offer on the house—there’s more to this story but that’s the next paragraph. The girls went to be early (by midnight!!!) and woke up to the cruel joke of an alarm clock that was never shut off by the previous occupant at 7:00. Since they all get up so early for school they were pretty much up soon after. Breakfast was an omelet/breakfast buffet and we ate hearty. The girls played hide n seek and ran around the lake. We packed up and were home by 10:30 to greet my parent’s movers.

Sold signs…so the offer Friday night was good enough to take although still not enough to cover all the costs so I will end up having to pay money to rid myself of this elephant. I end up with nothing from my marriage financially but…I also rid myself of bills, yard work and earned my freedom so it is worth it. The funny thing is that when it rains it pours, Sunday afternoon brought us another offer (cash this time) that although I will end up bringing more money to the table it is “as is” so I have no repair work, appraisals or loans to wait for and on Saturday I can begin to look for a place for us to rent. The closing is November 6th so I will be busy this month.

Our week ahead is bittersweet. My parents are moving back to AZ and although I dreaded their arrival into my home it has worked out much better than I ever expected and I will miss them. The movers started on Saturday and will load up the van today and head west tonight. My oldest nephew will fly into town on Wednesday evening and spend his fall break driving my father across country (they planned this in September so the sold sign just made the reason for leaving real). Don’t feel sorry for my nephew tho—he got a new iPhone out of the deal…. My mother will stay here for a month to help me with TL while I travel for work and now will also help me pack up my house. My friend from SC is driving up Thursday (the amazing man that he is, he will fly home from Des Moines Thursday morning and load up the car and head up here Thursday afternoon!). The original plan was that we were going to work on the house and I had a long list of “honey dos” for him—since the house is “as is” that’s out the window and we plan on playing! I’m having a Happy Hour for him Friday at the house and everyone is invited over to meet him and help us celebrate!

TL is plugging along with school but is also beginning to be challenged which I’m glad to see! Her grades have slipped a little due to homework issues and now I’m back to cracking the whip! The schools allow us to monitor their grades over the internet and she doesn’t get to play the “I don’t have any homework” game anymore. She goes to her father this weekend (she hasn’t been since August so I can’t boo hoo too much—but boo hoo, I always miss her) and they have planned a big celebration for her I’m sure. She is beginning to think this divorced thing isn’t so bad since she gets several birthday parties out of it…

Hope everyone’s week is good—I’m looking forward to some calm someday…