nothing's new

So now that I am with job and more relaxed there isn't a whole lot going on. Joe and I leave for Maine tomorrow. We still haven't packed and I have a ton of laundry to do. I hate doing laundry. Seriously hate it. I just checked the weather for Maine and it's slated for mid-30s with snow on Friday which I guess is good for our X-C Skiing adventure. I am not going to lie. I wish we were going somewhere warm. But because of my medicine I can't be "in the sun", and sitting under an umbrella dressed from head to toe seemed like a waste of money. With that in mind I cannot wait for April when I am off of this medicine. And even more so I can't wait for spring. It's funny that we live in Upstate NY because I hate snow and I hate the cold. Well I hate being cold. And I am always cold. In fact, when we were on our honeymoon, in August, I brought several hooded sweatshirts with me and actually wore them during the day if it was overcast. So it's 82 degrees and I am outside in a hooded sweatshirt. I looked like an idiot I am sure, but truthfully I was cold. That being said, I think that we will live in Albany for a long time, if not indefinitely. Which is okay, I guess, because we haven't found anywhere else that's "worth" living, at least for us. We're adamant about being close to big cities, but not in one, the cost of property and land must be reasonable, and the economy must be stable. With Albany you are 2 hours from Boston and NYC, 1 hour from Vermont and 3 hours from Canada, the median home price is $300K, and we are situated in the Capital of NY which means that our economy is always stable (unlike Syracuse which is always depressed, etc.). So here we are. And to boot Joe's best friend just bought a house in our neighborhood 4 blocks from us with his soon-to-be wife, so that, I think, seals the deal. I just cannot wait until May when our last payment goes out to our credit cards and I can FINALLY FINALLY hire someone to come in here and redecorate. Yes, I said hire someone. I am hiring an interior designer to redo our kitchen and the master bath and *possibly* to finish the basement (although I might wait till next year with the basement). Then I am hiring an interior decorator to work her magic on our living and dining rooms. Joe's friend is a landscape architect (went to ESF!) and has offered to come out and draw up a plan for us this Spring to reface the whole house so that it has more curb appeal too. My goal is to have the whole house complete and livable by December. Our neighborhood wasn't exactly my first choice, but Joe's company transferred us on really short notice and we had 4 weeks notice to move. This was the third house we put an offer on, and while it's a beautiful house, it's in one of those neighborhoods where there are 4 different models of homes (you know, the Alexandra, the Victoria, the Christiana and the Jaclyn). This kind of neighborhood reminds me of the movie Edward Scissorhands, where all the houses look the same but were just different colors. Anyway, obviously the houses are all different, but what sets them apart is really not the exterior (which is mostly color differences and size) but the interior. So I want to really sink some capital into the house to make it stand out (but in a good way) to potential buyers down the line while also making it more comfortable for us. I think in all we will probably be IN this house for another 3 years, which also explains the bug up my ass to fix it up. I don't want to fix it all up and then move a month later. I actually want to enjoy the house before giving it to someone else. And we will definitely be putting it on the market in the next 3-4 years because we went into this house - knowing that a 3 bedroom would not be big enough for a growing family - with a 7 year ARM to take down our APR. That said, we are almost 2 years into our 7. So we'll definitely sell within the next 4. But depending on when we start having kids, that timeline may be sooner than later. So that is that, and May is the wonderful month that we'll finally be out of debt -- barring some natural disaster. I am seriously just wishing it was May already. Speaking of kids, my in-laws are getting antsy. I think they are running under the premise that we already have a house and we've been together for 7 years, so where's the baby. My MIL who never asks about anything personal, has been very (well for her) vocal. Trying to trick Joe into talking about our child making process and asking me all sorts of (uncomfortable) questions. My mother is no better. And I hate to tell them all, but there's no baby for a LONG while. Okay well not LONG but long. We went to my cousin's baby shower two weeks ago and to be perfectly honest, her pregnant (about 31 weeks) belly grossed and freaked me out. It was sweaty and itchy and her belly button was just a flat swirl instead of an actual belly button, and it felt funny. And after 11 p.m. (I think from being up all day) I visibly noticed her entire body (face, arms, legs, feet, etc.) start to swell and bloat. And she's tiny! 4'11" 98#s without the baby -- she's only gained 16 pounds in 30 weeks, so like I said, she's tiny. And she looked like a blister by the end of the night. Forget how much I need to get over the fear of what will happen to my body, because that's a whole other story. But honestly, I don't feel like having something in my life that forces me to give up parts of myself...yet. I like going to the gym, sometimes twice a day. Or getting my nails done on a Wednesday afternoon, just because. And a baby, well I think for the most part, that's all the woman's responsibility. It's not like with the dog, where I can nudge Joe to let her out and feed her. I am the one that has to get up and I am just not ready. Thank God my husband isn't either. Someday. Just not TOday. That said, I am off to go shopping. On a Wednesday morning. Just because. Sweet liberty :)