Expensive musings

(Yes, I've been blog silent, busy busy, yadda yadda, enough of that...)

Lately I have been pondering some really expensive ideas. Like moving to a different neighborhood ideas. And I can't seem to shake it. But then it's completely illogical because we really love our house, we have really nice neighbors, and we live about five miles from my parents. All good. But then I see the many goods of the other place and my mind, she goes a wandrin'.

Here are some of the great things about the other neighborhood:

1) My commute to the kids school would be five minutes tops (versus the current 30-45) and is easily walkable.
2) My commute to work would be 10-20 minutes (versus the current 30-45)
3) We could walk to the museum (a favorite outing)
4) We could walk to see a handful of friends and have a short drive to see others
5) The kids could attend a school that includes the same extras that they get at their current out-of-the-way-from-this-house preschool offers. No such program in current school district.
6) We would spend a lot more of our time walking (healthy)
7) We would drive a lot less (I know that it's obvious from #6, but they are both worth listing as both are important)
8) We would be a lot closer and, in many cases within walking distance, of many things that we enjoy doing and usually either follow through with grudgingly while trying to commute and find parking or just skip because we're not in the mood for the hassle
9) We would be very close to two big parks each of which has multiple playgrounds

The not-so-great things about the other neighborhood:

1) There are a lot more people in a smaller space
2) We would have a much smaller yard (less mowing is a positive, though)
3) We would either have a much smaller house or pay more than twice what we did for our current house to get a similar size
4) The added expense would mean a new 30-year mortgage, and we are on schedule to pay off our current house in December 2015, which is a HUGE factor (no mortgage...how lovely). Of course, the current home equity is what would allow us to make the stretch, too, so it has a good side.
5) The houses are a lot closer, and we do like the distances out here
6) The local income tax is a lot higher in that neighborhood
7) We would be farther from my parents, although not more than 10 miles, so still reasonable

We can't really make a decision of this type for another year because of the uncertainty of working in biotech (Mr. D, not me), so it's not that we're packing our bags, but I think the pondering of the change might be enough motivation to start culling our many buckets o' crap. If nothing else, it will give us a lot more reason to enjoy our current place.

Snowblown Away

So, February goes on the books as the snowiest month in Pittsburgh history, and I have to say...I'm done. I am normally a polar bear at heart. Bring on the cold and snow, and then give me a mug of hot chocolate and a book by which to enjoy it (polar bears don't ski, you know). But feeling as if I am trapped in my own home by the relentless inches that keep piling up all around me? Not so much. And you would think that being trapped inside would give me plenty of time for blogging. Again, not so much. When your two preschoolers have cabin fever and the only thing that will take it away is MORE COW BELL finding the most dangerous, fragile, and permanently messy items in the house and claiming them as their own, you don't have the luxury of sitting in front of a computer to share the horror.

But, being the lemonade types (on occasion), we decided to roll with it, literally, and ventured outside to make a snowman. Here is the beginning of that effort:You will notice that there is no "after" picture because the snowman was abandoned midstream and the dog took care of the rest. That canine is the biggest fan of killing snowballs that I have ever met. Just to get a face full of snow, she will run in front of our shoveling efforts and normally ends up with a split lip.

In any case, by the time the snowman was abandoned and devoured, we noticed the neighbors sledding in their backyard by starting at the top of the hillside stairs. Normally not the best plan, but with two feet of snow, anything is possible. Even the digging of habitrails through the backyards. It was the only way to get from point A to point B, but I still expected to see giant hamsters peeking up from behind the snowy walls when I glanced outside.

Maybe next year.

Knifty

I got to feed the crafy beast this morning *and* do work for my new job at the same time. Score! One of my fellow staff members will be running a knitting and crocheting class for some of our residents, and because we are a nonprofit, we reached out the the community for donations of yarns and needles.

I got an almost immediate response to my request from the lovely Jenn B. who offered a dozen skeins of yarn to the cause. And then she passed it along to some knitty friends who also came through. So, this morning I had to--twist my arm--make a stop at a really neat local yarn store, Natural Stitches. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Jenn B., meeting the extremely helpful and friendly staff at the store (with special thanks to Yvonne for making a donation of her own as well as collecting from others), and scored a lot of yarn and hooks for the ladies at the shelter and residential program. Plus, I had to get a bit of yarn for my own stash (yes, it was a necessity...shut up). And I found a sock-making class that I must attend in February. Really. Somehow in my head I'm not really a knitter until I make a pair of socks. And a project with that many needles requires more than a book with pretty pictures (for me, at least).

So, a fabulous morning overall. Many thanks again to Jenn B. for her yarn and for graciously tolerating the antics of the small one. And if any of you are ever in need of great yarn in a comfy environment with cool people, head over to Natural Stitches in the east end. I know I will be back!

Whirlwinds of change

I'm not sure if anyone is even stopping by here any more, especially given my extreme blog silence, but seeing as I don't want to give up the blog (and would like very much to start posting here more), I am adding "blogging" to the list of things I will pay more attention to in 2010.

My 2010 list is already a pretty interesting collection. To ring in the new year, I got myself a new job. I wasn't losing the old one, but I had definitely lost interest. Yes, I am grateful to be in a position to have the luxury to look for a new job out of want not out of need. There are far to many people in the "need" category these days. And with the job change comes a change in our perspectives on life, to a degree. As many of you know, I had been working in academia for years. Now, I am working in nonprofit, and the salaries are like apples and oranges. You can't compare them, really, because it's two different worlds. And, the new job gives me everything I wanted from a new job--flexible hours, a sense of making a difference in the world, doing something I really enjoy, working with a great group of people, promoting a cause that I believe in--but it can't stand up in the salary area. We are certainly not struggling--I would never take a move like that with two kids to consider. But we will have to be more careful. And I will be anxiously anticipating the removal of financial burdens--18 months till Mr. Moo starts attending public school, 2 years till the cars are paid off, and six years till we can burn our mortgage papers (that's one for which I will proably throw a party...seriously). But without question, I have made the right move for me. My stress levels have dropped dramatically and my outlook has improved immensely.

I have lots more to say about the job, but I'll save that as post fodder.

And I have more to say about 2010, but I'm in the middle of installing flooring in our basement. I've only been waiting to do something with that space for two years (and have had the flooring that long, so it's not a budget hit at all) and today's a work holiday, so off to the underground I go!

The world according to my kids

The red condiment commonly used on French fries is “dippy.” If more than one variety of dippy is available, they are also designated by color, “red dippy, yellow dippy, white dippy,” and so forth.

The man with the big white beard and red suit that breaks into kids’ houses at the end of December is called “Tinkerbell.” (Boudica-specific nomenclature)

The little squishy, stretchy toy animals (think gummy worms and the like) are made of a substance called “squeeze.”

The round, minty, chocolate-covered candies that give you the sensation that you are standing on a wind-swept mountain top are called “circle treats.”

Puff the Magic Dragon is completely acceptable for story time, but I should not, under any circumstances, have Puff engage in a conversation with Dippy the Dinosaur because, “Dippy is a statue, Mommy. He can’t talk.”

Ok. Good to know.