Third Time Is The Charm and A Change In Plans...

We visited our third property this blustery evening.

After a nap we traveled 30 miles North and nearly caused a head on collision as our GPS told us to turn right on a one way street. Sadly it was one way in the opposite direction of where we were traveling. Thankfully the car coming towards us stopped short and allowed us to do a U turn and we collected our selves after cussing out the stupid GPS invention.

Once turned around and pointed in the proper though opposite direction we started to take in the neighborhood. It's old, but full of charm. There was church nested in between two houses, and a day care on the corner, while on another stood a bank. We parked in front of the unassuming house which sits opposite of an out of place McMansion. We slowly walked up on the porch and allowed the other family to come out having had their turn at taking a gander.

The entry is large, the living room adequate, the kitchen huge, the dining room awkward. The basement is lined in brick, and the attic covered in dust from the old coal furnace, but best of all Barney would regain his office space. Seriously we're in love. It's an old house, the windows I'm sure are drafty and the furnace totally inefficient but it is a house we could call a home. I can imagine us sitting on the front porch watching barges on the river that can be viewed along side the McMansion. I'm told there is river access up the street-which means very local kayaking! "You can paint if you want to" were the last words spoken as we were heading to the car. They said they liked us...but what if they like the next couple more? No, we won't think like that...instead we will think we've got it. we will bring boxes home on Monday. Even if we don't move we could stand to get rid of some excess!

As for the change in plans...Barney no longer wishes to pay off my car with our tax return. Instead he wants to pay off our credit cards and with the remainder he wishes to rebuild our savings account. It sounds reasonable, but that will still leave a balance of around $12000 on my car that will be slowly chiseled away over the next 48 months or so. "Uhm Barney will I still be able to stay home?" I asked...not because I'm entitled too but because if we move we lose our baby sitters. "Well, you will need to work a few hours a week..." So my plan became this...I've never been 100% sure that I can stay home for a few reasons that I will share later...so I suggested that if we're paying less in housing costs and have no credit card debt that it would be like getting a raise anyway...SO, I was going to suggest working M-W-F to my employer (I'm already part time) and then offering to actually pay our baby sitter. If that wouldn't pan out so long as I make $7000 less a year we qualify for day care assistance...which means I could feasibly work the M-W-F and put Rocky in day care...though this plan thrills me the least as I hate the idea of him being taken care of by strangers!

So...we shall see what happens....I'm not planning on one over the other for we all knwo what happens while we're busy making those plans...