My return

I will be returning to Connecticut one more time this weekend. I will close on the new house Friday morning - and fly home Friday night. Packers come Monday and Tuesday, and the moving truck Wednesday. When S. & D. return from camp, we will jet to Minnesota on Sunday.

More News

D. was returned safely - and was impressively self sufficient, coming over to the office on his own (with Mom's new phone). We had a good weekend - went to a Saints game, and biked around Lake Harriet and Lake of Isles, and spent Sunday afternoon at the park of the Mall of America.

House news - the inspections of the old house were very picky, finding issues that have existed in this old house for years! Umpa has spent all of his free time getting issues straightened out. And on Friday I was informed that the house roof needs to be replaced, the big garage roof as well. The smaller three bay garage would need extensive work as well, so I'll get quotes to have it removed.

With very little help from the bankers, I figured out how to pay for the closing - I called my IRA/401K people and worked something out. These things that keep popping up with the old house were keeping the Relo offer from coming. So I needed to do something else to provide the down payment. Now I'm left with two houses as of Friday.

D. Arrives

So now it's D.'s turn, he arrived today (thinking I'd be busy closing Friday, Ha!). Took the light rail back to the office, and met some of my co-workers as we went to Coldstone. He brought the Wii, and even rusty I beat him. Tomorrow I'll go in for a while in the morning, and then we have the walk through of the new house. We're thinking of visiting the MOA, the Saints and either biking or canoeing.

What a week the IRS sent a letter saying the needed 15K , which H&R agreed they had made an error and would fix it. And the saga of the old house continues, the relo offer still not forthcoming. Umpa and some of my friends have been busting their butts to finish up my house, and still no one has visited to make an offer.

Next Steps

So, the inspection on the Ct. house is taking too long. They wouldn't be done by Friday - so I've moved off the date of the closing of the new house by a week. D. comes Thursday, for the weekend - we'll do a walkthrough of the new house, and look around the neighborhood.

Our Weekend - S.

We went out to the House - and bought him sneakers. The we went across to Taylor Falls - and canoed down 7 miles to Osceola, Wi. We struggled until I switched to the front, and quit drifting in circles. We saw a paddleboat (same company we rented from) - tons of swimmers and some ancient pictograms. Then we had sushi and went home - missed the fireworks, too tired.
Sunday we went to Ikea, C. will like - saw DR sets and desks I liked. Then the return train, and watched DVDs of "Drew Carey", then we're off to "Chilpotle" a higher end "TacoBell".
Looked up the Camp the Scouts use "Many Point" - 3.5 hours...That will be a very different experience from our friendly neighborhood Workcoeman...

ValleyFair with S.

S. showed up this afternoon, Talked the whole time. Rode the Light Rail to my Apt., and then we drove south to the big "Six Flags" place - ValleyFair. A bullseye new guy event - free food, and a free ticket. Lots of water rides, seven coasters, and lots of N. sized rides.

Tomorrow we'll go up and see the new house - and then we think we'll drive over to Taylor Falls and rent a canoe. We haven't decided what we'll do Sunday.

Visits - from the Guys

The big Minn. news is that S. will be here Friday for a long weekend, and D. will be here next week. I have a new T. employee ticket to Valleyfair this Friday, and maybe we'll hit the new house, and maybe the Aquatennial, and maybe a ballgame. D. will be here to see the closing on the house and maybe a visit to MOA. They are excited, and I need to get excited as well - the CT House inspection for the relocation company is amazing, and not in a good way.

So the Ct. house needs some odd things repaired/fixed - Umpa will be there tomorrow, and Integrity Electrical and Advantage Services will be in as well to resolve these issues. The house hasn't even had a nibble yet, and I close on the new soon.

So we're in prayer over what to do over the old house, hold (for another month) or fold (take offer). But the offer isn't in hand yet either - and I feel like crap.

Scouts

Met with the DE in our new district to be. They run a pair or short day camps, in city parks, and have a facility, a park where they are going to build a cub world rsn. He gave me a list of six packs and 3 troops in Elk River.

Back to Mpls

So, now I’m back in Minn. It was an exhausting vacation – convincing the house that they needed to be prepping the house for showing, that they “really” live in Minn. and would be there soon. Painted the Laundry, moved the boxes from all over to the Basement. S. setup the family room in the basement. N. and I went through the outside toys. Spoke to the bank about the mortgage today, and hope that inertia doesn’t overtake my old house, it still needs to be vacuumed and the sofa’s cleaned. But on the whole – with three sons in it, not bad.
Sunday was very successful. Was great to see so many friends, was neat to see so many people from my work, and Scouts, and from church. Was awesome to see F. with hair post-chemo...and when goodbye started getting to me, went out and spent my last moments in Bakersville where I'd spent so, so many afternoons - beating random people at Volleyball with SM.

My CT Visit

So, I returned to Connecticut this week, to tie up loose ends, and visit the summer camp I shoulda/coulda been running. N. was finally a Scout, and had a great time. One of his best friends was there - and having been a Pixie for so long, was more than ready to have full access. S. & D. worked, and for them it was odd not reporting to me either. Camp was well run, survived it's crises, made me proud of the team we'd put together over the last 5 years. When I wasn't a third wheel, I was home - trying to get stuff done. I wanted to speak to my realtor and I needed to show the popup - which didn't sell, yet.
Camp went well, my parents brought up some visiting family for a picnic on the beach, and weathered some thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Helped cooking, and watched a good campfire. They gave me ashes to share our campfires with our new Troop/Pack in Minn.
Tomorrow is the open house, My family called out to friends and family to say "bye" Sunday afternoon. Sounds very depressing and a bit of a no-win situation. Lots of goodbyes, or worse, not enough.

I return to Minn. Monday, returning the car and boarding before 1:00pm.

Home again

Arrived home last night, Showed the camper and went out to camp today. It also went on without me, amazing. I realized we had spoken about looking for a church and Troop, but I hadn't updated you about anything I figured out so far. The Boy Scout Council is the Central Minnesota Council - and I am going to meet with the local DE, Tuesday night for dinner. I haven't found a Boy Scout camp referenced on their website, but I'll ask when I meet the guy. The link is on the left.

Sunday Update

Spoke to Kevin today - Got DVD of "June in Moz." Saturday. Made me realize how much I miss Ben and his family.
Went of see "Pirates 3" - too much spent on CGI, and not the most thought out plot 1- the Lovers get a highlander-esque life, and why didn't the dutchman submerge when his heart was put back on board. But the theater was nice.

Home inspection went well, home owner was there as well. W/D are already in Texas, but Fridge is staying. Went back yesterday - got a haircut and drove around. It's an older little town with a Berlin Turnpike highway down one side (Rt. 169). The older route is Rt. 10, through downtown and out toward our house. Went to the nearby park after the inspection. Full of Trails, paved and unpaved - found 4 ticks on me though. It connects up to a paved old RR right of way, that runs for 40 or more miles and connects behind the new house.

Worrying about Camp (needlessly, and pointlessly) anyway.