First Landing State Park

Millie needed a really good walk by Friday, so I headed out to First Landing State Park.  It's off of Shore Drive, and I think it used to be called Seashore State Park at one point.  I think I went once when I was a kid, but haven't been back since.  I wasn't expecting much but a plain boring trail, but I was pleasantly surprised at how scenic some of the trails actually were.  There are also beach areas along some trails and Millie enjoyed a dip in the water.  I'll definitely plan on going back when I visit my brother again.

Christmas 2013

Christmas turned out much better than Thanksgiving.  I didn't get sick and was in better spirits overall. We celebrated this holiday at Jason's.  I got in kinda late on Christmas Eve so getting up at 6 for present unwrapping was a bit tough, but it was fun watching the kids tear it up.  It is a bit sad though that I put in weeks of shopping effort to find them presents and the whole thing was pretty much over in 30 minutes.

It was a gorgeous day out so I took Millie out for a walk around Mt. Trashmore in the morning.  Kim, Mike, and Ariana showed up in the afternoon for the dinner.  We all had a good time, but I think this whole weekend was torture for Millie though.  She had to watch everyone eat all weekend long.

White House Christmas Decorations 2013

White House Christmas Decorations 2013, a set on Flickr.

Today I got to visit the White House to see the Christmas decorations, a perk I got through my job. It's a self-guided tour starting at the East Entrance for visitors, and ending at the North Entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue. I don't think describe it will do any justice so you should just look at the pictures.

Worst Week Ever

The problems I tend to have in my life are small potatoes compared to those that some face in theirs.  Still though, the back to back blow that was dealt to me this week was tough to handle.  If I ever felt like I deserved a pity party this was it.

The bulk of the bad news happened over the weekend before Thanksgiving.  First, things weren't going so well with Cory and I had just made the decision to give him back that Friday.  He was showing lots of aggression towards Millie.  He growls at her a lot, and have snapped at her a few times.  She was so uncomfortable around him that she wouldn't go in the same room with him most times.  He also caused an incident at a dog park the first time I took him.  Still, I knew he had been going through a lot of hard times and I wanted to give him a chance.  I thought things were actually improving between him and Millie since they play together sometime.  He was also a really sweet dog when other dogs weren't involved. Unlike Millie who is spoiled, he appreciates his toys, beds, and getting petted.  Couple times he just snuggled up next to me and put his head on my lap or shoulder.  He's house trained and fairly well-behaved too. Towards end of that second week I thought I'd be able to keep him, but then he bit a six months old puppy at the dog park :(  In the first incident I had not seen what the other dog did so I gave Cory the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, the puppy only wanted to play.  It was at this point I finally resolved to return him, as heart breaking as it was for me.  I called the coordinator for owner give backs at the rescue group that I got him from.  That night, I was closely observing Millie and Cory play.  They seemed to be doing ok but out of the blue he went after Millie.  As I tried to stop him he bit me by accident - though I'm sure he meant to bite Millie.  Millie just cried and scampered off, too afraid to fight back.  That night I dropped him off at a friend's house for the week.  The rescue group was slow to get back to me, and my friends kept telling me horror stories about how dogs with behavioral problems get put to death.  My friend also has a dog too, but their lab is bigger than Cory.  Again at their house, Cory growls, but my friend's dog is having none of it so he barks at Cory.  There was lots of barking and going on which was stressful to listen.  Somehow my friend thinks they just need to get used to each other.  I don't know... but I just wanted Cory to go to a home without a dog.  At this point though, I just trusted my friend who was going to be home this coming week and was willing to work with him.  Leaving Cory behind was hard, and I knew he had to go back and be placed in another home.

The next bad news came from my mom who called to tell me that my uncle in Japan had passed away.  While I was not very close to him, but mom was quite upset over it.  What bothered me most was that I chose not be there for my mom.  I felt as though I don't spend enough time with her already, and even at this moment when she probably needs company, I am not making the effort to be with her.  She did not ask me to come, but I felt like I should be there.  Still, a flight to Japan is nearly $2000, and I knew it would be a pretty miserable trip given the circumstances I'd be going under.  Plus, I was planning to see my brothers and Dad during Thanksgiving.  I was so guilt ridden over this though, and felt that I was being a horrible daughter.  While my mind was half made-up, I was still debating what to do when the next blow came.

Although the divorce isn't final, Brad met someone at work a while back and is in a serious relationship with this new woman.  This doesn't bother me, and to the contrary I am glad he is with someone that makes him happy as I had been the one pushing for a divorce for the longest time.  In my case though, I had no luck just meeting someone out of the blue and had been too busy getting settled into work and my new home to even think about dating.  Now that things have settled down a bit in those areas though, I decided to give dating a try.  I went on a few dates with two guys recently.  One guy, while he was sexy and hot, turned out to be far too right-winged.  The other guy, on the other hand, I really liked.  I'm not entirely sure why, since there were red-flags from the beginning.  He told me himself that he was a workaholic and isn't good with relationships.  He'd cancel dates and not communicate well between them.  When we were together though and did talk, he just seemed really nice, polite, and into me.  The chemistry was great.  It felt right.  I also liked that he was a hard worker, although it came at a cost.  The truth is that other things in his life came first - like his work and family.  While these priorities are understandable at this stage, when you work 70+ hours a week it doesn't leave much room for anything else... including me.  When he acknowledged that he was struggling to commit to being there for me more, when I already felt like I hardly saw him, I realized how low I was in his priorities.

My heart was already aching over Cory and mom, and when I realized things were pretty much over with this guy, I became quite depressed.  I somehow made it through work on Monday, but if I had easy access to the happy pill or weed, I may have tried it.  I was somewhat on the mend Tuesday and was very much looking forward to getting out of town the next day for Thanksgiving.  The plan was to go to Nathan's in SC where Jason, the kids, and Dad would join us.  I always have a good time with my family so I knew I was on the home stretch to getting better.  I just needed to get there.  Well, just when I thought things can't get much worse, I get sick on Tuesday night and bad weather is expected on Wednesday that could affect my drive down.

I was still mobile on Wednesday morning so  I got up at 0500 and was packed and out of the door by 0700. Given that snow was expected on I-81, I chose to take I-95 to I-85 for a change.  Well, as always on I-95, there's traffic.  Supposedly from an accident on I-95.  Once past the accident it was smooth sailing for a while although there was lots of heavy rain and a bit of snow in NC.  I hit traffic once again near Charlotte though, and by now I've developed a full blown cold or something.  I felt like absolute shit.  I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to drive and here I was stuck in traffic.  Fortunately I pulled through and made it to Nathan's.  Overall it was only about an hour's worth of traffic altogether.  Only.

Once at Nathan's though, I was pretty dead.  I slept most of that night and right through Thanksgiving.  I woke up to eat 3 meals a day for my health, but I don't remember doing much else.  Oh, I remember trying to keep Millie from eating everyone's food and chasing my 3 year old nephew around.  That's about it.  I brought board games for us to all play but I couldn't even stay awake for that.  I'm not sure if it was the flu but it sucked.  I couldn't even walk Millie and had to get someone else to take her.  So much for a nice Thanksgiving to make up for the crappy weekend.  Still, I suppose I am glad I was able to make it down there.  Being sick down there among family was much better than being sick at home alone.  My sister-in-law is a trooper too and managed the whole Thanksgiving meal herself, with a bit of help from my nieces.  So I'm definitely thankful for her, or we'd have no Thanksgiving dinner.  (The guys are useless.)

Friday was a wash too since I was still too sick to do much.  I slept most of the day again and didn't partake in any black-Friday shopping.  After 3 days of sleeping, it seemed only right that I was well enough to drive back today - with no traffic luckily.  So I'm home.  Unpacked, showered, and relaxing.  Cory, Mom, and the guy are still on my mind at times, but I'm doing much better now.  At least while I was sick I was too sick to even be depressed.  Tomorrow is a new week, and even a new month at that.  I hope this streak of bad luck is over with and some good things will come my way.

Big Brother Cory

Millie (left) and Cory (right)

Today I adopted a 5 year old male chocolate lab from Lab Rescue.  His name was Pony Boy but I renamed him to Cory.  He was a shy boy at the adoption event, but once he got home and went out into the yard, he was a happy boy.  He also loves toys.  It's unclear how much the dogs like each other, especially with Cory growling at Millie at times, but I have high hopes that they will get used to each other and become best buds.

It's a scary thought having two dogs to look after on my own.  I've been thinking about getting a second dog for a while now, perhaps over a year.  However, each time I decide to get one, Millie ends up at the vet and then I change my mind.  (The most costly part of having a pet is the vet bills.)  Then again, since separating with Brad back in April, I feel like Millie looks more bored and lonely than ever.  I'm gone almost 10 hours during the work day, and on some weekend or week night I am also gone.  For a long time I didn't do much because I felt guilty about leaving Millie home alone.  As a single woman now though, I can't afford to be a
hermit.  Plus, I enjoy going out and hanging out with my friends.  I think there will be a little more work, especially when it comes to walks, but I hope Millie will be a lot happier, and Cory too.

Cory spent about six months in shelter during a court case involving his prior owner.  He seems to have forgotten his basic commands, or never knew them.  I pretty much have to start with 'sit'.  Although he does seem to come when I call.  He likes rolling around in the grass.  I wasn't too happy he decided to roll around in the grass right after I'd given him a bath.  Leash walking needs lots of improvement too.  The Easy Walk harness isn't helping too much, so I may have to try the head halter.  In some ways Millie is a better trained dog.  In other ways though, Cory is better behaved.  For example, Cory doesn't beg for food like Millie (and I plan to keep it that way.)

First day with a new dog was kinda long.  I did leave the two of them alone for a few hours while I shopped in the afternoon.  Only casualty seemed to be few slices of bread off the counter.  I'll have to make sure not to keep food visible.

London and Paris

Millennium Bridge with view of St. Paul's Cathedral

Few months ago, I had been trying to figure out where I wanted to go for a vacation this summer.  Well, that decision got easy when my oldest niece said she wanted to visit England.  I'm not sure where she got her interest in England from, but I figured why not take her?  She's 16, about to turn 17, and thought it would be a good experience for her.  Her parents were ok with the idea, so we planned a week at end of August to go.  The trip ended up being a few days in England, and few days in France.  That meant cramming a lot into a short span of time, but we managed to see most of the highlights of London and Paris, as well as some day trips out of the city.

London Eye & Big Ben

We arrived at Heathrow around 0600 on the first day, and did not sleep so much on the red eye flight over.  Alana seemed fine, but I was pretty tired!  On top of that it was a rainy day :(  We started the day off by hitting the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.  The rest of the day was a bit of running around.  We wanted to go into the Buckingham Palace but tickets were sold out for the day.  We bought tickets for the next day and then headed to London Bridge, only to find out the London Dungeon had moved to Waterloo.  At least Alana got her first glimpse at the palace, Big Ben, and London Eye.

Golden Coach in the Royal Mews

We managed to get up the second day at a reasonable time and had no jet lag rest of the trip, which was nice.  Today we went to the London Dungeon.  Getting there early was key because lines apparently get really long by late morning.  The rain had also let up today, too, so we got more pictures of the London Eye and Big Ben.  From there we walked across Westminster Bridge, grabbed some lunch to go at Tesco, and ate in St. James Park.  We took a tour of the Royal Mews, and then of Buckingham Palace.  I think the State rooms are typically open for tours late July to late September, so this was my first time inside even though I'd been to London several times already.,  (It was also my first time at the museums in London.) After the palace tour we took a long walk through Hyde Park to our hotel.

Windsor Castle

Day three was a bus tour to Windsor, Bath (first time here for me too), and Stonehenge with Evan Evans Tours (booked through Viator.com).  It was a lot to cram into one day, but they did a good job of giving us just enough time to see most of Windsor Castle, Bath (including Roman Baths), and Stonehenge.  If you have to do these all in one day, this was the tour for it.

Tower Bridge

Our last full day in London started off in Tower of London.  Again, getting there got us tickets and into the Crown Jewels without a queue - a nice change from the last couple times I visited.  We also explored all of the tower grounds.  From there we walked across Tower Bridge to London Bridge.  From there we took the rail to Greenwich.  After a quick look at Cutty Sark, we grabbed some sandwiches at a shop and ate at a bench at the Old Royal Naval College with a view of Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory.  We walked up to it after lunch and had a look at the Prime Meridian.  We then rode the ferry back down the Thames to London.  We had a quick look at Shakespeare's Globe (couldn't go in due to a show going on), walked over Millennium Bridge for a look at St. Paul's Cathedral.  We also made quick stops at Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and Piccadilly Circus.

Alana and Eiffel Tower

After saying good-bye to London, we got on the Chunnel for a 2.5 hour train ride to Paris.  We were checked into our hotel by early afternoon so we had plenty of time to do something.  We hit the Sacre Coeur first, and then went to the Louvre.  Since it was a Wednesday, a late opening day at the Louvre, we could've spent a lot more time here but I think we were both museum'ed out now.  We saw Mona Lisa, the Rosetta Stone, and many other things, but didn't stay more than couple hours... if that.  I think I'd much prefer to see the art works in a more natural setting.  After that, I could tell Alana really wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, so we went there also.  We braved the line (apparently it wasn't as bad as it normally is) and even went up the tower to the 2nd level.  We were both kind of glad we didn't go all the way to the top since it was a bit scary going up the elevator.  Some energetic souls walk up the tower, but that's quite a climb.  We walked down and it took us a while to just go down.

On the second day we in Paris we met up with my friend, Gorik, who came to join us from near Brussels.  Alana and I had already seen the more popular highlights of the city the day before, so were kinda left wondering what to do today.  We started off at the Notre Dame Cathedral, but lines were so long we didn't go inside.  We walked around a bit through a park, and then found a place for lunch outdoors.  We walked through Luxembourg Gardens, ate crepe, and then tried to go see the Catacombs, but lines there deterred us once again. A bit bummed out we sought to go watch a movie, but the only one in original English was One Direction.  Alana was outvoted by the two adults to not watch it.

Luxembourg Gardens

Our last full day in Europe was spent in Versailles.  It's my third time there but always enjoy it.  We went through the palace, the gardens, Grand Trianon and to Marie Antoinette's Estate.  I think the latter only opened in 2006, so I had not been there before, but I really enjoyed it.  The grounds had some old farm houses that were quite charming, and Petit Trianon was also nice to see.

Marie Antoinette's Estate

Overall, it was a busy but a good trip.  It was also really nice to spend this time with my niece and getting to know her.  She's a quiet girl, but really nice and caused no trouble at all.  She didn't complain about anything, and had no problem keeping up pace (I was the one struggling with all the running around.)  She's got a solid plan for her future and I expect she will do well. It's a shame her whole family couldn't come with us, but maybe next time.

Pictures are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancingnomad3/sets/72157635338019826/.

Seneca Tract

A neighbor recently told me about a secret, or rather not-so-well-known, hiking area near here.  It is called the Seneca Tract, and while it is owned by the NVRPA, it's not an actual park.  The Potomac Heritage Trail goes through the area though, and there extensions to the trails that loop around all over.  Each segment is about a mile or, and I think you can actually do a large loop of about 5 miles.  I can't find a good map of the trails online, but there's one posted at the parking area.  To get there, from 7, turn on to Georgetown Pike and make an immediate left.  The parking is at the end of the road.  If you keep walking on the road past the fence and take the gravel path off to the right, you eventually reach spots where a short off-shoot trail takes you to the water.  There are some users of the trail, but nothing like what you see at Great Falls.  I let Millie run around off-leash w/o worrying too much about getting in trouble.  The water levels at the river were low, and not too fast flowing.  Millie had lots of fun splashing around in it.

On some maps I see there is supposed to be a "Seneca Falls", but I haven't found a spot where you could actually see it.  I am guessing it's a much less impressive version of Great Falls, but I'd like to see it.  If anyone finds a spot to view it please let me know.

Next time I think I will try hiking from here to Algonkian and back....

Green marker on the tree indicates this particular trail is part of the Potomac Heritage Trail.

Rocks Aren't For Dogs

On way to Wolf Rock... we didn't quite get to it because of that crevice behind Millie.

The weather surprising got a little cooler these last couple weekends so I finally managed to get out on some short hikes with Millie.  I tend to go to Riverbend and Great Falls a lot since it is close, and much nicer than Balls Bluff Regional Park in Leesburg.  On Sunday though, I decided to schlep out a little further to Catoctin Mountain.  I had a lot to do in the afternoon (tax free shopping weekend), so I decided on a short hike - the Wolf Rock/Chimney Rock loop.  The hike was quite nice - the trails were wide so I didn't have to worry about ticks, and there were also no mud puddles or dirty rivers for Millie to jump into.  After a little while, I was starting to look forward to coming across the first "rock".  Typically when a spot is something-"rock", it is just that.  A large rock outcropping or formation that provides an interesting change in view from the woods.  Most that I've come across often are great view points for looking out over the vista.  The unfortunate thing I now realize though is that these rocks really aren't suitable for hiking on with your dog.  The "Deep Crevices" sign was the first hint of uh-oh on this hike.  Getting across the rocks required a little bit of rock scrambling.  Even if your Millie managed to get onto a large rock, I didn't want her jumping from it (think fractures & chips) so I lifted her down.  Then there are these crevices that Millie could end up in with one misstep.  There was a big one near Wolf Rock that looked like a bottomless abyss.  I wasn't going to start agility training with Millie now, and I didn't really have time to mess around looking for a safe passage around it to continue to the actual Wolf Rock, so we headed back to the trail and kept on.  Unfortunately Chimney Rock area wasn't much better.  This was also a popular spot with many people hanging out on top of the rocks, thereby somewhat ruining what would be an awesome view otherwise.  I stayed for a minute to enjoy what view I could around all the people, and then kept on.  A bummer about the rocks, but it was a good hike nonetheless.  Next time I'll keep my expectations of "rocks" a little low.

Chimney Rock

Middleburg Dog Pool

Virginia summer is hot, and Millie and I don't like it.  We much preferred the cool summers of Alaska, and we loathe to be outdoors when temperatures are above 80.  I can almost survive in the heat, but poor Millie with her black coat really struggles if temperatures are high and she is in direct sunlight.  Still, we have to get out for her exercise (I can go to the gym) so we've been doing our best to try to get out earlier in the morning before it gets too hot.  I've also been trying to find places where she can swim.  There are a number of trails along the Potomac where we can go for a hike, and she can jump in the Potomac for cooling off.  Unfortunately, twice last month she came down with bouts of diarrhea.  My guess is that the murky brown waters of the Potomac is probably not the best place to let her swim.  Having said that, there's very little in terms of options around here.  All of the waters around here are quite nasty looking.  I would probably have to head far far out West or to the beaches of Maryland to get somewhere safe for Millie to swim.  I am still looking for a good spot for her to swim, but in the meantime, I found couple of indoor doggy pools.  The Pet Resort in Dulles offers 30 minutes of canine swimming for $35.  Unfortunately they were booked full this weekend so I took Millie to Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center.  It's an hour long schlep out there, but the drive through Virginia's countryside is quite nice so I didn't mind it so much.  If you take Route 50, you pass through the historic towns of Aldie and Middleburg that reminded me a bit of Europe.  The last one mile to the swim center is gravel though, so just keep that in mind.

The swim center in Middleburg is a little on the run downside, but had all the essential equipment, including toys, poo bags, shower area, etc.  The owner(?)/trainer there first spent a few minutes showing Millie how to get in and out of the pool by the ramp. Then I spent the next 25 minutes or so tossing a tennis ball into the pool for her to fetch.  She had a really good time and was eager to run around still afterwards.  Once I finally got her to get in the car though, she fell right asleep.  Great exercise for her.  At $30 a pop and 2 hrs driving, I doubt I'll make regular visits, but will certainly try to go once in a while.

Cleo

I've been wanting a second dog as a playmate for a Millie for a while now.  I wasn't quite sure I wanted another commitment so I thought I would try fostering.  I contacted savethetails.org after seeing them at a community pet expo.  The first response I got was "Are you available immediately?"  Er... I guess....  I didn't quite get a chance to explain to her that I am gone 10 hours a day during the work week before she already made plans to get a pup up from King George's county.  I didn't quite get the orientation and meet & greet that I expected but late on Friday I got Cleo, a 4-5 month old pup.  She was quite malnourished and was underweight, but she was one happy pup with a tail that wouldn't stop wagging.

A walk through Bles park

Cleo was in the shelter for probably 2 months before she came to me.  She wasn't house trained and doesn't know her basic commands.  She had couple accidents the first day but got better on the second day.  Her leash walking needed a lot of work too.  Despite all the challenges, she was a real sweetheart.  She followed me around everywhere I went and her tail was wagging all the time.  She just seemed so happy to be alive.  She also loved her bed.  Every once in a while, she'd go hop in it to lay down.  She also liked chasing the tennis ball around.  Millie would go fetch it when I throw it, and then drop it, and Cleo would pick it up and run off with it.  We'd repeat this a few times and I was quite entertained by it.  I think Millie liked it too, tho she was a bit of a bully rest of the time.

On Sunday afternoon I had to drop her off at Leesburg Petco for an adoption event.  Since I couldn't keep her during the work week they arranged for another foster home to take her, so it was good bye time.  It was really sad leaving her.  I was trying to hold back tears and it took me a long time to actually leave.  I found out later that day that she did not get adopted at the event.  It breaks my heart, but there's still hope for her yet.  I hope she finds her fur-ever home at the next event next week.

Chow time.

Dad's Visit

Millie and her Grandpa

Less than a week after my mom flew home to Japan, my dad and one of my cousins came over to help me paint the house.  Actually, they did all the work, and did a great job of it.  My dad kicked back on occasions, but my cousin was working pretty hard late into the night most days (tho they started late most days).  They got through the first and second floor where the kitchen, living rooms, and the spare bedroom are.  I totally love the new colors I chose for the rooms too - especially the kitchen.

Kitchen

The guys were here a week, but it wasn't all work.  We did make it out to DC one of the days.  It was a gorgeous day out for walking around and seeing the monuments.  Millie got to come with us too.  We also checked out the new Star Trek movie in 3D at the new Alamo Drafthouse cinema that just opened near me.

Mom's Visit

This week my mom visited mainland USA for the first time since... 2004?  She's been resisting a visit for a long time, claiming she doesn't want to fly.  It's understandable, but she hasn't seen Jason or Nathan, or their families, since her last visit.  She has two grandkids she's never met.  Jason and Nathan won't travel, so I often ask mom to visit.  This time, she finally agreed to, but only if it was during Golden Week.  Well, her Golden Week happen to start only a few days after I moved into my new place, on April 28th.  After the movers came, I only had a few days to get things tidied up around the house before she arrived.  Even then quite a few things were in boxes, and I had to spend the first couple days of her visit running errands to get things ready for the rest of my family, who was coming in a few days.

Once Jason and Nathan's families arrived, things were a little less stressful because we actually started doing some fun things.  First day was a bit of a disaster though, with an attempt to go to the zoo and DC an utter failure with our inability to find parking for either (we also sat in traffic on top of all that).  We ended up coming back West, end headed to Reston Zoo for a bit.  Reston Zoo is a privately owned petting zoo.  It's much smaller than the DC zoo and is more expensive ($13 per adult), but it is also more interactive.  You can touch and feed the animals, and there are some unusual species you don't see at your typical zoo.  We were there only an hour and a half, but everyone seemed to have a really good time.

The next day no one wanted to go far so we visited the Udvar-Hazy Center, which is pretty close to my new home.  That was also a fun day out without being a long day.  The last day was spent in DC.  This time I looked up the location of a pay garage near downtown and we parked there, so travel went a lot more smoothly this time.  We walked around the Tidal Basin to the WWII Memorial, and then to American History museum and Natural History museum.  It was a gorgeous day to be out seeing the memorials so we had a good time walking around.  The museums were quite over crowded though, and I didn't really enjoy walking around it.  I kinda wish that they would start charging admission to keep out people who are there just because it's free so people who are really interested can enjoy their experience.  (Plus, it would help with the national deficit/debt.)

Overall, I think my mom had a good time.  I feel bad about the first few days since I was on edge trying to get things ready for everyone's visit and didn't have time to do anything fun with her.  After everyone else showed up though, she seemed really happy to see her grandkids, especially the younger ones she's not seen before.  She seemed quite smitten with Nikko, the youngest and only boy.

This morning I took her to the airport for her return flight home.  It was a bit sad once Mom left, but in a way having the place to myself again was a relief.  I was left with a huge mess to clean up around the house so that's what I did all day.  Poor Millie hasn't been getting very good walks lately since I have been so busy.  Since I will have more visitors next week (Dad and cousin), it will be a while longer before I can truly relax.  I think next time, we will all meet at one of my brothers' house, or on a vacation somewhere.

 

House #2

Last Thursday I finally moved into my new home in Ashburn after 2 months in a hotel.  After getting outbid twice on other places, this townhome wasn't my first choice, but I'm glad I ended up with this place and not the others.  It's 3BR/4BA - 2 masters on the 3rd floor, 1 bedroom and living space on second, and kitchen and sitting area on first.  The main downside is that the house was cheaply built (as most are these days), and furnished with cheap things (e.g. appliances, etc.).  The previous owners also were a bit dirty, so I even after getting maid service for initial cleaning, I am still finding things to clean.  What I really like most about the place though is that there is a pond right behind the house.  I call it my "water" view.   I wanted a water view in Alaska, and I didn't get it there, but now I have one here.  Not exactly the same, but it will do.  

So far I am still in unpack mode and the house also needs to be painted on the inside.  This past week I had a bit of a break with family in town (it was quite stressful trying to get the place presentable enough for their visit), and today I spend the day cleaning up all the mess they left behind.  I'm starting to remember how much effort it takes to own your home (if you want it to be nice), but I think I will be happy once things are settled.  I didn't like being at the mercy of my landlord when I was living in Alaska.  I swore after I bought the last house I'd never buy again, but I think I'm a changed person.  I'm starting to want a nice place to call home.  It doesn't mean the travel bug and wandering soul has left me, but ideally I would have a place I could always return to.  With current interest rates and housing market on the mend, I thought if I was going to buy a place I should do it now.  

The downside of all of this is that I am now half a million dollars in debt between this new house and the mortgage on the other house (now an investment property).  It sounds pretty crazy when you say it like that. The other house is now on 15 year mortgage though, so I should have at least one house paid off by retirement... or so I hope.  Although it seems like a good time to buy, it's also a scary time to buy with all that's going on with government sequestration.  There are huge cut backs going on all across the federal government.  There's yet again a proposal to slash the job I was just hired to do.  I will stay optimistic though, and assume that I am going to stay at this job and in this house for a while.

This bunny keeps visiting to feed on the grass in my yard.