I've moved to a new home!

Well, as things have been really hectic as of late, I am writing to tell of why.

A couple months back, we decided to sell the house we had been living in for the past 9 years. We, means myself, my wife Cristy, her parents, her brother and his wife. We bought the house with the intention of helping out one another. Well as I said, it was the intention. But when the market tanked, that intention went south. So then it became more of a lets just wait it out and see. Then it became a let's wait two more years until I retire program for my father-in-law. So, I don't think I want to draw this into that story, so let me just go in a different direction. The direction, my wife and I are finally free of it all, and can get things back to where they should have been.

The house didn't take but a week to get to Pending status. We received several offers, and one wanted the house so bad that they just upped their offer to a price we just couldn't resist. We took the offer, and waited to be sure all things were good before we started to look for a new home. At first we had wanted to buy, but with so many investors killing the locale market, we took a right turn and hit the rental market. My wife and I started looking on several websites, as well as a few iPhone apps to see what we could find. After looking at a few, we got a little frustrated. Nothing had a good enough size Master Bedroom that would fit all of the furniture we had. Then, one day driving around we came upon a house with a sign in the front yard. So I got out and did a walk around the house. I looked in a window and noticed that the size of the Family Room, Dining Room, and Kitchen were very large. Then I looked into another window. It was the Master Bedroom, and it was also very large. It had more than enough room to fit our furniture into it. So I told my wife, and I called the number on the sign in the front yard while we were there. I left a message and off we went. A few day later I received a return call from the property management company, and we set up an appointment for me to go have a look. My wife wasn't able to make it since she was working, so I went without her. I walked around the inside of the place and took photos to send to my wife. This house was more than we really need for the two of us, and I wanted to apply for the place so we didn't have to keep looking. I spoke to the agent and asked a few questions. She gave me my answers, and the application, and I went back home.

I spoke to my wife later that evening about the place. She wasn't too sure of the area outside the neighborhood as it wasn't the best part of town. Well, the next day she asked me to contact the next door neighbor, who just so happens to be someone her family and several of friends had known for some time. So I got the number from a friend and made the call. I spoke to the wife and she told me nothing but good things about the neighborhood as they had been living in the house for seven years. I then told all that I had been told to my wife. She was still unsure, but decided to let me make a judgement call. So we went to the Agency and filled out the application. It took a few days to hear back from the agency, but when I got in contact with an agent, they let me know that there was a little problem and I needed to contact the company that was running the background and credit check. The problem was that we needed to have the house closed to show that it was in fact sold in order to get our Debt to Income ratio fixed. I explained that the house wasn't on our income, and in fact several, but the house still needed to close. So once that was all done, we got things in order, kept the appointment for signing the lease agreement and getting the keys.

Now, come appointment day we had several friends, and family members come to help load up a bunch of stuff. Once it was time to get to the house for the appointment, my wife and I headed over. But, I had been contacted by the agency, and they told me that they were behind schedule and that they would be about an hour late. So I told the friends and family to just meet us at a McDonald's around the corner from the house just to relax and wait. Once we were told they would be at the house, we headed over. We arrived, signed the papers, walked the house for what visible items were in need of repair and went on to get things in the house. It took all day to get things moved in. By the dinner time we were quite tired and decided to take the friends out to dinner, as the family had left earlier since they had things to do in the evening. The next day it was all over again. I had a couple of my friends meet at the house around 9:00 am as my wife and I stayed there. Once they arrived, we headed back to the old place to get some of the larger items, pack up more of the small stuff and bring it over to the new place. We got it all unloaded and a few of us went over to clean out the storage unit I had to rent to clean out the garage of all of my collectibles that had been boxed up for the past nine years. I had to put them into storage to help with the Open House when we put the house on the market. We got it all out, swept it clean, and took it home. Once it was all unloaded, it was time for dinner. So off I went with a friend for Pizza and Beer, then back home to relax from a long two days of moving.

Since all of our stuff wasn't completely cleaned out of the old house, and we really didn't have to have it out for a few more weeks, my wife and I relaxed over the weekend. But come Monday, she was back to work, and I was back to cleaning up and packing more stuff to bring to the new house. It took almost the entire week to get it all cleared out and cleaned up. My father-in-law had requested to get a dumpster to be dropped off, so I took Thursday off so I wouldn't have to waste my gas. So I went back on Friday to finish it off. I claened the carpet in my part of the house, tossed out all the junk into the dumpster and finished watching a couple show that were Tivo'd. By the end of the day, I was pretty much done. Still have a little bit of stuff to get, but it will be picked up the next time I'm around. Which happens to be on Saturday after I spend the day at a Pinstriping class I decided to take. The family decided to have 1 final family Virginia Ham dinner before everyone is off in their own world. So, with that said, I hope you enjoyed the read, and I will be catching up on all of the stuff I have been wanting to write about over the past few months. That includes mu experience of my Pinstriping class.

Today was a loooong day

So! Here's how my day went -

My mother-in-law wakes me up around 9:30am from downstairs with scream, my name. I ask what's going on. She then tells me she broke her arm. She was trying to step over a dog gate in the family room and fell backwards and she tried to break her fall. So I hurry up and get dressed. I get her to the E.R. and get her checked in. It ended up being her wrist. Around 2:00, still at the hospital, I see several nurses and doctors running out the E.R. door. I think they're just running out to get someone in the driveway. Then I see a few more go running out. So, not being nosey, I go to the restroom, then walk outside. A lady asks me, "Do you know what happened?" I tell her "No. I just came out". She then says "You I should go check it out". So I look out as I'm walking toward the parking lot and notice the carnage. My first thought, "Oh Crap! That's where I parked the car". So I go out and check on the car. The first thing I see, from the back, is dirt all over the car. I keep walking forward and I then notice the hood has damage. I see a maintenance worker and he then tells me, "The light pole bounced off the car". A minute or so later I see my father-in-law had just come outside. I call his name and wave for him to come out to the car, and then I tell him, "You better call the insurance company. There's damage to your car". He has someone take my mother-in-law back inside, then heads out to see what happened.

After that, I then I start to look around more. I see the SUV that caused the accident is in the planter just at the edge of the parking lot, and the entry to the parking lot. 3 cars destroyed, 1 missed, then my father-in-laws car. Then the light pole sitting in the driveway. It hit the wheel of the SUV on the other side of the entrance. I look around more. Pieces all over the street, the planter, and the parking lot. But then there's more! In the street is the car that the driver first hit, more debris, and 3-5 more vehicles parked at the curb. These must have been witnesses to the accident. Then I start to follow the trail of debris. I see where the light pole was originally. It was about 200 feet from where it was now sitting. Then I cross the driveway and keep following the debris. I notice that at the street corner it looks like to be where the accident originated. I keep looking for more clues and see more fresh bits of glass and small pieces from the vehicles when they collided. I see the bumper from the car, the foam that is used behind the bumper is scattered, along with so much it was quite disturbing to see so many pieces. Then I look back at where the SUV is at. HOLY CRAP! It was probably 500 feet away. The debris was scattered from that point to past the SUV, and about 50 -75 feet wide. It was like an explosion went off. It was crazy! Apparently a witness helped the guy out of his car, and he took off running. Hospital Security found him out back and apparently held him until the police showed up. Then, after about an hour we were finally allowed to leave. What's next?

Father-in-laws car

The Jeep Cherokee was untouched
other than the dirt

Destruction!

Destruction!

Destruction!

The light pole is on the other side of the bush.
It hit the wheel of this SUV. It was between the
second and third tree. Accident originated at the
sign board you see just to the left of the flag pole.

This was a light pole

What Light Pole?

This is about where the accident originated. Notice the cars
bumper on the grass to the right. At the Red and Blue sign
is where the SUV finally stopped.