Mom's Tree

Let me tell you a story about a tree. When we moved into our house last year we knew we'd be removing the grass and adding the fire pit. There was a plum tree at the edge of the yard, that my mom called dibs on before our boxes were even unpacked. When we stopped watering the grass, it became obvious that the tree was benefiting from the sprinklers and it did not have a bubbler of its own. It began to wilt, which irked my mom to no end. She told me she'd dig it out herself, if breathing wasn't such a struggle for her - I'm sure she would have. She was pretty adamant that the tree lived. It mattered little to me, so the only time it would get water was when it rained. Fall came, and winter followed. Having lost mom in September, I hadn't given the tree much thought. I assumed it was dead. But then in spring, it developed buds and grew.



Maybe mom had something to do with it? But more likely, the neighbors watering their yard on the other side of the wall allowed it to flourish. When we were getting quotes for the landscaping we had no intention of keeping the plum tree. It didn't really fit into our design ideas, and we really wanted clean, low maintenance plants. However, when the time came Showready suggested that they could transplant it and incorporate it into our design and it'd save some money since it'd be one less plant to purchase. Plus, I knew how happy my mom would be. So, the choice was easy. The plum tree was relocated and it handled the move A-OK.



A few months went by, and one night, Frank and Jeff were in the backyard. They noticed something furry in the branches. As they approached the tree they were able to see it was a hummingbird. Never before had I see a hummingbird sleep. My mom and grandma had hummingbird feeders since I was wee, but never, not once, do I recall seeing one sleep. I had no idea that they enter a hibernation state called torpor. This ensures that the birds don't starve to death before morning. It was pretty wild, but it seemed rather appropriate that the hummingbird took comfort in mom's tree.

Grass Be Gone

When we decided we were ready to finish the backyard, Frank called several landscapers and contractors for quotes. We had dreams of adding a french door to the kitchen and large slider to the great room that would allow for bringing our indoor living outdoors. It was a bit more than we could chew, so we scaled back the project omitting those items for the time being. We were down to two landscape companies and decided to pull the trigger with one that would complete all work themselves. However, when it came time to signing on the dotted line they went AWOL. They would not answer or return calls and no one was available when we went in person.

Back at square one, we called out Showready Landscape. We had a quote the same day and they started a few days later. To further seal the deal, the business card had a horse on it - my mom loved horses - I couldn't help but take it as a sign that it was meant to be. It took three days to complete. They were timely, accommodating and did great work at a fair price. We were thrilled.

On day one, we also had solar panels installed to heat the pool. Adding the panels has made a huge difference already in our pool season. Jeff and the kids were swimming on St Patrick's day. I need the water temperature to be at least 85 so it took a couple more weeks for me, but I've been in the pool more times than I can count. Since June, the temp has been holding steady at 91. Sounds steamy, right? While it is warm, it feels just right when the mercury rises 110+ or maybe we're all cold water wusses at my house. Whatever the case, I love it.

Day One:







Day Two:







Completed:





Before:



After:



Much better, right? I know we don't miss the grass one bit! The fire pit is great for winding down on cooler nights with a beer (me) and cigar (him). We purchased fire glass from Amazon it was quite a bit cheaper than buying local and they offer a wide variety of colors. We chose blue to mimic the water of the pool and also to pay homage to are favorite television show. Yes, we hide our blue meth in the fire pit. We chose the pavers that were a match to the front of the house, stone surrounding the fire pit was tying into the rock and flagstone surrounding the pool, and the top was to the blend with the pavers and the retaining walls. Frank oversaw the project, I was sick as can be. Those few days were a complete blur. All things considered, I think it came together well. We still need to find a patio set to complete the look. I've been looking all summer; there is one we like, but holy moly, nice sets really do run high. Maybe, we'll snag and end of summer special?

Mi Casa

So, this has been home for nearly a year. We liked that it was pretty new, clean and roomy. From the start, we had plans to paint and change the flooring. I thought the first project we'd tackle would be the carpet in the master bathroom. Because, ew! But I am undecided on whether or not I want to remove the carpet in the bedroom too. If I do, I feel like the tile should go throughout the room since there is no door to enter the bathroom. I think I'll pull the trigger on it soon, though. We'll wait until Amy, Jeff and the kids move out before we make changes to the rest of the house. Their rooms are not pictured, nor is their bathroom, I also overlooked taking a photo of the room off the main entrance. I wanted to use it as an office, but we have it set up as a dining room instead. The project we did complete was the backyard, we removed the grass and replaced it with rocks, pavers and added a firepit. We also raised the wall to our only neighbor to maximize privacy. I'll share more about that in another post.

Leaving Las Vegas

It's official. We have left Las Vegas. I enjoyed living in Paradise, but the time has come to move to the 'burbs. We are now Henderson residents. We closed on our house a couple weeks ago and we are fully moved in. We hired movers this time, with Frank's bad back and my bad ankle & neck, it was money well spent. We possess far more stuff than I ever imagined. We really had quite a bit in our 2 bedroom apartment. We turned over the keys to the apartment earlier this month - No more speed bumps, yay! Even with all our stuff, we've needed to make additional purchases to fill the space we've gained in the house.

We're getting settled. The projects seem never ending and with the easy access to our very own pool it's amazing we get anything done. We're making good progress, though. It's beginning to come together, it's finally feeling like home.

The days whiz by in an instant. I really don't know where time goes. Life has felt like its been on fast-forward. Hopefully, it will slow soon. I'm not ready to say good-bye to summer. I haven't touched my camera since we've moved. So, no house photos yet. We haven't tried any new restaurants either. We've been eating at home most of the time. The perks of having a barbecue. Frank has been whipping us up feasts. You cannot beat the ease of grilling. Clean up is a breeze too.

It'll probably continue to be more quiet than usual around here for a little bit longer, but stay tuned.

July, Already?

I suppose it's true that the years fly by faster and faster as you age. I'm learning this more and more; this year has flown (I know I said it last year and the year before, but damn, it keeps picking up speed). How is it possible that Christmas is less than six months away!?! The days are already getting shorter and summer just got here.

We hit a few milestones this month. As of June 14, we've had the apartment for a year. The gate and the speed bumps are still the biggest annoyance. The neighbor's dog in the houses across from us can be a bother, more so the owners than the dog. They let him bark for hours on end. The windows in the apartment are the worst feature. They are anything but energy efficient. They let the heat and the cold in, and when there is wind, I joke that we have a windchill factor indoors, because it whips through strong enough to make the verticle blinds fly about. Aside from that, it is fabulous. It's a breeze to clean, maintenance requires only a simple phone call and voila - it's fixed. We love the Silverado Ranch area, at first we were unimpressed with the food offerings but they've improved tremendously over the past year and more great places are coming soon.

On June 27 it had been a year since we turned over the keys to our house. We miss the hot tub. We miss the pool, but not the maintenance. We miss our large patio and grill, but not the tree that dropped seeds, leaves and bark 51 1/2 weeks a year. We do not miss the ants. I do not miss spending an entire day cleaning house or the back aches or achy feet after doing so. I do not miss carrying dirty laundry downstairs and clean laundry upstairs. I do not miss $450+ electric bills in the summer. I do not miss the neighbors' dogs pooping in our yard. I do not miss the guilt of forgetting to feed the fish in the pond. I do not miss cutting grass, tending to the landscaping or dealing with frozen pipes or ponds. I do not miss having to deal with whatever might break. It always took a lot more than a simple phone call to get it fixed.

It's probably needless to say, but we did decide to sign another 13 month lease at our apartment. We'll be staying put in the Silverado Ranch area until August 2015. We'll see what comes next.

One last milestone is that June 22 marked our eleventh year of living in Las Vegas. I still love it here. Though, I admit I need to leave and seek adventures elsewhere to remind me how good we have it. I take conveniences for granted and I've grown more cynical, but once stepping foot in another city, another state, or another country, I'm reminded that no where is perfect. The pros far outweigh the cons of life in Vegas, and as much as I yearn for new experiences. There is no place else that feels like home. I am right where I belong.

Living in Paradise

It's been nearly three months since we simplified by moving across town and downsizing from our house to our apartment. We settled in quickly and have no regrets leaving the house behind. We don't miss the yard work. There is no pool maintenance to contend with, no repairs to make. Our A/C went out, we made a phone call and went to the movies. Voila! It was all better and cooler than ever when we returned. The apartment is a breeze to clean. The house took a full day and left me with an aching back and feet.

The only part of the house I miss is the hot tub. We have two to use at the apartment complex, but they require clothing and long soaks are out of the question because they keep it HOT. The convenience and savings have been great. There was no $400+ electric bill this summer. $115 was the most we saw and that was during our heat wave. Speaking of convenience the new neighborhood is very convenient, we're so close to I-15 and 215, and shopping is minutes away. We have found that the eats are lacking, first, many places close by 8 or 9 o'clock. Late night dining is practically non-existent. Second, we've struck out dozens of times and have only discovered a few favorites. We miss being around the corner from Surang's Thai, Juan's Flaming Fajitas, Custom Built Pizza, DW Bistro and others. With more time, though, I'm sure we'll find more favorites in the southeast.

Most of all it feels like home. Our new space is considerably smaller, but it has everything we need. I finally got around to taking photos to share. Enjoy.

Welcome to Paradise

Whew! June flew! We're just days away from the greatest holiday there is. How did that happen? Shouldn't it be Memorial Day? That's what it feels like. Even with the excessive heat the past week I still can't believe it is July. Speaking of the heat, I never saw more that 118 so I don't think we broke any records. It's been toasty, though. By Thursday, we'll have spent a week 113+ it's a bit unusual, but I don't mind it. We had a gorgeous June. The weather couldn't have been better. Sure it was triple digits, but I live in the desert. You come to expect 100's, plus I enjoy it until it reaches 110+ then it's hard to be outside during the day.

So back to June, it was a wild ride for us. A month ago was my first weekend at home in months. I took advantage and caught up on house work. It was exhausting. Not to mention, I looked around at everything that was aging, worn and in need of being replaced, but as a renter there is nothing I can do about it. Unless I want to pay out of pocket. So June 2nd, I casually mentioned to Frank that I wanted to move. Our lease was up in March and we'd been month-to-month since. Frank wasn't surprised, we went and looked at new homes that day.

We only found one we liked near Southern Highlands. American West is the builder, they built our house and their designs speak to us. The current market is inflated and the home builders are playing into it by only releasing a few homes at time to keep demand high. We have been burned by real estate so many times it wasn't a game we wanted to get back into, not now, anyway. I suspect another bubble burst is on the horizon. Until homeowners are people that actually live and work in Las Vegas our housing prices are false. Right now, it is investors that have drove up prices. Plus, there are still so many shortsales and foreclosures yet to file. I'd rather roll the dice and rent.

Coincidentally, two days later, we received a request from our landlord to sign a lease until March 2014. We explained we preferred to stay month-to-month, but they decided to raise the rent $400/mo to do so. No thanks. It was the push we needed to leave.

We looked at house rentals, but they were all too big. I wanted to downsize. We had no need for our 2,500sq ft home. We used six rooms in our house (kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms). It was a lot of wasted space and expense. Plus, we're not home often so the maintenance became such a burden. I considered townhomes and condos, but ultimately we decided on an apartment. No HOA, most have garages, and instant availability, plus there are great incentives. June 9th we found where we wanted to live. We had keys by June 14.

We decided to move across town to Paradise, near the South Point. We like the area because of the convenience to I-15 and 215. Traffic isn't too congested. It's not master planned and there is plenty of shopping and conveniences near by. We've been in Spring Valley for ten years so moving from the SW to the SE felt like unchartered territory. It felt like a whole new city. We were excited to discover new eats. I was thrilled my commute would be shorter despite being five miles further from work.

You might think we're crazy, we've heard it from friends and family. But we're looking at major savings and no fuss. I cannot tell you how excited I am that I will not have a $450 bill from NV Energy this summer. By simplifying our lives we'll have more time and money to do what we love. We'll miss skinnydipping and our Fourth of July parties, but other than that? I don't see us missing much. Our apartment complex has two pools and a gym with a sauna. Our place is 1,100sq ft with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one car garage. The complex was built as condos so there is no one above or beneath us. The garages are on the first floor and living space is on the second. Only downsides noted so far is the gated community and the speed bumps. We had both at our condos and it's such an annoyance. If that's the worst of it, we'll deal. The ice cream man even came thru the complex the other day. There will be no shortage of choco-tacos.

We moved from the house into the apartment one car load at a time. We sold as much as we could beforehand and had great luck with Craigslist and our moving sale. We thought we did good, but truthfully, there is more we should part with, I'm working on it as I unpack. Anything kept must bring us joy or must have been used in the past year. We made a good chunk of change on our stuff (enough to cover the new mattress set we bought) and I cashed in change I had collected around the house. The coins netted us $150 that I cashed in at Coin Star for an Amazon Giftcard. A new desk is on its way and I have money leftover for my next purchase.

Our first night in the apartment was June 22, which ironically, was our 10th anniversary of our arrival to Las Vegas. Ten years later, we found ourselves in Paradise. Appropriate, no? Anyhow, each day after was spent at the house moving and cleaning until June 27. That's when we turned over the keys. We had great times in our house. We owned it for three years, and then rented it for two more. We have no regrets letting it go. We look forward to the next chapter.

Taking a Bite of Dirt

I'm pretty sure I mentioned before that I never made it out for the deals offered on Black Friday. I was too tired so I stayed home and spent additional time with Nicky and my dad. I slept in my warm bed, while my mom and siblings shopped until they dropped. The decision to stay home was easily made after perusing the sale ads, the only item to make my wish list was the Shark mop. The Kindle caught my eye, but $79? I can get that price every day on Amazon.

I gave my sister cash for the mop, and asked her to buy it if she could get her hands on one. When I woke Friday morning there was the Shark. I guess it was no trouble at all. Considering they even snagged mom a 46" LCD TV for less than $300. That took much patience and persistence on my brother's behalf, he camped out for a couple hours before the doors opened. Anyway, back to the Shark. It stayed in its box until Sunday.



My house was long overdue for a deep cleaning, there was no better time to try it out. Assembly was a breeze. There is a note about homes with hard water, deposits can build up so distilled water is recommended. Fortunately, I keep it on hand to maintain Frank's humidor. The reservoir doesn't take much water. That's one complaint, I had to refill a few times to finish the floors. However, I'd guess this size is adequate for average size spaces.

My lower level consists of the laundry room, kitchen, dining room, family room, bathroom, and bedroom. All of these rooms are tiled. The sunroom was an addition and there is pergo flooring in there. Mop and bucket washing is time consuming, back breaking and just plain exhausting. I was ready for a short cut.

The Shark mop S3505 heats up quickly. Less than minute and it'll be nice and steamy. Cleaning goes quickly. The pad is fairly large and the mop makes large strokes. For tough spots, you can pump the handle for a steam surge. This works well for sticky spots that dirt loves to cling to. Two microfiber cloths are included. I needed both to clean my floors. They are easy to put on and take off. You toss the soiled pads in the wash to clean for their next use. I doubt they have a long life. I've already ordered additional cloths from Amazon.

The mop cleans without any chemicals. This is particularly nice for me because I'm allergic to Phenol which is in most household cleaners. The less I come in contact with it, the more my skin thanks me. It was great to do without the redness and dry hands I usually experience after mopping the floor.

The Shark has earned its place in my bag of (cleaning) tricks right next to my carpet steamer, vinegar, CLR, Bleach, Shout gel, SOS Pads and Magic Erasers. Armed with those tools my laundry and home can be squeaky clean with ease.

I Waited All Week For You

I waited all week, and finally, it's Friday. Boy! Am I ever ready for the weekend. I wish I could say it'll be restful, but I have a long to do list. There were dozens of things that were put off because we weren't sure if we'd be moving. Then, when we knew we were staying put Amy and Nicky arrived and that those things needing attention were put on the back burner.

The carpet needs cleaning, the showers need scrubbing, and the windows need washing. The yard has needed tending, too, but we got a headstart on that last weekend. There is only a bit more to be done. Like finding a solution for the corners of our backyard. The one corner has the pond. It needs flowers or something to spruce it up a bit, just to make it look finished. The opposite corner has oleander, and two palm trees. We recently tore out weathered bamboo borders. That area needs attention. We bought replacement border but it won't work. My current idea is to add dirt and plant ground cover flowers and/or plants. It's also time to replace the patio string lights, the sun and winds have beat the decorative lights to shreds. I picked up a string of globes at Big Lots. I'd like to switch those out, if the winds will cooperate.

With any luck, I'll save some energy for Sunday night's concert.

I leave you with the two LLV articles. Vegas Values: Grateful for Graeters and Vegas Values: Let Me See That Sushi Roll.

Luck O' the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I kinda wish I was in Chicago today. Not just for that Southside Irish Pride, but because the Dirty Heads are playing at the House of Blues tonight. My brother will be there, he'll fill me in on the good times missed. Ah well. Hopefully, they'll announce a Vegas date. I keep hoping for another show at the Henderson Pavilion. That was such a great venue...

Things are beginning to settle down for me. It's such a relief that this house stuff is nearly behind us. As of Wednesday we were no longer homeowner's, given our history with real estate, this made me extraordinarily happy. We signed our lease and finally sent off payment today. No fault of ours, it's just that our landlord takes eons to respond. Joys of renting, I suppose. Trust me. I can deal. The last matter of business is receipt of an executed copy of the lease and confirmation of payment. I expect to wait eons. At least, I'm anticipating the delay this time. Once it is all settled I will utter the biggest sigh of relief. I cannot wait.

It's really a fortunate situation, we didn't have to leave our home, and we'll be saving hundreds of dollars each month on rent alone. Plus, we no longer pay taxes, sewer, trash or homeowner's insurance. Our renter's policy is a fraction of our former policy. The best part is we didn't have to pack and deal with the hassles of moving. I was dreading that most of all. We're staying put for two years. So, I have time before we revist the thought of moving.

The luck o' the Irish must have been with us.

This weekend it's time to tackle the projects that we've put off, we've let so much fall by the wayside because we weren't sure how much longer we'd be in the house. We weren't going to turn over a perfectly manicured lawn and landscaping, and a spotless home to new owners. Now, I need to clean the showers, baseboards, ceiling fans, and stove. Frank cut the grass, and laid down new seed in thin patches earlier this week. Sunday, I'll address the flower beds and give room for new life to the roses.

Spring is here, it's time to get ready for summer which is near. Woot.

One Can Hope, Right?

Last Friday, I got a call from our buyer's agent. The buyers were driving in from California and wanted to come by on Saturday to see the house. I agreed. They are already contracted to buy it, may as well show them what they were getting for their money.

Saturday morning came, and they arrived just before noon. They're a cute elderly Chinese couple. They toured the house and backyard. They were pleased with everything they saw and told me "you keep a very clean house." We were wrapping up the visit and their agent asked if we'd be interested in renting the house. In my mind, I thought, HELL YEAH! But I contained myself and said "we were interested. We plan to rent and stay in the area." "It's worth negotiating", I added. We agreed to discuss it at a later date when we knew more.

The more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea of renting our house. I wouldn't have to pack. We wouldn't have to find a new place and deal with everything that it takes to get settled. We wouldn't have to move. There'd be no need for for address changes and all that. We could stay in the house we love, in the area we love... Yes, this could be perfect.

It all comes down to how much they'll ask for rent each month. Frank has come up with a list of ways to bargain with them to get the number we'd like. They're paying cash, so it's just maintenance, taxes, association dues and insurance they need to worry about. I'd like to know sooner than later, because it means the difference of me packing and finding a new place to live or staying put. I figure I'll give it a little time, and then see if our agent can prod them a bit to see if we're in the same ballpark. I figure it's best case scenario for them, too. They have a built-in renter that has proven they take care of the house (non-smokers/no pets to boot). They'll start recouping costs immediately. They won't have to buy any appliances (they are not part of the contract) but if we stay we'd use them, obviously. We'd sign a 2 year lease. As far as I can see the monthly rent is the only deal breaker. It would be such a relief if this all works out.

First step is getting the bank to approve the sale. I got an email from the person currently handling our file, it was laughable. It asked for a bunch of information and stated how they were there to help sell our house. Too bad they failed to realize we already had an offer and it was under review with their negotiator.

There is no reason the offer should be denied, but who knows? I thought that once before when we had a cash offer on our condo. The bank refused it, and after our deed-in-lieu of foreclosure it took the bank 9 months to sell it for $20k less than that cash offer. Anything is possible.

Aye! Sold?

Yesterday, we got a cash offer on our house sight unseen. I've been dodging showings because we're in no rush to move. Well, my plan back fired. Unlike the previous offer we received this one had nothing for us to counter. It's obvious they're investors. It's clear, cut and dry. All we could do was sign it and send it off to the bank. Now, it's in Wells Fargo's hands.

I have no clue how long approval can take, but we're hoping for a long while so we can stay put. Assuming the offer is accepted, closing will be 30 days after approval. I anticipate a mad scramble to find a rental and to set a moving date. I don't mind the idea of relocating, but I'm dreading the move itself. My mom's move was so nightmarish. However, ours is certain to be much easier. That's a guarantee.

I should look at the brightside, house hunting is always fun. It's not in our desired area, but look at this beauteous rental...







I think we'd consider the extra commute, it's gorgeous. Ultimately, we're looking to stay near our current neighborhood, we really enjoy the Southwest part of the valley. Once, we get the green light the search is on. In the meantime, it's time to purge and pack.