Yep - you read that right. We are fixin' to be Texan.
We went down on a house hunting trip, and it went something like this:
11/22 - Arrive in Texas, sans Madison. She chose not to go, and stayed to watch the dogs. Rent the best car $8 / day will get you. Get to the hotel. Nobody sleeps.
11/23 - Tour 12 houses in the 44 degree rain. Wow, this Texas heat is a bitch. Wipe windows with paper towels and Starbucks napkins when the Realtor's defroster fails. Read the owner's manual and adjust all controls with no luck. Switch seats so Chuck can fiddle with the controls. Chuck kicks the guy's car under the dashboard. Defroster starts working. Fall in love with the 11th house. Make an offer. Sign papers. Write checks. Meet with one of Chuck's new Directs and his wife for some of the best Tex-Mex ever at Pappasito's. Seriously - Filet Mignon and Crab-Stuffed Shrimp Fajitas? Awesome. For $33, it should be. It is.
11/24 - Offer is accepted. Sign more papers. Schedule home and termite inspections. Drag Chuck and Willow to an IKEA store the size of Greensboro. Chuck takes us shopping for cowboy boots. Buy a rhinestone collar for Butter the Bulldog. Dinner at Taste of Texas. Willow's burger is the size of her head. Dessert bigger than all 3 of us can finish.
11/25 - Home inspection at 8am. We all tag along. Goes well, add a couple of items to an addendum for the seller. Write more checks. Sign more papers. Lock mortgage rate and closing date of 12/26. Today was a work day, so Chuck went to the office and picked up his badge. Elevator was broken in the parking deck, so we led an expedition of lost visitors down the swirly ramp to the basement. Chuck in the office for about 8 minutes. Pace yourself, big guy. Dinner at Pappadeaux. Chuck eats 6.7 metric tons of crawfish, and we all share a cheesecake that's better than Hot Doughnuts Now.
11/26 - Fly home, heads spinning, disappointed only in the lack of armadillo sightings. Wait for amendments to be accepted, schedule moving company, clear conditions on mortgage, acquire homeowners. Buy post-its to mark everything in the house for move / stay / throw away exercise.
And that brings us to today. Here's a pic of the home we plan on making Stately Herrin Manor:
Lots to do in the next 30 days, but at least it's over the holidays. Hoping we'll get down there without issue, and the spare bedroom will be ready for visitors day one. Will we see you down there?
