And We're Waiting

Current mood: bummed

Travis came home for Christmas.

Travis left yesterday to go back to South Carolina so he could maybe be back in time to help his NCOs give the little baby Soldiers their pee-pee tests. He might be back in time, but there's serious fog in Alabama and oodles of wrecks because of it.

Today sucks. We have to clean because that is pretty much all we do when I can pry the remote out of La Princessa's hand and change the channel from VH-1 or MTV.

I lowered the asking price on the house again. I can't believe it myself. $114,900. Mainly, this is out of desperation. Travis' visit brought about a bit of an epiphany of sorts. This weekend marks ten months since he and I went to South Carolina to set him up there. Ten months. 10 twelfths of a year. 83.33% of a year-yes, I bothered to actually do the math. Now, I am an Army wife. I can do geographical separations. I do OK. Don't lose my mind, don't screw around, still manage to operate a vacuum cleaner on a regular basis, remember to wash my face, don't over-spend to much, and the whole bit. That pretty much makes me an exemplary Army wife. February marks our 17th anniversary and of those 17, we've spent seven or eight together. I am not complaining (about that), and the way things are looking, we wont be spending 17 together either (about that, I am complaining!).

I've done what I could to ensure that the house is show/sale-ready. Most of the time it is clean, unless we are having those days where we are all tapped out of energy and just can't stand the idea of wearing anything but jammies all day. We don't do that often, and it isn't because we don't need it. The one time the kids and I did it, someone wanted to see the house. While Travis was here, the Saturday after Christmas, we were all doing a lazy day when the phone rang and a Realtor was on the other end. While I was talking to her, the other line beeped and it was another Realtor wanting to show the house. Both wanted to see it at the same time. We flew into crazy-clean mode and had an hour to scour and vacuum and all that. We made it in time. The first lady really liked it, but she is moving slowly on her decision. The second group wouldn't even get out of the car and blamed that on the neighborhood. Whatever. Come to find out, they were clients of my Realtor a year ago. They found a house they wanted in North Hills (translation-overpriced area) and made an offer. The owner's asking price was $149,900 and their offer was $120,000. Needless to say, they didn't get that house. Apparently they were total pains in the nalgas. Now, I am glad they wouldn't stop the car. Keep on drivin'.

While Travis was here we did talk about all this crap. And money. And our lives. He's just under three years until his retirement. He says he will get out if the Army doesn't promote him, and will stay as long as he continues to make promotions when he is eligible. I'm OK with that. That is his decision and he is the only one who can make the right choices for himself. When it came down to our geographical situation, I broke down. See, being here sucks. Travis is living our lives without us there. We are living the same way here without him. He told me the decisons with the house have to be mine. That is NOT what I wanted to hear. I do not want the responsibility. I want this to work out the way we thought it was supposed to. Anyway, not gonna happen.

Sooo, he gave me my options: A) continue on the same path and wait the average 280-300 days houses are lasting on our market which would put us out of here sometime in July/August. B) lower the price and continue to do so until we sell, even though we are risking the bottom line. We have a decent amount of equity to play with, but the goal is to retain as much of that as possible. C) lower the price to only cover what we owe plus our share of closing and walk away breaking even (OUCH). D) refinance (again) to lower our payments and rent the stupid house.
I made the choice yesterday to lower the price again. So, we've gone from $129,900 ($54 a sq/ft) to $120,000 ($50 a sq/ft) to $114,900 ($48 a sq/ft). I am just in shock that the phone has not rung today with a 2400 sq/ft house listed at $48 per ft. Shock, I tell you. Even in a depressed economy, there are homes moving, so why not mine? It is clean (we've had that discussion), it is big, it is cheap, it is all but ready to go, we can close in thirty days (actually, two weeks if need be), and I am willing to assist with closing. What's the freaking problem?

I've been on CraigsList checking out rentals in Columbia. That just makes me want to move even more. I found a 2800 sq/ft, 5 bedroom, 3 bath for under $1000. Yes, seriously. It is about 25 minutes from post and with what we would be saving in rent, we could afford the extra gas money. Plus, BAH (housing money) is going up in the area. We would be making a financial killing.

I decided to do the Total Money Makeover by Ramsey (or is it Ramsay?). I am ready to start snowballing our debt. But, the program will not let me proceed because I need a thousand dollars in a savings account before I can move forward. That would have been no problem a year ago. Today- problem. So, I have a very small percentage of that thousand in my purse waiting for me to put it in an envelope and add to it so I can open a money market account or something like it. Hmph. I am tired of debt and am looking forward to having a full bank account once again. Paying two sets of household bills sucks big time.

So, Travis is on I-20 now. He can make the 24 hour drive without stopping because he is insane. He texted me this morning and told me he actually did stop and sleep for a couple of hours. He did so because he thought he had used up his luck card. When I asked him to explain he told me that in the middle of the night a semi had come across the median right in front of him and toward him at full-speed. Somehow the truck saved it and recovered and Travis slipped by unscathed. Luck, God, skill? I don't know, but I am relieved. My estimation is that he will be in Columbia very soon.

I need to be there. It is no longer a want. I must be there with him.

Currently listening : Missing You/For Your Love By John Waite