So Long Emily Gilmore, We'll Miss You

We're moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. We've talked about it for years. It was a definite decision last year and a reality now. My mother has known this the entire time. Just now it is hitting her. And hard.

Suddenly the child she adored, her pride and joy, me, is in league with the devil. Why? Because I am taking my son, her grandchild, with me. Now I understand her sadness. She has been a part of his life for 6 years. But she acts as if I am moving to Greenland and that she will never ever see him again. Ever. When in fact, she and my dad plan to visit us in October and will be moving out there themselves within a year or so.

I knew she would have a hard time with our leaving. I figured there would be tears and great emotion. I had no idea she would channel her inner Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls tv show) and rain down such levels of guilt that would make even the most Jewish of mothers proud.

I wish she would be more understanding and supportive of me and this decision. It's a big, scary move and well a smile and a hug would go a long way. We used to speak on the phone every day. Now, we hardly talk. In fact, I avoid her. I've become Lorelai, cringing when the phone rings and postponing seeing my own mother.

I seriously hope she comes to understand and forgive me soon. I love her but right now I can't deal with her.

To understand my Gilmore references click the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilmore_Girls

Moving Right Along

Much has happened since I last wrote. We decided to stop jumping through the banks' hoops and just move to Vegas. We went out there in the beginning of July, found a nice house to rent and here we are....on the eve of the Big Move.

We were supposed to leave last weekend but.....the best laid plans....
The weather has been uncooperative with tons of rain and thunderstorms which hindered putting our "stuff" into the pod that we rented to haul our "stuff" across country. Alas, that phase is complete and the pod people (makes me laugh everytime) came to pick up said pod and began transporting it to our destination.

And last Sunday while going downstairs to my parent's basement to do laundry, I misjudged the last step and fell.....breaking my ankle. . Thankfully 90% of everything was packed already.

My new home is a bigger house for less than I was paying here in Jersey. Go figure. It is in a gated community (fancy schmancy) and about 20 minutes from the LV Strip. Now if we can just get out of here already....

Nightmare in Short Sale Land

I put my house up for short sale 9 months ago. We asked and were offered $325,000 of which we owed Washington Mutual $303,000. They would have received the majority of the money and anything left over would go to the junior lien holders of my house (GMAC). WaMu dragged their heels, lost paperwork, refused to return phonecalls and bungled the sale so much that in Dec. 2008, our buyers lost their mortgage commitment and the sale fell through.

We re-listed the house for short sale but since the housing market dropped we were forced to reduce and asked for $285,000. We were offered $275,000 by a new couple, and accepted. This was January of 2009. More paperwork to be filed. More unreturned phone calls and incompetence from WaMu. Finally my lawyer contacted the supervisor of the negotiator handling our file. We made headway and reached an agreement. The sale could go through. This was at the end of April. We needed GMAC to comply, which they did. Then suddenly and without warning the negotiator handling our file at WaMu was fired and a new person hired. We were told she needed to familarize herself with our case and re-opened the file which was originally closed and agreed upon by all parties. Again we were at a standstill.

GMAC asked for $8,000 out of pocket monies in order to release the lien and settle our account with them. We balked but accepted. Then this new negotiator upon hearing that we were giving GMAC money, demanded that we pay an additional $2,000 to WaMu. She called it "Good Faith" money. Yeah right!!!!! She told me on the phone that if we could pay GMAC money then we could pay WaMu money too. I DO NOT have this kind of money readily available. I still need money to move, pay 1st and last month's rent at a new place and still pay current bills, groceries, etc. Ms. Babette Favor, our negotiator at WaMu, could care less for our situation.

My husband and I are currently unemployed too, due to the economic crisis so money is extremely tight. If we do not pay the additional $2,000, the sale falls thru. Now, they could have gotten most if not all of their money back had they been professional last year. Now we are in danger of losing these buyer's because their mortgage commitment runs out June 19.

Oh, and in the meantime we keep getting letters from WaMu threatening foreclosure. It would seem that they are not at all interested in cooperating with us and getting their money, they would rather see us foreclose and everyone loses everything. We did all we could on our end to make this short sale a success but WaMu has consistently put up roadblocks.

They are the most reprehensible company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with.

Writing Drought

I'm all revved up to start writing again. Poetry, short stories, articles, you name it and I want to write it. I have been reading up on how to get published and how to be a better writer. Problem is...I have no topic. I have nothing to say. My muse just sits there.

I realize that this blog and this very entry contradicts the problem I stated. Still, I cannot make money selling this blog or my thoughts as an article or story.

I'm in a drought and just need a little rain to get things going again. I won't label this Writer's Block because that's too cliche. And serious sounding.

Funny. My analogy to a drought and rain is funny. I'm not a big fan of rain. Especially when it's cold. It's one thing to be cold but to be cold and wet is just plain miserable. We've been having more rain than I like lately. On the flip side, we are planning to move to Las Vegas next month....a place that hardly sees any rain. Perhaps I should have likened my situation to a desert and rain but then I would only be writing in short spurts that come only a few times a year.

I keep remembering the old adage, "This too shall pass." And the rain shall come and the words will flow.

Facebook MIA

Facebook has become an addiction. Far beyond its initial networking means, people now use it as another way to let the world know what they are doing. Members collect friends as numismatists do coins. It's a popularity contest. The more friends you have, the more people you know.

Members put up tons of pictures from their past and present. They tell what they are doing. Sandy is...unhappy today. This prompts "friends" to ask, "Why?" and a mini conversation on my wall begins. There is a chat feature so you no longer need to email or IM. Facebook offers games, social clubs and a host of activities to keep you hostage on their site.

I am not a Facebook addict. I signed up several months ago to see what the hub-bub was about. A couple friends asked me, "Are you on Facebook?" They encouraged me and finally I decided to join the masses.

I don't see the fuss. Perhaps that's just me. I don't have a big need to befriend someone I barely spoke to in High School. I am wary of posting pictures of my family and friends in such a wide open forum. In an age where thieves are getting more creative and identity theft is running rampant, I would rather not open my life up to public display. I'm cynical. I'm suspicious. I'm in the minority. So many others continue to use the site as their lifeline to the world. A few use it as it was meant to be...a place to network, connect and re-connect.

Right now Facebook is the major hype. Who knows what the next great technical pet rock will be. Speaking of pets...my poor superpet on Facebook (one of the game/fun options) is so neglected since I haven't accessed him in months. Thank goodness for my Facebook friends or he'd probably be dead.

Real TV

Ok, I admit it. I am shamelessly addicted to the Real Housewives on Bravo TV. The Atlanta housewives annoyed me and the OC ones were mildly amusing. But the NY housewives I loved!

I am currently watching the newest addition, The Real Housewives of NJ and well....the jury is still out. I watch the show much like people watching a train wreck. Part of you knows you should look away. But you can't! Still, I root for the gals across the Hudson. The NJ housewives I can't warm up to. None of them reach me. And none of them portray REAL Jersey women. I know, Atlanta and NY women said the same thing but.. Come On! We do not all act the way they do.

In the meantime...I tune in every Tuesday night at 10 to watch "The Real Train Wreck of TV".

Web Page Designer Extraordinaire

I spent the last few days reading, researching and trying my hand at new online design stuff. I actually designed my own web page. It's really basic and done totally on the cheap (free!). But it's mine. I joined Peapod as an affiliate so for every person that signs up thru my site, I make some money. Check it out on the left hand margin here (check out Peapod). Will I get rich off this? No. However, I learned a lot more about website design and all that techie stuff. I plan on hiring a web designer to create a site for my online Proofreading company. I want that to look professional.

Poetry

There's nothing more beautiful than words arranged in a colorful way or spoken with passion. These are but a few favorite poems of mine.

My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends
It gives a lovely light.
- Edna St. Vincent Millay

Nothing Gold Can Stay - Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

Collection of quotes

Do the right thing. As opposed to doing the next thing right. - Bill Murray

Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. - Goethe; also spoken in the movie "Almost Famous"

Give in to desire and see only the illusion. Free yourself of desire and see the greatness within. - Lao Ma on Xena

You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny. - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Karma is the eternal assertion of human freedom - our thoughts, our words and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves. - Swami Vivekananda

An integral being knows without going, sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing. - Lao Tzu

Nature is the perfect teacher. It reveals the order in chaos.

Do not place importance on unimportant things.

Some people have money, others are rich.

To conquer others is to have power. To conquer yourself is to know the way.

Everyday we have is one day more than we deserve. - Robert Redford’s character in Up Close & Personal

From Tuesdays With Morrie

Don’t cling to things, because everything is impermanent. - Buddhist proverb
Love each other, or perish. - Auden
Love is the only rational act. - Levine
What we take we must replenish. - Morrie Schwartz
Death ends a life, not a relationship. - Morrie Schwartz

My Thoughts, My Views, My Stuff

I created this blog as a place to house my....stuff. You know, a place for everything and everything in it's place. Recently, at night while I lay in bed waiting for sleep to come I have begun to make lists in my head. I have a list of my favorite movies. These are movies that I watch over and over when they are on TV and can quote random lines from. List subject to additions or changes at author's whim.

A League of Their Own
Airheads
Back To the Future Trilogy
Christmas Vacation
Coneheads
Disney’s The Kid
Doc Hollywood
Father of the Bride (remake)
Godfather Trilogy
Gone With the Wind
Grease
It’s A Wonderful Life
Jaws
Little Women
Meet Joe Black
Miracle on 34th Street
Monsters Inc.
Ocean’s 11
Ocean’s 13
Point Break
That Night
When Harry Met Sally
Wizard of Oz