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We're...home.
4 years ago
Short version: We sold our house, moved and bought a new one, and that's why you haven't heard jack from me this year.
Long version: This year was...not the shitshow 2020 was, but ridiculously busy.
Tax season was awful this year because they extended the due date to May 15...they had extended it to July in 2020, BUT we had ceased overtime as of March that time. THIS year, we kept the same overtime hours all the way through the end so it was basically four months of an awful work schedule instead of three. Nearly killed me, and we took a vacation almost immediately.
But once that was behind us, Dev suggested I approach the office about working remotely permanently, since I had effectively been doing that the past six months, and we had hired several new out of state employees. And......shockingly, they said that was fine!
We have for years wanted to move northwards...I have lived in L.A. for forty-coughahem years, and I was quite ready for a change...and you can imagine both teh hubby and our husky were quite happy to bail for better climates ASAP. We had been assuming that was just a long-term goal for awhile, and actually were seriously considering options right about when COVID shut things down last year. But, now the possibility of moving it up presented itself; thus I asked the office if it mattered WHERE I was working remotely...and they didn't care where.
So!
I was still recovering from tax season, but we immediately started researching where to live, and I scheduled a trip up the coast in late July to start scouting out properties. And we found out very quickly that due to a disturbingly hectic real estate market, it was extremely unlikely that we would get an offer accepted on a property if I didn't sell our house first...and since turnover was like a week on most house sales, there was no point looking yet since anything good would be snapped up before we could complete any sale.
It also meant we'd have to get a short-term rental of some kind in the interim, which complicated things immensely since we would either have to split up our belongings, or store them all and find something furnished. We opted for the latter, and I figured it was easier to get a long-term AirBnB rather than deal with a short-term lease; it was more expensive (though not by much), but ultimately I think worked out for the better.
Armed with that depressing news, we headed home and began the process of getting the house ready for sale. That's an exhausting but ultimately pretty boring tale, though I will say it was my first time visiting a public dump. We did not get as many offers as I expected, but we did get higher offers than I thought, so that was good; and while escrow was wrapping up, we finished packing to head up north. Keep in mind, we were in the middle of the second extension fall busy season this entire time, so I had no spare time and very little extra energy. This put the onus of packing on Dev, whose back I think is still recovering. There was, predictably, a ton of last-minute crap, but I am EXTREMELY grateful I had the foresight to hire
tremorwolf to help pack up the moving pod.
Looking for a place, while still in the fall busy season, and in...distinctly subpar living arrangements (long story) was awful, combined with the fact that we suddenly couldn't find anything we wanted...and we looked EVERYWHERE. It took basically about six weeks of tormenting our real estate agent before we finally managed to find something we were happy with. Which was followed with a ton of escrow and bank loan and inspection and...nope, don't want to go into it. Suffice to say, crappy month.
After all that, we finally moved in right before Thanksgiving, and have of course spent the past week trying to settle in. We're at least comfortable now, but there's a ton to do, with much furniture and houseware ordering in progress.
Needless to say, I literally have had like...............one weekend off the past six months that didn't involve the move in some form or another. I haven't drawn ANYTHING in about that time; the Cintiq is still packed. I'm exhausted and irritable and really don't want to do much. Teh hubby is doing better than I am mentally, but again, took the physical brunt of the process. At least Harper is unscathed!
But we're home. We're fucking home now.
And this has so been a wise decision. Harper and teh hubby were both actually active the past few months, rather than laid out and panting in the heat (L.A. is fairly warm through much of November). Although the moves (our AirBnB expired RIGHT before escrow closed, so we had to get a second one) upset Harper greatly, he has been bonding with us a lot more since he would usually opt to stay downstairs on the tile/hardwood, but now he's been by our side comfortably. After months of roommate and bro status, he's now officially our pet who loves us.
So that's where I've been, and I'm going to attempt to catch up with everyone.
Just not RIGHT now.
Hope everyone's lives have been going well!
[Edit: Interesting prediction I made six years ago regarding the move...I was off by a year, but I can guarantee COVID set us back at least a year. On the other hand, working remotely during COVID probably made the move possible. Hmmm...]
Long version: This year was...not the shitshow 2020 was, but ridiculously busy.
Tax season was awful this year because they extended the due date to May 15...they had extended it to July in 2020, BUT we had ceased overtime as of March that time. THIS year, we kept the same overtime hours all the way through the end so it was basically four months of an awful work schedule instead of three. Nearly killed me, and we took a vacation almost immediately.
But once that was behind us, Dev suggested I approach the office about working remotely permanently, since I had effectively been doing that the past six months, and we had hired several new out of state employees. And......shockingly, they said that was fine!
We have for years wanted to move northwards...I have lived in L.A. for forty-coughahem years, and I was quite ready for a change...and you can imagine both teh hubby and our husky were quite happy to bail for better climates ASAP. We had been assuming that was just a long-term goal for awhile, and actually were seriously considering options right about when COVID shut things down last year. But, now the possibility of moving it up presented itself; thus I asked the office if it mattered WHERE I was working remotely...and they didn't care where.
So!
I was still recovering from tax season, but we immediately started researching where to live, and I scheduled a trip up the coast in late July to start scouting out properties. And we found out very quickly that due to a disturbingly hectic real estate market, it was extremely unlikely that we would get an offer accepted on a property if I didn't sell our house first...and since turnover was like a week on most house sales, there was no point looking yet since anything good would be snapped up before we could complete any sale.
It also meant we'd have to get a short-term rental of some kind in the interim, which complicated things immensely since we would either have to split up our belongings, or store them all and find something furnished. We opted for the latter, and I figured it was easier to get a long-term AirBnB rather than deal with a short-term lease; it was more expensive (though not by much), but ultimately I think worked out for the better.
Armed with that depressing news, we headed home and began the process of getting the house ready for sale. That's an exhausting but ultimately pretty boring tale, though I will say it was my first time visiting a public dump. We did not get as many offers as I expected, but we did get higher offers than I thought, so that was good; and while escrow was wrapping up, we finished packing to head up north. Keep in mind, we were in the middle of the second extension fall busy season this entire time, so I had no spare time and very little extra energy. This put the onus of packing on Dev, whose back I think is still recovering. There was, predictably, a ton of last-minute crap, but I am EXTREMELY grateful I had the foresight to hire
tremorwolf to help pack up the moving pod.Looking for a place, while still in the fall busy season, and in...distinctly subpar living arrangements (long story) was awful, combined with the fact that we suddenly couldn't find anything we wanted...and we looked EVERYWHERE. It took basically about six weeks of tormenting our real estate agent before we finally managed to find something we were happy with. Which was followed with a ton of escrow and bank loan and inspection and...nope, don't want to go into it. Suffice to say, crappy month.
After all that, we finally moved in right before Thanksgiving, and have of course spent the past week trying to settle in. We're at least comfortable now, but there's a ton to do, with much furniture and houseware ordering in progress.
Needless to say, I literally have had like...............one weekend off the past six months that didn't involve the move in some form or another. I haven't drawn ANYTHING in about that time; the Cintiq is still packed. I'm exhausted and irritable and really don't want to do much. Teh hubby is doing better than I am mentally, but again, took the physical brunt of the process. At least Harper is unscathed!
But we're home. We're fucking home now.
And this has so been a wise decision. Harper and teh hubby were both actually active the past few months, rather than laid out and panting in the heat (L.A. is fairly warm through much of November). Although the moves (our AirBnB expired RIGHT before escrow closed, so we had to get a second one) upset Harper greatly, he has been bonding with us a lot more since he would usually opt to stay downstairs on the tile/hardwood, but now he's been by our side comfortably. After months of roommate and bro status, he's now officially our pet who loves us.
So that's where I've been, and I'm going to attempt to catch up with everyone.
Just not RIGHT now.
Hope everyone's lives have been going well!
[Edit: Interesting prediction I made six years ago regarding the move...I was off by a year, but I can guarantee COVID set us back at least a year. On the other hand, working remotely during COVID probably made the move possible. Hmmm...]
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