October, 2013

Each month tends to present new opportunities. This was the month we almost became landowners again. We found a small residential lot that was close to the kids, had a seasonal stream behind it and some gorgeous oak trees. We looked at it for weeks before putting in an offer. The offer was accepted after a few counters back and forth and we headed out to get firm estimates on hook up fees. Within 2 days we discovered that it was a costly proposition..too costly. The building fees would be approximately $20K, PG&E almost $15k, and sewer would be close to at least $30K. Since water would have to be trenched through the sidewalk and across the paved road, just like the sewer, that would more than likely be $30K as well. Almost $100K for land and it would cost us $200K before even breaking ground. Building from scratch does not sound like a reasonable option any more. Sad. We pulled our offer before even placing the deposit and modified our search. We are now looking for a home under $250K or land with utilities in place for under $80K. We shall see what next month brings.

My brothers joined us for a trip on the Wine Train in Napa, organized by my brother Jim and his wife Sue who had flown out for a wedding in Napa. Jer and Ann drove up from Santa Maria, Tom and Linda from San Jose, and we enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the train as it slowly meandered through the valley. We also met Indiana friends Kelly and Sue who promised to help us find an RV vehicle. We haven’t heard back on that promise, but we shall see! Rog and I drove back to Rocklin with a stop at the new Nut Tree complex. It is nothing like it was “back in the day”. Now it is a shopping complex. The only thing that was still reminiscent of the past was the Nut Tree Railroad but it just goes around in circles now. Still a nice halfway spot to stop on the way back from the Bay Area.

The following Sunday, Jim and Sue drove up to Rocklin. We had breakfast together with Ryan and Beth and kept Beth laughing the entire meal. After breakfast, Jim and Sue headed to Placerville for a quick visit to a casino, then back to my sister Micki and Brian’s house for dinner. The Blooms joined us there and we had a wonderful dinner and more chatting. Always great to visit with family.

We continue our Monday afternoons with the grandkids. This month we made cheesecloth ghosts sprayed with starch and small apple pies.

On Columbus Day we joined Michelle and the kids for a trip to Bishop’s Pumpkin Patch. (Yes, our schools still get Columbus Day off as a holiday.) We took our kids when they were Max’s age and the place has quadrupled in size. It is now like a small amusement park. Surprisingly they do not charge admission, and much of the park is open and free to play in. They charge for the train and some of the play areas, but the hayride out to find a pumpkin is still free. We ended up spending the entire morning, had a picnic lunch, picked out pumpkins, and headed home. Great fun.

I was able to get Rog covered with health insurance, but need to wait until affordable health care for me to get coverage because of my past health issues. Ryan has also informed us that Rog’s insurance premiums will skyrocket in January and/or be cancelled. So we met with an attorney to look at options. Perhaps we could incorporate and then get group health insurance? Allison Mann Harvey specializes in small corporations and it was great to see her again. She was in daycare with our kids back in the early 1980’s. She is still friends with Michelle and they work out together.
We still have not made a final decision, but it looks like the benefits of incorporating are outweighed by the costs (and hassle). So we shall see.

BEFORE

Our weekends were spent repainting the outside of our office building in Auburn. We had painted it just before we left for our cruising era so it was in need of some attention. We bought a pressure washer and an airless paint sprayer to make the job easier. The first weekend, we washed and removed the flaking paint. The next weekend, we masked the windows and completed the major paint job, including trim. It was an exhausting 2 12 hour days, but it looked pretty doggone good! The third weekend, I spent four hours trimming back the overgrown bushes while Rog pressure washed the parking lot. The final week, we returned and replaced the wood boards that had rotted out at the base of the building and added flashing around the entire base. This required more painting and we were able to touch up where needed. Done! Except for the fencing, which we will tackle in the spring.

AFTER

We put our toes into the social scene and went to a Halloween party in Auburn. I dyed one of Rog’s gis black and he went as a ninja. I made the convertible dress I have been planning to make for months and wore a pair of angel wings that Karissa loaned me. The party was sponsored by the Sugar Plump Fairies, an Auburn group of fun loving gals who raise money to support the arts in the local schools. We ran into a few old pals from pre-cruising days, enjoyed an evening with our own non-plump fairy Liz and her husband Dave, and discovered that we still had some dance moves that had not completely disappeared. It was a fun evening.

Max’s school had a Fall Festival and we joined in for the fund raising evening. Each class sponsored a booth and the kids had a ball with all of the different activities. They made rubber band bracelets, bowled, ring tossed, javelined, threw wet sponges at the principal, and Max even won a plate of cookies at the cake walk. It was well attended and, hopefully, brought in some money to the classrooms. Michelle and I stayed for cleanup and by the time we got back, the kids were ready for bed.

The month ended with a fun Halloween evening. Rog and I left a plate of goodies at our door and headed over to the Blooms. Max was wearing the bat costume his mom had made and anxious to head out. After Karissa was in bed, Rog joined Eric and took Max out. Michelle and I sat outside and met the trick or treaters. It was fun to just sit and chat together. By the time Max got back, he had quite a load of sugar treasure. As usual, he pulled out his favorites and then sold the rest to Michelle and Eric. I think he made over $16!! On the way home, Rog drove by the electronic display at a house nearby. It had the most incredible display of robots and gadgets I have ever seen, complete with a fire breathing dragon. AWESOME!!!