Wednesday, July 20, 2011

A Canoeing Type of Summer

So, a couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to have Jessica come back from CA and visit for a week. It was very funny to have her around, because she kept talking about how lush the vegetation was (compared to the desert, where there is no grass and "real" trees--as she said), and how all the buildings/houses look different and unique (instead of all the same with the same adobe-style brick). On one of the days we ended up going on a short canoe ride down the Huron River. Here's Jessica in her kayak just floating along and enjoying...her phone.

 

Here's the rest of us soaking in those sun rays! It was a beautiful day, and it was hot, but not on the water. And you couldn't even tell we were canoeing in Ann Arbor. It was so green, and there were so many trees, you would have thought we were out in the wilderness instead.


Here's a photo as we neared the end of our canoeing for the day. Just beyond that bridge we took the left fork and ended at Gallup Park.


And here's a family of geese and goslings we passed (one of many families, and we passed many duck as well). When we used to run at Gallup Park, I remember how the park would almost be overrun by geese! But these guys are cute--as long as you don't get too close. :)


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Friday, July 15, 2011

New Fridge!

So, ever since we bought our house, I have been wanting a nice new french door fridge. And after two years of waiting, we finally got one!

 

It was on sale, so that should make my mom happy (can't ever buy anything full price!). Our old fridge was only 19 cu. ft., so we actually used a 2nd (small) fridge (like the kind you use in your dorm room) as well. Our new one is now 25 cu. ft., so we have so much extra space! It's a bit ridiculous, actually. The thing is much deeper than our old fridge, and sticks out quite a bit further than our kitchen counter/cabinets. I'm hoping when we finish remodeling the kitchen it won't be as noticeable.


In fact, the new fridge is so big, that it seems rather empty still! (Although, that could be in part due to the fact that we need to go grocery shopping.) Our new fridge also has fancy features like an ice maker in the freezer and filtered water in the inside of the fridge. :) AND, supposedly our new fridge will only cost $49/year to run, since it is energy star rated!
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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Don't Do Business with Bank of America!

Warning: This post has been rated PG-13 for mild language.

So, a word about business stupidity. My parents have had a home equity loan through Bank of America for the past ten years (and also have money in some savings/checking accounts, as well as a credit card). They wanted to renew the home equity loan to continue doing some work on the house and finish paying off what they owe. But when the appraiser came to evaluate the house, he said he wasn't able to do an evaluation because there wasn't siding on the enclosed porch they added on. They have the home equity loan to do improvements on the house, so what do you expect to see, genius? Since they wanted to renew the loan, you kind of might expect to see that there are some projects still in process, don't you think? Also, since they were doing improvements to the house, one might speculate, or haphazardly guess, or foolishly expect, that the house was actually worth more than it was ten years ago when they first got the home equity loan.

When the bank called to tell my mom that they couldn't renew the loan, the woman told my mom that they really appreciated my parents' business. Really? Because it seems like you're saying otherwise, Bank of America. The thing that is most annoying about the whole thing, is that the appraiser was a huge asshole. He had to go into every room and take measurements and take photos of everything. So, I don't think this one little (maybe 100 square foot) un-sided porch really is stopping him from giving an estimated appraisal. I'm guessing it's instead the enormous ass sitting atop his neck.

So, my parents will be taking all of their money and business elsewhere, and rightly so.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ch-Ch-Changes

So, we've been doing a lot of work on the inside of the house this spring and summer. One of the things we've been working on is figuring out the kitchen and getting it ready for our new kitchen cabinets. Here's a picture of some of the old cabinets/the peninsula.

 

We removed the peninsula to use down in the laundry room. We like the new open feeling of the kitchen/dining room, and hope we can devise a layout that utilitzes this openness with the new cabinets.


You can see at the opposite of the room are some of our new cabinets waiting patiently. Even though they are not in their permanent position, we've started using them since we took out some of the old cabinets and need the space.
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Psyched for Harry Potter

I am so psyched for the final Harry Potter movie! When Deathly Hallows Part 1 came out, we went to see it opening night (midnight show) and dressed up for the event.

 


We're not going to the midnight show for Part 2, but we've got our tickets for a more reasonable time for the Imax. We've been re-watching all the movies, (like many people, I'm sure) and we're almost through them all. This is the single movie I have been waiting for all year (probably like many other people as well--I think Part 2 has to be the most anticipated movie this year...), and I can't wait! Good luck Harry!
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