It's official...the weekend is here! Boy, do I need a break, too! This week has been super intense work-wise. Here are somethings that made this a crazy week:
1. Learning a new job (which I'm happy about because I want to learn new things, however, learning new things in this case is stressful).
2. Busy time of the year...this was the first week of classes at ASU.
3. I'm waiting to get computer access to important things I need access to for my position (and keys to my office after being here for two weeks, too)!
I had a moment yesterday where, due to all this craziness, I felt my head was figuratively just barely above water...but I told myself, "AT LEAST YOUR HEAD IS ABOVE WATER!" and I'm not completely drowning in the new situation. I will have success in this position...it's not as though it's hard per se...it will just take time to learn everything. Besides, I love the students!
So, after work yesterday, I called my mom to vent, bought a Venti (that's the big size) fresh brewed Starbucks coffee (4 Splendas and half and half), and read some Travel and Leisure magazines and looked at Vegas hotels online in the library until Josh finished teaching his class at 7:30.
We went home last night and I booked us two nights in Vegas for the holiday weekend. We drive up there tomorrow morning. It's about 4.5 hours from Phoenix. This time, I'll remember to take the camera to Vegas because when Josh and I went in April, I left the camera at home. We're really looking forward to eating lunch at the Wynn buffet tomorrow...here's to hoping it is as good as last time!
Then, this morning I saw my payroll direct deposit amount. Uh, why is the amount only for one week of work and not two weeks? I called HR to inquire. Apparently, they do something with pay that is like two weeks behind. So, I'll be getting one week of August's pay and one week of September's pay the second week of September! HR at ASU is SO FREAKING LAME! No, I don't want to be paid twice a month...once is sufficient.
In about two weeks or so, we plan to meet up with Ryan, our friend from high school, who lives in San Diego. We're not sure if we'll drive out to San Diego, or if Ryan will come out to Phoenix, or if we'll meet up in Death Valley (Josh's attempt at a joke suggestion). We'll see.
Political Commentary: I don't want to vote for Obama or McCain...however, both chose interesting VP candidates. Interesting for very different reasons. I wonder if this whole Obama presidency is a foregone conclusion? Seriously, I don't know who to vote for and I HAVE TO VOTE.
So, time to enjoy the long weekend. Viva Las Vegas!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
This Week
I started my job at ASU West last Monday, August 18. Wow-the "benefits" that this university offers are a complete joke in comparison to the University of Arkansas. I earn less than one day of vacation per month and the university does not close for the week between Christmas and New Year's. Also, I have no option into what retirement company I want to invest. It's mandatory for me to invest into the Arizona state government retirement system. I'm not fully vested for 10 YEARS...give me a break!
Then, 28 classified staff were laid-off on my first day of work due to budget issues. ASU is apparently millions of dollars over budget and they have to make extreme cuts. Great! So, a somewhat rough start to my job. I had always thought that higher education was a safe place to be in a bad economy but obviously not.
Things started looking up on Wednesday when I helped with move-in at the one residence hall on campus, Las Casas. It was so great to meet with students! Granted, I didn't know a lot as it was my third day, however, I was able to find someone if I didn't have the answer.
Thursday, I set up and worked the Employment Fair. Our office is looking for tutors and a front desk worker. I really loved getting to meet with all the different students (it took me back to my Admissions days).
Friday, I went to the Tempe campus for their all-campus welcome. I only got to see the basketball arena and one of the residence halls, however, it looked like a really nice campus. It was really great to see the welcome event for new freshmen because I felt like it was a welcome for me, too. I don't think I'll ever really be a "Sun Devil" but hearing the fight song and seeing all the freshmen excited to be there made me glad to be a part of the collegiate experience.
Small rant: After work Friday, Josh and I went to Walmart, where, as I mentioned before, you can buy alcohol. However, if you buy alcohol at Walmart, sometimes the cashier will ask to see both people's IDs, not just the person purchasing the alcohol. Josh thinks this is a stupid policy because what if I was 19 and Josh was my older husband, would they not sell us the alcohol. Or, what if a parent was with their 17 year old child, will the cashier not sell them the alcohol because one person is underage?
So, anyway, Josh had already verbally accosted one cashier a couple of weeks ago, so this time I was like, I'll just go to the car (and it's not even like I didn't have my ID, it's just that Josh is annoyed that both people have to show their IDs). Josh said no, it'll be okay. But then, the lady carded us both and Josh let loose on her, too! I mean really, Walmart's not going to change the policy (which is not enforced equally because some cashiers don't card both of us), so all that's left to do is to buy alcohol elsewhere. Which is actually fine because there is this alcohol store here called Total Wine that has the largest selection of wine, beer, and liquor....and, their prices are lower than Walmart's.
Saturday morning started out with breakfast on the patio. Even with the patio fan on, it was still pretty warm sitting outside. It'll keep getting cooler though. After breakfast, Josh and I spent time unpacking boxes. We're still not finished though. 
We started out today with a visit from the Ashley Home Furnishing people. When our hutch first arrived, it had a small crack in the upper left corner. Two different technicians tried to paint over it. Last weekend, when Josh was looking at the crack (he had turned the track lights on the hutch), one of the lightbulbs on the right side exploded! The light had only been on for 2-3 minutes, so it couldn't have been too hot. Josh was just glad it hadn't exploded in his face! So, the Ashley guy came this morning and was like, yeah, we'll bring you a new top piece to the hutch but it will take 2 weeks. I'm ready to be able to display stuff!
Another thing we did today was to put one thing up on the wall...but then I noticed it wasn't centered so it's going to have to come back down. We also bought a new tv...our old tv literally celebrated it's 10th birthday this month (we bought it at the start of sophomore year of college in 1998). Thanks to Josh's parent's for the awesome gift! We bought a LG 42 inch LCD from Best Buy. Purchasing a home theater sound system to go with it is the next step.
Josh made us meatloaf for dinner tonight. This attempt was MUCH BETTER than his first attempt when we lived in New Mexico. Heck, this time the meatloaf was so good that I had seconds. While the meatloaf was cooking, Josh and I took care of the backyard. Last Sunday was the first time we cut the grass so it was a lot longer last week than it was today. While we were outside, a little bird came up to Josh and I. He was so not shy...he stood by Josh's feet and by the bag while we raked up the grass and branch trimmings.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Twilight and Random Updates
Just a note to say that I've picked up reading the Twilight series (apparently, it's all the buzz with my girlfriends on facebook). At the risk of the following being viewed as anathema to Twilight fans, I must say that at 352 pages in, I'm unconvinced of its greatness. Maybe it's too early on to judge. Aimee has said the second and third books are better than the first. I'm keen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so that's my forbidden human/vampire love story.
On another note, I love, love, love this song by Brandi Carlile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CodLVhl65rQ. It's the song they use in the GM commercials that run during the Olympics. The lyrics are fantastic. Here's how much I like this girl. I checked out her Myspace page to see where she's performing. Closest concert is in Boulder, Colorado and it's sold out. I seriously thought about flying to Oregon to watch her before Josh put his foot down on that idea.
Speaking of Olympics, who knew that trampoline jumping was a sport? Sheesh, I totally missed my calling! And the close call with Michael Phelps last night?...AMAZING!
My meeting with Talisha, the Arkansas alum I met at Starbucks, was super great. Talisha was fabulously friendly! We're scouting a location to host a watch party for the Arkansas-Texas game on September 13. We'll see what kind of turnout we get (hoping for 15-20 people).
We have dinner with the Dean of Josh's department and some of the other professors tonight at the Dean's house in Moon Valley.
On another note, I love, love, love this song by Brandi Carlile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CodLVhl65rQ. It's the song they use in the GM commercials that run during the Olympics. The lyrics are fantastic. Here's how much I like this girl. I checked out her Myspace page to see where she's performing. Closest concert is in Boulder, Colorado and it's sold out. I seriously thought about flying to Oregon to watch her before Josh put his foot down on that idea.
Speaking of Olympics, who knew that trampoline jumping was a sport? Sheesh, I totally missed my calling! And the close call with Michael Phelps last night?...AMAZING!
After filling out papers at work yesterday morning (I can't even let my mind wander to contemplate the pathetic number of vacation/sick hours ASU staff earn), I went to the DMV to register the car in Arizona and to get an Arizona driver's license.
My 70+ year old (White) clerk proceeded to tell me how I should be careful in Phoenix and never leave my purse in the car or leave any of my items like my cell phone out of arms reach. She told me I needed to be careful because of all the people coming here from Mexico and California and that gangs are really bad here. Then, I noted a piece of paper stuck to her cubby wall that said, "If you have a foriegn at your window, do X, Y, Z." I mean, can't they get it right and it least say "forienger"?
I got the Arizona plates and my driver's license. I think there is a mistake on my driver's license though because, get this, it doesn't expire until 2044!!! What the heck?!? Best $25 I've ever spent :)
My meeting with Talisha, the Arkansas alum I met at Starbucks, was super great. Talisha was fabulously friendly! We're scouting a location to host a watch party for the Arkansas-Texas game on September 13. We'll see what kind of turnout we get (hoping for 15-20 people).
We have dinner with the Dean of Josh's department and some of the other professors tonight at the Dean's house in Moon Valley.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Employed...Almost
Just a note to say I was offered the Student Support Services job at ASU-West. I'm going in tomorrow to fill out the paperwork (30 minutes or so) and I officially start on Monday. I figured I might as well start ASAP so I can start making some moolah...I've got a house to furnish and some weekend trips to plan! Las Vegas, San Diego, L.A. anyone?
Also, I'm meeting with a University of Arkansas alum tomorrow so we can work on establishing the Regional Razorbacks for the Phoenix metro area.
Josh is home with pizza to celebrate. Yay for jobs!
Also, I'm meeting with a University of Arkansas alum tomorrow so we can work on establishing the Regional Razorbacks for the Phoenix metro area.
Josh is home with pizza to celebrate. Yay for jobs!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Some Interior Pictures
Here are some pics of the inside of the house with furniture...we still need to hang stuff on the walls, buy a few more pieces, and continue to unpack/declutter. But, it's a work in progress!
The scroll on the wall and the placemats on the table (with chopsticks!) were purchased last November in Beijing during our Asia travels. It's cool to use them now and to see how they tie in with everything. The bottles in the hutch contain sand from different places we've visited around the world.
The scroll on the wall and the placemats on the table (with chopsticks!) were purchased last November in Beijing during our Asia travels. It's cool to use them now and to see how they tie in with everything. The bottles in the hutch contain sand from different places we've visited around the world.
Monday, August 11, 2008
"I Kinda Love This Place."
I just wanted to quote Josh regarding our house. As we were walking out the front door this evening to go buy more Dr. Pepper (2 24-packs for $10 = an amazing deal at Albertsons), he spoke the words above. Yeah, I kinda love it, too.
Of course, I've spent more time in the house since I'm not working yet. I know the whole finding a job thing takes time. So, I'm waiting. And, continuing to apply for jobs. Josh has been going into the office around 11 or so and coming home at 6.
Our car was delivered last Thursday morning (so we had to drive back to the airport to return the rental car) and our furniture was delivered Thursday evening. It was a lot easier for these guys to deliver the furniture to our single story house than it was for the guys loading it up in Arkansas taking it downstairs and around to the front of the building. One of the first things one of the Arizona movers said when he came into the kitchen was, "We think we lost one of the wardrobes. We don't show it on the inventory."
"S*&@!" C'mon, you can't lose a girl's clothes! Josh tried to make me feel better by saying that it was probably his wardrobe of clothes that was missing. Our only tasks while the guys unloaded was to check numbered boxes off the inventory list and to tell the guys where to drop off the boxes. The first thing they brought into the house was two chairs. Amazing to have a real seat to sit in after over a week without one.
When the sofa came into the house, it really filled up the living room and it was obvious that we made the right decision about not buying the two couches. The couch was/is so comfortable! Towards the end, they brought in our bed and set it up. Ah, my bed - and pillows, too!
Well, all the wardrobes did make it-yay for clothes! The number sticker on the box had fallen off. Actually, nothing was lost in transit so that is great. So far, the only thing I've seen that was broken was the glass in one picture frame (but it wasn't a significant frame...it cost about $1).
When the moving guys left, I remember walking down the hall in the dark (still haven't learned where all the light switches are) and placing my hand over my heart saying, "It feels like home."
The bed seemed so high off the ground after having slept on the air mattress for so long. That night, I told Josh that the moving experience reinforced the idea that you can get by with very little, however, it's much more comfortable to have all your things.
The following morning (Friday), our dining room set was delivered from Ashley Furniture. It looks incredible in the dining room, however, there was a crack in the wood. They sent someone out today to fix the problem but Josh and I aren't completely satisfied with the result so we have to call the company back tomorrow.
On Saturday, we drove out to Mesa to pick up the desks from the girl who listed them on craigslist. Mesa=long drive but worth it as the desks look great in the office and they were quite the deal. We went to Walmart to buy real cookable food since we now had our dishes and pots and pans. Wow, I bought some cherries...they're amazing....why haven't I ever bought them before? Oh yeah, Josh would always say they were expensive...now I know they're worth the price, so delicious.
Our first dinner with pots and pans and real dishes was steak and veggies. We even ate at the new dining room table. Having a house, not an apartment, is so much quieter...which is a good thing. The other thing I like about the house is that it's on the golf course. I like this because everyday I get to watch people have fun and enjoy themselves (hopefully!) while they take some leisure time out on the course.
Oh, but keeping up with the Jones. Our neighbors to the north have a misting system that runs across their back patio...a misting system! That looks nice but won't be happening here. Heck, we haven't even filled up the fountain yet...although Josh did try to clean it out a bit this weekend because of the monsoon storms bringing in dirt and debris. I worked on unpacking our boxes this weekend.
Oh my gosh, there's a theme song for Channel 12 News in Phoenix. "It's all on 12 news, 12 news, believe it it's true, and the best is yet to come." If I here this freaking song one more time, I'm going to go insane!!! Normally, listening to the song wouldn't be a problem, however, Channel 12 is carrying the Olympics, so it's always on! Grrrr...I tried to find it on youtube so you could experience the annoyance. I even looked on their website. Maybe, I'll video it from tv myself....just so you can enjoy it on the blog!
Speaking of the Olympics, we watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night. The opening was fantastic. I normally don't watch the entire opening ceremony but I watched all 4 hours that night. Loving the swimming and gymnastics. Synchronized diving...who knew?!? Jonathan Horton (men's gymnastics) had such an AMAZING night tonight...awesome....too bad that one guy had to mess up on pommel horse with a 12.something to give USA the bronze!
Of course, I've spent more time in the house since I'm not working yet. I know the whole finding a job thing takes time. So, I'm waiting. And, continuing to apply for jobs. Josh has been going into the office around 11 or so and coming home at 6.
Our car was delivered last Thursday morning (so we had to drive back to the airport to return the rental car) and our furniture was delivered Thursday evening. It was a lot easier for these guys to deliver the furniture to our single story house than it was for the guys loading it up in Arkansas taking it downstairs and around to the front of the building. One of the first things one of the Arizona movers said when he came into the kitchen was, "We think we lost one of the wardrobes. We don't show it on the inventory."
"S*&@!" C'mon, you can't lose a girl's clothes! Josh tried to make me feel better by saying that it was probably his wardrobe of clothes that was missing. Our only tasks while the guys unloaded was to check numbered boxes off the inventory list and to tell the guys where to drop off the boxes. The first thing they brought into the house was two chairs. Amazing to have a real seat to sit in after over a week without one.
When the sofa came into the house, it really filled up the living room and it was obvious that we made the right decision about not buying the two couches. The couch was/is so comfortable! Towards the end, they brought in our bed and set it up. Ah, my bed - and pillows, too!
Well, all the wardrobes did make it-yay for clothes! The number sticker on the box had fallen off. Actually, nothing was lost in transit so that is great. So far, the only thing I've seen that was broken was the glass in one picture frame (but it wasn't a significant frame...it cost about $1).
When the moving guys left, I remember walking down the hall in the dark (still haven't learned where all the light switches are) and placing my hand over my heart saying, "It feels like home."
The bed seemed so high off the ground after having slept on the air mattress for so long. That night, I told Josh that the moving experience reinforced the idea that you can get by with very little, however, it's much more comfortable to have all your things.
The following morning (Friday), our dining room set was delivered from Ashley Furniture. It looks incredible in the dining room, however, there was a crack in the wood. They sent someone out today to fix the problem but Josh and I aren't completely satisfied with the result so we have to call the company back tomorrow.
On Saturday, we drove out to Mesa to pick up the desks from the girl who listed them on craigslist. Mesa=long drive but worth it as the desks look great in the office and they were quite the deal. We went to Walmart to buy real cookable food since we now had our dishes and pots and pans. Wow, I bought some cherries...they're amazing....why haven't I ever bought them before? Oh yeah, Josh would always say they were expensive...now I know they're worth the price, so delicious.
Our first dinner with pots and pans and real dishes was steak and veggies. We even ate at the new dining room table. Having a house, not an apartment, is so much quieter...which is a good thing. The other thing I like about the house is that it's on the golf course. I like this because everyday I get to watch people have fun and enjoy themselves (hopefully!) while they take some leisure time out on the course.
Oh, but keeping up with the Jones. Our neighbors to the north have a misting system that runs across their back patio...a misting system! That looks nice but won't be happening here. Heck, we haven't even filled up the fountain yet...although Josh did try to clean it out a bit this weekend because of the monsoon storms bringing in dirt and debris. I worked on unpacking our boxes this weekend.
Oh my gosh, there's a theme song for Channel 12 News in Phoenix. "It's all on 12 news, 12 news, believe it it's true, and the best is yet to come." If I here this freaking song one more time, I'm going to go insane!!! Normally, listening to the song wouldn't be a problem, however, Channel 12 is carrying the Olympics, so it's always on! Grrrr...I tried to find it on youtube so you could experience the annoyance. I even looked on their website. Maybe, I'll video it from tv myself....just so you can enjoy it on the blog!
Speaking of the Olympics, we watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night. The opening was fantastic. I normally don't watch the entire opening ceremony but I watched all 4 hours that night. Loving the swimming and gymnastics. Synchronized diving...who knew?!? Jonathan Horton (men's gymnastics) had such an AMAZING night tonight...awesome....too bad that one guy had to mess up on pommel horse with a 12.something to give USA the bronze!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Updates and Observations
Just so I never forget, I want to mention that during our first night in the house, I saw a shooting star when I went outside.
I spent last Thursday preparing for the interview I had scheduled on Friday. I had to create a presentation on an academic success skill for college students. I chose Time Management. Then, on Friday, since we don't have our printers here, I went to Kinko's to run copies of the slides. My first Kinko's experience. Followed by a run to Target for a stapler since I didn't think to have the lady collate my copies :)
The interview went well, I think. It's probably a sickness, however, I love giving presentations. This from someone who was so painfully shy in high school that she would turn red in the face if a teacher called on her.
Attempting to leave the ASU-West campus after the interview was another matter all together. When I had arrived, I noticed a sign on the ticket machine (like those you use for airport parking) that said cash only. Well, I wasn't carrying cash that day because I didn't bring my wallet. I had my credit card and driver's license.
As the interview was slated to begin in about 25 minutes, I told myself I would worry about paying for the parking later. I grabbed my ticket and went in. Fortunately, the administrative assistant validated my parking ticket with a sticker that she said was valid for 3 hours. Unfortunately, the girl in the ticket booth told me the sticker was only good for 1 hour and I'd been parked for 1.5 hours. She said she couldn't do anything for me since she gets "audited" so I had to trek back to the office and get another sticker.
Fun times and yet another reminder of why I should ALWAYS-NO EXCEPTIONS-carry some cash! Heck, my debit card has been expired since February...I need to call for another one ASAP. Doing that right now....14 minutes later...card's in the mail.
Josh and I have been going out to eat at different places here since there is such variety. But, that adds up pretty quickly. We justify it by saying we won't go out to eat as much once our stuff arrives. Speaking of which, our stuff is scheduled to arrive Friday afternoon...the last possible time they can get it here and not be late! I'm reaching my breaking point with the air mattress but that is only because Josh won't spring for pillows...only two more nights without a pillow!
My new addiction, when not searching for a job, is craigslist. I love that website! There's heaps of furniture for sale on there. Actually, we're buying two glass desks for the office for $80 total. I saw them for sale at Office Max for $200 each. We'll pick them up this weekend once our vehicle has arrived.
Some other things I've done this week: On Sunday, I went to an estate sale-HUGE house, super rich. Nothing for sale that I couldn't live without though. On Monday, we called a water softner company that sent a representative over to the house for 2 hours to explain his product. We didn't buy the system ($5,000) but we received two free movie passes which we used that night to see Iron Man at the movie theater (totally forgettable movie despite the rave reviews). We also signed up with Blockbuster to do the whole movies via mail thing. We'll see how that goes.
Last night we had a big storm come through. Lots of wind and rain. It really cooled off outside. Even right now, it's only 95 degrees at 2 pm. We're in the monsoon season right now. I believe that it lasts until September. And that's life in the "valley" as they call it.
I spent last Thursday preparing for the interview I had scheduled on Friday. I had to create a presentation on an academic success skill for college students. I chose Time Management. Then, on Friday, since we don't have our printers here, I went to Kinko's to run copies of the slides. My first Kinko's experience. Followed by a run to Target for a stapler since I didn't think to have the lady collate my copies :)
The interview went well, I think. It's probably a sickness, however, I love giving presentations. This from someone who was so painfully shy in high school that she would turn red in the face if a teacher called on her.
Attempting to leave the ASU-West campus after the interview was another matter all together. When I had arrived, I noticed a sign on the ticket machine (like those you use for airport parking) that said cash only. Well, I wasn't carrying cash that day because I didn't bring my wallet. I had my credit card and driver's license.
As the interview was slated to begin in about 25 minutes, I told myself I would worry about paying for the parking later. I grabbed my ticket and went in. Fortunately, the administrative assistant validated my parking ticket with a sticker that she said was valid for 3 hours. Unfortunately, the girl in the ticket booth told me the sticker was only good for 1 hour and I'd been parked for 1.5 hours. She said she couldn't do anything for me since she gets "audited" so I had to trek back to the office and get another sticker.
Fun times and yet another reminder of why I should ALWAYS-NO EXCEPTIONS-carry some cash! Heck, my debit card has been expired since February...I need to call for another one ASAP. Doing that right now....14 minutes later...card's in the mail.
Josh and I have been going out to eat at different places here since there is such variety. But, that adds up pretty quickly. We justify it by saying we won't go out to eat as much once our stuff arrives. Speaking of which, our stuff is scheduled to arrive Friday afternoon...the last possible time they can get it here and not be late! I'm reaching my breaking point with the air mattress but that is only because Josh won't spring for pillows...only two more nights without a pillow!
My new addiction, when not searching for a job, is craigslist. I love that website! There's heaps of furniture for sale on there. Actually, we're buying two glass desks for the office for $80 total. I saw them for sale at Office Max for $200 each. We'll pick them up this weekend once our vehicle has arrived.
Some other things I've done this week: On Sunday, I went to an estate sale-HUGE house, super rich. Nothing for sale that I couldn't live without though. On Monday, we called a water softner company that sent a representative over to the house for 2 hours to explain his product. We didn't buy the system ($5,000) but we received two free movie passes which we used that night to see Iron Man at the movie theater (totally forgettable movie despite the rave reviews). We also signed up with Blockbuster to do the whole movies via mail thing. We'll see how that goes.
Last night we had a big storm come through. Lots of wind and rain. It really cooled off outside. Even right now, it's only 95 degrees at 2 pm. We're in the monsoon season right now. I believe that it lasts until September. And that's life in the "valley" as they call it.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Buying Furniture
We started our adventure shopping at Ashley Home Furnishings around 3 pm and were introduced to Chuck, our dedicated salesman. We fell in love with a massive dining room table and china cabinet at the front of the store, however, we continued to walk around to check everything out. Chuck would periodically walk by and over-enthusiastically ask how we were doing. Okay, nothing too out of the ordinary...yet!
After looking around the entire store, Josh and I decided to take a break to buy lunch and talk. We went to Ajo Al's (a tad expensive but huge portions in a great environment). We decided we should buy a tape measure and measure the dimensions of our house before buying furniture (good idea). After visiting Safeway, which does not sell tape measures, we went to the 99 cent shop and found one. Back to the house to measure everything out. And the realization hits that our favorite table and china cabinet will not fit in our formal dining room.
We drive back to Ashley's and tell them that we were working with Chuck earlier...maybe we shouldn't have done that. We continue to look at the too big table. Of course, I'm sure we look like freaks, now with a measuring tape, looking at these pieces of furniture that are JUST TOO BIG for the house...but we like them! Ok, not possible. Find our second favorite piece.
We see a traditional set of brown dining furniture that will fit in the dining room and it has a really cool matching living room set that goes with it. However, we don't like the entertainment center...too small. Then, since Chuck is nowhere to be found when we need him, another sales guy comes over and starts explaining about a contemporary, sleek, Asian-y dining room set to us. Then, Chuck does a walk by, very quickly, and pats the guy on the back as in "Don't take my sale, buddy."
It's between these two sets: traditional or modern. We locate Chuck and ask him to run the numbers for us. We'll see which is the better deal and go with it. It's now about 7 pm and they close at 8 pm. We sit at the traditional dining table with Chuck. I don't think he's ever come across people like us who would try to milk this sale for all it was worth. As in, "If it's buy one, get one for $1, why not get two couches instead of a couch/love seat because that is a greater buy for us." So, we start adding it all up: dining table for china cabinet, end table for end table, coffee table for decorative chest, etc. I think Chuck's head is going to explode although it's not highly complicated and we're only on the first set of furniture.
Then, Chuck's phone rings. He answers it and as he's walking away we hear. "Oh baby, don't leave. Stay in the parking lot. I'm finishing a sale." Alrighty. When Chuck's back, we're onto the modern furniture. Same scenario to price it out except that this group of furniture includes the most MASSIVE entertainment center ever! Over 9 feet long and an area to hang your flat screen on it (if you have a flat screen, that is). Our living room is 12x12. Josh really likes it.
All the while, Chuck is getting phone calls...which he takes. Professionalism much? He is incapable of "walking" away, too. Rather, when he leaves (aren't we trying to make a purchase here?!?) it's more like a Red Bull laced with cocaine stomp inclusive of arm swinging so violent it puts mall-walkers to shame.
Then, I have another realization. The reason why people don't buy two couches even though it's a better deal is because two couches won't fit in the living room even if you arrange them in an "L" shape. Crap. I don't even think a love seat would fit in the space. We'll need a chair instead. It's 7:45ish. More number running for Chuck.
It gets worse. I tell Josh that the entertainment center is just too big for the living room and that it will overwhelm the space. Even though this is the best sale ever, we should just buy the modern dining table and china cabinet. Chuck's gone from making commission on $4,000 to $1,400 in the span of 5-7 minutes. Man, I hate toying with people's emotions...especially someone who seems as emotionally unstable as Chuck because now he has our cell phone number and street address.
We're we jerks? Maybe. But I didn't change my mind to be intentionally spiteful or to waste Chuck's time. I just think we got wrapped up in the great deal of it all ($1 !!!) and at least logic clicked in during the last minute or we would have a house full of too big furniture.
By the time we paid for the furniture it was about 8:30 pm and I'm sure Chuck was going to go postal like you hear about sometimes on the news. Or maybe his wife and friends were going to go postal on Chuck. Either way, the guy should work on his customer service skills and if he really had to go somewhere, he should have passed the sale off to the other guy we had to talked to.
Note to self: Josh and I can never purchase furniture from that store again.
After looking around the entire store, Josh and I decided to take a break to buy lunch and talk. We went to Ajo Al's (a tad expensive but huge portions in a great environment). We decided we should buy a tape measure and measure the dimensions of our house before buying furniture (good idea). After visiting Safeway, which does not sell tape measures, we went to the 99 cent shop and found one. Back to the house to measure everything out. And the realization hits that our favorite table and china cabinet will not fit in our formal dining room.
We drive back to Ashley's and tell them that we were working with Chuck earlier...maybe we shouldn't have done that. We continue to look at the too big table. Of course, I'm sure we look like freaks, now with a measuring tape, looking at these pieces of furniture that are JUST TOO BIG for the house...but we like them! Ok, not possible. Find our second favorite piece.
We see a traditional set of brown dining furniture that will fit in the dining room and it has a really cool matching living room set that goes with it. However, we don't like the entertainment center...too small. Then, since Chuck is nowhere to be found when we need him, another sales guy comes over and starts explaining about a contemporary, sleek, Asian-y dining room set to us. Then, Chuck does a walk by, very quickly, and pats the guy on the back as in "Don't take my sale, buddy."
It's between these two sets: traditional or modern. We locate Chuck and ask him to run the numbers for us. We'll see which is the better deal and go with it. It's now about 7 pm and they close at 8 pm. We sit at the traditional dining table with Chuck. I don't think he's ever come across people like us who would try to milk this sale for all it was worth. As in, "If it's buy one, get one for $1, why not get two couches instead of a couch/love seat because that is a greater buy for us." So, we start adding it all up: dining table for china cabinet, end table for end table, coffee table for decorative chest, etc. I think Chuck's head is going to explode although it's not highly complicated and we're only on the first set of furniture.
Then, Chuck's phone rings. He answers it and as he's walking away we hear. "Oh baby, don't leave. Stay in the parking lot. I'm finishing a sale." Alrighty. When Chuck's back, we're onto the modern furniture. Same scenario to price it out except that this group of furniture includes the most MASSIVE entertainment center ever! Over 9 feet long and an area to hang your flat screen on it (if you have a flat screen, that is). Our living room is 12x12. Josh really likes it.
All the while, Chuck is getting phone calls...which he takes. Professionalism much? He is incapable of "walking" away, too. Rather, when he leaves (aren't we trying to make a purchase here?!?) it's more like a Red Bull laced with cocaine stomp inclusive of arm swinging so violent it puts mall-walkers to shame.
Then, I have another realization. The reason why people don't buy two couches even though it's a better deal is because two couches won't fit in the living room even if you arrange them in an "L" shape. Crap. I don't even think a love seat would fit in the space. We'll need a chair instead. It's 7:45ish. More number running for Chuck.
It gets worse. I tell Josh that the entertainment center is just too big for the living room and that it will overwhelm the space. Even though this is the best sale ever, we should just buy the modern dining table and china cabinet. Chuck's gone from making commission on $4,000 to $1,400 in the span of 5-7 minutes. Man, I hate toying with people's emotions...especially someone who seems as emotionally unstable as Chuck because now he has our cell phone number and street address.
We're we jerks? Maybe. But I didn't change my mind to be intentionally spiteful or to waste Chuck's time. I just think we got wrapped up in the great deal of it all ($1 !!!) and at least logic clicked in during the last minute or we would have a house full of too big furniture.
By the time we paid for the furniture it was about 8:30 pm and I'm sure Chuck was going to go postal like you hear about sometimes on the news. Or maybe his wife and friends were going to go postal on Chuck. Either way, the guy should work on his customer service skills and if he really had to go somewhere, he should have passed the sale off to the other guy we had to talked to.
Note to self: Josh and I can never purchase furniture from that store again.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
KEYS!
So, Tuesday, July 28, 2008...the day we closed on our first home and got keys! The morning was pretty standard. We hung out at the hotel until 1:30 and then started driving up to our neighborhood although we hadn't received a phone call from Joyce saying the house was ours. Then, the phone did ring. And it was Joyce. And she said, "Do you know that the power is not turned on in the house"?
What?!? Josh had the Arkansas electric company fax a credit letter to the Arizona company on Thursday or Friday before we left. So, we go to the neighborhood Starbucks and Josh starts making phone calls about why our electricity isn't turned on.
After an hour and a half (and having to go inside Starbucks to plug in the phone because it had a low battery) we were approved to get the electricity turned on that day. The electricity issue was the only bump in the road house-wise. I mean, buying the house was the easy part but getting power was a bit aggrevating.
Josh was pretty upset because he had done his part early on and these people were not on top of things saying that they had never received the fax from Arkansas and that Josh would need to pay a deposit. BUT, after listening to the automated system to pay the deposit over the phone it asked how much we wanted to pay and we didn't know because no one had told us so we had to call someone else. Not to mention that there is a $6 "convenience fee" when you want to pay for something over the phone. Josh finally got a manager on the phone who said, "Oh yeah, I have your fax from Arkansas right here." Can you believe it?!? But, all's well that ends well.
Next, we drove over to the Villa and you can see our first reactions to getting keys and going inside the house. While the sun is really bright in Arizona, it's not as blinding as the video would make it seem...we can actually see the green outside our windows.
What?!? Josh had the Arkansas electric company fax a credit letter to the Arizona company on Thursday or Friday before we left. So, we go to the neighborhood Starbucks and Josh starts making phone calls about why our electricity isn't turned on.
After an hour and a half (and having to go inside Starbucks to plug in the phone because it had a low battery) we were approved to get the electricity turned on that day. The electricity issue was the only bump in the road house-wise. I mean, buying the house was the easy part but getting power was a bit aggrevating.
Josh was pretty upset because he had done his part early on and these people were not on top of things saying that they had never received the fax from Arkansas and that Josh would need to pay a deposit. BUT, after listening to the automated system to pay the deposit over the phone it asked how much we wanted to pay and we didn't know because no one had told us so we had to call someone else. Not to mention that there is a $6 "convenience fee" when you want to pay for something over the phone. Josh finally got a manager on the phone who said, "Oh yeah, I have your fax from Arkansas right here." Can you believe it?!? But, all's well that ends well.
Next, we drove over to the Villa and you can see our first reactions to getting keys and going inside the house. While the sun is really bright in Arizona, it's not as blinding as the video would make it seem...we can actually see the green outside our windows.
About 15 minutes after being in the house, the power came on. The water was working fine as was the cable (the owners left the small tv attached in the kitchen). Josh's next task was to get the internet set up while I unpacked the suitcases and blew up the air mattress. Chores done, we drove out to Walmart for groceries. At only 10 minutes away, it is the longest we'd have to drive to pick up groceries.
Going to Walmart was kinda cool. I mean, I love Walmart. I can go inside and immeadiately feel like I'm back in Arkansas. Except that they sell wine for $1.98 in the refridgerator cases by the front doors where they typically sell flowers in Arkansas. Wait, this is better than Arkansas :)
After our shopping excursion, it was back home to eat our first dinner in the house. Lime cilantro tortilla chips and Herdez salsa were so amazingly delicious. Then, strawberries for dessert and a little sparkling wine for me to celebrate. I love the contrast between a nice bottle of wine and a disposable bowl and fork.
I spoke to my mom that night while laying on the air mattress looking outside the master patio doors. Before moving here, I wondered if I'd be able to see the stars since it's such a big city. I got so excited when I saw a bright light in the sky, actually gasping, only to realize it was an airplane!
After getting off the phone with my mom, I walked outside and noted that stars are visable. However, the color of the sky is different here. In New Zealand, the sky was truly pitch black and the stars just popped! Here, the sky is like a dark denim color over our property, then if you turn south, you get the orangy glow of Phoenix. You can hear light traffic noise at night if you're outside but you can't hear it inside the house (thank goodness-that would drive me crazy).
On Wednesday, July 29, we did some shopping for the house. We looked around Home Depot and talked to a guy about lawn mowers. Who knew that grass grows in a variety of ways, not just straight up? I learned something new. Then, the guy proceeded to tell us about how he and his wife moved out here from California last year to be with their daugher and son-in-law, but now his daughter and son-in-law are divorcing because when the son-in-law moved out here he got really into body building and then started cheating on his wife. Hmmm....I must look like a counselor.
Home Depot was having a great sale on patio furniture but we just couldn't commit to buying the set we wanted so we left and drove over to Ashley's Home Furniture. We hadn't planned to buy furniture (just wanted to look), however, they were having this amazing sale where if you bought one piece of furniture, you got the second piece (of equal or lesser value) for $1. And this.....is where we met......Chuck!
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