No shows

No showings of the house today. 

I'm getting more than a little frustrated. 

Any way, decided to do one thing I had tried to avoid. One rather obvious section of floor in the front room looked pretty rough. So I tried sanding it. To large an area and had to sand through layers of polish and sealant to get to the wood. After a couple of hours of sanding, I went to Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Got a belt sander and some stain/polyurethane. 

The belt sander was far more effective. Got the rest of the floor section sanded down in about an hour. Swept, mopped and applied the stain/poly. It's blending in well and looks good. This stuff dries in 6 hours. It will need another coat, which I can apply at 10 PM. If no more coats are needed after that, I can apply more polish in the morning. Right now I am thinking the second coat will be enough. 

Work called today and asked if I can work Monday evening. I said yes. Least that will pay for the sander and stain plus more. Then I have the 3 other shifts lined up. Guess I will pick up more if I can. I may pick up some mornings if they are on weekends. No urge to work weekdays when the docs and admins are there. I'll even work the 4th if they ask in advance. Not like I have any plans and don't want to spend money going to the Balloon Park. 

Waiting for the sun to go down a bit. Then going to go out, water the grass and wash the car. 

Next week I think I'll get some paint for the car. Make it look more decent. Going to cut out the headliner because it keeps falling down. Maybe get a new one installed sometime. Still debating getting another vehicle but I have to wait until I get an offer on the house. If I do, think I'll check on SUV's. Burn more gas but they have more room to haul tools and things like that. 

Maybe?

So, the showing happened. Kind of late. I left home, came back at about 6:10 and nobody was here. I figured they came to see the house and didn't stay very long. Drove down the larger street, came back and saw 2-3 vehicles in front of the house. So they had just arrived. A family. I turned around and left.

There's a good sign. I had made up a tip sheet about the house. Things a different agent would not know and even my agent would not know or things that may not be mentioned. Like explanation of the drip irrigation system, what appliances are included with the house and stating if a buyer plans a garden that I would till before title transfer. If they do not want teh drip system I would remove it. Any way, I had printed three copies and left them on the counter. Only two remain, so they took one copy. That's a good sign. They would not have done that if they were not interested.

My listing had dropped in number of views for a couple of says but is back at the top now. For similar listings. 

So I am still hoping to hear something positive this week. 

On the other hand, I'm depressed that I have not gotten an offer yet. Maybe my expectations are way too high. 

Been watering the grass yesterday and today. It's looking better. In a day or two I may take new pictures of the yard for the listing. 

Work called and I agreed to work a few shifts in July. the 10th, 15th and 16th. I could pick up more but it would be mornings. I still hate mornings. If I need to I can cancel those shifts but closing will probably take a while. 

If it takes too long I will not get to AL before daughter starts school for fall. That's a depressing thought. 

One showing

Have one showing for today. At 5:45. So I'm guessing it's someone who works. That sounds hopeful. 

If I didn't mention it, I pulled the cannabis plants and the carrots which had gone to seed. I would have to remove the cannabis before title transfer and the carrots would only be attractive to a limited number of people. 

Watered most of the grass yesterday. Since it rained, a lot of the grass is turning green. I honestly did not want that because now I'll have to keep cutting it. But it makes the property more attractive, so..

Sifted the ashes yesterday morning from the prior bonfires, got rid of the screw, nails and stuff that were attached to the wood when I burned some of it. Tossed most of the ashes in the compost, watered the rest down so it will seep into the soil. 

Going to clean out the fireplace today. 

Not much else going on with the house.

Politics-

In the past week, CNN has been busted several times. Last week they published a story linking Trump to the Russian state owned bank via an investment fund. Then it turned out the investment fund is not connected to the bank. Three "reporters" fired. 

Then covert video came out with a top anchor and a producer saying the whole Russia story is BS and no evidence exists. From there it affects the entire MSM narrative on the subject. Nobody can say one station has evidence and the others do not. 

A poll came out (not the first one but the largest) showing that most Americans don't give a damn about the Russia story. They want CONgress to focus on real issues, domestic issues that affect our everyday lives. That one hit the DNC hard because they're the ones pushing Russia down our throats. Within 24 hours they were racing to say they will be coming out with policies in the next few weeks. But still have nothing but platitudes for now. Many of us have been telling them this for months. Nobody trusts them any more. 

All the above has the "blue no matter who" crowd in complete panic. I cannot believe it took that much for them to panic. 

The GOP health insurance plan is a disaster which would result literally in many deaths. It was coming up for a vote but all the Democrats (finally grew some semblance of a spine) will oppose it, along with 5 GOP senators. Meaning it will not pass. Now the GOP delayed the vote until after July 4th. Guess they have to try and bribe or threaten some people. 

So we Progressives have some hope that things will change our way. We do not count on it happening any time soon but happy to see the tide turning.

Time to drop

No showings yesterday. 

Going to contact the agent today and tell her to drop the asking price by $2500. In fact, while writing this I emailed her to ask her to do that.

Yesterday I dismantled the fire pit. I had the well pump on top of some bags of concrete, so I changed that to cinder blocks. Looks slightly better. 

I tried to sift the ashes from bonfires to eliminate any metal or large pieces out. Right then the wind picked up, blowing the ashes in my face. So have to do that this morning. Using the large screen I made years ago to sift rocks out of soil. 

When the next showing comes up I plan on going to the salvage yard for a new window for the car. Doesn't look like I need many tools for it. 

Okay, not much to write about. I need to get some things done.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning and I am hoping to get some messages for house showings today. I know it won't happen before 8. 

It's actually really cool in the house right now. Feels good. Of course, it's cool outside also.

Still damp outside from a short rain we got at sunset yesterday. Glad it had a chance to soak into the ground.

One good thing is that grass is turning green and roses are blooming. Plus the two flowering trees in front of the house.

The apple trees are forming new leaves. That's good. I've been watering them. Once the leaves get too much salt they just die off and the tree has to form new leaves. 

On the political front, several things have happened in the past few days.

Sy Hersh published an article detailing how the US government ignored intelligence about the chemical attack in Syria which implicated the terrorists. Instead they insisted on attacking the Assad government.

Another article by another journalist details how the US government armed and basically created ISIS while helping Al Qaeda extensively.

Then a video came out showing one of the lead producers for CNN talking about how the Russia story is all bullshit (his own words) and they are targeting Trump for ratings. 

Now the government is talking about the Syrian government "preparing to launch a chemical attack" on their own people. Once again, this comes as the Syrian military is pushing the terrorists back and look like they will eliminate them from the country soon. Nobody sane is buying it this time. Of course, nobody sane bought it before. But more people are slowly waking up. Finally. 

I have not really confirmed but it seems a lot of people are under investigation now. Hillary, Bernie, DWS, Podesta and Brazile are chief among them. Yay!!! Tear this machine to the ground!!!

Oh, maybe not

No phone calls or text messages yet this morning. 

Then I realized that agents have to spend some time at title offices to close sales. They probably schedule a lot of those on the same day and Monday is probably a big day for that. 

So it's possible there will be no showings today. Or if there are, it may be in the afternoon. 

It's also possible my agent does not work on Monday. Most agents work on Sat (she did), so she and maybe most agents could take Mondays off entirely. Not sure. Not going to bug her about it. Can't force showings to happen. 

That's okay. I'll deal with it. 

I am bored and anxious. I want the house to sell, like I said. I miss my daughter. I want to get out of here and see her. Hard to believe it has been so long since I saw her last. Since Sept last year. Almost 10 months. This really sucks. 

With nothing else to do and no control, I keep checking the listing to see how many views the house has had on Zillow. I either can't view or cannot figure out how to view how many people have looked at it and saved it on another site it's posted on. I have checked that site and there are no really comparable properties there in the same price range. Either other properties are in foreclosure, in worse condition or more expensive. 

I think I am going to move the concrete bags to the side of the house. I don't think it's helping. Most people can't grasp the concept of the fire pit. Then again, most people can't seem to grasp a lot of things. 

Maybe there really is lead in the water affecting many millions of people. 

Have to go get cigarettes and some different furniture polish. Hope for a call or something but not counting on it today. 

Stressed

Still waking up before 6 AM. I don't mind now. Getting used to it.

I am feeling anxious about selling the house. Guess I knew this was going to happen, at least subconsciously. Part of why I took so long working on the house.

Still doing little bits of work to improve the appearance of the house. Polished the tile walls and kitchen counters yesterday. I used the same polish on the counters that I'm using on the floor. Used furniture polish on the tile. That didn't work as well as I hoped. It looks better but not great. I may get a different polish today. 

Could not cut the wood yesterday like I had planned. The chain for the chain saw needs to be sharpened or replaced. 

Still hoping the house will sell soon. It's still getting more views than anything similar by many times. Just since midnight it has gained 13 views. Total it has gotten 163 views and 4 people have saved it. (That doesn't mean much. Sometimes people saves it as a "favorite" or bookmark, which won't show up. The real number may be much higher.) 

At this point, I really WANT to move to AL. That finally struck me yesterday. Oddly, because it rained. The forecast called for heavy rain. Then it changed and changed again. Ultimately, it was a low chance of rain for less than an hour. It rained. For maybe 20 minutes. I realized I want to live where it rains more (which I knew). I also want to live where there is dew in the morning. Where I can sweat when it's hot. Where rivers run and aren't brown. Where a fan helps cool you down. 

So far, no showings scheduled for today. Obviously, that can change very quickly. No offers have been made but that can also change quickly. Hoping to get a call after 8, when the real estate office opens. 

Every time there is a showing coming up, I clean the house quickly, wipe down counters, put things away, sweep and mop. I bought another bottle of floor polish. That's the fourth bottle I've bought. One large and 3 regular. 

Guess I should take a look around and get some things in order, just in case any showings come up today. 

Even earlier

This has gotten downright weird. 

I woke up at 5:15 and could not go back to sleep.

Haven't gotten anything done yet. I will right after finishing this.

Weather is nice right now and forecast for rain this afternoon. Yay!!! So I doubt it will go over 90 today.

Before that happens, I am going to cut some of the wood, hopefully all of it, into firewood size. There's not much left which is not cut to size. 

Have a load of laundry going. 

The car has looked like crap for a long time. I had applied polish and it oxidized as soon as it dried, turning white. Scrubbing was too hard to remove it and did little good. Yesterday I tried using pure ammonia and that did the trick. Basically dissolved the polish and took only a small amount of scrubbing. But I only did the worst part, the hood, as a test area. Need to do the rest today. If I do not get another vehicle, I will paint this one before moving. 

Tomorrow I need to go to the salvage yard and get a new back side glass. I checked how much it would cost to have it done professionally and it was over $300. That's ridiculous. Salvage yard nearby will charge about $16. 

Going to clean and apply polish to the tile behind the stove today. And in front of the fireplace. Maybe that will make more of a difference. 

I am still working on little details like that while waiting for the house to sell. Not much else to do. 

I'm going to call work tomorrow and see what shifts are available in the near future. Like 1-2 weeks. Try to earn a little money to maintain my savings balance. Don't want to wait until the last minute and run out of money and then the house sells for less than I want. 

My house is still most popular on Zillow for all similar properties. Gets more views than the next 4 combined on a daily basis. If I have to drop the price, it will be very gradual. Not some sudden massive drop. If no offers by maybe Wed, I will drop the asking price by $2500, making it $112500. That would still give me a profit well over $20k after all expenses. 

I need to get some stuff done now.

No offers

Have not received any offers on the house so far. That's depressing. I was hoping to hear something today.

However, it can be a lot of things. For one, it may wind up that offers will come flying in at the beginning of the month. For another, some people may look at multiple properties in the same price range. Most buyers don't really do much research on what their payment will be on a house. They look far above their income range. So, people may look at other properties and then offer a bid. 

Zillow says the best month to sell is June. Been my own history that my karma NEVER runs with what is "normal". July is supposed to be a slow month for real estate. Historically. This year could be an exception because the market is up. It may also be that July will be a good month for this price range and suck for higher price ranges. 

Agents do something new of late. They fill out a feedback form online. The guy who showed the house this morning pissed me the fuck off!! He said the house needs to be painted. Anyone walking into this house could tell this house has just been painted inside and out. Then he said the black trim should be painted over. And never mind the fact that pretty much anyone asking to see the house is asking because they saw the pictures online, so they KNEW about the black trim. It must be attractive because I have the highest views of ANY similar properties. Obviously some fucktard who wants houses to all look the same. Then, he freaked out that there are cannabis plants in the yard. Does he not know where the hell he is living?!! I could tell just by looking at his damn business card that he is some right wing Jesus freak jackass who comes from an upper middle class family and has never lived in a low income neighborhood. Probably rarely if ever even shown a home in a lower income neighborhood. He is used to selling houses which are brand new, never lived in and he doesn't have to sell anything. 

I'm going to start leaving the video camera on while the house is being shown. I want to hear what these people are saying. 

Maybe I'm overreacting. I am depressed and frustrated. I want to get the hell out of here and get to AL while my daughter is out of school for the summer and spend some time with her. 

A friend online in Montgomery sent me some articles about things to do in the area. Lots and lots of nature attractions. Caverns and canyons and lakes. I am looking forward to those. I hope daughter still enjoys those things, so we can see them together. 

I feel antsy. Keep wanting to do something but there's nothing to do here. 

Well, once the weather cools down a few more degrees this evening, I want to wash the car. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler, so I'm going to cut more wood in the back of the yard down to smaller size for the fireplace. 

Next!

The showing this morning was by a different agent again. Haven't heard anything back about it yet. 

Next one is at 3:30. Right now I'm just hanging out. 

Laid another coat of polish on the kitchen and hall floors. Part of the small living room. Last time I got polish labeled for hardwood floors. It looks great at first but dulls quickly. I'm going back to the first one. Very slightly less shiny but lasts longer. In any case, I am proud of how the floor looks. 

Though I polished myself into this corner. That wasn't smart. Least it dries quickly. 

Still hoping one of the people who view the house today want to buy it. 

Been looking at apartments in Montgomery. Probably my best bet is to pick a few favorites, get there and stay in a hotel for a few days while I tour the apartments and pick one out. I am definitely making it a priority that the complex has a swimming pool. Going to take some time to adjust to the humidity. 

I am considering getting a different vehicle before the move. Just a thought. The car will make it but it is kinda beat up since it got run into a ditch while stolen. And vandalized. If not a different vehicle, I will do a bit of work on this one. 

Two more showings

Two more showings of the house today. I have a lot more confidence in the ones today.

I had a negative or at least ambivalent feeling about the ones yesterday. It was first day of the listing and a Fri. One showing came with a 30 minute notice. The other was at 4:30 PM on Fri. In both cases, it smacks strongly of people with a perception of "privilege". People who think they can buy a $300k property for $100k. 

People looking on Sat are more likely to be working people actually looking for a home. 

I already got out and trimmed some grass on the side of the driveway which did not look so great, as it was growing onto the driveway itself. 

Going out in a few minutes to finish the small trellis for the one grape vine in the formal garden. Just needs a wire strung up to support the vines.

Supposed to be a little cooler today. Happy about that.

First showing!

The agent texted me earlier and told me the first showing will be at 4:30 this afternoon!

Feeling hopeful. It would be awesome if the first person to look at the house wants to buy it! Not counting on it, though. 

My listing is also the #1 ranked for homes in this price range in the area, which is a good size area. It has gotten 89 views so far, while 4 comparable listings have had about 16 total. Plus that is up 7 for my house in the last couple of hours, while the rest haven't budged.

So, getting everything dusted and wiped down again. Want it to look good. 

I added a couple of magnetic latches to a kitchen cabinet and the medicine cabinet last night. Keeps them closed better. 

Have to go take a bunch of plastic bags to the store for recycling and drop off used oil at Auto Zone. Do that while the house is being shown. She thinks it will take about 30 minutes. 

Crossing my fingers!

Strange week

Been a really odd week. 

Been falling asleep early and waking up really early for me. Once again I was awake before 6 this morning. I think the heat has a lot to do with it. The final push I made may have played a part, also. Legs have been sore since the day after I moved all the dirt. Knees so achy it hurt to walk through the house. Doing slowly better. 

Temps hit 103 yesterday. Officially. Much higher at ground level, where heat gets reflected back by walls, concrete, soil.. Was 102 Wed and 101 Tue. Today it's down to 98. Supposed to cool down to 89-90 for a couple of days after this. Then back up near 100 again. 

Funny how much difference 10 degrees can make.

The house officially went on the market last night. It is listed. More I think about it, the price range is good. It falls right in the range that many more people will be able to afford it and be approved for a mortgage. Average wages here are not exactly high. Gives me a lot of hope it will sell fast. 

I know more expensive properties are the ones agents want to show and sell. I understand. They make more money from them because they make a commission based on percentage. In this case, I got a good agent who has put a lot of effort in so far. I like the way things work in real estate now. They place a box on the door with the key inside. Any agent can show the property. The box is unlocked by their cell phone I think. 

I'm hoping prospective buyers will want to start seeing the house today. 

I can track how many people (just numbers) have looked at the listing. Zillow sends out daily emails with new listings to people who are seeking properties, so mine should have gone out in emails today. 

It's official

It's official. The house goes on the market today!

The agent and I agreed to list it at $115k. Good middle ground. After all fees and such, that would let me walk away with about $27k, if anyone agrees to the asking price. I was hoping for at least $20k, so that leaves a little wiggle room. 

The market is apparently moving pretty fast right now, so to close sounds like it could take less than a month. (Not counting on it too much but hoping.) 

It was an odd thing. When I filled out the form on Zillow, I was getting antsy because I had not received a response for a while. I had started looking at other agents to contact. Then the agent my house got handed to was the same person I was considering. Intuition kicking in. I have a good feeling about her. Honestly, I'm happy to have a female agent. 

In contrast to the guy from last week, she had a lot of compliments about the house. While I did correct a few things since last week, it wasn't all that much. I did not have a good vibe from him. 

So, now it's a matter of waiting. She said it's better if I am not home when people come to see the house, so she will let me know before showing the house. Told her I only need 30 minutes warning. Just to be sure things are clean and put away. 

Damn. That means I have to make the bed daily. I hate that. lol!

Up early again

Woke up before 6 again this morning. Very strange for me. I think my body has adapated to the hot weather.

That's okay. I got out and trimmed the rose bushes, something I really needed to do for the appearance of the place. 

Real estate agent is supposed to come by at 10 this morning.

The guy who was supposed to come by yesterday flaked out. He was supposed to be here at 1:30. At 1:40, no show. I called to ask. He gave a vague excuse and said he will call me today. Not expecting much. Just another robber/vulture wanting to rip people off. 

Okay, if I have to go the long route, I'll go the long route. Not happy with it but it's to be expected, I guess. I'm dropping the asking price on the long route to $110k. Hope to get that price. But I'd be happy at 100 or better. I'll take the first offer over 100. On the long route I want it higher because of the commission for the agent. 

Glad to be up early. Want to at least sweep before the agent gets here. Only a few things to get in order. 

I lacquered the thresholds yesterday. Finally. They look really good. 

Think I will call work and see if there are any shifts open which I can take. Don't really want to but I need to, since the house obviously is not going to sell this week. I would very much prefer getting to AL with close to or over $30k reserve. Take a few weeks off and reconnect with daughter before the school year starts. Apparently she is going back to school for high school. 

I need to put the child support check in the mail today. Had hoped I would be delivering this one in person. 

Expanding options

I'm expanding my options on selling the house. I filled out a form on Zillow for a real estate agent. 

One investor wants to come by this afternoon. Another on Sat.

A lot of these people call themselves investors when in truth they are robbers. 

Any way, got one call from a guy in El Paso. I told him it isn't worth that kind of drive up here. I do prefer someone local. It was a nice conversation, though. I enjoyed talking to a Texan who had manners and can have a conversation. People here don't get it at all. If it's not about getting something from you, they have no urge to talk and it always shows. He gave a realistic quote of $94k. Very slightly lower than I want but I could do that. I can call him back if nothing else pans out.

Got the workshop in final organization. Packed my tools. Painted the pass-through so it matches the rest of the house, with black trim. Looks a lot better. 

I still need to lacquer the thresholds but have to do that after the guy this afternoon. 

If he offers $96k or better, I am taking it.  

Before 6 AM

Woke up this morning before 6 AM. That's.. interesting.

That's okay. It's still nice and cool. I'll take it. Trying to basically refrigerate the house right now before it heats up too much.

Accuweather upped their predicted temperature to 102 today and 103 tomorrow. The weather service issues a heat warning couple days ago with expected temps up to 105 this week. 

Now I have a different problem. The kitchen drain is clogged somewhere between the tap outside the window and the connection to the main line. I tried drain cleaner a few days ago. That didn't work completely. Tried a small amount of Muriatic acid last night. Maybe not enough because that still didn't work. Just poured the rest of the gallon down the drain. See if that works. If not, I'll have to borrow or go buy a drain snake because I shipped mine to AL. Damn it! Oh, well. I can smell the acid working. Does not smell good but it has no real odor by itself. So I'm hopeful.

Supposed to hear something back from a couple of investors today. One was supposed to get back to me last evening but didn't. But he was supposed to talk to someone else, so maybe they did not get back to him. I'll text him after 8.

I am seriously hoping to start getting some offers today. Realistic offers. Got one from someone in another state who was trying to base their offer on tax assessment. Turned that down immediately. I don't even want to know what kind of complications would have been involved with the closing. They have no idea what they're doing. And the number they quoted was something I had to fight laughing or screaming at. Less than $88k. I didn't ask but she probably would have wanted me to pay the closing costs and title fees. Just the offer alone killed any further discussion. What really pisses me off is that she calls herself a Progressive. Meanwhile she is trying to take advantage of people for her own profit. I don't disparage anyone making a profit but if you buy a property at $100k and sell it at $130, that's a 30% profit (minus expenses). That would be for no work and in only a few days or weeks. 

Honestly, I am hoping for more than $100k but will take $96k. That would be $20k in my pocket and is a more than reasonable price. If none of the offers are that high then I will list the house with another agent today or tomorrow and hope for a fast closing. 

Strange

The power went out for a short while this morning. Sucks in this heat but did not last for long.

On the other hand, that was the kick in the p[ants I needed to get moving and get my final official tasks done. Semi-organize and clean the workshop. Sweep, mop and lay another coat of polish in a few places. 

Now I am sitting here with nothing to do in an empty house. There are some things I could be doing but most of it is outside, so not doing that right now. 

I contacted another investor or two and posted an ad on CL aimed at investors. One company says they will make an offer within 24 hours, close within 3 days. The guy I have been talking to said he will get back to me this evening. Either send someone for a physical inspection or he will be in town this week and do it himself. Understandable and expected. I'm more comfortable with having investors come in and look rather than hordes of people come in and make stupid comments and unrealistic offers for weeks. 

I am SO ready to be done with this state! I want out!

In any case, today is the first true day off I have had in weeks. I have been working continuously on the house. I don't want to do any more. 

I probably will do more if I will be here more than a couple of days. Mostly in the yard. There isn't much more I can do with the house itself. 

Just an update-

Not really getting responses from buyers yet. WTF? It's Tuesday. But this is New Mexico. Expecting people to do their damn job seems unrealistic here. They call themselves investors but don't seem able to invest enough time to make a phone call.

Maybe the problem is that I have already advised them that I am NOT desperate. These people are vultures feeding on those who are under threat of foreclosure and stuff like that. If they can't screw you, they don't want to talk to you. 

Easier day

Today is a much easier day. Hardly anything to do. 

I do have some things which need to be done and I am trying to talk myself into getting it done. Just sore. Took my medicine and waiting for it to kick in. Maybe I should take a Tylenol too. 

Going to call some places this morning. Investors. Get them all lined up and hope for a decent offer in the next few days. If not, then I'll have to go the long route and start taking more shifts at work for living expenses. 

I was hoping to be in AL by the 1st of next month. Not sure how that's going to work out. Could be wrong but I have a feeling that it's going to happen soon. Maybe not in that exact time frame but not far off. 

Sent pics to one investor last night I had talked to this weekend. Just emailed another. 

And now the power just went out. I'm on battery power. Have to log off. 

Officially done!

The house is finished. I have part of one room to sweep, mop and polish the floor. The room I am sitting in. I was just too tired to get it done this evening.

Few minor touches to do in the yard. Not sure I will be doing that in the next couple of days. Weather service issued a heat warning of temperatures reaching up to 105 for the next 3 days. I'm going to be camping out by the AC! 

Right now it is so hot that the swamp cooler is only making it hotter in the house. I shut it down and only have the AC and ceiling fan running. Read a scientific study years ago which said swamp coolers have no effectiveness if the ambient temperature goes above 95 F. Above that they will not cool at all and may increase indoor temperatures. Like I am experiencing right now. 

Any way, I am so happy with the house that I have walked through just looking at different rooms multiple times. 

I sent pictures to one of the investors. Wait to hear something back. Have not heard from the second one yet. I'll check CL again tomorrow and see if there are any others. Try to set up meetings this week. Honestly, I will take the first offer of $100k or better. Long as they want to close quickly so I can get the hell out of here. It would be awesome if I could leave here by Friday. 

Getting there- break

Almost there. 

Fridge, dryer, washer, under sink and microwave are clean. Driveway done. Concrete formed into a fire pit. Rest of the trash is loaded. Moved more stuff to the shed. 

Only things left to do are laundry, dishes, counters and floors. Standard stuff which won't take long. Laundry will take longer than anything else. And I really need to do laundry. 

Just taking a short break. Try to be done by 4:30 or 5. 

Let's try this again

Ready to give this another shot.

Today should be the last day I am working on the house. Got lots of cleaning to do. Okay, honestly not all that much. I can't think of anything I need to do today which is all that physically stressful. 

I do still need to arrange the concrete into a fire pit, which won't be easy but I only need to move them a few feet. Compared to carrying them to the back yard or moving the dirt pile, should be a breeze and only take a few minutes. 

One short hose I used as an extension for the windows has a leak. As a result, it acts as a sprinkler. Last evening I let it run over most of the front yard for the first time this year. This morning, those areas are quite visibly greener. As a result, it shows the areas I missed. So I'm letting it run on the largest area right now. 

Heat is so bad this week that the weather service issued a heat warning for Tue through Thur afternoons this week, predicting temps up to 105. I'm staying inside after today. 

Only things I have to do outside today are finishing cleaning the driveway and moving the concrete. 

I'm hoping to have the whole house clean and finished by maybe 2 PM, if that late. If it takes all day, that's okay. It will be the last day. Then it's all maintenance. 

Daughter called!

Daughter did call me late in the day and we talked for a good while. I feel so much happier. I was really getting down about that. Damn I miss her.

Today was one of those days where I worked my tail off and feel like nothing got accomplished.

Not true, of course. I got things done. I just underestimated how much was left.

I sorted through stuff remaining in the workshop and moved most of it to the shed. 

Two neighbors let me put stuff in their garbage cans, so I only have one bag left. A big one.

Lined the last of the cabinets. Of course, cleaned them out first.

Washed the outside windows. Actually had to scrub them and scrape them. Whole time I've been here there have been tiny paint spots from previous owners. Seems to be oil based. I figured if I was going to stay here after this year I would have had new windows installed, double pane. So I never bothered scraping them before. That alone took several hours.

Had to also scrub daughter's windows. There was still a painting on the inside. I think she used some kind of paint we don't typically use on windows. It took quite an effort. 

Forgot I had to do something about the sides and floor of the lower linen closet. I tore through the sides while doing wiring. The floor was bare wood with small gaps. So now it's all closed up. 

Had one last batch of scrap metal for the neighbor. This was a really heavy load. Mostly because I gave him some old snow chains that seem to be from an 18 wheeler. Been in the shed since I moved in. One of those things I figured I would sell for scrap. He should get a decent amount for all the metal I gave him. 

Most of what's left is all standard cleaning. Sweep, mop, clean out the washing machine, dishes, laundry, etc. I do need to finish cleaning the driveway. Do that in the morning while still cool. 

Nearly all the trash is gone from the house now. I do have to clean out the fridge. Held back on that because of not having space in the garbage. The neighbors let me use their garbage cans in the evening. Then that was all taken up by yard trash and a couple bags I had sitting in the kitchen. I'm going to toss most of what is in the fridge which I likely won't eat in the next few days. Plus most cleaning rags and work clothes I use for the house and car. Keep maybe one set. 

So, guess I will set appointments with investors for Tue. Which is probably better. Mondays tend to be busy and people in crappy moods. Especially after a holiday of sorts. 

Cut my finger really good today. Not large but deep. Bad enough that in seconds I bled all the way down the hall. My blood is back to normal (I could tell just by looking at it.) but it still took a long time to stop bleeding. 

I need food.

Sore

Well, I got the back yard cleaned up. 

Not much I can do with the piles of trash bags but stack it up until later. I asked the neighbor and he said it's fine if I toss stuff in his can tonight. 

Trying to clean house but I am so damn sore and tired from yesterday I can hardly walk. Just took some creatine and Tylenol. Hope that helps. 

Ran and got more floor polish and a hose to reach around the house. 

I really should get to Home Depot for the one last outlet cover I need. That outlet is in a rather conspicuous place. 

Got a bunch of stuff moved to the shed. That's when my energy gave out. 

No matter what, Going to get up and moving again in a few minutes. Even if I move slowly I can get the whole house cleaned by this evening. Not like I have a lot of furniture here to work around. 

Still no phone call. 

FML.

Up early

Woke up early today. I mean really early for me. Woke up at 6:20 and that was after waking up and going back to sleep once.

That's good. Means I can get the back yard raked without dying from the heat. Going to get out there in a few minutes. 

Little breezy this morning, so I hope I won't be chasing trash all over the yard while doing so. 

Today is cleaning day! Finally! NO more major work to do on the house or yard! None! I am at the point where I am trying to AVOID any more spot painting. Which means ignoring my OCD side. But I have done so much spot painting that if any minor flaws exist they are truly minor and you would basically have to be looking for them. 

None of that means today will be all easy. I have a lot of cleaning to do. Have to move a bunch of things to the shed. But compared to yesterday it will be light work. Most of it inside, where I can stay comparatively cool. 

It's Father's Day. Not sure if I can even expect a call from my daughter at this point. Honestly will not surprise me if the phone never rings. That would be much easier to accept if I had actually done something wrong but I haven't. This crap digs deep.

Done!

I finally got the entire dirt pile dispersed and the driveway swept. 

Damn that was some work! I had to fight myself really hard to talk myself into finishing it today and not wait until morning. But I don't want to be covered with sweat all day again tomorrow. 

I will need to sweep the driveway some more. With water. Though I will have to borrow or buy another garden hose. This one won't reach that far. 

Think I wrote earlier that I did the spot painting. So that and the hallway are done.

The ONLY things remaining now have to do with cleaning in some way. 

I did not get to finish raking the back yard. That actually won't take long with what is left. Do it in the morning before it gets too hot. Hopefully before I wind up sweating. 

One thing I can say is that my activity tolerance has greatly improved.

I filled out the online forms for a couple of buyers. One called me back this evening, surprisingly. He lives in Farmington but has to come into town this coming week and wants to look at the house. 

I think tomorrow evening I will see if I can stash some garbage into neighbors garbage cans for pickup on Monday. We all put the receptacles out on Sunday evening. 

I need to clean up, eat and take my medicine so I wake up early tomorrow. 

Couldn't do it

Been working on dispersing the dirt pile since about 9 or 9:30 this morning. Not done yet. 

I was making good time at first, while it was cool enough and humidity was higher. Now it's above 90 and humidity basically nonexistent. As it got hotter, I slowed down to moving 10-15 buckets and taking a break to cool off, then move more. However, just now I moved maybe 3 buckets and got really tired. Oh, there was also a slight breeze this morning which helped. Now the air is dead still. 

I did get down to the level where I am hitting concrete from the driveway and old grass coming through on the side. All told, I've moved well over a ton of dirt. Probably over 2 tons.

Yes, I admit that this pile was one of the dumbest ideas I ever had. 

Any way, have to come in, cool off and get back to that this evening. 

So, transferring efforts inside until later. Even that is going to wait until I cool off more. 

Push day

Today is push day.

Long list of things to do today. Most are not very time-consuming. I'm sure I can accomplish the entire list in one day.

Woke up early. Not by intent so much. Couldn't go back to sleep. That's okay, get started outside soon while it's still cool. High is 100 today, so I don't want to be working in that kind of heat with low humidity. I think it's been 6 weeks since it rained. Humidity is 12% right now and only drops from there. I expect it to be at about 3% by this afternoon. 

Woke up pretty congested to both lungs and sinuses because of all the smoke from burning stuff yesterday. Couldn't be avoided. Grass burns very fast, so I had to keep throwing more on the fire frequently. But the burning is all done now. Congestion is clearing slowly. Not going to wait for it to clear completely. Movement may help. 

Not going into a list of things I need to do. I did write the offline list.

Have to say I am really tired of even having these push days. This really has to be the last one. 

Damn I hope one of the buyers offers a decent price for the house so I can sell it this week. 

One more burn

Like I had written previously, I was not planning on doing any more burns. But thanks to Waste Mismanagement, I did.

There was too much trash and dead grass in the yard. I really needed that extra trash pickup. Since that didn't happen, I separated out as much plastic and such as I could from the piles (multiple) and burned the dead grass and such. 

So, what is remaining will probably fit in one 55 gal bag now. 

However, I'm too tired. I can probably finish the back yard in 1-2 hours in the morning.

Other than that, I did polish the sunken living room floor. Cleaned the kitchen tiles better from the residual dust. Lined part of the kitchen cabinets (drawers are already done). Painted the lower cabinets. Spot painted black paint. Do white tomorrow. (No use spot painting today and then drag white paint out again tomorrow for when hallway plaster is dry. I touched up plaster again because of small cracks. And all of that is aside from the yard work I did this morning. 

Never did get to the fridge and microwave. Save that for tomorrow. Probably won't mind sticking my head in the fridge after working outside again. Have two more cabinets to install liners in. May have to go buy more. Have to measure what I have left first. If so, that's $4 and tax. May get one extra for the top of the dryer, just for appearance. It has some minor rust spots. Have to wash windows, sweep and mop. 

Crap. I'm just making another list offline. 

In any case, not going to call buyers tomorrow. Call them Monday. If I get all this done tomorrow (Which I'm sure I can.) then I can relax on Sunday and be clear on Monday. Rested and ready for whatever comes. If the buyers don't offer a decent price, then I will contact real estate agents. 

Break time

Taking a short break. 

Something I had to do which I thought would be easier was pulling up all the old black plastic sheeting in the garden. I admit I made it harder on myself. I pulled out most of the garden staples, which is not easy. Had to get on my hands and knees with a pry bar on top of the black plastic, which makes it hotter. But that task is now done. 

Going to go back in a minute and rake. 

Can't do much more until evening. It's 80 degrees now but the high today is 97. 

Did the plaster in the hallway and it will look good, should blend in well. Probably not perfectly but close. Have to wait for plaster to dry before I can paint. I'll probably sand lightly first. Only a small area, so do it by hand since the sander died on me. 

So my to-do list is much shorter. Here's what it looks like now:

Rake
Burn trash
Touch up paint
Clean washer, fridge and microwave
Organize and move tools
Polish floors
Seal grout

Honestly, that's all I can think of right now.

Last work?

Today I am going to polish the sunken living room floor again. Do touch up plaster and painting in a few spots. Do more work in the yard.

I was considering jumping the gun and contacting buyers today. But impatience is of no benefit. Better to wait and get the last of the work done. I can see how much I get done today and contact them tomorrow. Now sure they will respond on Sat before Father's Day. Most likely Monday will be when something happens. 

I am motivated to get this stuff done. However, I am really sick of working on this house. I want to sell it and move on. 

I should not have to spend any more money on supplies unless I have to get one more outlet cover and one pint of black paint. Maybe. Hope not. 

By tonight I plan on being able to pack nearly all my tools. 

Update floors

Okay, so I mixed the black and red paint, used the spray gun to apply it.

Hell, the floor looks a LOT better than it did before!

It still has the worn brick appearance, which is not bad. Lots of people spend a fortune for this look. And a lot of work. They'll buy old bricks from industrial sites, beat bricks, acid stain them, apply paint and remove it. All kinds of crap. 

I do have to do more touch up painting because overspray hit the walls next to the stairs. That won't take long. Tomorrow, after this paint is dry. I may have to go buy more floor polish. Almost out. 

So, I do have a bit of work ahead of me for the weekend. Though I may well be able to finish everything in one day. Some of it will take longer than that to dry again. Not worried. I have a strong feeling the house will sell soon, like within the next week.

One of those days

Today has been one of those days. 

Everything went wrong until I kept at it and didn't give up. 

Got some paint to cover some of the worst places on the brick floor. It did not come out as dark as it was supposed to. So now I have several bright red spots, including all the stairs. I have some black paint I can mix with it to darken it. Have to wait for the bright paint to dry first.

I gave up on the 3-way switches in the hallway. Just split the circuit so they work independently. Now the lights work but only by the switch nearest that light.

Even while writing this, it came up with an error. 

Things went as far as one GFCI outlet burning out. I was trying to clean it and had turned it off. Then it started buzzing and the red light came on. The red light means "end of life error" and the outlet has to be replaced. So I went to replace it, as I had a spare. Got confused as to which one was new and which was used. First attempt, I installed the old one. I did only hook minimal wires to test it before completing the installation. Finally got it installed. Even better than before, as I could not install the cover because I set tiles too close. Managed to move it over just enough to install the cover. It's white, not black but that's okay. 

Got an email from the trash company. Dumbasses seem unable to figure out what an additional pickup is. I had told them I am getting ready to move and can is full. This was on a form for requesting an additional pickup. Obviously this was too complicated for them. 

With a day like this, I am not going to burn anything tonight. Just seems like a really bad idea. I will go out and rake some more. Or not. Maybe I am better off just waiting until tomorrow. Monday, after Father's Day, may be my best bet for getting a quote. Same as anything in NM, a Fri before any holiday at all nothing gets done. I can make some calls and get some appointments arranged for Mon. 

So, I will take the weekend to get things in even better order, apply new sealant over areas I am touching up and just try to relax for a bit. Which I have not been able to do very much for a while now. 

I am actually hoping one of the buyers offers the lowest I want to go on the house. I will take the deal on the spot. I could probably get more money by waiting but there's no guarantee and staying longer will cost more. On many levels. I am ready to get the hell out of here. 

Inservice

Have to go to the inservice at work this morning. No real use in doing any work around here and getting dirty before that.

I'm just going to consider it half a day "off". 

Not much left to do, even with the final touches suggested by the agent. Washing windows, cleaning out the fridge, moving some things to the shed from the workshop. 

I can pack most of the tools now. Keep them handy, though. Just in case.

Raked a large part of the back yard last night. Do more of that tonight. Going to go ahead and burn some of that. It's almost all grass and trash. 

I may go ahead and cut the wood down which is along the back fence. Stack it for the fireplace. Rest can go in the trash.

Still no word on the extra trash pickup. Leave it to Albuturkey. They probably can't figure out how to open their email. Oh, well. If I hear nothing back the trash will have to go in bags and wait until Monday. If I burn most of the stuff I rake up then the remaining should fit in one can. If there were not so much trash and weeds I'd put it in the compost pile. 

I'm going to get most of that stuff, maybe all of it, done this evening and call some of the buyers tomorrow. If none offer a reasonable price, then I'll call some agents on Sat. Not the one who came by couple days ago. I just got a bad vibe from him. Not evil or harmful but apathetic. 

Here is a good thing. Last few days I have had more of an appetite, so been eating a small lunch each day. And tolerating it, still able to function. 

Oh, crap. Just looked around and remembered I never finished doing the steps in the living room. Have to get that done tonight. Luckily I still have some sealant left. Not the same brand but almost identical. Do that, let it dry overnight and apply polish in the morning. 

Oh. Big thing. The hallway lighting. Do that today. That will have to come first.

More progress

Trimmed the weeds in the rest of the back yard this morning. Had to stop when it got too hot. 

Going to go out in a little while and start raking.

Got the lower sections of conduit attached. Hadn't done that yet because I didn't feel like moving the crawlspace covers. They don't actually do anything but are required. They would do something if the cables were in any position where they could move. Then they keep the covering from abrading against the house. In this case, they're just a transition to the junction box and from there more conduit to the entry panel. Mostly it just looks nicer. 

Got the thresholds installed. 

With a heavy heart, I painted over the mural in daughter's room. Several real estate agents have told me a house won't sell with a mural. I don't really believe them. I think they are trained that way and never question it. The real issue is that some murals are controversial. Instead of dealing with any controversy, they just avoid showing houses that have any murals. In Europe, murals increase the value of the home. In 'Murca, houses basically have to be cookie cutter rubber stamp look like everything else. 

Now I have to touch up some spots where white paint smeared or dripped on black. 

I am so sick of painting. 

Loaded the trash receptacle and set it out, emailed the trash company for an extra pickup. Got an auto-response but they have not emailed an expected pickup schedule. I can use the smaller trash cans in the back yard for now. 

Have to go to an inservice at work tomorrow morning. So it would be unlikely I could get one of the buyers here tomorrow, any way. So Fri it will be. Get the yard in order, organize the workshop and I'm about ready. Sweep and mop one more time. Spray a lot of odor eliminator around.

I have stopped smoking in the house as of today. Running the swamp cooler a lot to air the place out. Just as well. Means I'll smoke less. 

Need to go to the store. Not much food in the house. Clean out the fridge and freezer tomorrow.