Focus....focus

All right, all focus now goes toward getting ready for the AIA home tour on 10/01. We need to finish up about a thousand little details and hang about a hundred pieces of art. And clean a bunch of stuff. And figure out how to make our dust bowl of a backyard look pleasing (or at least not abhorrent).

We did manage to attend two lovely BBQs last weekend. Relaxation? Really? I almost forgot how to relax.

Oh, and we just realized today that we haven't yet started on the Xmas CD. That gives us from 10/2 to around 11/22 to do the entire thing. Uh...that's a bit of a problem.

Focus, people!

1.42857143

We got our appraisal back. The house is now worth 1.43 times what it was worth 1 year ago. We made it 43% better! The appraised value is on the low end of what we wanted, but it's within spitting distance. In this crappy market.

We did it. Winning!

Can I get a "who-hoo"?

House that's lived in

Here are a bunch of photos of the house with our belongings in it.

Dude, we live here!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25768433@N02/sets/72157627405103268/

Leedy home featured in AIA Design Matters 2011

Well, even if our appraisal tanks, we still have this victory: our house is featured in the upcoming AIA Fall Home Tour -- Design Matters: A Tour of Exceptional Portland Homes.

"Exceptional" -- I can dig it. Perhaps that's why the appraiser says it'll be difficult to appraise the house. It's exceptional. The exception.

We are not ordinary. We are extraordinary. (But despite this Mr. Appraiser, please, please represent us well with Mr. Banker.)

http://designmattershomestour.eventbrite.com/

Oh, and bonus points: check out the date of the home tour. Binary day!!!

I have to (ap)praise you

We've come a long, long way together

Through the hard times and the good

I have to celebrate you, baby

I have to (ap)praise you, like I should

We're having a bank appraisal today. It's possible that I will have a nervous breakdown before early afternoon.

I'm hoping that the power of positive thinking will get us through. Think good thoughts.

And if you want, you can sing this in your head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1qzIggZnA