Eventful

So, I ultimately never actually SPOKE to the HR person from my (thinking positively) future employer, but we DID manage to set up an interview appointment by leaving messages for eachother!

9/30 at 9:30!

WHEEEE!

The past few days at work have been completely exhausting. I felt like I was coming down with something, and had a sore throat and cough for a few days.

Feeling better today, though, despite being run ragged with training and delegating.

My sister and niece came over today, and we made a MAJOR dent in the packing. My sister was taking stuff off of the walls, and clearing shelves in the closet, and packing up dishes!

She even packed my living room clock, which I discovered when I went to look at it a little while ago!

That was pretty funny. I DO still have to live here for a few more weeks!

My niece helped get the boxes loaded into the storage closet, so that they're mostly out from under foot, and then she and I carried Grandma's antique sewing machine down to my sister's car and loaded it in.

I am going to be SORE tomorrow.

Also met with my new realtor this morning, BEFORE the packing frenzy began. The place goes back up on the market 9/1, for sale AND for rent.

I can't find a renter on my own, apparently, and I can't spend my energy worrying about it anymore. I need someone to take that job, so she did.

She lives a lot closer than my other realtor, and I have known her for years and years, from my days of going to the Buddhist temple.

I also FINALLY got a massage. The last time I got a massage was the day my old computer monitor started to change color and die. Whenever that was. July some time.

Too long ago.

So, this evening, I COULD go out and do my grocery shopping, but I really am very tired and don't want to go out.

Hopefully, tomorrow, after rehearsing dance for hours, I will have the will to go.

The dancers insist that I perform with them once more before I move. On the weekend of Labor day, when my friend J will be in from Michigan to visit me.

It's a mess, but I will see if I can talk J into coming out with us to the dance event. It's $20 she probably doesn't have, and that makes me feel bad.

I don't really need to spend it, either, and even performers have to pay. It's goofy.

We'll see what we can figure out.

I also suspect, pretty strongly, that there is something happening at the dance event around my going away. Both of the dancers have slipped up slightly in things they've said, so my guess is there's going to be a little presentation, or something.

Sigh....

Encouragement

Hmmm...the HR rep from the company I mentioned previously called me today.

I looked at their website after I heard back from the CEO on Sunday, and it said to fill out their on line applications, and don't bother calling or sending a resume....so I was not sure I'd hear anything else.

But today, the rep called me to schedule an INTERVIEW. He found my information on line, and said my qualifications look "awesome," and he wants to schedule something for the last week of September.

Unfortunately, I missed the call, and then when I called back, I had to leave a message...but this is VERY encouraging.

Also heard from my new realtor, and she wants to meet soon to discuss how to list the property through MLS for rental only.

Also have now confirmed all give-aways.

Sigh....at least some things seem to be going well.

The word is out

I gave notice at work yesterday, and by days' end today, everyone knew.

It's just such a tremendous relief to NOT have to keep secrets anymore!!

No further response from the company in OKC, but they know my ETA, so they may be waiting to contact me until closer to my arrival. Who knows?

I intend to send similar emails to all of the other billing companies on the list. All are affiliated with the HBMA, of which my boss is a board member.

I can drop his name to all of them, after all, not just the one he suggested.

Showed my condo to some possible renters tonight, but it was a no-go. They are recent immigrants, and they don't want to pay real money to rent a home. They also want it on 9/1 instead of 10/1.

So....onward to the next possibility.

Let's hope there IS ONE.

Surprise...

I sent a well worded email to the CEO of the medical billing company up the street from my new digs in OKC. I did this based on the suggestion of my boss.

This morning.

The guy already responded.

It's Sunday.

Anyway, his response was that he was going to have his HR department contact me, and he forwarded my email to two of his people, and he wants them to follow up with him after they've spoken to me.

So. That was a positive surprise.

I hope.

Wouldn't it be nice if one email was all it took for me to land a solid job lead? Wouldn't it be nice if SOMETHING about this process would go the way I want it to??

Yes.

Yes, it would.

Progressively

Dropped hints last week to the boss. He and the other upper management people now know that I have to move.

They just don't know WHEN yet.

The boss was not happy, but he suggested some billing companies in OKC that I should contact for the jobsearch, after I reminded him of his months-old "just in case" promise to do so.

I will give official notice next week, marking my last day at work as 9/11/09.

3 weeks' ought to be sufficient, in terms of being able to train out my work, and make arrangements to collect my profit sharing account.

It's unfortunate that I have to cash in my fund, but I think it's best to pay off my debts, and have some extra money on hand to pay my mortgage until I can get a regular paycheck down there.

In addition, 3 weeks is something I can survive, financially, if the boss tells me to go before it's over.
Even without that 3 weeks' pay, I will still be able to make my mortgage for October, due to the fact that I have been saving every possible penny for a while now.

I don't think the boss would do that, but one really, truly never knows with him. Which was specifically WHY I could not tell him that I have to move until NOW, even though I have known for a year and a half!

The release of tension upon finally telling him was TREMENDOUS. I was EXHAUSTED last night, from having that HUGE weight finally lifted off of me.

Went out (read: was kidnapped) last night with family to an old family-favorite bar, where my dad hung out when HE was a kid. Where my dad took ME when I was very little, and perched me on the deep window ledge, while he and his friend listened to Dixieland music.
Where my brother's various bands over the years have played.

The place is a family fixture.

So, last night, we had a few drinks, and watched the Cubs game. It was fun. Good to see my brother, whom I don't see very often. (*wave* i know you read this blog!!)

Today, I am going to try to focus on packing non-essential items. May even pack the winter clothes.

We'll see how much energy I have left, after I empty some cabinets and book cases.

Gawd, I hate moving, and packing, and living in the midst of it!

I know a few people who have moved so many times in their lives that they don't mind it all. I am not one of them!!!

I am a very home-based person, and living in the midst of chaos is very uncomfortable for me!!

Also, must go over to the pet store to look for a cat carrier, and a travel-type bird cage. If I can't get the bird cage at the store, I will have to order one off of the internet, so I have to know sooner, rather than later, about availability

Last weekend, I posted an offer on freecycle, and a sign in the laundry room here at home, offering up the furniture I need to get rid of.

Freecycle, I thought, would be my best bet.

Turned out, it was the sign in the laundry room that was effective!

I've found takers for everything. NOW they need to FOLLOW THROUGH....which, I know from experience, is questionable at best.

But, at least for the moment, that's something that's taken care of. I can slip notes of reminder under doors in a week or so, with the date of availability, and a PLEA to let me know if they've changed their minds!!! That way, I can try Freecycle AGAIN.

Barring the success of that, since no one has rented the place, I can just leave the shit here.

It's a nice, cool, fall-like weekend. Good for working hard!! (less sweat)

Grrr

So, I talked to my financial guy, and he said I can't refinance.
My loan amount is so small to begin with, that doing a refi to lower the payments would literally cost me THOUSANDS of dollars.

Plus, if the mortgage company finds out that I am no longer LIVING in the residence, that could get me in BIG trouble.

I don't know WHY...people who own rental properties probably refinance them. Why can't I refinance a vacant condo?

Crap.

He says my best alternative is to do a short sale.

I have been advised against this by some, and encouraged to do it by others. I have NO IDEA what is really best for me in this situation.

The real estate market is not going to support the sale of this condo, at the price I would NEED to sell it, for many YEARS to come.

Is it logical to just leave it empty, and keep paying and paying and paying?

No, not really.

Is it logical to ruin my credit temporarily, and do a short sale, and run the risk of having to pay multiple thousands in taxes on the "forgiven debt," when I have worked my ass off my whole life to live what USED to be the American dream???

No, not really.

It seems that the only truly logical thing is to rent the place out...and that's not been going very well, either.

I had hoped for better news from the financial guy.

I just want ONE THING to go my way!!!!

Hitting the wall over and over is getting very tiresome.

In other news, I will probably tell my boss before the weekend. Let's hope he doesn't fire me on the spot.

But if he does, he does. So be it. D says whatever happens, happens, we will "figure something out."

Ok!!

Square one

It really is now.

My contract with my realtor was canceled as of Aug. 1.

I don't have anyone to take the place.

I am now considering the consequences if I just move away and leave it vacant. Hoping that my sister can arrange to have the carpets cleaned after I vacate, and just leave it empty, and keep paying for it .... somehow.

If nothing else, that would be less to worry about, in terms of "what is that person doing to my property?" and "will I get the rent check in time to pay the mortgage and assessment this month?"

This has been an extremely stressful and trying year. The ongoing stress, and continuous flow of disappointments, has effected how I act, how I feel, how I sleep, how I eat, and how I think.

I have been accused of being self-centered, negative, and moronic, in the midst of merely trying to do what was right and best for my financial being.

Obviously, there are those out there who have NO IDEA of what it means to struggle. Or to worry. Or to have problems. Or to face the possibility of losing a long-fought-for investment that IS your financial future.

Or of what it means to try to do what's best, over what's most romantic.

I am really ready to have this situation all over with, one way or the other.