home sweet home

so after all that whining about an anticipated interminably endless search for a place that would turn out to only do, not be something we really like, it turns out drew and i got the first place we looked at (of a whopping two), and we really love it! as of august 15th we'll be the proud tenants of a charming two bedroom house in the willow glen neighborhood of san jose. i don't have any pictures to post yet, but we are very, very, happy and so relieved!!! you have no idea. i've never had house hunt go so quickly or smoothly. willow glen is a great neighborhood, eminently walkable, and so convenient to work. goodbye getting home at 7:30 p.m.! adios highway 17 daily commute - won't miss ya! we're so close i'll be able to ride my bike to work. how's that for reducing my carbon footprint? not to mention my ass, which is as big as it's ever been, but that's another story.

so, the house... well, it's a two bedroom, as i already said. you enter directly into the living room which extends on the left from the front door. on the right hand side wall by the door is a huge, built in bookcase that is almost the entire length of the wall. can you say totally rocks???!!!! there's also a decorative fireplace and windows, nice light and so on. walking towards the back of the house the next room is a very small but distinct dining room. i like having an actual dining room even if it's little; next is the kitchen. the kitchen is quite small but it seems like it'll be functional. it's a good layout and very pretty... granite counter tops, newer stainless appliances (gas stove!), new cabinets and for a small kitchen a surprising amount of counter space, partially because the kitchen opens onto a family room; the two rooms are separated by a step and a counter, as in more counter space. oh, wait, i misspoke, it's not the family room it's the lounge. drew doesn't want to call it a family room, so that's fine, lounge it is. the lounge has a wood burning stove and french doors that open onto a really nice deck, and then there's a big yard for little zing zing. the living and dining rooms and lounge all have hardwood floors, the kitchen is tile. just before you go into the dining room (at the end of that built in bookcase) is a little hall on the right; straight is the bathroom and then there's a bedroom to the right (front) and left (back), plus a nice hall linen closet. i can't remember about the hall but the bedrooms are carpet, but it's pretty nice for carpet. it's not that standard "rental" carpet, which is nice if we have to tolerate carpeting. i just don't get carpet, carpet = dust collector, but whatever. there's a one car garage, a nook by the back door/kitchen for the laundry (hook ups), and in the yard is a free-standing one room building, like an office, so for a little house it feels like there is a lot of space. it's not cheap, but nothing here is, and for that neighborhood we got a deal - so score one for ar²! woo hoo!!!

after drew's chiropractor appointment tonight we're going to look at washers and dryers, stackable front-loaders... i feel so chic! ; ) nothing like buying major appliances to celebrate, i guess. still, sears is having a great sale so we should be able to get a good deal - and they have free delivery, too. and then it'll be a whirl of packing and moving stuff, and then it's christmas in august because our stuff has been in storage for a year and a half so it'll be like it's all new again. can't wait to have our own stuff again!

thank you to all of you, because those positive vibes, prayers, and thoughts clearly paid off big time.