Why didn't anyone tell me buying a house sucks! I'm so freaking stressed out right now. Working with a lender, being told all we need is our down payment money at closing (seller is covering closing costs). Then suddenly today I get the loan application and a request to use my credit card to pay for the appraisal. Money we weren't planning on. So I talk to another lender, won't need to pay that upfront, and a lower rate. Call the first back to say we're going to go with someone else. A bit later his manager calls me back to ask why. I told him how I felt surprised by the appraisal, and worried about additional surprises. As we talk he tells me their rate was high so they could over deliver at closing with a lower rate (which the lender himself never told me), explained the appraisal situation, which I understand, but agreed to take care of it if I wanted to continue. So tonight Katie and I should have two loan applications to go over and decide which to go with.

ARRRAGGUUGGGHH!!!

This sucks. So frustrating, stressful, stressful, and stressful!

Jason and I will be riding 33 laps of a 3.33 mile section of the Jordan River Parkway. We will be based in Germania Park, off of 53rd South. We'd love to have you come and join us for a few laps, or more. There is a playground at Germania if your kids want to just do that. Plenty of fun opportunities. Weather will be great, so come on out!

(In the event of flooding, I believe we'll move to Liberty Park. The only place it may be an issue is under 53rd South. Edit: Checked it at lunch. Looks good! River probably has to come up about 2 feet to be an issue.)

Michael and I have started looking for a house...it is tiring to say the least. We found one we liked and went to make an offer only to find that someone else had already made an offer. We discussed bidding higher, I wanted to go for it, and then got really, really sick to my stomach. Thankfully I have a great husband and we have a good realtor, and in the end we walked away from the house. Sad, because we really liked the house, but good because now I don't have to spend the rest of the day feeling sick.

I have every confidence that we'll end up finding OUR house, even though right now I'm a little worried.

The government told me so! So if you need to get prepared for the coming Zombie Apocalypse, check the CDC site for some helpful preparedness tips.

Last night's post might have given some of you the wrong idea. I have a fantastic husband. He wonderful all the time...he even stopped playing last night and finished converting all our wedding photographs to JPGs for me (a process that he actually started on Sunday without me knowing). I love you Mike! You are the best husband in the whole wide world!

Sunday night Portal 2 came out. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is a computer game (also on PS3 and Xbox 360). Granted, having played the first Portal, I can tell you that it is a fun game, and I can see how someone can play it for hours on end.

That being said...since about Tuesday I've felt mostly single...with the exception of having to cook for two and doing dishes for two. I have forced my husband to at least eat dinner with me every night before he disappears into the office. But I've spent my evenings alone and have gone to sleep alone. *shrug* He did warn me, I guess I just wasn't prepared for the amount of...alone-ness. Soon he will beat it for the second time then play through it a third with a second player... when that happens I will have my husband back.

Tick...Tick....Tick...Tick...Sigh

I just signed up for a "bike race." The Fat Cyclist's 100 Miles of Nowhere. What is it? It's a bike race, kinda. It's a solo event, kinda. It's for charity, definitely.

The first 100 Miles of Nowhere was the Fat Cyclist and some buddies, riding their bikes on rollers (stationary) for 100 miles. 100 miles sitting in their garages, watching movies, etc. In the two years since then more and more people have participated. Riding on their own rollers, around the block, even on an aircraft carrier.

My plan.
As the scheduled day approaches (June 4th), I will decide if I want to participate that day or another, and the location. My current thought is to do laps around Falcon Park. It would be long and monotonous. I would ride, without going anywhere.

How you can help.
Come ride with me! I've talked briefly with Jason, and while I haven't heard for sure it sounds like he is planning to ride the whole thing with me. But we would enjoy additional company throughout the day. Rich has already said he'll ride for a while with us. Perhaps someone to count laps as we go around? People to cheer us on. People to spend lunch breaks and rest stops with. We don't have to ride 100 miles straight, we can stop and chat for a while. But chatting on the bike is better. I'm liking the park idea as those of you with kids can let them play on a playground, supervised by your spouses while we ride. They can even come do a few laps with us.

Additional help?
I'm also tossing around the idea of doing some fundraising with it. Why not? Perhaps ask people to donate directly to LiveStrong (tax deductible) for every mile I rode. Say you pledge 25¢. If I finish 100 miles, you make a $25 donation. If I do 50, $12.50. If I do 125 miles... we'll keep it at $25. Pledge what you like, 25¢, 50¢, $1. I won't ask you to donate more than 100 miles worth. As I type that out, I definitely think I'll do it. Watch for a link to pledge/donate!