Katerbug Blue

Vegas Or Bust

Kate — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:59:38 +0000

Our neighbors just got home from their second honeymoon. They are the nicest people, and just married off their 3rd and final child. Hence it was time to “rediscover” themselves as a couple! They headed off to the Wynn hotel in Vegas for the week, and had a great time.

I love looking at pictures of Las Vegas hotels. It seems like each one tries to out shine the others, so you get some pretty beautiful and amazing hotels. The Wynn is definitely one of my favorite. I’ve never stayed there, but we always take a walk through it when we are in Vegas. I actually have a picture that I had to take in the Ladies Room. Who takes photos in the Ladies Room? It is amazing, and the tile work is to die for!

All of this just makes me wanna hit the strip soon!!

Wholesale Shopping….Rocks

Kate — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:51:39 +0000

My sister is an incredibly talented cake decorator. She is totally self taught which honestly, makes her work even cooler! Well this week I went with her to Restaurant Depot. She was wanting to price cake ‘things’ wholesale rather than continuing to purchase them from the local hobby shop.

Can I just tell you that this store was AMAZING!! It had everything from exit signs to those cool air deodorizers you see hanging on the walls in the swanky restaurants that send out a fine mist of yummy smell every few seconds. Just enough to keep the restroom smelling fresh and clean. Yeah, I totally bought me one of those!

Kids aren’t allowed in the store at all, and with 8 kids between us it’s kind of hard to find a sitter for all of them in order to go together. But baby….this little outing has caused quite the addiction…and I can’t wait to go back!

Craziness Continues

Kate — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:46:42 +0000

Well, the in laws have changed their minds…THANK HEAVENS!! They have decided that rather than piling on more debt while they are already so deeply in a hole—that they will just live with the consequences to their foolishness (my words…not theirs) and will be moving into the house that we moved out of. Now we are looking for cheap long distance moving companies. I mean—why are we not getting a ton of family members together to move these people? Why are we spending one more dime (that they don’t have) to have someone come and do it for them.

Now, I understand hiring someone to come and get the super heavy stuff…but everything…that’s just crazy!

Do you wanna know one more crazy thing?? They have a big beautiful refrigerator in the house they live in now. The one in the house they are moving into is old and nasty. I should know…it was mine for the 6 years I lived there. But instead of swapping out these refrigerators, they are going to leave the big one in the home they are in now, and buy a brand spanking new one when they get settled. Well…that’s what they think. Once they are done and out of their current house, I will be hiring someone, and we will be swapping out our crappy refrigerator for the one that they left behind. And yes…I am paying them a couple hundred bucks for it!

A New Twist!!

Kate — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:51:49 +0000

I’ve gotten a few comments about my previous post. My in laws do own two homes. Both outright at one time, but due to some really poor financial choices, they are losing one. They do have the paid off home up for sale, but it is an older home closer to the city of Chicago. It has a tiny front and back yard, and the garage is too small to park a car in. That leaves you parking on the street. There are two bedrooms in this home–and honestly, old as it is, it’s a nice home. However, prices in that area have dropped considerably and they wouldn’t be able to get the amount out of this house that the owe on their house. But worst of all is the fact that homes aren’t selling in this area nearly fast enough to save their home.

Since I wrote the last post however, they have come up with a possible solution. I’m a little wary of it, but if they plan to keep the home they are in, their hands are tied. They are taking out a $50,000 loan on the home that is for sale. This will pay up the current loan on their house–as well as finish off some of the repairs they need on the other home. Neither mortgage will then require a payment for a year and the home should sell within that time frame. I’m wary because these people don’t move on things! They had 2 years before they got into trouble with the home their in. I pray their house sells, but if not–they will be walking away from this house as well as losing the home that is currently for sale. At that point, the only thing I will have left to offer them, is the boys bedroom upstairs. And I will be LIVID if it comes to that!!

Finishing Up

Kate — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:27:40 +0000

I wrote a few days ago about the ‘bridge’ loan my in laws were taking out on their older home to pay for their newer home. With this loan, there has been enough money included to finish fixing up the house. I was over there today and my father in law and brother in law were in laying tongue and groove laminate in the kitchen. It was looking really good. So much better than the crappy floor we had to live with! After the flooring is in, they will fix the front door and put it up for sale. We are all hoping for a quick sale, but here in Illinois, that isn’t always what happens, and with 3 other homes on the block for sale…it might be a long wait!

Planning A Trip

Kate — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:00:53 +0000

I am married to a man who takes his Chicago sports VERY SERIOUSLY! Honestly, the Blackhawks made it to the semi-finals in hockey before losing to the Red Wings last week, and he’s still grieving! He’s also a huge Bears, Cubs and White Sox fan. He’s the only one I know that would schedule a trip to New York around the possibility of getting New York Yankees tickets when they play the Sox. Me–I’m good for NYC anytime of year, but if the Sox aren’t in town, we don’t need to be either!

I guess tickets to the ball game for him and the boys, and tickets to the theater for me and the daughter sounds pretty good to me. At least the theater is air conditioned!

Looking Addiction In The Eye

Kate — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:54:51 +0000

My mom has been working really hard these last few months to get her life back. Due to constant pain, and prescription pain killers that have been prescribed to relieve the pain, she’s found that if she doesn’t take the medication she goes into withdrawals of sorts. So she is basically addicted to pain killers. Not by any abuse on her part, but because her body is just used to having them around.

Anyway, she’s worked really hard to slowly wean herself off of these pills. It’s brought with it more pain, but she is determined to beat them and she’s doing great. The problem is, she’s not finding any sort of “health” benefit from it. She’s now wondering if she needs to find a cleanse, like Colonix but for the liver. To try to finally rid her body of all of these toxins that the liver has been in overdrive for the past several years.

I don’t know what will come of this, but for her sake (and mine) I hope she finds what she needs to finally be able to start living life again. We miss her!

Summer Thoughts

Kate — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:47:57 +0000

Summer is coming! I can’t believe my kids only have a few more days left of school, I just don’t know where all the time went! Summer brings with it the horror of this body in a bathing suit–ha, in and of it’s self, terrifying! Yes, weight loss pills would be a great boost, but I’m realizing, I must not care too much. Either that, or the fact that eating healthy is neither cheap nor easy makes it seem like a daunting task!

I do have one son that is a little rounder. He’s 11 and starting into that “self image” stage, so I do need to start thinking about his body and it’s particular needs. I want nothing but health and happiness for him in his life.

Time’s Up

Kate — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:40:08 +0000

Tomorrow is June 1st. Just a typical day to most, but June and December bring with them the joy of renewing our auto insurance. We’ve never actually changed insurance companies, but this year I would like to look at comparing term life insurance quotes as well as adding our Homeowners insurance. You know, get an umbrella policy for all of them. I don’t know how much of a discount this will add to our already good rate, but in these times, every little bit counts!

Field Of Dreams

Kate — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:32:10 +0000

As I mentioned in the last post, vacation ideas are alluding me! With this economy we’ll have to find some amazing travel deals in order to go anywhere. There is somewhere close that I would like to see, Dyersville, IA! Why? Because that is where the “Field of Dreams” baseball field is. It’s not too far from home here and other than souvenirs, it’s a free afternoon with my family!

I know my boys would LOVE it, and it’s something that seems to draw a lot of people from all over the country. I do want to wait until a little later in the summer when the corn is in season and tall against the backdrop of the baseball field.