Monday, April 28, 2014

Last week was AWFUL!

Ever have "one of those days"? Well, last week was "one of those weeks".
Our beloved pet duck, Miss Daffy, died. I do not know what, exactly, caused her death. I went out to the duck pen...and there she was, laying still and quiet on her nest. I cried for over an hour.
Later in the week...both of the cars broke down. One was a quick fix, the other still sits at the shop. I called the Darlin' Man and he said to just sell the darn thing as it spends more time in the shop than on the road.
We had dust/wind storms off and on. Clothes put on the line ended up in various neighbors yards...heck, some are probably in the next county!
I finally tackled the Darlin' Man's closet.
So far, 3 duffle bags and 3 large rubbermaid totes filled with uniforms and military gear. And the closet is still not empty! Just looking at the work I did exhausts me. Looking at what I have left to do exhausts me.
Packing is wearing me out. We don't move until the end of June, but I still have so much to do!
The weather is cooler and that helps. When it heats up I feel like I can hardly move.
I guess I better get back to packing.
First I'll have a nice cup of tea and put my feet up for a bit.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

"Open Concept" ? Bah! Humbug!

Since we plan to buy a modestly priced house that will be, in all likelihood, a *fixer-upper*, I have been watching quite a few remodeling and fix up type shows. Some are pretty good (Rehab Addict), some ...not so much( Flipping Boston) and some are downright funny (Flipping Vegas.Scott should just give up and let Amy have her way. It would save him a lot of stress!).
The ONE thing that annoys the crap outta me is absolutely EVERYONE extolling the virtues of the "open concept" main floor. They go into a perfectly nice Victorian house and immediately start ripping out walls so you can see everywhere on the main floor from the kitchen and vice versa. (ESPECIALLY on Flipping Boston)
Why in the world would you want that? Kitchens were enclosed from the rest of the house for a reason!
Ever boiled cabbage? Or fried fish? Do you seriously want guests to your home to be greeted with those smells when they walk in your front door?
Also, the heat produced by the kitchen, while providing welcome warmth in the winter, can make the rest of the house unbearable in the summer!
Remember Dutch Doors?
These were used for several purposes...they kept little ones in while Mom was cooking and kept dogs and other animals out AND opening the top would let cooking odors out, plus cool the kitchen.
Great idea, huh? Rarely used anymore....although I plan to have one in my kitchen!
Both my grandmothers had kitchens that had doors that shut. And doors to the outside so cooking smells and heat would not be trapped in the house. No dutch doors, sadly.But they had screen doors, so the dogs couldn't run in (and I couldn't run out!).Also, it always seemed a bit magical to me as a child, when, at holiday dinners or other special occasions, the kitchen door would swing open and out would come the turkey or ham or birthday cake in all it's splendor!

So, I am looking for a house that is decidedly NOT "Open Concept", or, if is, some place where I can put some walls back up!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Blast-Off

Well, I did it.
I started our LLC.
I registered our LLC in New Hampshire...for a couple of reasons. #1, New Hampshire, like Texas, has no state income tax. #2, New Hampshire doesn't share LLC info (members of the LLC, etc) with the federal government.
And it doesn't hurt that we will be moving there!

Now, I could have filed in several different ways...I could have printed down the forms by myself, filled them out and sent them on their merry way to New Hampshire along with certified checks or money orders to pay the various fees....OR...I could have gone through one of a about a half dozen legal help sites (they advertise a lot on t.v.)....OR I could have gone through a lawyer in New Hampshire.

After mulling over my choices and doing hour upon hour of research online, I chose to contact one of the legal help sites.
I got down to a choice between LegalZoom and BizFilings.
First order of business, check out complaints against both businesses at the Better Business Bureau web site.
LegalZoom.....LOTS of complaints.
BizFilings...very few complaints.
Then cost...both were about the same.
Then I called both...LegalZoom did not pick up their phone....until my 6th call. BizFilings picked on the first ring, first call. I asked questions of both services. The LegalZoom rep that I finally got to talk to seemed uninterested and gave me minimal information. The BizFilings rep, Nikki, was informative, enthusiastic and very helpful.
I then checked out both web sites very carefully...reading all the fine print.
I was able to chat online with yet another BizFilings rep, Ryan, and he was as amazing as Nikki!
So, I made my decision and went with BizFilings.
I filled out the online form, paid by debit card and....it was done. Two days later I had the paperwork to sign via FedEx, I signed it and BizFilings paid to return the paperwork to them via FedEx!
My LLC will be legal and up and running within 10 business days!
Onward and Upward!