Sigh of Relief

We can breathe easier*. The financing for the condo is in place. Hopefully we'll schedule the loan signing, closing, whatnot for early next week. Just in time for the flooring we ordered to arrive, the Woodards to visit and hopefully we can move in before hosting the Lawsons for Thanksgiving.





*Breathing easier will be short term. Sending the first monthly payment will cause considerable belt tightening.

Cats & Dogs

The cats had their first "close" encounter with a dog this weekend. Former house guest Greg came by with his pup Bridger to drop off moving supplies (and rid his home of same). This was the first time Franklin and Marin have shared a space with a dog - and they didn't share for long. Suffice it to say, the cats were overwhelmed and only came out from hiding a few hours after Greg and Bridger left - while carefully looking, listening and sniffing for any sign he was still lurking.

Cat and Mouse

Make that cat and Bluetooth optical mouse.

As any cat owner knows, cats love to invade computer space. Whether you're working at a desk, or sitting on the couch, just about any cat will jump up and wedge itself between your hands and the keyboard. Also, if you ever receive an email from us with random all-caps words, know that Franklin likes to lounge on the Caps Lock key.

Are we adults yet?

You might think we've grown up. Matt and I have married, we're in the process of buying a home, we have real world jobs, we drive a wagon. But you might reconsider this grown-up concept upon seeing two of our friends, ages 35 and 33, climbing out of the trunk of aforementioned wagon. Yes, we crammed 7 people in a car meant for 5 to save money and the agony of finding a cab in San Francisco.

Don't want to jinx ourselves, but...

We are yet again in contract on a home. We have grand plans to update/upgrade the kitchen and bath, as well as a long list of items we'd like to address over time. We're excited at the prospect of making it our own.


Rather than fully describe it myself, this is the description from the listing:

Fabulous 40's period style condominium in great neighborhood off Irving St shops, restaurants, UCSF. This wonderful & bright top floor unit is vacant and staged, shows beautifully and ready to move in. Beautiful wide plank wood floors, classic marble wood burning fireplace in the Living room, dining room and retro-style eat in kitchen. Spacious foyer. Full bath with separate shower stall, bathtub and vanity seating. Two bedrooms overlooking a green belt completes this wonderful condo.

(bolded items strike me as comical - the typical flowery way to play up unattractive features!)

The cat's creative lounging spot

Marin decided my drying-out umbrella was a good spot to hang. Of course, Franklin needed to be part of the action and came to investigate.

Special Thanks to Rev. Rosemary

It was really special to have my great aunt perform the ceremony. The Lawson family have really brought her into service this year with three weddings! I think the first two, my sister Betsy's and grandfather Chuck's were great practice for ours. And we had the benefit of knowing some of her tricks - and therefore avoiding saying too much in front of her! Others were not as helpful - and still gave her plenty of fuel for the "roast" (you know who you are).

Mr. and Mrs. Woodard

A few of my favorite pictures of us, from the photographer

Our Friend's Book - The Hound of Rowan

A friend of ours (and colleague of Matt's), Henry Neff, has written, illustrated and now, finally, published his first book (the first of a 3 book series called The Tapestry). It's a young adult fiction in the fantasy genre. The friends who have read it have loved it. I can't wait to get my hands on our own 1st edition, signed copy.

Check out henryhneff.com for more info on Henry and the book.

Back to the Drawing Board... Again

Lenders and the credit crisis strike again, with the help of an unhelpful seller's agent. We're back to pounding the pavement to try and find the right home.

Next Real Estate Pursuit

We're in a new contract on 1521B Golden Gate Ave - keep your fingers crossed that the lender will let us actually buy it!

Visiting the Winn Family

After a couple days at an industry conference in DC, I spent this past weekend visiting my college roommate Mara Winn, husband Rob and 12 week old daughter Mia in Alexandria, VA.

Lilliana Lawson Cross

The Lawson family keeps growing! The newest addition is Lilly, my cousin Julia's daughter. Soon it will grow again when Julia and Kris marry.

It's been a busy year!

Scratch That...

Mortgage lenders are definitely making up for their mistakes. Although Matt & I are perfect mortgage candidates, the HOA (homeowners' assoc) of the building raised some red flags and would not approve a loan for that condo.

Back to the house hunting! And we will continue to enjoy our 2 car parking, fabulous views and the easy life in Sausalito.

Quick NE Weekend

I took a quick trip to MA & RI for my friend's wedding and to see some old friends. It was a wonderful wedding, set in the backyard of Devon's uncle's new Cape Cod home - quite a spot! A few pics (courtesy of Erin) to honor Devon & her new husband Nick and a token picture of my 3 great friends from my years at Commonwealth:

Devon partied like a rockstar despite the fact that she broke a rib the day before from coughing as she'd been ill for a few weeks.



All of the pics from the talented Erin can be seen using the link on the right.

Evidence of my cold weather hobby

When I learned my friend Mara was pregnant, I decided to put my knitting skills to the test and attempt to create something that was not flat or rectangular. I was able to make this hat pretty quickly and gave it to Mara & Rob and baby Winn before they moved from SF to Virginia. And now, almost a year later, Mia is here and demonstrated a need for the hat on a hike in NH.

Kick-off Post

I'll start with one wedding photo before I have the professional wedding shots or photos of our new home.