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February 02, 2007
Friday Shuffle - The Shuffling My Ass Across St. Louis at Rush Hour for Real Estate Edition
You really thought I was kidding about my life being about nothing but real estate, all the time? Well, I wasn't. The world revolves around it. I hope you like stories about me doing stupid shit in an attempt to sell my crapshack humble, yet cozy abode, because it seems like there's a new one every damn day.
This morning we had a playdate with The Pudding Family, which was followed by making the acquaintance of yet another interesting, like-minded mom who happens to have a really cool clothing company all her very own. Our kids played while we talked for many hours and through many cups of coffee. I had six - two Ethiopian Herrars, two decaf Penachis, and two High Octanes, which completely negate the goodness of drinking decaf.
Sitting around, drinking large mugs of coffee while engaging in andrenaline-inducing interesting conversation with an adult? It's sort of like what I imagine a crack binge feels like.
Somewhere around Hour Five of the binge, the barista came up to me with the telephone and said, "Robin? There's a call for you."
There's a problem when 1) you start getting your calls at the crackcoffehouse, 2) the barista knows your name and doesn't flinch at giving you the phone, and 3) your husband knows where to call when he's unable to reach you at home and on your cell, which was in my purse and therefore dead to me.
Seems that B. and our real estate agent had been trying to reach me because someone who had sworn to put a contract on a house today, was going to look at our house in twenty minutes.
The coffeehouse is twenty minutes from my house, but not during the beginnings of Friday rush hour.
"Baby, we're gonna sell this house or die in a fiery 20-car pile-up on highway 40 trying!" I yelled, lead-footing my way down Kingshighway.
"I'm not a baby. I'm a big girl. I sit on the potty," Clara Jane replied.
Whatever, Baby. We've gotta get home and sell you potty.
We made it before the agent and potential buyers arrived, just long enough to throw the dogs outside, toss last night's pajamas into the laundry basket, make the bed, and flee the scene. All the while Clara Jane stood in the living room, still bundled in her winter coat, asking, "Hey Mommy? Why'd we leave my milk in the truck?"
"Same reason why I left my purse, coat, knitting, iPod, and possibly one of my shoes in the truck, Baby. When you're decrappifying a house with eight minutes to spare, you can't waste time hauling more shit into the house. You're lucky I bothered to take you out of your car seat and bring you inside, Toots."
Okay, I didn't really say that, but I sort of thought it. It's the coffee talking. I'm not a bad mom. She's not a crack baby. I barely touched coffee when I was pregnant.
Whether our super-speedy trip across the city was worth our while or not, I don't know. It took less than half an hour for the people to look at the house, so I doubt it was worthwhile. And I really hate to admit it, what with my long history of panic and anxiety, but I kind of liked the rush. Or maybe that's just the coffee talking.
Tomorrow, there's another showing at 10 AM. We'll be shuffling out of here at a much more leisurely pace than we have for the past two showings.
1. Canary - Liz Phair
2. Silver Naked Ladies - Paul Westerberg
3. 21st Century - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. General Joy - Tori Amos
5. Stop Breaking Down - White Stripes
6. In a Future Age - Wilco
7. Mixed Up - Jimmy Reed
8. Last Call - OutKast
9. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Sufjan Stevens
10. Just One Look - Doris Troy
Posted by Robin at February 2, 2007 07:53 PM
Comments
I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I am on the other side of the real estates crap. I am looking for land to build a little house. I found the perfect one, only to have it bought out from under me. Now I have found what I think is even better, but there might be septic problems. No sewers in the boonies of North Carolina.
Good luck,
Kathie
Posted by: Kathie at February 3, 2007 08:56 AM
Dear God, the circle is completed. You met one of my oldest friends in St. Louis! Now everyone I know, knows eachother!!
Shuffle down to the Tower Grove Farmers Market, held at some church on Arsenal, across from TG Park.I plan on heading up there this morning, if I can bear to go outside.
Posted by: allison at February 3, 2007 09:08 AM
I'd have paid cash to have seen you flying around your house getting things decrappified while Clara Jane stood there in her winter garb. I'll bet it was an amazing feat!
Posted by: Dixie at February 3, 2007 02:53 PM
So, further proof that our lives run slightly parallel: I am looking at RE, too.
Oh, and so you know, my OB says that caffeine during pregnancy is fine so long as it's accompanied by lots and lots of h2o.
Posted by: Julie at February 3, 2007 08:32 PM
AND, BTW... Did you sell it?
Posted by: Julie at February 3, 2007 08:33 PM
Kathie - septic problems scare me. I have a photo in my wedding album of a plumber, knee-deep in a septic mishap in my parents' basement a few hours before our wedding. I hope you can avoid that!
(I finally got "The Memory of Running" from the library today! It's next on my reading list.)
Allison - great seeing you today, as always!
Dix - it was quite a feat, for sure. I think Clara Jane's recovered from the trauma, but I'm sure there will be another round.
Julie - I know where you can buy a house. We haven't sold it yet, but so far it's been shown every single day since it went on the market.
I couldn't handle coffee when I was pregnant. As much as I have always loved it, the smell made me sick. I craved Diet Coke, but didn't want the aspertame. I wound up drinking tons of water and unsweetened iced tea. Until then I hated unsweet tea. When I was in the hospital, my room was across from the little courtesy fridge that was stocked with those 8 oz. cans of Coke products. I think I drank 20 little cans of Diet Coke a day while I was there.
Posted by: Robin at February 3, 2007 09:25 PM
I can't stop laughing at the potty chair remark. :)
Posted by: Dana at February 4, 2007 04:06 PM
