Awesome-ness

I have very low standards for my children's schools.  I really believe in public education and feel that any gaps should be made up by the parents.  My only stipulation is that my children are safe.  So I was pleasantly surprised and even thrilled with my children's educational experience here.  Their teachers are committed and hard working.  They have amazing leveling with Carolyn doing pre-Algebra (in 4th grade) because she was ready for it and Hannah in an advanced reading and writing program that has expanded her writing to wonderful levels.  

To top that off, they do amazing things.  Hannah's class just wrote messages in bottles and sent them out to sea and have already gotten responses from Ocean Park where some of them washed up during a storm.  She has done a radio show with her teacher (who does a weekly show) twice.  Next month she is going to Haystack Rock which is a protected marine garden where they will have intertidal stations, bird viewing stations and aquaria stations.  

Carolyn has been to Lewis and Clark's post (Fort Clatsop) that they wintered in here in Oregon.  She has been bird watching in the forest and this week will go to the mouth of the Columbia and learn about coastal birds.  Next month she is going to central oregon to hike and camp for three days.  They will sleep in TeePees and learn about Native Americans. 

Could there be anything more awesome?  

Way better than the roller skating rink that was my outing in grade school.

The Javadi Tale of Woe...

This is a duplicate of my original post.  Cyrus didn't like me using boss-man's name so I fixed her up a little...

Let me tell you a story.  Two stories really.  It all started when we bought this house.  Before we bought it, we did some research and were assured we could get a loan to do some major FIXING that was necessary to get it livable (the water that came out of the sink in the kitchen was odd colored, the cabinets all water damaged and moldy etc).   In fact, we were approved for a loan.  But when we came here, the credit market froze up and they told us the loan was not available any longer. 

So we used our credit card to remodel the kitchen so we could feed our kids.  Then we missed a bill that came late because we forgot to tell Chase our new address so since we paid one day late, they raised our interest rate to 29%.  So we did a balance transfer to 0% even though in a few short months it would be paid off.  Unfortunately, I accidentally did the balance transfer twice...so we closed our account with Chase and asked them to send us check after the card was paid off.  They sent us our check and we thought the case was closed.  

Jump ahead nine months.  Cyrus is really unhappy with his job.  His boss is very difficult and Cyrus has a hard time just letting it roll off his back.  

Then Cyrus reads about a practice in Idaho.  It is successful, priced right and in a beautiful place.  We are curious and he goes out there.  The Idaho doctor is perfect--and even willing to work within the six months of notice in Cyrus' contract.  We decide to just see if we can get financing.  

That week, Cyrus has a lunch with his boss where his boss asks if they can make sure the assistants are cleaning up the lab better.  Cyrus tells the assistants that boss-man wants them to clean up better than kind of jokingly says, "Lookin' great in here!" when they make the lab look like no one ever used it.  Then another staff asked what the meeting was about and Cyrus told her.  Unfortunately, the boss didn't want Cyrus to tell anyone that he wanted the lab clean, he just wanted him to say, "clean it up."  So, he confronted Cyrus about the whole thing.  Cyrus said he didn't know it was confidential and apologized.  Then, boss-man asked if Cyrus was looking for a new job.  Cyrus was honest but assured boss-man we would give proper notice.  This all happened on Monday.  By Thursday, boss-man called Cyrus into his office and strongly implied that if he didn't quit, he would be fired, so Cyrus quit.

That same day, Cyrus gets a call from the lender that we have been denied credit for the practice because of his bad credit score.  We are both shocked. When we bought the house my score was 820 and his was 780.  The minimum for a dental loan was 640.  It turns out Chase (remember we payed them twice and they sent us a check) says we owed them $60.00 that was 90 days late.  They never sent us a paper bill or a letter or anything.  Just email that went to junk mail.  We got a big check and never got a bill and this little bill cost us a dental practice.  

So now, Cyrus will be out of a job and is unable to get a loan.  We are rushing to finish this house project and find work.  It has been a tough month.

Luckily we have been very blessed too...we fixed this house up with cash and paid off any that we put on the credit cards so we have a lot of wiggle room in our price which is a good thing in this economy.  We bought a fabulous house with an amazing view so that is good, too.  Cyrus has a good skill and is a great dentist--two people have approached me in Costco and one at the hardware store and said Cyrus was the best and nicest dentist they had ever been to (and those were just patients who knew who I was).  I feel sad to leave this old house but as my dad says, there will be more houses.

So, we'll keep you posted on where we go and what we do...Texas is looking good right now.  I'm gearing up for my NEXT ADVENTURE!!!