We skipped church today. We probably should have gone, seeing as how we could use the uplift. It's always so heart-warming to see our old ward family. But for some reason I just couldn't stand to share Steven's last few hours before he went back to Galveston with anyone. I know we can't make a habit of this...but today...well, I just couldn't share.
He left a few hours ago, and I am bluer than blue. What in the heck are we doing? We can't keep this up, it's just ridiculous. We just can't keep relying on the charity of family and friends. Today we talked through several options.
1) We could just go ahead and lease an apartment in League City. The pros would be we'd have a place to live. The cons would be we'd have to spend Christmas in an apartment, because NO ONE will give us a short-term lease given the recent supply-and-demand circumstances. I thought maybe the insurance company might cover the penalty if we broke the lease, but considering their recent track record, I'd hate to take such a pricey chance.
2) We could try and find an extended-stay hotel to stay in while we house-shop. This would be the ideal situation, seeing that I'm almost positive insurance would cover any additional living expenses we might incur. But after looking on Orbitz this morning, we realized that NO ONE has vacancy. The closest we could get would be Conroe, so what's the point?
3) We could submit Steven's resume up here and pray that someone will immediately see his brilliance (which they would if they were smart) and hire him on the spot, starting Monday. But he's only been a computer programmer for 4 months, and nobody looks kindly on job-hopping anyway.
4) My dad called today and suggested that we just rent a house down there for just a year, and then submit Steve's resume around DFW. That way Steven would have a year's worth of experience under his belt, and he would be considerably more hireable...which was definitely something worth thinking about. Yes, I know, it's only been a few months. We need to give League City more time. But Ike's done enough to scare the hell out of me, and somewhat justify my initial instinct that maybe the Bay Area just isn't the right fit for us.
But how in the world can I resign myself to renting for ANOTHER YEAR? Another year of white walls, of being a transient, of no stability. Having the whole stigma of sharecropping, feudalism, throwing our money away on something that doesn't belong to us. Another year of burning with secret envy when I'm in the beautiful homes of my friends. I hate it. I just hate it.
And for the first time in our marriage, our pockets are just bursting with the money we've saved up. We could walk out the door today and buy a house. But we don't want to just buy the first house we see...especially because once we buy, we're staying put. The housing market isn't going to let us sell and walk out whenever we want.
What are we in the world are we going to do? This would be a perfect time to have a mentor, a guru, a respected authority-figure or friend to give us their wise-and-steady opinion...or at least give us encouragement. I wish I could talk to Mom.
8 comments:
Oh the tears that sprung to my eyes reading that last sentence!
I'm so glad you got to spend those last few hours with Steve! Totally worth it, in my book.
And every one of those options are good ones!! I'm particularly partial to #3 and #4...though #4 seems more practical (go Dad!) and really, maybe try and get a 10 month lease (since Steve will technically have 1 years experience in 9 months!). Of course, opinions are opinions, and you can only do what feels good when you and Steve are talking about it together!
BIG HUGS!
I wish I had words of wisdom for you, and could just give you the answer. But since I'm not so wise, I'll keep you in my prayers. And seriously, when are we gonna get together!?
Oh Jenny! I will pray for you. I do think that you should hold off on buying until you are sure of where you want to be. It's such a huge pain to buy and sell a house. You guys are smart and spiritual and will be able to figure out what is best for your family.
Hey Jenny,
There is a job fair sponsored by LDS Career services on October 28th at the Carrollton Stake Center. Maybe he could check it out. Also, Brian is in the computer field, so he'll keep an ear out for job openings in the metroplex. Meanwhile we'll keep you in our prayers!
oooo, that sounds awesome. i wonder if steve could get off work...
I really feel for you guys. And you know all of us up here wish you would stay. I mean, it'll only mean we'll have to say goodbye AGAIN! Sheesh!
If you and Steve want to go to the temple some weekend when he's here, we'd be happy to babysit. Seriously. I mean, what better time can be spent with our husbands than being in the temple together? Might give you some peace of mind.
And yeah, no one likes job hopping, but I think in the case of "our house burned down in a hurricane and we decided to move" really doesn't hurt as an explanation either. :) Love you guys!
I don't have any words of wisdom for you either, but I do agree with Missy that "our house burned down" is a pretty good explanation for an employer as to why you are moving/changing jobs. The only advice I would offer is what I'm sure you are already doing, pray about it. And spending some time at the temple as a couple sounds like a great idea, too.
Missy's answer sounded pretty good. And I like your dad's idea (generally, dads can't be too wrong, right?). We'll be praying for you guys. And don't forget: you do have a mentor, guru, respected authority-figure, and friend, all rolled into one. Better yet, He's available 24/7! Julie's temple idea would be the perfect opportunity to talk to said Friend!
P.S. I would have totally ditched for the extra hours with my hubby, too! ;o)
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