"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

As any good Harry Potter fan would know, this line signifies the beginning of adventure in The Deathly Hallows. I'm gearing up 100% for November 19th and the release of Part 1. I came to the disappointing conclusion that I would never (and I do mean never) be able to re-read the entire book before the movie comes out. Under normal circumstances, yeah, it could probably be done. But with a busy work load plus HOUSE, HOUSE, HOUSE constantly (and I do mean constantly) on the brain, my in-bed reading sessions turn into more like...stare at the same page and daydream about what flooring I would put in the master bathroom sessions. (Seriously, I think that 50 minutes got me about halfway - if that - through Chapter 1 and ALL the way through mentally renovating the entire basement.)

...That being said, here I sit at work, listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audiobook :) Right now I'm at the part where Harry, Rom and Hermione leave the wedding and were just attacked by the Death Eaters at the little all-night restaurant. Ah! Exciting times!

So besides the mounting excitement for Harry Potter...I've pretty much had house on the brain. We've purchased almost all of our appliances - except the fridge. We've got our eye on one at Sears and we were assured by a salesman that it would go back on sale within the next 30 days. We're closely watching, ready to leap at any second. Other than that, the above-the-stove microwave, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer have been purchased. On the docket this week? Locks/door knobs, cabinet/vanity hardware, light fixtures, a ceiling fan and some backsplash material!

(I have never in my life spent this amount of money in such a short period of time and I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't FREAK me the *beep* out.)

I'm loving the organizational aspect of this home-buying undertaking. I have lists, checklists, more lists...and did I mention lists? My latest and greatest creations are a chart of when Dan gets paid vs. when we'll purchase/pay off major buys - with the outcome being the total of what our bank accounts should be at the end of this, AND a moving schedule - November and December scheduled with tasks, delivery dates, moving times, etc. Oh man. I love Excel.

Oh a more serious front - I'm praying for my sister and brother-in-law, that they'll be able to head back to PNG without any major financial issues...and be welcomed back to the Southern Highlands with NO security issues. My poor sister. She's such a planner and her world is being turned up-side-down. Dan and I are heading to Waxhaw to bid adieu to the departing in December - not knowing whether said departing will be there the whole time, longer than expected, or leave the day we do. (Don't worry K-dawg...it's all for the best!)

Another sad note - my wedding pearls and my garnet ring (that I got to celebrate the day Dan got a job) are missing :( The thought still makes my stomach churn. I keep them both in very distinct, permanent places and move them for almost NOTHING. I went looking for my pearls for a special occasion and they were gone. I've turned the house over, called the apartment office and done everything (short of calling the police) I can think to do. The Property Manager has assured me that no one has checked the key out - only the maintenance man who's been in our apartment COUNTLESS other times (and has had ample opportunity to take anything he wants in the last 3 1/2 years, and hasn't). So unless someone has an unauthorized key to our apartment or we accidentally left the door unlocked one day and someone just happened to try the door knob that very same day (highly unlikely), I'm baffled as to what could have happened. Seriously, I'm praying for a miracle and that St. Anthony will plead my case to God, and that by some mysterious, Godly act, my pearls will resurface. If that happens, I will literally weep for joy. Those were my wedding gift. From my husband. And if somebody took them...so help me...I will lash out irrationally.

On that note, here's some pictures of our appliance purchases :) The washer/dryer combo aren't that exciting, but to a girl who works with a less than 3 cubic foot washing machine every week and pays $1.50/load to wash and $1.25/load to dry...my own washer and dryer is a HUGE deal. We're planning to close on the 19th and we scheduled the delivery for the day after Thanksgiving. Even before we move in, we plan to go over there once a week to do work/laundry. Anxious much? Yes. And I won't bother denying it.

Dishwasher (looks like a weird color b/c of the flash...but fear not. It's normal-looking.)


Over the Range microwave. It has a special button for popcorn which I'm confident I'll never use. Just press 2:30 and listen for the kernels to stop popping, people!


*Throw up hands in glory* A flat top stove! No more cleaning gross coils/aluminum dishes! Dan fought me on this one, but seeing as I'm responsible for the cleaning of the kitchen, my vote was heavier than his. Booyah.


Washer! It's a high-efficiency/low agitator one! It uses less water and is gentler on clothes. I can't tell you how excited I am to use this.


Gas dryer :( I'm sad we have to use our precious propane to dry clothes. In the summer, I see a lot of air-drying going on. The clothes might be a little stiff, but hey...I'm a woman who knows how to be chintzy or, as some like to say, "el cheapo."


And this, the crowing glory, will hopefully be our refrigerator. We're being forced to spend a fortune on this fridge because we need a counter depth fridge. And ironically, they're not as deep, which equals less square footage...and somehow less space = more money. Huh. Funny how that works...


...but it'll be worth it. Look at her, in all her glory!

I'm on the hind-end of a cold, which means the coughing stage. My abs feel like they're going to explode with every outburst of air. Ugh.

Oh, by the way. All this appliance talk makes me nervous because we HAVEN'T EVEN CLOSED YET. But I think that's me being a worrier. We've completed our loan application, been approved, signed the interest rate lock-in, appraisal approval, good faith closing cost estimate, etc. As long as the bank and title company can get all our paperwork done in a timely manner, we're golden. The bank is forcing us to close before Nov. 23rd so it won't be later than that.

We're hoping for the 19th. What's that? That's right...November 19th. Sign closing papers, have a celebratory dinner, then go see Harry Potter...and that's how it all comes full circle, my friends.