Tentatively Accepted Offer

We must be crazy! After much deliberation we decided to go through with the short sale on "our house". We will be going ahead with the inspection and application for financing within the next two weeks, per our contract. We also have the right to terminate our contract at any point within the next 35 days, should we change our minds. After that 35 days are up, if we do not terminate we are in it for the long haul. I'll keep on with updates, but the process may be slow, unless we decide to give up on it. In the mean time we will keep looking at other properties. We visited another open house yesterday near Bayview, but were not impressed.

On Saturday I got a massage from our awesome massage therapist, PJ Rockwell, of As You Like It massage. He provides services from his home, which means they come at a much lower cost compared to other spas or studios. He is also a master with strong, skilled hands. I had a lot of trouble clearing my mind, but definitely kept trying throughout. After a while a peaceful image of this place I used to take bike rides in Flagstaff, Arizona came to mind.

I had a heavy, metallic green cruiser bicycle with a basket on the front when I lived there. Saturday and Sunday mornings were kind of lonely times for me, especially in my last year of grad school when everyone was getting partnered up and I was without a significant other. I'd usually wake up and deep clean my apartment from top to bottom. Then, in the afternoon, I'd take a bike ride for several miles on an urban trail that started on campus. There was a certain bend in the trail where I curved around a hill and in the springtime the side of it would be completly covered in yellow flowers (mix between sunflower and black eyed susie). Off above the hill would be a vast blue sky and bright sunshine. It was big blue skies and sunshine almost every day when I lived in Flag.

One time while riding with a fellow grad student, Trent, we rode off onto a single track trail that followed a creek and an old railroad bed. I should have had a mountain bike for the ride, but we kept going anyway. We rode into a solitary field of high grasses, our backs soaking up the warmth of the sun next to the creek. It felt secret and I felt free.

I was thankful for this nice memory at such a bleak time of year in Wisconsin. I had it a bit rough emotionally when I was in grad school, but now looking back I wish I could have enjoyed it more. I miss Flag a lot and long to be there often.

Me with my bike, grad school kids/friends, a random photobomber guy flashing peace signs and a view of the San Franciso Peaks in the background. Coming back to the NAU campus from the Fat Tire Bike Festival:



A view from up in the San Fran peaks on a hike with my sister and an old college friend, Tim: