I have an 18 year-old and househunting is over!

To my vast worldwide audience,

Yesterday was a very eventful day, as far as milestones go. First, my lovely daughter Allison turned 18. Jimminey crickets! Those 18 years went like....a comet streaking across the sky....like an enjoyable Sunday afternoon spending time with my family after a long week at work....like a golf game with friends..... In fact, it was just the opposite of when I'm waiting for my turn to give a formal speach, or when I'm waiting for a really boring church service to end, or, when I'm on the last leg of a long hike, I'm sore and tired and know that I have 10 more miles to go before getting back to the car.

Well, enough said about that. Suffice it to say that Allison is now 18, and a certain amount of youth has evaporated from my consciousness.

On the househunting front, we signed papers with the contractor last night. This is going to be one casa grande. I really hate big mortgage payments, but we're doing it again. It's like standing back up in a boxing ring knowing that you're going to take another beating, but yet standing up anyway.....come on financial monsters....take your best shot!

I just need to keep breathing through my nose and then slowly exhaling. At some point I'll pass out, and that's just the kind of relaxed feeling that I'm hoping for :-).

The contractor seems like a good guy. Been in business in the area for about 30 years. He's going to make a killing off of us, but what's a few dollars between friends.

Anyway, that's the news for the last month. Hopefully my worldwide audience is doing well. I will write more as soon as I can.

-Shannon