The unemployed life ...

Oh my gosh!  I totally suck at this blogging thing!! LOL  Well, lets see ... I am no longer employed ... quit work as of December 18th, 2009.  We do not want to have to pay VA any state taxes.  We typically wouldn't but each year we have to convince VA that we do not owe them any state taxes.  Each year they think that DH's income must be taxed although he is not a VA resident.  Just so freaking frustrating!! But anyway, it has been different being unemployed again.  I thot I would really miss work but I don't as much as I thot I would.  I miss the people but not the stress of the day to day business.  I am managing to keep quite busy here at home.  With all the dogs and the day to day cleaning, I remain quite busy!! And it is only the beginning.  I have a lot of deep cleaning and throwing out of items before we move.

We went home to IL and got to check out the house.  Structurally, it seems to be in decent shape.  A few things have to be fixed and a lot of TLC work but it appears to be manageable!  Going to be a lot of work in clean up and such but again, it is do-able. Going to be tough for awhile though as we will be going to a house half the size if not more!! We already have plans of expanding both the downstairs and the upstairs but that will come in time.  Also have a plan of building a barn at some time too so we can have horses at some point too.  I want a horse to ride one day.  I am hoping within a two or three years of being up there, we will be in the position to finally own some.  We will have it hopefully as a working farm (for ourselves!!) at some point.  I think that would be so kewl!  Even have a possible name for it: Curly Willow Farm.  Mom has two curly willow plants that Grandpa started for her that I would like to transplant somewhere else on the property.  They are pretty! I think that would be perfect name.  I wanted something with Willow in the name.  I like willow's and was willing to plant a willow just so the farm would live up to the name.  So it was great that there are already two willow's on the place! But the dogs are going to love it!  They had a blast on the property while we were there at Christmas time.  They thot they had died and gone to heaven!! LOL We have our hands full with home repairs but I think we will be happy there.  Will probably live just as we do now ... hand to mouth but I don't care!  If bills are paid and we all can eat, that makes me happy.  I am not a person who wants much ... at least I don't think so. I am not a big shopper at all.  Unless it is for my dogs/cats/birds! Then I could go crazy!  Or kitchen/bathroom stuff. I can go crazy with that stuff too.

Speaking of kitchen, I made my own flour tortilla's tonight.  They turned out pretty good!  They were easy to make albeit time consuming but it made a butt ton of them!  Like 20-24!!  So they will last a while.  But I was happy.  My first try and all, they turned pretty good. Will have to find a recipe to make baked tortilla chips. That would really make Scott happy!! LOL  Once the tomato's, onion's and peppers grow in our garden, then I can make the homemade salsa too!! He will be in heaven!! LOL  Found recipes for homemade butter and such too.  So can't wait until I can try those out too.  I might just become quite the little cook!! Anyyyywho ... !!

Our trip to IL was crazy ... it took us 42 hours to get up there!  It snowed the whole time we drove up there from Williamsburg to IL.  And not just a light snow, it was up to 23 inches in WV!! We didn't start going above 45 mph until Indiana state line!! It was crazy!! But had tons of fun actually.  At least for me that is.  I didn't realize I had so many people following my FB posting either!! LOL Our first stop (and by stop, I mean parked on I-64 because of traffic/weather) was only an hour and that was around Williamsburg. Our next one was right before the WV bypass and that one was 2 hours.  The last stop was 6.5 hours on the WV bypass!! We ended up sleeping through part of that one!!  It was a REALLY long trip but for as long as it was, it wasn't that bad.  The trip home was the same amount it usually takes ... aprox 15 hours.

Well, that is about it for now.   Will post more as more things happen.

Love to all!