Last Few Steps

Inspirational song: House of Memories (Panic! at the Disco)

Things got suddenly stressful today, out of the blue. I thought the two house deals that are due to close on Monday were gliding along smoothly, but I had hours of panic trying to make sure all of the pieces were in place. Most of these things are details that I have no control over. Three days before the closes, the Closing Disclosures are due. These are the run-downs that calculate out every cost and credit to the penny, so that all principals of the sale know exactly what they are paying and receiving. I expected these things to be ready at the start of the day, and instead they were each not ready until close of business. This isn't wrong, that they came so late. But after I started panicking while I was just starting to cook breakfast, it was a long day waiting to hear what was happening with each of them. I tell you, this feast-and-famine work schedule is rough on a psyche.

We had to do a lot of driving today, and very important purchases to make. Two costly appliances in the Boulder condo need to be replaced, and I wanted to take advantage of a sale. Turns out that the "sale" price that was good through today is a little misleading. The price tag was removed when we arrived, while the big box store sorted through the new price tags that had the exact same "sale" for another week. It doesn't matter, really. The price was good and I don't care what their marketing practices are. I got a new stove and refrigerator for the condo for under $900, once the military discount was applied. You won't catch me complaining one bit.

I was laser focused on the displays of ranges and refrigerators when we walked through the store. All of a sudden Mr S-P called out, "Slackers!" to a couple I had just passed, who were inspecting dishwashers. I slowly realized he wasn't harassing strangers, but instead accosting dear friends who we haven't seen in months. After we all took care of our appliance transactions, we retired to one of our superior local restaurants to talk about current events and hazy memories. I sure enjoyed the chance to catch up. Good people who are good friends are worth the effort to keep around. I'm thankful for the opportunity to do that.