so far, so good, so tired

I've never had such an uneventful international plane trip. Last June we went to Spain out of JFK and spent 5 hours just waiting to take off. We actually arrived early to Moscow. Customs was a breeze and we quickly located our driver. He dropped us off at the hotel. Jim is sleeping, but I refuse. It's 2 in the afternoon! I have to hold off until at least 6 or I'll be up and ready at 2am.

Tomorrow we venture out to see a bit of city (if we don't get lost) and then fly out to Siberia at 11:30PM. It's like 67 in Siberia, be jealous.

ready? I was ready in may!!!

It's finally time to go to Russia. No really! Time like I need to be at the airport in an hour. Time like I'm going to shut my phone off so you can't call me and tell me no. Time like Jim saying "Trisha pack the computer we need to go"

For the past few weeks our minds have been consumed with a mash of houses and house related drama. However it is finally time to forget that, for now, and go meet our son. On this trip our mission is to learn more about our referral, fill out some paperwork, give him a name, and officially decide yes or no.

Russian travel plans. Friday June 30 - Friday August 6
Day one -Leave Kansas City
Day two -Arrive in Moscow, take a free shuttle to the hotel, and sleep.
Day three -Venture from the hotel to the Moscow metro, explore the city a little, take the Aeroexpress train to the other airport, and fly out to Kemerovo
Day four -Arrive in Kemerovo, do some paperwork, and drive to Novokuznetsk
Day five & six -Visit the orphanage!!!
Day seven -Fly back to Moscow and explore some more
Day eight -Fly back to Kansas

Rumor has it the Russian metro is beautiful! Crowded but beautiful. Okay, not all the stations are that beautiful but still awesome. We turned down our agency's driver and opted for the adventure. More fun. Less money. Less chance of me getting car sick.

got paint?

I met our home inspection guy, our pest control dude, and the radon testing man over at the new house today. The inspection guy found a hand full of minor things. Some wood rot on a few windows, a broken sensor on the garage door, a loose toilet, some downspouts that need to be extended, and most windows are painted shut minus one that is painted open. Ha! However, all the major really important things(heating, cooling, roof, electrical)are in good working order. The sellers will be given the list of items to repair. Oh how I love being a buyer!
The pest control dude says No bugs! Excellent because I'm not a huge fan. He recommends we pull some of the mulch away from the house because, termites are not living there now but they would love to.
The radon testing man said he would get back to me in 48 hours with the results of the test. Lets hope for a low score because radon terrifies me. If the score is above a four the sellers have agreed to install a radon mitigation system (stuff to get rid of the toxic lung cancer causing gas)


So great we are bug free and structurally stable on to the cosmetic aspect of the house. Let's just say the owners loved to paint...everything. They painted the cabinets, the trim, the doors, the fireplace, the walls, the deck, everything. Everything in the house is either white, brown, or red with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Some trim is white some is super glossy white and some is brown. Upstairs all the walls, trim, windows, and doors are an interesting shade of brown. The dining room is RED really really red. Our solution. Hire the pros to fix all the trim and doors. Unify the house with nice white trim, doors, and stair railings. When they are done I'll paint the walls. None will be red and not so many will be brown. If you don't like painting don't plan on visiting me over the next few months. If you do like painting and homemade treats well come on by. Closing is at the end of August.

If you live in the Kansas City area and have a recommendation for a painter to use or a warning about someone to not use, that would be great.

maybe the third time?

So far we have offered to purchase two homes and have gotten no where. This afternoon we went out with our agent again and saw some more potential homes. We put an offer in on one of them and will hopefully hear tomorrow morning.










The best part is the back yard. It has two big trees that are just screaming to have a hammock put between them.

it's no fun when you don't play by the rules

I've played this 'buy a house' game twice before. Here is how it goes.

1. Find a house you like
2. Research comparable houses and make an educated and reasonable offer
3. Receive a counter offer (somewhere between list price and offer price)
4. Accept the counter offer or counter back
5. Decide on a final price and both players get to celebrate once the house is under contract

As you read in the previous post we did steps 1 & 2. Today we waited for the counter offer. It was the SAME as the asking price. Lame. We offered a bit more and they said no thanks. Okay, there house has only been on the market for 6 days, but the research says...It's priced to high. Forget you hidden house #4. I will shake the dust off my sandals and move on.

Back to house #3. Sure it's not for sale any more but hey we can try right? Our agent contacted his agent and we are writing up the offer this evening. His house has been on the market for 98 days and received 0 offers and had 0 changes in price. I'm not feeling that it will work out, but you never know.

Who knew buying a house could be almost as drama filled as adopting a Russian?

and the offer goes to...

None of the houses on the list. Ha. That does not happen on the TV show, but hey this is reality. Here is the scoop...

When we sell a house it has to be inspected by our relocation agency (Jim's company) and we have to fix everything before they sign on to help us sell it. No issue can be grandfathered in due to the age of the home. So, houses 1 & 2 were cut. It's the norm in that area to have a damp basement which we are fine with, but it will show up on a home inspection and then we would have to fix it. Since this is probably not our final move we didn't want to deal with that drama.

That left house #3. Jim was really excited about it. However, we got a call from our agent that said the house went off the market. We thought wow someone snatched it right from us. Wrong! The guy selling it decided he didn't want to sell it anymore. Just like that. It's on the market for 98 days and the day before we decide to make an offer BAM the guy changes his mind.

Well lucky for us we had a hidden #4 on the list. We went back to #4 this afternoon and decided to make an offer. We looked at neighborhood list and sale prices and our agent decided that the house was listed high. We made a lower offer and are waiting to see what they say.

We prefer the offer process in Boston. As soon as you know what you are offering you call up the agent and offer over the phone. After a few offer and counter offers it's all taken care of. Just like that! Not here. It is much more formal and annoying. They have until 1:00pm to accept, decline, or counter offer.

Waiting to hear...

4 bedroom, 2 full bath, 2 half bath, a cute playroom with wood floor in the basement, and a kitchen that needs painted or stained cabinets (only because I am particular about things like that)

house hunters -kansas city

You know the show 'House Hunters' on HGTV? Well that's were I am at right now. Basically the show introduces you to a person, couple or family that is looking to buy a home. They see three homes that they could make work. You are held in suspense until then end when they revile the one they have chosen.

First off picking a house in the Kansas City area is harder than I thought it would be simply because there are too many houses and too many places to pick from. Boston, live were you can afford to. Lincoln, small so pick a nice neighborhood with a good school. Kansas, overload.

In my mind we have narrowed it down to three houses. Our real estate agent says we should see a few more houses on Wednesday. Jim agrees with her, but I'm all set. If you like something why would you keep looking it just makes the final choice even harder.

So here are our current top three, in no particular order.

1. Cape Cod style home in lovely Prairie Village. Prairie Village has good schools and is close to the Plaza area of Kansas City. It's an older neighborhood with huge trees and tons of character. The people that live in this area rave about how wonderful it is. We couldn't find anyone who would say anything negative. It's a nice house, but may have some basement issues. 3 bedroom 2 bath






2. This house is also located in Prairie Village. I love love the kitchen. Jim does not like the outside but I think paint, new shutters, and some plants could help. We both like the two car garage. 3 bedroom 2 bath and an extra room upstairs that could be an office.





3. This is a much newer house located in a newer development in Shawnee. Feels very suburban (like Lincoln) and that always scares me. I think it's too big but Jim is smitten. It has a nice kitchen and a gas stove. Cooking with fire is the best! Also, there is a small pond off to the side which kind of guarantees no other houses being built next to it. 4 bedroom and too many bathrooms







Comments welcome! We'll take all the help we can get.

chicken and mango chutney with roasted potatoes , tomatoes, bacon and onion

This recipe is hijacked from Rachael Ray's BOB (book orange book) Cookbook. I made it the way Rachael instructed then I made up my own (better) way.

Want the original? I won't be offended.

Ingredients
* 1 pound of potatoes, skin left on
* olive oil
* Salt and pepper
* 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup prepared mango chutney. You could use whatever brand you like or make your own. They sell the kind I linked in most grocery stores and it is tasty. It also comes in spicy, if that's your cup of tea.
* 6 slices of bacon, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped

Directions
-Heat the oven to 400
-Chop the potatoes into bit size pieces, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and put them in the hot oven. (25 minutes)
-Chop the bacon and put it in a saute pan. Cook the bacon slowly on a medium heat. Once it is cooked remove from the pan and drain most of the fat. Add the onions and gently cook them. Add the bacon back to the pan after the onions have softened.
-While the bacon is cooking begin sauteing the chicken in a separate pan.
-Once the potatoes have about 10 minutes left add the tomatoes to the baking sheet and continue cooking on 400.
-When the chicken is almost cooked through add the chutney to the pan and continue cooking on low until it's time to eat.
-After the potatoes and tomatoes have roasted toss them with the bacon and onions.
-Serve, eat, enjoy

This meal is a delicious mix of sweet and savory. Yum.

cheesecake tart

I made this a couple weeks ago and shared it with the in laws and the neighbors. All had rave remarks. Enjoy.
Ingredients
* 6 graham crackers (2 1/2 by 5 inches each)
* 1/3 cup whole almonds
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature (I made a mistake and only bought one bar and it seemed just fine)
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Pinch salt
* 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
Optional topping -I don't like plums so I made a raspberry puree to drizzle on top along with some whole raspberries and blueberries.
* 4 red plums halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 pint (2 cups) blueberries

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind graham crackers, almonds, and 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground; add butter, and process until moistened. Transfer to a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Using the base of a dry measuring cup, press mixture firmly into the bottom and up sides of pan. Freeze at least 15 minutes.
2. Make filling and bake: Carefully wipe processor blade and bowl clean. Place cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, vanilla, cornstarch and salt in food processor; blend just until smooth. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; fill with cheesecake mixture. Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, make topping: In a medium saucepan, combine plums, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Cook at a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is jam like and moves around pan in a single mass when stirred, 15 to 25 minutes (time will depend on ripeness of fruit). Reserve 1 tablespoon cooking liquid (no solids) for blueberries; cool remaining plum mixture.
4. Assemble tart: Leaving a 1-inch border, spread cooled plum mixture over tart. Reheat reserved plum liquid (on stove or in microwave) until liquefied. In a medium bowl, combine with blueberries, and scatter on top of plum mixture. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Remove from pan before serving.

moving

As a child I moved a lot. I got used to packing up and heading off. I never liked moving but I got really good at it. I think it's the reason I don't save anything. The more you save the more damn boxes you have to carry up and down the stairs!

Well I've been married for just 4 years and we are moving on to house #3. South Boston, Lincoln, and now Kansas City. But moving is totally different now and much more welcomed. We move for a purpose, Jim's job. Since it's a company move it's really nice. On Monday all these burly moving men will show up at my door with a ton of boxes, tape, stickers, and a chart to organize everything. They'll pack up everything (most everything no plants, bleach, gas, frozen food, duh)shove it in their truck and drive it off to storage. Eventually, Jim and I will find a lovely Kansas house and we'll call them and they will just bring everything to our new house. They would unpack it for me, but I don't let them. I would rather have a bunch of boxes around than piles of stuff. Don't worry when I have all the boxes unpacked I just call them and they pick them up. This is nothing like when I was a kid.

The sad part is always leaving friends...

grilled tomato bruschetta

I have never liked tomatoes. I still refuse to eat them raw. However, I am beginning to have an obsession with roasted cherry tomatoes. Yum, they are so delicious. Roasted. Grilled. Same thing, right? Yes! I found this recipe in one of Martha's everyday food magazines and it is so tasty. I fed it to the husband and the in laws and all thought it was great.

Ingredients

Serves 4

* 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
* 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise(I used a melon baller)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar(I only had white wine vinegar and it worked)
* 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
* whatever bread you like. I used a loaf of sour dough cut into small pieces
* 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grates. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes on grill, cut sides down first. Cover and grill until soft and charred, 5 to 10 minutes per side. With a metal spatula, return tomatoes to bowl. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to snip tomatoes into smaller pieces.
2. To tomatoes, add garlic, vinegar, basil and red-pepper flakes; season with more salt and pepper.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Brush bread with remaining oil; grill on both sides until beginning to char, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Spoon some bruschetta onto the bread and eat!

stay

We said we couldn't go. We said we wanted to be registered for the referral we are interested in. We said we were sorry to be difficult. We said we are moving and closing on our old house that week. We prayed that the other family would not be so mad at us. We got an email this morning...

They were able to talk to the coordinator. They found another family that could travel in July. (less guilt) Our caseworker said we would neeeeeed to travel with the next group, the first week in August. Okay! Yes! I would love to go then! Just two little weeks later. She didn't tell us to book anything yet. It's not official yet.

So say some prayers for us. Cross your fingers. Pet your lucky rabbits foot. Don't step on cracks in the sidewalk. Do what you need to do (we will) because once we actually book everything, we don't want it to be canceled again.

Speaking of Siberia in August. Could you get any less Siberian? However, I guess our second trip will be in the dead of winter, so we will get to see both seasons and experience Siberia at its best.

should I go or should I stay

Our caseworker really really really wants us to travel in July. If we don't go the family we were going to travel with can't go either. (GUILT) It's July right now! Of course I am a master at putting together last minute trips to Siberia that is not the issue. I don't exactly know the issue. Nervous? Uncertain? Not wanting to have it canceled again!! Not being registered for the referral that we decided on.
If it were up to just my Pollyannaish self I would be on the phone with Victor right now booking tickets. However, Jim is a bit more level headed (stubborn) and really really really doesn't want to go in July. He thinks things need to be smoothed out more. I fell like if we don't go now they are just going to get mad at us.

Advice?