Alabama Trip - Feb 2015
Three lovely days in my favorite state. Ah, so nice.
Wednesday:
I was traveling alone, so I decided to pack very lightly and not check a bag. That way I could walk off the plane and go straight to the rental car office, hopefully beating the Birmingham traffic.
Kara and my mom dropped me off at the airport here and I went straight to security since I didn't have to check that bag and since I packed my boarding pass. 30 minutes later I was walking toward my gate and the screens were saying the flight was already boarding. I walked faster since I was flying Southwest and needed to board as early as possible so all the good seats (and overhead bins) wouldn't be taken. (By the way, see me? Me, flying Southwest AND using overhead bins? I've made so much progress. If these things aren't a big deal for you, please don't take that for granted!)
In the B group, I knew my seat wouldn't be fabulous, but that was cool. I walked onto the plane and the front row had the middle and aisle seat free. I couldn't believe it! THEN no one ended up sitting next to me in the middle seat. I had the front row, aisle seat, no one next to me, all nice things for this plus sized woman with long legs. :-) I played on my gameboy (it's a good 12 years old, but works great) and we landed in Birmingham early!
I walked right off the plane and went straight to the rental car office. There was no one in line, so I got my key from a woman who was SUPER annoyed I interrupted her magazine reading time. *sigh* I drove out of the parking garage and my GPS had me on my way to Merideth's house! Yay!
I couldn't believe how warm and pretty it was there. The sun was shining, I had my flip flops on, and the birds were chirping.
I got to Merideth's house and got started on dinner. They love my cooking (and I love cooking for anyone who loves my cooking!), and they requested I make Shepherd's Pie. I made a double batch so there would be loads of leftovers. Then I made a super easy, super yummy chocolate dessert.
Merideth and her whole family treat me like a queen! They poured over my house plans and were so excited about me living only 3 hours away soon. Then Merideth and I went to the hotel down the street for a little slumber party. :-) We got into our pjs and had fun catching up. I hadn't seen her since October, so there was a lot to say.
Thursday:
The next morning Merideth got up early and went to work. I took my time getting ready before I checked out and headed to Guntersville. Here I am ready for a great day:
I drove the 3 hours to Guntersville with the radio up and singing my heart out. :-) When I passed Birmingham and started seeing signs for Huntsville, I was overcome with emotion. What a blessing this is and I just cried and prayed, thanking God for this whole experience. I got to Guntersville at 12:15 and my meeting didn't start until 1:00, so I had lunch at "my" chick-fil-a right there in town next to "my" lake. Yay! This is going to be fun.
I headed over to my meeting a little early, and it was super fun. I walked in to meet everyone on the building team. They had one of those architects tables with the tilted top and there were giant plans of my house on there - like 5 pages worth of plans. It was so cool! They introduced me to the people, the company, how they do business, how they handle finances, and we took a look at my plans.
They had everything organized, planned out, and ready. I was very happy and impressed that they did their homework and made me feel like I was important and they took me seriously. I am no longer the kid that people don't think can afford it, don't think I know what I'm doing, don't think I can handle it. I am me, and everyone is fine with that. I LOVE my 30s.
We headed over to my property and talked about a good place for the house, Michael's boat garage, and the RV slab (for company - we aren't buying one). I love every minute I have there and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and smiled. Often. Thank you God for this slice of heaven and may You bless it and have us use it however You see fit!
Then the utility guy showed up and introduced himself to me and they all talked about what the best idea was for the utility plans. I didn't have anything to contribute, so I just listened as they talked about the different options. Every once in a while Bert (the job superintendent) would look at me and translate what they were saying and ask my opinion. It was nice he made me feel involved, without pressuring me to decide something I know nothing about.
After that, our meeting was done! I said I flew all the way down there, was there anything else we could do? So, Scott (the builder - the guy with his name on the building) personally took me for a drive on the island with all the fancy houses so I could see all the different variations of finishes on the exterior of the houses so I could start finalizing what I was thinking for our house. He built half the houses on that street! lol! If he didn't build them from scratch, he rebuilt them after tornadoes destroyed them.
Then, it was only like 2:45, but there was nothing more to do, so I drove the 45 minutes to the hotel I picked out and checked myself in. I called Michael and told him everything, I got settled into the hotel, then I relaxed with some tv, got some dinner, and went to sleep at 8:30.
Friday:
The next morning I woke up early so I could get to my meeting by 9. I had a yummy waffle at the hotel breakfast and checked out around 8. Traffic was lighter than I expected, so I got to the office at 8:45 and met Earl, the plan drawer guy. He had a long list of questions for me, which I was able to answer easily. I guess it is pretty nice to be a person who knows what she wants, and has Michael's support on all of it.
Then we talked with Michael (on speaker phone) about his boat garage plans:
This is just the first draft - we will be making many changes to it. It looks like since it will be a building with an a frame roof, there will be space above the boat for a nice sized room. There will be a staircase added near the bathroom to access the room up there, along with windows on the front and back of the room. Whether we use it for storage, whether Kara plays up there, whether we finish it for guests, it will be insulated and ready for whatever.
Scott was there overseeing the meeting so he could answer any questions we had, which was so great. When the meeting was done, Scott said he wanted me to see a house he just finished building because he thought it sounded a lot like what I was wanting in several rooms. He was right! The ceiling in the great room and bedrooms were perfect, and the moulding around the doors was perfect. It was so nice for us all to see so I could just point and say - that, I want that.
So, we were done and they said they would work on a site plan and finalize the house plans. THEN they would give me an estimate on the house. Yes, you read that right. This whole time (about a month) we have been planning and talking and getting through the details and we haven't talked about money one time. I asked them if it was smarter to design 100% of what I could dream up, then take things away one by one to save money if we were over budget OR if we should design the minimum and add on as we go if we're under budget. They said to definitely over design and remove later. I think we have almost everything designed and picked out (well, walls and rooms, not appliances or finishes). Hopefully it will take this upcoming week to finalize everything and get the quote.
They said 30 days is all we will need to officially break ground. That is super exciting. Meanwhile we already got the proposal for running the utilities, signed off on it, and they will be running those as soon as weather permits. They will be getting all the permits they need to build (which they said takes only a few weeks), and they will clear the trees.
So, I was done at 10:45 and wondering what on earth I would do until my flight at 5:40. I would have loved to go shopping or something, but I couldn't pack anything else in my carry ons. A nap at the hotel would have been nice, but checkout is 11am, so I couldn't go back. So, I decided to drive toward the airport. What a beautiful, two lane road straight to the airport. Easy peasy! As I got closer to the airport, I decided to eat lunch at chick-fil-a again (it's quick without upsetting my stomach like all other fast food does), so I looked up the nearest one. It took me 20 minutes to get to the heart of the center of the city of Birmingham. Lunch hour rush - traffic and no parking spots so I couldn't even go inside. Bummer. So, I put the next closest one into my GPS and it took me to a college campus. What is happening?? Never mind! So, I put the airport into my GPS and decided to just find something to eat there. GPS took me to the National Guard entrance to the back of the airport. What the heck?! I kept trying to look up directions to the airport and they kept sending me to the National Guard entrance in front of me. No, thank you! Finally I got turned around and made it to the airport. What a waste of time, but I had plenty of it, so no biggie.
I returned my car, went through security in 10 minutes, then headed over to my gate. I was like 4 hours early, so I looked for a place to eat near the gate. I ate something super greasy and was sick for the next 10 hours. Yuck. Sick to my stomach, running to the restroom, looking for something healthier to eat to soak up that grease in my belly. I can't eat like that anymore!! While in search for some fruit, guess what I found on the other end of the airport? A chick-fil-a. LOL!
My flight was delayed, I was sick, and I took one of everything in my medicine bag. It helped, but only enough to make it home.
No one ended up sitting next to me and the girl by the window, so I had an open seat next to me again. I don't know if it's because I'm full figured or what, but I am loving whatever vibe I'm putting off. lol!
I got off the plane and Michael picked me up. We swung by and picked up Kara from my mom's house, then I went straight to sleep for 11 hours straight. It was probably all of those meds!
So, let's pray they come back with a cost estimate for my house somewhere in the realm of what we can afford! Planning a dream house is fun, but taking things away you can't afford is NO fun.
Wednesday:
I was traveling alone, so I decided to pack very lightly and not check a bag. That way I could walk off the plane and go straight to the rental car office, hopefully beating the Birmingham traffic.
Kara and my mom dropped me off at the airport here and I went straight to security since I didn't have to check that bag and since I packed my boarding pass. 30 minutes later I was walking toward my gate and the screens were saying the flight was already boarding. I walked faster since I was flying Southwest and needed to board as early as possible so all the good seats (and overhead bins) wouldn't be taken. (By the way, see me? Me, flying Southwest AND using overhead bins? I've made so much progress. If these things aren't a big deal for you, please don't take that for granted!)
In the B group, I knew my seat wouldn't be fabulous, but that was cool. I walked onto the plane and the front row had the middle and aisle seat free. I couldn't believe it! THEN no one ended up sitting next to me in the middle seat. I had the front row, aisle seat, no one next to me, all nice things for this plus sized woman with long legs. :-) I played on my gameboy (it's a good 12 years old, but works great) and we landed in Birmingham early!
I walked right off the plane and went straight to the rental car office. There was no one in line, so I got my key from a woman who was SUPER annoyed I interrupted her magazine reading time. *sigh* I drove out of the parking garage and my GPS had me on my way to Merideth's house! Yay!
I couldn't believe how warm and pretty it was there. The sun was shining, I had my flip flops on, and the birds were chirping.
I got to Merideth's house and got started on dinner. They love my cooking (and I love cooking for anyone who loves my cooking!), and they requested I make Shepherd's Pie. I made a double batch so there would be loads of leftovers. Then I made a super easy, super yummy chocolate dessert.
Merideth and her whole family treat me like a queen! They poured over my house plans and were so excited about me living only 3 hours away soon. Then Merideth and I went to the hotel down the street for a little slumber party. :-) We got into our pjs and had fun catching up. I hadn't seen her since October, so there was a lot to say.
Thursday:
The next morning Merideth got up early and went to work. I took my time getting ready before I checked out and headed to Guntersville. Here I am ready for a great day:
I drove the 3 hours to Guntersville with the radio up and singing my heart out. :-) When I passed Birmingham and started seeing signs for Huntsville, I was overcome with emotion. What a blessing this is and I just cried and prayed, thanking God for this whole experience. I got to Guntersville at 12:15 and my meeting didn't start until 1:00, so I had lunch at "my" chick-fil-a right there in town next to "my" lake. Yay! This is going to be fun.
I headed over to my meeting a little early, and it was super fun. I walked in to meet everyone on the building team. They had one of those architects tables with the tilted top and there were giant plans of my house on there - like 5 pages worth of plans. It was so cool! They introduced me to the people, the company, how they do business, how they handle finances, and we took a look at my plans.
They had everything organized, planned out, and ready. I was very happy and impressed that they did their homework and made me feel like I was important and they took me seriously. I am no longer the kid that people don't think can afford it, don't think I know what I'm doing, don't think I can handle it. I am me, and everyone is fine with that. I LOVE my 30s.
We headed over to my property and talked about a good place for the house, Michael's boat garage, and the RV slab (for company - we aren't buying one). I love every minute I have there and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and smiled. Often. Thank you God for this slice of heaven and may You bless it and have us use it however You see fit!
Then the utility guy showed up and introduced himself to me and they all talked about what the best idea was for the utility plans. I didn't have anything to contribute, so I just listened as they talked about the different options. Every once in a while Bert (the job superintendent) would look at me and translate what they were saying and ask my opinion. It was nice he made me feel involved, without pressuring me to decide something I know nothing about.
After that, our meeting was done! I said I flew all the way down there, was there anything else we could do? So, Scott (the builder - the guy with his name on the building) personally took me for a drive on the island with all the fancy houses so I could see all the different variations of finishes on the exterior of the houses so I could start finalizing what I was thinking for our house. He built half the houses on that street! lol! If he didn't build them from scratch, he rebuilt them after tornadoes destroyed them.
Then, it was only like 2:45, but there was nothing more to do, so I drove the 45 minutes to the hotel I picked out and checked myself in. I called Michael and told him everything, I got settled into the hotel, then I relaxed with some tv, got some dinner, and went to sleep at 8:30.
Friday:
The next morning I woke up early so I could get to my meeting by 9. I had a yummy waffle at the hotel breakfast and checked out around 8. Traffic was lighter than I expected, so I got to the office at 8:45 and met Earl, the plan drawer guy. He had a long list of questions for me, which I was able to answer easily. I guess it is pretty nice to be a person who knows what she wants, and has Michael's support on all of it.
Then we talked with Michael (on speaker phone) about his boat garage plans:
This is just the first draft - we will be making many changes to it. It looks like since it will be a building with an a frame roof, there will be space above the boat for a nice sized room. There will be a staircase added near the bathroom to access the room up there, along with windows on the front and back of the room. Whether we use it for storage, whether Kara plays up there, whether we finish it for guests, it will be insulated and ready for whatever.
Scott was there overseeing the meeting so he could answer any questions we had, which was so great. When the meeting was done, Scott said he wanted me to see a house he just finished building because he thought it sounded a lot like what I was wanting in several rooms. He was right! The ceiling in the great room and bedrooms were perfect, and the moulding around the doors was perfect. It was so nice for us all to see so I could just point and say - that, I want that.
So, we were done and they said they would work on a site plan and finalize the house plans. THEN they would give me an estimate on the house. Yes, you read that right. This whole time (about a month) we have been planning and talking and getting through the details and we haven't talked about money one time. I asked them if it was smarter to design 100% of what I could dream up, then take things away one by one to save money if we were over budget OR if we should design the minimum and add on as we go if we're under budget. They said to definitely over design and remove later. I think we have almost everything designed and picked out (well, walls and rooms, not appliances or finishes). Hopefully it will take this upcoming week to finalize everything and get the quote.
They said 30 days is all we will need to officially break ground. That is super exciting. Meanwhile we already got the proposal for running the utilities, signed off on it, and they will be running those as soon as weather permits. They will be getting all the permits they need to build (which they said takes only a few weeks), and they will clear the trees.
So, I was done at 10:45 and wondering what on earth I would do until my flight at 5:40. I would have loved to go shopping or something, but I couldn't pack anything else in my carry ons. A nap at the hotel would have been nice, but checkout is 11am, so I couldn't go back. So, I decided to drive toward the airport. What a beautiful, two lane road straight to the airport. Easy peasy! As I got closer to the airport, I decided to eat lunch at chick-fil-a again (it's quick without upsetting my stomach like all other fast food does), so I looked up the nearest one. It took me 20 minutes to get to the heart of the center of the city of Birmingham. Lunch hour rush - traffic and no parking spots so I couldn't even go inside. Bummer. So, I put the next closest one into my GPS and it took me to a college campus. What is happening?? Never mind! So, I put the airport into my GPS and decided to just find something to eat there. GPS took me to the National Guard entrance to the back of the airport. What the heck?! I kept trying to look up directions to the airport and they kept sending me to the National Guard entrance in front of me. No, thank you! Finally I got turned around and made it to the airport. What a waste of time, but I had plenty of it, so no biggie.
I returned my car, went through security in 10 minutes, then headed over to my gate. I was like 4 hours early, so I looked for a place to eat near the gate. I ate something super greasy and was sick for the next 10 hours. Yuck. Sick to my stomach, running to the restroom, looking for something healthier to eat to soak up that grease in my belly. I can't eat like that anymore!! While in search for some fruit, guess what I found on the other end of the airport? A chick-fil-a. LOL!
My flight was delayed, I was sick, and I took one of everything in my medicine bag. It helped, but only enough to make it home.
No one ended up sitting next to me and the girl by the window, so I had an open seat next to me again. I don't know if it's because I'm full figured or what, but I am loving whatever vibe I'm putting off. lol!
I got off the plane and Michael picked me up. We swung by and picked up Kara from my mom's house, then I went straight to sleep for 11 hours straight. It was probably all of those meds!
So, let's pray they come back with a cost estimate for my house somewhere in the realm of what we can afford! Planning a dream house is fun, but taking things away you can't afford is NO fun.
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