I have gotten a few e-mails from people around the country asking how I am doing and how it was to go through Hurricane Ike.
First of all I guess I should write about the day of the storm. I had the day off as my office was closed. I went to the grocery store and bought alot of canned foods, snacks, bottled water, dog food, etc. Not much, the bill was under 30 bucks. I sat at home looking at hurricane coverage on TV. First thing I noticed was that it was about 10 AM and it was already flooding in Galveston. That was an onimous sign already. But locally, not much was going on. Perfect sunny day with light winds. That changed around 2 or 3, the winds picked up bigtime. I went outside to catch a view of everything. Becoming partly cloudy, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Around 5, the winds were constantly high and gusting to out of the ordinary speeds. Little did I know on the other side of town lights were already going out. The rain in my area started late, around 11. I live about 90 miles from the coast, so I didn't think things would be bad. Well, around 12 the winds were tropical storm level and the rain was nonstop. Amazingly I still had power and cable TV was working fine. Everything stayed going until 2:30am, the lights went off for good after blinking a couple of times. I had a lantern, flashlight and radio, so I started listening to the local newstalk radio. They had people calling in giving updates from around the city. Some were scared crap-less, some were actually calling from outside, some were actually driving around the city during the storm.
I wasn't really scared, I didn't think the house would blow away, but I was worried about something hitting the windows or windows blowing out. So I kept away from the windows, but listened to the radio the entire time. From the hours of 4am to 6am we had the highest winds of the storm in my area. Could really feel the home standing up to the winds at that time. The rain continued north of Houston until 11AM. Most of the city stopped getting rain hours before. No damage to my house at all. But a week and a half later I still have no power at the the house with no real idea of when that will happen.
It was an intense night, but considering my house is still brand new I hoped it would last and it did.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Texans and Houston have a Power Failures - 9/23/2008
Remember all that playoff talk before the season? Remember when even coach Kubiak talked about the playoffs and how that was the goal this year? Well, that seems long, long ago, doesn't it? 2 games into the season and the only bright spot we have is rookie Steve Slatonwho ran for 100+ yards in the latest defeat against the Tennesee Titans. Nothing else has looked good so far this season. The defense has been as bad as they were in preseason, the O-line has regressed more than I could have ever imagined, receivers are dropping passes, QB is rattled, the kick return game is non-existent and that is just a handful of problems. One thing I have learned when watching football (and unfortunately bad teams) is that when a team has that many problems at once, the head coach is not getting the team ready to play. You might say that there is a special teams coach, a receivers coach, a QB coach and coordinators you can blame too, right? But the head coach doesn't seem to be getting on them enough to get the players playing. Last year Gary had to light a fire under some people's butts, seems he is going to have to do the same this year as well.
Chester Pitts recently said the fans don't know what the problems are, so they can't come up with a solution. Well, that is the same talk they were giving before the old regime got let go. Sometimes you don't have to be playing on the field to see what is broken. Unfortunately, everything seems to be broken on this team.
Of course the Texans played 2 very good teams to start the season. Titans are undefeated and the Steelers are 2-1 after getting manhandled by the Eagles this week. But if the Texans are supposed to be a playoff team, shouldn't they be beating some of the good teams in the league? If they are to be a playoff team or atleast go 8-8 again, things will have to get better.
Thankfully for the team, the city is dealing with bigger problems than an inept football team. But be assured on Oct. 5th againt the Colts, the fans at Reliant will be ready to vent all over the team if they come out with a performance like they have given the past 2 weeks.
Chester Pitts recently said the fans don't know what the problems are, so they can't come up with a solution. Well, that is the same talk they were giving before the old regime got let go. Sometimes you don't have to be playing on the field to see what is broken. Unfortunately, everything seems to be broken on this team.
Of course the Texans played 2 very good teams to start the season. Titans are undefeated and the Steelers are 2-1 after getting manhandled by the Eagles this week. But if the Texans are supposed to be a playoff team, shouldn't they be beating some of the good teams in the league? If they are to be a playoff team or atleast go 8-8 again, things will have to get better.
Thankfully for the team, the city is dealing with bigger problems than an inept football team. But be assured on Oct. 5th againt the Colts, the fans at Reliant will be ready to vent all over the team if they come out with a performance like they have given the past 2 weeks.
Hurricane Ike - 9/17/2008
I have just got to some power and able to write. I am fine, the house is fine, Petey is fine. Everyone in my family made it through it unscarred. The night of the storm may have been the most nervous I have been. I hesitate to use the word "scared". I thought my house would withstand the winds, but I was really nervous something would hit the windows and break them. Around 4:30AM the winds picked up to an amazing speed, the howling got incredibly loud. At that point I was ready for windows to blow out or something. It turns out that a tornado touched down not too far from my house and destroyed some trees in the front of my neighborhood. No houses were damaged, but many old trees are now uprooted.
At this point I have no power at the house. Today I cleaned out the fridge of decaying food and cleaned the fridge surface for germs. The neighborhood streets are full of kids riding bikes, playing games, etc. Reminded me of myself during the aftermath of Hurricane Alicia. Nothing to do but go out and play. A couple of night ago we had a street grill night. Everyone brought some food and we ate. It was cool to get to know your neighbors better. Even though in one case, we all wished that knowledge had kept itself hidden. The next day my parents got power, so I headed there with Petey. Been there every since. Not sure how long I will be here. I am hoping to get power soon at my house so I can go back to that building I have been paying monthly for. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed. Petey has loved this visit. He is getting all kinds of attention and loves the stairs here at my parents house. Though I do think he misses our house. Atleast I would like to think so.
At this point I have no power at the house. Today I cleaned out the fridge of decaying food and cleaned the fridge surface for germs. The neighborhood streets are full of kids riding bikes, playing games, etc. Reminded me of myself during the aftermath of Hurricane Alicia. Nothing to do but go out and play. A couple of night ago we had a street grill night. Everyone brought some food and we ate. It was cool to get to know your neighbors better. Even though in one case, we all wished that knowledge had kept itself hidden. The next day my parents got power, so I headed there with Petey. Been there every since. Not sure how long I will be here. I am hoping to get power soon at my house so I can go back to that building I have been paying monthly for. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed. Petey has loved this visit. He is getting all kinds of attention and loves the stairs here at my parents house. Though I do think he misses our house. Atleast I would like to think so.
Houston Sports loses innocence - 7/30/2008
So the Rockets made a splash yesterday by making a trade for Ron Artest. Rockets gave up over-the-hill PG Bobby Jackson, a 1st round pick next year and the rookie Donte Greene. Everyone is totally giddy about it, predicting championships, saying the Rockets are in the upper tier of the Western Conference, etc. Now this is a team that has not gotten out of the first round for 6 years straight. The same team that has 2 superstars who are oft-injured, no real point guard or back-up Center. But because of Artest the team is going to win a title? I don't think so.
The team have had injury problems galore for the past 3 years. Yao has never played a full season, so why do we think that after coming off the Olympics he will be fine this year? T-Mac seems to have a hard time deferring to anyone, so will he defer to Artest next season? But my bigger problem with all of this is the team getting Ron Artest at all. This guy is a creep. The same people calling sports talk today were calling Ron a piece of crap, everything wrong with sports today just a few months ago. This was after Ron beat up his gf. But now he is some sort of conquering hero? Let's look at the problems of Mr. Artest:
2003 - Suspended 3 games for destroying a TV camera
2003 - Suspended 4 games for confrontation with Pat Riley
2004 - Suspended from the Pacers for asking for a month off because he was "too tired" from promoting his R&B group
2004 - Detroit-Indiana "Brawl at the Palace", suspended 73 games
2007 - Arrested for domestic abuse when he beat up his gf in their home
2007 - Had dog moved into protective custody due to neglect
I am not even including all the ejections he has racked up.
I guess my point is that Ron is a bad man. A great player, but a guy that cannot stay out of trouble. So now have the Rockets taken on a "win at all costs" attitude? Would they sign Roy Tarpley if they could? I am not a big fan of this. Houston teams have always had class and not really dealt with this kind of player. I guess times are changing.
House=Money and new pics - 2/28/2008
First of all I finally have pics up of the completed home. You can go here to see them: http://picasaweb.google.com/derrick.hanna/CompletedHouse. You can see the kitchen, family room, and master bath. The rest of the house is not fit for photography as of yet. Boxes everwhere!!! Check out that cool ceiling fan I put up.
Secondly, moving into a house means spending alot of money. Now I could do the responsible thing and take my time. But then you look around the house knowing you have about 100 things to do. So I am trying my best to get the house to a reasonable state of function in the short-term. Let's see, what have a bought for the house: 4 ceiling fans, an outdoor fireplace, TV stand, desk, sectional couch with chaise, washer and dryer, fridge, 12 faux wood blinds of various sizes, bed, dresser, mop, broom, pots and pans, glasses, plates, area rug, light switch, door stopper, garage door opener, HDTV, 3 sets of door locks, tool set, and sprinklers. If I remember anything else, I will add it to this entry. I saved up enough money to pay for it all, but dayum my bank account has been hit and hit hard recently. Just means that I will have less to spend in the future, right? Well that is what I keep telling myself anyway.
Secondly, moving into a house means spending alot of money. Now I could do the responsible thing and take my time. But then you look around the house knowing you have about 100 things to do. So I am trying my best to get the house to a reasonable state of function in the short-term. Let's see, what have a bought for the house: 4 ceiling fans, an outdoor fireplace, TV stand, desk, sectional couch with chaise, washer and dryer, fridge, 12 faux wood blinds of various sizes, bed, dresser, mop, broom, pots and pans, glasses, plates, area rug, light switch, door stopper, garage door opener, HDTV, 3 sets of door locks, tool set, and sprinklers. If I remember anything else, I will add it to this entry. I saved up enough money to pay for it all, but dayum my bank account has been hit and hit hard recently. Just means that I will have less to spend in the future, right? Well that is what I keep telling myself anyway.
I am a Homeowner!!! - 2/15/2008
I know I haven't written much about the house lately. I started to get extremely frustrated with how long things were taking. I felt like I didn't see the sense of urgency that I should have seen from my salesman and my construction manager. So I made a deadline, dictating when the house needed to be finished or I was backing out. Well, that worked because I had never seen that many crews in my house at the same time. I also told my lender they needed to get busy as well. They did it. To explain how quickly things came together, on Monday I didn't have one appliance in the house, no access to my attic, no island, 3 holes in my walls, the bedroom was wired incorrectly, part of my fence was broken, no mirrors in the bathrooms, no shower door, no kitchen faucets, no water filtration, a hole in the wall in the garage, and no grass laid out front. While all that seems like small jobs, the issue has been getting people out to the house and materials. Well after a few well-placed e-mails to regional managers, magically things came together.
Because it came down to me threatening to back out of the deal to get it finished makes it kind of bittersweet. But I am happy it is done finally. Now since this kind of happened fast and I didn't think they would have it done, I am so far behind in getting phone service, cable, internet, etc. I also needed to get furniture, blinds, appliances, etc. in the house. I have gotten most of it taken care of. Though I do need to get a desk and garage door opener. I will be pretty much set then. I am happy with the house, I am seeing a few spots where the paint needs touching up and my garage windows need cleaning (there is paint all over the outside of them), but I am pleased with the home so far.
Pictures of the house will be upcoming. I don't have internet access there and I haven't gotten home with enough light to take pics of the outside yet. But soon you will see the house with appliances, TV stand, coffee table, office desk and etc.
Because it came down to me threatening to back out of the deal to get it finished makes it kind of bittersweet. But I am happy it is done finally. Now since this kind of happened fast and I didn't think they would have it done, I am so far behind in getting phone service, cable, internet, etc. I also needed to get furniture, blinds, appliances, etc. in the house. I have gotten most of it taken care of. Though I do need to get a desk and garage door opener. I will be pretty much set then. I am happy with the house, I am seeing a few spots where the paint needs touching up and my garage windows need cleaning (there is paint all over the outside of them), but I am pleased with the home so far.
Pictures of the house will be upcoming. I don't have internet access there and I haven't gotten home with enough light to take pics of the outside yet. But soon you will see the house with appliances, TV stand, coffee table, office desk and etc.
Texans season tickets...or not? - 1/25/2008
Other than obsessing about the house, I have been going back and forth about Texans season tickets for next season. The team finally has gone 8-8, looks like the team could be pretty good next year and I am thinking of backing out of the season tickets? Am I crazy? Maybe but let me explain myself. I am starting to get tired of getting up early and walking up the ramp and then driving all the way back home. Especially now with my house even further out from the stadium. I think I am more just burned out on it. I will still support the team and buy a few individual tickets, but I am really leaning towards not going for the entire season.
Funny as a couple of years ago I was pinching myself in disbelief I had season tickets to a NFL team. Now, I am so used to it and it isn't as special as it once was. Last year I went to a University of Houston game that had more fun than I had at a Texans game in years, plus it was alot cheaper. The atmosphere was alot more friendly and more enthusiasm in the crowd. For that reason, I am thinking of getting UH tickets instead. I haven't made my final decision though. But since my brother (who I had Texans tickets with in years prior) and a friend of mine who expressed wanting to get my brother's ticket in the past have decided to back out of the Texans tickets all together, the decision might be made for me.
Funny as a couple of years ago I was pinching myself in disbelief I had season tickets to a NFL team. Now, I am so used to it and it isn't as special as it once was. Last year I went to a University of Houston game that had more fun than I had at a Texans game in years, plus it was alot cheaper. The atmosphere was alot more friendly and more enthusiasm in the crowd. For that reason, I am thinking of getting UH tickets instead. I haven't made my final decision though. But since my brother (who I had Texans tickets with in years prior) and a friend of mine who expressed wanting to get my brother's ticket in the past have decided to back out of the Texans tickets all together, the decision might be made for me.
1.5 weeks away...hopefully - 1/24/2008
This week alot of work was done on the house. Countertops were installed, AC vents installs, AC unit installed, sinks put in, tile and backsplash put in as well. That is alot of activity for one week and the week is not over. But as I think about how long this process has been going on, I am getting a bit frustrated. Maybe I am expecting to see the house worked on 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Not sure, but I know I am tired of waiting for them to finish. I am not sure why the frustration hs just now hitting me. But it definitely is.
What is left to do? Electric trim (switches, outlets, fixtures), mirrors, appliances, plumbing, carpet, vinyl, alarm work, sod, front door. That is about 5 or 6 days work, which would have the house finished by the end of next week. That is if all the work gets done when it is supposed to be done. This week everything, except for the electric work, was done when it was scheduled. So hopefully the electric work is done this week, then leaving less to do next week. We will see.
I just know that the anticipation is killing me. I have never looked forward to washing clothes this much in my life. It goes back to my old entry about paying for all kinds of stuff. I bought a fridge a couple of weeks ago, I have plans on buying my couches, besk for the office, surround sound, kitchen crap, etc. but that little detail about the house not being built is standing in the way.
The good news is that all those choices I made at the design center months and months ago are turning into a very nice looking home. I guess some Burnout: Paradise City will have to take my mind off the house.
Down with the Sickness and construction update
I used to get sick maybe once a year. That was when I had my first apartment (that I lived in for 5 years) and was so broke I couldn't go out much and be exposed to wild germs!! Now my sick quotient is up to about 4 times a year. Well, I didn't waste any time getting sick in 2008. I got this cold/flu or whatever that is just nagging me. Myself and a woman on my team have it pretty fierce which has started the rumor mill at the office. I don't care about that, I just want to get well!!!!
But on the bright side, I have a driveway at the house now and they textured the inside of the house. This week I the doors and cabinets should be installed. The project has about 20 days left meaning I should be in my new crib by the 2nd weekend of February. That would be so good.
But on the bright side, I have a driveway at the house now and they textured the inside of the house. This week I the doors and cabinets should be installed. The project has about 20 days left meaning I should be in my new crib by the 2nd weekend of February. That would be so good.
Home Building pt. 3
This is the 3rd part of my saga. It is about the 2nd most frustrating part of the entire process. I have heard that closing is the most frustrating part, and seeing how I am not getting ANY communication from them even when I attempt to talk to the loan people, I believe them. The issue is that you make the decision to put yourself in debt, you get excited about the prospect of living in your own home, you think about the new life you will have for yourself, buy furniture and appliances and then you have wait. Then wait, and wait and wait again. This is a wait for the construction to start. This wait could be really hard. Especially when you see other homes going up or finishing.
It is a hard time. Now, I have had a situation that wasn't exactly the way the builder intended. There is a position that is called the "Superintendent" in the construction. Basically he makes sure everything is going smoothly, gets contractors at the location, and deals with any problems. Well, the guy I had was extremely lazy and didn't do much. So my house sat for weeks at a time with no activity. This has been corrected recently, so things are on track, but the house will be about a month late from when it was supposed to be done. No big deal as I have gotten a few upgrades for my troubles. But let's talk about how things should be done and most likely done in your case.
The first thing you must understand, no matter what builder it is, they are using contracted work. Workers that are getting paid not by the hour, but by the job. So their main objective is to hurry and move to the next house. There is a seperate crew for pretty much every step of the way. I mean, a crew for framing, a crew for the roof, a crew for the landscaping, etc. So what you have to do is inspect their work as much as possible. Not that they don't care about doing a good job, but this is the place YOU will be living for years to come. You will be a bit more pikcy about things than them. So take time to actually be involved in the construction. I don't mean pick up a hammer and go to town, but go see how things are being done. Not only to catch potential problems, but also you can educate yourself to what is going on behind the walls. It wil make a difference when/if something goes wrong. I suggest you take plenty of pics as well. Not only for the nostalgia of remembering the construction process, but also you can see how wires/pipes were run in the house if you plan on doing some renovations. With the way camera prices have come down in recent years, it is alot easier to buy a camera for this one purpose.
With a big builder as I used, the building process is quick in comparison to how it could to be. You can go literally from a piece of land to a house in 62 days. Of course that is if there are no bad weather days and if the crews worked 7 days a week. That usually doesn't happen, but still things do move fast. There are plenty of critics of this approach. Many believe that is entirely too fast of a process. I am not in that camp. The only real difference in this approach is the fact that the frame comes to the worksite pre-assembled. In other constructions the frame is actually built on site. Other than that, there is not much of a difference. The bricks are laid the same way, the same plumbing, the same A/C units. The same contractors as well.
Either way, this process has been alot of waiting for the house to be done and walking through the house as it is getting built. It has been interesting, I have learned alot about the building of a house, seeing what is behind walls and actually gaining some real knowledge. I have actually caught some issues and got them fixed during this process. I am glad that I wasn't an "absentee homeowner" and just showing up when the house is complete. Of course soon comes the part that I have to pay for this house...but that is in the next installment.
It is a hard time. Now, I have had a situation that wasn't exactly the way the builder intended. There is a position that is called the "Superintendent" in the construction. Basically he makes sure everything is going smoothly, gets contractors at the location, and deals with any problems. Well, the guy I had was extremely lazy and didn't do much. So my house sat for weeks at a time with no activity. This has been corrected recently, so things are on track, but the house will be about a month late from when it was supposed to be done. No big deal as I have gotten a few upgrades for my troubles. But let's talk about how things should be done and most likely done in your case.
The first thing you must understand, no matter what builder it is, they are using contracted work. Workers that are getting paid not by the hour, but by the job. So their main objective is to hurry and move to the next house. There is a seperate crew for pretty much every step of the way. I mean, a crew for framing, a crew for the roof, a crew for the landscaping, etc. So what you have to do is inspect their work as much as possible. Not that they don't care about doing a good job, but this is the place YOU will be living for years to come. You will be a bit more pikcy about things than them. So take time to actually be involved in the construction. I don't mean pick up a hammer and go to town, but go see how things are being done. Not only to catch potential problems, but also you can educate yourself to what is going on behind the walls. It wil make a difference when/if something goes wrong. I suggest you take plenty of pics as well. Not only for the nostalgia of remembering the construction process, but also you can see how wires/pipes were run in the house if you plan on doing some renovations. With the way camera prices have come down in recent years, it is alot easier to buy a camera for this one purpose.
With a big builder as I used, the building process is quick in comparison to how it could to be. You can go literally from a piece of land to a house in 62 days. Of course that is if there are no bad weather days and if the crews worked 7 days a week. That usually doesn't happen, but still things do move fast. There are plenty of critics of this approach. Many believe that is entirely too fast of a process. I am not in that camp. The only real difference in this approach is the fact that the frame comes to the worksite pre-assembled. In other constructions the frame is actually built on site. Other than that, there is not much of a difference. The bricks are laid the same way, the same plumbing, the same A/C units. The same contractors as well.
Either way, this process has been alot of waiting for the house to be done and walking through the house as it is getting built. It has been interesting, I have learned alot about the building of a house, seeing what is behind walls and actually gaining some real knowledge. I have actually caught some issues and got them fixed during this process. I am glad that I wasn't an "absentee homeowner" and just showing up when the house is complete. Of course soon comes the part that I have to pay for this house...but that is in the next installment.
Home Building pt. 2
So I have decided what home I wanted. The floorplan was large enough for all my stuff, with plenty of room for me to acquire new things. The floorplan is a really open concept. At this point, I checked out my credit report. You want to look and see what the loan company will see before you are asked about it. Also if there are any errors, you want to clear them up. I met a sales guy at the neighborhood. I told him what house I wanted and I wanted it as soon as possible. At this point I gave the company permission to view my credit report. Later, a representative from the loan company called to verify all the information I gave them in the forms. I shortly received a letter in the mail saying I was pre-approved for the amount of the home plus upgrades.
Now at this point I was approved for any home the builder I selected builds. Meaning, I could have picked any house in any neighborhood to build. I chose to stick with my choice. At this point I met with my salesman to pick my street and lot. Picking where your house will be is kind of nerve-racking. You basically go out to a field where some houses are going to be one day and pick where you want your house to be. Now, there are rules to this. You can't be within 2 homes or across the street from a home with your same floorplan and elevation (the look of the front of the house), also homes next door to you cannot have the same brick. I was told that my home was the most popular floorplan so that limited my choices of lot location to by a large degree. Take your time while doing this. Sure, it was 92 degrees outside that day I did this, but take your time because after the process you can't change your mind without paying a penalty. I was looking across the street, seeing what would be my backyard, etc. I made my choice and went to the sales office to sign my life away. About 60 times I signed my name and initials to various legal documents. Mostly saying I was aware that I can't change my mind about the location of the house and that I understand the home-buying process. The salesman advised me that I would recieve a call to go to the Home Design Center where I would pick out my options.
About 2 weeks later I get a call from the Home Design Center asking when I would like to come by for orientation. At the orientation, they introduce you to the Design Center. You choose everything in the house at the Design Center. Door knobs, carpet, tile, windows, doors, islands, countertops, cabinets, everything in the house is picked out there. It can be a big task, so the orientation lasts about 2 hours, taking you through all the departments and telling you your options. Depending on your floorplan, you have different options. At the end of the orientation you set a date for your appointment to make your actual decisions. It is recommended you go there a few times before the final date so that you can have all your decisions already made. I didn't do that, lol. My salesman and several people at the Center recommended you go with the structural upgrades, for example: covered patios, islands, larger cabinets, seperate shower and tub, etc. It can get very pricey there, so you might want to think twice about the gold plated faucet in the kitchen. You will be paying for these items every month. The more you spend at the Design Center, the more you will spend every month. I think I showed some restraint in my choices, but I did get upgrades that I would be happy with while living in the house. The highlights were: Covered patio, huge kitchen island, 42" cabinets instead of the normal 30", changing a bedroom to a study, and tile on my master bathroom floor. After making the decisions on options and upgrades, you play the waiting game. Waiting on constuction to begin. The wait can seem like forever. But to keep you company the loan company will send you an estimate of your loan agreement. Mine was hastily put together and plenty of errors in it. It didn't give much of an estimate of what I would be paying per month and the closing costs because there were so many errors. I guess that is why it is an ESTIMATE.
Then the wait begins on the construction. More about that later.
Now at this point I was approved for any home the builder I selected builds. Meaning, I could have picked any house in any neighborhood to build. I chose to stick with my choice. At this point I met with my salesman to pick my street and lot. Picking where your house will be is kind of nerve-racking. You basically go out to a field where some houses are going to be one day and pick where you want your house to be. Now, there are rules to this. You can't be within 2 homes or across the street from a home with your same floorplan and elevation (the look of the front of the house), also homes next door to you cannot have the same brick. I was told that my home was the most popular floorplan so that limited my choices of lot location to by a large degree. Take your time while doing this. Sure, it was 92 degrees outside that day I did this, but take your time because after the process you can't change your mind without paying a penalty. I was looking across the street, seeing what would be my backyard, etc. I made my choice and went to the sales office to sign my life away. About 60 times I signed my name and initials to various legal documents. Mostly saying I was aware that I can't change my mind about the location of the house and that I understand the home-buying process. The salesman advised me that I would recieve a call to go to the Home Design Center where I would pick out my options.
About 2 weeks later I get a call from the Home Design Center asking when I would like to come by for orientation. At the orientation, they introduce you to the Design Center. You choose everything in the house at the Design Center. Door knobs, carpet, tile, windows, doors, islands, countertops, cabinets, everything in the house is picked out there. It can be a big task, so the orientation lasts about 2 hours, taking you through all the departments and telling you your options. Depending on your floorplan, you have different options. At the end of the orientation you set a date for your appointment to make your actual decisions. It is recommended you go there a few times before the final date so that you can have all your decisions already made. I didn't do that, lol. My salesman and several people at the Center recommended you go with the structural upgrades, for example: covered patios, islands, larger cabinets, seperate shower and tub, etc. It can get very pricey there, so you might want to think twice about the gold plated faucet in the kitchen. You will be paying for these items every month. The more you spend at the Design Center, the more you will spend every month. I think I showed some restraint in my choices, but I did get upgrades that I would be happy with while living in the house. The highlights were: Covered patio, huge kitchen island, 42" cabinets instead of the normal 30", changing a bedroom to a study, and tile on my master bathroom floor. After making the decisions on options and upgrades, you play the waiting game. Waiting on constuction to begin. The wait can seem like forever. But to keep you company the loan company will send you an estimate of your loan agreement. Mine was hastily put together and plenty of errors in it. It didn't give much of an estimate of what I would be paying per month and the closing costs because there were so many errors. I guess that is why it is an ESTIMATE.
Then the wait begins on the construction. More about that later.
Home Building pt.1
Some of you may have noticed some interesting pictures over on the left side of my page. Some pictures of house construction. Well, I am building a home up in Spring, Texas. I know a few people thinking about taking the plunge into homeownership, so I thought putting the steps on how I got to this moment might be beneficial. Actually when I was trying to decide if I would buy or build or continue to rent, I couldn't find any blogs or articles on the subject. So maybe my writings will help some I don't even know.
Like most young adults in the US, the landing pad from the leap out of the nest was an apartment. Actually, I lived in 3 apartment complexes. 4 years at one, 2 and another and 1 at the last. Apartment living is the new "starter home". You pay an amazing amount of money per month, you learn how to budget, you make all your mistakes there. In many ways it is better than a starter home because any mistakes you make, you can walk away from in 6 months or a year. But I did get tired of moving (and so did the people who helped me move). I got tired of being at the mercy of my neighbors on all sides. Got tired of trying to find a parking spot at night. Got tired of the guy with a new Harley who wanted to show off his new pipes at 3AM. Got tired of rent that increased everytime the lease was up, yet the complex had no improvements to justify the increase.
So then I got a roommate who lived in a house. Having a driveway instead of a parking lot was quite refreshing. Having a backyard was nice too. Having a fridge and washer and dryer that was not the cheapest money can buy was convenient. Seeing electric bills that were not $200+ for a 750 sq ft. apartment was nice. That was the thing that really got me. The electric bill at the house was less than what I was paying for a place that was more than twice the space!!! I enjoyed living in a house again. So I started thinking about getting a home for myself.
So I started looking. Started off with trying to find a place in a particular part of town. I looked for used homes first. They were priced more than what I wanted to pay for a used home. Honestly, adding $10k more could get me a new home. So at that point, I started looking at homes in mid-construction that I could get on the cheap. After 3 months of looking, I couldn't find a house that I liked in that condition. So my search moved out of that area. Just too much money for not enough house out there. A little further out I found a floorplan that I totally fell for. The place was spacious and I could afford it! Similiar floorplans in my desired area were $30k more.
The next installment will go through the process of buying a house.
Like most young adults in the US, the landing pad from the leap out of the nest was an apartment. Actually, I lived in 3 apartment complexes. 4 years at one, 2 and another and 1 at the last. Apartment living is the new "starter home". You pay an amazing amount of money per month, you learn how to budget, you make all your mistakes there. In many ways it is better than a starter home because any mistakes you make, you can walk away from in 6 months or a year. But I did get tired of moving (and so did the people who helped me move). I got tired of being at the mercy of my neighbors on all sides. Got tired of trying to find a parking spot at night. Got tired of the guy with a new Harley who wanted to show off his new pipes at 3AM. Got tired of rent that increased everytime the lease was up, yet the complex had no improvements to justify the increase.
So then I got a roommate who lived in a house. Having a driveway instead of a parking lot was quite refreshing. Having a backyard was nice too. Having a fridge and washer and dryer that was not the cheapest money can buy was convenient. Seeing electric bills that were not $200+ for a 750 sq ft. apartment was nice. That was the thing that really got me. The electric bill at the house was less than what I was paying for a place that was more than twice the space!!! I enjoyed living in a house again. So I started thinking about getting a home for myself.
So I started looking. Started off with trying to find a place in a particular part of town. I looked for used homes first. They were priced more than what I wanted to pay for a used home. Honestly, adding $10k more could get me a new home. So at that point, I started looking at homes in mid-construction that I could get on the cheap. After 3 months of looking, I couldn't find a house that I liked in that condition. So my search moved out of that area. Just too much money for not enough house out there. A little further out I found a floorplan that I totally fell for. The place was spacious and I could afford it! Similiar floorplans in my desired area were $30k more.
The next installment will go through the process of buying a house.
Worst Case Scenario - 10/31/2007
We use the phrase 'Worst Case Scenario' to refer to a possibility that remote at best, but you should be aware of just in case. Like the directions flight attendants give us before a flight, "The chances are that it will never happen, but just in case we crash into an ocean on a flight from Houston to Dallas, this is what to do." Sometimes those Worst Case Scenarios do happen. Like in the movie 'Perfect Storm', sometimes forces all come up against you at once and not much you can do.
The Texans had a Perfect Storm come and punch them right in the face this past Sunday. That day ended up being a day to honor the firefighters who were and still are fighting fires in Southern California. The Governator showed up, firefighters were on the field, it was a perfect San Diego day and the crowd was pumped. The stadium was filled with emotion. The Chargers were ready to show apprecation to the firefighters and the community. It isn't like the Texans had a chance to beat the Chargers anyway, but when they were on such an emotional high, the slim chance to win shrunk down to none.
The Texans throwing 4 picks that game definitely didn't help matters any. The Chargers were pumped true, but the Texans made things so easy for them that the Chargers didn't have to work hard to get the win.
No Vince, No Problem! - 10/22/2007
Texans scored a franchise-record 29 points in the fourth quarter and had 4 passing TDs. So that is the recipe for a big win, right? Well, not when you turn the ball over 6 times on the day. That is exactly what the team did. In addition to all that, Matt Schaub was knocked out of the game twice Sunday. After the game the health of the QB is the least of our problems. The big question has to be is what direction this team is going in. It seems that the vision for this team has been lost. the past 4 weeks the team has looked unprepared to play and the offensive gameplan has been questionable to say the least.
Against Tennessee the Texans were not ready for the blitz and had no way of combatting it. Coach Kubiak said he didn't expect the Titans to blitz so much, this is after the team had done it all season. How can scouting be so bad? So after the first quarter of getting continuously blizted, the team made absolutely no adjustments. They tried a pass to Jacoby Jones that got a few yards, but on the next play, they ran the exact same play which turned into a fumble. Later, Kubiak revealed that Jones was not physically ready to play, but he put him out there anyway. Another questionable call from the head coach. The Titans had 7 and 8 players in the box the entire day, but the Texans continued to run up the middle right into the defense. Ahman Green is running scared, when there were holes, he was too scared to re-injure his knee to make a cut to get more yards. Maybe Ahman shouldn't be starting. The Faggins experiment continues to be a success for other teams. Whenever Kerry needed a completion, he threw it in Faggins direction. Yet he continues to get reps in games.
All of this is not on the coaching, but the team is injured now and we have no depth. So any bad coaching decision is amplified now. We cannot afford bad coaching right now. We don't have the talent to overcome it. The local writers are ripping the coaching staff, Kubiak ripped himself after the game, and internally the finger-pointing has to have started already. We have to do better. The funny thing about leadership is when the team loses confidence in coaches, everything falls apart. The next 2 games are very lose-able with San Diego playing better and Oakland having a great defense and run game. We would then have lost 5 our of our last 6. Interesting to see how the team and coaches respond to that possibility. The team needs to make drastic changes so that it won't happen.
Funny, the biggest question before the game was if Vince Young would play. The Monday after the game, the biggest question is if this team is any better than they were a year ago.
Here is Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice's thoughts on the game: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/texans/5233436.html
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Welcome Back Texans!!! - 10/12/2007
After possibly one of the most un-impressive wins I have ever seen over the Dolphins, the Texans go on the road to take on the Jaguars. The first of the only two true rivalry games the Texans have each year. The Texans couldn't get any rushing offense going at all against the Dolphins, the defense was terrible, but luckily we had Kris Brown who was Mr. Hyde this week and hit 5 FGs. I know many people are happy at Kris' kicks, but truthfully if your team has to kick 5 field goals in one game, you have problems.
Here is the NFL Network condensed version of the game.: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80308be9
This week, the Texans get some of their wounded teammates back. Ahman Green is probable as well as Jacoby Jones. Ahman will give us the running threat that we have been sorely lacking since he went out with the injury to his knee. Jacoby will give us a return threat as well as give us another quality receiver to go along side Andre Davis and co. The running game getting on track will be the biggest influence on the game. The play action will now make safeties bite and leave the CBs one on one with recievers. The offense will be able to open back up and stop being so predictable.
Jags are 3-1, one loss better than the Texans. They let go of their long-time QB, Byron Leftwich at the beginning of the season. David Garrard has stepped up and done a great job of becoming the starter. In his limited play last season I thought Garrard was a viable alternative to Leftwich. For the basic reason that Garrard valued the ball and wouldn't throw it up for grabs like Leftwich had a habit of doing at times. Also Garrard is very mobile so he can run for yards if nothing his happening with his receivers. But the Jags attack has been about the rush, not the pass. They have controlled the clock with a bruising run game, highlighted by Mauric Jones-Drew. Going into the season, it appeared that the Texans run defense would be a strength, but the past two weeks the team has given up big rushing days to Warrick Dunn and Ronnie Brown. Those are 2 quality backs, but if you want to be know as a good defensive team, you need to stop the run.
I see the Texans getting out of the Florida with a win, 21-13. I think that with Ahman back, the team will play with renewed vigor and detemination.
Here is what the NFL thinks of the matchup: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8032d345
Here is the NFL Network condensed version of the game.: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80308be9
This week, the Texans get some of their wounded teammates back. Ahman Green is probable as well as Jacoby Jones. Ahman will give us the running threat that we have been sorely lacking since he went out with the injury to his knee. Jacoby will give us a return threat as well as give us another quality receiver to go along side Andre Davis and co. The running game getting on track will be the biggest influence on the game. The play action will now make safeties bite and leave the CBs one on one with recievers. The offense will be able to open back up and stop being so predictable.
Jags are 3-1, one loss better than the Texans. They let go of their long-time QB, Byron Leftwich at the beginning of the season. David Garrard has stepped up and done a great job of becoming the starter. In his limited play last season I thought Garrard was a viable alternative to Leftwich. For the basic reason that Garrard valued the ball and wouldn't throw it up for grabs like Leftwich had a habit of doing at times. Also Garrard is very mobile so he can run for yards if nothing his happening with his receivers. But the Jags attack has been about the rush, not the pass. They have controlled the clock with a bruising run game, highlighted by Mauric Jones-Drew. Going into the season, it appeared that the Texans run defense would be a strength, but the past two weeks the team has given up big rushing days to Warrick Dunn and Ronnie Brown. Those are 2 quality backs, but if you want to be know as a good defensive team, you need to stop the run.
I see the Texans getting out of the Florida with a win, 21-13. I think that with Ahman back, the team will play with renewed vigor and detemination.
Here is what the NFL thinks of the matchup: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8032d345
A Must -Win in Week 5
Who would have thought that the Texans would be in a position to have a must-win in week 5. But the way things are going, a loss thos week would put the team a 2-3, three losses in a row, just like old times and people not going to games again. Not that the team is bad, just injuries have hurt the team big time. IF we had a healthy team, we would be 5-0, 4-1 at the worst. But that isn't reality. The reality is that we lost our best center, loss our best reciever, lost our best running back, lost our 2nd best receiver, and our biggest special teams threat. That's all. Conventional wisdom says you can't win like that. The team definitely didn't last week. Though some of that has to go on the coaches for not striking when they could.
This week Zach Thomas comes back. He has been out since week 1 with a concussion and still might be the best defensive player on the team. That doesn't bode well for the Texans run attack that is lead by Ron Dayne at the moment since Ahman Green is out. Now we do have Gado as a back-up, but he was not used at all in the Falcons game. Instead we had Cook and Dayne show. Two fullbacks who have no burst at the line of scrimmage. Ahman Green being out is going to hurt us big time, can't control the clock with no run game. I don't know what is going to happen this week. I thought there was a good chance we would lose the Falcons game and only because Trent Green is so bad, I think we might have a chance to win regardless of our injuries.
I can't wait for people to get healthy.
This week Zach Thomas comes back. He has been out since week 1 with a concussion and still might be the best defensive player on the team. That doesn't bode well for the Texans run attack that is lead by Ron Dayne at the moment since Ahman Green is out. Now we do have Gado as a back-up, but he was not used at all in the Falcons game. Instead we had Cook and Dayne show. Two fullbacks who have no burst at the line of scrimmage. Ahman Green being out is going to hurt us big time, can't control the clock with no run game. I don't know what is going to happen this week. I thought there was a good chance we would lose the Falcons game and only because Trent Green is so bad, I think we might have a chance to win regardless of our injuries.
I can't wait for people to get healthy.
Colts win, still 8 to go
I had marked the Colts game a loss on my fabled, "Road to 10-6", so my mindset was hoping the team didn't get embarrassed and give everyone a wake up call. Well, the Texans loss, but showed everyone in the stadium that these are not the same old Texans. The game started out with # 13, Mathis running the opening kickoff back for a TD. The stadium was as loud as I had ever heard it. Then the volume got turned up a notch when the Colts got the ball. The stadium sounded like previous years again. It was a tough, physical game that saw the Texans lose Jacobi Jones, Ahman Green, Steve McKinney and Cedric Killings along with the game. Not good. Add those losses along with Andre Johnson the week before and you have a depleted Texans team on the offensive side of the ball. It is now even more important that Matt Schaub gets more comfortable with other recievers like Andre Davis and Kevin Walter. Also, the defense is going to have to step up with all those offensive weapons out. Faggins at CB has been a disaster so far this season, he is going to have to step it up or get demoted to the bench if he can't improve this week. Everytime he Colts needed a completion, Peyton looked twoards #38. Faggins complied by allowing reception after reception. I am not souring on the team or anything. I just have a better idea of who the 2007-2008 Houston Texans are now. They are an above average offensive team with a great defense, even with Faggins. Sounds like a good combination to me. If they can hold on while Johnson and Green are out, they will be fine.
Here is the NFL.com short version of the game - Click Here
Here is the pictures I took that day - Click Here
Pics from the game, Thanks to Bullpenphotos - Click here
2 down, 8 to go - 9/27/2007
Texans demolished the Panthers in a game that was not as close as the final score, 34-21, indicates. The game sounded an alarm that the Texans have finally arrived. It also sounds the alarm that the bandwagoners have jumped on with full force. The game started out about as bad as it could have. Texans down 14-0 before you knew it. Then, the Texans decided to stop playing around and scored 34 unanswered points! 34 unanswered points on another NFL team is just about impossible to do because of the talent in the league, but the Texans did it. I can't say enough about the TEAM effort out there, because everyone contributed to the win.
Even the elusive pass rush that I have been waiting to see in 5 years was there agains the Panthers. They hurried Delhomme and sacked him twice. This is while Matt Schaub didn't even dirty his uniform in the game. The run defense was just as stellar as last week, but the secondary still remains as a question mark. I know Faggins is an original Texan and is a great guy, but he has no business covering an elite QB like Steve Smith. Faggins doesn't have the speed or the football IQ. He is a nickel corner at best, but that is the hand we are dealt until Bennet is ready to come in and take his place.
Sorry to say it, Texans fans, but I have the Colts game as a loss on my "road to 10-6". They might surprise me and win, but at this point, I predicting a loss. Today's news of Andre Johnson being hurt and doubtful for the game kind of cements the chances of a loss. I hope I am wrong and even if we lose, it will give the rookie Jacobi Jones a chance to get some action. It is better to lose AJ for a couple of games than try to play him and lose him for an entire season.
Here is the NFL Films wrap-up of the game: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80263c00
One Down, Nine to go - 9/10/2007
When the schedule was released, I stood in a friend’s garage and proclaimed the Texans would go 10-6 in the 2007-2008 schedule. Free Agency hadn’t been completed, trades hadn’t happened, training camp wasn’t even a thought at the time. After week one, my optimism was rewarded. The Texans blew out the Chiefs, 20-3. A defensive TD by Mario Williams and a 70+ yard TD from Schaub to Johnson highlighted the day. The game started very shaky on both sides of the ball for the Texans, the offense had a 3 and out on it’s first possession, the defense allowed KC to drive almost the length of the field. Then it seemed a spark in the form of a 15 yard reception from Jacobi Jones started an inferno. Though they drive ended in a Schaub INT when he tried to force a pass to Andre Johnson in the end zone, it showed the Texans were able to move the ball. The defense responded by tightening up and allowing Larry Johnson under 50 yards on the day. Great game, great day.
The tailgate was great, but our crew ended up in the concrete area in the Yellow lot, which we didn’t like. We made the best of it and honestly, having more space was cool, but we were really disconnected from most of the fans in the grass, where we usually park. I walked around and saw that most fans had complaints about the parking situation of splitting up caravans on the way in the stadium. There really isn’t a quick fix solution as with people actually coming to the games instead of sitting at home, we will have many cars getting to the stadium at the same time and all using one entrance. Maybe opening a 2nd entrance for the Yellow lot would be the answer, I don’t know. I will be contacting the team to see what they suggest. But either way, it was a lot of fun. Many Bull Blasters were taken, many Shotguns were shot, the food was great and I got to see many friends I hadn’t seen all off-season. I didn’t see Flava Dave though!!!! I have to rectify that at the Indy game.
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