Thank you so very much, Internet, for your congratulations on The Match. My husband and I are so very excited to be staying here for his fellowship. Not only is his program excellent, which means he’ll get top-notch training… But we love the area and have begun to carve out a nice place for ourselves.
Since Match Day, I have been working a lot. And not sleeping much. And spending any “free” time thinking about the next big step we’d like to take: buying our first home.
I… have no idea how to go about finding and/or buying a home. So it’s got me a little stymied.
While I ponder what to do first – besides drooling over photos of homes we can definitely NOT afford – I have been stuck without blogspiration.
So, in the spirit of firsts (as in, we’re about to buy our first house) (it’s a loose segue, I KNOW), I pulled this meme out of the depths of R’s archives. Enjoy!
1. Who was your first prom date?
My first prom date was my boyfriend at the time. He was an adorable blond-haired, blue-eyed hockey player of the “strong, silent” variety. I was a sophomore in high school and he was a junior. My high school did two proms a year – a winter ball and a spring prom. Only juniors and seniors could invite guests, so I felt very special and adult to be asked.
I vividly remember seeking out my first prom dress. My mom and my best friend and I squeezed ourselves into her two-door little sports car and drove nearly five hours in some horrific weather to the nearest Real Mall. (Well, it wasn’t the NEAREST. The NEAREST was only two hours away. I… can’t remember why we drove to this other mall. But we did.) My dress was short and a shimmery purply-black. For prom, I got my hair done at the salon and wore makeup and heels – which was totally outside my comfort zone of Airwalks, LEI jeans, and no makeup. I felt so beautiful and so grown up!
Oh right. This question was about the DATE not the ATTIRE. Can you guess which was more interesting? And less likely to completely neglect to tell me that he was leaving on a band trip ON VALENTINE’S DAY so that I had to find out from his mom when I went to his house to deliver his Valentine’s Day present?
2. Who was your first roommate?
My first roommate(s) were three wildly different girls. I stayed in a four-person suite my freshman year of college. We shared a dorm that had two bedrooms, a common area, and a bathroom. One of them was a tiny, sassy blonde from the East coast who could talk her way into anything – and put her foot in her mouth like no one’s business. One was a tall, easy-going water polo player from California who has one of the best shoe collections I’ve ever seen and can make me laugh like no one else. And the third was the winner of a Miss Midwest-something-or-other pageant who was sweet and cheerful and so popular she was hardly ever in our room.
I’ve only kept in touch with one of those roommates, and poorly at that. But even if we are terrible at talking on the phone or exchanging emails, she’s very dear to me.
3. What was your first alcoholic beverage?
I have fond memories of sipping the foam off my father’s beer… But that must have been a fluke, because he’s much more of a wine guy.
4. What was your first job?
I’m pretty sure (foreshadowing: my memory is TERRIBLE) my first job was a summer position while I was in college. I worked as an office assistant in my dad’s office, filing medical charts and making appointments. The summer after that, I stood in the basement of our hometown hospital, shredding old medical charts in a windowless room across the hall from the morgue.
5. What was your first car?
When I was in high school, I had my pick of two vehicles to drive (I know – SPOILED). One was a 1989 Chevy pickup. It had four-wheel drive and got me through some serious snow drifts. The other was really my dad’s – a 1974 (1972?) sports coupe that he’d bought years ago and restored. The windows didn’t roll down all the way, there was no air conditioning, and I had to keep a supply of spark plugs (or whatever – I really just pulled a hardware-sounding item out of thin air) on hand because the wipers liked to stop working at any given time. But I loved both of those vehicles to death. My brother got his license six years after I did, and he also got to drive the sporty coupe throughout high school. I wonder if he drove around with the stereo bumping, thinking he was the coolest kid in all the lands, just like I did?
6. When did you go to your first funeral?
Yikes. I don’t remember. I’ve been to too many in the past decade. (Although, even one is too many.) But I don’t recall the first one. My grandfather passed away when I was in third grade. I can remember little snapshots of spending time with him and our aging collie, Jessica. But for the life of me, I cannot remember if I attended his funeral.
7. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
Eighteen. And – except for summers during college and holidays and other short visits – I’ve never gone back.
8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. H! I remember two things about her class. The first was from the reading class she taught that I attended during kindergarten: I was in some sort of little play that my mom came to see.
The second is that someone got sick in class and left a trail of puke from her desk, down the hall, and into the bathroom. (Remember that sawdust stuff the janitors used to put on the puke to soak it up?)
I’m sure Mrs. H intended to leave me with much more. And I have a general impression of her being a very kind and supportive teacher. But alas – that’s all.
9. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
Again, I have no idea! My mom has told me stories of taking me to California (I think?) (Man, I need to listen better.) when I was just a baby. I’m guessing we took a plane? But I don’t know for sure.
10. When you snuck sneaked out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
Well, Internet. I have never sneaked out of my house. This is partly because my parents’ house is eight miles outside of our little town, my bedroom was on the second floor, and the windows didn’t open. But it’s more because my parents were strict and I was a Good Kid Who Didn’t Want to Disappoint Them. Ask me about missing my curfew though – I think I did it so often, I’m surprised my parents didn’t lock me up.
11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?
My first best friend – that I can remember, at least – was B. She and I were friends in kindergarten and then she got transferred to a different school. She and I didn’t really see each other again until high school when we were on the same cheerleading squad. We still know each other. She’s a nurse and is struggling with a serious health problem in a brave and inspiring way.
12. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house?
I lived in a dorm with three other girls. See answer #2.
13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My mom. She is endlessly patient with me. She always has good advice and kind words. And I know that she’ll support me no matter what.
(I would say my husband, but I don’t really talk to him on the phone. When he’s at work, his phone is off. When I’m out of town, we keep phone calls to a minimum because we get irritated with each other super fast via phone. And when he’s home, we of course discuss bad days… but in person, not via phone.)
14. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsman?
Hmmm. Once again, my stellar memory seems to fail me on this one. I think I was in at least one wedding as a junior bridesmaid. One was for my former nanny. I got a home perm from her mother and got mercilessly teased for it in school the next day.
The first time I was a real bridesmaid was in 2008. I was in the wedding of my dear friend from grad school. She was a beautiful bride and had a special morning ceremony before the official church wedding, and I bawled like a baby through the whole thing.
15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Turn on my computer.
16. What was the first concert you attended?
Um. I have no idea. I don’t really DO concerts. (They are too loud and too CROWDED.) I am pretty sure I went to see Juice Newton and Steve Wariner when I was in… middle school? And then I went to a Weezer concert in college with California Roommate (see Answer #2), which was amazing and totally worth breaking my No Concerts Rule for. But that’s about it, I think.
17. First tattoo or piercing?
I have neither tattoos nor piercings.
18. First celebrity crush?
Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I actually wrote the kid letters. And I think I sent him a PHOTO of myself. (A very TAME photo of myself – I was, like, 11.) How embarrassing.
19. First crush?
I… don’t remember. I mean, I remember many crushes. But I don’t remember who was first. His name was probably Nick – I had crushes on a dozen Nicks over the years.
20. First real love?
Well, it’s hard to say that I experienced real love until I met my husband. But I THOUGHT I was in love twice before him – once in high school and once in college. So the first one? He was a wrestler who weighed less than I did, quoted Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey movies all the time, and got better grades in math and chemistry than I did. He was also outgoing and affectionate and friends with everyone, and he could always make me laugh. He was a year younger than I was, and we broke up when I moved across the country for college.
What are some of your firsts, Internet?
You didn’t ask, and I am nevertheless jumping right in with an answer. You’re welcome! We found that the first step of buying a house was getting pre-approved for a mortgage, because that’s what tells the real estate agent (that was our second step) (well, actually it was OUR first step, but then she told us the pre-approval should have been our first step) which houses you can reasonably look at. We found an online mortgage thing so we wouldn’t have to deal with people. I’m trying to remember the name of it, but failing…let me look it up. Ah, ELoan Inc. That should have been easy to remember.
Once ELoan said how much they’d loan us, the agent took us around to houses in our price range, of which there were two. Then one day my dad saw a for sale sign on a house and we called to find out if it was in our price range and it WAS, but our agent hadn’t told us about it because she was distracted by a messy divorce, so that ramped up the anxiety a bit (OMG WE ARE MISSING HOUSES!!). But it didn’t matter because we liked that house and bought it that day.
So. First step of buying/finding a house: pre-approval. Second step: agent. BUT, you could also do those in reverse order, as we did.
Hubs and I have bought 4 houses. It’s super stressful, but kind of fun. Let me know if you have questions. Not that I’m an expert, AT ALL but I have been through it. Repeatedly.
I never snuck out of my house, until I was like 17 and sat in front of my house in my ex-boyfriend’s car (we were trying to get back together). Then I snuck back in at like 5:30 and my mom was standing there. She STILL got mad at me, even though I didn’t even leave our neighborhood! I STILL think that was unfair 🙂
Congrats on the positive life changes coming your way! My few bits of not-asked-for advice regarding home searching are to have an open mind and to get a good inspector (whether that means asking for references or finding a friend of the family you can trust, etc.). My mom and I watch the home buying shows when I visit and we literally want to strangle people through the TV when they walk into a house and go “oh, I hate this color!” Paint costs $25 bucks a gallon, folks. Lots of cosmetic things can be changed to your taste easily and inexpensively, so try to envision the potential of a house instead of just seeing that ugly molding or paint color. And, inspectors are important and they can really screw you over if they suck or just don’t care. We were had by my inspector- he didn’t realize the heating ducts were insulated with asbestos, failed to notice that the house didn’t have one spec of insulation in the walls, didn’t point out the wall board damage in the entrance way was due to water damage from the leaking roof, and never gave us our radon report even though we paid an extra $100 for it. Oh, but he did tell us we’d be able to straighten out the brick walkway with some plastic edging. Gee, thanks inspector dude.
Get. A Good. Inspector.
The paint comments always bother me too!!
You know, a lot of my answers are the same as yours. Except that I have my ears pierced. I think I might have to do this meme soon, even though I haven’t done one in a million years.
You’ll have to let us know how the house hunting goes! I’ll be headed down the same road in a year or two!
So, I have turned over a new leaf and am getting my ass out of bed and working out before work and getting to work at a decent hour. (Yes, this has a point). A first: going to a gym glass before work. It happened this morning, it was a lifting class, and I am SO proud of myself. That wasn’t really the point, though. The point is that since I get to work so early, not many people are here, and I don’t have to be in such hard core work mode so I can start reading your blog everyday again! Yay!
I love you, S, and even though we suck at staying in touch, you are very dear to me as well.
Congrats on your Match!!! and on buying a new home! What a time! Although house hunting for us was… trying. It was fun for about the first 5 houses. I think we looked at over 30. we’re picky like that. But it was worth it to find our perfect home!
Jonathan Taylor Thomas? as in the middle child on tool time? could be worse I guess…
Oh JTT! Make me swoon! What a hunk he was though my childhood eyes. Whatever happened to him anyway?
(PS: I have no idea what a meme is, aside from assuming it is a list about “me”).
Your Freshman year roommates sound like mine! I was in a 4-person lounge (UMASS is notorious for over accepting students and not having enough space…*sigh*). Except I was the spunky short blonde that could put her foot in her mouth. And I still can. I can complete with the best of them on this one.
Thanks for posting these – I love learning more about you 🙂
I must be about 5 years older than you, based on your crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas. =)
I’m happy that you got the match you wanted. That’s awesome! I’m still bummed that it’s not Denver BUT I will get over it. 🙂 And buying a house…we are thinking about that as well. I’m loathe to actually start the process and will most likely put it off. I shall learn through you maybe???
I never snuck out of my parents’ house either! EVEN though I lived in the basement and could open my window and jump right out. Was always way too scared about what would happen to me if I ever risked it. Sometimes I want to go back and tell my high school self to live a little…
I’m a little late but CONGRATS on matching for fellowship!