Sunday, February 28, 2010

Import OPML from Crazedlist

Sheesh, I've got to put this here so I'll always be able to access it.

Select feeds for whatever you want

Copy feed info from top window

Paste into notepad document and type in whatever you want to call it and put .opml on the end

Don't save yet! -> make sure that the document type is "All Files".....not "Text Documents"

Now save it to a folder somewhere so that the files won't get lost

For google reader:

Get into google reader and go to Settings->ReaderSettings
select Import/Export and go to your file

it will import it, but it won't sort it - once you have stuff in there, it will automatically take you to the Manage Settings page (which you can get to later by hitting the link below your feeds)

select the feeds that you want to put into a folder and then go over to the right hand side and hit the Change Folders button ->New Folder

now, the feeds will be in a folder that you can select/deselect

the next file import will dump all of the new stuff in with the old, but just hit the Unassigned link at the top of the Manage Selections page and it will pick out all of the new stuff as long as you import one file batch at a time

For Thunderbird:

Get into Manage Subscriptions
Click Import
Move into folders as needed

Friday, February 26, 2010

Tub & Sink Haul

This morning, after CP's trip to the ill-supervised daycare-kid shove-o-rama at open gym time, we piled in the car and headed out to Lexington Missouri to get a claw-foot tub and high back wall mounted sink. Both items were made around the time that the house ( that we're supposed to be getting) was built and the total for the day was $100 and lunch at Zarda. CP just decided that she "had to go" right before the 7 Hwy exit in Blue Springs and she even twisted her dad's arm to go get some bbq for lunch.

We're pretty excited at the thought of putting them in the house and returning it to a more period look/feel. We looked out on the web and found similar things to our recent craigslist finds going for around $2500. We're still hurdling with the FHA paperwork, but hope to be finished soon. 5 months with the in-laws and counting....

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Clay Cups and Chocolate

This morning, my little one brought me a tiny pink Hello Kitty card and a box of Russell Stover dark chocolates. What a way to start the day!

I was looking around yesterday at a local store that's within easy walking distance and found a new hand made coffee cup for my LW and a kid-size drinking cup for CP on the seconds rack. I even got to talk to the potter who made both cups while I was in the store. I had been out around town dropping off some of the recycling pile that has continued to dwindle and rebuild since we've been here with the LW's folks.

It's about 20 degrees out with light snow flurries and even some scattered sunlight. Soon we'll be off to Coldsnow so that I can pick up a pen and another writing book/journal. On the way back, we'll stop in at Aunt Harmony's place for a valentines day shindig to sugar the kid up just a bit.

It's about time to replace the hard bound book that I've been using since 2002 to write down things that I don't want to forget or that I want CP to know about when she grows up. My memory is pretty bad and it's amazing to sit down once and a while and go back to see what I was thinking, or what was happening, on a certain day for several years back. I'd advise anyone with kids to do this - treat it as an open letter to your kid, grandkids, and the great grandkids (grandkids who, due to my age, may not ever meet me). The LW and I are amazed at all of the little things that we forget and we always laugh about certain crazy things that CP was doing at different times.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Almost There....

Well, the house, of course didn't appraise well and screwed us yet again. This time, the appraisal came back with a "fair" condition. Now, we didn't know going into this that most lenders around here won't lend on "fair" condition. It has to be "average" or "good"..which is a nice way of saying, "nothing but new for you, pal!".

So, this left the appraisal company almost $400 richer (simultaneously leaving me $400 poorer) and left us on the hunt for another lender. Our realtor knew a chap that works at a local bank that does all of the underwriting in-house and we're working our way through the 203(k) FHA process now. We still hope to close by the 22nd, but there are a lot of hoops that have to be jumped through before then. We're working on getting a list of work to be done on the house, then....wait for it....another appraiser that's FHA 203(k) certified gets to come through and give us an as-is value and an after fix-up value. After we dump another $400. yayyyyy

I really hope that someone in New York, or Matt Taibbi maybe, can dig through and see how much money in kickbacks that Cuomo gets from the big banks/appraisal management companies.

It's been an interesting learning experience and one that has shown us just what a huge mess this country has on its hands with foreclosures. You just about can't buy the foreclosures that aren't in good shape unless you have 20% down or are willing to deal with the FHA 203(k) process.