Last week, I spent most of my time in Boone working the Farm Progress Show. Needless to say, it was a long week and when I finally left the showgrounds on Thursday night at 8pm, AJ had convinced me to come visit him in Council Bluffs. He is just too irresistible! :) And as I drove into Council Bluffs, I had such the strangest feeling. While driving on the interstate, you can see our apartment complex. In the short time we've lived at this apartment, we've made it more like a home than any other apartment. Probably because of all the extra space! And so this apartment feels like home to me - more so than any other place. But driving into Council Bluffs, I find it odd that I can call an apartment there home when I am so unfamiliar with the surrounding area. I really don't know where anything is in Council Bluffs. I can just barely manage to find my way to Oakland or Carson to the schools. It was a fairly unsettling feeling. Hopefully AJ is becoming more familiar with the area and one day (soon-ish?), I will know my way around the area.
I love being back at that apartment though. I am having a lot of fun decorating it and making it a really nice place to live - even if AJ is the only one who gets to enjoy it! :) I was especially exciting when I was at Target last Friday to see the fall decorations! And of course I had to buy some and went straight home to put up all our fall decorations. And once we were back in Minnesota, I finally found a plant to put on top of our fireplace and decorated it with some fall accents. And then I plan to just switch out the accents for each season!
AJ and I had a great Labor Day weekend. It really was perfect fall weather and that makes me very happy!! I obviously love fall and it is by far my favorite season! I love sweatshirt weather. I love the cool nights. I love the colorful falling leaves. I love the warmth from bonfires. I love the Friday night football games. I love the fall season smells. And of course, I love that in under two months, AJ and I will be celebrating one fabulous year together. We have been so blessed within the past year. And although we're apart now, we continue to grow stronger every day.
AJ and I were able to enjoy a lot of time with family and friends over the weekend. We had a bridal shower for my cousin Courtney. We had our annual Reedstrom reunion out at the farm with a lot of family. And we were also able to get together with the Jones side, along with some of Matt's (Courtney's fiance) family. The greatest part about that night was that all eight of us cousins (plus AJ and Matt) were not only all in the same state, but in the same building! It had been a long time since that had happened - probably our wedding last year! We had a great time reminiscing and telling stories and getting our traditional pictures taken. :)
All in all, it was a great weekend. Although it went by way to quickly - as it normally does. And it was hard to say good-bye again. As it always is. Although I will be traveling this week, next week and the following week for work, AJ and I are hoping we'll be able to spend some time together. I'm hoping I'll be able to be out in Council Bluffs for Riverside's homecoming next week after work at the Husker Harvest farm show in Grand Island, NE.
But we'll be sure to keep you all updated! :)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Full-time Teacher; Part-time Lover
Finally, after much nagging (as a good wife should know how to do...), I finally got AJ to sit down and write up a blog on this experience during his first couple of weeks at school. It is below:
Wow, what an experience- my very first full time teaching job! For those of you that have read the earlier blogs – I am the new 5-12 Vocal Music instructor for Riverside community schools in Oakland, IA. If you were even the least bit curious as to how it is going for me, I hope to settle your wanderings in this blog- Here goes nothing…
Week one:
The very first full week of this new chapter in my life was actually more about learning than it was about teaching, The very first day of the week I was stuck at the UNairconditioned High school for the new year kick-off for teachers and staff. Sweat dripping down my back, I listened as the principal, superintendent, veteran teachers, and AEA professionals sprinted through their important information just so they could get to their offices to sit in front of a fan. I was already overwhelmed and to make matters worse I still had to find time to go to the middle school to sit through the exact same thing! As I staggered out of the auditorium I was able to find myself a few hours of planning time to get some copies made and some rearrangements done around my makeshift office. I really can’t explain to you how it feels to have 4 years of college waiting to be able to have an office to call my own – now I had it and I didn’t know where to start. When the first day was finished I was able to do some extra planning at my apartment back in Council Bluffs before finally calling it quits late into the night – only to do it over again the next day.
At night I can’t help but think about how nice it would be to have my lovely wife by my side. She is my rock, my comfort and my best friend. I would need to learn how to live in a new place, doing a new job, and meeting new people without her. This was something I thought we vowed never to have to do. I want her here, but I also want her to be happy which means staying at the job which prevents her from being with me. Our checking account likes her being there too!
The second day was much like the first – only THIS time I was at the middle school and was attempting to do much of the same things I tried to do at the High School. To my dismay, I was only able to get a fraction done due to mandatory meetings and curious faculty that just ‘needed’ to meet the new director. Don’t get me wrong I DO love it that people are so interested in me, but I also would like to have everything ready for the very first day of school. I ended up planning at the school until early evening before finally calling it good and heading back to my apartment.
The first day of school was finally here- I had a good night’s sleep all my stuff in my car and my confidence to boot. I was finally on my way to start my career and I was anxious/nervous/excited/ and everything in between but most of all – I was ready. The bell rang and my choir students started to file into the room as if it was just another day at school – if only they knew how important they were to me. I did my speech, I talked about rules and expectations, and I talked about my hopes for the year. The students didn’t look terribly impressed, I expected that because choir students do expect the choir teacher to SOMETHING musical during class. After the students left I had 2 study halls of a mixture of students that just sat quietly and stared off into space like most students do during a study hall – which makes it much easier for the teacher! Now that the study halls were finished – it was now time for me to head down to the middle school and meet the 5th grade students for the year! I wasn’t expecting what was to happen next.
The 5th grade class started to file in, bouncing and trotting along like it was recess one after another… after another.. after another… until I had close to 45 fifth graders in my classroom at one time. I knew that the only way to get anything done was to establish the rules about talking very stern and very fast. So I did. By the time class was done – I was exhausted and so were they. I knew that they had not enjoyed the class or me very much because of how strict it needed to be. I was desperate – so I turned to a fellow teacher who gave me an idea of how to split the class into two smaller sections. I took this advice and ran with it – the new principal (who was having a MUCH harder time than me) accepted the idea and told me do please do what made me happy- so I did!
The last two days of the week went about like the first day, and by the final bell on Friday – I was ready to hibernate and see my wife. We went to the state fair with my sister and my soon-to-be brother in law, but to my surprise when Liz arrived – she was alone! Originally, she was going to come with a friend from work but backed out at the last minute which allowed Liz and I so stay in a Jacuzzi suite at a local hotel. Which was my idea that she stole!!! That little stinker!
Imagine if you will, that you are going to prison and you are looking at your loved one and saying your goodbyes. You are about to go to a place that is scary, unfamiliar, stressful and lonely. How would you feel? Pretty helpless? Sad? Depressed? Well, those are the feelings I feel each time I leave my wife and have to do a 4.5 hour drive alone towards the place I am trying to call home. Nothing like being a full time employee and a part time lover….
I am in the middle of my second week here at Riverside and I must say that it is pretty much how I expected it to be – It is a lot harder to be away from my lovely wife than I originally thought, but the relationship I am building with my students is beginning to form and I can tell that it will continue to grow throughout the year. Stay tuned for more updates for the year AND about the musical that I am doing at Riverside: “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” based on the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ by Charles Schalk.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Time gone by
Well, about a month has past - just over actually - since "we" moved out to Council Bluffs. I say "we" since AJ's really the only one living out there still! It has been a tough month. I'm not sure either of us really knew what to expect other than the fact that it would be hard and we weren't going to enjoy being apart. We have been very fortunate in the fact that we've been able to see each other every weekend still, but as it is my busiest time of year at work and AJ in the first couple weeks of school in his first year, the weeks have not been fun. Every day and every night we are tested. The strength of our relationship is testing. Our patience is tested. Our sanity is tested! :) I do believe without a doubt that our relationship will be much better off from this time apart. I believe that we will learn to cherish each other more, love each other more and show each other our affection even more. I'm not sure I thought that was possible before our move, but now I am a firm believer. :)
AJ and I are grateful to each and every one of you for your impact in our lives throughout this time. We are grateful for your friendship, love and support. And because of those things, we know we will be okay. We know we can remain strong.
I've been trying to pester AJ into writing a blog on his first couple days of school because I'm sure you're all dying to know about it! But he has been busy - apparently continuing to plan for his upcoming school days. :) As soon as I can though, we'll get something up for you.
I'm not sure this is the best update, but just some thoughts as we reach our first month apart. May God continue to grant us the strength and patience we need.
AJ and I are grateful to each and every one of you for your impact in our lives throughout this time. We are grateful for your friendship, love and support. And because of those things, we know we will be okay. We know we can remain strong.
I've been trying to pester AJ into writing a blog on his first couple days of school because I'm sure you're all dying to know about it! But he has been busy - apparently continuing to plan for his upcoming school days. :) As soon as I can though, we'll get something up for you.
I'm not sure this is the best update, but just some thoughts as we reach our first month apart. May God continue to grant us the strength and patience we need.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Go Bulldogs!
This past weekend, AJ and I were both down in Tipton for the first wedding shower of Matt and Amber. We were excited to be able to spend the weekend together. AJ started his orientation on Thursday of that past week and had two in-service days before the first day of school on Wednesday. On Monday night, the staff of Riverside School District has a supper and spouses and families are invited to attend. AJ had asked if I could come, knowing it was a long shot. Originally, I didn't think I could get off work because I was suppose to be in St. Louis for part of that week, but when that meeting got canceled, I decided to take the vacation day and surprise AJ. So on Saturday afternoon, when discussing when he was going to leave on Sunday, I told AJ I would be following him to Council Bluffs. He was ecstatic! :)
So, on Sunday after lunch, we headed back West. We ran into a bit of a delay however. Just outside of Grinnell we came to a dead stop on I-80. Finally, we slowly made our way (two cars at a time) off the Grinnell exit. For cars ahead of the exit, they were having some of them turn around and come back off on the on-ramp! Well thank goodness for our GPS! When AJ turned it on, it had already picked up that there was a delay. It routed us on a gravel road parallel with I-80. We could see trucks and cars just sitting on the highway. It took us to the next possible on ramp but before we got back on, we drove on the overpass to see if we could see anything. Well, we could see it all. It was a huge accident - a camper driving eastbound had lost control and hit an SUV heading westbound. It was a mess. Thank God no one was killed!
We went back on our way finally ahead of the traffic but it wasn't long before we drove past some of the flooding that had occurred near Baxter. Luckily, that didn't slow us down though. We finally made it back to Council Bluffs and it was nice to be back at the apartment, even if it was for a short time.
On Monday, AJ headed off to his in-service day at the school and I stayed back at the apartment and did some work. That evening, I drove to Carson to meet AJ at the middle school and then we drove to the staff dinner together. The dinner was simple, but everyone was so friendly! AJ had originally told everyone I wouldn't make it apparently, so they were all glad to meet me! And I finally got to meet some of the people AJ had been telling me about. We had a great time meeting new people and getting to know some of AJ's co-workers. The superintendent introduced all the new staff and there were 14 total. While it was pretty low-key, it was exciting to be a part of it. AJ finally belongs to a school district and so far, all signs point to the fact that he's going to fit in great and really enjoy being there. I'm also excited to get some Bulldog clothes so I can start to support the district! :)
So, on Sunday after lunch, we headed back West. We ran into a bit of a delay however. Just outside of Grinnell we came to a dead stop on I-80. Finally, we slowly made our way (two cars at a time) off the Grinnell exit. For cars ahead of the exit, they were having some of them turn around and come back off on the on-ramp! Well thank goodness for our GPS! When AJ turned it on, it had already picked up that there was a delay. It routed us on a gravel road parallel with I-80. We could see trucks and cars just sitting on the highway. It took us to the next possible on ramp but before we got back on, we drove on the overpass to see if we could see anything. Well, we could see it all. It was a huge accident - a camper driving eastbound had lost control and hit an SUV heading westbound. It was a mess. Thank God no one was killed!
We went back on our way finally ahead of the traffic but it wasn't long before we drove past some of the flooding that had occurred near Baxter. Luckily, that didn't slow us down though. We finally made it back to Council Bluffs and it was nice to be back at the apartment, even if it was for a short time.
On Monday, AJ headed off to his in-service day at the school and I stayed back at the apartment and did some work. That evening, I drove to Carson to meet AJ at the middle school and then we drove to the staff dinner together. The dinner was simple, but everyone was so friendly! AJ had originally told everyone I wouldn't make it apparently, so they were all glad to meet me! And I finally got to meet some of the people AJ had been telling me about. We had a great time meeting new people and getting to know some of AJ's co-workers. The superintendent introduced all the new staff and there were 14 total. While it was pretty low-key, it was exciting to be a part of it. AJ finally belongs to a school district and so far, all signs point to the fact that he's going to fit in great and really enjoy being there. I'm also excited to get some Bulldog clothes so I can start to support the district! :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Stormy Adventure
8/10/10
This summer has been a summer of storms! And both AJ and I love storms! However, many of the major storms kept missing us and we were always disappointed. Don't get me wrong, we hate the damage storms can cause, but we love the cool factor of them! The clouds, the rain, the lightening, the thunder - we love it all. After the past couple of storms though, I think AJ and I have both had our fair share of summer storms.
A couple of nights ago AJ was hanging out in Ames with a friend when a storm came through. He decided to wait it out for a while and then once it looked like it had cleared up, he hit the road home to Council Bluffs. On the way however, he ran into another storm. He pulled off to the side of the road on an exit until it would lighten up. He said the rain was coming down so hard it couldn't hear himself talk and the wind was shaking his car so hard from both sides, he swears the rear of the car was moved some! He called freaked out!! And I don't blame him! He said, for all the complaining I do about missing all the cool storms, I'm keeping my mouth shut from now on! Luckily, the storm passed and he made it home safely.
Then tonight, Abbi and I were in Waterloo shopping and when we were on our way back to Grundy Center, we could see a huge storm coming. It was 86 degrees when we left Target. We literally drove into the storm and the dark clouds surrounded the car. We were loving it. It was still light enough outside we could see all the cool clouds and lightning. And boy, it was starting to lightning a lot! We decided to pull over so we could take some pictures and watch the lightning. We saw this HUGE bolt of lightning that stayed for a few seconds! It was crazy! However, after we took some pictures, the wind had picked up and the temp was now 78 degrees. We decided to hit the road and continue to Grundy Center. Soon it started to rain, lightly at first and then it eventually was coming down in sheets. It was blowing right towards the front of my car and at times I couldn't even see the front of my car! We pulled over a couple different times because it was raining so hard. By this time it was dark and the lightning was so bright it was going from daylight to the darkness over and over again. It was freaking my eyes out! And of course it was only making it harder to drive. Finally we pulled into someone's driveway just to get off the road for awhile. After that, Abbi took over driving the rest of the way and we finally made it back to Grundy Center. Then once we got here, we had to get all of our bags from shopping inside the house. It took us two trips and needless to say we were soaked!
All in all, it was quite the adventure but I'd be okay if it never happened again! I'll be more than happy to experience that type of storm from the comfort of my own home next time, rather than in a car on the side of a country road. However, we did get some cool pictures! :)
This summer has been a summer of storms! And both AJ and I love storms! However, many of the major storms kept missing us and we were always disappointed. Don't get me wrong, we hate the damage storms can cause, but we love the cool factor of them! The clouds, the rain, the lightening, the thunder - we love it all. After the past couple of storms though, I think AJ and I have both had our fair share of summer storms.
A couple of nights ago AJ was hanging out in Ames with a friend when a storm came through. He decided to wait it out for a while and then once it looked like it had cleared up, he hit the road home to Council Bluffs. On the way however, he ran into another storm. He pulled off to the side of the road on an exit until it would lighten up. He said the rain was coming down so hard it couldn't hear himself talk and the wind was shaking his car so hard from both sides, he swears the rear of the car was moved some! He called freaked out!! And I don't blame him! He said, for all the complaining I do about missing all the cool storms, I'm keeping my mouth shut from now on! Luckily, the storm passed and he made it home safely.
Then tonight, Abbi and I were in Waterloo shopping and when we were on our way back to Grundy Center, we could see a huge storm coming. It was 86 degrees when we left Target. We literally drove into the storm and the dark clouds surrounded the car. We were loving it. It was still light enough outside we could see all the cool clouds and lightning. And boy, it was starting to lightning a lot! We decided to pull over so we could take some pictures and watch the lightning. We saw this HUGE bolt of lightning that stayed for a few seconds! It was crazy! However, after we took some pictures, the wind had picked up and the temp was now 78 degrees. We decided to hit the road and continue to Grundy Center. Soon it started to rain, lightly at first and then it eventually was coming down in sheets. It was blowing right towards the front of my car and at times I couldn't even see the front of my car! We pulled over a couple different times because it was raining so hard. By this time it was dark and the lightning was so bright it was going from daylight to the darkness over and over again. It was freaking my eyes out! And of course it was only making it harder to drive. Finally we pulled into someone's driveway just to get off the road for awhile. After that, Abbi took over driving the rest of the way and we finally made it back to Grundy Center. Then once we got here, we had to get all of our bags from shopping inside the house. It took us two trips and needless to say we were soaked!
All in all, it was quite the adventure but I'd be okay if it never happened again! I'll be more than happy to experience that type of storm from the comfort of my own home next time, rather than in a car on the side of a country road. However, we did get some cool pictures! :)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Perfect Surprise Date Night
Last week had been a long week at work. I was up in Minnesota for a majority of the week working at Farm Fest and it was hot. And then I had a mountain of work to come back to on Friday. All in all, it was a long and stressful week - and AJ had let me vent all my frustrations to him.
On Friday we texted back and forth throughout the day. Late in the afternoon, I drove into Cedar Falls to pick up some postcards to be mailed out. On my way, I called AJ to chat. He asked if my day was going any better and what my plans were for the night. He mentioned something about going out to dinner and a movie and I said, if only you were here.
When I got back to my office I had a surprise waiting on my desk! AJ had sent a beautiful bouquet of roses! I was in shock! I texted him, "You got me flowers!?!" However, as soon as I hit send, I turn to see AJ walking into my cubicle!!! He had driven all the way from Council Bluffs to come surprise me! I couldn't believe it! He said my face was priceless! I was not expecting it all but it was an amazing surprise!
And what I didn't know was as I was driving into Cedar Falls, AJ actually passed me on the road! He said he ducked his head a little and hoped I wouldn't see him! I don't even think I recognized the Grand Am! AJ couldn't believe that I didn't see him! And I'm glad I didn't because it would have ruined the complete surprise! :)
AJ waiting patiently for me while I finished up the work day - which didn't end until after 5pm... I think I kept looking over at him because I still couldn't believe he was there! We called and made dinner reservations at the Brown Bottle and once I was off work, we took some time to spend down on Main St, Cedar Falls. We went to this little shop called Indulgence and had some chocolate appetizers! Then we drove to the Brown Bottle and once we got there, we asked to be seated outside on the patio - it wasn't too hot or anything - seemed like a perfect night! The host was like, "Going to chance the rain, huh?" And of course that was no big deal to us - plus whenever we want it to rain, it never does. :)
So we were seated outside and when our waitress came out, she also said to us, "Taking a chance on the rain, huh?" We just smiled and said we'd be fine. We ordered our drinks and AJ ordered some appetizers as well and we sat and just enjoyed each others company. Before our meal came out, it did start to sprinkle some, but we just moved the table under the umbrella more and we were fine. Then our meal came out and it was delicious! We had never eaten at the Brown Bottle before but we quickly realized why it was such a popular place! The food was amazing!
We were close to finishing up our meal when the waitresses came outside to round up the chairs and put down the other umbrellas. We told our waitress she could bring us our check so we could get of their way before any rain came. It had gotten a little darker, cooler and windier. It started to rain again and as soon as we were handing our check back to our waitress and they were clearing our table, it started to pour! AJ and I loved it! We rain to the car and were soaked when we got there! We couldn't think it could have been any better for two people who love the rain! We laughed about how wet we were and hoped we'd drive off before the movie.
We took off to Waterloo next to head to the movie theater. On the way, we listened to a CD AJ had burned of choral music. When we parked the car, AJ said we had to listen to one song before we could go in. It's a song called Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre. If you have never heard this song, you must listen to it. It's an amazing song - especially if you love the rain. And listening to it inside a car while it rained outside... okay, so we might be a couple of nerds, but it was simply awesome.
Once we got inside the movie theater, we bought our tickets for Toy Story 3 and still had some time before we could go sit. So we decided to play some games in the arcade. We had a good time. Then we went to find some seats and were the first ones in the theater so we sat in the very back row! I think there were a total of six people in the theater which was awesome. And the movie was great! Very funny and relaxing after a long week.
All in all, it really was a perfect surprise date night! I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband! It was sad to see him leave again the next morning, but we'll be seeing each other again this weekend. So while the weeks might be long and stressful, the weekends have at least been enjoyable and we've been able to spend that time together.
On Friday we texted back and forth throughout the day. Late in the afternoon, I drove into Cedar Falls to pick up some postcards to be mailed out. On my way, I called AJ to chat. He asked if my day was going any better and what my plans were for the night. He mentioned something about going out to dinner and a movie and I said, if only you were here.
And what I didn't know was as I was driving into Cedar Falls, AJ actually passed me on the road! He said he ducked his head a little and hoped I wouldn't see him! I don't even think I recognized the Grand Am! AJ couldn't believe that I didn't see him! And I'm glad I didn't because it would have ruined the complete surprise! :)
AJ waiting patiently for me while I finished up the work day - which didn't end until after 5pm... I think I kept looking over at him because I still couldn't believe he was there! We called and made dinner reservations at the Brown Bottle and once I was off work, we took some time to spend down on Main St, Cedar Falls. We went to this little shop called Indulgence and had some chocolate appetizers! Then we drove to the Brown Bottle and once we got there, we asked to be seated outside on the patio - it wasn't too hot or anything - seemed like a perfect night! The host was like, "Going to chance the rain, huh?" And of course that was no big deal to us - plus whenever we want it to rain, it never does. :)
So we were seated outside and when our waitress came out, she also said to us, "Taking a chance on the rain, huh?" We just smiled and said we'd be fine. We ordered our drinks and AJ ordered some appetizers as well and we sat and just enjoyed each others company. Before our meal came out, it did start to sprinkle some, but we just moved the table under the umbrella more and we were fine. Then our meal came out and it was delicious! We had never eaten at the Brown Bottle before but we quickly realized why it was such a popular place! The food was amazing!
We took off to Waterloo next to head to the movie theater. On the way, we listened to a CD AJ had burned of choral music. When we parked the car, AJ said we had to listen to one song before we could go in. It's a song called Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre. If you have never heard this song, you must listen to it. It's an amazing song - especially if you love the rain. And listening to it inside a car while it rained outside... okay, so we might be a couple of nerds, but it was simply awesome.
Once we got inside the movie theater, we bought our tickets for Toy Story 3 and still had some time before we could go sit. So we decided to play some games in the arcade. We had a good time. Then we went to find some seats and were the first ones in the theater so we sat in the very back row! I think there were a total of six people in the theater which was awesome. And the movie was great! Very funny and relaxing after a long week.
All in all, it really was a perfect surprise date night! I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband! It was sad to see him leave again the next morning, but we'll be seeing each other again this weekend. So while the weeks might be long and stressful, the weekends have at least been enjoyable and we've been able to spend that time together.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Council Bluffs Residents
Well, it's official. We are now Council Bluffs residents. We've been in our new apartment for one week now and finally getting settled in.
Last Sunday, my dad and AJ's parents arrived around 9am and we started to load up the trailer. Luckily it wasn't too hot out or anything. And boy did we work fast! We had everything packed and ready to go by 11:30! It took much less time than any of us expected I think! So we had some lunch on the floor of our empty apartment and were on the road by 1pm. And my mom and Daniel were nice enough to stay behind and finish cleaning the old apartment for us! They saved me some work to do on Thursday night and they did an outstanding job! :)
The rest of us hit the road and made it to Council Bluffs with no problems by about 5pm. Our parents went to relax in the hotel rooms and I dragged AJ out to Target to pick up some shelves and bathroom stuff. That night we ordered pizza and were all asleep at the hotel by 9:30pm! It had been a long day!
On Monday morning, we couldn't get into our new apartment until the leasing office opened up at 9. But we headed over there around 8:30 so we could find the building and a place to park the trailer. As soon as we could, we got into the office to sign our lease. Everything was pretty standard but we did find out that since we were moving in a week early (from August 1st) we were going to have to pay for that week. We weren't very happy about it but oh well. After getting everything signed, the lady handed us the building key (every building is locked) and said the guys were up in our apartment now finishing up some things and changing our locks - they would give us our new door keys.
Before we started to move anything upstairs (up three flights of stairs....) AJ and I went to check out the apartment. At first, we were not impressed. The maintenance guys still had work to do. They had their tools still in the apartment. None of the outlet/switches covers were on yet, there were no blinds for the patio door, the window in the bedroom had a huge crack - all the way through, it looked like someone had tried to kick out the deadbolt on the door and the kitchen floor was disgusting! Just to name some. We were not happy. However, the guys seemed really nice and apologetic. They kept apologizing saying everything should have been done before we got there. And they let us start moving all our stuff in while they were still working. They kept telling us what condition the place had been in before they got all the work done after the last tenants. I can't even imagine. The good news is that we did get brand new carpet, some new doors and a new fridge! They actually were moving in the first on Monday. They also apologized for the kitchen floor and didn't understand why it didn't get cleaned. They said they would call the cleaning company and have them come take care of it this afternoon.
So we started hauling everything upstairs. It took a little longer this time since we had to go up three flights of stairs. It was pretty hot out too but luckily the building was shading the side we were moving in on, so that helped some. We finally got everything in and there were boxes everywhere. Luckily we had an extra bedroom so that was pretty much were everything went to start out with. We had some troubles getting the couches through the door, but other than that, really no problems. Meanwhile, the guys finished up everything they could - put the new fridge in, put on our new doors, put the blinds up, put all the covers on, put a plate on the door so we could lock it and called the cleaning company and the window guy. They were very helpful.
At lunch, we decided to head somewhere cool and sit inside and relax before our parents had to hit the road. It was a nice time and a good meal too! Our parents were on the road by 1:00pm roughly and the Qwest guy was here at the apartment waiting for us when we got back. He got our TV hooked up to Direct TV while AJ and I started to unpack some boxes. We also had the window guy stop by to get a measurement and he said a new window would be here in just a day or two. We spend the rest of the day just unpacking what we could. Finally around 5:30, a woman came from the cleaning company. She was also very friendly and apologized for not getting the floors cleaned. She told us that she thought the floor in the kitchen was going to be replaced so they didn't bother really cleaning it. But she worked as hard as she could and got it looking really nice. She did show us what she couldn't clean off - burn marks and cuts (from a knife?) on the floor. She also kept telling us what a mess the apartment was after the other tenants left. She said they spent 12 hours cleaning here and it looked like they never cleaned the toilets and the inside of the fridge was so gross, she wasn't even going to tell us what was in there. I can't even imagine!
On Tuesday, we tried to get some cleaning done - which was hard considering we left most of our cleaning supplies back in Waterloo so that apartment could get clean. And we got some more things unpacked. We also went grocery shopping and found out how much fun it is to climb the stairs trying to carry all our groceries in one load! We went shopping at this place called No Frills Supermarket and it was really cheap and right near our apartment! We loved it! We also did some laundry because one of the great things about this apartment is that we have our own washer and dryer!! :) However, as we were using the dryer, it kept smelling like something was burning. I check the sheets in the dryer and luckily they were fine. After we started the second load in the dryer, I noticed there was lint all over the floor! AJ asked if I had cleaned the lint trap so I said I would after that load. Well, when I went to do that, I discovered there was no lint trap! Hence the lint all over our floor! So that was it for laundry until we could get a new lint trap!
So we decided to try and cook some dinner. We had gotten some garlic bread at the store so AJ started to preheat the oven. However, when he went to put the bread in, a puff of smoke came out of the oven with a smell so bad it almost knocked AJ to his feet! He was NOT happy! I really wanted the garlic bread so we cooked it anyway. Once the oven had cooled down we took a look inside. It had obviously not been clean and black stuff was just caked on. Then we decided to try our luck at our dishwasher (another perk of this apartment)! Once they were done we took a look. The dishes were clean, but not extremely clean. AJ looked at the bottom of the dishwasher were he found pieces of food, a water bottle cap and cigarette butts, just to name a few... Again, we were not happy.
We sat down that night and filled out our move-in inspection sheet. We had to turn it in the next day and we made sure to mark down everything we've had problems with so far. On Wednesday we took it to the office and AJ asked if we could sit down and go over the form with them. We told them everything we've had problems with and they listened and took notes. They told us they would get someone up to fix the things we needed and they would call the cleaning company to come take care of the oven and dishwasher. AJ then said that while we appreciate everything that's been done and going to get done, we didn't think it was very fair we had to deal with these things while we were moving in - especially when we had to pay for the week. The lady said she would talk to her boss and see what she could do.
Unfortunately, I had to head back to Waterloo that night for work the next two days. I also got everything else taken care of at our old apartment and turned in our keys on Friday. I also got a call from AJ saying he had just heard back from the leasing office here in Council Bluffs. They were going to take $100 off our September rent and they agreed to replace our kitchen floor in September as well! We were very excited! Plus, we had our window replaced, we got our lint trap, we'll have a new door this next week and they were going to come and just do some finishing touches on the paintwork. They also said the cleaning people should be coming to clean the oven.
On Friday after work, I drove back here to Council Bluffs with all the rest of our cleaning supplies. On Saturday, we did a lot of cleaning. AJ - sick of waiting for the cleaning people - cleaned the oven and spent probably about two hours on it! But you should see the difference! We also cleaned the floors, did some dusting and just general cleaning. The place is looking great. It finally feels like a real home to us. I'll post some pictures below of the finished apartment and I'll also try to upload some to our photo sharing website so you can see the process. :)
Later this evening, I'm heading to Minnesota for a few days. I'm going to keep my dad company while Mom and Dan are in Guatemala and I'll be working at Farm Fest. I'm also excited because I get to stop in Estherville to see Amanda! :) Unfortunately for AJ I won't be back in Council Bluffs until the weekend of August 13th. But AJ has plenty of things to keep him busy now preparing for the school year and he starts orientation on August 12th. So begins the next part in our lives. We really have no idea how it's going to work but we're hopeful and I know AJ is eager for school to be starting.
Last Sunday, my dad and AJ's parents arrived around 9am and we started to load up the trailer. Luckily it wasn't too hot out or anything. And boy did we work fast! We had everything packed and ready to go by 11:30! It took much less time than any of us expected I think! So we had some lunch on the floor of our empty apartment and were on the road by 1pm. And my mom and Daniel were nice enough to stay behind and finish cleaning the old apartment for us! They saved me some work to do on Thursday night and they did an outstanding job! :)
The rest of us hit the road and made it to Council Bluffs with no problems by about 5pm. Our parents went to relax in the hotel rooms and I dragged AJ out to Target to pick up some shelves and bathroom stuff. That night we ordered pizza and were all asleep at the hotel by 9:30pm! It had been a long day!
On Monday morning, we couldn't get into our new apartment until the leasing office opened up at 9. But we headed over there around 8:30 so we could find the building and a place to park the trailer. As soon as we could, we got into the office to sign our lease. Everything was pretty standard but we did find out that since we were moving in a week early (from August 1st) we were going to have to pay for that week. We weren't very happy about it but oh well. After getting everything signed, the lady handed us the building key (every building is locked) and said the guys were up in our apartment now finishing up some things and changing our locks - they would give us our new door keys.
Before we started to move anything upstairs (up three flights of stairs....) AJ and I went to check out the apartment. At first, we were not impressed. The maintenance guys still had work to do. They had their tools still in the apartment. None of the outlet/switches covers were on yet, there were no blinds for the patio door, the window in the bedroom had a huge crack - all the way through, it looked like someone had tried to kick out the deadbolt on the door and the kitchen floor was disgusting! Just to name some. We were not happy. However, the guys seemed really nice and apologetic. They kept apologizing saying everything should have been done before we got there. And they let us start moving all our stuff in while they were still working. They kept telling us what condition the place had been in before they got all the work done after the last tenants. I can't even imagine. The good news is that we did get brand new carpet, some new doors and a new fridge! They actually were moving in the first on Monday. They also apologized for the kitchen floor and didn't understand why it didn't get cleaned. They said they would call the cleaning company and have them come take care of it this afternoon.
So we started hauling everything upstairs. It took a little longer this time since we had to go up three flights of stairs. It was pretty hot out too but luckily the building was shading the side we were moving in on, so that helped some. We finally got everything in and there were boxes everywhere. Luckily we had an extra bedroom so that was pretty much were everything went to start out with. We had some troubles getting the couches through the door, but other than that, really no problems. Meanwhile, the guys finished up everything they could - put the new fridge in, put on our new doors, put the blinds up, put all the covers on, put a plate on the door so we could lock it and called the cleaning company and the window guy. They were very helpful.
At lunch, we decided to head somewhere cool and sit inside and relax before our parents had to hit the road. It was a nice time and a good meal too! Our parents were on the road by 1:00pm roughly and the Qwest guy was here at the apartment waiting for us when we got back. He got our TV hooked up to Direct TV while AJ and I started to unpack some boxes. We also had the window guy stop by to get a measurement and he said a new window would be here in just a day or two. We spend the rest of the day just unpacking what we could. Finally around 5:30, a woman came from the cleaning company. She was also very friendly and apologized for not getting the floors cleaned. She told us that she thought the floor in the kitchen was going to be replaced so they didn't bother really cleaning it. But she worked as hard as she could and got it looking really nice. She did show us what she couldn't clean off - burn marks and cuts (from a knife?) on the floor. She also kept telling us what a mess the apartment was after the other tenants left. She said they spent 12 hours cleaning here and it looked like they never cleaned the toilets and the inside of the fridge was so gross, she wasn't even going to tell us what was in there. I can't even imagine!
On Tuesday, we tried to get some cleaning done - which was hard considering we left most of our cleaning supplies back in Waterloo so that apartment could get clean. And we got some more things unpacked. We also went grocery shopping and found out how much fun it is to climb the stairs trying to carry all our groceries in one load! We went shopping at this place called No Frills Supermarket and it was really cheap and right near our apartment! We loved it! We also did some laundry because one of the great things about this apartment is that we have our own washer and dryer!! :) However, as we were using the dryer, it kept smelling like something was burning. I check the sheets in the dryer and luckily they were fine. After we started the second load in the dryer, I noticed there was lint all over the floor! AJ asked if I had cleaned the lint trap so I said I would after that load. Well, when I went to do that, I discovered there was no lint trap! Hence the lint all over our floor! So that was it for laundry until we could get a new lint trap!
So we decided to try and cook some dinner. We had gotten some garlic bread at the store so AJ started to preheat the oven. However, when he went to put the bread in, a puff of smoke came out of the oven with a smell so bad it almost knocked AJ to his feet! He was NOT happy! I really wanted the garlic bread so we cooked it anyway. Once the oven had cooled down we took a look inside. It had obviously not been clean and black stuff was just caked on. Then we decided to try our luck at our dishwasher (another perk of this apartment)! Once they were done we took a look. The dishes were clean, but not extremely clean. AJ looked at the bottom of the dishwasher were he found pieces of food, a water bottle cap and cigarette butts, just to name a few... Again, we were not happy.
We sat down that night and filled out our move-in inspection sheet. We had to turn it in the next day and we made sure to mark down everything we've had problems with so far. On Wednesday we took it to the office and AJ asked if we could sit down and go over the form with them. We told them everything we've had problems with and they listened and took notes. They told us they would get someone up to fix the things we needed and they would call the cleaning company to come take care of the oven and dishwasher. AJ then said that while we appreciate everything that's been done and going to get done, we didn't think it was very fair we had to deal with these things while we were moving in - especially when we had to pay for the week. The lady said she would talk to her boss and see what she could do.
Unfortunately, I had to head back to Waterloo that night for work the next two days. I also got everything else taken care of at our old apartment and turned in our keys on Friday. I also got a call from AJ saying he had just heard back from the leasing office here in Council Bluffs. They were going to take $100 off our September rent and they agreed to replace our kitchen floor in September as well! We were very excited! Plus, we had our window replaced, we got our lint trap, we'll have a new door this next week and they were going to come and just do some finishing touches on the paintwork. They also said the cleaning people should be coming to clean the oven.
On Friday after work, I drove back here to Council Bluffs with all the rest of our cleaning supplies. On Saturday, we did a lot of cleaning. AJ - sick of waiting for the cleaning people - cleaned the oven and spent probably about two hours on it! But you should see the difference! We also cleaned the floors, did some dusting and just general cleaning. The place is looking great. It finally feels like a real home to us. I'll post some pictures below of the finished apartment and I'll also try to upload some to our photo sharing website so you can see the process. :)
Later this evening, I'm heading to Minnesota for a few days. I'm going to keep my dad company while Mom and Dan are in Guatemala and I'll be working at Farm Fest. I'm also excited because I get to stop in Estherville to see Amanda! :) Unfortunately for AJ I won't be back in Council Bluffs until the weekend of August 13th. But AJ has plenty of things to keep him busy now preparing for the school year and he starts orientation on August 12th. So begins the next part in our lives. We really have no idea how it's going to work but we're hopeful and I know AJ is eager for school to be starting.
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