Duke girls partying

Originally uploaded by toastiest

I have 1700 photos on Flickr, and for whatever reason, this is the 3rd most-viewed. (Ok, so posting about it doesn’t help). I’m so embarrassed. No, you’re not. Fine, I’m merely amused.

Ah, the magical HUD settlement statement is here.

Hmm…what’s this? The seller is paying $2K towards my closing costs, so some closing costs are itemized to add up to $2K, including the origination fee for the lender. But why is the origination fee listed in my column and the seller’s column? The lender’s going to get an extra bonus origination fee…

And then why is the contract sales price $500 more than the contract says?

I’ve presented these questions to my attorney, her assistant, and my broker. I was only able to reach my broker, who is looking into these matters. I really do believe these are all honest mistakes. I was a bit harsh on my broker in my previous post on this matter. I almost get the feeling that either he or an associate of his reads this blog, as he insisted to me yesterday that he had no reason to believe my original construction loan wouldn’t go through, and that the American mortgage industry has changed drastically in the last six weeks. If you are reading this, I do believe you; you could, however, afford to be a little more sensitive to your clients. Actually, I realize that you CAN afford not to be sensitive to your clients…

There’s one slight other concern, and that’s that my home insurance agent sent me an email yesterday that says, “Can you give me a call when you get a second? We’ll get you sorted out”. Get me sorted out? I left an unreturned voicemail yesterday and another one today. What exactly needs to be sorted out, I have no idea, and I don’t appreciate at all the worrisome language followed by a lack of a return call.

I’ve certainly reconsidered time and time again whether I’ll even go through with it. But what I’ve actually reconsidered is whether I’ll choose to comment on Toastie ‘97 in here at all. And I will. My journal was always written as if it had an audience. My 17-year-old self desperately wished someone was reading what he was writing. To my 31-year-old self, 14 years later, much of what I wrote seems grossly immature, but I’m not posting those journal writings for validation. I’m well aware of the pathologies on display. I’m of the attitude that I, 14 years ago, wished this would all wind up in the public domain, and I’m not going to keep that kid’s thoughts bottled up for eternity just because there are some obvious deficiencies in his coping strategies.

For what it’s worth, I’m also quite close to stamping my name on Toastiest and Toastie ‘97. Most of the people reading this already know who I am. The only risks in not proclaiming that these are the blogs of _____ ______ _______ are that I will jeopardize future employment or relationship possibilities. These are significant risks…but life is tragically unpredictable, and an increasing dominant part of me feels that to not acknowledge that man behind these blogs is to fail to be true to myself and to be somewhat of a coward.

Ironic…

Yesterday, Bush observed a moment of silence to mark the anniversary of the levees breaking. Meanwhile, Mayor Ray Nagin and the rest of the city observed the moment with the tolling of bells.

I have a new closing date–September 4–but I wouldn’t stake my life on it. It’s been two weeks since I last commented on my home purchase predicament. I didn’t see much of a point in writing any further about the frustration of the limbo that has been the processing of buying my house. Even if everything is supposedly on track according to my mortgage broker, there isn’t a whole lot of trust left here. It has been suggested to me that my broker may have known all along that my construction loan had a significant chance of falling through, and that my broker led me down that path anyway, because I’d be left in a seemingly impossible situation where I’d have to take a mortgage through him barring any truly outrageous terms.

In reality, had I moved quickly to get another lender’s opinion two weeks ago, I might be going with a different lender. As things stand, I got that second opinion just today, and the $300 or so I’d save on interest over the next twelve months is not worth the headaches involved in switching lenders. I’m fortunate that the seller is accommodating of a later closing date; I’m not going to push this out another three or four weeks.

So the summer I spent frustrated over the process of getting estimates for numerous home projects has been a waste. Sure, I’m somewhat educated about the process of getting estimates now; I’d rather have spent my time in other ways.

I will likely own my house a week from now, but I will be unable to vastly improve the condition of this house in the next six or twelve months, if ever. It’s a fixer-upper that I’ll have to personally do the fixing-up in most cases, and I doubt I’ll have the energy to dive into it. I never aspired to be one of those people whose weekends are completely booked by home improvement projects. I was going to use that construction loan to pay other people to fix up my house.

This should be an occasion worth celebrating; I have no inkling to celebrate. I’m worn out by this process, which began unexpectedly two-and-a-half months ago when my neighbor abruptly expressed interested in taking a look at this house.

So I’m about to be a Walltown homeowner. I’m sorry I’ve made such a big deal of this. No congratulations are necessary.

Can it be that it’s been five days since I posted anything? I haven’t felt like offering any serious commentary on any local, national, or global matters. I haven’t felt like mocking anything. No noteworthy celebrities have passed away. I could update the saga of purchasing my house, but I think the epithets I’d like to hurl at my real estate broker could wind up getting me sued some day. I’ve seen a few movies lately that I haven’t commented on, but I don’t review movies well. I had been meaning to write about one of my favorite restaurants, but I’ve since learned that it’s a favorite of local Republicans. That’s pretty shallow reason to write off a good restaurant, I’m well aware. Speaking of politics, there are Durham municipal elections coming up. I was going to post something about those, but I haven’t yet. I had a big write-up on the Durham County tax saga, but it’s all moot now that the commissioners are tabling the issue.

But I do have one thing to mention. It’s some shameless self-promotion once again. I’m embarking on a new website venture. I’ll mention it just this once. I have no plans to say any more about it. Whereas I don’t strive to be too personal in this blog, this new site will be intensely personal. I have no idea whether or not anyone will read it. I don’t know if there are other similar sites like it. But I’ll be posting to it, for my own sake, and perhaps for the sake of others in ways I do not yet know.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. But, Toastie, I’ve gotta be honest, the music you like sucks. This is a valid judgment, if that’s what you think about the music on Toastie Radio. But maybe you’re just assuming that it’s all going to be stuff that sucks. All I’m saying, give it a listen on a rainy day, or a sunny day, or whenever…

I’m just kinda bummed that listenership is down. A lot of that has to do with having switched servers a couple of months ago, but I figured the stream would’ve bounced back by now. So I’m just pathetically asking people to listen or pretend to listen, just to pad my stats so I feel like Toastie Radio isn’t going downhill.

(average number of listeners)
Jan: 14.95
Feb: 15.90
Mar: 20.70
Apr: 17.89
May: 19.39
Jun: 13.64
Jul: 12.23
Aug: 10.91

My neighbor’s guests have decided to partake in some late summer fireworks fun. Great. I would have been merely annoyed by the gunshot simulation had I not peeked out the window to see a sparkler five to ten feet from my car. Needless to say, if I was on good terms with this neighbor before tonight, I doubt I am now, and it’s just as well. WTF are you doing with three-year-olds ten feet from fireworks?

Seriously, WTF?

In other fun Durham news, here are tidbits from a recent news release from the Durham Police:

Here’s one way to bond with Mom:

Two people were arrested on heroin/opium trafficking charges when investigators raided an apartment at 1113-B Gurley Street. Ryheme McLaurin, 25, and Doris Faye McLaurin, 52, both of 1113-B Gurley Street, were charged with trafficking in heroin or opium, maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs and other felony drug charges. In addition to heroin, investigators confiscated Percocet, Oxycodone, cocaine and Vicodin. Bond for Ryheme McLaurin was set at $200,000 and bond for his mother, Doris Faye McLaurin, was set at $175,000. [No word on whether or not Ryzhzen was involved].

Seriously, what’s the deterrent from drug-dealing when you’ve already got a foot in the grave:

Investigators raided a house at 204 Teel Street and arrested 93-year-old William C. Tinnen on cocaine trafficking charges. In addition, investigators charged Tinnen with possession of cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs. Officers also confiscated three firearms from the house. Bond for Tinnen was set at $200,000.

Toastie, Duke Athletics??? But you’re always ranting about the lacrosse team. I figured you hated all things related to Duke Athletics.

Nah, I still like Duke Basketball, men’s and women’s. And while the Duke Football team has never inspired much loyalty from me, Wallace Wade is a nice place to spend a crisp autumn Saturday, especially if you’re trying to find a quiet place to reflect. :D

I’ve just gone ahead and ordered a Duke Athletics Family Pass. I think it’s a great deal–four tickets to all of the Duke Football games and all of the Women’s Basketball games. (For Men’s Basketball, I get four tickets to a practice and a raffled chance to purchase “cheap” tickets to some games).

But, Toastie, you don’t have a family…

The Family Pass is a lot more economical than a Single Pass. I do have at least three friends. I might have to pay them to go to a football game with me, but that’s okay.

And this get a “Why I Like” entry because I’m only a couple miles away from Cameron and Wally Wade.

Military command wants Iraq troops cut by nearly half

Officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace will convey concerns by the chiefs that keeping in excess of 100,000 troops in Iraq into 2008 will “severely strain” the US armed forces.

But I thought this was the fight of our generation. I thought our way of life was at stake. I thought this was the central front in the battle between good and evil.

Now even Peter Pace wants to cut-and-run? What a pussy.

I guess we’re just going to have to have a draft…

I'm being sarcastic, just in case you didn't know. And I appreciate that use of that five-letter word synonymous with female genitalia is demeaning.