Category Archives: Kara and Kyle

The Hunt is On

Posted in Growing Up, House and Home, House Hunting, Kara and Kyle, Life, Money by

Without getting into the nitty, gritty details, Kyle and I have decided it’s finally time to buy a place of our own. We’ve been saving money for a down payment for nearly two years, and while it’s been slow going, we’ve finally met our goal.

It’s amazingly stressful, not that I thought that it would be a breeze. Number crunching has got us both stressed, more Kyle than myself, but  we have to start somewhere.

Last night we looked at four different places, three houses and a townhouse, with our Realtor and came out with a pretty good view on things.

Our first stop was an interesting little modular/maybe a mobile very close to where we are now. Pros: Nice big yard, good area. Cons: Dirty, close to highway. Verdict? Nay

Our next stop was the townhouse which was a private sale. Pros: Central AC, nice and clean, low strata fees, allows pets. Cons: Very small yard (but enough for Daphne to pee on), one parking spot, being very close to the neighbours. Verdict? We’re keeping this on the “List of Considerations”

Our third house was in an older area of town. It looked really nice online, but it was slightly more deceiving when we walked through. And the basement? It didn’t have a staircase, but a ladder. Terrifying. Pros: Close to the University. Cons: Needs a lot of updates. Verdict? Nay.

The last place was Downtown in a nice quiet, reputable area. We’re pretty sure it used to be owned by a Grandma & Grandpa type. Pros: Good area, decent yard. Cons: Needs work (possibly electrical), appliances need updating. Verdict? Not too sure.

We’re hopefully going to go look at a couple more next Wednesday, but we’re feeling really good about our hunt this time around. Last time we were looking it was right before  the cutoff for 0-down payment and we felt rushed. This time? This time we have time to really look at what we want, and in better areas of town too.

Overall, the hunt is going good. Our Realtor is an awesome guy and really laid back; we don’t feel pressured by him to hurry up and pick a place. He gets that we’re first-time buyers and wants to make sure we find the right fit. :)

So there you have it! Part 1 of “Kara and Kyle’s Great House Hunt”

Introverted State of Mind

Posted in Awkward Moment, Education, Kara and Kyle, Life, Thoughts by

Before I even start, I’m going to apologize to both Melissa and Amber for bringing up the whole “Introvert or Extrovert” conundrum. For the rest of you, it’s kind of a TRU J-School inside joke that no one else could understand. Moving on now …

Image from We ♥ It

Kyle often asks me why I’m so quiet, since I have a journalism degree. The thing is, I’m vocal when I need to be. If the job requires it, I’ll do it. If it were up to me, I’d chase fuzzy feel-good stories all the time that have people tell me what’s on their minds. I’m not looking to stand out and destroy companies Watergate-style.

This quietness, however, follows me home. When Kyle and I are trying to have a serious conversation, I tend to clam up and not say much about anything, be it a truck he wants to buy, a house we’re considering dropping a shiz-ton of money on, or career moves. And the quietness burns me. It understandably frustrates Kyle and then makes me feel bad for being too introverted.

I try, try and try to be more vocal and opinionated, but it’s not my style. I get overwhelmed and emotional. I’m not necessarily shy, but I don’t start conversations with strangers. I love a gong show party, but only if I know at least two other people there.

I am introverted. What are you?

Weekend in Photos

Posted in Family, Friends, Kara and Kyle, Life, Photos, Travel by

My weekend started on Thursday (well, not technically, but it felt like it with a little work in between!) with a quick brunch with B, her sister and Lilly while they were on their way back up to Fort St. John.

Unfortunately, the restaurant was slow and I had to rush through my meal, but it was great seeing little Lilly again. She’s too freaking cute, even though she spit up all over my work clothes. Thank God I live close to the restaurant so I could change before I left for work!

Love my little niece! <3

Friday was a bit of a write off for work, but I did keep busy in the morning with laundry, vacuuming with Edith (more on her in a post later this week!), and a coffee date with A.

On Saturday Kyle, my mom and I headed back to out hometown for the annual Rodeo and Parade. In a nutshell, Ashcroft’s population doubles during rodeo weekend and it’s absolutely a gong show. My mom’s side of the family all comes down, up and over to my grandparent’s place and we just drink, eat, laugh and have an amazing time. The parade is one of my favourite parts, so I’ll share some photos:

Delicious homemade bannock, a rodeo staple!

I'm afraid of horses, so this huge Clydesdale did not sit well with me!

The Hare Krishna's live just outside of town and they're always so happy and cheerful during the parade!

I didn’t go to the actual rodeo (I haven’t in years!) but my grandparents live right down the road from the grounds so we can here the hooting and hollering from the crowd and announcer.

Sunday I worked at the grocery store, so it was pretty uneventful!

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and tell me, Have you ever been to a rodeo?