Land Barons

We have a house!  Sorry for the delay in writing lately; part of the reason is the decisions and packing related to the move.  We closed on Friday the 13th, after our walk-through.  I was not sure what Brian's reaction would be to seeing the house, as he had not been there since before we put in the offer, 2 months ago.  Of course, it was different without furniture.  It seems pretty empty and uninviting without furniture or our tastes reflected in the decor (the lack of light fixtures doesn't help).  The only hang-up with closing was a typo.  After signing most of the paperwork, Brian noticed that only a few documents had the address correct, most listed the location as a street not avenue.  So, it made for a longer morning with more signing, but nothing to worry us!  Oh, and the soil came back cleared by the EPA, so we should not have to worry about oil.  We have a lot a packing to do, but have chosen a few paint colors and are trying to figure out the flooring priorities.  We do not like the dark brown carpet in the family room, halls, and stairs, nor the fact that each bedroom has very different carpet.  The dining room floor needs help, too!  We need carpet advice.  I am also not sure how much of the trim I should paint.  Most of the trim is new, very plain medium wood.  Can I paint it in some rooms and not others?  Does painting it decrease the home's value if the wood is not original?  We hope to get some projects done while we move things into the basement this week, then move everything before Thanksgiving.  It is a bit overwhelming
Brian has been watching a lot of football lately.  TCU has been winning games by large margins and was highlighted on ESPN today.  The team may be invitied to play a college bowl game this year.  Brian organized a tailgate for last week's Dartmouth vs Cornell game, and was surrounded by Cornell fans.  Apparently Dartmouth fans do not tailgate (they also have not performed well the last two years).  The game was not very competitive, but it was interesting to see a Freshman in his first game go from a nobody to the star.  He led the team to win for the first time in double overtime.  Both of us have enjoyed watching Mad Men.  Although many are talking about the season 3 finale, we do not want to hear about it, as we are only half-way through season 2.
I have been working quite a bit, and it is busy!  We have been seeing flu, likely H1N1, in our clinic, sometimes leading to pneumonia.  I have been a bit sick for a month, and was much worse at the beginning of the week until I was treated for walking pneumonia myself.  I have been giving sooo many flu vaccines, which is complex this year with different types, different strains, and different ages of patients.  I will be working less in December, when I can work on the house.  Brian has begun reading applicants for next year's Dartmouth students, and he must finish "early decision"  applications this month.  We did find time for a trivia night and a lovely reception at the Dartmouth library.