WE ARE POOPED! WHAT A WEEK!

Can a girl get some privacy while she naps?

Awww, this is just puuuurrrrfect.

Can I just sleep for a week?

I'm just pooped. I can't even lift a paw.

The morning after BEXX SECRET GARDEN OPENING.

 Well, here we are, one week after our first Bexx Secret Garden Event. Boy are we pooped out!
We got, or should I say, me, Bexx, THE DIVA, got most everything cleaned up and put away by Weds. morning.
Thinking I was going to have a few days to catch my breath....... another project that needed my prompt attention came about.
For those of you that don't know, I've been a bit stressed because the property next door to us is up for sale. I have been worried they were going to knock the buildings down and build a ginormous apartment building, leaving a big mess and noise for months & months. I could envision the constant dust and grime. Not to mention the sawing, hammering and who know's what else!
The property was reposed by the bank several months ago. Recently there has been a flurry of activity over there. People moving out. Other's coming and going. At one point I saw guys with demolition shirts on taking video and then boom, it was on the market! (Of course the day before my Open House). I was worried, but had resigned myself to the fact that I'd just have to let go and hope it all turned out OK.
At one point during the madness of setting up for our Open House, I tried to call and find out info on the  property, but it was just a recording telling me to call another number. This, I did not have time for.
Many others sure had the time.  It was like sharks circling, people constantly coming and going. Terry happened to talk to a guy that was looking at the property and found out it was actually affordable. This went into my brain, but I was so tired and so busy with clean up, I kind of let it go. On Tues. morning as I was getting my head above water, it dawned on me,  we should look into it purchasing the property! I talked to Terry and Wayne and we decided to move forward.
I then called the Realtor that I had met prior to it going on the market. He had given me his card and told me he was the listing agent for the bank. I asked him to come over so Terry and I could speak with him and run a few numbers, (it turned out he was next door showing the property, so I just went over there). Now, this is where it gets very interesting.
Once we ran some numbers & told him we had stellar credit could put a very good down payment on the property, we asked if we could look at the condo's.
There are three condo's on the property. Terry and I had been in one several years ago with the previous owner, but had never seen the others and didn't know what current condition they were in. Wayne had never seen the inside of any of the condo's, so we asked if we could take a quick look at them while he was here. Now mind you, they are right next door, we practically share a yard and they are vacant. He promptly said, "you have to qualify with the bank that owns it first". Whaaaattt?
 He gave me a number of the guy at the bank, knowing full well, it would be almost impossible to get hold of him. What he didn't know is.... that when I put my mind to something and I want something I can be pretty tenacious.

It took two days of calling, to get a call back, but I finally did on Weds. afternoon. Here is where the next kicker comes in. He told me that he was not doing anymore pre-approvals after 11AM Thurs., the next morning! It was 1:30-2:00 in the afternoon. He also told me the price would be more, since there is a bidding war going on and asked if we could handle the higher price. I assured him we could. He told me he'd email me the package of what he needed for the pre-approval, when he got back in his office. He also told me to call the Realtor that told us to call and tell him "that we pow-wowed and to get together and write up and offer etc". Well, that was Weds. to this moment (11:30 AM Saturday), I never received a call back from him. I did speak to him briefly, and he said he would get back to me in an hour. It what century did he mean?

There is something you have to know. There are quite a few devious and crooked Realtor's out there, right now. It is my belief he has preferred customers  he wants to sell to and will do as much as he can to keep other offers off the table. I was told by another Realtor that some Realtor's aren't even submitting offers that people have put in on properties. I think that is illegal. Getting the feeling I was being jerked around by this little prick, made me even more determined!!!

The long and short of it is. I had a new Realtor here by 7PM on Weds. We had our approval and offer in by 10:30AM or so Thurs. Morning!!! Did he really think.... I was just going to go away?!?! Oh, the young and greedy..... and can I say?  Stupid and full of themselves!!

We are all now keeping our fingers crossed! But, really??? Right after I'd worked my self to death to get ready for my Bexx Secret Garden Open House! Then all the freak'in clean up! Not to mention, we have been in build, move studio, offices, kitchen  and entertaining wares & reorganization mode, for the last year. All my files are still in boxes shoved in a corner in my cooking shed, still waiting to be reorganized! I had my shed somewhat organized where I could get in there and get my things and now it looks like a bomb went off in there again!!! I don't dare put anything away or move anything until I know if our offer is accepted. Sure enough, if I put away my files & boxes, we will need something out of them!

I'm not sure what I'll do today, maybe nothing...., probably not. There is watering to do. Recipes to work on and music to sing, practice and write! Not to mention all the follow up from my event and planning the next events along with working out the kinks.
Sooo, no I don't think I'll be taking the day off.

Day three final clean up.

My very tired husband. Through all of this he has had his own deadline on our new company website!

WELL....... WE DID IT!!!!

We got through our fist event! Thanks to my wonderful friends and husband. Thank you, Brian, Richard, Curtis, Lauren, Craigie and my son Matt, for all you did. I could not have pulled this off without you all.

Bit of the kitchen on Thursday or Friday? It's all such a blur now. Potatoes for my smoked paprika roasted potatoes.

Outside on Thursday.

I know this is Thursday  because the triscuit's Terry and Stuart had to eat for dinner on Wednesday  are on the counter. Stuart is our web code writer, who was here working in the studio, of all things, where I needed to rehearse!!! Again, "Diva" what the hell is that?!?!!! Terry did take him out and had him work in the house, but....... he kept coming in the studio looking for something!!!! Again, "Diva"? NOT! I just needed about and hour in the studio so I could rehearse one last time, before I was completely exhausted! I thought Diva's were always thought of first? Not so much around here.

Friday we are finally figuring out where the tables are going to  go.

Wow, what a mess!

Curtis trying to figure out how to do my backdrop.

I'm missing pictures of Richard and Brian  on Saturday, doing all of their hard work,  getting the patio finished and looking pretty. We were just so busy that I didn't have time to pull the camera out and take pictures. I do believe I thought about it.

Curtis and his beautiful smile, after working on his feet  for hours at Starbucks.

Curtis and Lauren in deep discussion over the backdrop.

My honey working on my sound.

Me taking a quick break from the kitchen to look at back drop and to take a picture.

Side patio still under preparation.

Lauren and Curtis sampling my take on a Spanish Tortilla, nummer!

Annie & Curtis in the kitchen. Curtis cooking the shrimp for the Gazpacho . Who know 's what the hell Annie is saying something very funny I am sure.

Two of my very bestest friends! Annie is my partner, in what Terry's calls "debauchery". It's a good thing she didn't stay the night or Terry would have had no sleep and I would have been more trashed then I was on Sunday. I am pretty sure, I would not have had a voice left. More than likely, we would have stayed up most of the night! When Terry kicked the last of the our guests out, she and I were just beginning to take off! As we say "let the cackling begin! When we take off, there is not much stopping us. It is funny whenever I am on the phone with Annie, Wayne in the front house always says, "where you on the phone with Annie last night? He can hear me laughing clear in his house!
Curtis is always there for me, when I need him. I can't believe he worked all day then came here and worked all night. Like he said "I'm going from one plantation to another", haha. I think he then had to sing at church the next morning. I love you both, my crazy and very talented  friends.

 I don't have many pictures that I took of the party. Here are few random ones. I have more that Terry and our friend Dax took. Along with Video. I'll be posting those as soon as I get them.

Jeffy with his Sangria. He loves foo foo drinks.

Pictures Brian tried to take of me singing, until he got frustrated and put the camera up. There will be better ones.

Terry & Lulu in bed after we finally got everyone out and a few things cleaned up, about 1:30AM.  Me on the other hand, I still had some more cleaning up to do. Then I needed to just watch some Food Network & drink some wine & unwind a bit. I got to bed about 2:30AM.

More shots of people and me singing.

OK, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle producers, I wasn't kidding when I said  "I do it all"! I just need a little help from my friends.....

All in all, it turned out great. We had some glitches with my sound that threw off my singing a bit. And of course, after no sleep for I don't know how many days and working non stop from 6 in the morning then going on to perform at 9PM my voice was not exactly where I would have liked it. When do I ever get to be "The Diva"?
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to all of my beautiful & wonderful friends and family. I love you all very, very much! OK, let's start planning the next event!!!!