A fun little find while searching…..

So…………….

I’ve spent days looking on different websites for houses and apartments – just to see what’s out there right now and how much everything is.

I’ve looked all over Duluth and different other areas of Minnesota with more varieties of things. I know I said I wanted to leave Minnesota for good, but I just wanted to see what else is out there – in a bigger area maybe.

I’ve looked all over different cities in Wisconsin, which is where we’re thinking about moving – once we leave here, and I’ve looked all over different parts of IL. (Suburbs of course!).

Just for fun, I happened to look at places in the area I grew up in – out in Chicago, and I was surprised to see that the building my best friend lived in while we were growing up – (one block over from the house I grew up in) – was for rent. I got excited and thought it was the 3rd floor where she and her family lived all those years ago when we were little, but it was the ground floor. The basement.

I was about to message the landlord there and tell him I’ll take it and hold it for me – if it was the 3rd floor.

I LOVED her 3rd floor apartment, and when we were growing up – we had so much fun there.

It’s on a dead-end street right by the railroad tracks.

The railroad tracks are on the same level as the 3rd floor, so from her bedroom window back then, we could see the trains passing so closely, and the people in it. We used to hang out the window and wave at the people, and sometimes – they’d wave back if the train was moving slow enough for them to see us. 😁

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of baseballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, etc. – we lost over the fence right by those tracks when we played on this street as kids.

Those front windows on the 3rd floor – led to their living room – where we spent hours playing video games. The good old school ones.

Back then – we loved KRIS KROSS. (The teenage rap group with Chris Kelly and Chris Smith). If you know the song “JUMP”, you know who they are, but they had so many other great songs as well, and they were known for wearing their clothes backwards.

It was in this building – 3rd floor – that her dad lied to us, and said Kris Kross worked with him. We were stupid enough to believe him, so we asked him to bring them home one day.

He said he’d invite them over or to dinner. Every time he’d come home from work, and they weren’t with him, he’d smile at us and tell us they had to work late, or they had to go to the studio after work to record. He’d tell us, “Next weekend”, or that they had to fly back home to see family for a while.

Eventually, my best friend asked, “You don’t really work with them, do you?”, and he laughed – telling us, “You two are the idiots who believed me!”. lol. We believed him for months.

It was this building where her mom would hang out the back window and scream at us to put our jackets and gloves on – as we took them off often in the Winter – to slide down big snow hills in the alley.

This building is the only one my grandparents let me go to when I was younger – because it was right on the next block, and I could easily cut through yards to get there. My grandparents used to watch my brother and I – when our parents were at work.

I had so many good times on that block and on that 3rd floor in this building.

So, when I saw it was for rent – I got a little excited. I then saw that it wasn’t the 3rd floor.

It was still nice to see the building online. I’d love to see what the 3rd floor looks like now.

With that being said – I’m finding so many cute places that are so expensive, and many of the decent-priced places don’t allow pets.

We have my little guys cat, my older son’s dog, and my daughter’s bunny.

Part of me wishes I could find a cabin home or a resort type of place that did year-long leases, because I’d totally love to live on the lake.

One place I absolutely love – is my aunt and uncle’s old house and last I heard – that’s an Airbnb now. I wonder if the new owners would rent that out, although I’m pretty sure it’d be crazy expensive.

I want to buy a house, but I may just wait on that right now.

Still, hunting for rentals or houses is exhausting and I know my time is limited, so it has to go fast.

I’ve found a few really cool places with bookshelves built into the wall, and I’d love something like that. I love to read and I have all kinds of books.

I would like something with natural sunlight and tons of windows, with lots of kitchen counter and cabinet, and a back yard as well, so I’ve just been saving the ones I love and hope they’re still available when it’s time to get out of here.

I am also starting to pack up and get ready to make things easier when it is time to move, so we don’t have anything to do – except load everything into a moving truck. A friend of mine told me it’s much easier to rent a U-Haul and drive it – rather than pay thousands for moving companies, but me driving a U-Haul – there’s no guarantee the truck is getting there in one piece.

I plan to maybe have my brother come out here and drive it for us. He used to drive Semi’s all over, so he’s used to those big trucks.

Anyway – little giggle for you today because I always try to make you smile at least……………

My 9-year-old needed empty cereal boxes for a cute project his class is working on for Valentine’s Day – so, I took the cereal bags out of two boxes and gave him the boxes. There was a Coco-puff in one of the boxes, and I meant to take it out yesterday before I sent him to school.

I totally forgot.

Last night, I told him I forgot to take that one Coco-puff out, and he tells me, “It’s okay! I saw it and ate it. I never let a perfectly good Coco-puff go to waste!”. I laughed so hard. 😂

Well, okay then kid! ha.

I have nothing else for you today. I’m sorry.

This is going to be short and sweet. I just wanted to talk a bit about my best friend’s house and the basement being for rent now.

I miss that place and again, if it was the 3rd floor – I may have taken it.

We met in 2nd grade, and I believe from 2nd grade – all the way through 6th, she lived there and it was my favorite place to be.

Love you and please pray that I find the perfect place – in the perfect area, and it’s a fast and easy move-in process because when I leave here at the end of May, I just want to go straight to our new home, unpack and relax. 💕

While I want to get out of the state – worst case scenario – is that we end up moving 30 minutes to an hour away and try to get out of this state again next year.

I just want to get the hell out of this itty-bitty little town at least, and out of this building.

Is it May yet? 😘

Okay for real – adios!

🌹Shel🌹