Pennsylvania Limbo
Donation protected
As a lot of you know, I recently moved my family across country. I left a good job that I loved, great friends, a city I adore, healthcare, and a shitty, overpriced apartment. The last thing on the list there was the catalyst for this move. I got tired of throwing so much money away each month, to end up with absolutely nothing to show for it. We started looking for homes to buy in February and found few that we could afford - but forget Bend. We literally couldn't buy an outhouse for less than 500,000. So we expanded our search and voila! This home in Pennsylvania came up. My mother-in-law agreed too, to help us with the down payment and live with us too because - get this - the place is not just affordable, but HUGE and she's old and shouldn't live by herself anymore.
So one week ago yesterday, we rented a U-Haul truck with a trailer for my SUV, filled it up with all my crap, loaded up my daughter Dylan and my cat Purple, and began our journey, that a mere 5 months ago, had been just a dream. We signed 3 days ago! And we were given the keys and we are the owners to a new home. I'd never experienced a feeling like this in my life. It was like a dream. 10 minutes before we got to the lawyer's office to sign the papers with the realtor, Dylan had barfed all over herself and I had no clean clothes to change her into, so she was in her underwear - it was like a dream except for that.
Anyway... we were aware there is a mold issue. That was disclosed immediately, as was the number of a local mold specialist (cool job - NOT) with whom we'd spoken and had inspected the mold and determined it is non-toxic, surface deep only, and it can be repaired, treated, rectified, etc by this company out here. The cost for the mold to be treated by this company was factored into the home loan and let me tell you, the cost was nothing to sneeze at. But whatever needs to be done, right?
So last Friday, after we signed the papers, the realtor took us to our new house in person for the first time. We were shaking, we were so excited. When I first walked in, I was knocked over by the smell. It was like what I imagine a Florida swamp would smell like but instead of vegetation... CAT PISS. So I was pretty alarmed but still, hey! No problem, right? That mold company will come in here with their machines, chemicals and magic wands and it'll be fine! Right?
Yes and no. They weren't able to begin work in this house until we closed. We closed Friday and they're booked solid till next Friday. (Mold in this humid ass state is big business.) My travel budget was met and exceeded back in Nebraska, thanks to these outrageous gas prices. The credit cards are maxed. This is our 2nd night in a fleabag motel (it was either this one or a 200 dollar a night place) and it has to be our last. We'll be sleeping in my SUV after this. And after the mold company finishes the house on Friday, we are responsible for ripping out the old carpeting, replacing it, then painting the whole interior with a special paint primer, then regular paint. We can't even put all our belongings in the house until all this is done but we had to return the U-Haul, so everything is stacked beautifully Tetris-like in the garage. And let's not forget there's an old lady in New Jersey with a fantastic east coast accent, patiently waiting.
So I need help. Those of you that know me well, know this isn't easy for me. I'm here in my fleabag motel fighting tears, 5 hours before checkout time, listening to my family softly snore, while Purple is savagely attacking the leg of this chair.
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any help you can throw my way.
Organizer
Jennifer Archer
Organizer
Ebensburg, PA