And On We Go!

After five weeks at home in Texas (Yea!) and about thirty-five submissions of John's resume, we got an offer that panned out.  Took the call on a Wednesday, signed the contract on a Thursday and left town on Friday. Over the river and through the woods, eighteen hours later, we book a room in Oxford, North Carolina.  (That's just a tad north of the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and a tad south of the Virginia state line.  Oh, is Granpa a happy camper!)

We arrive late Saturday night, and Sunday morning we find a Baptist church and mosey on up to a Sunday School classroom.  It was filled with like-minded folks, and we had a wonderful visit!  Naturally they asked where we were staying, but we had no answer.  We'd spent the night in a hotel, but that wasn't our first choice for a two-month stay.  I explained about needing a place fully furnished with utilities up and running - which lets out most rentals.  But, they said, there was this Bed and Breakfast catty-wampus (as we say in Texas) from the church and perhaps there would be a room there.  My eyes see $100 bills flying out of our pockets, but it's worth a call.  Another woman advised that the Masonic orphanage in town had fully furnished apartments on it's campus available to families who would want to visit children, perhaps they'd consider allowing us to stay for two months.  (That sounds more like our pocketbook - and the money we did spend would go to the orphanage...)

Monday I begin making calls, but I only hear back from the Bed and Breakfast.  Not much choice; we'll take a look-see.  I'm given a website to check out:  oxfordbedandbreakfastnc.com  Oh. My. Goodness!  Now I see LOTS of $100 bills flying out of our pockets!!  It was built by a doctor in 1886: two-story, wide front porch,

12-foot ceilings, original wood flooring polished to a shine, 

antique furnishings, 

completely modern bathrooms and a kitchen swathed in marble, five bedrooms and five bathrooms, king-size beds, queen-size beds, huge fluffy mattresses, wi-fi and cable with flat-screen TV's in each room.  Oh. My. Goodness!

Well!  This is simply exquisite!  But we do have a housing budget we have to stay within.  I suggest a price, and m'lady accepts!  On top of that, she has no other guests booked at the moment for the two months we plan to be here, so we could have it all to ourselves if we wait a week to move in.  Hmmm.  That hotel cost isn't in our budget.  We might just to have to pass on this.

Well, she says, you could move in right away, but there are guests booked for this weekend...  Fine by us! and the deal is sealed.  (Ah.  If only life were that simple . . .)