We could not have been more wrong.  In less than a week, we had an offer that we could simply not turn down and — despite not really being mentally prepared to do so — we accepted it.  That put the pressure on, we had to find a place to move to one month later…. So the next weekend (this past weekend) we spent most of the day Saturday looking for a house.  There were a lot of houses that would have been good for us that we could afford, but most were nothing really special.   But in the afternoon we happened upon one that was simply charming and very fitting for us.  We made another appointment to see it again that night with our parents, and they were as amazed as we were.  The next afternoon we met with our Realtor to put together an offer.  Our realistic expectations did not expect them to come back the next morning and accept.  But, of course, this post is all about us being very wrong.

So, there you have it…. in about three weeks, we have gone from considering moving to selling one house and buying another.  We’ll be moving into our wonderful home in Bartlett on July 12.  Let’s just hope the rest of the process goes as unexpectedly smooth as it has so far.

We will miss Oxford pretty sorely.  We’ve been here for four years, and I was mostly here the six years prior to that.  We have had unbelievable oppurtunities here, and have simply fallen in love with this place.  I don’t doubt that life will be grand in Bartlett, but I know it will never be Oxford.  We have wonderful friends here that we will be sad to see less often, and our little house has treated us so nice… It will be hard to leave.

If you are one of the two people that reads this blog, we would like to invite you to our new home.  If you’re coming from Oxford, bring some Ajax.

I’ve enjoyed my almost four years with D2 Interactive/US Networx, but this is a great opportunity and will lead me to greater things. For the time being, Janna and I will be staying in Oxford and I’ll commute to Memphis (Here’s hoping Bernanke stops devaluing the dollar so I can afford the gas).

On top of that exciting news, We’re leaving for the Bahamas next week for my cousin’s wedding. Let’s just say that my motivation to get anything done is less than spectacular right now, which you can tell because I wrote this post on the clock

Around the beginning of this year, USAA released a feature they call “Deposit@Home” (admittedly not the most original name). This service allows you to deposit checks by scanning them using an applet on their website. You sign your check and scan in the front and back and the money is instantly available in your account…. Amazing.

If you’re eligible for USAA membership, I highly recommend them for any service they offer. What other banks have a service like this (I’m sure there are others)?

Luckily, we’re fans of The Dog Whisperer with the great Cesar Millan. We started to employ some of the techniques from that show (with the addition of our favorite dog weapon – a squirt bottle), and have worked them down almost to their old normal selves. The calm, assertive pack leader mentality really works, especially if you have a squirt bottle in your hands.

Just thought that was funny and felt like sharing.

I do, however, take issue with some cyclists: If you want to share the road with us automobiles, then you need to follow the same rules. Stop signs (and lights) apply to you as well, and a hand turn signal would really help sometimes. Remember, you are part of traffic too… Share the road, geez.

The inverse also applies… Belief in something does not compel it to be Truth.

There is Truth that we cannot change. Science is a methodical investigation to find the Truth. Religious Faith is also a seeking of Truth, but it seeks It via a non-proven Belief in a fundamental doctrine. Since the doctrines of the world are largely incompatible with each other, they cannot all be based on Truth. Likewise, since scientific evidence is incomplete, science cannot (at present) definitively provide Truth.

As a scientist (at heart, at least), I desire Truth. I want to see sufficient evidence proving whatever Truth is. Someday we may have scientific evidence to prove Truth true, thus proving everyone with a different Belief wrong.
Truth is true without faith and it’s true without evidence. And without that sufficient evidence, what you believe Truth to be is your Faith.

They were doing this when we went in June… I didn’t like it one bit.

On the one hand, I was amazed that no one really cared… On the other hand, I put my fingers in those machines just like everyone else.