Wee, wee, wee all the way home

Lately, it's starting to feel like a confused nursery rhyme over here. Our friends are dispersing faster than we can say good-bye. This little piggy went to California, this little piggy went to Las Vegas, this one to Connecticut, this one to Illinois, etc, etc, etc.

Well, I am happy to say that THESE little piggies are (eventually) going wee, wee, wee all the way home. That's right. Tuesday, we became officially APPROVED to buy our new apartment!

John has been celebrating ever since. Never one to miss an opportunity to spoil the moment, I have instead spent my time biting my fingernails and stress eating while trying to schedule closing and renovation work. My current dilemma? In honor of Earth day, a new EPA rule takes effect today that now requires all contractors doing paint-related work in pre-1978 buildings to have special federally issued lead licenses, separate and apart from their trade licenses.

Our new building is not one to let these things slide. As a result, the contractor I'd been planning on working with---who I've worked with before, who I really like, and who is already poised to do the work we need done at a reasonable price---turns out I probably will not be able to use him after all. The building gave me a list of three people who are EPA lead certified. Two of them are giving me estimates over the next few days. Hopefully one of the estimates will be somewhat reasonable. Maybe one will be lower? And the guy will do an even better job! It could happen, right?