One of the coolest things about Asheville is the fact that a 30 minute drive (or less really) will afford you some amazing hiking. Wednesday night after Wesley and his coworker Patrick got off work at 5:00 we went for a three mile in/three mile out hike at Looking Glass Rock. At the top of the hike there is a bald overlooking a spectacular terrain. The weather was perfectly mild and the trees are the greenest they will be all year.

We stayed on the bald until sunset thinking that the hike downhill would be a quick one. It were about halfway down the switchback trail when it got so dark we had to pull out the one headlamp we had. The trail looked like a whole different place at night. The lightning bugs made me feel like I was in a fairy tale; the crying cougar made me realize I was not. The silence was peaceful but there was so much life in the woods that I never felt isolated. It was quite an adventure and I can't wait to go camping up there.

Obsession

My deepest and sincerest apologies. I know that the world stopped when I let my blog lag. I promise, I promise the sun shall shine again. (Yes, that is sarcasm you detect).

Here is my list of excuses:

1. I was trying my darndest to not fail Complex Health Problems this trimester. You will all be delighted to know, I'm sure, that I did NOT fail that dad-blasted soul-injuring class.

2. I am homeless. Well, kinda homeless. I moved out of the house at Mimosa Lane. The majority of my possessions, and myself for the next two weeks, are in Asheville. I must take this time to say thank you to my dear fiancee for being so obliging as I took over, cluttered up, and girlified (to a small degree), his apartment.

3. I pressed felony charges. My landlord, whom shall remain slightly nameless but may be a dentist who is on the board of directors at a local college, is a creep. My former roommates and I have caught him in our backyard late at night several times. I personally caught him looking in my window late one night while I was naked and bent over to blow dry my hair. Sleeze. What happened after that? He got away with it.

4. I have been without internet at home for a month. Yeah for cutting the bills.

So. What is the obsession all about you ask?

Real estate. I want a home. I want a home so badly I would just about sell my soul to have one. I want a place I can garden, paint, decorate, live in, and have ownership of. I check zillow.com on a daily basis, even though we won't be able to get a house until early next year at best. I have been researching tips for first time homebuyers and this afternoon Wesley and I are going to the bank to have someone spell out the differences between renting vs. buying. I am obsessed. Every waking moment I am thinking about home ownership, what my budget will be, what kind of home I want, how we can make it work, and what locations I like best. It's like the baby clock but only louder. I know where all of the online listings are and I have the real estate guide in my car. It has even overtaken the wedding in my wandering thoughts. Like I said, obsession.

Now that I have confessed; do you have any advice on home ownership, mortgages, or renting vs. buying?