How to lose 15 lbs in 2 weeks! It really works!!!

OK, so you may not want to try this, but it really worked for me.....

First, you want to have your landlord send you an email telling you he'd like to raise your rent $700 per month. Then you frantically look for another place to live while knocking on everyone's doors in the neighborhood to ask if they are renters and if so if they would divulge how much they are paying. Argue with your landlord (actually my good friend did most of the negotiating for us--but we did have to do the grunt work)

Second, find out you actually qualify to buy a house and start trying to find one. Make an offer--a LOW offer--have them refuse your offer, then accept.

Third, stop sleeping because you're so stressed out.

Fourth, ask your landlord if you can rent month to month until you can buy a home and have him say "no" because he believes in only renting in the summertime for one year periods at a time.

Fifth, spend a lot of money on a home inspection, mold inspection, and I can't remember the other inspection we paid for, but we did!

Sixth, find out you have to move in 2 1/2 weeks because your landlord won't let you stay even 6 more weeks past your lease date expiring. SO in between everything else you're trying to do with 4 kids you have to add packing up the entire house to the mix--and find a place to stay until you can move into the new house. You'll have to put your stuff in storage and move twice.

Seventh, find out there's lots of mold in your proposed new (OLD) house. 300,000th's range in 4 rooms--and sellers are unwilling to clean it up properly because you made a low offer. Cancel offer then...

Last, but not least, you find a new rental and sign all the paperwork to move in in 2 weeks.

Haven't finished the last step yet. I know, I know, there are a lot of steps, but it really worked for me! Boy, somewhere deep down I must like a lot of DRAMA in my life! Yep.

Oh, and did I mention I was planning on auditioning for the San Diego opera in June?--I had to give up that goal midway through this whole fiasco--no time to practice! I did manage to get up my own website for voice amidst this crisis, though :)