Why I Love Tax Refunds

Since during the year of 2010 we were still students we fall into that lucky category of being on the receiving end of the government come April 15th, as opposed to my father-- the notorious "Paying-Taxes-Tom" who lives, eats, and breathes taxes. Be right there with you next year, Dad!:) This year most of our refund will obviously go to paying back loans, but a small chunk was allocated to me. Yes. ME!! I took that money and ran (literally) to begin replacing all of our IKEA furniture ASAP (tip: while I LOVE IKEA, the MDF board they us on almost everything doesn't weather a cross-country move too well). We started at the RC Willey Clearance Center where we found our leather couches when we first moved here.

We found this little beauty for a STEAL. There are a few little scratches around the table legs, and one broken foot rest on a chair (which is easily fixable with wood glue), but we basically got it for about 80% off the normal price. Plus, when I buy already dinged up merchandise, I don't go into a catatonic state when Zachary gouges his fork into the table top at dinner!

Then we went back and found this piece, which I really love. For some reason I've always wanted a nice hutch to store all of my dishes, and we found this for a great price too, so jumped on it!

And that's the good news. Now for the bad news: Our house we've been renting did ((finally)) get FORECLOSED on. It's been up in the air literally since we moved in back in July, so it's almost a relief just having some solid information. They posted all the paperwork on the front door (which was fun to come home to, er, read "heart attack") and served us with papers by certified mail, so the house will be up for public auction on March 23rd. Sooooo, we will know more then. We should then have 90 days to move out, but hopefully we will be able to finish out our lease and won't have to move twice in 3 months. But it'd make a great story, right?

And of course as with all of life's little ironies, it would be right after we've just bought all this new furniture. So now we don't have a house to put it in.:)

THE LIST!!

Okay Folks, hold onto your seats. Here's the preliminary list of possible Air Force Bases we could move to in August 2011. With over 50 locations you'd think we'd find one that's right, right?!? We have to submit our Top 5 by Friday, so let's hear your picks!!

BARKSDALE, Northwest, Lousiana
BEALE, Sacramento, California
CANNON, Clovis, New Mexico
CHARLESTON, South Carolina
COLUMBUS, Mississippi
DAVIS-MONTHAN, Tucson, Arizona
DOVER, Delaware
DYESS, Abilene, Texas
EGLIN, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
ELLSWORTH, Rapid City, South Dakota
F E WARREN, Cheyenne, Wyoming
GOODFELLOW, San Angelo, Texas
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota
HANSCOM, Boston, Massachusetts
HICKAM, Honolulu, Hawaii
HILL, Roy, Utah
HOLLOMAN, Alamogorde, New Mexico
KADENA, JAPAN
KIRTLAND, Albequerque, New Mexico
KUNSAN, SOUTH KOREA
LACKLAND, San Antonio, Texas
LAJES, PORTUGAL
LAKENHEATH, ENGLAND
LANGLEY, Virginia
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas
LUKE, Phoenix, Arizona
MACDILL, Tampa, Florida
MALMSTROM, Great Falls, Montana
MAXWELL, Montogmery, Alabama
MCCONNELL, Wichita, Kansas
MCGUIRE, New Jersey
MINOT, North Dakota
MISAWA, JAPAN
MOODY, Valdosta, Georgia
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho
OSAN, SOUTH KOREA
PETERSON, Colorado Springs, Colorado
POPE, Fayetville, North Carolina
RAMSTEIN, GERMANY
RANDOLPH, San Antonio, Texas
ROBINS, Macon, Georgia
SCOTT, Illinois
SEYMOUR JOHNSON, Goldsboro, North Carolina
SHAW, Sumter, South Carolina
SHEPPARD, Wichita Falls, Texas
SPANG-BITBURG, GERMANY
TINKER, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TYNDALL, Panama City, Florida
UPWOOD, ENGLAND
VANCE, Enid, Oklahoma
VANDENBERG, Santa Barbara, California
WHITEMAN, Kansas City, Missouri
WRIGHT PATTERSON, Dayton, Ohio
YOKOTA, JAPAN

Whew...