You can't have everything, where would you put it?

[ClingingToHope]

I picked up the application to rent a house today and I'll return it tomorrow. As much as I try to talk myself out of it because of how small it is, the girls want it, it's a great location and it'll allow me to sit and save for my own house either next year or more likely two years.

Today I spent an hour walking around downtown talking on the phone with a friend in Georgia. She's super sweet and listened and listened and listened.

Later, I thought to myself, "this is stupid. I am tired of people feeling sorry for me. I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself. It's time to start moving forward without looking back."

So it's time for a new thread. If you read me getting weepy and all 'woe is me,' please call me on it. STBXW may be taking me to court soon. Well, that's happened to others and they survived. If she wants me to show up in court in a suit and tie while she rips apart the family and plunges herself into the poor house, tell me the time and the date.

I'm not saying I don't still love her. I do. But I don't have the power to stop the train wreck, I can only get out of the way and survive and hope the girls see that.

It's a beautiful day outside and I have a great weekend ahead of me.

[cat03]

congrats, you are moving forward! and the house sounds great (wish I had a smaller house, ugh, can't keep up with it!) you know what they say, location location location.

[ClingingToHope]

Thanks Cat. This place is literally so small you have to go to another room to change your mind. I haven't been inside yet to see how it'll set up. I'll find out more tomorrow.

[BobbiJo]

You are filling out the app without having gone inside? You are a brave man...

On the other hand, Dave Ramsey would be proud! Renting is better until you build up a good down payment...if I ever leave this house that's what I'll do.

[ClingingToHope]

BBJ, I am going to go inside. My uncle and aunt, who live next door, say the interior is nice. The owners have money and have kept it up. It's just small. I looked at an aerial of the house online. It basically can fit into my uncle's living room.

But I only use about 60 percent of the townhouse. I never even put anything in the second bedroom. I either slept on the couch or futon in the basement. And I didn't really use the basement for anything except my weight set and washer and dryer.

I'm taking the application in at lunch and going to ask when I can see the inside -- just to make sure.

Played golf this morning and was hitting the ball really well for a while. But I started missing putts and then started missing with the driver and the round went to H*ll.

About the 14th hole, a coworker told me about his brother. They have three kids. The wife is openly cheating on him, posting pics on FB, running up the family credit cards. So he asked my advice and I gave him the advice EVERYONE on this board gave me last year that I IGNORED until October -- go see a lawyer.

Had I listened to everyone here and my friends I would have gone last May before or the day I moved out and he would have told me to insist on joint physical custody or I'd move back in. By just letting STBXW have physical custody I put myself in a hole in terms of precedent I can't climb out of.

But that's in the past and can't be undone. It is going to be a very, very good weekend. I can feel it.

[ClingingToHope]

Today's good Steven Wright quote -- it pertains to a lot of us.

"When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane."

[ImprovedRomeo]

CTH, I like your new attitude. I go in and out of the "I'm sick of people feeling sorry for me" and "I want people to feel sorry for me" modes but lately it's been the former mostly.

I just need to remind my hard head that I don't need a woman to be happy and feel good about myself. I'm OK by myself if that's how things will be for a while.

[ClingingToHope]

Well, I would still like to have a woman, but all this burning up hours on the phone contemplating what went wrong ultimately does me no good.

It's cyclical. I'm through the July 4 stuff and now pretty much the rest of my summer is booked between the girls, church singles group and running race work.

The big thing is getting over the fear of court. If she wants to fight over every single dime -- and I somehow come up on the short end, well then there is bankruptcy and I don't fear it.

I got the application in and I'm going to see the interior of the house next week. I'm sure I'll hate it because it's small, but I'm taking the girls and if they like it, well that's all that matters right now.

[whatisis]

I just need to remind my hard head that I don't need a woman to be happy and feel good about myself. I'm OK by myself if that's how things will be for a while.

Of course you don't need a woman to be happy and feel good about yourself, you need one to get laid!
Hmm, I'm beginning to understand why I'm still alone

[awest1217]

Small on the outside does not mean small on the inside. If it has a basement that is finished or can be finished, that always helps. Hopefully the girls will like it and so will you so you won't have to worry about noise anymore and be near family.