I just had this SMS exchange with my brother, Stefan, who lives in Holland.

Stefan: Dude…Are you guys ok?

Me: Yup! Wat’s up?

Stefan: Just wondering if you were shaken up by the earthquake and if you are still hiding under your desk.

Me: There was an earthquake?

Stefan: LOL, yes there was. 5.4 in LA. Just saw it on CNN. No major damage, no casualties or injuries reported.

Sure enough, there was an earthquake today, which CNN, in typical understated fashion, headlined with: Earthquake rocks Los Angeles. (Stay tuned or the inevitable Wolf Blitzer report from the Situation Room!)

Anyway, I get an excuse for being oblivious to an earthquake that hit not far our new house; The Debra and I are in Sunriver, Oregon this week.

The counter-offer to the counter-offer to our initial offer was accepted! We have a house!

The sellers have counter-offered and we have counter-offered their counter-offer. Negotiations are in full swing. En garde! Touché. Point!

We put an offer in on a house today. Wish us luck, everyone!

“What is this???” asked La Raymunda as we drove south to LA from Sacramento, listening to my iPod. “It sounds like a grown-up Hansen.”

I laughed.

“Oh, WOW,” I said. “You just made Jeff Watson cry.”

“Why? Who is this?”

“The Ramones,” I said, still laughing.

La Raymunda and I are driving to Sacramento for the 4th. Get an early start, see the family, eat some BBQ…the normal stuff.

“I had hectic day at work today,” I told The Debra last night. “I don’t think I want to drive to Sacramento tonight. Are you ok with driving there in the morning?”

“Sure. What time?”

“Why don’t we leave about 7:00? Is that too early?”

“I can manage seven.”

It’s past 10:00am now and we are both still in pajamas.