This year has been an absolute roller-coaster. But on this Sunday, I enjoy a brief break in the eye of the storm.
The house thing... I mean even as often as I posted about that saga, I could not properly articulate what I was really feeling. And once I finally snagged a home, it was a new host of anxieties: stuff that needs fixed, stuff that breaks while fixing other stuff, stuff we didn’t know needed fixing, and stuff that stuffs while stuffing other stuff. A big change is obvious: the monies. My last house was dirt cheap... probably because no else wanted to live there or take on that project... and I spent maybe... maybe?... 12 grand fixing it up while living there. I had put a bigly percent down because that’s how I roll, so our overhead was nothing. All net savings were hoarded to throw at our alleged second home, on top of what I hoped was some decent equity. You know the rest of the story. But one day I woke and went from living well below our means, to somewhere near our means. That’s been an adjustment. But it’s not an unjustified shock.
I’m the same guy where eight years ago I was turning off the heat in winter to save money. Because we had... no money. And while we were freezing our butts off in a sub-par rental that very winter, we would walk the “good” neighborhood a couple blocks away, my n0w-wife and I. We used to walk by this very house and say to each other, “Can you imagine living there?/That’s the dream/I love that house,” and all variations thereof. I never dreamed I would be 31 and in this very home. It ain’t as cheap and it needs all the everythings you could think of for a home, but man. I don’t feel bad for enjoying myself. Buyer’s remorse? Let’s look into that...
I have made a list of things I really, truly miss about our last house, now that I’m two months removed:
- 1. how cheap it was
- 2. ....
- 3. Oh, the raspberries
- 3 ...
- 4. NO
And if I’m even slightly upbeat about anything, just imagine how my wife thinks. It’s an indescribable feeling to see someone you love absolutely beaming.
Too much “yay for me” thus far? Don’t roll your eyes and root for my demise just yet. There have been a few very unfortunate, ongoing events this year that have been some of the lowest points of my life. So you see, things like this beer, this house, my wife, and doggo are the few things that keep me from going absolutely insane. But it’s a short life so I can’t afford to go all existential every time I’m faced with challenges... Meh, easier said than done.
Once things finally settle down (never?) I plan on assaulting oppo with actual car content once again. I’m getting the itch to buy and blow more money of my Paseo wagon that I’ve only driven 4,000 miles since owning it.
In the meantime, thanks for indulging my posts about dubious paint choices, spiders, doggos, and partial sunsets.