Comparisons

Today there was an open house in our neighborhood of a $500,000 house. My girlfriend wanted to go see the house. After we had done our due diligence of unpacking more boxes and sorting and tossing, I changed out of my stinky clothes into a clean outfit, just in case I met some neighbors also doing the lookie loo.

The listing was held by the same agent that had our listing. He greeted us at the door. The walk up to the house was a glamorous wide swath of concrete and pillars. He told us it had been put in in 2004 and cost $250,000 just for the front remodel. The whole remodel in 2004 had cost over $1,000,000. The house had subsequently been sold and the new owners were elderly and moving to down size and not have to deal with stairs any more. The house has been listed for a while.

It was full of white carpet and had a step down sunken living room. The kitchen was lovely with a huge swath of granite counter and a view of the river. But the view looked out over the ugly roof top of the house next door, before you noticed the river in the distance. My girlfriend and I talked about how we would want to hang a basket off the deck rail to hide the neighbor's roof from the view. The whole lot was taken up with house and driveway, no yard maintenance needed.

The house had lots of sparkle and glamour with a big bathroom off the master with soaking tub and extra large glass shower. His and hers closets were as big as the boys' bedrooms. A work out room with a wall of mirrors had its own entrance for the masseuse. The hot tub was nicely secluded on a side deck.

Downstairs was another complete master suite. A huge slate floored wine seller could hold 2500 bottles. Behind the two car garage under the house was a work room for projects.

The house was lovely. But what I loved best was walking away from it and being able to say that I liked my house better. I had a better, more private view. My neighbors were unobtrusively located. I love the fact there are no step downs on the first floor, one of the reasons the owners are selling. I love that there is minimal carpet and what carpet there is will slowly be replaced with solid surface. It was a glamorous home, but mine is much more welcoming and warm. I love being able to say that I love my house better than the $500,000 house down the street.

I got up early this weekend and worked in the yard. I couldn't figure out the steel bladed weed eater that Tom had got working for 15 minutes in the heat of the day, earlier this week, so I pulled out my trusty clippers and went to work. I cut back the berries even further until I could reach the grove of cotton wood saplings that had sprung up and begun to interfere with my view off the deck. Some of the saplings were still thin enough that I could just cut them down with the clippers. Twenty feet of tree would fall over with a soft crunch. I would then walk the length of the trunk to clip the berries being crushed below. the trunk would pin and expose the fat thorny branches for me to reach easily. The bigger trunks I attacked with my hand saw. The curved blade and jagged teeth ate right through the trunks within minutes.

After cutting down half a dozen trees and a small field of berries surrounding them, sweat poured off me. The sun was beginning to break through and warm up the day. I went up on the deck to admire my work and drink some water. The yard looks twice as wide with the trees gone and I am not done yet. Another half a dozen trees still wait to be removed.

I tried to convince the boys to collect the trunks and clip off all the branches. A friend suggested they would make great Tippi poles. If I can't get them to do it I may just do it myself, gather the sticks into giant clusters and tie off one end, spread the other end. I have sheets I can drape to create the effect.

The land slopes and levels in different areas. As I clear it I can feel under my feet the terrain even if I can't quite see it yet. Ideas are flowing. Tom talks about retaining walls to create garden areas. I am thinking different terraces. Oh, it is going to be fun.

Friends keep offering me names of landscapers, but what it really came down to is I like doing this work. If I pay someone that is money I can't use else where. There are so many projects on the inside that I would like to see accomplished. The gardening is therapy, very fung shu and relaxing.

I also painted the repaired hole in the wall at the bottom of the stairs. When we first moved in there was a hole at the bottom of the main stairs on the wall where either someone had put his fist in it in anger or a piece of furniture had hit while being moved out. I had patched the hole but the ugly white patch had needed to be painted to match the rest of the wall. I found the wall paint in the garage and did a quick fix. I can hang a painting on the wall now which will mask any flaws to the repair.

My list of chores goes on. Unpacking a box of linens, I found some lovely curtains for the sun room windows, but need to pick up brackets to hang them. I found Tom's missing books in the third book box I completely unpacked in the basement. That was a good feeling. He spent all day reading.

We went up to the club last night and had a lovely time with old friends. I tried a sipping tequila, Patron. I can tell you that even sipping tequila will give you a hangover. I woke this morning in an alcoholic sweat almost as heavy as when I was chopping down the trees in the hot sun the day before. Tom brought me Ibuprofen and I had to sleep another couple hours before I felt capable of getting up and making everyone cheese omelette's and bacon for a very late breakfast.

I am still on the hunt for the cars' titles. They were not in the box they were supposed to be in. Find one lost item, lose another. but progress is being made. The ceiling high wall of boxes in the basement is now just two boxes high. They have all been opened or at least I know what is in the ones that are not opened. I found I have a lot of holiday stuff that I don't use. It is amazing how much there is of something when the boxes are all collected in one place with one theme.

Friday was garbage pick up day. By Sunday we filled the can again. I also sent my girlfriend off with another goodwill load in her minivan. So much junk that I paid to move and now have to deal with. I guess though I just had to get mad enough over it and irritated by it that I don't love it enough anymore to keep it. Now it is easy to let it all go.

I do need to squeeze in a clothes shopping trip for Riley. He has sprouted this summer and his pants need to be replaced. His friend didn't like Riley's Hawaiian shirts, but I had to disagree. I love the Hawaiian theme that Riley has found for himself. I hope to cultivate it further. I am pleased that he is comfortable with his style. His friend has a Justin Beiber hair cut and has to wear only the "In" name brands, self conscious and insecure that he might not look right. I love that Riley can be himself. Sometimes I do have to hide the ugly sport pants, but Riley knows how to dress up when needed, yet still have his own style. I just need to stay ahead of the growth spurts.

Tom went looking for his Hawaiian shirt for the Laue. The Hawaiian shirts were all in Riley's closet or on the floor of Riley's room. Tom used to complain about not having any pants because Trevor had been wearing them. Now Trevor is in a larger size and Tom is losing his shirts to Riley. Good thing everyone has a lot of clothes to share around. This is after several trips to Goodwill having sorted and tossed and got rid of much old, worn, or commercial advertisement clothing.

I just keep patting myself on the back and plodding on to the next box. I still have to start tackling the book boxes.

The half dismantled pool tables still need to be dealt with in the game room. I need the slate on the one that came with the house moved outside. I need to rip out the carpet and replace the flooring in the game room. This needs to be done before I go get a couch or sectional for that room so we can watch TV in comfort. Right now the only good chair is Tom's recliner. Everyone else has to sit on the floor or a regular chair. I have yet to sit down and watch a single TV show of my choosing since we moved in. I just haven't had the time. To be honest I am enjoying every minute of every busy day, stress included.