Fewer keys now

The old house on Eakin was finally sold a couple of weeks ago. Took a bit of a bath on its initial asking price, but what can you do? The house had some issues and it was not in a desirable neighborhood, on a busy street, etc.

That's where I lived the longest. The first house my son came home to. He must have loved it because he did not want to sleep there. It was the scene of a lot of good and bad memories. Life happened there, and it's happening in the new place too.

No longer having a mortgage is a good thing, and we're down to one set of bills. Naturally that money moves to paying my son's caregiver this summer, a necessary expense.

That three throw closeout

Events this past week have brought my head space back twenty years in some ways. A lot of thinking where I was, where I went and why, and where I am now. Somewhere in all that is the how.

And it's such a horrible tragedy, that accident involving the hockey kids in Saskatchewan. Communities are devastated, social lives are centered around those junior leagues on the prairies. They were good kids, I met a few like them, back in the day.

Last night one of our new neighbors invited us over to their place for beers and an outdoor fire. We had a very good time, a beer too many in my case and walked two blocks home. I have not been able to do that for years, maybe since when we lived by the Crest Tavern, when it had real dartboards.

A British dart throwing legend died last week. I was not familiar with him, but my wife was, and friends of mine. I have a board, a good one, waiting to be set up on a bare wall downstairs. I just can't find my darts right now. So I've put a set on my Amazon list. I'm one click away.

There are a lot of things I'm missing right now: the address on a water bill, my concentration to be able to read a freaking book, let alone write anything coherent or meaningful. Some days, when you're under the stress of finally finding a summer caregiver for your son, or selling a house that has a nice personality but some real problems underneath, it's all you can do to be able to get up in the morning with not quite hangover but a bloated uneasy feeling in your gut. I'm so grateful and lucky to have the space to go to and try to get through it all.

Blurred days

Been another week of loading up the car, unloading it all in the new house. Repeat. Somewhere in there my wife made a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. I did take the garbage bin out to where one of my new neighbors said to on trash day. The next morning it was on the opposite side of the alley where I put it, next to my gate. This was nice of someone.

Nothing really heavy is left for me to move, than's what movers are for on Thursday. Still have to slide the washer in the new house over to make room for our newer one. Anyone want a washer? Let me know. You move it out, you own it. Even most clothing has been taken over to the new place. Kitchen stuff soon.

The basement is taking good shape. Where the music, guitars and fun things are.

Five more days and the transition should be done. Then to get the old place ready to sell, and the sooner the better for that.

The year of the ignore

Been quite the year of not being able to get things done. I swear I have shown people a stack of money, said can you do this reasonable and legal thing for me, and I get a slack jawed stare, or no response.

The latest involves my wife and I submitting a shit ton of paperwork and other documents that were demanded of us. Now that said paperwork is in their hands, nothing. Despite asking where we are in the process there has not been word back.

I'm of mind to go to the company facebook page and make sarcastic commentary on all their postings of motivational quotes.

The Vietnam War doc is turning into an eighteen hour edition of the Big Chill. It's quite informative and the use of the North Vietnamese soldiers is a side I had no idea about. The music is a bit too obvious and heavy handed for my taste.

Maybe by the time this documentary reaches its conclusion, we'll get a call back. Or we'll take our business elsewhere, as has been done more than a few times this year.

Kicking basements

At this point in the home buying process, we're only looking at open houses. It's going to be months before we're serious in making a purchase. We still have to get this house ready for sale, or rental, or some form of both.

We've been looking in Westgate, an area close to our home, near a park, between two major roads. Still though, the west side of this city is neglected for stuff to do and I'm not sure how long it's going to take for things to develop. There's still no coffee shop here, it's ridiculous! More space and less yard is the ideal situation.

Today we looked in Merion/Hungarian Village, an area south of downtown and south of the prestigious German Village, which means the real estate is less expensive. One house was way out of our price range, the other two were interesting. One was already in contract. I suspect real estate sells there fast as it is becoming a more desirable area to live.

So at some point in the late spring of 2015 we'll start looking in earnest, at homes we're really interested in looking inside.

In other news, I got a rejection today. It's ok, have to do better. In my head it's that simple.

I don't matter, you don't matter, neither does this mindless clatter

Went to the mens room at work. Standing at the urinal I could hear the guy sitting in a stall. He did not sound happy. Sounded like his girlfriend was breaking up with him, over the phone, while he was sitting on the toilet. It was also the handicapped stall.

Did anyone really need to hear this?

Been doing some more thrifting. Found a replacement glass shade for a lamp that was broken three years ago when a small child tipped it over. Today, a larger child noticed something different about the lamp in the corner and tried to investigate.



Changed the locks on the house last weekend. Now that I own the house completely, it was the right thing to do to ensure that nothing else is taken, physically or photographically. It was time.

When my ex moved out two and a half years ago, in her property grab she took my old little league uniform. Despite my asking on more than one occasion, I've been waiting for her to return it. My mother gave it back to me so that one day she could see her grandson wearing it. She's not getting any younger and has health issues.



In the meantime this may be the puck moving defense man the Blue Jackets need.

Well, What Are You Really Going to Do About It?

Pulled off another amazing stunt and refinanced the house all by my lonesome. No one can honestly approach or stop me!

Lowered the interest rate and the payment! It took a few long months, but it is done now.



I'm Philippe Petit baby.

With completed taxes.