My life, at the moment, in numbers

My life, at the moment, in numbers

November 22, 2016 / No Comments

Steve Glassman, the writer behind the wonderful Sunshine. Whimsy. Tacos. blog and a long-time friend, recently posted an entry about the current state of his life, via numbers. Since he encouraged others to share their stats, I went ahead and broke down my next 30 days.

From today, it will be:

1 day until my 43rd birthday.

2 days until Thanksgiving. Somewhere in between these two numbers, I must continue packing and make a feast.

9 days until the Boston Common Tree Lighting ceremony, an event I’m attending to boost my holiday spirits and as research for my latest novel.

13 days until the closing on the new house. Yikes!

14 days until the movers arrive at the rental to pick up our belongings. Everything must be packed, or else.

15 days until the movers drop off our belongings at the new house. Then, the massive job of unpacking begins.

18 days until I take a break from unpacking and return to working on my book.

25 days until I have to attack the thousands of emails that will have piled up during my less-than-relaxing vacation.

26 days until I return to work.

30+ days until Christmas Eve. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Manchester, N.H., looks like during the holidays. Will there be lots of light displays?

–Photo by Humusak2
November, an update in four parts

November 20, 2016 / 2 Comments

HO-HO, MERRY-MERRY: Normally, I’d be done with my Christmas shopping by now. I start putting my list together in January, begin purchasing items in July and complete the task by November 1st. That way, I don’t have to fight the crowds or worry about the bills that are due, and can just enjoy a stress-free holiday season.

But as we all know, 2016 was no ordinary year.

XMAS CARDS: Between the insanity of work, the election, job losses, illnesses, deaths, separations, a long search for a new house and more injuries/accidents/disappointments than I care to count, it’s no surprise that I’m less than jolly and really far behind in my holiday preparations. Although I’ve ordered our Christmas cards, they likely won’t be mailed until the middle of December; in the past, I’ve dropped them off at the post office on Black Friday.

XMAS PRESENTS: Due to our current financial situation, I’m also culling my annual gift-giving list to a handful people. If you normally receive a present from us, and do not get one this year, please don’t take offense. It’s not a reflection of our relationship status or affection. We’re just completely tapped out from the upcoming move. Hopefully, we can make up for it next year.

MOVING ON: Speaking of the move, M and I are about to purchase our first home. If all goes as planned, we’ll close on the house during the first week of December and spend the next week moving our stuff across the state.

Living apart these past few months has been incredibly difficult so you can imagine how excited we are by the prospect of being under the same roof again.

Neither of us has purchased a house before. Honestly, it’s not something we ever planned to do. But so far we’ve survived the insanity of applying for mortgages, searching the real estate listings, attending dozens of showings/open houses and the process of making — and losing — four bids.

In the end, we finally landed a house we wanted, and made it through the arduous process of revealing our entire financial history to strangers and dealing with the many deposits, inspections, appraisals, insurance assessments and mortgage proceedings. This week, while I’m packing like a mad fiend, we’ll receive the final bill for closing costs.

Ugh.

On the plus side, barring any complications, M and I will be spending Christmas in our new home together. Can’t wait!

–Photo by Vaniatos
Daydreaming about the ultimate home library

April 6, 2016 / 1 Comment

M and I have spent the past few years saving up to buy our first house. Our needs are fairly modest. We’d like an affordable place with a great kitchen, at least two bathrooms, a nice yard and hardwood floors. The one extravagance we seek involves size; the place needs to be at least 2,000 sq.ft. Why would two people want to live in such a large abode?

Books, my friends. We need space for all of our books.

M and I are avid readers and book collectors. Why, there’s not a room in our current home that doesn’t have books in it, and there’s even more stored in the basement. Yes, we do own Kindles, and yes, we will do a culling during the move, but I expect we’ll be transporting no less than 100 boxes of hardcovers and paperbacks to our new home.

Now I recognize that I would have to become immortal to have enough time to read all of the books I already own, let alone all of the books I check out of the library or plan to purchase in the future. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting more. Some people collect cars or shoes or clothes. Me? I just love books.

And when I allow myself to daydream, I imagine creating a sanctum sanctorum. Occasionally I’ll even browse interior design websites for ideas on the best way to set up such a space. In my wildest imaginings, I picture built-in bookshelves, a massive fireplace and comfy chairs for long readings. I’d also install a secret room behind one bookcase because let’s be honest, no home library is complete without one.

With nearly unlimited funds — I’m talking lottery winnings here — I’d also schedule an annual all-night shopping spree at The Strand for my birthday. The owners would be well-compensated to let us in around midnight and leave behind dozens of book bags to fill. Come morning, an employee would cash us out and prepare the massive purchase for delivery. Not only would such overnight adventures greatly enhance our personal book collection, all of our friends would receive literary care packages, too.

–Photo by Bitterfly
Seasonal slump, a quest for home and bookstore ruminations

June 24, 2015 / No Comments

So Summer has arrived and well… blech. But I shall endeavor to keep my seasonal grumpiness to myself. Just know that I dream of central air conditioning.

In recent weeks, M and I have been house-hunting and preparing to apply for mortgage applications. The first activity is fun, the second incredibly stressful. We really want to embark on to the next phase of our life, and that will involve moving, so both activities are required.

One thing I’ve learned during this process is how compatible we are. I knew we loved each other and got along fabulously, but our tastes are very similar too. Where they diverge, the differences are minor.

We also share a desire to make the other happy, which comes in handy while examining potential abodes. Best of all, after more than nine years together, we know each other’s likes and dislikes intimately, so much so that I’d feel entirely confident sending him out into the world to find us a home. Whichever place he picked would be perfect for our family. Knowing this type of relationship is so rare just makes me appreciate it all the more.

In other news, I miss bookstores. Oh, they’re still around, there’s just not enough of them. Bookstores call to me when I’m bored or curious or determined, when I’m killing time between movies or when I want to look at books that I don’t already own and the library’s closed.

Lastly, I wish time would stop whenever I read a book. Can someone make that happen? Thanks!
In which we prepare to buy a house

January 17, 2015 / No Comments

For the past year or so, M and I have been saving up to buy a house. Neither of us has ever wanted to be a homeowner — we still don’t relish the thought — but considering our current pet situation and future goals, doing so makes sense.

Ideally, our new house will be in good working order. It will have at least 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, hardwood floors, a decent backyard, a large kitchen and a fireplace. Those requirements are pretty much non-negotiable. Our “wants” list is pretty long, and it seems to be getting longer as time goes by.

Since leaving New York City, we’ve learned that we like to have space to move around so a home larger than 2,000 sq.ft. would be preferred. Additional roominess suits our menagerie of pets as well. Despite the fact that something like half of all homes in New England use oil heating, we’d prefer to have another fuel warm our abode. We also want a place that’s well-sealed against the elements. A laundry room would be nice; a laundry room on the second floor would be even nicer. Speaking of which, we’d like a second floor.

Then there’s the “don’t want” list. We don’t want a house that’s in a flood zone, nor do we want one with a pool or any sort of swing-set in the backyard. We don’t want to be too close to the neighbors, yet living in the boonies doesn’t appeal either. We’d prefer public water to private, central air to window units and tall ceilings over low ones (I like to buy really big Christmas trees). I’m willing to repaint the inside; I’m not willing to rewire the whole place because the wiring was put in before the Internet was invented.

Needless to say, we’ve narrowed our search down to three states and two countries. Hopefully we’ll find a place to love (and one that lands in our price range).

The very thought of applying for a mortgage makes me physically ill, though. Since we’re not independently wealthy, there’s simply no other option. At some point during the coming months, we’re planning to take one of those “first time homebuyers” workshops. Our hope is that doing so will not only demystify the whole buying experience, it’ll help us find additional financing and/or assistance with closing costs.

In the meantime, I spend hours looking at real estate listings, some for houses we can afford and some for houses we can only afford if we won the lottery. I’m also eying my possessions in a new light. As the probability of moving looms, I find myself walking through the rooms of our current home and deciding which items I want to pack and which ones I want to donate. I expect the desire to rid myself of more “stuff” will soar once I begin the packing process.

(Photo is a still from the film “Practical Magick.” I love the look of this house.)