Decisions, Decisions

As I was leaving Youngstown on Sunday to drive back to Pittsburgh for my flight back to Tucson, I stopped for 15 minutes to see a house the next street over from Ty and Jaci. I had seen this house advertised on Craig's List and had e-mailed a few times with the owner. He is asking $48,000. !

The house is about 2000 square feet, two-story plus full basement, a style we call "Center Hall Colonial" in Virginia. It needs significant work, including getting the mold out of the basement. But it's good space, good bones in a house.

Seeing houses like this helps me refine what I want. First, I need a living room large enough to hold a 6' grand, plus with an entry space that the piano can navigate. Next, I want a dining room that will hold John's antique breakfront that I dearly love. Oh, and two bathrooms on the second floor. That's more important than the breakfront. I don't want to have to walk out into the hall in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and I don't want to share my bathroom with houseguests, whether those houseguests are my grandchildren or adult visitors. (Oh, I didn't mean that. There were no lines to read between in that statement. I mean if any of you come to visit.) Also, good computer space is a must. And good sewing space. Intrinsic in both the computer space and the sewing space is good light. My aging, Lasik'd eyes demand good light. Finally, as I stated the other day, air conditioning — or forced air heating that will enable me to install air conditioning — are greatly desired, if not required.

I can probably meet many of these needs in any house, except the wall for the breakfront and the second bathroom. So I need to e-mail this owner — coincidentally a lawyer-by-training with an alternative vocation — and tell him I don't think his house is for me.

As I think about possibilities in houses, I also think about possibilities in jobs. Today I happened upon a site with contract technical writing jobs. Several of them required 10 hours a week and paid $10K or so a year. Hey, I could have three or four of these positions and make it financially!

With each day, my mind opens wider than the day before.

I've got airline reservations to return to Y'town for the July 27th public memorial service for Bob Fitzer. I wonder how many more reservations I'll make before I don't have to fly there any more?!

And Happy Fourth Birthday today to our little Ridley, my little cutie pie.