Homeowner
As of a very short time ago, I officially own a house.
If you want to be perfectly pedantic about it, there's a bank with an interest in about 80% of the property's value, but nevertheless the name on the certificate of title is mine.
Clearly this is a significant milestone in my life, and one that in some ways I'm quite relieved to see happen. There were moments over the last 3 years or so where I couldn't see how it was possible in an insanely booming market. I've seen plenty of newspaper reports about my generation is being shut out of home ownership in this country, thanks to investment laws that are excessively generous to baby boomers who already own one house and make income from a second.
The thing about these kind of milestones is that they are frequently a gateway to a whole to a whole host of new experiences: the first party, the first overnight visitor, the first "letter to the householder"... the first bill, the first sleepless night wondering how to meet the next mortgage repayment, the first argument with the neighbour from hell...
The only thing it's safe to say is that life has changed.
posted by orfeo @ 3:39 pm
4 comments
At 9:25 am, 
Mary said...
At 9:26 am, Mary said...
At 1:25 pm, orfeo said...
At 1:35 pm, Sean said...
4 Comments:
You forgot...
the first toilet-plumbing nightmare (don't make me get graphic)...
the first rock that gets hurled into your glass slider door accidentally (by you, of course, when you're gardening and the weedwacker suddenly becomes possessed and finds the one rock in the entire lawn, and spews it houseward at 100 mph) and shatters the window into a bazillion pieces...this works best after you've just had new curtains put up and/or new carpet installed near said window.... so many firsts to be greeted by the wrath of a single rock!...
the first time you lock yourself out... oh, what's that you say? Not possible? Just wait, locks have ways of locking when you don't think they ever could. Make sure you're in your pajamas. It's more fun that way....
The first time the police show up at your door (and you're in your pajamas again, of course) looking for "your husband"... LOL, ok, in fairness you don't have one of those. And the previous owner of our house WAS a deputy sheriff, but still, it was a first I wasn't ready for. So, be ready for anything.
The first Missionaries that come along... and along... and along... (hehe) getting all too familiar with the touch of your doorbell button...
The first time you leave the door unlocked (and OPENED!) when you drive off to the store (again, those tricky locks!) and your good-hearted neighbor, who didn't see you drive away but only sees the open door later, takes it upon himself to call another good-hearted neighbor to go "check out the scene" because your car isn't there and gosh, a burglar might've broken in... and it's the perfect day for this to happen, you see, because you only left for the store to go get (soy)milk and soup and medicine due to the fact you've been terribly ill which means of course the house is in complete disarray because you've been on the couch covered in tissue-wads, barely able to move... but yes, you return and those good neighbors cheerfully let you know they checked EVERY closet and under EVERY bed and behind EVERY door, bless them those neighbors, and you stand there on the lawn holding your groceries wanting to crawl under a rock after knowing these neighbors have now seen not only the messy dishes all over the kitchen countertops, and the stack of mail you haven't read in a week, but also your underwear piled up and ready for wash...Oh, the joy and complete sense of safety and gratitude you feel! (Note: when you find a trustworthy neighbor, give him EVERY possible phone number to reach you first for such cases of "emergency". I kicked myself for only supplying that neighbor with hubby's mobile phone # and not mine. Gah, had he called me I would have said, "I'm coming right back, do NOT go in the house, I repeat DO NOT step on the premises!)...
The first power outage, which will, of course, happen at night with no moon and coincide with the first time your "lifetime" battery in your big flashlight decides its going to stop living and you would gladly go scavenger around for some matches or another random flashlight that you know must be somewhere, but it's PITCH BLACK and you're quite certain that if you go outside and fumble around in your car for that smallish flashlight you keep out there that you'll lock yourself out of the house because, let's remember, you're in your pajamas and those locks are tricky!.... (God Bless well-functioning electricity, that's all I gotta say)....(And are you getting that we have a lock issue in our home?! lol)....
Sigh.
Of course, there are so many happy firsts to offset the not-so-happy ones.
I'm so thrilled for you.
"You've got a lot of living to do..." ;)
Looking forward to hearing all about it once you're "in".
Much ♥
PS- quick question for curiosity's sake:
What do you think will be the first music you play in your new house when you're in it? (besides your own music on your piano, I mean)
LOL, my comment was twice the length of your post.
Heh, I still got it. ;)
The plan is for the first music to be The Beekeeper. New music for a new house.
Well, she took most of mine, and I'm not sure I understand this locked-out thing... never seems to happen to me [ahem]. So, from my perspective a simple congratulations will suffice... cheers to you and your new home!
Besides, you don't need any sarcastic comments from me about staying up all night wondering how it is that someone decided that you were qualified for this rather large responsibility, and how it is that you're going to meet that responsibility... ;- ]
Enjoy!
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