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Category Archives: Housiing
Wielding a Razor
I pushed the lever on the handle of the utility knife with my right thumb. The handle’s hidden razor, a new one made of polished carbon steel, slid forward in response, emitting a satisfying “click” when it locked. From here on, I … Continue reading
Pigmentatious Transmogrification
Deep Brown is the New Dull Grey. Paint. Just paint. It changes everything. What once was a dull, dingy, mottled-grey deck is being transformed into something far more attractive. It is now morphing into a deep, dark brown. I had planned … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Painting
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Sand and Such
The sanding began, but the weather said, “No.” I was no more than 30 minutes into sanding the deck with my newly purchased belt sander yesterday when the rain began. It was light rain, but it was rain…not the time for sanding the … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Painting, Weather
2 Comments
Mundanity
If today goes as planned, a new air conditioning system will be installed. We’ve been in our house for about a month and a half and we will, finally, have a working AC. I hope. Not that it has been … Continue reading
Pondering
As I sit here, waiting for the time to arrive to go off to observe and discuss the inspection of the house we’re buying, I fret over the amendment to the contract on the house we’re selling. It’s just a … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Philosophy
3 Comments
Routine
I debated with myself about whether I should get up so early. I won the debate. It was just before 3:00 a.m. today when I got out of bed, pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, slipped on … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Moving
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Come What May
It’s the uncertainty that amplifies, or maybe even creates, the stress. It’s the uncertainty that each link in the chain of events will hold tight. It’s the uncertainty that the underlying assumptions are solid and based on good information. It’s … Continue reading
Memoirs of a Late-Blooming Handyman
Today, I spent the majority of the day replacing door knobs. The old, gold-colored knobs were ugly and badly dated; they were the style of “pretend-to-be-well-off-by-using-faux-gold-whenever-possible.” I replaced them with brushed nickel, which is much more attractive and is much … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing
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Moving Maybes
My wife and I just returned from a four-day trip to Arkansas, the purposes of which were to: 1) look at some houses in Hot Springs Village that we might consider buying; and 2) visit some ethnic food markets in … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Moving, Where to Live
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Communal Living
For the last few years, I’ve grown increasingly interested in a budding trend toward what I’ll call communal living, though it’s called by a number of other names including co-housing, The concept is that groups of individuals or families live … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing
5 Comments
Real Estate
A house in our subdivision, just a couple of blocks from us, came on the market over a month ago at $325,000. It’s about 200 square feet larger than ours and has four bedrooms. It’s located on an entrance to … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing
3 Comments
Looking for a New Neighborhood
It’s rare, but it happens: the advice offered in a “free e-newsletter” turns out to be valuable, thought-provoking advice. In the instance to which I am referring, it was nothing earth-shattering, but decent, well-conceived advice. I will give credit where … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Philosophy, Population, Third Place
6 Comments
House Surgery
The guys came Tuesday to resurface the tops of the vanities in the guest bath and the half bath, as well as the counter of the wet bar. I had arranged with them to come Tuesday morning, thinking I would … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, Housiing, Moving
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Will it Take a Village?
The photos show what we saw on our most recent trip. We left Dallas early Wednesday morning, bound for Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Some generous friends had offered to host us as we explored the … Continue reading
Edible Apple
This morning I read a friend’s blog post in which she discusses some of the issues and questions under consideration as they think about where they want to live. Coincidentally, we’ve been asking ourselves some of the same questions. A … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Housiing, Where to Live
1 Comment
Urban Justice
I awoke at 4:30 a.m. this morning from a frightening dream, my heart pounding. In the dream, I was trying to catch up to my wife, who was running, far ahead of me, with a crowd of other people toward doors … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Government, Housiing, Philosophy, Politics, Urban planning
2 Comments
So Many Places with Potential…
My recently renewed enthusiasm about third places (see this, this, this, and this) has led me to do more research about “great good places.” That research has opened my eyes to my myopia about places I’ve lived, places I’ve long since … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Demographics, Essay, Housiing, Third Place, Urban planning
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Focus…Focus…Focus
It’s time for me to return to the important task at hand: getting the house ready to sell. I’ve been remiss of late in that I’ve essentially withdrawn from my responsibilities for taking care of a lot of cosmetic necessities. … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Procrastination, Travel
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Shifting Sands
Oh, about my last post. Never mind. House isn’t on the market yet. Won’t be until we are ready for it to be. That may be a month or two. Or three. In the interim, please send money. Lots of … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Moving, Where to Live
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Good Day
So, Tuesday the real estate photographer comes to visit. And we sign the papers to engage the real estate agent. And we continue to prepare…to get the house ready…to sell. The idea is that the agent will not put the … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Housiing, Moving
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Sell Now or No?
One of the real estate agents we talked to recently is telling us we really need to get our house on the market before the “pre-school-year-buying-frenzy” ends sometime around mid-July. And he says the market has heated up considerably in … Continue reading
Posted in Housiing, Travel, Where to Live
3 Comments
Motion?
So, now, we’re really back home in Dallas. Competing emotions are everywhere. The home you’ve built has enormous attraction, but the adventure of powerlessness has its appeal. Let me think on it. Maybe I’ll have a perspective, one day.
Posted in Housiing
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The Mortar of the Morning
I am back at home, fresh from a five mile walk. I sit at the breakfast table, the casement windows open wide so I can enjoy temperatures hovering in the low 60s. The clear sky this morning is bright but … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Housiing, Peace, Philosophy
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