Cobwebs

This house is a good house. Aside from the plumbing issues in the first couple of weeks I have very few complaints. We don't know what the gas bills are going to look like yet, but I am sure they will be bigger than we want them. We were able to pay the first months mortgage as well as the second months principal altogether. What a good feeling it is to know that we are starting out ahead, if nothing else we have eliminated a single payment off of our term. We now officially stand at 358 monthly payments to go. The focus has been on our cars most recently, not on remodeling our house. That will come soon. We have been enjoying the ability to wash clothes without paying $3.50 per load. We have learned that having trash and water paid for is a luxury that should never be taken for granted. Not sure where we stand financially just right this moment. I have fallen behind on our budget and am feigning interest in taking care of that just yet. Wednesday may be the day, but more likely Friday and Saturday. It feels like there is so much catching up to do, but really I don't think that there is. We have a good handle on the responsibilities that we are facing it's just a matter of the details getting worked out. Most of which are indeterminable. Whatever is to come we will seek to be at peace with our lot.
Actually... we have two lots : )

Corrigated Moments

It's 10:30 pm. We have packed 5 or 6 boxes tonight. The moving crew is coming tomorrow at 9.
I think that we have moved from putting it off beyond being unmotivated and are nearing anti-motivation. It's not that we don't want to move, we do! We are happy to have a house and that particular house in fact. We just don't like our stuff enough to be able to find it when we are in that house. So things are going to begin to be tossed into box in a disorganized fashion and the labeling system is almost a joke.
What silly people we can be sometimes. We have had a closing date set for nearly 7 weeks, we have owned the house for nearly 2 and we have moved the eat-ware and cutlery into the house along with a vacuum and broom. Maybe it's because things have become so cluttered with the boxes and empty boxes and stacks of boxes and broken boxes.
I have realized through the past several weeks that I lack a certain ambition that makes people extremely successful. I believe I am capable, and able. I think I am just content in mediocrity. I guess I just don't feel like it's all that bad. Maybe I should build a fort with the bo...
Got to go!

For that car?

I stopped to have my car inspected today. The mechanic after 5 minutes of having the car on the lift came to me with a bill for $736.76 for parts and labor. I went to auto zone got all of the parts for less than $100 and will have everything installed by my hands or a professional for a grand total of less than $200. I have only had one mechanic try to swindle me in the past, he was in Las Vegas and he tried to tell us that our car was on it's last leg, it wouldn't make it another 100 miles but he was willing to trade us another car that he had for an additional $1600. We left and continued driving another 1000 miles before learning that it was altitude changes affecting the fuel injectors.
Today was different, he explained that it wouldn't pass that there were to many things wrong, I asked for a written list. When I ventured to ask for details and clarification he cut me off and said "it's pretty complicated".
Now, this is a new experience for me. I am more often than not told that I tend to come off as intimidating and that people tend to be cautious of me at the onset of a meeting. So for an adult, not too much older than me, to be willing to come forth with such augmented prices and giving written costs with fractions of dollars to each part and item on the list while using incorrect abbreviations for the items and tell me that this was standard and the only way I could save a couple of dollars was to do it my self and it might cost more after I bought or rented tools (free from auto zone) I left.
Now I would not be surprised if this had happened to my wife. She is not familiar with auto parts or general pricing for labor/repairs. But she can understand when things are explained to her and she can make wise decisions that are not fueled by fear or unfamiliar information.
I am pissed because I had to pay for the inspection, which means I have to have the repairs completed and then return there or pay someone else $12 to re-inspect.
As my friend Ethan would accurately state... Dilemma.

This Older House

It has now been one week since completing the purchase of our first home. I guess I thought it would be a little bit more sobering, or maybe it would leave me feeling stressed out at the thought of all the new debt. Another thought was that maybe I would feel a sense of pride or accomplishment.
The truth of the matter (for the millions of desperately interested readers) is that aside from the day the purchase was made. I really haven't had much thought about tia at all. It hasn't been stressful or joyful really. Maybe it has to hit me later. It may happen when I am sitting in the living room watching the fire burn down, or maybe it will happen when we have our first flood from faulty or clogged plumbing.
Although I don't have the most experienced eye, I pay attention to tiny details, like the line within our loan agreement that stated I was required to maintain the property for the duration of the loan. I don't legally have the option of letting things go unnoticed and that seems strange to me. Maybe I don't feel like it is mine yet.
I have found that I don't really care to much if anyone else loves this house. My wife loves this house, and she loves me, and she wants to live with me in that house. That makes the house and whatever does or doesn't come with it...
just what I was looking for.