Wrangling over money
Breakups
Going into debt
Commitment
Hard work
Rice and beans
Being an unmarried woman
Hiring a lawyer
Commitment
A raw deal
A good deal
Just about everything besides speeding trucks, guilotines, immersion in toxic waste for extended periods of time, and falling from a great height.
Although there was that one girl who fell a mile from an airplane and survived. So you just never know.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Retreat
For every major milestone in life, there is always a retreat. For instance, with the prospect of home ownership, I'm finding there's (ownership) excitement, (financial) dread, and (perverse) non-materialism. Perhaps it's hard to let dreams come true.
One great idea is to sell everything I have and go on a retreat for real. There are so many cool places to go -- you could spend each month in a different retreat center, and never run out.
Perhaps...
November: Enjoy the leaves at Zen Mountain Monastery
December: Ski in Vermont while hanging with the Tibetans at Karme Choling
January: Check out the Garrison Institute, a former Catholic monastery
February: Break bread with the Christians at Abby of the Genesee
March: Help with spring plantings at Green Gulch Farms
April: Celebrate spring in Sky Lake Lodge
May: Take a trip to Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village
June: Go to Alaska and commune with whales.
Alas, it looks like I'll be signing away my life's savings next week, and calling an electrician. If you're footloose, enjoy it while you can!
One great idea is to sell everything I have and go on a retreat for real. There are so many cool places to go -- you could spend each month in a different retreat center, and never run out.
Perhaps...
November: Enjoy the leaves at Zen Mountain Monastery
December: Ski in Vermont while hanging with the Tibetans at Karme Choling
January: Check out the Garrison Institute, a former Catholic monastery
February: Break bread with the Christians at Abby of the Genesee
March: Help with spring plantings at Green Gulch Farms
April: Celebrate spring in Sky Lake Lodge
May: Take a trip to Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village
June: Go to Alaska and commune with whales.
Alas, it looks like I'll be signing away my life's savings next week, and calling an electrician. If you're footloose, enjoy it while you can!
Monday, October 13, 2008
happy happy loan time
Today my partners and I received the big thumbs up from the lending community. We had gotten approved for two loans previously, before the rates dropped. Today we got approved for a third at a full point less. Happy happy indebtedness dance in San Francisco this day.
I've scaled back my move-in plans, and may take most or all of November to get settled. And I'm getting movers for the first time in my life. I feel so grown up.
I've scaled back my move-in plans, and may take most or all of November to get settled. And I'm getting movers for the first time in my life. I feel so grown up.
Friday, October 03, 2008
house work
My close date is now and forever: October 30, 2008. It's all very exciting.
A: I will be moving from my home of 10 years
B: I will be changing all sorts of things in my new flat
C: I will no longer be paying rent
D: I will have a debt load that's going to keep my life free of martinis, full-price movies, and a heated tent cabin at Yosemite.
E: I will have roommates
Now, what will my life by like between Oct. 30 and Nov 15? I'm only trying to guess. This post is me, getting organized. If I were you, I wouldn't even bother to read it. But I'll be back.
Oct. 29: Write a huge check.
Oct. 30: Deal closes. Get keys. Check paint colors. Take to new house: shop vac, garbage can and bags, toilet paper, hand towel, soap, broom, my two screwdrivers, a step ladder, paint gear, rags, paper towels, folding chairs.
Oct. 31: Take day off work. Buy paint. Ask Tom to check staging plan for work. Show house to prospective roommates. (Shoot me an email if you know of someone. Costs are: $850 small room, $1250 large room.) Get fireplace guy to seal chimney and extend flue. Make sure to have lots of checks on hand. Paint entryway, hallway, my bedroom, sunroom/office, living room. See if fridge and stove work.
Nov. 1: Paint in morning. Attend wedding in Guerneville in afternoon. Buy appliances: washer/dryer, stove, fridge as needed.
Nov. 2: Finish painting. Start on wood work: repairing back threshold and windows. Add splash guards to tub. Secure heat duct on furnace. Fix hole in garage plaster ceiling and reroute heat ducts. Find access to attic.
Nov. 3: Ask Tom to let floor guys in. Can also: add face plate ("dead front") to fuse box. Add phone jacks? Need to ground power? Check power at box. Remove back thermostat. Strip and repair 3 wood windows. Replace tile on kitchen counter or regrout. Paint trim.
Nov. 4: Vote for Obama/Biden.
Nov. 5: Send change of address letter to friends and family.
Nov. 8: Paint bathroom. (kitchen?) Finish trim. Complete any wood work. Start electrical at box. Hang shower curtain.
Nov. 9: Run wires. Get filthy. Showers for everyone. Appliances delivered.
Nov. 10: Pack up old apartment.
Nov. 14: Cleaners to new house. Finish packing. Camp on floor.
Nov. 15: Movers come a.m. Cleaners to old apartment p.m. Roommates move in (fingers crossed). Order out, light Dura Log, toast to new home.
Things to do later:
Fire rock under front stairs. Replace metal ladder to roof. Bolt foundation. Remove eucalyptus tree. Landscape. Repair back fence. Bring rear stairs up to code. Get Nolo Press book: Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide. Egress lighting. Replace 1 pane cracked glass in french door. Get termite work done.
A: I will be moving from my home of 10 years
B: I will be changing all sorts of things in my new flat
C: I will no longer be paying rent
D: I will have a debt load that's going to keep my life free of martinis, full-price movies, and a heated tent cabin at Yosemite.
E: I will have roommates
Now, what will my life by like between Oct. 30 and Nov 15? I'm only trying to guess. This post is me, getting organized. If I were you, I wouldn't even bother to read it. But I'll be back.
Oct. 29: Write a huge check.
Oct. 30: Deal closes. Get keys. Check paint colors. Take to new house: shop vac, garbage can and bags, toilet paper, hand towel, soap, broom, my two screwdrivers, a step ladder, paint gear, rags, paper towels, folding chairs.
Oct. 31: Take day off work. Buy paint. Ask Tom to check staging plan for work. Show house to prospective roommates. (Shoot me an email if you know of someone. Costs are: $850 small room, $1250 large room.) Get fireplace guy to seal chimney and extend flue. Make sure to have lots of checks on hand. Paint entryway, hallway, my bedroom, sunroom/office, living room. See if fridge and stove work.
Nov. 1: Paint in morning. Attend wedding in Guerneville in afternoon. Buy appliances: washer/dryer, stove, fridge as needed.
Nov. 2: Finish painting. Start on wood work: repairing back threshold and windows. Add splash guards to tub. Secure heat duct on furnace. Fix hole in garage plaster ceiling and reroute heat ducts. Find access to attic.
Nov. 3: Ask Tom to let floor guys in. Can also: add face plate ("dead front") to fuse box. Add phone jacks? Need to ground power? Check power at box. Remove back thermostat. Strip and repair 3 wood windows. Replace tile on kitchen counter or regrout. Paint trim.
Nov. 4: Vote for Obama/Biden.
Nov. 5: Send change of address letter to friends and family.
Nov. 8: Paint bathroom. (kitchen?) Finish trim. Complete any wood work. Start electrical at box. Hang shower curtain.
Nov. 9: Run wires. Get filthy. Showers for everyone. Appliances delivered.
Nov. 10: Pack up old apartment.
Nov. 14: Cleaners to new house. Finish packing. Camp on floor.
Nov. 15: Movers come a.m. Cleaners to old apartment p.m. Roommates move in (fingers crossed). Order out, light Dura Log, toast to new home.
Things to do later:
Fire rock under front stairs. Replace metal ladder to roof. Bolt foundation. Remove eucalyptus tree. Landscape. Repair back fence. Bring rear stairs up to code. Get Nolo Press book: Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide. Egress lighting. Replace 1 pane cracked glass in french door. Get termite work done.
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