Liveblog Sais de Mayo

7:30 - Today is the first main day for moving. I've cleared all the clothes out of the dresser, some into a box, some into my childhood dresser (pictured, I like the t-shirt). Later JD will help me move the fridge and stuff. Right now I'm starved, so going to Mc'Ds for a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit. I love those things!


8:02 - I see now that I got back from the store that the gas guy called to say he was on his way. I told him I was about 30 minutes out. Gotta get moving to meet him!

10:00 - I had to go back to Zebulon. There was no power, so the gas man would not turn it on. (He even put a lock shield onto the valve!) I've called the power company, and he said they had turned it on about 10 minutes earlier. Voted on the democratic ticket in the primaries.

10:40 - Back in Raleigh. Sent the following email:

-------- Original Message --------
From: Michael
To: jd
Subject: This Afternoon After Work
Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 10:57:44 -0400

Hey - I'm at the house waiting for the water guy and maybe the gas guy. There is power, the internet is up, and so is the phone (). I'm ready to go.

How about replying back to this, to confirm that your number is 5022.

Michael

11:30 - Just got back from Lowes to pick up a boring drill bit to make the passage for installing the water line for the ice maker.

12:30 - Gas guy came back and turned on the pilot lights for the furnace, plus confirmed the gas stove is working ( We're cooking with gas now!) The water guy also showed up, but since the valve is unscrewed he couldn't turn on the water. He called it in as an emergency to the mechanics folks.

2:30 - After 2 more trips to Lowes (any project will be 3 today) but the icemaker line is installed. It attaches at the sink, goes through the crawl (literally) space and up in the alcove. It now just needs water and a freezer to make some ice. Let me tell you something about crawl spaces...you don't want to be wearing shorts! I tied diesh towels to my knees and put on jogging pants for the crawl ... and it worked.

And theres the waterworks guy pulling up just now!

4:00 - The water is back on, so I'm back in Zebulon, throwing almost everything in the fridge into a trash bag (there is no using any of it!)


9:00 - Finished moving the few items that needed 2 people, so I am back in Zebulon again for the night. We used what I heard called the 4-armed dolly, straps that you put on your forearms and carry the fridge. Makes it much easier than a hand truck to manuever steps and turns. Pictured is JD sitting in the recliner, having a smoke.


10:30 - Showered and just finished dinner, pictured. It's smoked sausage browned in the skillet, and some potatoes tossed with some butter and tarragon and dill weed. That hit the spot tonight! Now to sit back and catch an episode of Lost.

11:59 - Good night!

RoboCalls

Not too much to report on Apache this weekend. I moved the outdoor furniture this weekend, and on Tuesday Jay will be coming by to help me move the fridge, plus a couple of other large items that needs 2 people to move.

For the first time in forever, North Carolina is important in the national election. And our primary is on this coming Tuesday. So of course I am getting the RoboCalls for the candidates. Funny, the politicians made it illegal for telemarketers to call you if you tell them not to, but there is nothing to stop politicians from calling you 20 times a day!

Pictured is the caller-id for a robocall for "North Carolina For Hillary". Notice that it is coming from South Carolina? You would almost want to be insulted that she wouldn't use an office in NC if those are the votes she wants. (Actually, it is probably becuase inter-state calls are less expensive than intra-state.)

Now, who do I want to vote for?

Second Day

Spent the second day at my new home. This time wasn't nearly so hectic.

I took a bunch of boxes over this time, mostly the stuff that I had already packed up, meaning not too much that would be useful. Most of it went into the spare bedroom.

Did some cooking, this time better than the absolutely awful hamburger helper. I broiled up some chicken thighs and mexicorn. A few more dishes were dirtied up this time. In the picture below, there is also the can containing the leftover grease. Earlier this year, Raleigh banned garbage disposals, saying it encouraged people to pour grease down the drain. At the time I thought it was b.s. but since it did go through my mind fleetingly, I can see their point.



Last night I lit up the living room after it had gotten dark, and I liked what I saw. Now I need to figure out what I want to do with the room. I am still at a loss, but at least I know the focal point is going to be the brick wall.



The bar is getting itself fixed up, with space for cooking books, adult beverages, and the work area. I really like that piece of furniture!



I have come to the realization that Guinan does not like to be alone in the house. I left for about an hour this morning and she had tore through a pair of blinds trying to get out the window. I think part of it is because the first time I left her there, the carpenter made a loud racket with the sawz-all. To her it was a strange place without me and loud noises.

After the second weekend I know what furniture I want to sgtart moving. Plus I measured again and my king bedroom suite will fit just fine!

My First Day

Today was my first day in my new home. It started the day at my country home, sleeping in on Friday, making a date for breakfast Saturday, and then load up and get into the city.

The two guys working on the home nexy door were there working. I talked with Scott about the deal, materials and what not, and we struck a price. Equipment was hauled over, and Mitch got to work. He started by getting the outline of the alcove for the fridge marked on the wall. I ran to errands to Lowes, and when I came back, this is the hole that I found.



It did get pretty warm for this early in the year, so Mitch stripped off his shirt. I like Mitch the carpenter:



Here are a few pics as it was being built:



We had our book and media club meeting tonight, as usual I forgot the camera. I decided a nice thing would be to review a couple of movies I've watched for the film festival. One I watched and enjoyed is Ready? Go! It is an absolutely delightful film, the star of which is a 10 year old boy who wants to be a cheerleader. My favorite line is "Me? No, I'm a choreographer" and the absolute look of delight in that young boys face.

I think I need to get a handle on the spending, but I just bought a new home, and I need stuff. Like getting a new Bunn brand coffee maker. That is immediate coffee. And water filter. And a new water heater. This one isn't even hooked up to the gas line. But Scott has a plumber who can come by Monday or so. Scott I think must be a general contractor. Here are the numbers for the mailbox, plus the water hose for the fridge ice maker.



Dinner. I had dinner before going to the media gathering. The trip to the grocery store was expensive. And I brought next to no dishes, 1 each of knife, fork, spoon, glass and mug. And the pots and pans I am giving to Jim. But I am keeping them for a short time until everything moves. And I see I need to add the lid in to the mix. The hamburger helper I was fixing (ugh...inset) needed to be covered and simmered. I improvised with the big pot as the lid.



I'm trying to learn how to improvise in the kitchen. Just make do with whatever ingredients and tools happen to be in the kitchen. This got started after I started reading The Improvisational Cook. It's been a very enlightening book. For my 2nd night, I fixed up some chicken and dumplings, part from a soup can, and added chicken from a can. Not too good, but better.

After getting home tonight, I decided I need to screen a couple more movies. One that has been intriguing me was Gay Bed & Breakfast of Terror. So using a piece of plywood and the saw horses, I hade a table on the patio and spent the evening watching the campy horror flick. I fired up a candle and then giggled into my hand repeatedly. I suspect this one will make the cut, and be shown as a Saturday midnight movie.

And my final achievment today has been to write up this entry. Lo it is almost 2am and I really need to get into bed so I can go to my breakfast date tomorrow. So this is saving as draft until I get the pictures out of the camera.

It's been a fun day.

Closed

Well, I closed today on my new Apache home. Per habit, the bank didn't get the figures to the lawyer until the very last minute. But they did, papers signed and checked passed around.

Straight out of the lawyers office, and I beelined to the furniture store. I have been thinking about that bar / island ever since I saw it. The store was a furniture clearance center for Home Comfort, a local furniture chain. The leaf doesn't fit properly, so it was clearanced. Fine, the leaf makes it too big for me, plus it's easily fixed. It was even delivered today. Here it is in it's new home.

Spending so many hours in the house with nothing set to do, I got to explore every part of the place. Crawling underneath in the crawlspace, and it's surprisingly free of spiders and bugs. Went into the attic, which is a real attic with a plywood floor along the entire length. Lots of storage up there. Tore out where a wisteria bush was starting to get a hold onto the fence. Those things will tear down a fence over the years.

So what was the first utility I had started? Not power or gas. Cable modem internet, of course. Which means I now have phone too. Because the cable in the house was so old, they had to run new cable from the pole to the house, and in side the house. But that also means that the big work is done if I decide on cable versus satellite high-def.

The cable guy was a little late, but that's because there was a main gas line break at the loop, and all exit traffic was canceled and even some home / businesses were evacuated. It snarled that whole area up for hours

One problem with older houses is that they are smaller. Everything was smaller back then, including refrigerators. Mine will not fit into it's spot by 1/4" ! So I am going to have an alcove put in for it. Do you see the blank wall on the right behind the bar in the pic? I am going to have an opening put into that wall and push the refrigerator through it so only the doors stick out. It will be recessed into the wall (I've measures. it'll easily fit). Once in place, I'll have the traditional 3-point kitchen triangle of sink-stove-fridge.

I need something done fairly quickly, and there were 2 guys cleaning out the house next door, so I went and asked them. They said they could do carpentry and the one guy asked all the right questions, so they are coming by on Friday to put it in for me. Tonight I called the owner of the house to get a reference, and she is an attorney who represented him in court. But she was generally supportive of him, so we will give this a go. The rule of course is to pay 1/2 up front to cover materials, then the rest when it is completed successfully.

Kitchen Bar

Saturday was a very interesting day. I spent the morning purchasing firearms, and the afternoon shopping for furniture. I could have rounded it all out by going to a fund raiser, but I figure I'd already been at each end of the spectrum that day.

I visited several furniture stores, looking at the variety of choices. I have no idea what exactly I want for the living room. I have a bare idea of what I want for the dining room, which involves a table that is higher than the norm. I want a table I can stand at to eat or work, with appropriate stools or benches for seating (bistro tables?). The table pictured was an interesting triangle, but I just didn't like the color.

But one thing that I really want is some sort of a bar area between the kitchen and dining room. There is no wall between the two, so they flow together fairly easily. One store that I visited is for gaming furniture, such as pool tables, card tables, and of course, bars. But every bar that they had was huge, or at least much too big for the area I want to fill. They did have two small ones, but the only acceptable one was already sold.

But I did find this kitchen island at a clearance store. I think it will fit the bill very nicely. It's been stressed, and I like the large working area. So tonight on my way to Durham I am going to stop and take another look and measure it. I will probably put a deposit on it too, to hold it while I decide what I'm going to do.

Furniture shopping. This time I'm going to furnish my home with some style.

The Cigarette Butt

One thing always leads to another. As you know, I've been making a lot of lifestyle changes. Getting out and being social is one of the major ones. But staying in and being even more social is another part of it too. And so, risks increase. I've played quite physically with a couple of adult men, some of whom I haven't know quite as well as maybe I should.

Which leads me to maybe a little paranoia on my part. A week ago I found a cigarette butt around the back of the house, Tahoe brand. It was new, not sogged from the rain a few days earlier. And considering that it is quite far from anywhere any person should be found. I got a little worried that I've had a visitor. An unknown visitor to the back of the house.

Which led me to the next step. This morning I visited the local gun shop. It's the second time I've been to that shop, and to be honest, I felt pretty intimidated the first time. I haven't touched a gun since I was 10, not even in the Air Force. This time was much easier.

I didn't really know what I wanted, just that I needed a deterant, and the last word. We told the man that I wanted personal protection, possibly for conceal carry. He showed me a couple of handguns, light and small and fits easily into pants pocket. One was a 38 I believe, something that is brand new on the market and back ordered. And then I asked to look at shotguns.

I've asked several people for a recommendation on which to buy, hand gun or shot gun. There seemed to be good reasons for or against either one. The other night I decided to talk with a friend of mine who is a marine. His immediate response was to get a shot gun. He said that cranking sound as the shell is loaded into the chamber says loud and clear that we're not funnin' around here. That pretty much set the decision.



So, thanks to a stray cigarette butt, I am now the proud owner of a Browning BPS 12 gauge shotgun. One day soon I'll be out on a shooting range getting myself familiar with it, and knowing what it will feel like when it is fired. Yea, it's funny how one thing leads to another.

Per Hour?

I think I've found myself a new job!

Earth Hour

Well, I'm just a little under 15 minutes until the start of Earth Hour. I'm right in the middle of watching (for my first time) Mrs. Miniver. But I'll hit the pause button, then shut off the DVD player at 8pm and proceed to shut down all of the rest of the house. Lights, fridge, heating, pool pump, computer, all off!

An hour of solitude, reading a book by candle light. How awesome is that?

Apache Deal

Well, it's a done deal, except for the bank giving me some money. I have a new home. I had it inspected today and it came through fairly well. The worst is some termite damage that'll need treating and repair. That's really about it.

I did get a "Sold" sign put onto the house. You never see those signs on houses outside of romance movies. This picture is the one on my home, and that is Daniel Loges, my realtor who found me this cute cottage. (Daniel, you are welcome to use the picture any way that you like!)



Hooo, boy, this is going to be a big lifestyle change. I hope I'm ready for it.

The Apache Home

I've gone and done it again. I've found another home that looks very good to me. This one looks to be much more sound than the last one. The current owner is a company that buys homes and refurbishes them. A "flip" if you will, except that they first actually put work into restoring it.

This one is outside the loop, in the northeast part of town. Actually it is just barely outside the loop, being the first light off Wake Forest road. As always, bigger pics once you click. (Y'know, I really should ask mad about his way of enlarging photos with a click on his blog...that's really cool!)



When I first moved to Raleigh, I lived in more-or-less this part of town, so I know it fairly well. The neighborhood is across the street from Bahama Breeze, a place that intrigued me every day when I drove past it that I finally asked a friend to go there with me. I am completely familiar with that whole part of town.

The neighborhood seems really good. I stood with the realtor on the street talking about the offer and giving him a check, and during that time I met at least 3 of the neighbors. Nice people all, generally younger and professionals. I could easily see many gay neighbors in the future, if they aren't there already.

So now, here come the pictures. The front is bland and boring. I'll find something to do with it though to liven things up, but I really love that I have two very big, very mature oak trees to give me shade during those hot summer days.



Here is a picture of the back of the house, from the top of the hill. The back yard has had some landscaping done, as there is landscaping timbers making tiers. I think in time I will replace them with maybe railroad ties or even stones.



There is also a nice arboretum off to the side of the patio out back. It gives the feeling of being outdoors in a quiet shady area. Lots of shade loving plants would easily fill this part with lots of color.



One of the more striking features inside is the living room. One end is a slight step down to tiled flooring, with a brick wall for accent, plus the hardwood floor throughout the main part. That brick wall has all kinds of possibilities. Fireplace comes to mind, of course. But what about even more plants. How about a vine climbing up the brick?



I really like the kitchen. Right off, it has a gas cooktop. I have been wanting to cook on gas for ages. I also like the way that there is no wall between the kitchen and dining area, and no wall between the dining and living areas. A person could stand in the dining room and chat with practically anyone in the house from that spot. It also lends itself to having a bar placed between the dining and kitchen. I've got a corner hutch that would fit the bill perfectly for storing the glassware and liquor.



There is one potential pitfall to this becoming my place. There is already a contingent contract offer for the home. One of those "when we sell our home, we will buy this one" deals. I am betting on the seller going for the "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". But if the other purchaser comes up with the money, I'm out of luck. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that.

This will be a great place for me. Wish me luck!

Metal Water Bottles

Okay, so I am one of those people who drinks lots of water. From a bottle. I use the store-packaged water bottles occasionally especially when driving or about town. And I even fill it up at the kitchen tap (I like my well water), plus at various places like businesses.

Usually though I have a heavy duty plastic water bottle, pictured here. It's okay, insulated so that it doesn't sweat when I have ice water, and generally just fine. I read something back awhile ago about chemicals from the plastic, but I figured whatever.

Then I came across this article about stuff white people like, concerning the water bottle. Low and behold, I find out that what I'm really supposed to be doing is drinking out of a metal water bottle. I don't know, it's a stature thing I guess. I guess I need to go find me a pretty metal water bottle, like one of these.

But really, the purpose of this post is to tell you about a blog called Stuff White People Like. It is a riot, and you really must go read it!

Enjoy!

The Right Path?

This blog post is pretty interesting, and it plays into where my head has been for quite awhile now. The whole house hunting thing is an outgrowth of my trying to be independent. This is the path that I've been following, and it sums up one aspect fairly succinctly:

Mainly, I could have been a better employee to former employers and living below your means allows you to do “stupid” things like quit your job and start your own business. It’s an adventure and trying at times, but most things worth doing aren’t easy.

The key in that statement is the living below your means. I've been doing that for several years now, and it has been paying off. With a new house, I will be cutting the final line, the mortgage.

By the way, the house I wrote about did not survive the inspection, so the deal fell through. The house almost fell through itself, literally. The inspection uncovered some serious structural deficits. So it's back to more house shopping.

Radical, Lesbian, Socialist, anti-Constitutionalist

When I went to the mailbox this afternoon, here is an envelope I found:



I turned it over, and it's a money-beg from the very same politician named, from Wisconsin of all places! My name sure gets onto some interesting mailing lists!

Offer Accepted

Well, my offer for the new house was accepted, no counter-offer or anything. That makes me wonder just how low I could have gone. And it is also leaving me seriously wondering if I am doing the right thing.

For instance, I love the house I'm in now. The new one is almost 1/2 the size and it is next to the highway. Plus, I will have actual neighbors. Here is my current home:



And then there is the pool that I would be walking away from. This picture is from the pool party I had last summer, and I plan on having another this summer, just with more people, plus booze. If you are reading this, you are probably invited....



So here is the issues that I need to work through. I like the idea of living in Raleigh. And this house is considerably less expensive, leaving me with about 10k of mortgage plus whatever fixin' up I do. But I really love this house in the country. Even with the pool needing some repair, as it sprung a leak last spring.



But I've borrowed some waders so I can go in while it is low and patch the hole.



I really don't know what I want to do. At present I am continuing down the path I originally started, which is purchasing the house. I had also expected to spend the next 2-3 months fixing it up to get ready to move into. That will take me into the summer, and that's when I can hold my pool party.

I have about 1 week to make a final decision on whether I want to go through with the deal, or back out and get a refund on my earnest deposit. It will be inspected next week, and the offer indicates that if repairs are more than $2000, the offer can be rescinded. There is at least that much in repairs if done by a professional.

The idea I am toying with right now is to go ahead and make the purchase. There are several things that need doing that I can do myself. It can be my learning place for home remodeling. Those could be my weekend projects. It also gives me lots of blogging material as I do the projects...something this blog could really use.

That also puts me into the city during the weekend so that I can socialize and meet more folk. Plus, when there are events and parties that occur during the week in Raleigh, and there are quite a few, I can go to them and then crash overnight at the house. And there is a certain cachet in being able to say "want to go to my place in the city or to my country home."

It'll be a bit of a stretch financially, but there is the renter. He's been there for 6 years now, and I am sure quite comfortable. The rent covers almost covers half my mortgage payment.

In the end, it'll cost less than an apartment would, gives me a place to live in the city, and allows me to keep some of my current lifestyle like the pool and peace and quiet when I need that.

I still need to think through a lot of this. What I've written seems to just scratch the surface of the whole deal. I'm excited about doing it, plus stressing big time. I've changed my mind about 27 times today about it. But I will come to some decision, eventually.