José

"People like you who see the glass as half-full may not see the glass as half-empty but will wonder why the glass is only half-full."

- January 11, 2023

Home

I have to mentally detach from this house. It will not be easy.

I have always loved this house. It was "The One" way back in June 2009 when we first came across it. I forget at this point how many houses we looked at before this one – dozens, to be sure – but each one paled in comparison to this house. There was never any reason to keep searching – indeed, this was "The One".

It has been here for me for the last 14 years; my entire adult life, essentially. Even if I never saw this as a "forever home", having a place to go to ground and strategize during times of great physical, emotional and political upheaval . . . that is difficult to give up. 

And it breaks my heart. 

I felt similarly when my parents divorced after I graduated high school in June 2007. Having to leave my childhood home was a terrible experience, and to do so I had to disassociate myself. 

A good house does right by you, and that house did right by us. 

Just like this one. 

When you told me that you never wanted to buy this house, what was I supposed to say, other than, "I'm sorry . . . 15 years too late"?

I have 12 to 18 months to get my head straight, strategize, save up and invest – $35,000 to $50,000 – into strategic renovations, list the house, close the sale and relocate, most likely to Palm Springs, California, or Paradise or Summerlin, Nevada.

As demoralizing a task as this will be, dragging my feet will accomplish none of this . . . so I may as well get started.

Christie

This morning I listened to post-rock in the rain and thought of you.