8 months away sounds like a decent amount of time. Really though, it flies. Here we go again.
The summer was very good, the fall was excellent, and winter, so far, has been full of snow, and it's only the first week of January. I'm certain there'll be more to come, which is good. I really like snow.
Four days before Christmas, I finished painting the portrait of a young boy, the son of one of our friends, it was commissioned as a Christmas gift. It turned out very well, I think. Our friend was very happy. I'd like to hear how her husband liked it. Finishing this painting sorta came down to the wire. There was no procrastination involved in this project, simply the job being done in tandem with buying our first home.
We did purchase our first home in December, and if that's not exciting enough, we got it half-off. I'll explain how that happened later, but needless to say, we're very grateful. The house was a foreclosed property (sad), and we have about two months worth of renovation to be done before we move in. Our contractor will begin his work on January 10th. We should be completely moved in by April 1st. No foolin'.
There is no kitchen in the house, so, as the family cook, I find myself in the unusually nice position of being able to choose my own kitchen. We're having the upstairs floors changed from carpet to wood (except in our bedroom), new lighting will be installed and all walls including the garage (one car) will be painted. We've already chosen the color and type of wood for the floors (maple flooring, dark-ish brown with nice dings and imperfections). The walls will be the same color throughout, Greenbriar Beige, with Navajo White trim. The names of these colors smack of suburban domestic crap-tacularness, but connotations aside, this is a good warm color combo, elegant. We had fun with different colored walls back when we lived in the Firehouse, but we've found our interest in interior decor has turned more to what we hang on the walls, rather that the walls themselves. Gallery like, perhaps.
Another nice turn, is that both Sharon and I will have our own office/studios. Mine's upstairs, Sharon's is down. We can stay out of each other's way with this set-up, and then regroup in the kitchen around 4 o'clock for mutual inspiration and a drink.
There will be grading and landscape work to be done, sprinkler installation, some electrical wiring as well as wiring for a future sound system downstairs...
(sidebar)
I'm sitting in the Tattered Cover Bookstore downtown: Two young blondes just walked by me, speaking quickly to each other. One says to the other:
"...and I told him, you're absolutely going to hate wearing glasses! I told him he really needs to consider getting contacts, you know?" As they walked out of my ear shot, I peered saltily at them over the rims of my glasses.
(return)
...There is a full basement with nice tall ceilings that is not finished; we will be adding a third bedroom and a second bathroom down there. It's always a luxury to be able to choose between the toilet upstairs or down, no?
The house is only six years old, and according to all who have inspected it, is a very well built home and in excellent condition. The back yard is perfectly positioned (outdoors) and I've already claimed the west fence line and at least half of the south fence line as sites for future garden beds.
I've taken extensive photos of the house as it is now, and I'll document the entire transformation. You'll all be privy.
Of course when one moves into a larger home, the inclination to want to fill it with the new, is compelling. Sharon began with this:
It's comfy.
My first expenditure was the purchase of a new snow shovel.
Equally comfy.
We do already have two fine snow shovels, but they're in storage. Denver gives home owners 24 hours after a snow storm ends to clear the sidewalk in front of their house, or else. I've made three shoveling trips to the house since Thanksgiving and the sidewalk is clean as a whistle. I believe I'm setting a new sidewalk shoveling standard for this new neighborhood of ours. I like the sidewalk to be completely cleared of snow, not merely a shovel's width worth. Hopefully, among my new neighbors, this won't cause me to become known as that "smart-ass overachieving snow shoveler".
As glad and grateful as we'll be to be in a home of our own, owning a home was never high on either of our lists of things to get done in life. Honestly, we're gonna miss our tidy little segue apartment when the time comes to vacate. Our current apartment is just on the extreme east end of Congress Park, an excellent old neighborhood here in Denver. It's been a bit like resting in a vacation home, easy to clean and the plumbing is some other blokes problem. But of course, we know there will be a truly warm and satisfying feeling about owning the hook and the wall where you hang your hat. We look forward to that.
I mentioned that we received our new home at a cost of half-off. True. If you are an educator, police officer, fire fighter, or EMT personnel, or if you know anyone of this sort, pay close attention. I'll explain our story in detail next week.
So, how will we pronounce this year? I'll be saying: Twenty Ten, as opposed to, Two Thousand Ten, personal preference.
Whatever your rendition, happy 2010. Enjoy the new decade, it is the future after all.
Have a good weekend, and Godspeed, John Glenn,
Dave
