So I'm at this point in my life where I feel like I've got to document much of what takes place on a regular basis, if not for others, then at least for myself. Two years ago, I created a blog in which I assumed the identity of a critic of society for fun. Though I have been known to exhibit sarcastic wit from time to time, I felt like the whole scene had been said and done and that nothing I was saying hadn't been seen or heard before. I myself became tired of ranting on solely about stupid commercials or useless garden tools, and eventually discontinued contributing to the blog.
A lot has changed over the last couple years, mainly, my proposal to my girlfriend of nearly eight years last October, and the subsequent purchase of our first home together. Our experiences with our new home has become the catalyst for the resurrection of this blog. The way I see it, is that buying your first home only happens once, so the experiences following the purchase are like life lessons. As I typed that last line, it occured to me just how old I sound, but I assure all you out there who haven't yet owned a home, the experience does put things into perspective. No longer can you simply depend on your parents to repair damaged gutters or to replace faulty dishwashers or even landscape a front yard. When you are awakened at 1:45 in the morning during a downpour because you hear a steady leak in the ceiling behind a wall, there is no one but you to save the day. When you discover that your neighbor allows his dog to defecate all over the shared grass parkway-and lets it simmer-it's up to you to put up, or...
The one issue I would have never even fathomed being an issue is squirrels. What I once thought of as small, harmless rodents with low-key existences are now the targets of a kind of inner rage I never thought I had in me. I shame myself for thinking about various ways of "displacing" these little beasts. My feelings of squirrels have changed drastically over the last few months, really, only since we've moved. It's just a minuscule example of how things once thought of as irrelevant now are, well, not.
All dark clouds aside, the experince has been one that I would never take back. The last few months have been the most exciting and challenging of my life. I understood that I'd have my plate full going into this ruckus and expected the worst (but, as Aimee says, hoped for the best). And as always, I have no regrets at all. As I look forward to the coming years in this new home, I plan tentatively and embrace each day here. In many ways, I feel fortunate to be partaking in what many would consider being part of the "American Dream" at a young age. The sooner we learn the skills necessary to maintain a comfortable home, the better. Of course, a huge thank you to my family and friends for lending us a hand when it came to jobs I was inexperienced in. They, along with lucky personal experience, are the foundation of this endeavor.
As I continue updating this blog, I will try to add some photos of the home and of the surroundings. I am a very inclined to being outdoors-especially during pleasant weather-and, combining that trait with my love for neighborhood structure, local history, and culture, will try to kind of paint a picture of the overall atmosphere that we are now part of.
Joe
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