In the last three months, my life has
changed significantly. I bought a house!
One week after posting the game bag update
at The Ryanarium, my wife and I went trawling
for a new house, a search that had already
consumed a frustrating three years of our
lives. We visited an open house near our
apartment, and immediately felt it was
perfect for us. Finally, a house that we did
not have to compromise anything about! Great
size, great condition, great neighborhood,
and within our budget. This was what we’d
been waiting for! (Bonus: the house belonged
to a submarine captain!)
We first saw the house on a Saturday. We
bid for it on Sunday. Our bid was accepted
on Tuesday. It was fast, thrilling, a dread
hope.
We moved in at the beginning of May, and
were immediately confronted with a Herculean
list of repairs and tasks. We replaced all
the two-prong electrical outlets with
three-prong, and replaced the metal cover
plates of each. We replaced the sink
drainpipes in the half-bath by the kitchen.
We replaced a leaking hose bib (with a
frost-free). We replaced the leaking main
water valve. We installed pet-proof screen
on the attic louvers. We replaced the attic
ventilation fan. We pulled the weeds out
from between the patio bricks. We mowed the
neglected lawn, which had been growing
unchecked all spring. We bought Ikea
dressers and a loveseat, and assembled them.
We put protective felt feet on the coffee
table. We scrubbed every surface we could
find to scrub. We hung portraits and put up
drapes.
During all this, I’ve been without a
stable internet connection. As much as I’m
tempted to, I will not grouse about it here;
those in my corporeal life have had to put up
with that enough already. Let’s just say
it’s been a long six weeks, and it’s still
not resolved.
I’ve also been busy Having A Life. My
father visited to help us move in. My
in-laws were here the following week. I was
a groomsman for my brother’s wedding. My
wife and I satisfied our long-held cravings
for roller coasters with a day at Cedar Point, where I was able to ride
some of my favorite coasters (The Corkscrew,
the Iron Dragon, and the Gemini) and
discovered two new favorites (The Mine Ride
and the WildCat). We visited Fort Necessity, a young George
Washington’s introductory course in colonial
combat. I have learned to play and to love a
co-op boardgame called Pandemic. My mother came to
visit, and we showed her The Pope-Leighey House and Woodrow
Wilson’s house.
Nifty Wikipedia Thing: Erdos-Bacon numbers
I fondly remember Tako the
Octopus, who will be cooking your dinner.
Movies I’ve Seen:
Blade Runner (1982)
Cashback (2006)
Die Hard (1988)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Fatal Instinct (1993)
Flesh and Blood (1985)
Gamerz
Gran Torino (2008)
Lolita (1962)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Road Warrior (1981)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Star Trek (2009)
Taken (2008)
The Terminator (1984)
Up (2009)
Used Cars (1980)
The Warriors (1979)
What I’m Reading:
"Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood
of 1927" by John Barry
"Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits" by Dave
Barry
"Questioning the Millennium" by Steven
Jay Gould
The Ryanarium 