Hah Hah!

The neighbors probably thought we were moving out today. We hired a company to pack up and move away, to temporary storage, all the contents of our closets, bookcases, night stands, coffee tables, desks, file cabinets, etc. The reason is that we're finally getting our new carpet installed next Monday and Tuesday (if it takes 2 days). The carpet installers will move furniture, but only if it's empty. Hence the "moving day" experience.

After all the crap was hauled away, I was able to look closely in some closets that have long since been buried under loads of unused junk. In one, I discovered a vine growing along the baseboard. I pulled up the carpet and found an enormous amount of spindly vine there. It had somehow entered the house from a crack in the front and had been growing for who knows how long. In the same closet, I found more evidence of foundation problems. And I called foundation repair companies, after I discovered that the warranty on our last foundation repair, done in 1998, lasted 10 years. So, more money down the toilet.

We've decided to refinance our house, taking out a 10 year note on the refinance at 3.99%. That will shave off 8 years, which is what we have left on our 6.5% note. And even though it will cost more, it will save money in the long run. Why we'd want to refinance this money pit is almost beyond me, but I suppose it would be impossible to find a place as nice (except for broken foundations and plants growing under the carpet and along the baseboards) for the same payments.

The discovery of more evidence of foundation issues, coupled with the invasive plants and generally hideous appearance of the closets and the wood trim inside them has convinced me to spend next weekend doing handy-man stuff, such as painting. And, I'll pull carpet from the exterior walls of the house and calk along the sill-plate, where I see evidence of ants and other creatures entering our abode. I'm feeling particularly warm and fuzzy about new houses right about now. I wish someone would send me $1 million in cash so I could indulge my fantasy.

I had a conference call today with a client (while watching someone boxing up all our belongings), during which one of the participants accused me of being irreverent and funny. I enjoyed that little slap. She mentioned an email I had sent, responding to someone who was openly disagreeing with a recommendation I'd made. I had said the writer hadn't understood what I was suggesting...I wasn't suggesting taking legal action against a person who had engaged in fraudulent activity, I was suggesting the person be euthanized. They thought it was funny. They didn't think I was serious. Hah hah!