Spring 2015 April 24 Friday

62 degrees this morning, 45:55 minutes walking

Light fog this morning, almost like a light rain.

The bird is still coming back to where it’s nest used to be and just sits there.  I feel rather hard-hearted, but that is the one place I can’t let the bird stay!  (Creates too much of a mess).  

It is weird, only one of them is there, it is the female bird one night and the male bird the next night.  (Both of them sit on the gutter, but only one of them sits on the door frame where their next used to be.

Aliene is still progressing well.  She has her ups and downs, but I can see the progress.  Today is three weeks for her neck brace.  She sees the surgeon next week for her followup visit so she will know a lot more then.  She expects to wear the neck brace six weeks, so it that holds true, she is past the half-way point!

I went to a “Code Enforcement 101” last night, put on by the city for residents.  It wasn’t quite what I thought it was, but but it was good.  

If nothing else, it showed the staff are very dedicated about their jobs.  

I had my chance to complain about the lack of recycling, compliment them on the bulk pickup and ask about mud on the streets, parking on sidewalks etc.

I found out I should report mud and grass on the street since it pollutes the groundwater (I know that, but I was glad to hear them confirm this and they were actively engaged in preventing it.)  

They did say to call on cars blocking the sidewalk and they would explain to them that it was illegal.  Based on my walks, they are going to have to talk to a bunch of people!  It seems like there will be blocks were no one blocks the sidewalk and other blocks where half the cars park on the sidewalk.

One person even set up a basketball goal on the sidewalk.  The city did advise them to move the goal.  

Field day yesterday, one of the complete days where I was in my new territory.  I enjoyed it. 

We soon should know if we will be moving or not, as the “closing” date gets closer.  I read where they say people our age should have our house paid off, so we are really swimming against the stream to get a loan!    With interest rates where they are, it just makes sense.

We seriously thought about renting, and there are a lot of good reasons to rent, especially when we had such a good property management firm.  If we had to have something done, they got it done.  

Also, if the house was damaged by a storm we didn’t have to worry about it.

Another (and perhaps the best) reason is illustrated here.  Due to a horrible builder, the front driveway is sinking and will probably cost thousands of dollars to fix and is a huge liability for the owner.  

Seeing that happen almost makes you decide never trust a house not to be defective!  Also, I was on a ladder and saw there the kitchen cabinets were mis-measured and the builder simply left  them rather than correct it since I assume he thought no one would ever see it.

Major r reasons we decided to buy a house included the tax benefits and, perhaps most important, control.  We don’t have to worry about the house selling and having to move, the owner drastically raising the rent and just having the ability to make changes we see fit!

That’s it for now, Friday, April 24, 2015.