Imagine the Possibilities

Inspirational song: Freedom of Choice (Devo)

It still hasn't sunk in for either of us that we have actually made it here. We have been trying to get back here for so many years, that it is hard to see that we have fulfilled our quest, or at least are so close that we can see the finish line. We still don't have a house, but the Park has had its first showing and has two scheduled for Tuesday. I know how beautiful it is, especially after touring houses here with our realtor. A few of the places we saw were adorable mid-century brick ranches in good shape. The others were less lovely. At least two of them were so bad I couldn't wait to get back outside. One 1930s bungalow needed something approaching 100 thousand dollars in renovation, but if one had the time and money, it could be a showstopper. What kills me is every one of these houses is asking 60 to 80 thousand more than my immaculate, updated Park.

We have been winding through unfamiliar neighborhoods for the last couple days, learning parts of town--for that matter whole different towns--that we never frequented twenty years ago when we were kids here. Several times we noticed interesting houses, almost enough to distract us from the town we had been eyeing for a year. I can't say we will definitely change direction, but now that we are here we are realizing just how broad our horizons are. We aren't restricted by jobs or schools this time. We can live anywhere we want now. The variety of choices is dizzying.

This apartment complex is definitely not going to be a long term solution for our family. The dogs are handling a regulated walking schedule well enough for now, but they need grass. We also need a different layout and a way to keep the dogs out of certain areas when we need to be gone for six or eight hours at a stretch. I got a text today tattling on Elsa. The dog who swears she isn't capable of hopping into the back of a pickup truck managed to scale the baby gate, eat all of the cat food in the bowls on the floor, and had started to snack on a bar of soap on the edge of the tub by the time Mr S-P found her. We are grateful for our besties for letting us stay in the apartment, knowing we have a herd of tame animals. We all just recognize that it can't last. We need to find a house. I hope we can choose a location we like well enough to make a strong offer.