new blog

The husband and I will be chronicling our adventures in home ownership here.

searching for happier news

My google news feed has recently alerted me to the reality of far too many unstable people carrying guns in Washington County. We have had at least three fatal shootings in little more than a week. I doubt our little set of country suburbs is any different than any other part of the nation right over the past year. It has seemed that the news has been filled with an abundance of violent crime.

In such times of trouble I like to keep on scrolling right on down to the entertainment news where the headlines are lighter, if not a bit boring.

• Pamela Bach arrested for DUI, ex-husband David Hasselhoff released from hospital
• 'New Moon' Overshadows 'The Blind Side' At Box Office
• Reputed 'Other Woman' Denies Affair with Tiger
• 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' DVD To Hit Shelves On January 26

Ah, but what is this? "Chelsea Clinton Engaged to Marc Mezvinsky" A headline guaranteed to make me smile.

I've always held a bit of fascinatioon with Chelsea Clinton who moved into the White House when we were twelve.

I watched in horror when we were thirteen and the media ran her through the wringer for not being pretty enough.

I watched in horror again when we were 18 and scandal ripped apart her world.

I watched with pride when she went off to college, a year ahead of me.

I watched with pride again when she campaigned for her mother and impressed the world.

And now I watch with joy.

Best wishes to Chelsea Clinton on the happy occasion of marriage!

talkin' the homeowner blues

I am sitting in a very nice hotel room that smells moderately of cigarette smoke. Our nation's capitol unfolds around me under a gray drizzle chilled by fierce wind.

I look forward to this time tomorrow when I will return home to gray drizzle chilled by fierce wind. The history of a country cannot compare to the history of our new farm house and all of the projects it brings.

Yesterday I was finally able to scrape the last of the weekend paint from my skin. I suppose if I am to be a messy painter it may as well drip down my arms and send flecks into my hair than drips and flecks on the walls and floors.

Though it takes time, the painting is a manageable pursuit. I can't think of the other projects for long before the anxiety grips my lungs. I can't let my thoughts stray too far toward the thought of a condo lacking gutters in need of repair or I start to lose my enthusiasm for my delightful house.

I suppose to be a homeowner means, among many satisfying forms of joy, an ownership of dirt and mold and questionable pipes and countless hours of work.

Here's to home ownership and all the adventures it may bring!

success in the hunt

So, I had originally planned to post a few of our favorite houses to the blog, but we ended up having just one favorite. We viewed 10 houses in one day. Two of them were immediately ruled out. Seven of the remaining houses were ranch houses -- virtually indistinct from the others. This left us with one house. It's a great house -- 1910 farm house. So how does it stack up against the list?

• .25 Acres | .18 acres
  
• 3+ bedrooms (separated by floor plan or multi-story) | 3 bedrooms on two levels
  
• 2+ bathrooms | 1.5 bathrooms
• Wood flooring throughout (tile in kitchen, bathrooms) | wood except the kitchen and half bath which have laminate
  
• Open kitchen w/ island and window(s) | Fairly open kitchen w/ windows and tons of possibility
  
• Natural, solid-surface kitchen counters | Countertops in dire need of replacing, some laminate, some natural
  
• Wood cabinetry | Wood cabinetry (possibly original or at least very old)
  
• Gas cook top | Gas cook top
  
• Electric oven | Gas oven
  
• Energy efficient refrigerator| No refrigerator (yet)
  
• Dishwasher| Dishwasher
• Double sink | Not sure ...
  
• Designated dining room | Designated dining room
  
• Laundry room with sink and folding counter | Mudroom with hookups
  
• Detached (or low focal point) garage | Detached (huge!) garage
  
• Near good elementary school, library, shopping, parks | Across the street from school, within ten minutes of library, shopping and parks
  
• Established neighborhood with sidewalks | Fairly established but possibly transitioning to commercial
  
• Central Location (20-40 minutes to Forest Grove, Portland and Oregon City) | 15 minutes to F.G., 30 minutes to PDX, 50 minutes to O.C.
  

Considering my list was intended too be a dream list a la House Hunters, I think we did pretty darn good! When the husband took a look at the list he added a few items, molding, built-ins, outbuildings (all of which the house has). Also, this house falls well within our budget where all the ranches pushed a little past comfortable.

We go for our second look tomorrow afternoon and then we'll likely place an offer. Here's hoping...

the house hunt begins

I've been watching many, many episodes of House Hunters this year, thanks to hulu.com. I spend most of the viewing time mocking the "hunters" for their mindless wish for the exact same thing as everyone else ever featured on the show. (I swear they are coached!) The show provides fascinating insight into the priorities of the American public.

Every single couple is after hardwood floors, dark kitchen cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, double vanity sinks in the bathroom and more square footage than they can possibly need. And every single woman ever featured on that show wants a closet the size of my bedroom. Oh, and they all adore tray ceilings and crown molding. (Incidentally they call all molding "crown" molding.)

This not to say that these are not good attributes in a house, but I just wish House Hunters would find a new story. I am slightly ashamed to admit that I was not-so-secretly delighted to learn that some granite counters can emit potentially cancer-causing levels of radiation. Take that House Hunters!

The husband and I are about to begin the hunt for our urban homestead and I've been thinking constantly about what I am looking for in a house. If we were featured on House Hunters, the opening sequence would be us detailing the following wish list.

Best Case Scenario House

• .25 Acres
• 3+ bedrooms (separated by floor plan or multi-story)
• 2+ bathrooms
• Wood flooring throughout (tile in kitchen, bathrooms)
• Open kitchen w/ island and window(s)
• Natural, solid-surface kitchen counters
• Wood cabinetry
• Gas cook top
• Electric oven
• Energy efficient refrigerator
• Dishwasher
• Double sink
• Designated dining room
• Laundry room with sink and folding counter
• Detached (or low focal point) garage
• Near good elementary school, library, shopping, parks
• Established neighborhood with sidewalks
• Central Location (20-40 minutes to Forest Grove, Portland and Oregon City)

(This is the point in the post when I know every homeowner reading this is rolling their eyes and I shaking their heads at my silly naivete.)

Of course I won't find all of these things, but I hope we can have the potential for most of them in our home.

We're nearly finished saving for our down-payment. Our next step is visiting with a mortgage broker and then hopefully house hunting by this time next month!

Stay tuned -- perhaps I'll post three houses with a chance for guesses as to which we'll pick!

ten stray thoughts

I am due for a tetanus shot this month. I am also headed to my ten-year high school reunion next week. I feel roughly the same about these two events.

I spent the weekend in Seattle. I watched hundreds of people waiting for dozens of buses.

I spent both Friday and Saturday afternoons forcing myself to read The Zookeeper's Wife at coffee shops.

I went to the doctor today to see a specialist for my 18-month long ear infection. The doctor put purple dye in my ears. I'm not sure why.

Work has me burned out. I think at least once each day of joining a gym and taking a class. I suspect these things will not happen.

I miss living in Portland so much that I feel it in my soul.

Our good friends had a beautiful baby boy yesterday.

I am going to Los Angeles next month.

I took my engagement ring in to be cleaned today and the scary British clerk got very annoyed that the stone is loose and took it away from me. I don't get it back until next Tuesday.

I miss my husband.

driven to the right

Apparently I think like a republican.

I was quite shocked to learn that the cell phone ban in Oregon was a partisan issue. And even more shocked to realize I agree with the republicans.

I do not believe it should be a primary offense to talk on a cell phone while driving.

I've read about a lot of studies that show cell phones are distracting and can increase the likelihood of a crash by anywhere from 1.3% to 23% -- including a the recent one from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

The University of Utah released a study in 2008 that demonstrated evidence that cell phone users drive slower and pass less.

There is great debate on whether or not "hands-free" devices make the roads any safer and a general consensus that texting while driving is unsafe.

There are also many statements and studies indicated the number of accidents caused by cell phone use has increased with the adoption of cell phones. The Oregon Department of Transportation states that crashes caused by cell phone use in Oregon increased by 82% from 2004 to 2007.

And of course there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence and laboratory-based studies.

What I have yet to read is a study demonstrating that the overall number of crashes or traffic fatalities has increased with the prevalence of cell phones. In fact, everything I have read indicates that those two factors have remained relatively steady.

I believe and agree with every study cited above. I certainly agree that texting while a vehicle is in motion can increase likelihood of a crash and should be a primary offense. I do believe that drivers talking on their cell phones crash and that cell phones have been used during an increased number of crashes.

(Incidentally I also believe that if we asked 271 million American drivers to drive with pumpkins on their backseat the number of accidents "caused" by pumpkins would skyrocket.)

What I don't yet believe is that the cell phones are the primary cause of crashes. I believe bad driving is the cause of crashes. Take away the cell phone and bad driving is still going to cause crashes.

I also strongly disagree that cell phone use should ever be a primary traffic violation. It should be, as it is in many states (including Oregon until Jan. 1), a secondary offense. This means drivers can only be stopped for breaking primary traffic laws, but they can be penalized further if they are talking on the phone while driving unsafely.

I do however, reserve the right to change my mind on this issue.

As soon as a report is released indicating that the number of traffic collisions and traffic fatalities has increased since the advent of the cell phone, I will agree that they should be banned.

In the meantime if my opinion means I think like a republican, so be it.

dreams of our homestead

I am married to a man who can really cook! He also brews his own beer and kombucha tea, grows almost all of our summer vegetables, preserves fruits and vegetables and has aspirations of brewing wine and growing, not some, but all of our produce.

I have aspirations of raising chickens, learning to sew and someday maybe even planning menus that don't require the microwave. For the holidays in 2008 we gave entirely handmade or locally-produced gifts.

We're looking to buy a house and lot size has become our primary priority. The list of things we want to grow is longer than the features we look for in a dwelling.

We didn't wake one day and decide we wanted to live our lives a certain way, but over the past two years, we've slowly transitioned into highly domestic creatures.

Some friends gave me a book they bought at the Urban Farm Store in Portland. The hottest debate in our town this year has been over the right to raise backyard chickens. Yesterday I found this book at Powells. It was not alone on the shelf. There is a plethora of material available about creating sustainable oases in urban areas. It seems that backyard farming is the newest hot thing!

The husband and I did not set out to be trendy. We had these thoughts on our own and they were fueled by things we've read. It just seems right. For us it does not feel like a fad. It does not feel temporary. It feels like a lifestyle we can sustain.

But I can't help but wonder, how do we know if we're a part of a movement, a social shift, or if we're just riding the latest cool wave?