It’s a good thing time travel doesn’t exist yet. I think my past selves’ heads would’ve exploded if my current self (what I call version 7.0 due to a factoid) went back to the Eighties and told them, “One day in the near future, you will stay put in a great city, unlike your parents.” Back then I was probably rooting for California which was the magical land.
How goes it a decade later? Despite the current drought brought on by La Niña and overdevelopment, not Goodhair’s failed prayer rally, quite well. The house needs some work in spots thanks to Latin America’s finest (paint on the doorbell is a fave) yet it’s pretty decent. Our reduction of crap strategy with it culminating into the grand library Alexandria in Somara’s old office has stalled for a long time, mostly due to her ongoing illnesses. I’m not sure if she recently watched Hoarders as inspiration or schadenfreude. I know it disturbed me since it gave me flashbacks over some old Springfield neighbors up the street and an anonymous relative.
Other positive factors…I haven’t had to move since. When I came back to Austin in late 1998, within the first three years I relocated six times before the house. One place lasted about a month. There were some indications this was likely to happen though. During my original residency in Austin, I did stick with the same apartment for three years, rent increases and all.
What else? We refinanced in 2008, primarily to have Somara put on the mortgage to prove how far we’d come financially. It was also to keep my parents’ mitts off should I die and they might try to take it away from her. We may not have spoken in eight years but never underestimate what can bring psychos out of the mist. Contrary to the GOP-Teabagger blame the poor screed they’re bringing up now, we refinanced what owed on the previous mortgage to a lower rate. We didn’t do anything stupid such as borrow more nor were we in an ARM. It reset the 30-year clock in exchange for a lower payment. Believe me, freeing up $140/month comes in handy with student loans, the car loan and now that I think about it, this easily covers the new time share deed ($100/month). Somara was annoyed initially. I showed her the books today and proved how it worked out to our advantage: the interest is now dropping by a buck/month while the previous loan hit this milestone in twice the time. Will we do it again? It’s tempting. Right now, maybe next year.
The long-term plan is stay here, eliminate the crap we’ve accumulated we don’t need or use anymore and tweak the joint. The alternative is to buy another, larger house. No thanks. I fear we’d grow into the space by filling it up with more stuff. Besides, 1300-square feet (121-square meters) is fine.
One thing I would like to do is have some of my far-away friends finally see this place. Hell, we might have it organized enough for them to spend the night instead of at the nearby hotel…the plan we had with Jose and Nancy.