Happy Third Anniversary to Us! Three years ago in Malibu at the beautiful Adamson House, we became a family, officially, and here we are, getting ready to move out of our Glendale apt. into a real house, with lots of lessons, tribulations, travels and experiences behind us -- but we know the best is yet to come!
We have been hitting the car shows lately as Akhil feeds his latest obsession: the Shelby Cobra. I plan to post a photo of him with Hank Williams (no, not that Hank Williams) and his original 289, as soon as I can find some editing software on this new hard drive...
Car shows in SoCal -- a phenomenon like no other to be sure. We went to Van Nuys last week (to see the Cobra) where they held a Mustang competition in Balboa Park -- it all calls to mind Tom Wolfe's 'Kandy-Colored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby' -- and now I get what he was talking about. These people get real excited when someone offers to pop open the hood. Hank opened up his hood for us, and started that baby up for the onlookers too. There's something about how an engine sounds that can get you respect but I haven't quite figured out the "language" yet.
While we were up there we discovered they've got cricket fields -- in Van Nuys! At least three cricket games were in progress, with the all-white uniforms and everything. Never ceases to amaze.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
We certainly DO live in L.A. now, now that we've made the big purchase: a teeny tiny house! That's pretty much what's consumed our lives these last two months, but since we closed escrow two weeks ago, the hiring of fix-it contractors is intermittent, and I seem to have more time to think of things other than houses for a change, ironic but true.
The house -- well, it's not a mansion but the fact is, it's ours, and that's a real milestone, for each of us individually, and as a family unit too. Strangely it does put us instantly into a whole new club -- the club of SoCal homebuyers-who-bought-during-the-so-called-bubble club. What a distinction! Well, we're learning so much, by the firehose method, with this 80-year-old "project." Some helpful things we've learned include:
1. "Your" agent works for the seller, at all times, keep that in mind.
2. Houses older than 50 years involve a ton of repair and restoration, no matter how good they look.
3. HIRE YOUR OWN INSPECTORS, and heed his/her advice when the advice is to bring additional inspectors in.
4. Closing escrow may be achieved just about entirely by mail, with like, no human interaction.
5. After escrow closes, you will never hear from "your" agent ever again, even if you still have a gazillion questions.
6. Old plaster cracks and sags and flakes -- a lot.
7. Insurance companies do not like knob-and-tube wiring, at all.
8. Painting over wallpaper, not to mention plastering over wallpaper, in multiple layers even, is a BAD IDEA.
9. Chimney repair is wicked expensive.
10. Revel in the printing of your new address labels.
That's just a few tidbits - we have a million of 'em.
So, since I was last here, I've been to visit Regina in Bill in Cary, N.C.; Akhil and I went to his cousin Ami's wedding in Chicago and managed to sneak in an overnight visit with Carolyn and Rob, as well as special guest Khanh; Gunter and Margaret announced they are a married couple (we think, well soon, if not yet); Todd got promoted; Heather and John shacked up; John and Kendra had us over for Dylan's first birthday; Akhil celebrated his 38th; we watched the Mariners beat the Dodgers; finally tried (and loved) Le Petit Beaujolais in Eagle Rock; and got some baby-on-the-way news from Regina and Bill just last week! We also managed to eat at the Toasted Bun at least 4 times in the last month, and went to about five car shows as Akhil feeds his latest obsession.
That's quite a lot for two months, which means an exciting summer must be in store as well.
Stay tuned.
The house -- well, it's not a mansion but the fact is, it's ours, and that's a real milestone, for each of us individually, and as a family unit too. Strangely it does put us instantly into a whole new club -- the club of SoCal homebuyers-who-bought-during-the-so-called-bubble club. What a distinction! Well, we're learning so much, by the firehose method, with this 80-year-old "project." Some helpful things we've learned include:
1. "Your" agent works for the seller, at all times, keep that in mind.
2. Houses older than 50 years involve a ton of repair and restoration, no matter how good they look.
3. HIRE YOUR OWN INSPECTORS, and heed his/her advice when the advice is to bring additional inspectors in.
4. Closing escrow may be achieved just about entirely by mail, with like, no human interaction.
5. After escrow closes, you will never hear from "your" agent ever again, even if you still have a gazillion questions.
6. Old plaster cracks and sags and flakes -- a lot.
7. Insurance companies do not like knob-and-tube wiring, at all.
8. Painting over wallpaper, not to mention plastering over wallpaper, in multiple layers even, is a BAD IDEA.
9. Chimney repair is wicked expensive.
10. Revel in the printing of your new address labels.
That's just a few tidbits - we have a million of 'em.
So, since I was last here, I've been to visit Regina in Bill in Cary, N.C.; Akhil and I went to his cousin Ami's wedding in Chicago and managed to sneak in an overnight visit with Carolyn and Rob, as well as special guest Khanh; Gunter and Margaret announced they are a married couple (we think, well soon, if not yet); Todd got promoted; Heather and John shacked up; John and Kendra had us over for Dylan's first birthday; Akhil celebrated his 38th; we watched the Mariners beat the Dodgers; finally tried (and loved) Le Petit Beaujolais in Eagle Rock; and got some baby-on-the-way news from Regina and Bill just last week! We also managed to eat at the Toasted Bun at least 4 times in the last month, and went to about five car shows as Akhil feeds his latest obsession.
That's quite a lot for two months, which means an exciting summer must be in store as well.
Stay tuned.
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