{{{{Wiki}}}}
All my minor complaints seem just that, minor. but life still sucks. Blarg!
{{{Wiki}}}
Just a drive by hug 'n blurf.
Fuck your stepdad.:mad:
{{{Wiki}}}
Out of lurking long enough to say I am sorry to hear this.
I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but do know a random internet stranger feels for you.
You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders. It will work out.
Good luck.
{{{wiki}}} you do get all the hugs today. You’re doin’ right by bein’ there for your mom if she wants you there. The hell with your stepdad. All of us R.I.S. are there for ya and love ya!
In other news, call me butter cause I am on a roll! 
Three more for real job placements today and three more ready to start participant trainin’. I done earned my paycheck for this week for reals!
I missed a whole day of posts! Shame on me!
Were you gone?
Safe neighborhood.
I lived in the city years ago, I’m getting too old to hit the floor when I hear gunfire outside.
**Near a college for my son. **
I don’t know if he is coming with me or staying here with his grandmother but I want him to have that option. I looked at a few other small towns and when I found out the nearest colleges were over an hour away I nixed them.
Off street parking is a big one on my list.
I don’t want to have to park a block away from my house, especially on grocery shopping day. If I have friends over I want them to be able to find a place to park.
It’s not something you can add later unless maybe if you have a big yard. I’m sure it’s not cheap and probably requires permits and zoning and all that good stuff.
If there is a driveway I don’t want it to be steep.
I don’t want a lot of stairs to enter the house.
I want the entry stairs to be even and meet code. Sometimes that bottom step is a little higher than the rest or they are those free standing concrete steps that wiggle when you step on them.
I’d like the interior stairs (if any) to not be too steep or shallow or narrow.
Better if they are straight up with no bends. It’s harder (or damn near impossible) to move furniture up narrow stairs with a bend. Did you know that in Baltimore (and maybe other cities too) the windows in the old row houses are made to pop out so you could move furniture in and out that way?
Fenced yard for my dog.
Built after 1901 or my insurance company won’t insure it. I could shop around but I figure if Allstate isn’t going to the most of the others aren’t either.
**I prefer 3 bedrooms **but if I like the house 2 is okay. Three bedrooms sell better so that is a consideration.
I’d like to have 1 and a half baths but I could settle for 1.
Central AC.
It’s not a must have but unless the house already has the duct work in place it’s going to be expensive to add later.
I didn’t think I wanted a dishwasher but then I thought if I want to get one later then the kitchen has to be remodeled or I’d have to get one on wheels - if those kind are still being made.
A garage is a bonus. At least a shed so I don’t have to put one in.
I’m hoping the house comes with a** washer/dryer**, a bonus if they are on the living level and not the basement. I want the hookups at least.
A clothesline would be a nice plus.
I don’t care if I have a** basement or a cellar**. I’m not planning on finishing it so as long as it serves it’s purpose that is all I care. If it does have a basement a walkout is a bonus. Interior stairs to the basement is nice too. It’s a PITA if the furnace goes out and you have to go outside and walk around to the basement door to check it. Trust me, your furnace will only go out on the coldest nights.
I’d like to have everything on one floor, and if not at least a powder room on each level.
My dog doesn’t do stairs, he never has and now that he is older and going blind I doubt he will try. I hope to find a house with at least one bedroom in the first floor.
Nice closets.
An updated kitchen and bathroom.
A** real attic** with a real floor with real stairs is nice, I had one once and loved it. Here to get up into the attic you have to clean out the closet and walk up a ramp. It’s just the studs and insulation with some plywood laid on top.
Years ago, many years ago, my father went up in the attic and I heard a crunch and looked up to see his foot coming through the ceiling. First and only time I ever him him say fuck. It’s tricky to walk across the studs.
The other advantage to the real attic was that there were windows at each end. In the summer I’d put a fan in each window and to suck the hot air out of the attic. It kept the house pretty comfortable most of the time so I didn’t need to use the AC as much.
Enough storage, counter space in the kitchen.
Double sink in the kitchen and disposal.
I’d prefer an** individual house** but I am considering town houses and duplexes. I don’t like to share.
One of the duplexes I’m going to look at has a two car ‘garage’ but it’s really one building with 4 doors. I don’t know how that works as far as maintenance. It might be a deal breaker for me.
Same thing with shared driveways and such, who is responsible for what. I don’t want the neighbor doing some maintenance and then presenting me with a bill.
City water and sewer. I’ve had a well and septic before and while it’s nice to not have a water bill if either of those have a problem it’s expensive.
The other problem with well water is I had copper in my water. It turned my hair green and I took all my white laundry to my mother’s to do or it would turn green. Sulphur smells horrible, iron turns everything orange. If there is a drought your well can run dry and it can be very expensive to drill a new one.
One faucet at the sink. I’ve lived with sinks that have two faucets, one for hot and one for cold. It’s not convenient.
Overhead light in the bedrooms.
I don’t want a cathedral ceiling. They look nice but are a pain to clean and change the light bulbs.
**I don’t want textured ceilings either.
**
I don’t want electrical outlets in the floor.
Been there, done that, it’s too easy to spill/drop stuff in them.
I want all the appliances to convey but mostly because the down payment and closing costs are going to take almost all my cash. Extra bonus if the blinds and draperies convey too.
A front yard. At least a small one so the public sidewalk is not right outside my window.
A quiet street.
I would love to one day have a central vacuum.
I would live to have a jacuzzi tub and getting older those walk in tubs are starting look real nice.
I don’t like pedestal sinks. They look nice but I want storage.
I like a porch.
It’s nice to have a roof over the front door. It’s no fun to be standing in the rain while trying to unlock the door.
I’d rather have either natural gas or electric heat.
The problems I’ve had with oil.
One house the tank was in the basement and it burst. Oil went everywhere and was almost impossible to clean up. It soaked into the concrete and after that every time the furnace kicked on the floor would catch fire. It was hell getting the tank out, it had to be cut apart. Fortunately the furnace had already been switched to gas so I didn’t have to wonder how to get another tank in there.
Another house the tank was outside and if it got cold enough the lines would freeze. I had to get some kind of coil thing to plug in and run through the window to keep the lines from freezing.
The other option is to bury the tank and I can only imagine that mess if the tank ruptures.
I don’t want a fireplace because I don’t want to clean it.
I don’t want a pool because I don’t want to maintain it.
I’m not looking at any of these but watch out for garage townhouses. I’ve done pet sitting in them and it’s a PITA to run up and down those stairs all the time.
I used to watch the one woman who lived across from my client.
She would pull her van into the garage, it barely fit.
She’s take one kid out of the car seat, carry her upstairs, put her behind the baby gate. Come back down, get the other kid out, carry her upstairs and put her behind the baby gate. Then come back down, grab two bags of groceries, carry them upstairs and open the baby gate, close the baby gate, put the groceries down, go back through the baby gate, back downstairs, get two more bags of groceries.
UGH! Who wants to do that all the time?
A few other clients didn’t get powder rooms on the lower or middle levels. They had to run up two flights of stairs to potty. One had a powder room put in within the first month of living there (I told her so), the other was fine until she got pregnant.
Another one had the style where the garage is in the back. Nice if you live there and can come in through the garage. I had to park in the back and then walk around the block to the front door. So did any guests unless you wanted to use the garage door to let them in.
Lofts are nice as long as you don’t have small kids.
When my son was little I had a loft and he went upstairs and was hanging through the railing waving at me. I didn’t know if I should stay under him to catch him or run upstairs to get him.
Even older kids - when my nieces were about 7 and 9 they were visiting at a house with a loft. The kids moved the couch under the loft and took turns jumping onto the couch. The kids survived until the parents caught them, the couch didn’t.
Spiral staircases look nice until you have to use them. No fun if you are moving furniture or carrying laundry. A friend had one and I’d go out the front door and walk around the house to the back basement door before I’d use the staircase. Especially after a few drinks.
One client had a house that the toilet was so close to the (floor to ceiling) window that if you forgot to close the blinds you could sit on the toilet and wave to the people walking by on the sidewalk.
Windows in showers are okay if the house was built for it. Otherwise water is going to get in there and rot the wood. I ended up getting a plastic shower curtain and cut it down to use as a window curtain.
Make sure there is a landing at the door. One of my clients had stairs up to the door with no landing. I’d have to go to the top to reach the door knob and then step down backwards to open the door. Bad enough that but even worse if you have an armful of groceries, there is snow/ice on the stairs, or dogs are pulling on the leash.
Same thing at the top of basement stairs, you really need a landing.
Another client had an end unit townhouse where the door was on the side instead of the front. There was a small landing with a railing but storm door had to be hung opening from the opposite side from the main door. I couldn’t tell you how many times I pinched my fingers trying to hold onto the storm door with one hand on a windy day while trying to unlock the main door with the other hand.
It’s very awkward when they open in different directions and because of the railing the storm door couldn’t be hung the other way.
Kitchen islands are nice if they are well placed. Not so nice if they are dead center in the kitchen triangle and you have to walk around them to get from the sink to the fridge to the stove.
Light switches near the front door. I pet sat at one house where you have to walk across a large foyer to get to the switches. No fun in the dark.
Floor to ceiling windows look nice but one client threw a ball to his dog who slid across the dining room floor and through the screen of the open window.
Watch out with galley style kitchens. I know someone that their over and fridge are across from each other and right next to the back door. Only one door can be opened at a time. Fine if you are the only person in the kitchen. When I lived in a row house my kitchen was so narrow that I had to stand to the side to open the oven door because it almost touched the opposite wall.
A laundry room pass through from the garage to the house looks nice until you are actually doing laundry or trying to carry bags of groceries through.
nice. You’re on the list.
Thanks, Rosie! You’re…wait a minute…:dubious:
{{{{{{{{{{kai}}}}}}}}}}}, what a shitty situation. I am so sorry that you are going through all this. The worst part, of course, is that your Mom is dying. 
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Wish there was something more I could do or say; just know that I am thinking of you, as are so many others here.
I have been to the pharmacy and gotten my shingles shot this morning. It was subcutaneous, and in the back of my arm, so I didn’t see the (presumably) long needle. It did hurt just a bit, a prick like, but wasn’t too bad. Now, hopefully,I will NOT get shingles. My Dad had it about 5 years ago and was very bad off with it, for a long time, like 6 months! :eek: One of my (younger than me) brothers had it too, years ago and it almost affected his vision.
While we were at Albertson’s, we did a little grocery shopping, and I got a package of crab fried rice from frozen foods. I don’t know what all was in it, but it was real crab, not the imitation and boy howdy did it taste good! It’s always nice to find something good like that, but now I’m afraid to read the list of ingredients because it probably is NOT good for me. Isn’t that always the way it is?! LOL Ah well!
Have a good day all. Rosie’s .sig to all in need!
Wiki, what **Bobbio **said.
Home and starving to death. I’ve got water boiling for pasta on the stove this very minute because I’m starving to death. It’s also thunderbooming again which wrecked my plans to go out and take pictures of a couple of things. :mad: Stop raaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiinnnninnnnnnnggggg!
Irish Storyteller went to court again today and the case was continued again. So he still can’t go home. This is getting stupid.
In good news, my Complicated Cross-Stitch is going well, so there’s that.
{{{{{{Kai}}}}}} What they all said - we’re here for you. So sorry you and your mom are going thru this. Your stepdad sounds like a real zinger. :rolleyes: Please do use us to vent or bitch or whine - that’s one of the main bennies of the MMP. It’s in the fine print so most people miss that clause. Hang in there, sweetie!!
Home from training. We even went to a marina and arrived just as the boat was coming in, so it was a quick visit. Yay! Tomorrow, our trainer is coming down to our county to do a QA observation on the guy we’re replacing, and he’s going to take us around to a couple of the trickier locations - mainly at private homes/docks. Plus we’ll arrange with the soon-to-be-former monitor to get the tablet from him on Sunday after he does his last visit. Then I start on Monday. Yay!
For now, we’re home and chilling. Long day - Higgs is glad we’re home. So am I - it’s time to assume the slug position.
sari that’s quite a list! Hope you find the right house for you. Still, quite a list!
The General didn’t get to eat his dindin again cause we swiped it. Also, no mowage shall occur because it is rainin’ yet again even though it sorta kinda was not supposed to. :dubious:
I’s tahrd! Looooooooooooong day. Productive, sure, but looooooooooooong!
Supper was cheese-n-crackers. I’m gonna assume the afghaning position - I’m almost done with the latest one. Laterzz!!
I got to leave early. Roomie is making meatloaf.
{{{{{{{{{Wiki}}}}}}}}}} and vent as much as you need.
Sari, that’s quite a lost. Mine would be:
A. 1 story
B. laundry
C. Near the arena.
You left out…
D. Liquor store a block away
I thought the arena sold beer…
Liquor? I just met her!
The nearest ABC Store is 7 miles from the arena. I’ll just find a house 1/2 way in between.
Maybe it’ll be a halfway house which could come in handy.