NEEDLING

I found a house this morning which I really like. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been searching for a house pretty much since I arrived back here in the United States in late July. It’s far from perfect in many aspects, but I’d be paying twenty to thirty bucks more than I am now, and I’d be owning my own house, or at least paying towards ownership, which changes everything. But I shouldn’t jinks it by talking about it. My mom’s drawing out the paper work first thing tomorrow, she’s acting as my real-estate agent, and I’m going back to visit the inside on Thursday morning. This morning I couldn’t get inside. I tried to call my mom but couldn’t get a hold of her. By the time we got in touch I was all ready back in Austin, so she went over there to check it out on her own, and called me back to give me the low-down on the insides. It needs work, but it’s livable as it is. That’s all I need to know. There’s a back room which with a little work could be turned into an efficiency studio. It all ready has it’s own door. I could rent it out and make some of my mortgage and property tax back, which would greatly help me out. But I shouldn’t get excited about this too much. We should put in an offer on Thursday morning. If it happens and there’s nothing wrong with the house – gotta get it all inspected from top to bottom – then I will be well on my way to accomplish my goals set out in my personal little Five Year Plan. Within the first year, thou shall purchase a house which will reduce your monthly financial responsibilities enough to qualify for a second loan so that you can purchase your second home in the beginning of the second year, at which point you will be put in a position to find a different less time-consuming employment and think seriously about going back to school as well as starting a self-employment scheme of yet unknown sorts – a large portion of what I’m thinking about these days before I can actually make it happen. I’ve got two months and two weeks left for the first year in Austin. I arrived on the 23rd of July 2004. That’s incredible how fast time has gone. In my mind I haven’t been gone six months yet.