Uff, finally the move is almost over. Stuff moved, odds and ends taken care off ...though, to tell the truth, I was increadibly inefficient this time around and left more odds and ends than ever, so taking care of those took en entire Sunday of the friendly (and free!) crew of Daughter and Ex son-in-law, who flew over for the weekend to supervise the movers on Saturday and help with leftovers. Glad he did.
The "kids" must have been tired last night because at dinner they started dreaming up a scheme to have me grounded. Ex son-in-law suggested that in order to avoid me moving ever again with stuff, he and Daughter will form a corporation (since they are no longer married) and that corporation will buy a lake house for me, no further than 2 hours from Atlanta, with a view.
Since I haven't bought one in 15 years, when I sold the last one, I was not likely to buy one myself - they reasoned. Hmm, I thought, if I bought a house those 15 years ago, I would have been a lot poorer in experiences, in adventures, even though I might be richer in money - on paper - due to a possible appreciation. Forgo adventures for some financial gain? Not me.
It is true that I feel more than usually apprehensive moving this time - I haven't yet explored even a fraction of what Gainesville, Lake Lanier and north Georgia's mountains have to offer.
Yet, had I kept the apartment, I would have ended paying about $1400 a month for an empty apartment, to which I might or might not return in half a year or so. No matter how tireing a move was, its costs are negligible: not even half of a one months rent. So I know that getting rid of most of my stuff and putting the remainder in storage was by far the better choice, since it leaves me freedom to come back or not to come back and does not tie up resourses in unneeded lodging.
But the "kids" apparently had fun with "their corporate house for mom" scenario, because they kept coming up with additional requirements for a perfect location for that house. Besides the view and proximity to Atlanta (Daughter lives there and it also has a large international airport making it easy for Ex son in law to fly in from wherever he happens to be at the moment), the house needed to be no further than about 10 miles from Borders or Barnes & Noble (God knows why: I have now 20 miles to the Mall of Georgia, which has Barnes& Noble and I drove there gladly, at least twice a month, when it rained, completely ignoring all the other stores, to happily browse in all those tempting new books and picking up 4-5 of them each visit), close to a well equipped gym with an olympic size swimming pool ( my appartment complex has a gym and two swimming pools, but both are outdoor pools, so in cold weather I would have to drive 8 miles to the brand new, well equipped YMCA on Gainesville's east side) and located close to a mecca for intellectually minded retirees - so I wouldn't get bored. (Gainesville has an interesting lifetime learning institution at Brenau University, BULLI, attended by well educated, interesting people and fun edutainment programs and I am sure going to miss that in Puerto Rico).
And if I wanted to go somewhere to work or explore, for a few months, fine, they would take care of the house, just do not move the main abode. No more moving with stuff, declared Daughter and her ex.
Hmm. Supervising cleaning crew today I was pondering these proposed house requirements.
Somehow a reasonable proximity to a grocery store or health care did not come up, but I guess a grocery store could be found somewhere close to either a bookstore or a gym or that hypothetical place for activities for intellectually minded retirees ( if such a place exists anywhere). I was laughing a lot to myself today, but also thought that I am getting to be a bit too much of a bother for Daughter and her Ex, because they always come help with every move, without my asking.
So, OK, from now on - no moving with stuff. I wrote it - I'll have to own up to it.
It won't get me grounded as yet, since I got "kids" to promise they will wait at least till my birthday year 2009 or 2010 until they start looking for that corporate house for mom. So my freedom of movement is not going to be curtailed as yet - I can move myself, I just committed to leaving the stuff behind. Which, I guess, is a smart thing to do. ;-)
The "kids" must have been tired last night because at dinner they started dreaming up a scheme to have me grounded. Ex son-in-law suggested that in order to avoid me moving ever again with stuff, he and Daughter will form a corporation (since they are no longer married) and that corporation will buy a lake house for me, no further than 2 hours from Atlanta, with a view.
Since I haven't bought one in 15 years, when I sold the last one, I was not likely to buy one myself - they reasoned. Hmm, I thought, if I bought a house those 15 years ago, I would have been a lot poorer in experiences, in adventures, even though I might be richer in money - on paper - due to a possible appreciation. Forgo adventures for some financial gain? Not me.
It is true that I feel more than usually apprehensive moving this time - I haven't yet explored even a fraction of what Gainesville, Lake Lanier and north Georgia's mountains have to offer.
Yet, had I kept the apartment, I would have ended paying about $1400 a month for an empty apartment, to which I might or might not return in half a year or so. No matter how tireing a move was, its costs are negligible: not even half of a one months rent. So I know that getting rid of most of my stuff and putting the remainder in storage was by far the better choice, since it leaves me freedom to come back or not to come back and does not tie up resourses in unneeded lodging.
But the "kids" apparently had fun with "their corporate house for mom" scenario, because they kept coming up with additional requirements for a perfect location for that house. Besides the view and proximity to Atlanta (Daughter lives there and it also has a large international airport making it easy for Ex son in law to fly in from wherever he happens to be at the moment), the house needed to be no further than about 10 miles from Borders or Barnes & Noble (God knows why: I have now 20 miles to the Mall of Georgia, which has Barnes& Noble and I drove there gladly, at least twice a month, when it rained, completely ignoring all the other stores, to happily browse in all those tempting new books and picking up 4-5 of them each visit), close to a well equipped gym with an olympic size swimming pool ( my appartment complex has a gym and two swimming pools, but both are outdoor pools, so in cold weather I would have to drive 8 miles to the brand new, well equipped YMCA on Gainesville's east side) and located close to a mecca for intellectually minded retirees - so I wouldn't get bored. (Gainesville has an interesting lifetime learning institution at Brenau University, BULLI, attended by well educated, interesting people and fun edutainment programs and I am sure going to miss that in Puerto Rico).
And if I wanted to go somewhere to work or explore, for a few months, fine, they would take care of the house, just do not move the main abode. No more moving with stuff, declared Daughter and her ex.
Hmm. Supervising cleaning crew today I was pondering these proposed house requirements.
Somehow a reasonable proximity to a grocery store or health care did not come up, but I guess a grocery store could be found somewhere close to either a bookstore or a gym or that hypothetical place for activities for intellectually minded retirees ( if such a place exists anywhere). I was laughing a lot to myself today, but also thought that I am getting to be a bit too much of a bother for Daughter and her Ex, because they always come help with every move, without my asking.
So, OK, from now on - no moving with stuff. I wrote it - I'll have to own up to it.
It won't get me grounded as yet, since I got "kids" to promise they will wait at least till my birthday year 2009 or 2010 until they start looking for that corporate house for mom. So my freedom of movement is not going to be curtailed as yet - I can move myself, I just committed to leaving the stuff behind. Which, I guess, is a smart thing to do. ;-)
3 comments:
Intersting isn't it.
Do travel and previously aquired 'stuff' cancel each other out?
Can you truly appreciate either when combined?
Hmm. No, I guess travel (to anywhere from a home base) and previously acquired stuff do not cancel each other out. But what I call my "living the world" or my retirement merry go round does seem to cancel a lot of previously acquired stuff. Lucky for me, my sentimentality seldom - if ever - encompasses material stuff or I wouldn't like the way I live. And I do like it, therefore I do live it. ;-)
Good for you x
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