New Blog, New House

A bit of earth,
She wants a little bit of earth,
She'll plant some seeds.
The seeds will grow, The flowers bloom,
Their beauty just the thing she needs.
-The Secret Garden

As much as I enjoy reading the blogs that my friends write, I thought I’d start one of my own… I won’t pretend that I’ll always have something interesting to say…but has that ever stopped me before?

So the big news on my end is that I just moved into my first house. It’s a 2-bedroom, brick Cape Cod in Anderson Township. (For those not familiar with the neighborhoods around here, it’s near Riverbend; and for those not in Ohio at all, it’s about 11 miles southeast of downtown Cinci)

After what feels like a massive amount of paint (there’s still some to do), it’s starting to look like mine. (will post extensive before and after pictures at some point) The family room was a nightmarish shade of pink and the bedrooms were just a dingy, dirty off-white. The dining room is still on the to-do list, as is the bathroom. The big project is a complete remodel of the kitchen. I don’t know how else to say it – it was just ugly before. I’m putting in (or rather, having my friend, realtor, contractor and all-around construction guru Jason put in) new cabinets, floor, light fixtures and appliances. So far, the floor and cabinets are in and they look great. (again, will post extensive before and after pictures…)

Only one glitch so far… Yesterday I arrived with my parents and the movers to find that there was no running water. Apparently the guys had to turn off the water in the house to install the sink base. And, thanks to the age of the house (and therefore the water valve in the basement,) the valve failed to turn the water back on. So Water Works was to come out, shut off the water at the street and allow Jason to replace the valve. But they never showed. I spent the first night in my new home without water and had to shower in the morning over at the apartment. Good thing I still had the keys. Water Works still hasn’t arrived, but Jason used his own “only in emergencies with water shooting out in all directions” street key to shut the water off to the house and his guys are fixing it now. Not exactly an inspiring endorsement for Cincinnati Water Works…at this rate, I’d be without water all weekend. Amazing.

The place is in absolute chaos at the moment. Save for a path from the front door through the family room, there are boxes everywhere. Many headed towards the kitchen – which cant be unpacked just yet. Once the kitchen is finished up, anything else on the Beacon Street To Do List can wait until I get around to it. There are a few other cosmetic things I’d like to do with it, but nothing that’s too urgent – so in the meantime, I can just enjoy my new home (which I’ve already made a New House Resolution to keep neater than I did my last apartment…)

Oh, and there’s a cage in the basement. It’s very “it puts the lotion in the basket.” Story is that the previous owner raised parrots at some point. I’d love to turn it into a dark room; I’ve always wanted one. It would take some work and some drywall, but it could be done. Expensive hobby, I know…and I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I’m the last person on earth who still shoots film, so perhaps that’s money that should be spent to go into the direction of digital… So for now, the cage will just remain in the basement as the best conversation piece I could ever ask for. And in the meantime….for any unruly visitors – that’s where you’ll sleep!